Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Thursday, July 23, 2026
The Odyssey Scores Nolan’s Best-Ever Tuesday at $21.4M, Second Weekend Projections Rising
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey posted $21.4 million on Tuesday, the best single midweek day of 2026 for a Nolan film and the director’s highest-ever Tuesday gross, surpassing The Dark Knight’s $20.8 million on July 22, 2008. The result places The Odyssey second among all Tuesdays in 2026 behind Toy Story 5’s $23.69 million and second in Universal Pictures’ Tuesday history, trailing only Jurassic World’s $24.3 million from June 2015. Analysts at Deadline project the film’s second weekend could rival the opening frames of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy installments. The Odyssey opened to $123.5 million domestically and $264 million globally, setting Nolan’s personal record for widest worldwide launch.
Festival teams triple in the run-up: seasonal staff, interns, volunteers who need the schedule but not the keys. Filmchief includes unlimited user accounts at no extra cost, with permissions you control down to the role. Everyone gets the access they need, and no more. filmchief.com
Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Breaks Disney Record With 503 Million Views in 24 Hours
The full trailer for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday tallied 503 million views in its first 24 hours, making it the most-viewed trailer in Disney’s history and the second-biggest trailer launch ever, trailing only Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day at 719 million views. The record surpasses Disney’s prior benchmark, the Deadpool & Wolverine Super Bowl teaser, which drew 365 million views including its broadcast audience. The trailer, featuring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom alongside the assembled MCU, landed Monday ahead of Marvel’s planned Saturday Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, where the December 18 release is expected to headline the studio’s slate reveal.
Studios and Streamers Flood Comic-Con’s Gaslamp District in Biggest SDCC Marketing Push Yet
San Diego Comic-Con transformed the Gaslamp District into a marketing arena as studios and streamers launched branded activations through July 26. Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday dominated, draping green Castle Doom–themed stained-glass imagery over the iconic Gaslamp sign at Fifth and L while lining surrounding light poles with Avengers flags. Disney Entertainment Television erected a walk-through Poseidon’s trident experience for Percy Jackson Season 3, while Paramount+ opened The Lodge for its fourth straight year. Activations from ABC, Hulu, FX, HBO, DC Studios, AMC, and Prime Video blanketed the area, reflecting a shift toward prioritizing streaming series over theatrical films in Comic-Con marketing budgets.
Percy Jackson Season 3 Sets November 20 Premiere Date at Comic-Con Hall H, Trailer Drops August 14
Percy Jackson and the Olympians launched its third-season marketing campaign at San Diego Comic-Con Thursday, with the Hall H panel revealing an official November 20, 2026 premiere date for the eight-episode adaptation of Rick Riordan’s “The Titan’s Curse.” Stars Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, Leah Sava’Jeffries, and new series additions joined executive producers Craig Silverstein and Dan Shotz to tease the season’s scope. The first teaser trailer is scheduled to debut August 14, 2026, extending the marketing runway to three months before the Disney+ premiere. Disney also operates an immersive Poseidon’s trident walk-through activation in the Gaslamp District through the end of Comic-Con.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Secret Ali G Film Gets Title “Who Iz I?” and October 23 Release via Amazon MGM
Sacha Baron Cohen’s long-in-development secret Ali G film has been officially titled “Ali G: Who Iz I?” and is set for theatrical release on October 23, 2026 via Amazon MGM Studios. Cohen announced the title and date in an in-character Instagram video, the first substantial marketing move since his appearance as Ali G at the 2026 Wimbledon finals confirmed the project’s existence. The film marks Cohen’s feature directorial debut and was shot in multiple cities across several years. The character first appeared in 1998, and “Who Iz I?” marks Ali G’s return to the big screen more than two decades after the original 2002 film.
Masters of the Universe Lands on Prime Video After 47-Day Theatrical Window
Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight and starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam alongside Jared Leto as Skeletor, arrived on Prime Video July 22 after a 47-day theatrical window following its June 5 release. The Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel co-production becomes available to Prime subscribers after generating $64.7 million cumulatively at the domestic box office during its theatrical run. The 47-day window aligns with accelerated theatrical-to-streaming timelines increasingly favored by streaming-backed studios seeking to capture home-viewing audiences before theatrical momentum fully fades, a strategy that contrasts with traditional studio windows approaching 90 days.
Black Bear Releasing Hires Neon’s Bianca Parkes as Head of Marketing to Expand Distribution Slate
Black Bear Releasing bolstered its distribution infrastructure by appointing Bianca Parkes as Head of Marketing and Heather Phillips as Head of Publicity, with both executives reporting to President of U.S. Distribution Benjamin Kramer. Parkes arrives from Neon, where as EVP and Executive Creative Director she helmed campaigns for Best Picture winners Parasite and Anora, alongside titles including Longlegs, Anatomy of a Fall, and Triangle of Sadness, and oversaw the streamer’s design and merchandising divisions. Phillips brings experience from 20th Century Fox, Miramax, and 101 Studios. The hires expand Black Bear’s distribution capacity across a slate of up to 12 films per year.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Odyssey | Jul 17 | $123.5M | $123.5M |
| 2 | Moana | Jul 10 | $17.9M | $81.0M |
| 3 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 19 | $13.8M | $429.9M |
| 4 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 3 | $13.6M | $136.4M |
| 5 | Evil Dead Burn | Jul 10 | $4.7M | $23.9M |
| 6 | The Invite | Jun 26 | $3.9M | $15.0M |
| 7 | Young Washington | Jul 3 | $3.6M | $40.9M |
| 8 | Obsession | May 15 | $2.4M | $258.4M |
| 9 | Supergirl | Jun 26 | $1.5M | $69.9M |
| 10 | Disclosure Day | Jun 12 | $1.3M | $114.6M |
| 11 | Backrooms | May 29 | $715K | $196.0M |
| 12 | Scary Movie | Jun 5 | $241K | $108.0M |
| 13 | Jackass: Best and Last | Jun 26 | $231K | $18.0M |
| 14 | Michael | Apr 24 | $143K | $372.2M |
| 15 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | May 22 | $115K | $177.5M |
| 16 | Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass | Jul 10 | $111K | $1.3M |
| 17 | Masters of the Universe | Jun 5 | $104K | $64.7M |
| 18 | Maddie’s Secret | Jun 12 | $81K | $1.0M |
| 19 | Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World | Jun 26 | $50K | $171K |
| 20 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | Apr 24 | $36K | $220.5M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates (Jul 17–19, 2026)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency