Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Posts Third-Largest Second Weekend Ever With $143M
Spider-Man: Brand New Day earned an estimated $143 million in its second domestic weekend, posting the third-largest sophomore frame in box office history. The Sony/Marvel Studios co-production has now grossed $654 million domestically in ten days, the highest ten-day domestic total ever recorded. Internationally, the film reached the $1 billion mark in twelve days, the second-fastest film to that milestone behind Avengers: Endgame. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, it has accumulated $1.67 billion globally. The weekend chart also saw The Odyssey hold at $31.7 million in its fourth frame, while newcomers One Night Only, Super Troopers 3, and Ice Cream Man all underperformed in the single-digit millions.
Summer Box Office Crosses $4 Billion for Second Time Since COVID, Best Since 2019
The domestic summer box office crossed the $4 billion threshold this week, the second time since the pandemic and the strongest summer since 2019. The milestone was powered by Spider-Man: Brand New Day at $654 million domestically, and Universal’s The Odyssey at $461 million domestic and $1.1 billion globally — Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing film ever. Breakouts Obsession and Backrooms added further volume. Analysts credit a wide, varied slate of tentpoles and practical-effects-led marketing positioning for the revival. Several weeks of summer season remain before Labor Day, pointing toward a full-season domestic record compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Netflix’s Sunset Boulevard Billboard Stunt Propels The Last House to 27.5 Million Views at No. 1
Netflix hired a performer to live for three days inside a set replica mounted on a billboard above Sunset Boulevard to promote The Last House, mirroring the film’s premise of a family trapped inside their home. The stunt, staged at Selma Avenue and Sunset Blvd., drew major news and social media coverage. The film, directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, debuted with 27.5 million views in its first three days on the platform, reaching No. 1 on Netflix globally across all categories for the week of Aug. 3–9 — illustrating how activations tied to a film’s core concept can generate measurable streaming lift.
Rockstar and Netflix Strike First-of-Its-Kind Deal to Premiere GTA VI Extended Look on August 27
Rockstar Games and Netflix have announced a first-of-its-kind deal to premiere an extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI exclusively on Netflix on August 27 at 3 p.m. ET, six hours before the footage goes live on Rockstar’s YouTube channel. Take-Two Interactive confirmed the arrangement is designed to position GTA VI — launching for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19 at $79.99 — as a mainstream entertainment tentpole. Netflix pursued the deal to participate in major cultural moments. Pre-orders, open since June 25, have been described by Take-Two executives as “unprecedented” in the company’s history.
Disney Appoints Joss Hastings as SVP Marketing for Consumer Products in Studios Reorganization
Disney has named Joss Hastings, a 20-year company veteran, as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Disney Consumer Products, reporting to Chief Marketing Officer Asad Ayaz and Consumer Products President Lisa Baldzicki. The appointment accompanies a structural shift moving Consumer Products from Disney Experiences into Disney Entertainment – Studios, placing merchandise marketing under the same umbrella as the company’s film and TV operations. Hastings previously served as VP of Marketing Strategy across consumer products, digital, music, parks, and gaming. The reorganization aims to tighten alignment between theatrical and streaming campaigns and licensed merchandise rollouts, creating a unified marketing chain from film green-light to retail.
National CineMedia to Acquire Ad Platform Captivate for $275 Million, Expanding Beyond Theaters
National CineMedia has agreed to acquire Captivate, the leading digital advertising operator in North American office and residential elevators, for an enterprise value of $275 million from growth equity firm Generation Partners. The combined entity would operate more than 48,000 digital screens across movie theaters, office buildings, and residential properties in 185 designated market areas, covering all of the top 100 U.S. markets. NCM describes the platform as the largest premium video and digital out-of-home advertising network in North America, allowing film marketers to reach audiences in professional and residential settings through a single campaign buy, extending studio reach far beyond the cinema pre-show.
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Aug 1 | $144.3M | $654.3M |
| 2 | The Odyssey | Jul 18 | $31.7M | $461.4M |
| 3 | One Night Only | Aug 8 | $5.5M | $5.5M |
| 4 | Toy Story 5 | Jun 20 | $4.2M | $470.7M |
| 5 | Super Troopers 3 | Aug 8 | $4.0M | $4.0M |
| 6 | Minions & Monsters | Jul 3 | $3.5M | $176.4M |
| 7 | Moana | Jul 11 | $3.0M | $121.6M |
| 8 | Ice Cream Man | Aug 8 | $2.0M | $2.0M |
| 9 | The Invite | Jun 27 | $0.7M | $24.3M |
| 10 | CatVideoFest 2026 | Aug 8 | $0.6M | $0.6M |
| 11 | Hadestown: The Musical | Jul 25 | $0.4M | $20.3M |
| 12 | Tony | Aug 8 | $0.3M | $0.3M |
| 13 | Cookie Queens | Aug 8 | $0.3M | $0.3M |
| 14 | Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Aug 8 | $0.2M | $0.2M |
| 15 | Obsession | May 16 | $0.2M | $263.3M |
| 16 | The Samurai and the Prisoner | Aug 1 | $0.2M | $0.3M |
| 17 | I Want Your Sex | Aug 1 | $0.2M | $1.3M |
| 18 | Young Washington | Jul 4 | $0.2M | $46.9M |
| 19 | Evil Dead Burn | Jul 11 | $0.1M | $32.0M |
| 20 | Supergirl | Jun 27 | $0.1M | $72.3M |
Source: The Numbers / Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates Aug 7–10, 2026
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency