Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Summer Domestic Box Office Reaches $4 Billion for First Time Since Barbenheimer
The domestic summer box office reached $4 billion for the second time in the post-pandemic era, powered by two blockbusters. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, heading into its third weekend, leads 2026 with $655 million domestic and $1.67 billion worldwide, while Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has amassed $460 million domestically and $1.1 billion globally. Horror breakout Obsession and A24’s Backrooms were cited as key contributors to the milestone. The last time the domestic summer crossed $4 billion was 2023’s Barbenheimer year, which totaled $4.09 billion. Anne Hathaway’s The End of Oak Street opens Friday as the next major wide release.
Netflix Runs Free Wellness Activations Across LA in Emmy Push for Beef
Netflix is running a week-long free wellness activation in Los Angeles for its Emmy-nominated drama “Beef,” timed ahead of Emmy Phase 2 voting. The campaign, titled “Beef — Release Your Rage. Feel Your Calm,” runs August 10–14 across five participating venues and offers robot massages, gua sha treatments, limited-edition smoothies, specialty matcha drinks, and sound bath sessions — all free to attendees. Inspired by the show’s themes of tension and confrontation, the campaign invites the public to decompress through curated wellness experiences. It is among several innovative FYC pushes running this summer ahead of the Emmy ceremony.
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder Perform as Hacks Characters in Sold-Out FYC Stage Show
Max comedy series “Hacks” is taking its Emmy campaign to the stage with a one-night-only theatrical event called “Deborah Vance & Friends & Enemies Live!” at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder will appear in character for the first time outside the series as the show enters Emmy voting for its fifth and final season. Hacks earned 24 Emmy nominations for its farewell run — the most of any comedy season in Emmy history — and Smart is pursuing a fifth consecutive win in her category, which would make her the solo all-time record holder. The event is already sold out.
Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay Becomes First Streamer Series With AMC Theatre Fan Screenings
Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” one of 2026’s breakout streaming hits, became the first Apple TV series to receive theatrical exposure. Apple TV and Rutgers University — alma mater of creator Katie Dippold — partnered for free, one-night-only fan screenings of the series’ final three Season 1 episodes at select AMC Theatres in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco on Wednesday, August 12. The event places Widow’s Bay alongside HBO’s Game of Thrones, Netflix’s Stranger Things, and Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings as streaming series to receive theatrical fan screenings.
Disney Names 20-Year Veteran Joss Hastings as Consumer Products Marketing Chief
Disney has named Joss Hastings senior vice president of marketing for Disney Consumer Products as the division moves under the company’s Studios umbrella. Hastings, a 20-year company veteran who previously served as vice president of marketing strategy, will report jointly to Chief Marketing Officer Asad Ayaz and Disney Consumer Products President Lisa Baldzicki. Hastings has worked across consumer products, digital, music, parks, and gaming, and will lead DCP marketing globally to grow the business, strengthen Disney brands, and connect with consumers. She replaces SVP Ron Faris in the role, with an expanded remit reflecting the division’s strategic alignment with the Studios group.
Sources: Deadline · The Hollywood Reporter
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Sony) | Aug 1 | $145.0M | $655.0M |
| 2 | The Odyssey (Universal) | Jul 18 | $31.5M | $460.0M |
| 3 | One Night Only (Universal) | Aug 8 | $6.0M | $6.0M |
| 4 | Toy Story 5 (Disney/Pixar) | Jun 13 | $4.3M | $461.0M |
| 5 | Super Troopers 3 (Fox Searchlight) | Aug 8 | $4.0M | $4.0M |
| 6 | Minions & Monsters (Universal/Ilum.) | Jul 4 | $3.5M | $168.4M |
| 7 | Moana (Disney) | Jul 4 | $2.8M | $145.0M |
| 8 | The Ice Cream Man | Aug 8 | $2.0M | $2.0M |
| 9 | The Invite | Jul 25 | $0.7M | $11.8M est. |
| 10 | Hadestown: The Musical (specialty) | Jun 27 | $0.4M | $8.5M est. |
| 11 | Obsession (Focus Features) | May 16 | $0.8M est. | $245.0M |
| 12 | Backrooms (A24) | May 9 | $0.6M est. | $178.0M |
| 13 | The Mandalorian and Grogu (Disney) | May 22 | $0.4M est. | $203.0M |
| 14 | Disclosure Day (Universal) | Jul 25 | $0.5M est. | $58.0M est. |
| 15 | Scary Movie (Paramount) | Jun 6 | $0.3M est. | $183.0M est. |
| 16 | Masters of the Universe | Jul 25 | $0.3M est. | $29.0M est. |
| 17 | Michael (Universal) | Apr 4 | $0.2M est. | $289.0M est. |
| 18 | Project Hail Mary (Amazon MGM) | Mar 7 | $0.2M est. | $312.0M |
| 19 | Tony (specialty) | Aug 1 | $0.1M est. | $2.4M est. |
| 20 | Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol (limited) | Jul 25 | $0.1M est. | $1.5M est. |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates, Aug 8–10, 2026. Positions 11–20 weekend figures estimated from trajectory.
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.