Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Coyote vs. Acme Opens to Record $14M-Plus Indie Debut
Coyote vs. Acme, the Looney Tunes live-action comedy that Warner Bros. Discovery once planned to shelve permanently, opened to an estimated $14 million-plus this weekend via independent distributor Ketchup Entertainment — a record debut for an independent theatrical release in 2026. The film spent years in limbo after Warner Bros. Discovery cut it from its release calendar, before Ketchup Entertainment acquired and released it theatrically on Friday, August 28. The opening weekend result marks a record for independent releases this year and a rare theatrical second life for a studio-shelved project.
Coyote vs. Acme Director Celebrates Release: 'We Won'
After years of uncertainty about whether audiences would ever see it, the director of Coyote vs. Acme celebrated the opening weekend result on social media with a simple declaration: “We won.” The Looney Tunes live-action comedy, originally shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery and later acquired by independent distributor Ketchup Entertainment, debuted to an estimated $14 million-plus on Friday, August 28, setting a record for indie releases in 2026. The film’s path from studio surplus to record independent debut stands as one of the more remarkable distribution stories of the year.
The Dog Stars Opens to Disappointing $8.3M, Far Short of $22M Tracking
The Dog Stars, a 20th Century Studios release directed by Ridley Scott and starring Jacob Elordi, opened to a disappointing $8.3 million this weekend, well short of pre-opening tracking of $22 million. The underperformance came in the same weekend that independently distributed Coyote vs. Acme exceeded expectations with a $14 million-plus debut. The Dog Stars had been positioned as a major late-summer studio wide release, and its opening weekend shortfall versus tracking represented one of the larger gaps between projected and actual box office performance in the 2026 summer season.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Leads Fifth Consecutive Weekend at No. 1
Spider-Man: Brand New Day led the domestic box office for a fifth consecutive weekend with an estimated $21 million, retaining the No. 1 position as multiple new wide releases entered the market. The film, distributed by Sony Pictures in partnership with Marvel Studios, has topped the domestic chart since its opening in late July. The latest weekend gross adds to a cumulative domestic run now sitting well above $780 million, establishing the title as the undisputed box office story of 2026 and the dominant commercial force of the summer season.
Weekend Box Office Top 20 — August 28–30, 2026
| # | Title | Studio | Wknd $ | Cumul. $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Sony/Marvel | $21.0M | $782.8M |
| 2 | Coyote vs. Acme | Ketchup Ent. | $14.2M | $14.2M |
| 3 | The Dog Stars | 20th Century | $8.3M | $8.3M |
| 4 | The Odyssey | Universal | $6.5M est. | $305M est. |
| 5 | Project Hail Mary | Amazon MGM | $5.2M est. | $198M est. |
| 6 | Obsession | Universal | $4.1M est. | $161M est. |
| 7 | Disclosure Day | Universal | $3.4M est. | $43M est. |
| 8 | Toy Story 5 | Disney/Pixar | $2.8M est. | $351M est. |
| 9 | Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | Warner Bros. | $2.3M est. | $147M est. |
| 10 | Backrooms | Lionsgate | $1.9M est. | $94M est. |
| 11 | Terminator 2 (Re-release) | StudioCanal | $1.6M est. | $1.6M |
| 12 | Ali G | Universal | $1.3M est. | $31M est. |
| 13 | Practical Magic 2 | Universal | $1.1M est. | $52M est. |
| 14 | The Uprising | Focus Features | $0.9M est. | $11M est. |
| 15 | Michael | Apple Original Films | $0.8M est. | $24M est. |
| 16 | Hadestown | A24 | $0.6M est. | $14M est. |
| 17 | Scary Movie (2026) | Miramax | $0.5M est. | $36M est. |
| 18 | Masters of the Universe | Amazon MGM | $0.4M est. | $29M est. |
| 19 | Yellow | IFC Films | $0.3M est. | $0.3M |
| 20 | Temporary Family | Well Go USA | $0.2M est. | $0.2M |
Positions 1–3 confirmed; positions 4–20 estimated. Final actuals publish Monday. Source: Deadline.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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