Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Avengers: Doomsday Ticket Pre-Sales Cross $50 Million Three Months Out
Domestic ticket pre-sales for Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday have crossed $50 million with more than three months remaining before its December 18 release date, Deadline reports. More than 70% of those pre-sale tickets have been purchased for Infinity Vision PLF formats, reflecting unusually strong premium-format conversion for a title this far from its opening weekend. The film’s July trailer launched as the second-biggest trailer debut in history and Disney’s most-viewed trailer of all time. The milestone positions the film as an early front-runner for the holiday marketplace heading into what is shaping up as a competitive December frame.
IMAX Q3 Global Box Office Tops $600 Million, Best Quarter in Company History
IMAX has surpassed $600 million in Q3 global box office receipts, its best Q3 performance in company history, CEO Rich Gelfond announced at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia media conference, per Deadline. The figure eclipses the company’s previous Q3 record, which stood in the mid-three hundreds and was set in 2023. The surge is fueled primarily by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which continues to drive premium-format ticket sales globally. Gelfond made the remarks in early September, meaning the final quarter total is positioned to grow further before Q3 closes at month end.
Practical Magic 2 Tracking for $40M Domestic, $58M–$63M Global Opening
Warner Bros.’ Practical Magic 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman supernatural film, is tracking for a $40 million domestic opening weekend and $18–$23 million across 77 overseas territories, for an estimated global debut of $58–$63 million, per Deadline. The film, directed by Susanne Bier, bypasses China entirely, underscoring that the projection is built without the world’s second-largest theatrical market. The early tracking figures position the title as one of the stronger fall theatrical bets for Warner Bros. and reflect audience enthusiasm for the 28-year-dormant franchise.
78th Emmy Awards Presenter Lineup Features Charlie’s Angels and Buffy Reunions
The 78th Emmy Awards, set for September 14, has unveiled a presenter lineup headlined by two major television reunions, per Deadline. The ceremony will feature a Charlie’s Angels reunion celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary, bringing together original Angels Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd. A separate Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion will unite Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz on the Emmy stage. Additional confirmed presenters include Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Macaulay Culkin, and Sally Field. The nostalgia-driven presenter strategy gives the telecast significant marketing hooks to drive live viewership for the industry’s top television honors.
China’s Hishow Entertainment Expands “We Love Cinema” International Slate
Beijing-based Hishow Entertainment is expanding its international distribution initiative with three new acquisitions, per Deadline. The company’s “We Love Cinema” slate adds Josephine, the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan. It also acquires Ah Girl, winner of the Rotterdam Film Festival’s Youth Jury Award and ranked among the top-three rated Chinese-language films on Douban this year. Rounding out the announcement is the Rec horror franchise. The deals reflect growing Chinese distributor appetite for festival-credentialed international titles as the domestic theatrical market continues to develop global programming strategies.
Federal Film & TV Tax Credits “Not a Done Deal” But Close, Schiff Says
Federal film and TV tax credit legislation is advancing but remains unfinished, with the White House now actively involved in ongoing negotiations, per Deadline. A spokesperson for Senator Adam Schiff confirmed that “there is bill language” and that leaders in the Senate, House, and Trump administration are engaging in conversations, with negotiations described as still continuing. Schiff has spent over two years building bipartisan support for the legislation. His office indicated the elusive goal is “in sight” but added that “the finish line is still a way off” before any bill could reach the President’s desk for signature.
Treasure Island: First Look at MGM+ and Paramount+ Pirate Series Starring Oyelowo, Atwell
Playground Entertainment’s six-part pirate adventure series Treasure Island has released its first-look images ahead of its October 11 premiere on MGM+ in the U.S., with Paramount+ in the UK and Ireland following on October 12, Deadline reports exclusively. The series stars David Oyelowo as Long John Silver and Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins, alongside Tom Sweet as Jim Hawkins, Jack Huston as Aaron Graham, and Tomer Capone as Billy Bones. The production reimagines Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, with Fifth Season holding international distribution rights. New episodes drop weekly through November 15–16.
Upscale Media Films Launches as Full-Service Microdrama Production Company
Upscale Media Films has officially launched as a full-service production company targeting the microdrama market, building on its partnership with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat on vertical-format originals, per Deadline. CEO and founder Malik Davis has structured the company around a portfolio of published book properties paired with a standing in-house crew that handles development, casting, shooting, editing, and delivery. The model specifically eliminates development spend and packaging spend, the two costs Davis identifies as typically slowing adaptation projects. Productions run on lean budgets and are positioned for eventual adaptation into longer-form titles, with Upscale claiming the approach funds and de-risks each production stage.
Labor Day Weekend Box Office — Sept. 5–7, 2026
| # | Title | Weekend | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | $23,703,683 | $923,466,178 |
| 2 | The Odyssey | $17,209,960 | $588,986,925 |
| 3 | Coyote vs. Acme | $16,100,034 | $38,604,848 |
| 4 | By Any Means NEW | $9,221,021 | $9,221,021 |
| 5 | Cars 2026 Re-release NEW | $8,051,775 | $8,051,775 |
| 6 | Insidious: Out of the Further | $8,006,700 | $55,596,459 |
| 7 | Buddy | $7,407,935 | $15,925,509 |
| 8 | PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie | $4,612,677 | $49,789,610 |
| 9 | The End of Oak Street | $3,987,382 | $51,717,893 |
| 10 | The Dog Stars | $3,495,615 | $13,832,650 |
| 11 | Akira 2026 Re-release NEW | $3,228,174 | $3,228,174 |
| 12 | Fall 2: Deadpoint NEW | $2,867,442 | $3,440,468 |
| 13 | Onslaught NEW | $2,326,190 | $2,326,190 |
| 14 | Tony | $1,468,632 | $13,846,159 |
| 15 | Mutiny | $1,100,140 | $15,510,924 |
| 16 | Toy Story 5 | $1,032,609 | $480,019,594 |
| 17 | Dear You NEW | $674,347 | $674,347 |
| 18 | Spa Weekend | $510,768 | $6,733,740 |
| 19 | Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | $435,065 | $6,229,957 |
| 20 | Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass NEW | $370,545 | $370,545 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency