Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Practical Magic 2 Opens #1: How the Bullock-Kidman Press Blitz Made It Work
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman delivered the season’s sharpest sequel-marketing play. Their relentless co-promotion — a tag-team press tour Showbiz411 called “mission accomplished” — converted cautious tracking into $4.7 million in Thursday previews and a projected $30 million domestic opening for Practical Magic 2 at 4,146 theaters. Susanne Bier directs the $70 million Warner Bros./Alcon sequel, which ends Spider-Man’s six-week run at No. 1. Critics remain cold at 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, mirroring the 29% the original earned in 1998 before becoming a cult classic. International adds an estimated $18M–$23M, putting the global debut near $53 million.
Sources: Deadline / Showbiz411
Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the Brink of the All-Time Domestic Record
Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day entered this weekend at $926.7 million domestic, needing fewer than $10 million more to surpass Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936.66M) as the highest-grossing film in domestic box-office history — a record the 2015 J.J. Abrams film has held for over a decade. Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s sequel posted six consecutive weekends at No. 1, powered by unusually strong holds; Imax accounted for 45% of its Labor Day gross. The record should fall Sunday as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker becomes the first solo superhero to claim the all-time domestic crown.
Sources: Deadline / Gold Derby
Emmy Awards 2026: Star-Studded Presenter Lineup Unveiled Ahead of Sept. 14 NBC Broadcast
The 78th Emmy Awards air Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, hosted by Mariska Hargitay. NBC and Peacock’s dual simulcast is the networks’ biggest joint marketing push of the fall season. A star-studded presenter lineup — Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Sally Field, David Harbour, Amy Poehler, Jon Hamm and more — signals a calculated strategy to drive appointment viewing for broadcast television. Tonight, FXX airs an edited broadcast of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at 8 p.m. ET, available on Hulu the following day, extending the weekend’s awards footprint across three platforms.
Sources: The Wrap / NBC
Zack Snyder’s Indie Debut ‘The Last Photograph’ World-Premieres at TIFF This Weekend
Zack Snyder steps outside the studio system with The Last Photograph, a revenge thriller co-written with Kurt Johnstad that world-premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend. The jungle-set indie drama — following an ex-DEA agent’s pursuit of vengeance in South America — arrives at TIFF as an unsigned acquisition title. CAA is handling U.S. distribution sales at the market, with bids expected during the festival’s run through September 16. The premiere marks a notable pivot: one of Hollywood’s most prominent franchise directors turning toward personal, mid-budget independent filmmaking.
Sources: Variety / Hollywood Reporter
TIFF Launches Its First Official Film Market, Challenging Berlin and Cannes
The Toronto International Film Festival this week launched TIFF: The Market, its first official film market, running September 10–16. More than 200 private screenings and 6,000 industry delegates from 80-plus countries are convening in Toronto to close acquisition deals — placing TIFF in direct competition with Berlin’s European Film Market and Cannes’ Marché du Film. CEO Cameron Bailey calls the move “years in the making,” formalizing Toronto’s long-standing informal dealmaking role. The debut market coincides with a high-profile premiere slate including Zack Snyder, Werner Herzog, Tom Hanks, and Michelle Yeoh.
Sources: Hollywood Reporter
🎬 Box Office Top 20 — Weekend of Sept. 11–13, 2026
| # | Title | Distributor | Est. Wknd | Cumul. (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Practical Magic 2 NEW | WB / Alcon | $30.0M est. | $30.0M |
| 2 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day NEW | Sony / Marvel | $10.5M est. | $937.2M est.† |
| 3 | The Odyssey | Universal | $8.1M est. | $597.1M est. |
| 4 | Coyote vs. Acme | Ketchup / WB | $5.9M est. | $47.3M est. |
| 5 | Runner NEW | Angel Studios | $5.4M est. | $5.4M |
| 6 | By Any Means | Paramount | $4.1M est. | $18.0M est. |
| 7 | Hope NEW | Neon | $3.6M est. | $5.3M est.† |
| 8 | Cars: 20th Anniversary | Disney | $3.5M est. | — |
| 9 | Insidious: Out of the Further | Sony | $3.1M est. | $61.0M est. |
| 10 | The Uprising NEW | Focus Features | $3.0M est. | $3.0M |
| 11 | Buddy | Roadside / Saban | $2.6M est. | $18.3M est. |
| 12 | Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger NEW | Disney | $2.4M est. | $2.4M |
| 13 | PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie | Paramount | $2.0M est. | $52.5M est. |
| 14 | The End of Oak Street | WB | $1.7M est. | $53.4M est. |
| 15 | Akira (Re-Release) | Sony / Crunchyroll | $1.3M est. | $4.0M est. |
| 16 | The Dog Stars | 20th Century | $1.2M est. | $15.1M est. |
| 17 | Fall 2: Deadpoint | Lionsgate Grind | $1.2M est. | $5.0M est. |
| 18 | Onslaught | A24 | $1.0M est. | $3.5M est. |
| 19 | Toy Story 5 | Disney / Pixar | $0.5M est. | est. |
| 20 | Devil Wears Prada 2 | Sony | $0.3M est. | est. |
† Includes mid-week openings. Sources: Deadline, Gold Derby. Estimates based on Friday actuals; Sunday actuals pending.
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency