Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Avengers: Endgame Encore Leads Historic $123M September Weekend; Three New Releases Clear $20M Opening Mark
Avengers: Endgame Encore topped the domestic box office for the weekend of September 25, grossing $26.1 million from 3,060 theaters—part of an unusually strong September frame in which three newly released films simultaneously cleared the $20M opening mark. Sony’s Resident Evil reboot debuted second with $23M from 3,684 venues, while Paramount’s Heart of the Beast opened third at $20M from 3,435 venues. A24’s Primetime, Robert Pattinson’s crime thriller, placed fourth with $19.2M. Disney’s re-release grossed $86 million worldwide, extending Avengers: Endgame’s cumulative domestic total to $884.5 million. Spider-Man: Brand New Day added $4.1 million to push its domestic cumulative total to $950.6 million.
A24’s Primetime Opens $19M With 188M Social Impressions; Gen Z Audiences and Hansen Controversy Fuel Hit
A24’s Primetime—a Robert Pattinson crime thriller dramatizing events from NBC’s To Catch a Predator—opened to $19.2 million from 2,863 North American venues, powered by a social campaign reaching 188 million impressions across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram—31% above comparable crime-drama releases. Opening-weekend audiences skewed heavily Gen Z, with 69% of ticketbuyers under 30. Real-life To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen generated significant earned media by publicly criticizing Pattinson’s portrayal as “overly dramatic.” The film cost $15 million to produce and is already well-positioned for theatrical profitability.
Apple TV+ Claims Record Weekly Viewership After 28 Emmy Wins; Widow’s Bay Surges 280%
Apple TV+ set a record for weekly viewership across its seven-year history following the 2026 Emmy Awards, where the streamer collected 28 wins—the most of any platform at this year’s ceremony, or 29 including the commercials category. Widow’s Bay led the post-Emmy viewing surge with a 280% viewership increase, with Ted Lasso and Mayday also contributing to record audience numbers. The ceremony was held on September 14, and Apple TV+ reported its biggest viewership week in the platform’s history in the period that followed. The 28-win total is the most Emmy wins the streamer has collected in a single year.
ASIFA-Hollywood Sets Inaugural ASIFA-Showcase for November 14–15 With Disney, Netflix, Apple TV+ Among Participating Studios
ASIFA-Hollywood—the organization behind the Annie Awards—has announced the inaugural ASIFA-Showcase, a new FYC event for animation set for November 14–15 at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion as part of the Infinity Festival Hollywood. The two-day showcase features screenings, panels, presentations, demonstrations, and networking, giving ASIFA-Hollywood members an inside look at the films, TV shows, and creative talent shaping the year in animation. Participating studios include Apple TV+, Disney/Pixar, Netflix Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Animation, Warner Bros. Animation, and Crunchyroll. The event also serves as a fundraiser for a planned second Annie Awards ceremony.
‘Obsession’ Grew From $1M Film to $520M Global Phenomenon Through Organic Viral Marketing, CAA Reveals at Zurich
Representatives from CAA at the Zurich Film Festival revealed how the horror film Obsession—made for $1 million—became a $520 million global revenue phenomenon through entirely organic viral marketing. The team said they “had no idea” the film would break out as it did, describing the success as unplanned. The panel offered an inside account of how Obsession went from micro-budget production to worldwide cultural moment, a journey the CAA representatives characterized as driven by social media momentum rather than any formal studio marketing campaign. The session title quoted the team: “We Had No Idea That Obsession Was Going To Become Obsession.”
Federal Film & TV Tax Credit Adds Eight Senate Co-Sponsors; Advocates Eye Lame Duck Passage
The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act—which would establish a 20% federal tax credit for U.S. film and TV production—has gained eight new Senate co-sponsors, a boost for the legislation as backers target passage during Congress’s lame duck session. The new co-sponsors include Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), and five colleagues from both parties. The bill is led in the Senate by Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) and has also drawn support from President Donald Trump, who endorsed it in a Truth Social post.
Erin Lee Carr’s ‘The Swan: Behind the Mirror’ Premieres on Hulu Today; IP Hurdles Led to Fair-Use Creative Workaround
The Swan: Behind the Mirror, a documentary directed by Erin Lee Carr, premieres today on Hulu, revisiting Fox’s controversial 2004 makeover reality series in which contestants underwent three months of cosmetic surgery-fueled extreme makeovers. Tackling the show “from all angles,” the film features interviews with a dozen former contestants, show producers, trainers, cultural commentators, and a plastic surgeon. Executive producer Nely Galán, who owned the original series footage, declined to participate, forcing Carr’s team to develop a fair-use workaround—having subjects react to scenes played back on an iPad.
Weekend Box Office Top 20 — September 25–27, 2026
| # | Title | Weekend | Theaters | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers: Endgame (Encore) | $26,106,643 | 3,060 | $884,479,643 |
| 2 | Resident Evil | $23,012,848 | 3,684 | $103,189,095 |
| 3 | Heart of the Beast | $20,042,473 | 3,435 | $20,042,473 |
| 4 | Primetime | $19,197,764 | 2,874 | $19,197,764 |
| 5 | Forgotten Island | $13,007,005 | 3,548 | $13,007,005 |
| 6 | Practical Magic 2 | $5,600,274 | 3,178 | $59,762,967 |
| 7 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | $4,054,489 | 2,409 | $950,637,311 |
| 8 | The Odyssey | $3,802,065 | 1,021 | $616,623,710 |
| 9 | Coyote vs. Acme | $1,912,386 | 1,905 | $58,390,427 |
| 10 | Daniel and the Fiery Furnace | $1,540,161 | 1,301 | $6,229,247 |
| 11 | Runner | $798,889 | 1,303 | $13,830,071 |
| 12 | Insidious: Out of the Further | $735,312 | 722 | $65,173,475 |
| 13 | Buddy | $697,411 | 722 | $26,359,915 |
| 14 | Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom | $418,370 | 936 | $2,820,170 |
| 15 | The History of Concrete | $384,059 | 52 | $545,280 |
| 16 | The Weight | $300,508 | 910 | $3,375,556 |
| 17 | PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie | $239,182 | 318 | $52,902,179 |
| 18 | Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! | $219,700 | 540 | $219,700 |
| 19 | Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother | $204,008 | 6 | $204,008 |
| 20 | Hope | $199,940 | 215 | $8,023,407 |
Source: The Numbers — Weekend of September 25–27, 2026. Total: $123,458,898.
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