THE LATEST ARTICLES
NEWSLETTERS
Obsession
Scott Mendelson June 3, 2026
The breakout weekends for ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ tell us something real about the origin of Hollywood’s next generation of talent—and something more complicated about its future.
Mandalorian and Grogu
Scott Mendelson May 20, 2026
From Grogu to Spidey, here’s what each of this summer’s top 10 tentpoles actually needs to earn—and why success means something different for everyone.
Mandalorian and Grogu movie
Scott Mendelson May 5, 2026
After years of creative chaos, executive indecision, and a streaming glut that cannibalized the franchise’s theatrical appeal, Lucasfilm is returning to theaters with something very different. Will ‘Grogu’ be a ‘Solo’-sized disaster? Or has Disney just lowered the bar for success?
the super mario galaxy movie
Scott Mendelson April 7, 2026
From ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ to ‘Project Hail Mary,’ this spring break season is showing that when studios give families a reason to visit the multiplex, they actually show up.


project hail mary ryan gosling
Scott Mendelson March 2, 2026
For one of its biggest movies ever, Amazon MGM is betting on a Ryan Gosling sci-fi tentpole from the Spider-Verse guys. And while it has most of the markings of success—positive early buzz, a plot you can distill for your friends—the definition of success is quickly changing.
a minecraft movie
Scott Mendelson January 7, 2026
With Hollywood’s annual output back to resembling its pre-pandemic levels, some clear trends emerged: Kids showed up, horror hit more often than it didn’t, and the superhero slump is real. How might it all apply to 2026 and beyond?
Zootopia 2
Scott Mendelson December 2, 2025
Disney’s Thanksgiving smash notched a surprisingly outsize win in the fickle territory, but studios shouldn’t mistake its success for a sign that the gaudy numbers of the 2010s are about to return—except, maybe, for ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash.’
Glen Powell
Scott Mendelson November 18, 2025
Leading men, take heed: “The Running Man” remake’s soft opening is a lesson about the difference between bankable I.P. and fare maybe best left to history. Meanwhile, movies made by, for, and/or starring women continue to power the box office, with “Wicked” on deck.


Tron Ares movie
Scott Mendelson October 14, 2025
Disney’s ‘Tron: Ares’ shows what happens when studios keep resurrecting half-dead I.P., mistaking brand recognition for audience demand, and doubling down on nostalgia plays that nobody asked for.
weapons movie
Scott Mendelson August 19, 2025
Most of the big studio movies performed as well as they needed to for their own commercial success. But a lack of regular releases, zero surprise breakouts, and a slew of less-special-than-before franchise titles left theaters begging for a #Barbenheimer…
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