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Hope For Film

Takeovers

The Summer Blockbusters Are Bombing...

But The Summer Sleepers Are Thriving

Scott Mendelson's avatar
Scott Mendelson
Jul 16, 2026
∙ Paid

Not every weekend in 2026 needs to match or exceed every weekend in 2025 (or any other year) if A) the films that are opening are performing well enough on their own terms, and B) there’s enough in the marketplace for theaters to not panic every time a tentpole underwhelms. However, last weekend’s estimated total of $126 million was down 1/3 from the $2…

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A guest post by
Scott Mendelson
Scott Mendelson got his industry start in 2008 with a self-piloted film blog titled “Mendelson’s Memos.” In 2013, went to Forbes.com where he wrote for nearly a decade specializing in box office punditry. He then spent a year at The Wrap.
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