A weekly film and box office newsletter. Howdy, folks! Every studio head and exhibitor across the country gathered in Las Vegas last weekend for CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater owners, and there was... what's this? Optimism? While our CinemaCon crew of Sharon Waxman, Jeremy Fuster and Casey Loving reported that the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger loomed large — including the prospect that it will result in fewer movies in theaters — for the most part, the key decision-makers in town had a strut in their step. That's partly to do with the box office hitting the highest levels since the pandemic in 2026, and the exciting slate of movies on the docket like "Dune: Part III," "Avengers: Doomsday" and "The Devil Wears Prada 2" that are guaranteed to get butts in seats. But there is also, as Fuster reported, a strong willingness to experiment by theater owners. YouTubers are bringing floods of fans to theaters for their theatrical debuts, like this year's "Iron Lung." Large formats like IMAX are becoming as trendy as a brand like A24 for moviegoers. Even Netflix's Ted Sarandos sparked hope when he privately met with theater owners last week, signaling a possibility that more Netflix films could be headed to theaters. There are hurdles to be crossed for sure, but the mood across town mirrors one of the biggest box office hits of the year so far: the optimism and "we'll get through this" perseverance abundant in "Project Hail Mary." Amaze amaze amaze. Adam Chitwood Be sure to follow me on my socials linked below for the latest updates. DMs are open for tips.    
Box Office: ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Leads Again With $35 Million Third WeekendThanks to a stronger-than-projected Saturday at the box office, weekend estimates are rising as Universal/Illumination’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” has earned $35 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $355 million. With $48 million from international markets, the Nintendo sequel now stands at $747 million worldwide with likely another $100 million-plus still to come from its theatrical run in Japan, which starts next weekend to time with the country’s Golden Week holiday. In second is... 
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