The Box Office Podcast

So the (Super Mario) Drama!

Kenny Miles, film critic and CinemaScore poller, returns for his (I think?) third go-around on The Box Office Podcast as we discuss, well, it’s pretty obvious. Jeremy Fuster couldn’t make it because of… journalism. Still, he gives A24 its flowers and offers a pithy, not-incorrect summation of The Super Mario Galaxy’s $400 million-plus Wed-Mon global debut. Meanwhile, Lisa Laman, Scott Mendelson and Kenny Miles discuss the various facets of last weekend’s blockbuster video game movie debut and what went relatively right for The Drama. Lisa explains why the video game movie has become a big-deal franchise sandbox without the movies getting much better. Kenny digs into the (whether genuine or astroturfed) online debate concerning critical judgment versus moviegoer attitudes. Scott argues that movies like The Super Mario Galaxy were never supposed to be the sort over which pundits and critics fawn. Everyone agrees that... The “Leo points and reacts” meme is not the best template for crafting IP-driven franchises. Zendaya seems to be a butt-in-seats movie star. A24 has become very good at using humor to sell less-than-conventional star vehicles. A24 is now a branded home not just for “elevated horror” but quirkier, edgier, of-the-moment and YA-skewing romantic dramas, comedies and melodramas. As long as A24 doesn’t try to remake Bloodsport or reboot Texas Chainsaw Massacre, all should be well in its respective mushroom kingdom. Recommended Reading… - Scott Mendelson breaks down why the dueling trailers for Supergirl and Masters of the Universe highlight a key reason why Marvel/DC superhero movies so lorded over the franchise tentpole pop culture mountain amid the late 2010s. - Jeremy Fuster digs into yet another round [https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/you-me-and-tuscany-success-viral-tweet-black-films/] of Hollywood being skittish about comparatively inclusive movies, even while such movies are no less commercially perilous than your stereotypical “about a white guy” vehicles. - Lisa Laman warns about Skydance’s purchase of Warner Bros. (which has already bought Paramount) by discussing the damage done to New Line Cinema [https://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/] after its merger with WB in 2008. - Ryan Scott notes the bemusing coincidence [https://www.slashfilm.com/1167566/critically-panned-sci-fi-movies-that-are-actually-worth-your-time/] of Paramount’s Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie and Warner Bros.’ The End of Oak Street on the same day (August 14, 2026). So, uh #SawPatrol 2.0? If both films succeed, it’ll boost David Ellison’s promise that, if the Skydance merger occurs, the promise of 15 films per year from Warner Bros. and Paramount isn’t just happy talk. - Kenny Miles reviewed Sylvain Chomet’s [https://weliveentertainment.com/welivefilm/a-magnificent-life-review-chomets-gentle-reverie/]A Magnificent Life [https://weliveentertainment.com/welivefilm/a-magnificent-life-review-chomets-gentle-reverie/]. - Luke Thompson (last week’s guest, since I didn’t have time for a “recommended reading section) offered up a deep-dive for Stanley Kubrick’s [https://lytrules.substack.com/p/criterion-eyes-wide-shut-4k-review]Eyes Wide Shut [https://lytrules.substack.com/p/criterion-eyes-wide-shut-4k-review?utm_source=publication-search]. And in closing... If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com (which I finally fixed so that it’ll forward to my personal business email, natch). * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Comic Book [https://comicbook.com/author/lisa-laman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/], Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] and Inverse [https://www.inverse.com/profile/ryan-scott-111725388] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Kenny Miles - We Live Entertainment [https://weliveentertainment.com/author/kenny-miles/] * Luke Y. Thompson - Mortal Cinema [https://lytrules.substack.com/], TV Line [https://www.tvline.com/author/lukethompson/] and SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/lukethompson/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Proud 'Mary' Eats 'Forbidden Fruits'

Luke Y. Thompson returns for his… uh… fourth guest spot since February 2025, giving the likes of Aaron Neuwirth and Chrissi Michaels a run for their money. Of course, he pops in just BEFORE we get a second Masters of the Universe trailer. But fear not, he’s already been penciled in for June 8. The hero of the moment is again Project Hail Mary, which had one of the biggest second-weekend grosses for any under-$100-million opener. It also took one of the smallest weekend-to-weekend percentage drops for any non-holiday $60 million-plus opener. I think it’s going to be a long, long time before til touchdown brings it ‘round again to Prime. Meanwhile, there’s also time to discuss an underwhelming start for They Will Kill You, a halfway-decent (relatively speaking) launch for Forbidden Fruits and the continued box office sprint for India’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge. That one just passed Baahubali: The Conclusion to become the biggest Indian movie ever in unadjusted domestic grosses. Oh, and Lisa Laman has apparently spent too much time over at Out Now with Aaron and Abe and has thus A) gotten lost in the woods and B) neglected to remember what team she’s playin’ for. Consequently, Ms. Laman hosts the first-ever Box Office Podcast “game.” You won’t believe the shocking, uh, twist? Apologies for the lack of “recommended reading” this week; I’m way behind schedule (partially due to having flown with my youngest to Ohio to visit my parents). However, if you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com. * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Comic Book [https://comicbook.com/author/lisa-laman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/] and Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Luke Y. Thompson - Mortal Cinema [https://lytrules.substack.com/], TV Line [https://www.tvline.com/author/lukethompson/] and SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/lukethompson/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

All Hail 'Mary'

Aaron Neuwirth (of 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla and OutNow With Aaron and Abe) pops in yet again to chat alongside Scott Mendelson, Lisa Laman and Jeremy Fuster about why Project Hail Mary soared so high, why Ready or Not: Here I Come was the opposite of a breakout sequel, and the reasons for and (hopefully) consequences of Universal’s choice to expand its industry-llow theatrical window to one in-sync with most of the distribution industry. It’s the only podcast in the world that brings both the Rango magic and the Beatric at Dinner whimsy! Among the subjects of debate and discourse… * Everyone names their favorite cinematic alien. * So, um, is Ryan Gosling a movie star? * Can Amazon make Project Hail Mary more than a “beginner’s luck” fluke? * Is Kathryn Newton box office poison? - A thorough and completely serious, above-board and not at all sarcastic investigation. * What the hell is The Pout Pout Fish? * The (mostly) good news and (potentially) bad news about Hollywood’s push toward IMAX and related premium-large format auditoriums. * Thoughts on the first teasers for Dune Part Three and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. * Universal’s shift to longer windows is a smart choice at the right time. * Will Scott find time to catch up with the 444-minute Dhurandhar dualogy? * And, dear god, so much more! Recommended Reading… * Scott Mendelson goes full free-association, [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/dune-part-three-trailers-imax-wb-skydance-timothee-chalamet-controversy] discussing the Dune Part Three trailer, the double-edged sword of Warner Bros.’ success stories, and how the recent absurd controversies over media appearances by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Timothee Chalamet underscore a changing “cost > benefit” conundrum in even seemingly mundane interviews and publicity appearances. * Lisa Laman notes how [https://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/2026/03/why-are-streaming-platforms-overrun.html] the streaming-era preponderance of action-comedy buddy flicks typifies an industry-wide retreat from the kind of aspirational “streaming will offer what Hollywood won’t” feature film offerings that initially allowed streaming platforms to undercut theatrical in the first place. * Jeremy Fuster explains how [https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/dune-3-avengers-doomsday-release-date-both-succeed-box-office/], assuming they are both relatively good/crowdpleasing/etc, Dune Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday can concurrently kick best-case-scenario box-office butt. * Ryan Scott speaks exclusively [https://www.slashfilm.com/2132273/it-director-andy-muschietti-supercut-update/] with Andy Muschietti about whether he’ll get around to the long-rumored “super cut” of his It movies. * Aaron Neuwirth was just on the pod three weeks ago, so I’ll merely note that he gets quoted extensively in the first teaser trailer for Lionsgate’s domestic release of The Furious. I’ll admit that when he first told me that he might be in the trailer, I hoped it meant that he’d be a random henchman who gets pulverized. I suppose this makes more sense. Despite Aaron’s excited recommendation, I am still looking forward to Kenji Tanigaki’s Hong Kong action spectacular. Oh, speaking of Aaron, if you want to hear the traitorous hussy Lisa Laman plying her verbal punditry elsewhere, she guested on Out Now with Aaron and Abe two weeks ago to discuss [https://thecodeiszeek.substack.com/p/out-now-658-the-bride]The Bride [https://thecodeiszeek.substack.com/p/out-now-658-the-bride]. If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com. * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Comic Book [https://comicbook.com/author/lisa-laman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/] and Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Aaron Neuwirth - The Code is Zeek [https://thecodeiszeek.substack.com/] and We Live Entertainment [https://weliveentertainment.com/author/aaron-neuwirth/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Original Core Four Talks Oscars (and More)

In a show that’s half box office punditry and half Oscar telecast discourse, original co-host Ryan Scott returns for what’s a comparatively old-school episode. Among the subjects this week are everyone’s favorite Oscar night win, Hopper’s strong domestic hold, Colleen Hoover going 3/3 with Reminders of Him, and Undertone’s solid debut. The last one, as Lisa Laman notes, should remind studios that there can be gold in them there film festival hills. Everyone was/is pretty content with the 98th Academy Awards telecast, while noting they really gotta stop cutting off winners’ speeches and start promoting non-tentpole flicks during the show or during commercial breaks. Meanwhile, all parties think that Scream 8 is likely to get made, that Masters of the Universe is likely to underwhelm and that the key reason to be excited for Black Panther 3 is the specific talent (a post-Sinners Ryan Coogler and reportedly Denzel Washington potentially playing the heavy) as opposed to lingering MCU-specific loyalty. Finally, some time is spent discussing the alleged controversy of Timothee Chalamet’s alleged attacks on opera and ballet, as Ryan correctly notes that Marty Mauser tripping up on the last lap is the most fitting life-imitates-art Oscar scenario since Llyeyn Davis failed to procure even a Best Actor nomination in 2014. Recommended Reading… * Scott Mendelson finally drops his excessively tardy picks [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/scott-mendelson-picks-most-important-movie-for-each-studio-wuthering-heights-disclosure-day-street-fighter-social-reckoning-drama-michael-avengers] for the year’s most important theatrical release for each major (and minor) studio. * Jeremy Fuster discusses how [https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/universal-theatrical-window-changes-explained/] Universal’s shift from 31-day (and eventually 45-day) theatrical windows represents distributors taking stock in the ongoing pleas from exhibitors amid the last few years of shrinking exclusivity windows. * Lisa Laman offers her picks for the biggest snubs and surprises [https://www.looper.com/2124534/oscars-2026-winners-biggest-snubs-surprises/], as well as the best and worst moments [https://www.looper.com/2125801/oscars-2026-best-worst-moments/], from this past weekend’s Academy Awards. * Ryan Scott argues that 2017 [https://www.slashfilm.com/2122178/2017-flopped-harder-than-any-year-blockbuster-box-office-history/], with a slew of very big hits but also a bunch of expensive, high-profile flops, represented what should have been the nadir of Hollywood’s obsession with IP-for-IP’s sake franchise filmmaking. * Max Deering compiled an ideal playlist for those on a neo-noir grunge kick [https://www.neonsplatter.com/mixtapes-a-masterpiece/neo-noir-grunge]. --- As always, if you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com. Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Land of the Nerds [https://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/], Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Comic Book [https://comicbook.com/author/lisa-laman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] Ryan Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/] and Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Beavers and Bridezillas!

Charlie Jane Anders, long-time sci-fi author and sci-fi entertainment journalist (whose work has won — among others — the Crawford Award, Hugo Award, Lambda Literary Award, Locus Award, Nebula Award, and Theodore Sturgeon Award) joins the gang as we dig deep into what went right with Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers and what went wrong with Warner Bros.’ The Bride. Among the topics of discourse are everyone’s favorite Pixar flicks, the value of kid-friendly memes for all-quadrant toons, the ups and downs (real and imaginary) for Disney’s previously A+ animation brand over the last 15 years, whether Maggie Gyllenhaal’s big-budget monster-mash ever had a commercial chance in hell and if Scream 7’s massive decline portends grim fortunes for Scream 8. Recommended Reading * Scott Mendelson notes that Hoppers’ solid opening again debunks Disney’s narrative implictely blaming its early 2020s box office struggles on wokeness [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/box-office-pixars-hoppers-again-debunks]. * Jeremy Fuster reports on a distinctly “America 2026” demand among the unions representing Universal Studios park workers: protection from ICE [https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/labor-unions/universal-studios-hollywood-employees-want-ice-protections-in-their-next-union-contract/]. * Lisa Laman goes long [https://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/] debunking the idea that cancel culture or performative wokeness was anything beyond an online bubble and/or a strawman to wield against the disenfranchised voices supposedly controlling the narrative. * Ryan Scott details how, believe it or not [https://www.slashfilm.com/2115696/scream-7-deleted-scene-ghostface-resurrection-stu-macher/], Scream 7 could have been even worse. * Charlie Jane Anders picks 2025’s best sci-fi/fantasy novels [https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2025/11/19/best-scifi-fantasy-novels-2025/]. If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com. * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Comic Book [https://comicbook.com/author/lisa-laman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/] and Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Charlie Jane Anders [https://www.charliejaneanders.com/] - Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/charlie-jane-anders/?itid=ai_top_CharlieJaneAnder12222022] and Happy Dancing [https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]