Scott Mendelson

Good time to re-post our #Scream (1996) commentary track featuring @scottmendelson.bsky.social, @brandon4kuhd.bsky.social & Yancy Berns from 2022. A simpler time... tinyurl.com/mwyjv3f3

Box Office: 'Scream 7' Nabs $29M Friday, Again Showing That (For Better Or Worse)The Internet Is Not Real Life Online discourse and social media controversies no more negatively impacted Paramount's slasher sequel in 2026 than did the likes of 'Ain't It Cool News' preemptively doom 'Batman & Robin' in 1997.

Online discourse and SEO-friendly controversies no more negatively impacted Paramount's slasher sequel in 2026 than did sites like 'Ain't It Cool News' preemptively doom 'Batman & Robin' in 1997.

YouTube video by MS NOW Trump fills administration with 'big team of losers' that voters have already rejected

The likely future of Paramount/WB in a nutshell...

I just think franchises like this were never supposed to be infinitely replenisable resources.

'Scream 7' Review: Someone Has Taken Their Love of White Feminism One Step Too Far For all the reasons you'd expect, and some you didn't, this dull, badly-acted and poorly-written follow-up exists mostly to criticize you for enjoying the last two installments.

For all the reasons you’d expect, and some you didn’t, #Scream7 is a dull, badly-acted and poorly-written follow-up that exists mostly to arbitrarily reinsert Neve Campbell atop the franchise’s starting line-up while criticizing anyone who dared to enjoy the last two installments.

Box Office: Disney and Pixar Originals Can Afford To Fail As long as sequels like ‘Zootopia 2’ (which just passed ‘A Minecraft Movie’ to become 2025’s top domestic grosser) are nabbing sky-high box office, new films like ‘Hoppers’ can be viewed as long-term ...

As long as sequels like 'Zootopia 2' (which just passed 'Minecraft' to become 2025's top domestic grosser) are nabbing sky-high box office, the likes of 'Hoppers' and 'Encanto' can be viewed as long-term investments.

'Mandalorian And Grogu': Can 'Star Wars' Have It Both Ways? The new trailer sells IMAX-friendly, mythology-lite pulp adventure, even while the upcoming tentpole must help re-establish ‘Star Wars’ as a must-see-in-theaters franchise.

Disney is (correctly) selling #TheMandalorianAndGrogu as an IMAX-friendly, mythology-lite all-ages pulp adventure, even while this summer’s streaming-to-cinema follow-up still must help re-establish #StarWars as a must-see-in-theaters franchise.

'How to Make a Killing' Review: Coasting on Star Powell John Patton Ford’s adequate, unexceptional black comedy never colors outside the lines, relying on its high concept and Glen Powell’s old-school star turn.

John Patton Ford’s adequate but unexceptional black comedy never colors outside the lines, relying on its high concept and Glen Powell’s old-school star turn.

Entirely fair.

New 'Mummy' Trailer Goes 'Weapons' Route Save for one spoilery (and unconvincing) image, the second tease for the latest ‘Mummy’ hopes a tantalizing question will entice audiences for an otherwise cryptic concoction.

Save for one spoiler-y (and unconvincing) image, the second tease for the latest 'Mummy' hopes a tantalizing question will entice audiences for an otherwise cryptic concoction.

I liked the trailer and thought A24 would treat it as a (relatively) big deal!

Did 'GOAT' Just Kick Off A Theatrical Comeback For Original Animation? Sony's sports comedy isn't breaking records, but its grosses are thus far closer to the boom toon times of the mid-2010s than the sequel-or-bust toon era of the 2020s

Sony’s sports comedy isn’t breaking box office records (update — it had the best second-weekend hold for any $20 milion-plus President’s Day opener in 20 years), but GOAT’s grosses are thus far closer to the boom-toon times of the 2010s than the sequel-or-bust toon era of the 2020s.

Weekend Box Office (02-22-26) - The Holdovers 'GOAT' held incredibly well here and abroad, while 'Wuthering Heights' displayed (like most big-deal erotic thrillers over the decades) disproprionate overseas muscle.

GOAT held like a champ, as WUTHERING HEIGHTS displayed (like most big-deal erotic thrillers over the decades) disproportionate overseas muscle. Meanwhile, ZOOTOPIA 2 sits days away from passing A MINECRAFT MOVIE as the biggest domestic earner of 2025.
-Weekend #boxoffice for 02/22/26 - The Holdovers

Weekend Box Office (02-22-26) - China >> Hollywood The Lunar New Year releases ruled globally amid a series of (mostly) soft domestic-skewing new wide/semi-wide releases.

China’s Lunar New Year releases (especially ‘Pegasus 3’) ruled globally amid a series of (mostly) soft, domestic-skewing new wide/semi-wide releases, as an Elvis documentary, a faith-based sequel, and a once-promising Glen Powell star vehicle took their swings at domestic box office glory.

And for those following the ongoing “mythology” B-plot, Max Deering finally saw Return to Silent Hill!

Among other elements, absolutely. The finale (no spoilers) also plays straight out of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, with (as with 90s Disney toons) an action finale where the supporting cast engages in comical battle while the leads do comparatively serious combat.

Not sure I follow. $40 million domestic and $82 million global are the opening, not the final gross. It earned half of its budget (theaters get 50% of a ticket and the studio gets the other 50%) on its global debut, with plenty of potential for legs and post-debut buzz.

'Wuthering Heights' Box Office: Six Hot Takes From an $82 Million Worldwide Opening Optimistic projections aside, a $40m Fri-Mon domestic opening weekend is pretty damn terrific for Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s R-rated, adult-skewing romantic melodrama.

Optimistic projections aside, a $40 million Fri-Mon domestic opening weekend is pretty damn terrific for Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s $85 million, R-rated, adult-skewing romantic melodrama.

Well, FIFTY SHADES cleared $550M in 2015 while HOUSEMAID topped $350M in 2025, so... in most cases, sure.

Box Office: 'GOAT' Roars With $7M Friday as 'Crime 101' Stumbles and 'Don't Die' Sets A Benchmark for Briarcliff Sony Animation's theatrical comeback title soared to (relatively) strong first-day grosses as Amazon MGM's cops-and-robbers thriller opened like, well, a Chris Hemsworth movie

Sony’s GOAT scored a solid (especially for a non-Disney original toon) $7 million on Friday, as Amazon’s Crime 101 continued the curse of the Chris Hemsworth movie, and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die opened pretty well by Briarcliff standards.
(The non-Wuthering Heights Friday box office punditry)

'Wuthering Heights' Friday Box Office': Why American Moviegoers Won't Be the Ones Determining Its Ultimate Commercial Fate Plus, a quick history of Hollywood releasing (and not releasing) big-deal love stories or female-skewing event films on Valentine’s Day weekend

A softer-than-hoped $11M Friday gross (for a likely $35-$40M Fri-Mon domestic debut weekend) will hopefully be of less consequence for #WutheringHeights if overseas audiences, who often embrace big erotic thrillers and dramas, pick up the #boxoffice slack in the coming weeks.

'Wuthering Heights' Review: Bad Romance Makes For Good Movie Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi don’t wanna be friends as subtext becomes text in Emerald Fennell’s cinematically opulent, emotionally potent adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic and still-beloved melo...

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi don’t wanna be friends in Emerald Fennell’s cinematically opulent, subtext-made-text adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel.

Bad Bunny did a variation of the Spike Lee double dolly shot live so you’re now legally required to give this a five star on Letterboxd!!!!

Along with the more... important elements, I rather dug the skewed "life-sized Mario Party" asthetic. I will presume it was unintentional, but since I don't speak Spanish, I cannot say for sure.

'Solo Mio,' Stray Kids and 'Dracula' Score Big(ger) Box Office For Small(er) Studios As Hollywood Fumbles Super Bowl Weekend With Tinseltown mostly taking a holiday, the likes of Angel Studios, Vertical, and Bleecker Street soared to comparative commercial highs.

With Tinseltown mostly taking a holiday, the likes of Angel Studios, Vertical, and Bleecker Street soared to comparative commercial highs.
(The new release Super Bowl weekend box office report)

Review: 'Dracula' Plays Like (Bad) Mid-90s Animated Disney Adaptation Toned down sexuality and menace, gee-whiz action set pieces, and funny/adorable animal sidekicks? Check, check and check, but Jeffrey Katzenberg (or Joe Roth) would have insisted on copious rewrites.

Toned down sexuality and menace, gee-whiz action set pieces, and funny/adorable animal sidekicks? Check, check and check, but Jeffrey Katzenberg (or Joe Roth) would have insisted on copious rewrites.

Oh shit, I owe you an email!! Apologies. Will double back tomorrow.

An Hour With... Paul Feig Listen now | As ‘The Housemaid’ arrives on PVOD amid a miraculous theatrical run ($315 million worldwide thus far), the director stops by to discuss a career spent upending conventional wisdom.

Listen Now | As Hidden Pictures and Lionsgate’s The Housemaid arrives on PVOD amid a miraculous theatrical run (with $315 million worldwide and counting), its director, Paul Feig, stops by for an hour to discuss a career spent upending conventional wisdom.

2 Mendelson 2 Hertz: Another Hour with Barry Hertz, Talking 'Hobbs & Shaw' and (Eventually) 'Fast Forever' Listen now | The author of 'Welcome to the Family' returns to the pod to discuss the Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham-starring franchise-starter that wasn't, as well as late-breaking news about 'Fast ...

The author of ‘Welcome to the Family’ (Barry Hertz) returns to the pod to discuss the Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham-starring franchise-starter that wasn’t, as well as late-breaking news about ‘Fast & Furious 11.’

Yes, yes and yes. The trailer kicks ass on the big screen, and the movie works on its own terms. The tracking thus far supports my optimism, but I’d be shocked if this weren’t another “Who could have expected this film not aimed at nostalgic white men could be a huge hit?” not-so-surprising smash.