Scott Mendelson
@scottmendelson.bsky.social
A box office columnist for Puck News, but also head over to The Outside Scoop at Substack for everything else worth reading (box office, reviews, analysis, think pieces, etc.)
https://scottmendelson.substack.com/
https://scottmendelson.substack.com/
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The Outside Scoop | Scott Mendelson | Substack
A legacy sequel to The Ticket Booth at Forbes.com and (especially) Mendelson's Memos. Pure, unfiltered and less formal pontification about the movie business and the entertainment industry for those w...
scottmendelson.substack.com
For those who followed my ongoing film reviews, industry punditry and (especially?) box office analysis from my days at Forbes (2013-2022) and/or (if you're old) Mendelson's Memos (2008-2013), stop by The Outside Scoop on Substack. It's precisely that—nothing more, nothing less.
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.
'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...
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:40 AM
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.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
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!!!!
February 9, 2026 at 1:26 AM
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.
February 9, 2026 at 1:59 AM
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.
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)
(The new release Super Bowl weekend box office report)
'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.
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:43 PM
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)
(The new release Super Bowl weekend box office report)
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.
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.
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:55 AM
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.
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.
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.
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:42 PM
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.
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.’
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 ...
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:41 PM
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.’
Charlie XCX’s THE MOMENT will hopefully play wide enough on Valentine’s Day weekend to create constant confusion among moviegoers showing up for THE MOMENT or WUTHERING HEIGHTS and hearing “Chains of Love” blaring concurrently from multiple auditoriums.
February 4, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Charlie XCX’s THE MOMENT will hopefully play wide enough on Valentine’s Day weekend to create constant confusion among moviegoers showing up for THE MOMENT or WUTHERING HEIGHTS and hearing “Chains of Love” blaring concurrently from multiple auditoriums.
The movies that “predicted” the future...
EDTV
OBSERVE AND REPORT
GI JOE RETALIATION
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
BATMAN V SUPERMAN (Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ mothers are both named Dorothy)
EDTV
OBSERVE AND REPORT
GI JOE RETALIATION
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
BATMAN V SUPERMAN (Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ mothers are both named Dorothy)
We must, as a country, apologize for our collective response to #JonMChu’s #GIJoeReataliation. This picture warned us 14 years ago. I dare anyone to watch this picture now and not come away spooked how on point it is. @scottmendelson.bsky.social
February 4, 2026 at 5:09 PM
The movies that “predicted” the future...
EDTV
OBSERVE AND REPORT
GI JOE RETALIATION
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
BATMAN V SUPERMAN (Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ mothers are both named Dorothy)
EDTV
OBSERVE AND REPORT
GI JOE RETALIATION
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
BATMAN V SUPERMAN (Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ mothers are both named Dorothy)
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
A pleasure to talk HOBBS & SHAW with @scottmendelson.bsky.social … and then quickly return to discuss the late-breaking FAST FOREVER news.
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 ...
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:26 PM
A pleasure to talk HOBBS & SHAW with @scottmendelson.bsky.social … and then quickly return to discuss the late-breaking FAST FOREVER news.
I won’t speak on source fidelity. But as a film, #WutheringHeights rocks. A large-scale retelling of a small(er)-scale melodrama, with all the big-budget production value and cinematic style value we once took for granted, it works on its own terms as a nuanced romantic tragedy.
a poster for the wuthering heights movie shows a man and a woman standing next to each other
ALT: a poster for the wuthering heights movie shows a man and a woman standing next to each other
media.tenor.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:06 PM
I won’t speak on source fidelity. But as a film, #WutheringHeights rocks. A large-scale retelling of a small(er)-scale melodrama, with all the big-budget production value and cinematic style value we once took for granted, it works on its own terms as a nuanced romantic tragedy.
I like TROY a lot (especially the director's cut), but this is objectively hilarious.
The Diane Kruger Effect is when you think that Troy is a much better film than it is.
February 2, 2026 at 7:13 PM
I like TROY a lot (especially the director's cut), but this is objectively hilarious.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
NEW EPISODE: @scottmendelson.bsky.social joins me to discuss a bit of a more serious turn on 60s Batman as George Sanders debuts as Mister Freeze!
Apple bit.ly/3ARR4Z6
Spotify spoti.fi/40SBUNH
YouTube youtu.be/e3H0jei5lYI?...
Apple bit.ly/3ARR4Z6
Spotify spoti.fi/40SBUNH
YouTube youtu.be/e3H0jei5lYI?...
February 2, 2026 at 6:29 PM
NEW EPISODE: @scottmendelson.bsky.social joins me to discuss a bit of a more serious turn on 60s Batman as George Sanders debuts as Mister Freeze!
Apple bit.ly/3ARR4Z6
Spotify spoti.fi/40SBUNH
YouTube youtu.be/e3H0jei5lYI?...
Apple bit.ly/3ARR4Z6
Spotify spoti.fi/40SBUNH
YouTube youtu.be/e3H0jei5lYI?...
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
TOMORROW - @scottmendelson.bsky.social joins 60s Batman At 60 to “chill” with me and talk Mister Freeze!
February 1, 2026 at 8:17 PM
TOMORROW - @scottmendelson.bsky.social joins 60s Batman At 60 to “chill” with me and talk Mister Freeze!
The “new release” weekend box office punditry related to MELANIA (a flop at that budget), IRON LUNG (an impressive DIY success story), and SEND HELP (an aspirational debut that shows the conventional movies can thrive right alongside the demographically specific event movies)...
'Melania' Bombs As 'Send Help' (Barely) Tops 'Iron Lung' In Wild Weekend Box Office
The strong openings for the Sam Raimi thriller and the Markiplier-directed video game adaptation are impressive, but the MAGA bait opening lower than 'Reagan' is not.
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:18 PM
The “new release” weekend box office punditry related to MELANIA (a flop at that budget), IRON LUNG (an impressive DIY success story), and SEND HELP (an aspirational debut that shows the conventional movies can thrive right alongside the demographically specific event movies)...
Better winter weather meant smaller drops for most older movies, even alongside the chart-topping likes of SEND HELP, IRON LUNG and MELANIA.
(The weekend box office holdover analysis)
(The weekend box office holdover analysis)
Weekend Box Office: 'Mercy' and 'Bone Temple' Fall Hard But Most Other Holdovers ('Zootopia 2,' 'Avatar 3' and 'Housemaid') Hold Firm
Better winter weather meant smaller weekend drops for most older movies, even alongside the chart-topping likes of ‘Send Help,’ ‘Iron Lung,’ and ‘Melania’.
scottmendelson.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:28 PM
Better winter weather meant smaller drops for most older movies, even alongside the chart-topping likes of SEND HELP, IRON LUNG and MELANIA.
(The weekend box office holdover analysis)
(The weekend box office holdover analysis)
With overperformances for a variety of films, the big winner this weekend will be movie theaters, which once again assert themselves as the room where pop culture events are made or affirmed.
Markiplier Trumps 'Melania' at Friday Box Office Amid Strong Starts For 'Send Help' and 'Charlie XCX's 'The Moment'
With overperformances for a variety of films, the big winner this weekend will be movie theaters which once again assert themselves as the room where pop culture events are made or affirmed.
scottmendelson.substack.com
January 31, 2026 at 7:17 PM
With overperformances for a variety of films, the big winner this weekend will be movie theaters, which once again assert themselves as the room where pop culture events are made or affirmed.
The next ‘Fast Saga’ flick need not cost the $340 million spent on ‘Fast X,’ but an appropriately big-scale capper is worth it long-term to the brand even if it doesn’t reach 2010s box office heights
'Fast Forever': Universal Can Afford to Overspend (and Should Not Cheap Out) On Its Final 'Fast and Furious' Film
The 11th ‘Fast Saga’ flick need not cost the $340 million spent on ‘Fast X,’ but an appropriately big-scale finale is worth it long-term to the brand, even if it doesn’t reach 2010s box office heights...
scottmendelson.substack.com
January 31, 2026 at 2:27 AM
The next ‘Fast Saga’ flick need not cost the $340 million spent on ‘Fast X,’ but an appropriately big-scale capper is worth it long-term to the brand even if it doesn’t reach 2010s box office heights
The Housemaid has crossed $300m worldwide and is nearing $200m just overseas. It’s one of the top-grossing erotic thrillers ever. When studios give neglected/underserved demographics a proverbial prime filet and treat it like a FOMO event, audiences can still show up in relatively sky-high numbers.
'The Housemaid' Tops $300 Million Worldwide To Cement Itself as One Of 2025's Most Aspirational Box Office Successes
When you give a neglected or underserved demographic a metaphorical prime filet and treat it like an event, moviegoers can and will still show up to theaters in sky-high numbers
scottmendelson.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:06 PM
The Housemaid has crossed $300m worldwide and is nearing $200m just overseas. It’s one of the top-grossing erotic thrillers ever. When studios give neglected/underserved demographics a proverbial prime filet and treat it like a FOMO event, audiences can still show up in relatively sky-high numbers.
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien shine in Sam Raimi’s survivalist thriller that excels as a sporting satire of conventional genre and cultural narratives.
@scottmendelson.bsky.social’s review of #SendHelp
@scottmendelson.bsky.social’s review of #SendHelp
Review: 'Send Help' Successfully Has Its Cake and Eats It Too
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien shine in Sam Raimi's survivalist thriller that excels as a sporting satire of conventional genre and cultural narratives.
scottmendelson.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien shine in Sam Raimi’s survivalist thriller that excels as a sporting satire of conventional genre and cultural narratives.
@scottmendelson.bsky.social’s review of #SendHelp
@scottmendelson.bsky.social’s review of #SendHelp
Listen Now | Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian returns to talk 2025 box office totals, Oscar bumps and more, while the hosts dive into ‘Mercy’ grosses, Oscar nominations and (also) more.
Are We Not 'Mercy'-ful?!
open.spotify.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Listen Now | Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian returns to talk 2025 box office totals, Oscar bumps and more, while the hosts dive into ‘Mercy’ grosses, Oscar nominations and (also) more.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
GenAI is rape culture too to bottom. Rotten to the core. If you don’t consent to their slop, they’ll conspire to shove it down your throat anyhow, consent be damned.
Burn it all down.
Burn it all down.
Microsoft and Blackrock have "have largely given up on organic adoption [of AI] by consumers. They have moved on to a new dream of forced adoption mandated by government and managerial coercion."
Fascinating piece here on what Davos can teach us about the AI industry by @mattseybold.bsky.social
Fascinating piece here on what Davos can teach us about the AI industry by @mattseybold.bsky.social
"You have to use it. You have to trust it.": Forced Adoption of AI is The Subtext of Davos
Authoritarianism is the AI Bailout; But If AI Doesn't Need a Bailout, Does it Need Authoritarianism?
theamericanvandal.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:41 PM
GenAI is rape culture too to bottom. Rotten to the core. If you don’t consent to their slop, they’ll conspire to shove it down your throat anyhow, consent be damned.
Burn it all down.
Burn it all down.
Meanwhile, in “laughs so as not to cry but also because it’s hilarious” news, Fathom’s reissues of 'The Lord of the Rings' ($18.7 million worldwide thus far) will soon outgross the global total ($20.8 million in late 2024) for 'The War of the Rohirrim'
Box Office: 'Avatar 3' and 'Housemaid' Hold Overseas Amid 'Bone Temple' Tumble as 'Marty Supreme' and 'Hamnet' Get Oscar Boosts
Fathom's 25th anniversary reissue of 'The Lord of the Rings' is racing past the global lifetime totals for 'The War of the Rohirrim'.
scottmendelson.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:05 AM
Meanwhile, in “laughs so as not to cry but also because it’s hilarious” news, Fathom’s reissues of 'The Lord of the Rings' ($18.7 million worldwide thus far) will soon outgross the global total ($20.8 million in late 2024) for 'The War of the Rohirrim'
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
The fact that despite extreme provocation the only violence in Minneapolis is coming from ICE/CBP has strangely restored some of my faith in human beings.
January 25, 2026 at 8:21 PM
The fact that despite extreme provocation the only violence in Minneapolis is coming from ICE/CBP has strangely restored some of my faith in human beings.
Chris Pratt is more of a kid-friendly movie star than an adult-skewing draw, while 'Return to Silent Hill' is another IP-for-IP’s sake revival with nothing to offer for the brand-agnostic.
'Mercy' Deserves None As 'Silent Hill' Returns to Quiet Theaters (Weekend Box Office)
Chris Pratt is more of a kid-friendly movie star than an adult-skewing draw, while 'Return to Silent Hill' is another IP-for-IP's sake revival with nothing to offer for the brand-agnostic.
scottmendelson.substack.com
January 25, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Chris Pratt is more of a kid-friendly movie star than an adult-skewing draw, while 'Return to Silent Hill' is another IP-for-IP’s sake revival with nothing to offer for the brand-agnostic.