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.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
And this, right here, is a great example of why we should be concerned. “Apple intelligence” just flipped the script and blamed him. Now imagine that across 25,000 news headlines
December 27, 2025 at 10:33 PM
And this, right here, is a great example of why we should be concerned. “Apple intelligence” just flipped the script and blamed him. Now imagine that across 25,000 news headlines
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
“Then they shouldn’t have voted for this!”
Bitch, Asheville is a blue college town and the county has gone blue for decades. I am so sick of this “if I pretend disasters only happen to red areas, it means I’m safe because I’m properly on the left!” No. You’re not safe. That’s why we save everybody.
Bitch, Asheville is a blue college town and the county has gone blue for decades. I am so sick of this “if I pretend disasters only happen to red areas, it means I’m safe because I’m properly on the left!” No. You’re not safe. That’s why we save everybody.
Hundreds of residents signed up for FEMA buyouts after Hurricane Helene. Not one has been approved.
Hundreds of residents signed up for FEMA buyouts after Helene. Not one has been approved.
More than a year after applying for a federal buyout, many North Carolina homeowners have heard almost nothing definitive.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 27, 2025 at 9:05 PM
“Then they shouldn’t have voted for this!”
Bitch, Asheville is a blue college town and the county has gone blue for decades. I am so sick of this “if I pretend disasters only happen to red areas, it means I’m safe because I’m properly on the left!” No. You’re not safe. That’s why we save everybody.
Bitch, Asheville is a blue college town and the county has gone blue for decades. I am so sick of this “if I pretend disasters only happen to red areas, it means I’m safe because I’m properly on the left!” No. You’re not safe. That’s why we save everybody.
Spoken like Ashley Tisdale on Phineas and Ferb: “Mom, James Cameron is doing the James Cameron thing again!”
(‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ earned $22 million on Friday and is set to have a bigger second weekend than ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ despite opening 1/3 lower)
(‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ earned $22 million on Friday and is set to have a bigger second weekend than ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ despite opening 1/3 lower)
Box Office: 'Avatar' Franchise Nears $6 Billion Worldwide
James Cameron’s ‘Fire and Ash’ will gross more on its second weekend than ‘The Way of Water’ despite opening to 1/3 less.
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Spoken like Ashley Tisdale on Phineas and Ferb: “Mom, James Cameron is doing the James Cameron thing again!”
(‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ earned $22 million on Friday and is set to have a bigger second weekend than ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ despite opening 1/3 lower)
(‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ earned $22 million on Friday and is set to have a bigger second weekend than ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ despite opening 1/3 lower)
Read my words! As #AvatarFireAndAsh prepares to pass $200 million domestically on Saturday, but not before soaring past $600 million worldwide tonight, any relative #boxoffice decline from ‘The Way of Water’ can be blamed on a refreshingly large number of successful year-end releases.
This Is What A Strong Box Office Actually Looks Like
Read my words! Any decline for 'Fire and Ash' compared to ‘The Way of Water’ can be blamed on a refreshingly large number of successful year-end releases
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 26, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Read my words! As #AvatarFireAndAsh prepares to pass $200 million domestically on Saturday, but not before soaring past $600 million worldwide tonight, any relative #boxoffice decline from ‘The Way of Water’ can be blamed on a refreshingly large number of successful year-end releases.
Hear my words! | @lytrules.substack.com returns to discuss 'Avatar: Fire and Ash’s (commercial) fortune and (artistic) glory in what turned out to be The Box Office Podcast’s 100th episode
Does Payakan Know It’s Christmastime at All?
Hear my words | Luke Y. Thompson returns to discuss the commercial fortune and artistic glory of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ for what (fittingly?) turned out to be the hundredth episode of The Box Office P...
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 25, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Hear my words! | @lytrules.substack.com returns to discuss 'Avatar: Fire and Ash’s (commercial) fortune and (artistic) glory in what turned out to be The Box Office Podcast’s 100th episode
"I'm putting together a team..."
December 24, 2025 at 8:56 PM
"I'm putting together a team..."
(Unpaywalled, which is what Payakan would want...)
James Cameron’s #AvatarFireAndAsh passes $450 million worldwide after a week in theaters while posting weekday grosses on par with ‘The Way of Water’ and (initial) post-debut legs longer than most year-end fantasy franchise blockbuster tentpoles...
James Cameron’s #AvatarFireAndAsh passes $450 million worldwide after a week in theaters while posting weekday grosses on par with ‘The Way of Water’ and (initial) post-debut legs longer than most year-end fantasy franchise blockbuster tentpoles...
Box Office: 'Avatar 3' Flies Past $450 Million Worldwide As History Looks to Be Repeating Itself... Again
James Cameron's 'Fire and Ash' is posting weekday grosses on par with 'Way of Water' and (initial) post-debut legs longer than most year-end tentpole blockbusters.
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:17 PM
(Unpaywalled, which is what Payakan would want...)
James Cameron’s #AvatarFireAndAsh passes $450 million worldwide after a week in theaters while posting weekday grosses on par with ‘The Way of Water’ and (initial) post-debut legs longer than most year-end fantasy franchise blockbuster tentpoles...
James Cameron’s #AvatarFireAndAsh passes $450 million worldwide after a week in theaters while posting weekday grosses on par with ‘The Way of Water’ and (initial) post-debut legs longer than most year-end fantasy franchise blockbuster tentpoles...
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
And this, as I've said many times, is the primary reason for the genocide in Gaza.
For Netanyahu, it was always about changing the story from his own culpability.
For Netanyahu, it was always about changing the story from his own culpability.
Ex-aide says Netanyahu tasked him with making a plan to evade responsibility for Oct. 7 attack
A former close aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that immediately following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, he was ordered to figure out how the premier could evade responsibili...
search.app
December 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
And this, as I've said many times, is the primary reason for the genocide in Gaza.
For Netanyahu, it was always about changing the story from his own culpability.
For Netanyahu, it was always about changing the story from his own culpability.
I am currently on jury duty for the day. So... if I run into any gaslighting, self-pitying, "Boo hoo, you'll never hear my song again!" drama queens, they are going straight to whale jail!
December 23, 2025 at 5:17 PM
I am currently on jury duty for the day. So... if I run into any gaslighting, self-pitying, "Boo hoo, you'll never hear my song again!" drama queens, they are going straight to whale jail!
Had Disney succeeded in cementing the likes of Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel and the Fantastic Four as A-level Marvel heroes, it wouldn’t need nostalgia to sell the MCU’s next team-up tentpole...
'Avengers: Doomsday' Teaser Shines Grim Spotlight On Marvel's Post-'Endgame' Struggles
Had Disney succeeded in cementing the likes of Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel and the Fantastic Four as A-level Marvel heroes, it wouldn't need nostalgia to sell next year's MCU team-up tentpole
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Had Disney succeeded in cementing the likes of Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel and the Fantastic Four as A-level Marvel heroes, it wouldn’t need nostalgia to sell the MCU’s next team-up tentpole...
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
maintaining the fiction that cbs news would remain relatively objective under her leadership was a *lot* more important — to the admin, to cbs news, to david ellison and to bari weiss — than killing this story was, and it’s incredibly funny she didn’t know that
the shitstorm that’s already brewing because of Bari’s decision to spike this story is going to end up being vastly more damaging to her and to the admin than allowing the story to air would have been
she’s an evil propagandist hack but she is also very bad at doing it in a way that isn’t hamfisted
she’s an evil propagandist hack but she is also very bad at doing it in a way that isn’t hamfisted
December 22, 2025 at 4:47 AM
maintaining the fiction that cbs news would remain relatively objective under her leadership was a *lot* more important — to the admin, to cbs news, to david ellison and to bari weiss — than killing this story was, and it’s incredibly funny she didn’t know that
If you're wondering why my AVATAR 3 box office post was so damn late today...
NEW EPISODE! @scottmendelson.bsky.social joins The Boys (@hibachijustice.bsky.social, @vycevictus.bsky.social, Liam, and Producer @odstspartan.bsky.social) to talk the movie of the weekend: AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH!
creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...
creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...
Pink Skins, Box Office, Whale Court, & AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH by Action for Everyone
Scott Mendelson joins The Boys to the movie of the weekend: AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH! They touch on the film, the year's Box Office totals in comparison to last, & predictions for next year! Max even give...
creators.spotify.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:42 AM
If you're wondering why my AVATAR 3 box office post was so damn late today...
Uh oh! If James Cameron’s third Pandora passion play fails to leg out excessively, #AvatarFireAndAsh might only gross as much at the worldwide #boxoffice as (depending on its legs) such infamous flops as INSIDE OUT 2, JURASSIC WORLD, THE AVENGERS or BARBIE!
'Avatar' Box Office: 'Fire and Ash' Nabs A Good Enough $345M Global Debut
Oh shit. If James Cameron’s third Pandora passion play fails to leg out, it might only gross as much as such infamous flops as ‘Barbie,' ‘The Avengers, ’ and ‘Jurassic World’
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Uh oh! If James Cameron’s third Pandora passion play fails to leg out excessively, #AvatarFireAndAsh might only gross as much at the worldwide #boxoffice as (depending on its legs) such infamous flops as INSIDE OUT 2, JURASSIC WORLD, THE AVENGERS or BARBIE!
Friday #BoxOffice: Yes, #AvatarFireandAsh is opening lower than hoped, with a likely over/under $95M domestic debut weekend. However, unlike when ‘The Way of Water’ opened to $134M three years ago, James Cameron’s sci-fi flick has plenty of competition or help amid a crowded holiday season.
Box Office: 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Nabs "Mere" $37 Million Friday Alongside Refreshingly Robust Competition
‘Fire and Ash’ is opening lower than hoped, but (even presuming post-debut legs), unlike when ‘Way of Water’ opened, James Cameron isn’t going to have to save Christmas alone.
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Friday #BoxOffice: Yes, #AvatarFireandAsh is opening lower than hoped, with a likely over/under $95M domestic debut weekend. However, unlike when ‘The Way of Water’ opened to $134M three years ago, James Cameron’s sci-fi flick has plenty of competition or help amid a crowded holiday season.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
America is fatally obsessed with the question, “What if the WRONG people get something they don’t DESERVE?” We will go without healthcare, dignity in old age, and food for children to keep someone, somewhere from getting what is perceived to be a free lunch. This our great national weakness.
December 19, 2025 at 6:58 AM
America is fatally obsessed with the question, “What if the WRONG people get something they don’t DESERVE?” We will go without healthcare, dignity in old age, and food for children to keep someone, somewhere from getting what is perceived to be a free lunch. This our great national weakness.
Wanna know why ‘Avatar 3’ might open closer to $100M than $150M? Among other variables, three other movies are opening in over 3,100 theaters and chasing a $20M domestic debut weekend. ‘Avatar 2’ opened unopposed. Does anyone remember what film dared open against the first ‘Avatar’ in December 2009?
Box Office: 'Avatar 3' Nabs $12M Thursday As 'Housemaid' Earns $2.2M
Offhand, James Cameron’s sci-fi actioner should secure an over/under $100 million weekend as three other newbies aim for $20m-plus debuts while 'Marty Supreme' chases per-theater-average records.
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Wanna know why ‘Avatar 3’ might open closer to $100M than $150M? Among other variables, three other movies are opening in over 3,100 theaters and chasing a $20M domestic debut weekend. ‘Avatar 2’ opened unopposed. Does anyone remember what film dared open against the first ‘Avatar’ in December 2009?
Paul Feig's and Rebecca Sonnenshine’s adaptation of Freida McFadden’s best-seller -- starring a game Sydney Sweeney and a gleefully on-point Amanda Seyfried -- is a genre revival that still plays like a new movie that isn’t afraid to, uh... rock the cradle.
Review: 'The Housemaid' Is a "Rip-Off, Don't Remake" Winner
Paul Feig's and Rebecca Sonnenshine’s adaptation of Freida McFadden’s best-seller is a genre revival that still plays like a new movie that isn’t afraid to, uh... rock the cradle.
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Paul Feig's and Rebecca Sonnenshine’s adaptation of Freida McFadden’s best-seller -- starring a game Sydney Sweeney and a gleefully on-point Amanda Seyfried -- is a genre revival that still plays like a new movie that isn’t afraid to, uh... rock the cradle.
At its best, and even with too much plot and action seemingly cribbed from its immediate predecessor, there’s a lot of “at its best,” #AvatarFireAndAsh plays like James Cameron knows that it’s potentially the last auteur-driven mega-budget franchise blockbuster that Hollywood’s ever going to make.
'Avatar: Fire And Ash' Review: Hollywood's Last Picture Show (?)
The third Pandora passion play is too reminiscent of its predecessors, even as it lays (almost) everything on the table, suggesting James Cameron knows that Hollywood won’t be making many more like th...
open.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
At its best, and even with too much plot and action seemingly cribbed from its immediate predecessor, there’s a lot of “at its best,” #AvatarFireAndAsh plays like James Cameron knows that it’s potentially the last auteur-driven mega-budget franchise blockbuster that Hollywood’s ever going to make.
Don’t react to an original success by releasing an unrequested IP-for-IP’s sake remake, why not every slow weekend is a “garbage day,” and more.
(Weekend #BoxOffice Report via @scottmendelson.bsky.social)
(Weekend #BoxOffice Report via @scottmendelson.bsky.social)
Box Office: Six Hot Takes as Hollywood Awaits an 'Avatar'-Sized Rescue
Don’t react to a surprise original success by releasing an unrequested IP-for-IP’s sake remake, why not every slow weekend is a bad weekend, and more.
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Don’t react to an original success by releasing an unrequested IP-for-IP’s sake remake, why not every slow weekend is a “garbage day,” and more.
(Weekend #BoxOffice Report via @scottmendelson.bsky.social)
(Weekend #BoxOffice Report via @scottmendelson.bsky.social)
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
A lot to unpack here about class, gender, and caring work 19thnews.org/2025/12/ice-...
ICE arrests are forcing American moms to leave their jobs
A new analysis shows that increased immigration enforcement is reducing labor in the child care workforce. The ripple effect is impacting mothers with young children.
19thnews.org
December 11, 2025 at 11:45 PM
A lot to unpack here about class, gender, and caring work 19thnews.org/2025/12/ice-...
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
"Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear."
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Senate Republicans reject new congressional maps in defiance of Trump’s redistricting push.
December 11, 2025 at 10:54 PM
"Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear."
There’s a good chance that the battle over Warner Bros. might be another example of an unending narrative filled with phantom tea leaves, evidence of evidence and false clues that prove entirely irrelevant before what is a coin toss (Netflix or Skydance?) between two likely to be bad results.
Netflix Vs. Skydance? The Battle for Warner Bros. Could Become Hollywood's Newest Neverending Story
It could be around two years before we know who buys WB and what the consequences for the industry will be. Don’t burn out trying to read phantom tea leaves.
open.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:18 AM
There’s a good chance that the battle over Warner Bros. might be another example of an unending narrative filled with phantom tea leaves, evidence of evidence and false clues that prove entirely irrelevant before what is a coin toss (Netflix or Skydance?) between two likely to be bad results.
Okay, but... does *she* have a harem...?
December 11, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Okay, but... does *she* have a harem...?
Listen Now --- I spoke with @hertzbarry.bsky.social, the author of ‘Welcome to the Family’ about the 25-year saga that, almost accidentally, turned an unassuming B-movie ‘rip off, don’t remake’ riff on ‘Point Break’ (with surfing swapped out for street racing) into the $7 billion THE FAST SAGA...
A Fast (But Not Furious) Hour With... Barry Hertz
Listen now | The author of Welcome to the Family (a comprehensive look at ‘The Fast Saga’) stops by to discuss the complicated circumstances behind one of Hollywood’s least likely tentpole successes a...
open.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Listen Now --- I spoke with @hertzbarry.bsky.social, the author of ‘Welcome to the Family’ about the 25-year saga that, almost accidentally, turned an unassuming B-movie ‘rip off, don’t remake’ riff on ‘Point Break’ (with surfing swapped out for street racing) into the $7 billion THE FAST SAGA...
In holdover news for the weekend, Lionsgate’s ‘Now You See Me 3’ has passed $200m worldwide, leaping over many higher-profile tentpoles from “legacy studios.”
Box Office: 'Zootopia 2' Tops $900M as 'Wicked 2' Succumbs to Gravity
In holdover news for the weekend, Lionsgate’s Now You See Me 3’ has passed $200 million worldwide, leaping over many higher-profile tentpoles from “legacy studios.”
scottmendelson.substack.com
December 7, 2025 at 11:16 PM
In holdover news for the weekend, Lionsgate’s ‘Now You See Me 3’ has passed $200m worldwide, leaping over many higher-profile tentpoles from “legacy studios.”