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.
Have fun losing a shit-ton of money on #RushHour4. I hope Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, both knowing the circumstances of this “green-light,” each ask for $50 million and 10% first-dollar gross.
November 25, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Have fun losing a shit-ton of money on #RushHour4. I hope Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, both knowing the circumstances of this “green-light,” each ask for $50 million and 10% first-dollar gross.
While not as disciplined or confrontational as its modern-classic predecessor, Disney’s #Zootopia2 is still an endlessly clever, gleefully funny buddy-cop thriller that is precisely the kind of top-notch entertainment that helped push them to the top of the pop culture mountain in the 2010s.
'Zootopia 2' Review: Disney's Best Movie Since 'Encanto'
While not as disciplined or confrontational as its predecessor, Disney’s animated sequel is still an endlessly clever, gleefully funny buddy-cop thriller.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM
While not as disciplined or confrontational as its modern-classic predecessor, Disney’s #Zootopia2 is still an endlessly clever, gleefully funny buddy-cop thriller that is precisely the kind of top-notch entertainment that helped push them to the top of the pop culture mountain in the 2010s.
Don’t suck up to MAGA. Don’t prioritize an existing fanbase. Do, when it makes sense, split your long book or play into two films. Also, girls still rule the box office.
'Wicked: For Good' Box Office: 4 Key Lessons From a $147M Debut
Don’t suck up to MAGA. Don’t prioritize an existing fanbase. Do, when it makes some sense, split your long book or play into two films. Also, girls still rule the box office.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Don’t suck up to MAGA. Don’t prioritize an existing fanbase. Do, when it makes sense, split your long book or play into two films. Also, girls still rule the box office.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
Digging into the data of what's taking place with Black women unemployment and this graph is pretty damning.
You can see the EXACT month Black women's unemployment begins to splinter and that what hit us FIRST is now coming for all other women. This is #TheDoubleTax.
#blacksky #news #econsky
You can see the EXACT month Black women's unemployment begins to splinter and that what hit us FIRST is now coming for all other women. This is #TheDoubleTax.
#blacksky #news #econsky
November 23, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Digging into the data of what's taking place with Black women unemployment and this graph is pretty damning.
You can see the EXACT month Black women's unemployment begins to splinter and that what hit us FIRST is now coming for all other women. This is #TheDoubleTax.
#blacksky #news #econsky
You can see the EXACT month Black women's unemployment begins to splinter and that what hit us FIRST is now coming for all other women. This is #TheDoubleTax.
#blacksky #news #econsky
Shocker!! - If you make big movies like #Wicked for, about and/or by women and girls that aren’t *just* “it’s an action movie with romance and/or a female protagonist, you make big(ger) bucks at the domestic ($150 million) and worldwide ($226 million) #boxoffice.
Box Office: Women Power 'Wicked: For Good' To $226M Worldwide
Universal's Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-led musical fantasy opened with $150 million in North America, 34% above 'Wicked Part One,' while skewing just 29% male.
open.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Shocker!! - If you make big movies like #Wicked for, about and/or by women and girls that aren’t *just* “it’s an action movie with romance and/or a female protagonist, you make big(ger) bucks at the domestic ($150 million) and worldwide ($226 million) #boxoffice.
While not quite as prickly and disciplined as the first, #Zootopia2 is another visually spectacular, consistently clever and very funny buddy-cop mystery-thriller with few “for kids” concessions. Yes, it’s “relevant” (nitpicks aside), and it’s Disney’s best toon since ‘Encanto’.
judy hopps and nick wilde from zootopia are standing next to each other
ALT: judy hopps and nick wilde from zootopia are standing next to each other
media.tenor.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:11 AM
While not quite as prickly and disciplined as the first, #Zootopia2 is another visually spectacular, consistently clever and very funny buddy-cop mystery-thriller with few “for kids” concessions. Yes, it’s “relevant” (nitpicks aside), and it’s Disney’s best toon since ‘Encanto’.
Jon M. Chu's musical, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is set to nab Universal's second-biggest Fri-Sun debut ever, behind only 'Jurassic World'
(Friday #BoxOffice for #WickedForGood)
(Friday #BoxOffice for #WickedForGood)
Box Office: 'Wicked: For Good' Flies to $69M Friday For A Likely $155M Weekend
Jon M. Chu's musical, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is set to nab Universal's second-biggest Fri-Sun debut ever, behind only 'Jurassic World'
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Jon M. Chu's musical, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is set to nab Universal's second-biggest Fri-Sun debut ever, behind only 'Jurassic World'
(Friday #BoxOffice for #WickedForGood)
(Friday #BoxOffice for #WickedForGood)
Thirty years ago, #GoldenEye affirmed the commercial and cultural relevance of a then-dormant James Bond film franchise in a more “politically correct” era and alongside newfangled action titans like 'Terminator 2,' ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘Die Hard’.
30 Years Ago, ‘GoldenEye’ Saved the 007 Series by Doing It Better
Martin Campbell and Pierce Brosnan’s actioner answered the “Is James Bond still relevant?” question with a franchise-rejuvenating “Hell, yes.”
scottmendelson.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Thirty years ago, #GoldenEye affirmed the commercial and cultural relevance of a then-dormant James Bond film franchise in a more “politically correct” era and alongside newfangled action titans like 'Terminator 2,' ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘Die Hard’.
Share a TV series you've watched from beginning to end more than once.
November 19, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Share a TV series you've watched from beginning to end more than once.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
That doesn't mean Olivia's actions weren't wildly unethical as a journalist, and it doesn't make her a good person
but I just hate what this world does to young women and I hope we don't lose sight of that aspect in all of this
but I just hate what this world does to young women and I hope we don't lose sight of that aspect in all of this
November 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
That doesn't mean Olivia's actions weren't wildly unethical as a journalist, and it doesn't make her a good person
but I just hate what this world does to young women and I hope we don't lose sight of that aspect in all of this
but I just hate what this world does to young women and I hope we don't lose sight of that aspect in all of this
In terms of these “part 2 of 2” movies, it’s a lot closer in quality to ‘Dune Part Two’ than ‘It Chapter Two’. Concurrently, that #WickedForGood might, in any way, come off as “the movie we need right now” is very much an indictment of our stupid, stupid world (right now).
Review: 'Wicked: For Good' Is Wicked Good
Jon M. Chu and friends deliver the show’s challenging blend of kid-friendly fantasy and cynical dystopian political melodrama in a finale that sticks the landing.
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:50 PM
In terms of these “part 2 of 2” movies, it’s a lot closer in quality to ‘Dune Part Two’ than ‘It Chapter Two’. Concurrently, that #WickedForGood might, in any way, come off as “the movie we need right now” is very much an indictment of our stupid, stupid world (right now).
The “can’t get this anywhere else” threequel opened well above the latest incarnation of a sub-genre audiences can find in many other films and shows.
Weekend #boxoffice punditry related to...
#NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont
#TheRunningMan
#PredatorBadlands
#OneBattleAfterAnother
#DemonSlayerInfinityCastle
Weekend #boxoffice punditry related to...
#NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont
#TheRunningMan
#PredatorBadlands
#OneBattleAfterAnother
#DemonSlayerInfinityCastle
Box Office: ‘Now You See Me 3’ Laps ‘Running Man’ But ‘Predator’ Plummets as ‘One Battle’ and ‘Demon Slayer’ Top $200M and $700M
The “can’t get this anywhere else” franchise threequel opened well above the latest incarnation of a sub-genre audiences can find in many other films and shows.
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:02 AM
The “can’t get this anywhere else” threequel opened well above the latest incarnation of a sub-genre audiences can find in many other films and shows.
Weekend #boxoffice punditry related to...
#NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont
#TheRunningMan
#PredatorBadlands
#OneBattleAfterAnother
#DemonSlayerInfinityCastle
Weekend #boxoffice punditry related to...
#NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont
#TheRunningMan
#PredatorBadlands
#OneBattleAfterAnother
#DemonSlayerInfinityCastle
HAMNET (2025)
November 17, 2025 at 2:54 AM
HAMNET (2025)
“Well, there goes that dream,” says all of those invested in the ‘Glen Powell is the next Tom Cruise!’ narrative.
Friday Box Office: 'Running Man' Flops With $6.5M Friday as ''Predator' Plummets 73%
“Well, there goes that dream,” says all of those invested in the entire industry and media-generated ‘Glen Powell is the next Tom Cruise’ narrative.
open.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:54 PM
“Well, there goes that dream,” says all of those invested in the ‘Glen Powell is the next Tom Cruise!’ narrative.
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
Lionsgate’s (unique unto itself) “Fight the Power and Rob the Rich... with Card Tricks!” franchise is bucking the odds, while Japan’s ‘Infinity Castle’ is posting strong (but not superlative) initial grosses in China.
Friday Box Office 01: 'Now You See Me 3' Tops As 'Demon Slayer' Debuts in China
Lionsgate's "Fight the power and rob the rich... with card tricks!" franchise is bucking the odds, while Japan's 'Infinity Castle' is posting strong (but not superlative) initial grosses in China.
open.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Lionsgate’s (unique unto itself) “Fight the Power and Rob the Rich... with Card Tricks!” franchise is bucking the odds, while Japan’s ‘Infinity Castle’ is posting strong (but not superlative) initial grosses in China.
Spoilers for #WutheringHeights --
Heathcliff just won’t be undone and keeps playing pranks on everyone. However, as he mixes with the ladies fair while being charming debonoir, he eventually learns that no one should terrorize their neighborhood.
Heathcliff just won’t be undone and keeps playing pranks on everyone. However, as he mixes with the ladies fair while being charming debonoir, he eventually learns that no one should terrorize their neighborhood.
November 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Spoilers for #WutheringHeights --
Heathcliff just won’t be undone and keeps playing pranks on everyone. However, as he mixes with the ladies fair while being charming debonoir, he eventually learns that no one should terrorize their neighborhood.
Heathcliff just won’t be undone and keeps playing pranks on everyone. However, as he mixes with the ladies fair while being charming debonoir, he eventually learns that no one should terrorize their neighborhood.
What we lose when we treat small-scale indies like big-deal tentpoles, why I’m happy about a new 'Alice in Wonderland’ musical, an SVOD ratings update for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and more...
Sydney Sweeney's Stardom Trap, Sabrina Carpenter's Mitzvah, 'Frankenstein's Ratings and 'Toy Story 5's Teaser
What we lose when we treat small-scale indies like big-deal tentpoles, a viewership update for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and more.
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:16 AM
What we lose when we treat small-scale indies like big-deal tentpoles, why I’m happy about a new 'Alice in Wonderland’ musical, an SVOD ratings update for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and more...
The faithful-to-a-fault adaptation of Stephen King’s novel trades ‘American Gladiators’ for ‘Most Dangerous Game,’ but now feels quaint in an America that was stupid enough to elect *its* favorite psychopathic game show host as President… twice. (Review of #TheRunningMan)
Review: 'The Running Man' Can't Outrun Our Hellish Reality
The faithful-to-a-fault adaptation trades 'American Gladiators’ for ‘Most Dangerous Game’, but the too-little-too-late political actioner still ends up falling short of the likes of ‘Hard Target’.
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:05 PM
The faithful-to-a-fault adaptation of Stephen King’s novel trades ‘American Gladiators’ for ‘Most Dangerous Game,’ but now feels quaint in an America that was stupid enough to elect *its* favorite psychopathic game show host as President… twice. (Review of #TheRunningMan)
Reposted by Scott Mendelson
This is actually good spin, or would have been. But the fact that the Democratic cave happened without even a coordinated, agreed-upon message like this indicates the depth of the leadership void.
November 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
This is actually good spin, or would have been. But the fact that the Democratic cave happened without even a coordinated, agreed-upon message like this indicates the depth of the leadership void.
Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I've come to accept that these "fight with the power with magic tricks" movies take place in an alternate Saturday morning cartoon dimension.
(Review for #NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont)
(Review for #NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont)
'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' Review: So Beautiful. So Stupid.
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, but I’ve come to accept that these “fight with the power with magic tricks” movies take place in an alternate Saturday morning cartoon dimension.
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I've come to accept that these "fight with the power with magic tricks" movies take place in an alternate Saturday morning cartoon dimension.
(Review for #NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont)
(Review for #NowYouSeeMeNowYouDont)
Unlike too many of Disney’s bigger #boxoffice hits of late, #PredatorBadlands ($40 million in North America and $80 million worldwide) is thus far overperforming not just because a prior series entry was great but (partially) because this installment is also good.
Box Office: 'Predator: Badlands' Is Disney's Most Important Success For 2025
Unlike too many of Disney’s bigger box office hits of late, ‘Predator: Badlands’ is overperforming not just because a prior series entry was great but also because *this* installment is also good.
open.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Unlike too many of Disney’s bigger #boxoffice hits of late, #PredatorBadlands ($40 million in North America and $80 million worldwide) is thus far overperforming not just because a prior series entry was great but (partially) because this installment is also good.
Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison’s #PredatorBadlands might score a bigger opening weekend (even noting inflation) than any “just a Predator” flick. With three straight artistic bangers, PREDATOR is the one Fox franchise that’s actually improved since joining Disney.
(Friday #BoxOffice punditry)
(Friday #BoxOffice punditry)
'Predator: Badlands' Tops Box Office With Promising $15.6M Friday
Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison’s acclaimed and buzzy sci-fi actioner might score a bigger opening weekend than any “just a Predator movie,” even noting inflation.
open.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison’s #PredatorBadlands might score a bigger opening weekend (even noting inflation) than any “just a Predator” flick. With three straight artistic bangers, PREDATOR is the one Fox franchise that’s actually improved since joining Disney.
(Friday #BoxOffice punditry)
(Friday #BoxOffice punditry)
Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison again deliver a ‘Predator’ movie that skews the curve for what was previously, at best, a B-movie grindhouse franchise.
(@scottmendelson.bsky.social reviews #PredatorBadlands)
(@scottmendelson.bsky.social reviews #PredatorBadlands)
'Badlands' Review: Be Sure to Catch This 'Predator'!
Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison again deliver a 'Predator' movie that skews the curve for what was previously, at best, a B-movie grindhouse franchise.
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison again deliver a ‘Predator’ movie that skews the curve for what was previously, at best, a B-movie grindhouse franchise.
(@scottmendelson.bsky.social reviews #PredatorBadlands)
(@scottmendelson.bsky.social reviews #PredatorBadlands)
Lionsgate and Universal’s twice-delayed and sure-to-be-controversial King of Pop flick is positioning itself as a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody'-style PLF-worthy crowdpleaser (as opposed to a ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’-style downer)...
(First trailer for #Michael, natch)
(First trailer for #Michael, natch)
'Michael' Trailer Sells Next Summer's Blockbuster Biopic as the Antithesis of 'Deliver Me From Nowhere'
Lionsgate and Universal's twice-delayed and sure-to-be-controversial King of Pop flick is positioning itself as a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody'-style PLF-worthy crowdpleaser.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Lionsgate and Universal’s twice-delayed and sure-to-be-controversial King of Pop flick is positioning itself as a ‘Bohemian Rhapsody'-style PLF-worthy crowdpleaser (as opposed to a ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’-style downer)...
(First trailer for #Michael, natch)
(First trailer for #Michael, natch)