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Scott Mendelson

@scottmendelson.bsky.social

5.4K followers 3.2K following 1.5K posts

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/

scottmendelson.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · Oct 19

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.

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

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Charlie Jane "Lessons in Magic and Disaster" Anders 🏳️‍⚧ @charliejane.bsky.social · 8h

Plus we already got the best Tron update we'll ever have: Wreck-It Ralph.

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Lisa Laman @lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social · 7h

The third act of Tron: Ares heavily focuses on two 50+ year old white men talking about how much they love Depeche Mode, a microcosm of why these big Disney blockbusters aren't resonating with young people anymore

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C. Robert Cargill @crobertcargill.bsky.social · 7h

No, it really just is my generation who keeps making movies for ourselves and I find it baffling. Every time a movie targets the teens, it makes bank. Every time an old IP underperforms, critics scratch their heads.

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britt hayes @britthates.bsky.social · 8h

Jared Leto *is* AI: a tacky thing corporations keep forcing on consumers by putting him in everything even though he’s unprofitable and nobody likes it

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 10h

Theaters are forced to survive on expired brand leftovers and IP-for-IP franchise attempts, while studios can blame “Nobody goes to the movies!” and/or “Go woke, go broke” for their painfully foreseeable mistakes.
(The #TronAres Friday #boxoffice report, sadly 15 morbillion years in the making)

Why Predictable Box Office Bombs Like 'Tron: Ares' Hurt Everyone

Theaters are forced to subsist with inferior IP leftovers, while studios get to blame “Nobody goes to the movies!” and/or “Go woke, go broke” for predictable flops.

open.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 1d

Jacob Tremblay, your days are numbered, you diabolical sonavabitch...

Rebecca Ferguson Gets Candid: “I Will Shove Someone Under a Bus to Make a Point”

The 'Mission: Impossible' star on working with Tom Cruise and providing more details about that mysterious on-set clash with a certain co-star.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 1d

Well, TRON ARES is the best TRON movie yet... by default! And just as the Disney-produced remake of STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN LI (aka ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY) was superior to the “original,” so too is TRON 3 indeed better than HITMAN: AGENT 47.

a person is riding a red motorcycle with africanrabbit written on the bottom right

ALT: a person is riding a red motorcycle with africanrabbit written on the bottom right

media.tenor.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 2d

When the conservative outrage machine *finally* starts complaining about ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER two weeks after it opens in theaters...

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 2d

WB just dated its video game sequel for July 23, 2027, the same slot currently occupied by Disney and 20th Century Studios' animated follow-up. There are plenty of good reasons to avoid a showdown.

No, 'Minecraft 2' and 'Simpsons 2' Should Not Open on the Same Day

WB just dated its video game sequel for July 23, 2027, the same slot currently occupied by Disney and 20th Century Studios' animated follow-up. There are plenty of good reasons to avoid a showdown.

open.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 2d

That absolutely helped (as noted in a post I just dropped)

Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 2d

Quality aside, Michael Mann’s crime classic was only a (moderate) hit because it marked the first time that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro had co-starred together. Spending over/under $200 million on a decades-later follow-up sans those actors (even with DiCaprio) would be madness for a legacy studio.

Why Warner Bros. Was Right To Turn Down 'Heat 2'

Quality aside, Michael Mann’s crime classic was only a (modest) hit because it was the first time Al Pacino and Robert De Niro had co-starred together.

open.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 3d

I’m old enough to remember that the only reason most general audiences gave a damn about HEAT (to the extent they did, it was a solid grosser but not a blowout) was that it offered the first onscreen pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. *That’s* what made it special.

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 6d

Taylor Swift’s second theatrical, feature-length commercial boosted what otherwise would have been a staggeringly poor weekend, but all that glitters is not 'GoldenEye'.
(Weekend Box Office Analysis for 10-05-2025)

Box Office: 6 Hot Takes From A Modest Swift-ian $80 Million Weekend

Taylor Swift's second theatrical, feature-length commercial boosted what otherwise would have been a staggeringly poor weekend, but all that glitters is not 'GoldenEye'.

scottmendelson.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 6d

Will AI be used for personal IP-specific fanfiction and/or personalized pornography? Probably. But Hollywood can barely get audiences to watch original films & shows with actual known movie stars, let alone “fake” digital protagonists.

AI-Generated Actress Controversy Was A Triumph In Garnering Free Media Attention

The Tilly Norwood announcement was primarily about drumming up a clickbait controversy to boost the media profile of the startup company that created her.

open.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 7d

The must-read (under pain of torture) Friday box office punditry:
- Taylor Swift’s latest theatrical commercial will win the weekend with an over/under $35 million domestic debut.
- Dwayne Johnson’s underdog sports biopic gets KO-ed.
- Audiences mostly skip the return of Avatar 2.
- And More...!

Taylor Swift Rocks Box Office With $16 Million Friday But The Rock's Oscar Gambit Flops With $2 Million

Even by A24 standards, a likely $6.5 million weekend is pretty bad for Dwayne Johnson’s seemingly mainstream ‘The Smashing Machine’.

open.substack.com

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 7d

There is only one type of man who would be allowed to just run roughshod over everything unchecked in this way, where every dumbass thing that comes out of his mouth is explained away, called “genius” or just allowed. Mediocre white male privilege is NOT a myth. I don’t care who that truth offends.

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Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist @nameshiv.bsky.social · 7d

interesting how they pretend that "vehicular homicide" isnt a literal category that exists so the headline can make it sound like prosecutor overreach.

Elizabeth Spiers @espiers.bsky.social · 7d

This kind of misogyny and sense of entitlement starts early and the fact that no one involved did anything about the clear red flags is disturbing www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/n...

2 Teen Girls Died In a Hit-And-Run. Another Teen Faces Murder Charges.

www.nytimes.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 7d

The Tilly Norwood announcement was primarily about drumming up a clickbait controversy to boost the media profile of the startup company that created her.

AI-Generated Actress Controversy Was A Triumph In Garnering Free Media Attention

The Tilly Norwood announcement was primarily about drumming up a clickbait controversy to boost the media profile of the startup company that created her.

open.substack.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 8d

Is the third time the charm for TRON?
Is Colleen Hoover a franchise unto herself?
Will Taylor Swift and AVATAR THE WAY OF WATER help theatres make up for a missing MICHAEL?
Plus, seven other critical concerns for the tenth month of 2025.

Box Office: 11 Key Questions for October

Is the third time the charm for Tron'? Is Colleen Hoover a franchise unto herself? Will Taylor Swift and 'Avatar 2' help theatres make up for a missing 'Michael'? Plus, seven other critical ponderings...

open.substack.com

Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 8d

Eeek, sorry! Okay, I redid the joke with no direct link.

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 8d

I was *not* expecting Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl to end with a smash cut to a black screen with text imploring viewers to visit "therossifiles" for more information...

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 8d

I sincerely do not expect anyone actually to click on it, but noted and thanks.

Reposted by Scott Mendelson

Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 15d

The best format for viewing #OneBattleAfterAnother is the one that is most convenient and affordable for each theatrical moviegoer. It’s a terrific film, and it’ll look and sound great in any properly operated auditorium with a decent-sized screen and functioning speakers.

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ALT: a man wearing sunglasses and a beanie talking on a phone with the caption " you know i don t remember that part

media.tenor.com

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 10d

I'm not sure, and while I won’t entirely defend “the marketing,” I also know that it’s not like WB wanted to come out and say, “It’s a full-blown political action comedy that is absolutely about our current Trumpian hellscape.”

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Scott Mendelson @scottmendelson.bsky.social · 10d

The Age of Adaline (2015)

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