‘Moana’ remake bombs, Oreo celebrates summer, Reese’s Pieces innovates, and Chloe Fineman is out at ‘SNL’

Hello! Welcome to the July 18, 2026, edition of the Saturday Wrap. Here’s everything you might of missed from The Omnicosm.

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The live-action Moana remake implodes, sinks, explodes again, sinks even deeper

The live-action Moana remake was always a bad idea. And now the film, loaded down with a reported $250 million budget, has hit a box office reef and sunk with a dismal $43 million opening weekend.

To put in context how dreadful the live-action Moana remake’s debut is, it barely squeaked by Snow White’s $42.2 million opening weekend. And that could still change when actual numbers come in on Monday. It’s worse than the $46 million that Tim Burton’s Dumbo remake grossed its first weekend.

The live-action Moana remake is in a league of its own when it comes to how a remake of a modern Disney film — anything from the first Disney Renaissance that started in the late 1980s to today — performed against its predecessor. This is the first time a remake of one of the modern animated films had an opening weekend that was less than the opening weekend of the original film. (Read more)

Disney makes a bet that you’ll buy Avengers: Doomsday tickets before it releases a trailer

The promotion of Avengers: Doomsday has been bizarre. A series of teasers were doled out in front of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Then directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo claimed that those teasers weren’t actually teasers. Disney refused to budge from the Dec. 18 release date also claimed by Dune: Part Three, going as far as creating its own fake premium theater brand to combat the third Dune film having IMAX exclusivity during that release window.

And now tickets for Doomsday are reportedly going on sale next week. Before an official trailer has even been released.

Why can’t Disney just be normal about this movie? (Read more)

The Oreo Summer Carnival Cookie Tin is not here to ruin your summer

Did you think that the Firecracker Pop flavor was the only treat that Oreo had in store for us this summer? Oh, well, wait until you pop open the Oreo Summer Carnival Cookie Tin.

“Embrace that summertime nostalgia with all the classic carnival flavors,” Oreo writes of this limited-edition collection of fudge-covered cookies.

Bill ... are you sure you want to do this again? You remember what happened with the Oreo Thanksgiving Dinner Cookie Tin, right? you’re very likely asking me as you read this edition of Snackology.

Yes, I absolutely remember that nightmare. Once you eat an Oreo that’s flavored like turkey and stuffing, you never forget that experience. But while the Thanksgiving Dinner Cookie Tin promises mostly pain, the Summer Carnival Cookie Tin appears to be making a good-faith effort to deliver a good time. (Read more)

Chocolate Cookie? The first Reese’s Pieces innovation in 10 years was worth the wait.

Today is a historic moment in candy history. For the first time in a decade, the world has been gifted the first new innovation in Reese’s Pieces ... um ... technology? 

Look, it’s a big day since Reese’s Pieces with Chocolate Cookie are now available. (Read more)

Can you handle the 🔥 of Trolli Spicy Crawlers?

Snackology is no stranger to a spicy gummy. Skittles Gummies Fuego brought the heat last summer, delivering a version of the classic gummies coated in a “tangy chili layer.” I even picked up a bag of Snak Club Mike’s Hot Honey Gummy Bears while driving up to Rochester earlier this year. 

And now those maniacs over at Trolli have joined the fuego fun with Trolli Spicy Crawlers. (Read more)

Ghirardelli Premium Milk Chocolate Bars are the perfect little treat

The world is a stressful place. That’s why Snackology is a big proponent of Little Treat Culture. If you’re not in on Little Treat Culture, let me explain how it works. You run an errand? You get a little treat. You go to the store? You get a little treat. You have to stop at the gas station? You get a little treat. 

That little treat can be just about anything. Maybe it’s a soda from the coolers by the registers. Maybe it’s a bag of chips. Maybe it’s a chocolate bar.

A chocolate bar is an excellent reward when it comes to Little Treat Culture. You can eat the entire thing yourself. Chocolate bars likely have some kind of sectioning, making it easy to break a piece off and share it with your significant other or kids. 

Ghirardelli Premium Milk Chocolate Bars are going to be a huge development for Little Treat Culture. While I’ll never turn down a classic American Hershey’s bar, sometimes you want something a bit fancier. (Read more)

McDonald’s knows that Caesar Sauce and chicken belong together

Ever since the return of Big Mac Sauce as a dipping option for McNuggets and McCrispy Strips, I’ve been exclusively going with that limited-edition option whenever I’ve visited McDonald’s. But now the chain is rolling out a new contender: Caesar Sauce.

Like with many of the restaurant’s limited-edition sauces — Hot Honey, Buffalo Ranch, Special Edition Gold — McDonald’s is offering versions of two of its chicken-based menu items crafted around the new condiment. For this release, the Bacon Caesar McCrispy Sandwich and Caesar Snack Wrap are the two highlights. (Read more)

Feed your micro cravings with Archer’s newest Mini Sticks

I hope Snackology readers fully realize how excited I am as the so-called Meatology section of the newsletter expands. Just a few months ago, I was joking with a colleague about getting some bacon to review, and now here I am reviewing a second wave of meat sticks.

Archer announced a massive expansion last month, adding new flavors, new sizes and a new shelf presence at Target. Part of the expansion included the Sweet BBQ Beef Mini Sticks. (Read more)

First ever limited-edition Mug Root Beer offers a nostalgic twist

It’s not easy being a root beer fan who also sticks to zero sugar sodas. The increased distribution of Barq’s Zero Sugar Root Beer over the past year has been a huge development, and I was excited to see that Mug Root Beer Floats Vanilla Howler was also available in Zero Sugar. (Read more)

A prebiotic soda that’s also a dirty soda? Or a dirty soda that’s also a prebiotic soda?

Two major soda trends collide with Slice Dirty Soda. I’ve gotten fully into prebiotic sodas the past few months, stocking our fridge with Poppi, Olipop and even Pepsi Prebiotic Soda. And I’ve had my fair share of dirty sodas from Taco Bell. (Read more)

Food Finds: Meat snacks at Target, Poppi Lemonade and a giant bag of rectangular marshmallows

Not only did my daughter and I buy this giant bag Jet-Puffed S’more Vanilla Marshmallows, she asked that I open it up in the car so she could have a snack on the extremely long drive between Target and the Barnes & Noble a few spots down the plaza. (Read more)

Chloe Fineman leaves SNL

We have our first SNL departure of the offseason. Chloe Fineman announced today that, after seven seasons on the show, she’s stepping away.

“It’s cliche to say this but working at SNL has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Fineman posted on Instagram. “I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked through the door. [Lorne Michaels] (if you’re reading this on your burner account) I want you to know that I am forever in your debt.” (Read more)

The Omnicosm is written and produced by Bill Kuchman.
Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.

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