CinemaCon Excites with Wicked Slates

For those not familiar with CinemaCon – it’s basically Comic Con for theater distributors, owners and vendors. Taking over Caesar’s Palace every Spring in Las Vegas, days are jam packed with panels, studio and award presentations, receptions and galas for those who have had a significant impact on the theatrical box office.

Opening Day – International folks get some love with panels on “Cinemas as a Cutting Edge Technology” to “Changing Tastes and Changing Landscapes.” George Miller (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) was awarded the International Career Achievement in Filmmaking  Award, Universal Pictures International was given the Comscore International Boxoffice Achievement Award, as well as Rebecca Kearey – CinemaCon Passpartpout Award and CJ CGV awarded for Global Achievement  in Exhibition. Later that evening participants were treated to an early screening of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s latest David Leitch directed action-adventure comedy for Universal – The Fall Guy (which is set for a May 3rd releases).

Hollywood kicked it into full gear as Crunchyroll, in it first ever presentation announced the acquisitIon and slate for three new films – HAIKYU! The Dumpser Battle, BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE – EPISODE NAGI and OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom, as well as, an exclusive sneak peek of the first ten mintues of the upcoming Crunchyroll film SPY x FAMILY CODE: White hitting theaters on April 19th in the U.S.

Warner Brother followed up making a huge splash with its “The Big Picture” presentation announcing George Miller’s Furiosa.  Taking the stage were Miller and stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, who were interviewed by Warner Bros co-bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy.

Robert Pattinson joined the Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho to show off the darkly comedic sci-fi film Mickey 17.  It’s based on the novel ‘Mickey 7,’ but the number is based on the number of times he dies. I killed him ten more times,” Bong said.

Michael Keaton made a  surprise appearance enthusiastically calling “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” – “…really f*cking good!..and that there is no sequel without Catherine (O’Hara).  Keaton was joined onstage with co-star’s Monica Belluci, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux and original castmember O’Hara.

The studio also revealed a trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the 2019 smash that returns Joaquin Phoenix to his Oscar-winning role alongside Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The film hits theaters on October 4.

Faith based Angel Studios’ set ‘Bonhoeffer’, ‘Homestead’ and ‘David’ theatrical release dates and while Amazon MGM Studios didn’t take the stage at CinemaCon, they did meet with exhibitors and key press  showing off ten minutes of the Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ movie Red One.

Lionsgate announced Margot Robbie is set to produce ‘Monopoly’ Movie through LuckyChap on the board game adaptation.

Henry Cavill showed up with promises about the new Highlander movie ith Lionsgate and John Wick director Chad Stahelski.  But wait…there’s more – Cavill also has a new movie due in 2025 with Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza González, directed by Guy Ritchie called “In the Grey.”

Exhibitors got to see the first trailer drop for John Wick spinoff  “Ballerina,” while the studio closed its session with an emotional first trailer for Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic that hits theaters on April 18, 2025. Currently in production, Director Antoine Fuqua assembled a first-look clip.

After lunch, was the upcoming slate from Universal/Focus Features.  First up –  an extended clip from Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 followed by an extended sneak peak of Glen Powell chasing storms in “Twisters.”

Horror made its presence more than known announcing Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ is official via Universal/Blumhouse. The first film, released in 2023, made almost $300 million worldwide.  Speak No Evil’ trailer showcased a creepy James McAvoy freaking Out houseguests and Nosferatu first footage trailer shows Bill Skarsgard as the iconic vampire. The Robert Eggers-directed remake also stars Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.  I don’t even have to tell you that I watched this one mostly through my splayed fingers in front of my face.

In one of the most impressive (and my personal favorite) presentation Wicked turned Casear’s Palace into colorful spectacle. Every attendee  was given a faux tulip that lit up in an array of colors (especially pink and greeting) bringing the excitement to a fevered pitch before Jeff Goldblum aka the Wizard took the stage to introduce director Jon M.Chu and producer Marc Platt.

Chu choked up sharing: “I was a Silicon Valley kid, and as a matter of luck, I was there when Wicked was workshopped in San Francisco. I’ll never forget it; it imprinted on me permanently.” Also announce d that Petere Dinklage will appear as Dr. Dillamond, Wicked is set to release domestically on November 27th this year, with Wicked Part Two scheduled on November 26, 2025.  Wednesday evening was capped off with a exclusive screening by NEON of the film “Babes,” introduce by Pamela Adlon and Ilana Glazer.

Last, but certainly not least were the final presentations from Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios. Live-Action ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin’ adaptation is in the works at Paramount, as well as,  ‘Scary Movie.’

Oscar winner Damien Chazelle will be directing an untitled film based on an original script he wrote for Paramount Pictures since signing an overall deal with the studio.   John Krasinski’s Sunday Night Label announced it has extended its deal With Paramount with  “If” out in theaters on May 17.

Glen Powell set to star in Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ Re-imagining and Kendrick Lamar is teaming with ‘South Park’ Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone for a new movie musical for July 4, 2025

Be on the lookout for a new Transformers/G.I. Joe’ Crossover, while the Smurfs’ animated cast was unveiled including Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, Daniel Levy, Billie Lourde and Rihanna (who was announced as Smurfette in 2024) among others.  Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ is getting a 10th anniversary re-release and ‘Transformers One’ hit us with a 3D Trailer featuring footage with stars Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry.

Disney brought up with rear starting out with 75 minutes of trailers and extended footage including 13 minutes from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes releasing on May 10. Pixar brought all the joy to CinemaCon with a 35 minute extended look of ‘Inside Out 2.’  Marvel Studios announced Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America with a first look of he and the legendary Harrison Ford in Captain America:  Brave New World.

20th Century Studios gave us a “fecking terrifying”  look at Ridley Scott’s “Alien Romulus while Shawn Levy had us hollering with a 9 minute trailer from Deadpool/Wolverine.

Searchlight Pictures is celebrating its 30 anniversary and Oscar winner Barry Jenkins hit us up with a look into Mufasa: The Lion King. Jenkins shared a heartfelt thank you to distributors and theaters owners.  He recalled being an ushers at at AMC in Florida allowing him to buy his first car and paving the way for him to apply to film school.  Not to be outdone, Dwayne Johnson appeared onstage amid drums and dancers with a resounding ALOHA! sharig that Moana 2 is coming and that his character Maui was inspired by his Grandfather  – Hawaiian High Chief Peter Maivia.  As only Johnson could do, he brought the presentation to a close by accepting the CinemaCon NATO Spirit of the Industry Award, “…Star Wars made me dream…one thing that will always remain is the theater experience.”