LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� Warner Bros. put on a big show hyping their upcoming films for theater owners Tuesday in Las Vegas, with the help of stars like Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Timoth茅e Chalamet, Zendaya, Sandra Bullock and Jason Momoa.
The audience at CinemaCon got previews of J.J. Abrams’ original science fiction thriller 鈥淭he Great Beyond,鈥� with Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega, Cruise with a potbelly in 鈥淒igger,鈥� the Owens sisters in 鈥淧ractical Magic 2,鈥� Milly Alcock鈥檚 鈥淪upergirl鈥� in an intergalactic fight and the first seven minutes of Denis Villeneuve鈥檚 鈥淒une: Part Three.鈥�
Villeneuve said this third film is a 鈥渢hriller鈥� that is 鈥渕ore intense and definitely more emotional鈥� than the previous films, while Chalamet spoke about how his character has become his worst vision 17 years after 鈥淧art Two.鈥�
The studio saved 鈥淒une: Part Three鈥� for the epic finale, but there were highlights throughout the nearly two and a half hour showcase.
Bullock even got Kidman to say her iconic AMC Theaters line, 鈥渨e come to this place for magic,鈥� which she reluctantly did to much applause in the room of exhibitors.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think anyone would clap,鈥� Kidman said with a laugh.
The two reunite for the 鈥淧ractical Magic鈥� sequel, which opens in September.
Earlier in the presentation, Cruise also got a big reception from the audience in a rare standing ovation as a devoted and vocal advocate of the big screen experience. This time he doesn鈥檛 have a 鈥淭op Gun鈥� or a 鈥淢ission: Impossible,鈥� but a boisterous satire in Alejandro G. I帽谩rritu鈥檚 鈥淒igger,鈥� opening in October.
鈥淭he movie is wild. It鈥檚 funny,鈥� said Cruise.
I帽谩rritu called Cruise鈥檚 performance 鈥渁 high-wire act.鈥�
鈥淲e know that he鈥檚 fearless 鈥� the stunts, the planes, the jumps 鈥� but I have to say embodying this character, this is another kind of fearless,鈥� I帽谩rritu said. 鈥淭his role could possibly be the most challenging.鈥�
鈥極riginality is not risky鈥�
Pam Abdy and Mike DeLuca, the co-chairs and CEOs of the studio鈥檚 motion picture group, kicked off the presentation reflecting on their successes since coming into the job in 2022 and their vision for the future with a mix of franchises and original films.
The studio is coming off a banner year, with over $4.4 billion in global box office with hits like 鈥淪inners,鈥� 鈥淎 Minecraft Movie鈥� and 鈥淲eapons,鈥� and multiple Oscar wins, including best picture and best director for 鈥淥ne Battle After Another鈥� as well as best actor for Michael B. Jordan.
鈥淥riginality is not risky,鈥� DeLuca said. 鈥淒erivative sameness is.鈥�
Abdy noted that not everything is going to work, either, but that just comes with taking big swings. One thing they鈥檙e especially optimistic about is Generation Alpha鈥檚 enthusiasm for the movie theater experience.
鈥淲e are at a crucial, critical moment in time with this audience,鈥� Abdy said. 鈥淭he Letterboxd generation is only growing.鈥�
They announced that Warner Bros. will be releasing Sean Baker鈥檚 follow-up to 鈥淎nora,鈥� 鈥淭I AMO!鈥� under their new label Clockwork next year.
There was also a breakneck video rundown of their 2027 releases, with stars and filmmakers getting about 30 seconds each, often from set, to tease their films: Margot Robbie on her 鈥淥cean鈥檚鈥� prequel set in 1962; Keanu Reeves, floating in the water in the Dominican Republic, on getting eaten by sharks in 鈥淪hiver鈥�; Gollum being, well, Gollum; and Nancy Meyers on the set of her romantic comedy that she called 鈥渁 bit of a love letter to the world of making movies.鈥�
The Paramount question
This year is not just business as usual, with its pending acquisition by another legacy studio, Paramount, looming.
Both Villeneuve and Abrams were among the over 1,000 signers of an open letter published Monday to a website called BlocktheMerger.com. Some attendees at the convention have also been wearing #blockthemerger pins as well.
Nothing was discussed from the stage Tuesday. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav did not make an appearance during the program either. But it’s something that’s on the minds of many at the convention.
Greg Marcus, whose company’s Marcus Theaters is the fourth largest theater circuit in the United States with 78 locations in 17 states told The Associated Press on Monday that he was concerned as well for what it means for moviegoers and the price of tickets.
鈥淭he concentration of power at the studio level has allowed them to raise the cost of going to the movies to the consumer quite significantly,鈥� Marcus said. 鈥淥ur margins are no better. We鈥檙e not making more money. And yet the cost to the consumer has far outpaced inflation.鈥�
Michael O鈥橪eary, the president and CEO of the movie theater trade organization, reiterated his group鈥檚 opposition to the merger Tuesday morning.
鈥淐onsolidation results in fewer films being produced for movie theaters,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e believe this transaction will be harmful to exhibition, consumers and the entire industry.鈥�
O’Leary told reporters that the decision is in the hands of regulators now.
Not everyone in the business of making and releasing movies is opposed to a Paramount-owned Warner Bros. is, in fact, a supporter. He also publicly opposed the idea of a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. because of the possible implications for theaters. But he doesn’t have the same fears with Paramount.
Speaking to the AP last week on behalf of the upcoming big screen concert film 鈥淏illie Eilish 鈥� Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),鈥� which is being released by Paramount, Cameron said 鈥淚鈥檓 a supporter of it. I know it鈥檚 controversial.鈥�
Cameron worked with Paramount Skydance chair and CEO closely on 鈥淭erminator: Dark Fate.鈥� Ellison has promised to grow the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. slates to some 30 theatrical releases a year.
鈥淚 know David quite well. And I know that he really cares about movies. And he鈥檚 a natural born storyteller and thinks like almost an old school entrepreneurial producer that was a storyteller that loves storytelling and loved putting on spectacular shows,鈥� Cameron said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the right man for the job to run a major studio, and now it looks like he鈥檚 going to have two of them, you know, swept under his leadership, which doesn鈥檛 bother me at all.鈥�
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