Sequels, Beatles and embattled studios: What we saw at CinemaCon 2025

LAS VEGAS — There’s a batch of uncertainty successful the movie business.

The theatrical container bureau is struggling to find its footing successful a satellite wherever movie-going habits and workplace strategies person changed since the pandemic. There is anxiousness astir studio enactment astatine Warner Bros., the Paramount Global and Skydance merger and a caller large shakeup for Amazon MGM Studios.

With each of that successful the air, Hollywood studios projected assurance successful their lineups for 2025 and beyond astatine the CinemaCon commercialized normal this week successful Las Vegas.

Speaking to theatre owners astatine the Caesars Palace Colosseum, workplace executives spoke of their committedness to theatrical releases, the powerfulness of the large surface and their content that the prime and diverseness of their movies would bring radical to theaters.

Each workplace brought retired A-list stars and directors to beryllium their point. Sony ushered retired the 4 actors who volition play the Beatles in a four-part movie series for 2028. Lionsgate brought The Weeknd for a show to beforehand his film, “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” Leonardo DiCaprio came connected signifier for Warner Bros. Walt Disney Co. passed retired 3D glasses for viewing the upcoming Pixar movie “Elio” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Universal had a unrecorded orchestra.

Sequels and reboots featured prominently, arsenic did enactment and fearfulness films. Producer Jason Blum walked retired connected signifier successful a carnivore costume to beforehand the sequel to “Five Nights astatine Freddy’s.”

On the commercialized amusement floor, each mode of vendors were selling the latest popcorn toppings, reclining theatre seats, carpet samples and a astute barroom that said it would determination the cleanable cocktail successful 4 seconds.

The halls adjacent the commercialized amusement looked similar an extended movie theatre lobby with each mode of illuminated posters and standees for upcoming films. It’s the lone spot wherever Stitch, Tom Cruise and Toothless the dragon each look disconnected successful a cardboard cutout standoff.

Here are immoderate highlights from the week.

Amazon MGM Studios bets connected theaters

In the company’s archetypal quality astatine CinemaCon, executives repeatedly reiterated Amazon MGM Studios’ pledge that theatrical organisation was a large portion of its concern plan.

The workplace volition merchandise 15 “big, bold, global” films annually successful theaters by 2027, Mike Hopkins, caput of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said Wednesday onstage. Already, helium said, 14 titles are lined up for 2026. The workplace is besides gathering retired an planetary organisation arm.

“We’re passionate astir the films we’re making, and we’re committed to this successful the agelong term,” Hopkins said.

Amazon MGM’s presumption started with a trailer for a 2026 movie adaptation of the Andy Weir sci-fi novel, “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling arsenic a subject teacher-turned-astronaut who befriends an alien to prevention Earth.

Other newcomers person arrived astatine CinemaCon with large promises and failed to deliver. STX Entertainment’s bet connected mid-budget films was well-received by theatre owners, but the company’s theatrical ambitions flamed out.

“For the past 2 years, I’ve been coming to CinemaCon, promising you that Amazon MGM is afloat committed to theatrical,” theatrical organisation caput Kevin Wilson said from the stage. “Some of you believed me, immoderate of you nodded, smiled and secretly texted each other, ‘We’ve heard this before.’ Our occupation contiguous is to person you the committedness is real.”

The workplace continued by bringing retired much stars, including Ben Affleck, Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri and Vivica A. Fox. Amazon MGM Studios ended the nighttime with an extended trailer for the Affleck-led “The Accountant 2.”

By the extremity of the presentation, each of the assembled actors and directors gathered connected signifier to instrumentality a photograph from a selfie instrumentality held by Fox.

Demand for a amended experience

Theaters often telephone connected studios to bash much to enactment cinemas. But immoderate workplace execs accidental theaters tin assistance themselves by improving the moviegoing experience.

After a high-octane instauration involving motorcycle tricks and wheelies crossed the auditorium, Paramount organisation enforcement Chris Aronson called connected exhibitors to elevate the in-theater acquisition for moviegoers.

He highlighted immoderate initiatives already successful question astatine immoderate theaters — constricted trailers, regular deals, extended matinee pricing and grassroots marketing. He noted the “discount Tuesday” promotion astatine galore theaters.

“Why not Discount Wednesdays? Unless, of course, you’re already astatine afloat capableness connected Wednesday, successful which case, don’t bash it,” helium said to knowing laughter.

Paramount co-Chief Executive Brian Robbins acknowledged the pending Paramount-Skydance merger during his on-stage remarks, saying helium was “incredibly proud” of what Paramount Pictures has accomplished “in the midst of each the sound astatine our genitor company.”

The presumption closed with an quality by Cruise, who asked the assemblage for a infinitesimal of soundlessness successful grant of his “Top Gun” co-star Val Kilmer, who died earlier this week.

“I can’t archer you however overmuch I admired his work, however overmuch I thought of him arsenic a quality being, and however grateful and honored I was erstwhile helium joined for ‘Top Gun’ and returned for ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’” Cruise said onstage. “Thank you Val. I privation you good connected your adjacent journey.”

He past unveiled a trailer for “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which earned large applause.

Angel Studios spreads its wings

“Sound of Freedom” distributor Angel Studios showed disconnected a divers lineup of films for 2025 and beyond aboriginal Wednesday morning.

The Provo, Utah-based firm, which describes itself arsenic a “values-based organisation company,” played a compilation of clips from its upcoming films that ended with the operation “let airy shine.” While the institution is known for faith-focused content, executives accidental its entreaty is broader.

“These stories are not conscionable for Middle America,” said main organisation serviceman Jared Geesey to a packed ballroom. “The request is global. Audiences everyplace are craving stories that grip the quality tone ... and animate america with real-life heroes.”

To that end, the distributor is releasing its archetypal animated movie this month, called “The King of Kings,” successful which writer Charles Dickens tells his lad the communicative of Jesus.

Angel Studios volition besides merchandise “The Last Rodeo,” astir a begetter who returns to the arena to wage for his son’s aesculapian treatment; “Sketch,” successful which a child’s drawings travel to life; and “Truth & Treason,” astir a antheral who fights the Nazis done the written word.

The distributor’s 2026 docket includes a movie astir young George Washington, an adaptation of the phantasy publication bid “Fablehaven” and a movie astir the relationship betwixt authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Angel Studios has an antithetic crowd-funding exemplary successful which its members — known arsenic the Angel Guild — indispensable o.k. each movie they release. Those members get movie tickets and different perks. Membership has accrued dramatically — climbing to much than 1 cardinal from 31,600 successful October 2023, the institution says. Angel Studios is successful the process of going nationalist done a blank-check acquisition company.

“When you, the world’s exhibitors, marque abstraction for these stories, audiences amusement up,” Brandon Purdie, enforcement vice president and caput of theatrical distribution, said onstage.

A plea for accumulation incentives

As much countries effort to lure movie accumulation overseas with accrued authorities incentives, Motion Picture Assn. Chief Executive Charles H. Rivkin called connected the U.S. to beryllium a “more competitory destination.”

Speaking to an assemblage Tuesday, Rivkin said the workplace commercialized group, on with its guild and national partners, would beryllium “pushing for greater enactment astatine the national level this year.”

“We volition support warring to widen taxation measures that promote investments by studios,” helium said during his speech. “We volition research caller policies designed with a singular extremity successful caput — to ramp up filmmaking and make jobs for our workforce.”

Rivkin besides noted the enactment that galore states person done to sweeten their idiosyncratic taxation incentives, and called retired the grounds 51 films that volition person an inducement from California’s movie and tv taxation program.

Would Washington, D.C., beryllium amenable to moving with Hollywood? President Trump is nary instrumentality of liberal-leaning Hollywood, but helium did denote a trio of actors — Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight and Mel Gibson — to enactment arsenic amusement manufacture ambassadors.

A telephone for a minimum theatrical window

Top movie theatre lobbyist Michael O’Leary called for Hollywood studios to hold backmost movies longer from location video and streaming, arguing that it would marque the movie concern much sustainable.

In a Tuesday proposal, O’Leary said determination should beryllium a minimum theatrical model of 45 days, referring to the magnitude of clip betwixt a movie’s theatrical merchandise and its availability for location viewing.

“A clear, accordant starting constituent is indispensable to affirm our corporate committedness to theatrical exclusivity and to supply wide expectations for movie fans,” O’Leary said. “There indispensable beryllium a baseline.”

Such a determination would beryllium a further reversal of pandemic-era policies that saw immoderate studios adopting dramatically shorter windows earlier sending films to streaming platforms. Before the pandemic, a emblematic theatrical model was 80 to 90 days.