It’s been a rough couple of years for the world in general and in the last 24 months, the film industry, in particular, took a pretty massive hit. Things are starting to look up, however.
CinemaCon, a convention thrown for theatrical exhibitors from all over the world, was finally back in action after sitting 2020 out and scaling back considerably in 2021. The 2022 convention looked more like its usual self and honestly, it was a great sight to see; People smiling, people hugging, and people sharing in the communal experience that is watching a movie in a big dark room with a massive screen and spectacular sound.
Throughout this epic 4-day get-together, CinemaCon set out to showcase all the latest in movie theater hardware and snack bar goodness. What’s more, the studios and the National Association of Theater Owners were on hand to talk all about the current state of the industry. The general consensus is, that movies are back and that, as CEO John Fithian put it; “The simultaneous release is dead.” Translation; The days of a film streaming the same day it drops in theaters are over. Of course, whether or not smaller films will get as much play and attendance as big event films at your local multiplex, remains to be seen, but it’s still nice to see people going to movie theaters again.
And while there was plenty of chatter about the end of day-and-date releases, the extension of theatrical-to-home windows, and the almighty war between the theatrical experience and the home viewing experience, it was the studio presentations that had this particular moviegoer salivating. Not only were all the major studios (Sony Pictures, Neon, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Lionsgate) on hand to march out talent and deliver sizzle reels and movie screenings, but all of this cinematic goodness was presented with the most incredible (and impeccable) showmanship possible thanks to rock star Mitch Neuhauser and his incredible CinemaCon team.
What presentations came out on top? Here are a few studio highlights;
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Paramount decided to unload its big gun! Not content with simply showing off the prerequisite sizzle reels, this iconic studio decided to go the extra mile and give attendees a screening of “Top Gun: Maverick” in its entirety over a month ahead of its late May release date. We’re prohibited from sharing our full thoughts on the film until May 12th but I can tell you that this movie delivers in a big way! Better than the first! Before the screening, Tom Cruise delivered a pre-recorded message from atop an airborne biplane with director Christopher McQuarrie flying in a separate plane by his side! Epic! Cruise not only introduced the “Maverick” screening while thousands of feet in the air, but he also revealed that we’d be the first audience to get a look at the first high-octane trailer for “Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part One.” That would have been more than enough to satisfy attendees but Paramount didn’t stop there. Additionally, they gave us an advance peek at Damien Chazelle’s upcoming old-school Hollywood epic, “Babylon” and also revealed the subtitle of the next chapter in the “A Quiet Place” franchise, “Day One.” Suffice it to say, Paramount Pictures wasn’t messing around at CinemaCon this year! They delivered the goods!
WARNER BROTHERS
As expected, Warner Brothers put a major focus on their DC properties. While new footage from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” dazzled and tickled the funny bone and while new glimpses at the likes of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” and “Black Adam” (with star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the house commanding the crowd) were met with enthusiasm, it was a brand new look at “The Flash” that managed to trump my slight case of superhero fatigue. Despite Ezra Miller’s off-screen troubles, he looks terrific in DC’s big foray into multi-verse terrain. Of course, the highlight of this particular footage was our first look at a charismatic Michael Keaton back in the iconic Batman suit for the first time since the early 90s! “Let’s get nuts!” indeed! Elsewhere in the Warner Brothers presentation, a positively electric Baz Luhrmann was on hand to deliver brand-new footage from his upcoming film, “Elvis.” Even if the footage hadn’t been good, Luhrmann would have emerged as the strongest cinema spokesman of the week with his highly energetic, articulate, and passionate look into the craft of filmmaking. As it stands, though, the footage from “Elvis” was, in fact, spectacular! As an added bonus, “Elvis” star Austin Butler was on hand to share stories about the making of the film. WB also gave us our first look at Gary Dauberman’s new big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s beloved vampire novel, “Salem’s Lot,” and it looks outstanding, trading in cheap scares for a creepy tone. This movie wasn’t really on my radar but it is now!
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Universal Pictures opened its epic presentation up with an effective reel that served as a stunning look back at decades of cinematic greatness. Most of the major studios put together retrospective sizzle reels but Universal’s towered above them all. Further still, in terms of talent and footage, Universal spared absolutely no expense. Highlights included the first screened footage from “Halloween Ends” introduced by the original scream queen herself, the iconic Jamie Lee Curtis. Riding high on the success of the brilliant “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Curtis talked about her love of John Carpenter and Debra Hill and thanked them for giving her the role of a lifetime. As for the “Halloween Ends” footage…It was nostalgic and terrifying in equal measure. The footage included shots from Carpenter’s original “Halloween” but the centerpiece of this particular sizzle reel finds Laurie Strode taking on Michael Myers in the ultimate knife-wielding showdown. Great stuff! And the horror didn’t end there. Universal also shared a look at a new James Wan-produced sci-fi horror flick called “M3gan.” This story of a lifelike doll that goes on a murdering rampage looks like a creative fusion of “Child’s Play,” “A.I.,” and “Deadly Friend.” Universal Pictures would close out its presentation by bringing Bryce Dallas Howard and Jeff Goldblum to the stage. They were there, of course, to give us an exclusive look at the brand-new trailer for a little film called “Jurassic World: Dominion.” It didn’t disappoint! And neither did Goldblum. The eccentric actor engaged the crowd with his own unique brand of offbeat Goldblum charm.
BONUS PRESENTATION–
Neon emerged as the little indie that could at CinemaCon this year. Not only did they highlight the upcoming sci-fi horror film “Crimes of the Future” but they also brought along the film’s director, iconic body horror maestro, David Cronenberg… In the flesh! Cronenberg revealed this was his first time in Las Vegas and with a grin, the legendary Canadian native unleashed a little bit of disturbing “Crimes of the Future” footage upon the crowd. While it left some folks in attendance a little unsettled, I personally couldn’t be any more excited for this movie! Additionally, Neon had documentarian Brett Morgan on hand to share a handful of sequences from his David Bowie concert film, “Moonage Daydream.” Truly spectacular stuff. Neon may not be putting Superhero-sized dollars into their projects, but…They’re putting plenty of passion into them.
And with that, another CinemaCon is in the books! We adore this convention and we’re already feverishly making plans to attend next year.
