Warner Brothers shares early looks at “Furiosa,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Horizon,” “Joker,” and more with CinemaCon attendees!
CINEMACON–
Presented by NATO (The National Association of Theater Owners), CinemaCon is an annual convention held for movie theater exhibitors from around the world. This convention takes place at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV and it prides itself on spectacular studio presentations (showcased in the best possible way.) Additionally, CinemaCon is a launching pad for the latest and greatest in theater tech and concession items.
WARNER BROTHERS PRESENTS “THE BIG PICTURE”–
Warner Brothers marched out the stars and dazzled theater exhibitors with trailers and sizzle reels galore during their Big Picture presentation. What titles did the legendary WB showcase? That’s a great question…And here’s your answer!
FURIOSA
At nearly 80 years old, George Miller is still kicking ass and taking names. The legendary Aussie filmmaker’s FURY ROAD is one of the most beloved action films in decades and now, Miller is back with the long-awaited prequel, FURIOSA. Miller–who just a day earlier accepted a CinemaCon International Filmmaker Award–was on hand alongside FURIOSA stars, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth. He gushed about his stars’ talent and smarts, before treating CinemaCon attendees to an extended trailer, and in short, the footage ripped!! If anything, it’s clear that even in his golden years, Miller has more energy than most storytellers half his age. There’s been some talk that FURIOSA might suffer from CG overload but personally, I think this movie is in good hands!! Translation; In George Miller I trust! I don’t know that there’s a film I’m more excited to see this summer! Joy looks to perfectly capture the badassery of Charlize Theron in FURY ROAD while Hemsworth looks to be charismatic, funny, and menacing in equal measure. When asked about the genesis of FURIOSA, Miller (who, as it turns out, was studying to become a doctor before he turned to filmmaking as a career back in the 70s) discussed the fact that all of the title character’s backstory was already in place before FURY ROAD was even shot all to give Tom Hardy, Theron, and crew what they needed to bring that extraordinary action extravaganza to life. In FURIOSA, you will see that backstory come to vivid life in a sprawling action epic that’s said to span 15 years. The only negative thing I can say about the FURIOSA footage is that we didn’t get more of it! We were hopeful that perhaps WB would just give us an early screening of the entire film, alas, Miller literally just locked the movie a few days before this presentation. The world premiere is set for the Cannes Film Festival in May. The rest of the world we’ll get to experience Miller’s latest post-apocalyptic auctioneer shortly thereafter. Can’t…WAIT!
THE WATCHERS
From director Ishana Shyamalan (daughter of M. Night) comes a horror/fantasy/thriller starring Dakota Fanning. Based on the book of the same name (written by A.M. Shine), THE WATCHERS uses an Irish folktale as its backdrop. This was Shyamalan’s first trip to CinemaCon and she was visibly excited. She treated attendees to a brand new trailer and with this film’s fusion of various genres, it’s safe to say that the apple certainly hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
SUPERMAN
James Gunn is currently knee deep in production on a brand new cinematic take on SUPERMAN so he was unable to attend CinemaCon but he did have some nice words to say to theater exhibitors (via a recorded message) and he promised that his take on the man of steel will fill theaters in a big way when it opens in 2025. He also introduced his partner at DC FIlms, Peter Safran, to the stage. Unfortunately, it was far too early for a peek at what Gunn is up to with his take on the beloved source material but…Safran did share the trailer for SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY with attendees and having seen this film earlier this year at Sundance (it was my favorite movie at the fest), I can tell you with absolute certainty that this documentary is the real deal. An emotional and undeniably inspirational look at real life super man. A fantastic trailer for a fantastic movie.
HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA PART 1 AND PART 2
Here’s one I was extra excited about. Not just because I’m a big fan of Kevin Costner and not just because I’m a big fan of Westerns but also because the majority of the film was shot in the state of Utah. More specifically, a great deal of the film was shot in Southern Utah which is where I currently reside. So yes, you could say I have a bit of a sentimental attachment to this particular movie. I didn’t work on the film but I know plenty of folks who did but that’s neither here nor there because even if I didn’t have that sentimental attachment, I’d still be dying to see this film. Particularly after seeing an extended trailer at CinemaCon. Costner was on hand to introduce the footage and he spoke at length about his love of film and how this was a movie that he absolutely had to make. In fact, not only did he feel compelled to make a movie… He felt compelled to make 4 of them! And that’s exactly what he’s going to do. As of now, Costner was at CinemaCon to promote the first chapter (which hits theaters in June) and the second chapter (which hits theaters in August.) After dazzling attendees with footage from this sweeping historical epic, Costner was called back on stage where he was presented with an icon award. The man behind DANCES WITH WOLVES was visibly touched by the honor and he was equally moved by the standing ovation he received upon receiving the honor. Much-deserved!
MICKEY 17
Director Bong Joon-ho (SNOWPIERCER, PARASITE) was on hand to talk about his new film MICKEY 17 and he was an absolute riot! High energy, affable, and very funny. He had a translator with him but he handled a good 50% of the questions fielded to him on his own. The funniest moment of his appearance came after he was asked why he changed the name of the movie (which is based on a book) from MICKEY 7 to MICKEY 17 to which he cheerfully replied by saying that he wanted to kill the main character an additional 10 times. This fittingly eccentric sci-fi comedy finds lead Robert Pattinson teaming with a cloned version of himself in a movie that recalls the likes of MOON, MULTIPLICITY, and EDGE OF TOMORROW, but make not mistakes…MICKEY 17 exists in a world all its own. We were treated to a very effective trailer. The clip definitely leaned into the quirky sense of humor at the heart of the story and the movie looks to be all the stronger for it. Following the trailer, attendees were treated to a bonus surprise in the form of a live Robert Pattinson appearance. It’s clear that Bong Joon-ho and Pattinson are kindred spirits. I can’t wait to see this one! I’m bummed that it doesn’t open until January but I have a feeling it’s going to be worth the wait.
TRAP
Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan was in attendance! Not only is he producing his daughter’s new film, THE WATCHERS, but he’s also got a new movie of his own coming out in August. Before unveiling our first look at the film, Shyamalan introduced another one of his daughters, Saleka, to attendees. In addition to acting, Saleka is also a singer and this factors into TRAP heavily as in the film, she plays a popstar named Lady Raven. Saleka, as Lady Raven, sang a tune from the film to CinemaCon attendees and then, it was on to the footage. In TRAP, Josh Hartnett plays a loving father who accompanies his young daughter to her favorite musician’s concert but while on hand for the big show, authorities seal off all entrances and exits at the venue. After doing a little digging, Hartnett comes to the realization that authorities have ascended on the venue because they’re on the hunt for a murderer who is loose somewhere on the grounds. Of course, this is a Shyamalan movie so there’s a little twist. And that twist is pretty much at the forefront of the footage THE SIXTH SENSE director shared with the CinemaCon crowd. What is that twist? I won’t reveal it here only to say, it could make for an interesting hook in the movie. It should also be noted that again, this is a Shyamalan movie so no doubt, there’s probably another twist to go along with the aforementioned twist. We’ll find out when the film comes out in August.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Team BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE was on hand to treat CinemaCon attendees to a look at a highly anticipated sequel that’s over three decades in the making. TIm Burton, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe were all on hand. Burton and his energized cast members commented on the desire to shoot this long-awaited sequel in the same fashion that the original was shot. This is to say that there are lots of practical effects shots, as the new footage we were treated to clearly indicated. Keaton looks like a bundle of comic energy in this movie and as expected, the production design looks off the charts awesome! To top it all off, we got to hear Keaton proudly proclaim that BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE is “fucking great!,” and he did it in character! That was certainly a 2024 CinemaCon highlight.
THE JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX
Warner Brothers’s Big Picture presentation closed out with a visit from Todd Phillips. Phillips was on hand to give us our first look at the JOKER sequel and right from the outset, he addressed speculation regarding whether or not this followup would be a musical. He didn’t come right out and say that it would be but he did suggest that music is a key component in the same way music was an important aspect of the first film. The trailer is effective and it’s clear that they’re kicking the visual pallet up a notch. Joaquin Phoenix is back and as committed as ever. By his side; Popstar Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. Together, they look to be a match made in hell. I’m even getting slight whiffs of NATURAL BORN KILLERS here. Clearly, Phillips is looking to do something completely different with this sequel. And you don’t have to take my word for it. You can see for yourself because the trailer dropped online shortly after the presentation.
COMING IN 2025
Following THE JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX trailer, Warner Brothers did have a final surprise; A reel comprised of little mini-announcements made by storytellers from various sets of current Warner Brothers films currently in production. Included; Jack Black from the set of MINECRAFT, Maggie Gyllenhaal from the set of THE BRIDE, Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan from the set of an untitled supernatural thriller, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan from the set of James Gunn’s SUPERMAN, and more.
All in all, a fantastic presentation from Warner Brothers!
