{"id":71574,"date":"2025-04-04T18:01:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T18:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2025\/04\/04\/cinemacon-2025-rating-the-studio-presentations\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T18:03:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T18:03:20","slug":"cinemacon-2025-rating-the-studio-presentations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2025\/04\/04\/cinemacon-2025-rating-the-studio-presentations\/","title":{"rendered":"CinemaCon 2025: Rating the Studio Presentations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There\u2019s no such factor as Netflix and Chill at CinemaCon. The 2025 version of the film trade\u2019s premiere commerce present and conference wrapped up on Thursday after per week the place the key film studios courted theatrical exhibitors with elaborate shows full of huge stars and big-screen films.<\/p>\n

The occasion was additionally full of huge guarantees, as one studio government after one other emphasised the significance of film theaters at the same time as social media and streaming are preserving audiences at residence. The size of the theatrical-to-streaming window was one of many huge discussions on the bottom, together with methods to make moviegoing extra reasonably priced and the transformation of film theaters into locations that provide greater than simply<\/em> films. Assume pickleball courts<\/a> and foyer bars. <\/p>\n

That stated, the flicks themselves are nonetheless the primary attraction at CinemaCon. Every of the seven main studio shows performed to packed homes of theater homeowners and cinema buffs wanting to catch sightings of Tom Cruise and Sydney Sweeney, and see trailers, posters, and pictures earlier than anybody else. <\/p>\n

Because this is the Summer of Superman<\/a>, ADWEEK graded every of the shows on a scale of 1-5 Superman symbols. How do you say \u201cextra popcorn\u201d in Kryptonian? <\/p>\n

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Sony Pictures<\/a><\/h4>\n

Sony used its stage time to shine a highlight on the administrators behind its upcoming films, from veterans like Darren Aronofsky and Sam Mendes to such rising favorites as Nia DaCosta and Zach Cregger. However a couple of film stars did present up each within the room and just about, together with Spider-Man: Model New Day\u2019s Tom Holland, Karate Child: Legends\u2019 Ralph Macchio, and the quartet of actors enjoying the Fab 4 in a four-part Beatles biopic. Bringing out the large names behind these IP-driven initiatives was clearly designed to reassure exhibitors about a number of the studio\u2019s larger inventive swings.<\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer:<\/strong> Darren Aronofsky\u2019s Caught Stealing has huge Boondock Saints power, and never simply due to the late \u201890s setting. Anchored by Austin Butler and boasting a giant solid of ace scene-stealers\u2014together with Liev Schreiber and Carol Kane\u2014the Brooklyn heist film possesses a jittery power and zippy humor that we haven\u2019t usually seen from the director behind intensely dramatic fare like Requiem for a Dream and The Whale.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Worst Trailer:<\/strong> Talking of the \u201890s, Sony\u2019s try to resurrect the I Know What You Did Final Summer season horror franchise feels trapped previously. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. contribute compulsory cameos, however neither appear all that thrilled to as soon as once more be stalked by a hook-handed Gorton\u2019s fisherman reject.<\/p>\n

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Most Buried Lede:<\/strong> We solely have two extra years to attend for the ultimate installment in Sony\u2019s animated Spider-Verse trilogy. Wait\u2026 two complete years??<\/p>\n

Total Score: <\/strong>\"\"
Whereas mild on (film) star energy, Sony\u2019s filmmaker-focused presentation previewed some promising breakout potentialities and forward-thinking risk-taking at a time when different studios are enjoying it protected. <\/p>\n

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Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio star in Karate Child: Legends <\/span>Courtesy Sony Footage Leisure<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lionsgate<\/h4>\n

Keanu Reeves didn\u2019t take the stage throughout Lionsgate\u2019s presentation, however his spirit\u2014and face\u2014loomed massive. The studio is placing all of its chips on the John Wick franchise, unveiling recent footage of the spin-off Ballerina, which options an prolonged look by Reeves\u2019 murderer alongside star Ana de Armas. Lionsgate additionally introduced a John Wick animated prequel, one other spin-off directed by and starring Donnie Yen, and the early improvement of John Wick 5. Reeves can also be among the many star-studded solid of Aziz Ansari\u2019s new comedy, Good Fortune.<\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer:<\/strong> The BookTok-to-screen pipeline isn\u2019t ending with It Ends With Us. The killer first trailer for The Housemaid suggests we\u2019ve bought a modern-day Hand That Rocks the Cradle hitting theaters for Christmas. And whereas Sydney Sweeney would be the star of the second, Amanda Seyfried\u2019s significantly unhinged efficiency will seemingly be the one audiences come away speaking about. <\/p>\n

Worst Trailer:<\/strong> John Carney\u2019s As soon as stays one of the pleasant fashionable film musicals due to its simplicity. Sadly, the plot of his newest providing, Energy Ballad\u2014starring Paul Rudd as a marriage singer and Nick Jonas because the boy band frontman who rips off one among his songs\u2014appears somewhat too busy for its personal good. <\/p>\n

Most Buried Lede:<\/strong> After hyping up its Michael Jackson biopic<\/a> ultimately yr\u2019s CinemaCon, Lionsgate declined to supply extra updates about the now-troubled project<\/a>. Seeing whether or not or not it sticks to its October launch date needs to be an actual thriller.<\/p>\n

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Total Score:<\/strong> \"\"
Even with out Reeves, Lionsgate placed on a extremely huge present, bringing out each Seyfried and Sweeney, saying the beginning of principal images on the following Starvation Video games film, and shutting the presentation out with Hurry Up Tomorrow star Jenna Ortega introducing an unique live performance headlined by her co-star, The Weeknd. All collectively now\u2014woah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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The solid and crew of Superman previewed the film at CinemaCon<\/span>Stewart Cook dinner\/Warner Bros. through Getty Photos<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Warner Bros.<\/a><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s the Summer season of Superman\u2026 so why did the Warner Bros. presentation really feel somewhat chilly? DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran launched the Man of Metal\u2019s newest incarnation however have been notably mild on plot specifics and pictures. Brad Pitt\u2019s racing drama F1 stepped in to fill that void by screening the primary 10 minutes of the film. Warner\u2019s additionally shared the respective slates for its style label, New Line Cinemas, and its revived animation studio, which is bringing IP like The Flintstones and the Cat within the Hat to the large display. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer: <\/strong>It wasn\u2019t a correct trailer, however New Line head Richard Brenner screened a complete sequence from Last Vacation spot: Bloodlines that had the enjoyable\u2014and the gore\u2014from the beforehand dormant horror franchise\u2019s early entries. Coloration us cautiously optimistic for this legacy sequel and the return of the early 2000s.<\/p>\n

Worst Trailer: <\/strong>Invoice Hader is clearly a a lot better selection for Dr. Seuss\u2019s hat-wearing feline than Mike Myers. However an early have a look at The Cat within the Hat animated characteristic appeared misplaced in Seuss-land with loads of frenetic motion rather than the great physician\u2019s mischievous humor. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most Buried Lede:<\/strong> The Looney Tunes have been referenced all through the Warner Bros. Animation portion of the presentation for example of the studio\u2019s storied cartoon legacy. However the studio heads studiously averted mentioning that Bugs Bunny and his friends have been exiled from Max<\/a>, whereas each Looney Tunes options\u2014The Day the Earth Blew Up and Coyote vs. Acme\u2014have been bought to Ketchup Leisure.<\/p>\n

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Total Score: <\/strong>\"\"
Since a lot of the WB\u2019s 2025 field workplace fortunes rests on the Man of Metal\u2019s shoulders, the footage-lite Superman portion of the presentation was a shock. However it was good to get longer appears to be like at F1 and One Battle After One other with Leonardo DiCaprio. <\/p>\n

Common Studios<\/h4>\n

Common introduced stars and<\/em> quantity to its presentation, together with a full orchestra that performed all the studio\u2019s hit film scores from Psycho and Again to the Future to Conclave and Depraved. Talking of that Broadway blockbuster, stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande took a well-deserved victory lap forward of teeing up the second installment, Depraved: For Good. The duo didn\u2019t sing, however they did interact in loads of banter\u2014in a wickedly humorous manner, natch.<\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer: <\/strong>Do you even have to ask? Depraved: For Good introduced the home down with its peek at what\u2019s in retailer for Glinda and Elphaba now {that a} sure little lady from Kansas has made her solution to Oz.<\/p>\n

Worst Trailer:<\/strong> Jason Blum dressed up as Freddy Fazbear to preview the sequel to 5 Nights at Freddy\u2019s, and the stunt was extra terrifying than something within the first teaser. One silver lining: the creepy animatronics get to depart the pizzeria this time.<\/p>\n

Most Buried Lede: <\/strong>It seems that Megan 2.0 goes to observe a villain-to-hero arc because the TikTok-friendly title character faces off a good worse killer doll named Amelia. At this fee, Megan will probably be cuddling puppies and kittens by the third installment\u2014cuddling them to loss of life<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Total Score:<\/strong> \"\"
Whereas using an orchestra was an incredible worth add, it did arrange expectations for a Glinda\/Elphaba duet that finally by no means materialized. Nonetheless, Common\u2019s presentation successfully made the case that it has the strongest, most numerous 2025 slate of any of the studios, particularly whenever you fold within the Blumhouse horror titles, the Illumination cartoons, and the Focus Options art-house fare.<\/p>\n

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The solid and filmmakers behind Amazon MGM\u2019s slate posed for a selfie after the presentation<\/span>Courtesy Amazon MGM\/X<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Amazon MGM<\/a><\/h4>\n

The most recent child on the block spent a lot of its time residing within the distant way forward for\u2026 2026. With solely two main theatrical releases due in multiplexes this yr, Amazon used a mixture of star energy and sizzle reels to arrange a theatrical slate of 14 titles that kicks off in January. Ryan Gosling and Ben Affleck livened up their compulsory appearances by making enjoyable of the scripted remarks scrolling by the teleprompter, whereas Chris Pratt channeled his previous job on Parks and Recreation with a sitcom-ready on-stage bit primarily based on his sci-fi thriller, Mercy. As a toe-dip within the CinemaCon waters, the streamer-turned-theatrical exhibitor largely stated and confirmed the precise issues. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer: <\/strong>Playwright Aleshea Harris has seemingly turned her acclaimed Off-Broadway play Is God Is right into a cult film within the making. Boasting an eclectic solid\u2014from Vivica A. Fox to Sterling Ok. Brown\u2014and dirty grindhouse visuals, the wild street journey image additionally heralds a brand new starting for the Orion Footage label as a division targeted on daring tales from numerous voices.<\/p>\n

Worst Trailer:<\/strong> Pratt gamely performed alongside together with his scripted on-stage stunt, however Mercy nonetheless appears to be like like a film that will have gone straight to video\u2014versus straight to streaming\u2014again within the Blockbuster days.<\/p>\n

Most Buried Lede:<\/strong> Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson are apparently co-starring in a film about\u2026 sheep detectives? Three Baggage Full: A Sheep Detective Film is an actual film that\u2019s actually coming to theaters subsequent March. Forgive us for assuming it was written and directed by Deadpool.<\/p>\n

Total Score: <\/strong>\"\"
A few of Amazon\u2019s preliminary theatrical choices appear somewhat creatively shaky (once more, sheep detectives<\/em>?), however each studio has to begin someplace. And the actual prize will probably be getting 007 again on the large display in two or three years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

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Colman Domingo, Josh Brolin, Edgar Wright, and Glen Powell previewed The Working Man at CinemaCon <\/span>Photograph by Greg Doherty\/Getty Photos for Paramount Footage<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Paramount<\/h4>\n

Paramount has a wealthy cinematic legacy, however lately it\u2019s been often called the studio that Tom Cruise re-built. So it solely is smart that its presentation concluded with a Cruise cameo, who walked\u2014not ran\u2014onstage to introduce the ultimate trailer for the eighth and (perhaps) ultimate Mission: Unimaginable film. However the studio can also be wanting past Cruise with a slate that takes benefit of its treasure trove of animated IP\u2014together with SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Final Airbender, and Paw Patrol\u2014in addition to a possible Oscar nominee within the Channing Tatum-led Roofman. <\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer:<\/strong> The Working Man was beforehand delivered to the display as an awesomely \u201980s Arnold Schwarzenegger automobile. For the brand new model, director Edgar Wright hews nearer to Stephen King\u2019s unique novel, set in a actuality television-ridden dystopia. However Wright\u2019s film can also be full of loads of his trademark visible humor and star Glen Powell is as fast with sarcastic wisecracks as he’s fast on his toes. <\/p>\n

Worst Trailer:<\/strong> Talking of animated IP, Paramount continues to be making Smurfs films although virtually nobody demanded it. The newest revival starring these tiny blue mushroom-dwellers options Rihanna because the voice Smurfette and a storyline that sends them into our world to rescue Papa Smurf. <\/p>\n

Most Buried Lede:<\/strong> Looming over the presentation was Paramount International\u2019s long-planned merger with Skydance Media later this yr, which might result in an government reshuffling. \u201cI\u2019m extremely happy with what we\u2019ve completed at Paramount amidst all of the noise occurring at our guardian firm,\u201d president and CEO Brian Roberts stated throughout the presentation earlier than dashing previous the topic. <\/p>\n

Total Score:<\/strong> \"\"
Cruise unsurprisingly is raring to ship Mission: Unimaginable out with a bang, and his tributes to M:I director Christopher McQuarrie and his late High Gun co-star Val Kilmer have been heartfelt additions to the presentation. However the glimpses of The Working Man, Roofman, and the newest SpongeBob SquarePants film have been equally heartening, indicating that Paramount nonetheless has loads of race left to run. <\/p>\n

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Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis supported Freakier Friday at CinemaCon<\/span>Photograph by Jesse Grant\/Getty Photos for Disney<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Disney<\/h4>\n

The Mouse Home got here to play because the closing CinemaCon attraction, rolling out footage and stars from the near-dozen films it plans to launch throughout the calendar yr. Disney Animation, Marvel Studios, twentieth Century Studios, Searchlight, and Disney Footage have been all represented by a number of titles, which ranged from Elio and Predator: Badlands to Avatar: Hearth and Ash and Jeremy Allen White\u2019s Bruce Springsteen biopic. <\/p>\n

Greatest Trailer:<\/strong> Don\u2019t snort, however Freakier Friday appears to be like like it’ll present a giant hit of early aughts nostalgia, with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis preserving their comedian chemistry intact 20 years later. Sending this one to theaters\u2014as a substitute of straight to Disney+ like Hocus Pocus 2\u2014seems to have been the precise name. <\/p>\n

Worst Trailer:<\/strong> The unique Tron stays one of the delightfully unusual films within the Disney canon. However the first footage of Tron: Ares means that the newest installment is sticking with the extra somber and self-serious tone that dragged down the latter-day sequel, Tron: Legacy.<\/p>\n

Most Buried Lede:<\/strong> The (superb) Avatar: Hearth and Ash footage signifies that James Cameron is as soon as once more using the excessive body fee filmmaking expertise that\u2019s confirmed so controversial in films like Ang Lee\u2019s Gemini Man and Peter Jackson\u2019s Hobbit trilogy. Don’t alter your IMAX display\u2014it\u2019s alleged to appear like that easy. <\/p>\n

Total Score: <\/strong>\"\"
One might accuse Disney of enjoying it protected by enjoying the hits, however most different studios would kill for hits like these. Permitting the viewers to take pictures and video of the celebrities onstage\u2014one thing that was forbidden within the different shows\u2014added to the sensation that everybody within the room was witnessing a cultural occasion and never only a commerce present session. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n