CinemaCon 2024 came and went this past week in Las Vegas. The annual show where exhibitors from around the globe come together to find out the latest about the theater industry. This includes exciting presentations from studios showcasing what films they will be releasing this year and beyond. For me, this was first year attending the convention with MUSE TV and had an amazing time learning more about an industry I love.
Now that a few days have gone by and have been able to digest all of the amazing presentations we saw from Lionsgate, Universal, Angel, Warner Bros., and Disney, I have put together a list of the top ten films showcased or just announced at CinemaCon that I am most excited about. Check out the countdown below!
10. The Killer’s Game (Lionsgate)
In the last few years we have grown to appreciate Dave Bautista more as an actor than former WWE superstar. Lionsgate’s “The Killer’s Game” looks to be a fun action film will continue that trend. Set to debut sometime this year, Bautista plays an assassin who has gotten a terminal diagnosis. But he decides to go out on his own terms by taking out a hit on himself. The problem is that after all that, he finds out it was a misdiagnosis and he is fine. Now some of the world’s best assassins are coming after him and there is no way to call off the hit.
Joining Bautista on “The Killer’s Game” is Sofia Boutella, Pom Klementieff, and Terry Crews to name a few.
9. Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros. Pictures)
One of the most anticipated moments of the week was the premiere of the trailer for “Joker: Folie à Deux”, the sequel to the critically and audience acclaimed “Joker” film starring Joaquin Phoenix. Now in a sequel, he is joined by Lady Gaga. Director Todd Phillips talked cleared up some rumors about it being a musical, and shared how early in the production of “Joker” did the conversations of a sequel began with Phoenix. After seeing the trailer, I curious to see the chemistry between Gaga and Phoenix as well as how both of their characters delusions will play out on screen.
8. Wolf Man (Universal Pictures)
I am a sucker for a classic monster movie unfortunately the last few have not been very good. That could all change soon with the new “Wolf Man” from Leigh Whannell. The horror film is currently in production, but we got a chance to see a bit of footage in which we saw an intimate setting for the film. The film will seemingly follow a family’s experience in dealing with the wolf man, and let me tell you, its not looking good for the dad, played by Christopher Abbott. It will be interesting to see if this film is going to expand beyond this home or if it will serve as the wolf man’s launching point.
7. Smile 2 (Paramount Pictures)
In 2022 “Smile” was a huge hit and served as evidence that films should have the chance to debut on the big screen before going on streaming. This film ended up making over $217 million at the box office! That’s revenue for the studio that streaming cannot compete with. With the success of “Smile” it was only a matter of time before a sequel.
During the Paramount Studios presentation at CinemaCon we had the opportunity to see the first footage from “Smile 2” that stars Naomi Scott as a popstar who is confronted by sinister smiles during different times at one of her shows. One shown in her dressing room, and another while meeting fans. The idea of all of this happening during a concert is fun (in a horror movie fan type of way). The film is scheduled to hit theaters on October 18, just in time for spooky season.
6. Mickey 17 (Warner Bros. Pictures)
We don’t see enough whacky sci-fi films these days. Especially none with a director like Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho and a lead like Robert Pattinson. Both were on hand at CinemaCon to talk about the film and after seeing some footage I am so excited to see what wild ride Joon-ho takes us on, with Pattinson playing an “expendable” character that can just be recreated time and time again. From what we saw it seems to have a comedic feel to it that should make it fun.
5. Ballerina (Lionsgate)
I am a big fan of Ana De Armas and the John Wick franchise, so its only natural that a film like “Ballerina” would be on my list of most anticipated. During the CinemaCon presentation we not only say Armas in the title role, but also saw her meeting with the famed John Wick. Lionsgate said that as the demand grew they decided to give the film more time to add more set pieces.
This film is set between the third and fourth “John Wick” films. With the four Wick films, the series, “The Continental”, and now “Ballerina”, this universe and franchise are looking pretty healthy. The film is said to be released sometime in 2025.
4. Deadpool and Wolverine (Marvel Studios/Disney)
I’ll be honest I was not a fan of “Deadpool 2”, to me it felt like it was repeated a lot of the tropes from the first film, which was very well done. Now fast forward to 2024, and we will me seeing the return of Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson under the Marvel Studios banner. While we had only seen a brief teaser trailer, there were still some worries about Deadpool under Disney. But during their CinemaCon presentation they put that worry to rest.
There were many presenters that were not afraid to drop “f-bombs” showcasing their commitment to this movie. Director Shawn Levy was there to introduce nine minutes of footage from the film and based on what we saw this film is in good hands. While Marvel Studios hasn’t necessarily had too many hits as of late, on thing we can all agree on is how much we loved Loki and the TVA. In this film, the TVA kidnaps Wade Wilson as they believe he is ready to fulfill his purpose.
Overall it looks like a good time at the theaters and that is that we really didn’t see many of the surprises and very little of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is set to be released in theaters on July 26th.
3. The Running Man (Paramount Pictures)
Full disclosure, “The Running Man” is one of my favorite 80s Arnold Schwarzenegger films. Now Edgar Wright will be directing a remake of the film with Michael Bacall writing the script. During the presentation, they also revealed that current superstar Glen Powell will be taking on the lead role.
I am curious to see how this one develops as it is said that this will be more faithful to the Stephen King novel that was written under the pen name, “Richard Bachman”, than the 1987 film. So will I like the changes?
2. Inside Out 2 (Disney/Pixar)
“Inside Out 2” pulls at my heart strings as I currently have a daughter that just turned 13 this year. I am witnessing how she is continuing to grow through exploring her emotions. Now we get to see that with a familiar character in Riley, who in the film has just hit puberty and her emotions are dealing with new arrivals.
Disney presented the first 30 minutes of the film. They were presented by Amy Poehler, the voice of Joy. By what we saw at CinemaCon it has just as much heart and fun as the first film.
1. Gladiator 2 (Paramount Pictures)
“Gladiator 2” was the highlight of the Paramount Pictures presentation. They used the franchise as a very cool introduction to their showcase that included Roman soldiers and a chariot. After 24 years we will see if filmmaker Ridley Scott has been able to make a worthy sequel to a favorite to many, “Gladiator”. We won’t have to wait too long to find out as the film debuts on November 22nd.
But in the meantime, at CinemaCon we got a chance to see thrilling footage with epic action that also included many teases to plot points and possible character motivations. Could “Gladiator 2” do for Paul Mescal’s career, what the first film did for Russell Crowe? Oh and Denzel Washington is in it as well. This may be the movie of the year!
Overall CinemaCon was a great time and a fantastic reminder that filmmakers, actors, and crews are always hard at work to try and bring you the next blockbuster. While they may be competitors, the combination of the studios are making sure that theaters stay busy. Until next year!
