CinemaCon had been growing for a while, but once it was spoofed in The Studio, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Hollywood satire, it was clear the event had broken into the zeitgeist.
Originally designed to showcase new technologies and other developments in the movie world, the event has since embraced its name, giving off a similar fan buzz as Comic-Con. This year’s event, taking place this week at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, has arguably been the glitziest yet, attracting a wave of Hollywood stars and turning heads with its stacked list of highly anticipated trailers.
With just one more day to go, here are four standout moments from this year’s cinema carnival.
Stars galore
Stars are always expected at CinemaCon – after all, it’s about showcasing the biggest upcoming movies, which you can’t have without actors. But this year’s event has been particularly star-studded, with major names such as Zendaya, Jack Black, Timothée Chalamet, Tom Cruise, Milly Alcock and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spruiking their work.
In welcome news for Millennials, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock reunited on stage to present Practical Magic 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 cult classic (yes, that means exes Kidman and Cruise were both at CinemaCon at the same time). And in welcome news for literally everyone, Air Bud the dog made an appearance, assuring everyone that he did, in fact, do all of his own stunts in Air Bud Returns.
Some celebrities did more than just show up. Jason Momoa rode on-stage on a “spacehog” motorbike from the DC Universe to promote his role as interstellar bounty hunter Lobo in Supergirl. And some celebrities didn’t show up at all – technically. Spider-Man star Tom Holland appeared merely as a hologram to co-present Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Could hologram junkets become the new norm?
While this surge in star power is most likely attributable to the particularly stacked slate of upcoming movies this year, it could also point to A-listers’ growing desire to protect the theatrical experience. As streaming and AI-generated content proliferate (and threaten sections of the entertainment industry), the sanctity of the cinema experience is increasingly at risk. Physically showing up to promote a film, no matter how early, has arguably never been more important.
What merger? Warner Bros. is keeping busy
All eyes were on Warner Bros. heading into CinemaCon given its looming sale to Paramount, a deal many within the industry are eyeing with concern. What could the merger mean for the studio’s movie slate and the amount of time its movies are shown in cinemas? Well, according to its packed showcase, not a lot.
Warner Bros. plans to release 18 films in theatres in 2027. That’s up from just eight in 2025. And the studio promises a string of massively buzzy titles, including (but not limited to):
- Digger (starring Tom Cruise)
- DC’s Clayface
- Supergirl
- Dune: Part Three
- Evil Dead Burn
- Practical Magic 2
- Mortal Kombat II
Though somewhat lacking in original and non-franchise powerhouses like Sinners and Weapons, both of which wowed last year, it’s a promising line-up for future box office earnings. The studio also showcased films scheduled beyond 2026, including Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest, Zach Cregger’s The Flood, and The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, for which they announced the new cast (hello, Leo Woodall and Jamie Dornan).
However, as promising as this looks, president of Cinema United Michael O’Leary warned CinemaCon audiences about the consequences of “concentrating marketplace power in the hands of a smaller group of distributors”.
“Unfortunately, history shows us that consolidation results in fewer films being produced for movie theatres. We believe this transaction will be harmful to exhibition, consumers and the entire entertainment ecosystem,” he said.
Is that you, Val?
CinemaCon audiences got the first glimpse of an AI-generated Val Kilmer in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave.
The actor, who died last year after battling throat cancer, was too sick to shoot his role as Catholic priest Father Fintan in the historical drama, so the filmmakers, with the approval of Kilmer’s estate, resorted to generative AI to ensure he could still be in the film.
“Don’t fear the dead and don’t fear me,” Kilmer tells a child at one point in the trailer. It’s an uncannily realistic depiction of the legendary actor, both as a younger and older man, and a move that practically guarantees hype around the film, for better … or for worse.
Don’t sleep on the indies
There was certainly no shortage of major studio fodder at this year’s CinemaCon, including Universal’s The Odyssey, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day and Paramount’s Focker In-Law. However, independent titles managed to give the glitzy blockbusters a run for their money.
Neon hosted a solo showcase, presenting daring genre films such as Na Hong-jin’s Hope, I Love Boosters and the Australian horror Leviticus. The first-ever “Film Showcase” also allowed smaller studios like Angel Studios, Row K Entertainment and StudioCanal to present their slate. This suggests a desire within the industry to diversify what’s on offer, and to provide space for a broader variety of voices beyond blockbuster fare.
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Nell Geraets is a Culture reporter at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
