Generally speaking, sequels and prequels were the bread and butter of Warner Bros.’ presentation at CinemaCon. Previously met with lukewarm applause due to the brand’s day-and-date theatrical release strategy with HBO Max (soon to be just Max), this event was a bit of a coming-out party for David Zaslav, CEO and President of the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery. He reminisced about how his father instilled in him a love of movies, declared this moment a dream come true, and reaffirmed the studio’s commitment to theatrical exhibition. WB has 16 films on the slate this year, with a goal to produce 20 in 2024. At CinemaCon, the focus was on 11 films, and I present them to you in their release date order.
The Flash – June 16th
DC Films Co-Chairperson and Co-CEO Peter Safran saved The Flash for last because CinemaCon attendees were going to be the first audience to see the full film later in the day. Director Andrés Muschietti took the stage to unveil a new trailer and bragged about working with Michael Keaton and recreating the Batcave. He also applauded Ezra Miller’s performances in the film.
Barbie – July 21st
Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros. Picture Group, welcomed stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and America Ferrera alongside writer/director Greta Gerwig to promote Barbie’s first big screen film (not counting her appearance in the Toy Story films). Greta explained that she got involved in the film because of Margot Robbie, who was developing the project, and that she started off as a co-writer, but after discovering how funny yet emotional the story was, she knew she had to direct. Technicolor musicals like The Wizard of Oz and disco music were part of the esthetic, and Margot shared that the set was routinely visited by people working on Fast X, which was one soundstage over from Barbie Land, in order to get an instant dopamine boost. America shared that she wasn’t a Barbie girl as a kid, but that she had her own opinions about Barbie like anybody in the world, which made jumping on board the film as a real-world character a no-brainer. And Ryan Gosling joked about finding his “Kennergy” and getting into character to bring Barbie’s one-dimensional character to life, laughing about wearing jackets without a shirt on. Attendees were treated to an expanded trailer, which showed more of the film’s plot that finds Barbie leaving Barbie Land to visit our world.
Meg 2: The Trench – August 4th
The trailer for Meg 2: The Trench made its debut at CinemaCon, finding star Jason Statham leading a team to a trench where the prehistoric mega sharks live.
Blue Beetle – August 18th
Director Angel Manuel Soto was joined by stars Xolo Maridueña and Bruna Marquezine to introduce Palmera City, this DC character’s own city like Gotham or Metropolis. Angel described Palmera City as El Paso meets Miami in the ‘80s, a melting pot of Latinx cultures. Xolo shared that something that sets his character of Jaime Reyes apart from your typical hero is that his family is by his side to support him, never having to keep his superhero identity a secret. CinemaCon attendees got to see an extended version of the theatrical trailer. A costume from the film was also on display at the convention.
The Nun 2 – September 8th
The ninth installment in The Conjuring franchise is a direct follow-up to 2018’s The Nun. After debuting a scene and extended trailer, the lights came on to reveal a host of cloaked sisters with blacked-out faces in the audience. They marched away as Taissa Farmiga and Storm Reid took the stage to talk about filming the new installment. A real abandoned church in France was used for the production, which Taissa Farmiga confessed was very creepy. Storm Reid isn’t a fan of horror films, but she watched The Nun before taking the role and was attracted to the character-driven nature of the story.
Dune: Part Two – November 3rd
Director Denis Villeneuve was joined by stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya to give an early look at Dune: Part Two. Denis described Part One as an “appetizer,” while Part Two is the “main course.” 40% of the first film were shot in IMAX format, whereas the entirety of the sequel was filmed for IMAX screens. This meant that the sets had to be even bigger. Timothée talked about the fun of playing Paul Atreides as a leader in this film, and Zendaya shared her excitement to no longer be a dream in Paul’s head as Chani. Warner Bros. showed a sequence in which Paul hooks and rides a sandworm.
Wonka – December 15th
Timothée Chalamet was doing double duty during the presentation, promoting the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factor prequel alongside co-star Calah Lane. Timothée discussed his version of Willy Wonka, a more optimistic character than he eventually becomes in the Gene Wilder classic. Calah plays Noodle, a girl who befriends Wonka and helps him achieve his chocolate innovation dreams. They also shared that one of the wildest moments on set was a scene in which they had to swim in actual liquid chocolate. A new trailer debuted, which showed the first footage of Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa.
Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom – December 20th
Director James Wan and star Jason Momoa sent a video message to CinemaCon alongside some footage from the Aquaman sequel. We learned that the plot will find Arther Curry forced to work alongside his brother King Orr (Patrick Wilson), with their arc described as a “bromance.” James Wan also touched on technological advancements that will make the sequel look even better (although the underwater hair still looked off to me in the footage shown).
The Color Purple – December 25th
David Zaslov kicked off the presentation by welcoming his good friend Oprah to the stage, with the executive having worked with the icon to launch the OWN network (part of Discovery). Producing this musical adaptation is a full-circle moment for Oprah, who was cast in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 classic, a role that catapulted her career into the stratosphere. Spielberg is on board as a producer as well, but directing duties are being handled by Blitz Bazawule, who directed Beyoncé’s Black Is King. The book-turned-film-turned-show-turned-film adds fantasy elements to what Blitz described as a “celebration of sisterhood.” After debuting a trailer, which included the film version of “Hell No,” members of the cast were welcomed to the stage: Taraji P. Henson (Shug Avery), Danielle Brooks (Sofia), Fantasia Barrino (Celie). Danielle and Fantasia both reprise their roles from the 2005 Broadway production, but Tiraji revealed that she was asked to audition for it and passed up due to the vocal demands of performing eight shows a week. However, taking the film role was a joy because she got to use the musical theater skills she honed at Howard University. Fantasia, in her feature film debut, shared that Celie was a role she was not interested in revisiting, as her own life off stage mirrored that of her character during her Broadway run, and she didn’t want to go back to that place. However, after much convincing and trust-building, she agreed to take the role and is glad she did. And for Danielle, who stars in her first studio film (i.e. not independent), this whole experience has been a dream come true. Oprah vowed to include the film on her year-end Favorite Things list and will use her platform to encourage families and community groups to see the film in theaters the way it was intended.
Stay tuned to LaughingPlace.com this week for more news out of CinemaCon.