CinemaCon, the annual gathering of the cinema industry in Las Vegas, has once again provided a glimpse into the future of blockbuster films. This year’s event showcased some of the most anticipated movies set to hit screens in the coming years, offering fans and cinema owners exclusive previews through footage and trailers.
The event featured appearances from A-list stars and directors, who shared insights into what audiences can expect from these highly anticipated films. From the Avengers to Ariana Grande and even an AI version of Val Kilmer, here are some of the main highlights from this year’s CinemaCon.
Doomsday is nigh
Disney unveiled the first proper trailer for the long-awaited next Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday, as the conference concluded on Thursday. The clip gave the first look at Robert Downey Jr., known for his role as Iron Man in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, as the new masked villain, Doctor Doom.
The latest film, set for release on 18 December, brings together a host of Marvel characters, both old and new. The trailer featured a fight between Gambit, played by Channing Tatum, and Shang-Chi, portrayed by Simu Liu, alongside Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor Xavier from the X-Men franchise. Stewart warned, “Something’s coming, something we may not be able to deter.”
Chris Evans made a return as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, appearing before Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, as the Norse god’s Mjolnir hammer flies into the former’s hands. On stage, Evans told the CinemaCon crowd, “I said I would only come back if there was a real reason. And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.”
Tom Cruise back in the Top Gun hot seat
Tom Cruise is returning for Top Gun 3, with Paramount confirming that the follow-up to 2022’s blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick is officially in development with a script well under way. Paramount’s Josh Greenstein revealed this during the convention.
The last film earned $1.5bn at the global box office, providing a much-needed boost for cinemas as audiences began to return after the pandemic. Cruise was also present at CinemaCon earlier in the week to preview a different film, Digger, where he plays a grey-haired oil baron who must clean up his environmental mess.
Ariana Grande meets the parents (and grandparents)
Fresh off her Oscar-nominated performance in Wicked, Ariana Grande is showcasing her comedy skills in Focker In-Law. The singer will star alongside Ben Stiller and Robert de Niro in the latest installment of the franchise that began with 2000’s Meet The Parents.
In this new take, Stiller’s character now faces a different challenge as Grande plays the love interest of his son. The first trailer for the film was released during CinemaCon and is available online.
Christopher Nolan unveils footage from The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan returns this year with his first film since 2023’s Oppenheimer, which won the Oscar for best picture. Adapted from Homer’s ancient Greek poem, The Odyssey will star Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Nolan presented a key section of the film featuring the Trojan Horse at CinemaCon.
That section hasn’t been posted online, but a trailer has already been released. “Why The Odyssey? It’s a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years,” Nolan said at the event. “It’s not a story, but the story. I wanted to grab the exciting opportunity of bringing it to a modern cinema audience.”
Chalamet and Zendaya return for ‘action-packed’ Dune: Part III
The stars of Dune, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa, were on hand to introduce a seven-minute opening scene from the third film in the epic franchise. Director Denis Villeneuve described Dune: Part III as more of a thriller than the first two instalments. “It’s more action-packed, faster-paced, and more emotional,” he said.
Variety’s reporter at the screening agreed, stating “things get violent, loud and deadly, fast.” A trailer was released last month, and the film will be released on 18 December—yes, the same day as Avengers: Doomsday, setting up a “Dunesday” heavyweight box office battle.
Val Kilmer resurrected by AI
Val Kilmer was cast in As Deep As The Grave before his death last year, but the film-makers have used AI to bring him back, with the blessing of his family. The results were revealed in the first trailer, showing him as a Catholic priest at various ages in the American West.
The digital clone ends by crouching down and somewhat spookily telling a child, “Don’t fear the dead, and don’t fear me.” While the detail and depiction are convincing, it has raised concerns among some in Hollywood about the potential for AI to replace actors on a wider scale.
James Bond will return ‘when the time is right’
Amazon MGM Studios’ head of film Courtenay Valenti gave fans an update on how preparations for the next era of James Bond are going. The answer is—slowly. “I know you’re all wondering when we’re going to announce who’s playing James Bond,” she said. “Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect.”
She continued, “It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. What I can tell you is this: When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team… you’re setting the stage for something that’s truly worthy of the Bond legacy. That film is coming, and when the time is right, we’ll have much more to share.”
Fourth Paddington film confirmed
The humble marmalade-loving bear is going from strength to strength. After three hit films and a West End musical that reigned at the Olivier Awards last weekend, a fourth big-screen outing was confirmed at CinemaCon. Details are still scarce, but Studiocanal chief executive Anna Marsh promised that “world-renowned comedy writers” are attached.
A reckoning comes in Sorkin’s Social Network sequel
Sixteen years after The Social Network, which depicted the birth of Facebook, a sequel will explore the 2021 Facebook leak by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the previous film, is in the director’s chair for The Social Reckoning, with an impressive cast including Mikey Madison, Wunmi Mosaku, and Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg.
“There isn’t a life that Facebook’s algorithm hasn’t touched, and that influence has shaped everything. So it’s time to say more,” Sorkin told the event. The trailer hasn’t been publicly released yet, but was played exclusively for an audience at CinemaCon. The film is scheduled for an October release—perfect timing to be in pole position for the next awards season.
Michael B Jordan remakes The Thomas Crown Affair
Pierce Brosnan starred in 1999 art house caper The Thomas Crown Affair, which itself was a remake of a 1968 film of the same title. Now, Michael B Jordan—fresh from winning best actor at the Oscars for Sinners—is starring in and directing an updated take on the film for a new generation.
A trailer gave CinemaCon audiences the first glimpse of Jordan in the film alongside co-stars Adria Arjona, Lily Gladstone, and Aubrey Plaza.
Rick Moranis out of retirement for Spaceballs sequel
Comedy legend Mel Brooks took the opportunity to unveil the title for the forthcoming sequel to 1987 Star Wars parody Spaceballs. Spaceballs: The New One will see the return of several original cast members, including Brooks, George Wyner, Daphne Zuniga, and Bill Pullman.
It will also see the comeback of Rick Moranis, who was one of the biggest box office stars of the 1980s and 90s but hasn’t appeared in a live-action film for three decades. The first trailer “spoofed everything from Star Wars to Avatar to Harry Potter,” according to Variety’s report from the screening.
Playing a young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky
CinemaCon also launched the first trailer for a film about the tumultuous making of 1976 boxing classic Rocky. Anthony Ippolito plays a young Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky, and was praised by audience members at the festival for capturing Stallone’s posture, mannerisms, and speech.
Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway’s Colleen Hoover adaptation
The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us was a box office hit in 2024, even if it’s now more remembered for the fall-out between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Another of Hoover’s novels, Verity, is now being adapted as a film starring Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, and Anne Hathaway.
The story follows a struggling writer who is hired to complete the remaining books by an author who suffered a mysterious accident, and whose secret unfinished manuscript could reveal crucial clues.
Jumanji stars remember Robin Williams
Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, and Jack Black have made a huge success of the Jumanji franchise over the past decade—and there’s another film on the way. The trio announced that the new film will be called Jumanji: Open World, with Hart saying they are “pumped about being back.”
Johnson revealed that the new film uses the same dice as the original 1995 film starring Robin Williams, commenting: “Robin, as we like to say, this one’s for you.”
Sequels, more sequels
Toy Story is onto its fifth instalment, and the conference also saw charming footage of Woody and Buzz Lightyear fighting over who can save the toys from digital extinction—in the form of a new threat, Lilypad.
Voice actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen took to the stage in Las Vegas and acknowledged how 30 years had gone by since the first film. “We looked at a video of us doing the first one—we look like our grandchildren,” Allen joked.
Elsewhere on Thursday, Johnson (again) and Queen Latifah showcased footage from their forthcoming Disney films, the live-action remake of Moana and Ice Age: Boiling Point respectively.
Disney also played clips from The Devil Wears Prada 2, with Meryl Streep reprising her role as ice-cold fashion editor Miranda Priestly.
And director Jon Favreau introduced the opening scene of his new movie, the latest Star Wars offering, The Mandalorian and Grogu.
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