Jonathan Sim
Warner Bros. arrived at CinemaCon with an ambitious, wide-ranging presentation that made its priorities clear from the outset: invest in bold original filmmaking while continuing to build out major franchise IP. Studio heads Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca emphasized a dual strategy of developing new stories that can evolve into long-term franchises, while also delivering established brands at the scale audiences expect.
Central to that vision is a new label, Warner Bros. Clockwork, which will focus on audacious, auteur-driven storytelling. The first project under that banner is Ti Amo! from Sean Baker, set for theatrical release next year, signaling a commitment to distinctive voices even within a studio system. Further details are here.
That balance between originality and spectacle defined the rest of the presentation. M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film Remain, developed alongside Nicholas Sparks, was teased as a ghost story that has gotten similar reactions to The Sixth Sense.
Meanwhile, Panic Carefully was introduced as a technologically ambitious project that will be the first IMAX digital release presented entirely in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio for its full runtime, with a premise so unsettling it’s meant to make viewers “want to go offline altogether.”
The studio also confirmed an Ocean’s 11 prequel set for 2027, with Margot Robbie appearing on screen to promote the film centered on Danny Ocean’s parents. Bradley Cooper will direct and co-star.
The slate leaned heavily into high-concept storytelling across genres. Margie Claus stars Melissa McCarthy in an animated holiday adventure where Santa has gone missing and it’s up to Margie to save Christmas. Bad Fairies is another animated film, this one starring Cynthia Erivo.
Man of Tomorrow will continue the Superman saga with a new villain and an unexpected alliance, with cameras set to roll next week. Shiver, starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Tim Miller, features Reeves’ character facing relentless shark attacks.
Horror fans were also treated to teases for Evil Dead Wrath, with Sam Raimi hinting at the unleashing of dark spirits. A brutal work-in-progress trailer featured graphic imagery, including a character stabbed through the face with a car headrest and a shot of fingers getting slammed into a car door, alongside the return of the Book of the Dead.
Franchise filmmaking remained a major pillar. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set for December 17, 2027, with the story teased as a tale “that must never be told.” A new Nancy Meyers film, starring Kieran Culkin, Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz, and Jude Law, is also slated for 2027, adding a romantic, character-driven counterpoint to the larger-scale projects.
One of the most talked-about moments came with Digger, a collaboration between Tom Cruise and Alejandro González Iñárritu, both of whom arrived at the show. Cruise described the project as the kind of film he’s been building toward for decades, while Iñárritu called it a “high-wire act.” The teaser revealed Cruise in a transformative role as Digger Rockwell, complete with gray, receding hair, heavy facial makeup, a Southern accent, and a loud demeanor. The film was shot on VistaVision, further underscoring its technical ambition.
Original storytelling continued with The End of Oak Street from David Robert Mitchell, starring Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway. A preview teased a mysterious premise involving shifting realities, punctuated by the eerie line, “I think our house is somewhere else now,” alongside dinosaurs. Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat 2 delivered crowd-pleasing action with Johnny Cage front and center in a fight sequence.
Warner Bros. Animation and family fare also made a strong showing. The Cat in the Hat brought playful energy to the stage, with Thing 1 and Thing 3 appearing and the audience receiving blue wigs, while a new trailer introduced two children moving into a home with a talking fish named Waffles.
DC Studios took a major spotlight with extended looks at its upcoming slate. Supergirl screened a lengthy clip featuring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El aboard a flying space bus, speaking an alien language to defend a young girl before battling space pirates using teleportation tech. The sequence showcased both humor and action, including Kara being blasted into space, recharging in the sun, and returning to defeat robotic enemies.
The film also teases her dynamic with Superman, whom she jokingly calls a “frickin nerd,” and her alliance with Lobo, played by Jason Momoa, who made a memorable entrance riding a motorcycle onto the stage. Director Craig Gillespie also hinted at an emotionally powerful scene delivered entirely in Kryptonian between Kara and her father. The film is set for release on June 26, 2026.
Other DC-related projects included Clayface, described as a character-driven horror thriller from James Watkins, as well as continued development on The Batman Part II. Outside of DC, Practical Magic 2 brought Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to the stage to introduce a teaser, signaling a return to the beloved supernatural world.
J. J. Abrams also unveiled The Great Beyond, a film designed to reconnect audiences with a sense of wonder, blending relatable human emotion with large-scale spectacle. The trailer teased a story that challenges perceptions of reality, with the tagline suggesting that the limits of the known world are far greater than imagined. This is his first directorial work since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and his first original film in 15 years.
The presentation closed on an epic note with Dune: Part Three. Denis Villeneuve, joined by Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa, described the evolution of the trilogy, with the first film being meditative, the second a war epic, and the third a more action-driven and emotional thriller. The first seven minutes were screened, featuring a large-scale ambush sequence as Stilgar leads troops on flying vessels before being attacked by a gunship, culminating in explosive action reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan. A key line from Duncan Idaho to Paul Atreides, “I think you’re way beyond redemption,” hinted at the darker emotional territory ahead.
More reveals included a new Game of Thrones movie called Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest. The new Conjuring film is titled The Conjuring: First Communion. We’re getting another Final Destination movie in 2028. Furthermore, filmmaker Zach Cregger is set to direct an original sci-fi thriller called The Flood, as well as write and produce a prequel to his film Weapons, centered on Aunt Gladys.
Across its presentation, Warner Bros. made it clear that its future lies in a combination of risk-taking original films, filmmaker-driven projects, and massive franchise storytelling, all aimed at creating theatrical experiences that resonate across generations while continuing to expand its already formidable cinematic slate.
Comments
Loading…