Fest Track On Sirk TV Print Coverage: CINEMACON 2024 [Caesars Palace - Las Vegas, Nevada] - Part III

The aspect of proliferation of content depends on what angles one looks at and the brevity and examples of it that form. CinemaCon has been very specific and diverse in many ways but sometimes the broadness of the approach has an effect all its own.

Paramount Presentation Paramount came in big by having the head of distribution coming in on a chariot with Roman soliders in tow heralding that they indeed had "Gladiator II". CEO Brian Robbins had some fun trying to play off the fact that the studio might be for sale (with a tongue-in-cheek meme on-screen) before launching into the fact that they have secured multiple deals that are in place including those with John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds among others. Robbinsalso looked at the path ahead talking about the fact that a new Spongebob Squarepants movie is on the horizon. He also teased a Star Trek: Origins story which might be at odds with what has been rumored in the media. One that got an exceptionally interesting reaction from the crowd was a crossover film between GI Joe and Transformers. Of course, the next Mission Impossible was also named but nary a peep from either Tom Cruise or Chris McQuarrie to the exhibitors. "The Last Ronin" was announced as a new live action anime adaptation which got cheers from the crowd. "The Naked Gun", starring Liam Neeson, was also announced but previously known. Damian Chazelle's next film will also be at Paramount where he has an overall deal. Trey Stone and Matt Stone are also making something new for the big screen but it is not clear what style it will be in (as a title was not announced).

John Krasinki came on via video from London (likely there with Emily Blunt) to introduce a new trailer for "IF" despite none of the voice cast or Ryan Reynolds appearing on stage to promote. The next piece with "Transformers One" brought out Chris Hemsworth (already in town for "Furiosa") to set up the new trailer and footage for the film which is helmed by the director of "Toy Story 4". Bryan Tyree Henry, who was just in "Godzilla X Kong" made an appearance after Hemsworth who himself introduced by Scarlett Johannson via video phone since she is New York directing her first feature. Beyond the trailer, they also showed an extended scene in 3D to give a sense of how that structure works with that style of animation. "Sonic The Hedgehog 3" made an appearance with some footage and a confirmation that Jim Carrey is returning (though he wasn't there to talk about it person) as Robotnik.

"A Quiet Place: Day One" was introduced by Lupita Nyong'o but also Joseph Quinn from "Strangers Things" which was lesser known as being in the film. An extended trailer was shown but again just giving wisps away. Some footage for "Smile 2" was teased but not talked about as it does have a different flavor from the first film but a new approach. The final bit of the presentation was a look at "Gladiator II" tipped up by the actors and Ridley Scott via video. The amount of footage was around 5-6 minutes with a great amount of work done. Denzel Washington even said he perceived this as a big film which is interesting considering some of the films he has worked on.

Filmmaker Luncheon with Jon M. Chu Filmmaker Jon M. Chu with the first public appearance of him and his cast all together at Universal's previous night event was eager to talk as he was introduced by Ariana Greenblatt (also in Vegas for Lionsgate's "Borderlands") who worked with him when she was a little bit younger when she was his "In The Heights". Chu did not want to give too much away about the progression of "Wicked" though he did say that the break point in the two films have them function as two separate thoughts in a way. He spoke of an element of change which is the key to both lead characters. When the strike happened, he says the film was about 10 days away from being completed. It wasn't clear if this was completion of filming of both films though. He says that he saved the big singing sequences with Cynthia in the sky for the very end and that she was building herself up to it. Then the strike shut everything down and the actors had to leave. He said he kept talking to Cynthia daily during the strike to keep her spirits up. With Ariana Grande, he makes the point that her character's voice is a very different pitch from her actual voice (and likely her singing voice). He said though that she dipped right back into it when they came back after the strike.

Chu also alluded to the fact of the hundreds of lit tulips in the Coliseum the night before and that seeing that with the cresendo of the voice in the trailer really gave him a unique feeling which likely caused him to become emotional in a way. He spoke back to seeing the ship in "E.T." lift off in the theater and holding the John Williams score when it could have cut away. Chu grew up right near San Francisco and that was alot of his memories. His mother used to load him and his 4 siblings up to go to the theater. She also had season tickets to local theater and ballet. The reason he got engaged into liking and seeing "Wicked" was that his mom invited him back to San Fran to see a workshop production of what would become "Wicked".His mom was going through chemotherapy at the time he explains and he made the trip back to also see her. He said he could see the aspects of "Wicked" cinematically even back then. He was still in film school at the time but never occured to him that he would eventually make the adaptation.

The one thing he says was key was the fact that they could realize some elements full sized and practical. The train for the Emerald City is fully real and working. There were a million tulips planted for a sequence (he says that they planted them before the studio had a chance to say no). He also talks about how the aspect of the theater owners and workers relates to him as he worked in his dad's Chinese restaurant growing up. His dad, in his 80s, still runs and works at the restaurant until this day. Chu also addressed the impact that "Crazy Rich Asians" had. He initially dd not want to make something that would reflect back on his heritage since he didn't want to be known as "That Chinese Director" even though he was born and raised in America. His mom, sister, cousins and others though told him to read the book and the way he connected to it was that he also had been an Asian American who took his first trip to Asia. He jokes (or maybe not) that when he arrived he was called a "white devil". And yet when he goes to Hawaii he is fully embraced even though he is not Hawaiian. He says the business has a long way to go with equality and diversity but that the conversations being had now are so much different than the ones he had in 2007. That is a good thing but there still is a long way to go.

Walt Disney Studios Presentation The one thing that Disney brings to CinemaCon is extended looks so one really gets a sense of their films. THere might not be a plethora of talent there to talk about it but they really gives a sense of what the feeling will be like in theaters. Disney began with showing close to 15 minutes with two distinct scenes from "Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes" which really establishes the propellant of the story in many ways. Pretty soon after Amy Poehler (who is also receiving a CinemaCon Award) came out to talk about returning to "Inside Out 2" after which Disney showed the first 35 minutes of the film which displays their confidence in what it will be able to do. "The Kinds Of Kindness" which was announced soon after Emma Stone won her Oscar was completely shot it seems before they were done with Awards Season. In between these extended looks, Disney also did announce "The Young Woman & The Sea" produced by Jerry Briuckheimer (who sent a video introduction saying that this film tested better than many of most successful films). Daisey Ridley plays the lead as a girl who attempted to swin across the English Channel. They showed the full trailer and talked about it going into limited release in a few months. However, even though the logo was on screen no mention of any new Star Wars films were made (Ridley has spoken about being attached to a new one) and Ridley hereself was not present.

The progression then moved to Marvel Studios with Marvel head Kevin Feige coming out and speaking to the exhibitors off prompter. While he didn't want anything to show for Thunderbolts, Florence Pugh made an off-the-cuff video of her eating spiced mac and cheese which likely was a partial inside joke. Feige then moved to "Captain America: Brave New World" making reference to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" when speaking about the new film. He seemed to shift and say many people remembered that one because it wasn't aliens trying to destroy the earth. Instead, it was more a grounded political saga. He made reference to this before bringing out Anthony Mackie and showing an extended 5-6 minute sequence which also featured Harrison Ford. The main event though that many people wanted to see was what was in store for "Deadpool & Wolverine". The presentation kicked off with a specially made piece directed at CinemaCon (it seems) with both lead actors in character (it really set the tone for the whole presentation). Feige also dropped multiple F bombs which seemed to be a continuing motif which is an interesting relaxation for the Mouse House. But again this will be their first R rated Marvel movie. "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy cameout made the reference that Deadpool has rubbed off on Feige. Levy then explained that he and Reynolds wanted to bring something toshow but nothing with any spoilers. He says they laughed at all the rumors that came out (which is not saying that some of them are not true). They then showed a 9 minute sequence (which is towards the beginning of the movie) which showed the elements that Deadpool is known for without giving too much away.

20th Century Studios then quipped a little bit of their other new releases including original stories and content mentioning "Nightbitch" with Amy Adams continuing with the R rated motif. After this, then director Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott via taped video introduced two scenes bridged together for "Alien: Romulus" though they did not give away any context to where they are in the film, though they happen in two similar but different environments. Director Barry Jenkins then came out then to discuss "Mufasa: The Lion king" for Disney Studios. It is a prequel made in the same style as Jon Favreau's "Lion King". Jenkins himself says he was suprised when he was approached: the guy from "Moonlight" making this type of film. Before he discussed his approach, he did speak about his connection to the exhibition industry. Before he went to film school, he worked at the AMC Aventura in Miami over a summer/winter in 1999 seeing a bunch of films (he called out "The Matrix", "Eyes Wide Shut" and two Julia Robert movies) that he was able to see. He would sit down in the theater and covered his uniform with a sweater so he could watch. He was saving up for a car to get him to Talahassee (likely for film school) but it broke down halfway there. He said that that job was a key part of his path to becoming a filmmaker. He says that there might be a person working now at a theater who in 2035 might be the next big thing.

Jenkins also talked about when he used to babysit for his single sister who had two kids. The only thing that kept the kids under control was the original OG animated "Lion King". He said that always stuck with him and something that came back to him making this movie. He relates that "Moonlight" was a small movie with a big heart but that "Mufasa" is a big movie with a big heart. The footage shown was brief but did give a concept to what he was indicating.

Lastly, dancers emerged with drums to herald "Moana 2" with Dwayne Johnson appearing on stage, even doing a small amount of dance moves himself. He spoke about his support for the theatrical business and was then given "The Spirit Of The Industry"award by a NATO rep which Johnson referenced. He knew Emma Thomas and Chris Nolan won the previous year. He made reference to "Openneheimer" realizing how that endorsed the theatrical experience. He also said that "Moana" is so important to him because it is direct connection to his culture. He also talks about his relatives (it sounded like his father) who was one of the High Chiefs on Maui so it is very important to connect those sits. To close out the presentation, Disney showed a full music sequence which both paid reverence to the previous movie but also the progression for the new story.

Big Screen Achievement Awards It is always interesting to see some filmmakers reminisce on what brought them into the theater and how that memory reflects now that they are more successful and have made their path. The first honoree: Ariana Greenblatt received the Rising Star Award and even at 16, has the presence of someone much more experienced. Beyond her roles in last year's "Barbie" and "Ahsoka", she was also the lead with Adam Driver in "65" and played the young Gamora in "Infinity War". Her new role in "Borderlands" looks like a career changer with only more things coming. She was very poised on stage but also looked over to her parents who were filming her in the audience. She also paid tribute to her brother who seemed to be with her all along the way. She did say this attention is something new for her but she is try to handle it with grace and awe. The Breakthrough Star award next was given to Jospeh Quinn who attained metoric status when he picked up the guitar and became iconic in last season's "Stranger Things". After that, he now has three insanely high profile films coming up first in this summer's "A Quiet Place: Day One", then as a possible emperor in "Gladiator II" and then his just announced role as "Johnny Storm" aka The Human Torch in the new "Fantastic Four" film at Disney. He himself on stage says that making movies is insane and was almost at a loss for words. In many ways, he seems like he is still processing what is happening but is doing it with a sense of style that might catapult him even higher.

Geena Davis was given the Viola Davis Trailblazer Award. Even though she doesn't act as a much, she is very active behind the scenes, especially with her Bentonville Film Festival duties (some of her compatriots were sitting next to me in the Colosseum). She joked that hopefully the award was not just for people called Davis. She also remarked that "Thelma & Louise" was a turning point in her life because it showed the power of women and she has been making that a focal point in her recent work. Dan Stevens, who recently starred in "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" with Rebecca Hall, is in the upcoming horror films "Abigail" and "Cuckoo" but playing very different characters. His career has been eclectic but he says that he is just happy to be able to do. His honor was as the Male Star Of The Year. On the other side Lupita Nyong'o won for Female Star Of The Year for her upcoming role in "A Quiet Place: Day One" but also has "The Wild Robot" coming out from Dreamworks Animation. One also has to remember her game changing performance in "Us" and her Oscar win for "12 Years A Slave". She is undeniably well spoken and knows the importance of the theater experience.

Nyong'o recounted a date that she went to with a boy in Nairobi, Kenya which is where she grew up. She had Leonardo DiCaprio posters all over and went to see "Titanic". By the time it was over she was bawling her eyes out but it took her through so many emotions. She says that is what she loves and what needs to be maintained in the theatrical experience. Shawn Levy, director of the upcoming "Deadpool and Wolverine" but also directed "Free Guy" and the "Night At The Museum"films" won Director Of The Year and says this kind of award is so important despite Ryan Reynolds joking with Hugh Jackman (in a video introduction) that maybe it wasn't even a real award. Levy says he just loves movies and made fun that he was going off the teleprompter. He then talked about playing hooky sometimes when editing his films to go to an 11am or 1pm matinee (because he says it is a good deal and he can get his coke and popcorn). He said that he was able to see "Logan" and "Deadpool" that way. And when he saw "Deadpool", it is before he ever met Reynolds. He had worked with Hugh Jackman making "Real Steel" years before but to be able to do that always gave him a sense of disappearing into a world.

Amy Poehler received the Vanguard Award for her work on the new "Inside Out 2". She says the role of Joy has been a higlight of her career because the character means so much to so many people. She continued the joke about the teleprompter operator as well (just a running joke for the talent to break up the night). The final award of the night was for Dennis Quaid as the Icon Award. He will next be seen in the biopic "Reagan". He talked about coming into the business. Initially he was going to be a vetenerian but he says he is glad he sticked with this line of work. He says he and his brother (Randy) would always go to the movies. He said it is about keeping these theaters around. He said he met a theater owner backstage whose family has been around the business for 115 years. Quaid asked if that was back to the time of the nickelodeons to which the man said yes. Quaid said the first time he went to the movies was the Paramount in Austin to see "Love Me Tender" which likely was the late 50s or early 60s. He says that theater is still around (this reporter saw the premiere of "Roadhouse" during SXSW there recently) and is a testament to the moviegoing expeirence. Quaid says he appreciates acting now maybe in way he didn't when he was younger since he was so hungry in how he appproached acting. Now he says he can enjoy it alot more.

By Tim Wassberg