LAS VEGAS – Oh, how much has changed for Warner Bros. in just 12 months. The last time studio co-chairs and CEOs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca stood before Cinema United, the trade organization of the world’s theater owners, they were in the hot seat after a few financial misses. What followed will go down in Hollywood history: seven straight openings over $40 million domestic, a $4 billion domestic gross by September, 16 Oscar nominations for Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” and a Best Picture win for Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” In a town where moviegoers and creatives clamor for original films, Abdy and De Luca made it their mission and knocked it out of the park. Will the good times continue?
While the duo was guiding WB to an incredible comeback, their boss, WBD CEO David Zaslov, and the company’s board found themselves in an earlier-than-expected bidding war to acquire the entire media empire. At first, it looked like Netflix would snag the Hollywood institution, but Paramount got dirty and found more cash, and the streamer walked away. Now, despite increasing political and industry opposition, Paramount-Skydance seems destined to take over the studio, promising a combined 30 releases a year between the two entities. Will Abdy and De Luca want to report to David Ellison? Will they have the same relative creative freedom they were surprisingly given under Zaslov? No one truly knows, but there wasn’t a hint of the merger or the company’s future until the end of the presentation when the duo invited production and marketing execs on stage for a round of applause. Was it to make sure those individuals got some well-deserved recognition for 2026? Or because Abdy and De Luca may not be able to thank them a year from now? Ponder.
Most of the evening’s two-hour presentation was hosted by Patton Oswalt, who thanked theater owners for inventing the theater seat cup holder and went off teleprompter at the most opportune times. Overall, the night was full of announcements, including the first short look at “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” And super quick updates on new productions such as the Margot Robbie-starring and produced “Ocean’s” prequel, James Gunn revealing “Man of Tomorrow” will begin shooting next week, Sam Raimi hyping “Evil Dead Wrath” for 2028, Baz Luhrmann’s Joan of Arc epic set for 2028, and Zach Cregger returning to the fold to direct “The Flood” and write the “Weapons” spin-off “Gladys,” both for 2028.
And there were previews. Some that were more anticipated than others, including Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Digger” starring Tom Cruise. The Oscar-winning director and honorary Oscar-winning actor and producer walked out to a standing ovation (to be fair, it was mostly for Cruise), the first seen at this CinemaCon, so far. Their pre-footage banter felt like a seemingly genuine love fest (the pair have wanted to work together for decades), but it was the footage that made people take notice.
“Digger” finds Cruise playing Digger Rockwell, a pompous, obnoxious, gross billionaire. Cruise has completely transformed himself for the role, wearing a body suit that gives him a fat stomach and facial makeup that might as well earn a Hair and Makeup Oscar nomination before the first trailer is publicly released. When an employee at an Arctic facility reaches out, he discovers that his plan to drill for natural gas has taken a dangerous turn. Soon, he’s in an emergency meeting with his “buddy,” the president (John Goodman giving Reagan meets Trump), and is told to fix the problem himself. How Digger can pull that off, or what impending catastrophe is imminent, is unclear, but the world is now on this self-centered oligarch’s shoulders. Along for the ride and spotlighted in the footage are Riz Ahmed as the President’s assistant, Jesse Plemons, and Sandra Huller, among others.
This is all great on paper, but Iñárritu is going for the jugular here. The production design is stylized with a hint of “Dr. Strangelove,” while the main characters are all giving living incarnations of “Spitting Image” characters. To suggest it’s the most visually inspired thing Iñárritu has tackled in years or perhaps ever will raise eyebrows, but this is a very, very big swing. The scenario is inherently political. The footage shown was comedic and full of surprises. And at the center of it is Cruise, who is more unrecognizable than he was as Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder.” Perhaps it won’t sustain in a full feature, but in this preview, Cruise was the most effortless we can ever remember him being on screen. The character is such an artifice that, in this current political environment, it somehow feels genuine.
The footage was so astounding, you wonder why this isn’t premiering at Cannes. It would kill in competition. Then again, Iñárritu has been more of a Venice fan over the past 15 years. Barring a surprise New York Film Festival exclusive world premiere, you can book it for the Lido. Oh, and if Cruise has any shot of winning a competitive Oscar, this may be it. Granted, it was just a preview. The end result may not coalesce, but believe the hype. This one will get people talking from the first trailer release alone.
Some other quick thoughts on the sneaks showcased during the presentation.
“Practical Magic 2”
The good news was that Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock were utterly charming on stage. Bullock even threw Kidman a “Why do we come here, Nicole?” Kidman, with a smile, retorts, “We come here for magic,” as the crowd erupts in applause. As for the teaser itself, there wasn’t much story. It was pretty much all nostalgic vibes. Will that be enough? Never bet against Bullock. She almost always breaks even.
“Mortal Kombat II”
The extended preview saw Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) figure out how to take on Baraka (CJ Bloomfeld), even though he’s an actor playing one of the greatest fighters in history, not actually a brawler himself. Looks like a nostalgia upgrade for the video game fans, but if you don’t know the franchise, you’ll be bored.
“Supergirl”
Might not stick the landing, but director Craig Gillespie and star Milly Alcock definitely have an original take on the character. Full extended scene breakdown.
“Clayface”
This was barely a real teaser trailer. Instead, it was a collection of images and quick shots from the movie. Based on what was presented, our hero, Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), is a beautiful actor who is scarred in an attack. He somehow revives his looks, but his body and skin have changed. The only “clayface” effect seen is on his face for a quick moment as he wipes his visage away to a blank slate. DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran described the film as a horror-thriller, but director James Watkins is sticking to James Gunn’s “bright” aesthetic from “Superman,” so it looked about as scary as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride.” This concept needs a bigger star to carry it, and Harries is not recognizable enough yet to pull something like this off. If there was any “miss” in WB’s slate presentation, it was this one.
“Evil Dead Burn”
Great to see Hunter Doohan in something this dark and twisted. The R-rated, perhaps even non-rated preview we saw was utterly terrifying. This writer will never see it in a theater. For a horror movie, that’s a genuine compliment.
“The Cat in the Hat”
The more footage screened, the more impressive the animation and aesthetic choices are. The story? Not so much.
“The End of Oak Street”
Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor are two parents trying to reassure their children after their neighborhood is transported to another time or dimension. But they don’t have much time. They have to secure their house and find some weapons before the dinosaurs try to eat them. All with some requisite Dutch angles from director David Robert Mitchell.
“The Great Beyond”
J.J. Abrams was on hand to introduce the first look at his first feature film since 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The preview begins with an H.G. Wells quote, “There is, though I do not know how there is or how it may be, another world out of sight and sound.” What that world is remains to be seen. There were shots of stars Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey, and Samuel L. Jackson in interesting wig or hair choices, but it was giving more vibes than any hint of narrative. Frankly, it did not leave a lasting impression. Uh oh.
“Dune Part Three”
“Avengers Doomsday” should move off this date as soon and quietly as possible. It looks incredible. Full first seven minutes breakdown.
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