Deadpool & Wolverine, Nosferatu, Vice Versa 2: recap of the crazy announcements from CinemaCon 2024
This year again, CinemaCon had some nice surprises in store, also with the first images of Gladiator 2, Ballerina and Wicked.
The meeting of film industry professionals ended on April 11 after three intense days during which the largest American studios (Paramount, The Walt Disney, Universal, Lionsgate…) have exclusively revealed the first images and trailers of their upcoming releases. Big announcements for films awaited by the public or surprising revelations, we take stock of the information to remember from the CinemaCon from Las Vegas.
A first for Ariana Grande
The American singer with more than 90 million monthly listeners on Spotify took her first steps at Caesars Palace to present Wicked – the film adaptation of the musical of the same name. On stage with his playing partner Cynthia Erivo – Tony Award winner – as well as Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Jonathan Bailey (The Bridgerton Chronicles) And Jeff Goldblum (The Fly, Jurrasic Park), Ariana Grande presented the new images of this highly anticipated film for musical comedy fans.
As the viewer learns more about the past of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch played by Cynthia, they discover how she and Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande) met while roommates in college. Cynthia attracts the attention of Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and then she meets the magician (Jeff Goldblum).
In addition to these official images, Universal took the opportunity to announce a new name in the casting: Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones).
Ballerina or rather John Wick the Return
While the latest installment of the franchise John Wick was released last year, there is no question for Lionsgate of putting aside their goose that lays the golden eggs. That is why Keanu Reeves made a notable appearance in the first images of the spin-off Ballerina Or Ana de Armas (No Time to Die (Blonde, Ghosted) plays the main role. They meet again almost ten years after the release of Knock Knock where they shared the bill.
Under thunderous applause, the prima ballerina asked the murderer Reeves “How do I manage to do what you do?”to which he replied: “Looks like you’re doing really well already.”
The story takes place in Russia and is located between the third and fourth installments of the John Wick saga. Ana de Armas is a “ballerina assassin” who hunts down those who killed her family. According to the media present on site, the trailer shows a brutal, muscular Ana de Armas who is pumped up to beat the men who are in her way. After a relentless melee in a burning building, we see the main character cruelly deal with his opponent and set fire to a truck with a flamethrower. Violence… John Wick style!
Keanu Reeves is not the only familiar face in the trailer (we don't know more at the moment). The film is directed by Len Wiseman – at the helm of the vampire franchise Underworld.
From the arena to the stage for Ridley Scott
Ironically, it was at Caesars Palace that the destiny of Rome was decided. The world had its eyes glued to the slightest information regarding the next film of Ridley Scott : Gladiator II. And we can say that he managed to get noticed.
A group of gladiators with spears pointing skyward and golden shields in hand took the stage to introduce the very first images of the sequel to the five Oscar-winning film released at the turn of the century.
In this trailer, a young noble (Paul Mescal) having renounced his privileges becomes a gladiator (what a funny idea to want to throw himself into the pit of lions to sharks?) and fights his opponent (Pedro Pascal) in an arena filled with bloodthirsty animals. A strange mixture that intrigues the editorial staff of First.
The 87-year-old director took advantage of this moment to confirm his new project: a biopic on the Bee Gees. The film is currently in development and no casting has yet been made official.
The year of superheroes and supervillains…
In the list of the most anticipated films at the turn during CinemaCon was Joker: Folie à Deux. The trailer unveiled on April 10 was a real phenomenon, generating more than 167 million views in 24 hours. A second record for this sequel to Joker (2019) with a colossal budget ($200 million).
Is this the Gaga effect? Singer, songwriter, musician and actress Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix. Or is it the musical comedy effect, when we know that this second part will have around thirty songs. HAS Firstwe took stock of everything we know so far about Joker: Folie à Deux.
On the Disney side, comics are also there. While Captain America 4: Brave New World publicly revealed its first images showing Anthony Mackie in his new costume and Harrison Ford in the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Deadpool & Wolverine saw things in a big way… in a VERY BIG way.
In the presence of the company's big boss, Kevin Feige, Dead Pool (Ryan Reynolds), Marvel's most unconventional and problematic hero, did the show with his friend Wolverine. Hugh Jackman put on the costume again for the first time since Logan released in 2017.
Nine minutes of images, where the most hilarious and vulgar jokes follow one another according to the media Variety, were revealed. A relief for fans who feared that the acquisition of Fox by Disney would mean that Deadpool would be more up to the standards of Mickey Studios. Don't panic, therefore, because Deadpool is still just as trashy. With one exception: “Cocaine is the only thing Feige said was banned”. It is still Marvel's first R-rated film (for sex scenes, vulgarity, violence and drugs) under the Disney banner!
“Go watch Fox, I'm going to Disneyland. Kiss my ass”, This is how the trailer begins. Then we find Wolverine in his yellow costume. Deadpool & Wolverinered and yellow, they are as complementary as ketchup and mayonnaise…
….and entertainment!
On a completely different register, Disney also made some “enchanting” announcements. The one that left its mark concerns the continuation of the adventures of Moana. While Polynesian dancers introduced the extract broadcast to the public, the actor Dwayne Johnsonwho lends his voice to the god Maui in the original version, expressed his gratitude to the studios:
“Playing the character of Maui is for me one of the most life-changing experiences and roles in my life. It's a character that is deeper than you think. He represents my culture (…). “
The excerpt broadcast included a song whose lyrics would be: “Finally, we're back, back to who we're meant to be” which would be translated into French as “finally we are back, back to what we are destined for.”
For Vice and Versa 2, the public was able to discover an exclusive 35min of the next film. It shows Riley, now a teenager, trying to impress older girls at her hockey club. Unfortunately, his new emotions – anxiety, boredom, envy and embarrassment – take over…
More discreet, the veil was quickly lifted on Musafa: The Lion Kingthe live-action prequel to Lion King. It is directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and includes new, previously unreleased songs.
Special mentions for three surprises: new images of the Paw Patrol 3a new film for the hero of Bikini bottom – The Spongebob: Search for Squarepants – and a host of new actors announced for the next film about the little blue men (and we're not talking aboutAvatar). Alongside Rihanna who lends her voice to Smurfette, we find Nick Offerman (The Last of Us), Billie Lourd (American Horror Story), Hannah Waddingham (Game Of Thrones), James Corden etc.
Chills…sometimes surprising :
There was plenty to be afraid of at CinemaCon this year, especially with Nosferatu of Robert Eggers (The Witch) who unveiled a first trailer in which Lily Rose Depp is frightened and attacked by Bill Skarsgard – the cult vampire. “Does the evil come from us or from beyond?” Already transformed with virtuosity into a horrific clown in That, the actor is unrecognizable. According to Variety, the first images honor the original silent film from 1922. We find this gothic atmosphere, isolated villages, dark times and foggy places. Enough to make your mouth water!
Still on the monster side, the new film in the franchise Alien revealed the first terrifying images. Alien: Romulus is made by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) which succeeds Ridley Scott, David Fincher and James Cameron.
“The scale of this story is bigger and scarier than ever,” said the actress Lupita Nyong'o (The Walking Dead, Black Panther, Us), who came to present the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One from John Krasinki's horror franchise, alongside his playing partner Joseph Quinn (when he's not fighting Romans, they're aliens sensitive to noise).
For Mr. Night Shyamalan (Signs, the Sixth Sense), CinemaCon was an opportunity to come back in force by revealing images from his next feature film; The Trap. A filmmaker of the strange and especially of twists and turns, these latest films were not unanimously acclaimed. With The Trap, he therefore hopes to get back on track. The story, inspired by his own daughter, is that of a father played by Josh Hartnett (Pearl Harbor) who brings his daughter to a concert and who discovers that the latter is in reality only a front to allow the police to get their hands on a dangerous killer on the loose. Anguished for the little girl, the viewer discovers with amazement that the killer is in reality the father of the family…
And to turn, a surprise that no one expected, the return of the cult horror comedy from the 2000s – Scary Movie – for a sixth opus. Enough to shiver… with worry!
The next edition of CinemaCon has already been announced and will be held from March 31 to April 3, 2025.
