Windows, marketing campaigns, studio slates, and windows. There was plenty up for discussion at CinemaCon, which ran in Las Vegas from March 31-April 3, and seemed to have its sights fixed firmly on 2026.
Screen was in Sin City to take the pulse of some of the more pressing issues facing the industry.
The magic number of CinemaCon
The number on attendees lips at CinemaCon was 45. That’s how many days exhibitors ideally would like every film to play exclusively in their cinemas before the digital window kicks in. Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of show hosts Cinema United (formerly NATO) said as much in his annual keynote at Caesars Palace. It is a different proposition for the studios, who recognise the influence of theatrical, while also serving the digital strategies of their corporate overloads with an eye on the bottom line.
Peter Levinsohn, the chairman of global distribution, NBCUniversal Studio Group, insisted on a panel that the company’s theatrical-first policy is “the underpinning of every single thing we do”. When pressed, he later revealed that Wicked made the studio approximately $100m on PVoD. Paramount’s international distribution head Mark Viane, speaking in another session, bristled comically and declined to comment when Cinepolis CEO Alejandro Ramirez Magaña called for longer exclusive theatrical windows. What’s the betting the subject will still be a major talking point at CinemaCon 2026.
Collaboration, really?
Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Cineworld, told a panel there was momentum for a 45-day window, but if that is the case, it was hiding in plain sight in Sin City. We were messaged that cooperation between distributors and cinema operators was better than ever, when the reality seemed to be the opposite. Why else were studio executives repeatedly calling for greater collaboration in their slate presentations, or some CinemaCon attendees privately observing a lack of cooperation. It’s not just about 45 days. Both sides urgently need to share data in a meaningful way to reach and keep audiences coming into the cinemas. Marketing is another area that needs a push, with better in-theatre campaigns, and shorter, high-quality trailers and fewer ads in pre-shows.
Sony the disruptor
It’s no secret that Sony Picture Entertainment needs IP, but who would have imagined four films from the same franchise in one month? Hats off to Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, for being a disruptor when he announced that Sam Mendes’ four-part biopic on The Beatles will be released in April 2028. The industry was abuzz with how this might play out. No-one knows yet, perhaps not even Rothman, and we’re likely to get answers once Mendes has completed the year-long principal photography and the studio sees what it has. This will be a puzzle for markets with lower screen counts facing obligations to show other features. Everyone who spoke to Screen was scratching their heads, although they admired the audacity. Some speculated the Fab Four could be unleashed on audiences on the same day, in marathon screening sessions. After all, Rothman did say this would be “the first bingeable theatrical experience”.
Executives under the spotlight
It cannot have been easy for Warner Bros co-heads of the motion picture group Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy to tout their upcoming slate amid rumours that their boss, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, wants to fire them after a string of box office disappointments. The pair looked nervous as they walked attendees through an admittedly appealing pipeline loaded with risk: rebooted DC Studios’ maiden release Superman on July 11; Paul Thomas Anderson’s $130m Leonardo DiCaprio caper One Battle After Another; Ryan Coogler’s period vampire film starring Michael B Jordan that few people seemed to be aware of ahead of the April 18 opening; and a litmus test for Apple with the June 27 launch of F1 starring Brad Pitt, who is beloved but not necessarily box office gold. In some excellent news for De Luca and Abdy, Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures’ A Minecraft Movie just scored a record $157m three-day opening weekend that might alleviate some of the pressure.
Paramount Global co-CEO and Paramount Pictures president and CEO Brian Robbins has Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opening on May 23 and no matter how much money Tom Cruise et al deliver, Robbins is most likely on the way out if the Skydance merger goers through and ushers in a new executive suite, as is the way of these things. And there was no mention of Jennifer Salke, the recently ousted head of Amazon Studios, at that company’s lavish A-list presentation.
Is Amazon MGM Studios the real deal?
Which in the context of CinemaCon means, will Amazon MGM Studios make good on their promise to deliver a steady flow of theatrical features to the market, and not just produce watch-at-home premieres for the Prime Video base they ultimately serve? Mike Hopkins, the head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios who days earlier fired Jennifer Salke, told attendees the plan is to deliver 15 films annually by 2027. Ryan Gosling sent into space to save us all in Project Hail Mary could fit the tentpole bill, but industry sources weren’t so sure about Chris Pratt as a framed detective strapped into in a chair in Mercy. And when will there be a meaningful update on the next James Bond? We were told that Bond 26 producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal are “getting started” in London. On their to-do list: find the next actor to fill Daniel Craig’s very big shoes as 007; hire a director for Bond 26; hire the screenwriter/s for Bond 26; give Bond 26 a name; and date the film quickly.
Eyes on 2026
As North American box office year-to-date languishes some 13% behind 2024, with international faring a little better, executives were falling over themselves to promote next year’s slate. “Survive Until 2025” appears to have fallen by the wayside and it’s all about “Stay in the Mix Until 2026”. That said, this year’s summer tentpoles are on the way, and Gower Street Analytics just revised upwards its 2025 forecast to $34.1bn, with North America, international, China and global all projected to exceed 2024 takings. A taste of 2026 releases includes Shrek 5, Avengers: Doomsday, The Odyssey, The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, Minions 3, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Madalorian And Grogu, Toy Story 5, and the 2026 portion of December release Avatar: Fire And Ash among those jostling for attention. Despite some anticipated whoppers this year like Jurassic World: Rebirth, Mission: Impossible 8, and Fantastic Four: First Steps, next year can’t come soon enough.
No comments yet