Convention - Cinemacon 2023: Our review of the Warner Bros studio presentation 

By Mulder, Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, 25 april 2023

"As Barbie says, everyone looks better in pink" - Andrew Cripps

This year our media covered for the first time since its creation the Cinemacon convention in Las Vegas at the Cinemacon. Since its inception in 2011, this global convention that brings together exhibitors, professionals in the film industry but also the international press allows Hollywood studios such as Son Pictures, Warner Bros, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and Lionsgate to present their upcoming line-up. After the memorable presentation of the Sony Pictures studio, we wondered if the other presentations were going to be as memorable and the one of Warner Bros was of the same level with also many world stars having made the displacement for the biggest pleasure of the spectators present at the coliseum. Here is a summary of the presentation.

The panel began with a speech by Jeff Goldstein (national distribution of Warner Bros.) and Andrew Cripps (director of international distribution) dressed in pink jogging suits with the effigy of the highly anticipated Barbie, which promises to be one of the must-see blockbusters of this summer. Their speech included the success of the film Evil Dead Rise, which was originally scheduled for release on the streaming service Max and was released in theaters. The film is distributed in France by the distributor Metropolitan FilmExport. A long sequence composed of several film clips tracing the success of the Warner Bros. studio over the past 100 years, including images from Man of Steel, Inception, Elvis and Mad Max Fury Road, was presented as an introduction to this memorable presentation.

Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav then took the stage this morning and said that Warner Bros. loves to tell stories and bring people to the theater because that's where movies are meant to be shown. He also talked about the fact that James Gunn was writing the script for the new Superman next to his desk and that he grew up reading DC comics. David Zaslav also emphasized the fact that "There is one word that we share (in this business), and that is courage. It's such a complicated and risky business, but we're here with a common love for film. He also paid tribute to Harry Belafonte, saying, "I wanted to pay tribute to the man who, like Sidney (Poitier), inspired me. David Zaslav also said that he is convinced that there is no other place to see a film, to have an impact on all parts of the world than a movie theater. He also asked exhibitors to help him bring audiences back to their theaters to make the business stronger than ever.  He also said, "We are a storytelling company, we are not in the broadband business, we are not in the phone business," he continued about the new era of Warner Bros Discovery.

The color purple

Audiences were treated to the first images of the timeless Broadway musical The Color Purple in the presence of producer Oprah Winfrey and director Blitz Bazawule.  Oprah Winfrey said that Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones were also heavily involved as producers and that the film had performed very well at all screenings.  All of the lead actors, including Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., Ciara, Jon Batiste, Halle Bailey and Fantasia were also on hand to talk about their characters and personal inspirations. This coming-of-age musical drama, directed by Blitz Bazawule from a script by Marcus Gardley, is based on the musical of the same name, itself based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. This is the second film adaptation of the novel, after Steven Spielberg's in 1985. Spielberg and Quincy Jones return to produce this version, as well as the producers of the musical Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, who also played the role of Sofia in the 1985 film. The Color Purple is scheduled for release in the United States on December 25, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Barbie

The new trailer was presented this morning in the presence of director Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Barbie is an American fantasy comedy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote it with Noah Baumbach. Based on Mattel's Barbie dolls, the film is the first live-action Barbie movie after several computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming movies.  Margot Robbie stars as the iconic Barbie and is also a producer (under the LuckyChap Entertainment banner), with production credited alongside Heyday Films and Mattel Films. Gerwig has been confirmed as director and co-writer with Baumbach in 2021. Gosling and the rest of the cast were announced in early 2022. Filming took place primarily at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England, from March to July 2022. Barbie is scheduled for release in the United States on July 21, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Meg 2: The Trench
The first trailer was presented this morning and created a wave of applause from the entire room. After a successful first part, this second part seems to be even more impressive and the images discovered this morning are just awesome. The first images of this announcement which starts in the middle of the prehistoric era seems to be the answer of Warner Bros to the saga Jurassic Park / Jurrasic World and we discover a T-Rex being torn apart by a gigantic megalodon. The action picks up in the present day where a brand new underwater pit has allowed many prehistoric creatures trapped in the depths of the ocean to come and stir up trouble. This time, the survivors of the first movie will have to face three megalodons hunting together but also huge squids and other creatures. Meg 2: The Trench is directed by Ben Wheatley, and written by Dean Georgaris, and Jon and Erich Hoeber, based on the 1999 book The Trench by Steve Alten, and stars Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sienna Guillory, Cliff Curtis, Skyler Samuels, Page Kennedy, Shuya Sophia Cai, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta. Pictures in the United States on August 4, 2023.

Blue Beetle

DC Films co-CEO Peter Safran and director Angel Manuel Soto have released an extended version of the Blue Beetle trailer.  Blue Beetle is based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle, produced by DC Studios and the Safran Company. The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto from a script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. It is the 14th film of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle alongside Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon and George Lopez. Director Angel Manuel Soto has been hired to direct the film in February 2021 for the HBO Max streaming service. Filming took place from late May to mid-July in the metro Atlanta area at Wilder Studios in Decatur, Georgia, as well as in El Paso, Texas, and Puerto Rico. Blue Beetle is scheduled for release in the United States on August 18, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Nun 2
Warner Bros. presented the first trailer of The Nunn 2 creating a real eerie experience in the room with the presence of demonic Nunn in the room. This first trailer is really disturbing and shows a will to raise the level of the first film to create a real cinematographic saga that will have nothing to envy to the classics of the genre like The Exorcist. The Nun 2 is directed by Michael Chaves and written by Akela Cooper, Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing from a story by Cooper. It is the sequel to The Nun (2018) and the ninth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise. The cast includes Storm Reid, Taissa Farmiga and Anna Popplewell.  The film is scheduled for release on September 8, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Wonka

The trailer was presented this morning in the presence of the main actor Timothée Chalamet. Wonka is a musical fantasy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the script with Simon Farnaby. The film is a prequel to Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and stars Timothée Chalamet as the title character, who follows his early life as an eccentric chocolatier. Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Colman and Jim Carter play supporting roles. In May 2021, Timothée Chalamet was confirmed in the lead role and the supporting cast was announced in September of the same year. Principal photography began in the UK in September 2021. Filming took place at Lyme Regis and Bath, as well as at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Watford. Filming also took place at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, London. Scenes were shot in Oxford in December and February. The original songs for the film were composed by Neil Hannon. Wonka is scheduled for release on December 15, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The first images from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were shown at CinemaCon 2023.  Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Aquaman. Produced by DC Studios, The Safran Company and Atomic Monster Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, It is the sequel to Aquaman (2018), and the 15th and final installment of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by James Wan from a screenplay written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, and features a cast of Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman alongside Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman. James Wan did not want to rush a sequel but agreed in January 2019 to oversee development. Johnson-McGoldrick signed on to write the script a month later. James Wan said the film would expand on Aquaman's world-building and announced the sequel's title in June 2021. Filming began at the end of the month and was completed in January 2022, in the UK, Hawaii, Los Angeles and New Jersey. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be released on December 20, 2023 in the United States.

Dune: Part II

Director Denis Villeneuve unveiled the first trailer for his highly anticipated sequel, Dune: Part II, with Timothée Chalamet and Chani Zendaya in attendance. Denis Villeneuve confirmed that 100% of Dune: Part II was shot in IMAX, while its predecessor only used 40% of this format. The script for Dune: Part Two is co-written by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts.  A sequel to Dune (2021), it is the second two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune, and follows Paul Atreides as he unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis to win the war against House Harkonnen. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem reprise their roles from the first film, while Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux join the cast. After the critical and commercial success of the first film, Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment greenlit the film in October 2021. New cast members, including Pugh, Butler, Walken, Seydoux and Yacoub, were announced in 2022. Principal photography took place in Budapest, Italy and Abu Dhabi between July and December 2022. Dune: Part Two will be released on November 3, 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Photos: Getty Images for Warner Bros