A new Spiderman and rapper Bad Bunny kicked off CinemaCon on Tuesday, April 26, the major annual meeting in Las Vegas for cinema exhibitors. Every year, Hollywood moves to Las Vegas for CinemaCon, where upcoming films are previewed to theater owners, from major multiplexes to independents.
After a sad edition last year due to the pandemic, when the studios broadcast their films directly on the platforms without going through the theaters, optimism seems to be back. “What are you doing here? Everyone said you were dead, everyone said you were finished”Sony Pictures President Tom Rothman joked, sparking laughs.
Sector morale has recently been boosted by the triumph of Spider-man – No Way Home, the third-highest-grossing box office of all time in the United States. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, directors of Spider-Man: Next Generation Oscar winner in 2018, took the opportunity to screen the first 15 minutes of Beyond the Spider-Versewhich is set to hit theaters this summer.
During the opening night, Sony also presented excerpts from Bullet Train, thriller by David Leitch expected in July. The opening scenes show Brad Pitt as a hitman, roaming the streets of Tokyo and fighting on a train with rap superstar-turned-actor Bad Bunny. “It wasn’t my first fight.”joked the Puerto Rican rapper.
CinemaCon wraps up Thursday, April 28, with Paramount’s screening of Top Gun: Maverickthe highly anticipated sequel to Top Gun (1986).
After shunning the event during the pandemic, the stars are back at CinemaCom. Robert De Niro, Rachel McAdams and David Cronenberg are among the guests.
Hollywood recently made a move for theater operators by returning to an exclusive “window”, during which films can only be seen on the big screen before being released on platforms. However, this time frame has been reduced to 45 days or less, compared to around 90 days before the pandemic.
Speaking from Budapest, the director of DunesDenis Villeneuve, said to himself “concerned by this window which is shrinking more and more”and called for extending it so that going to the cinema remains an experience “unique” and “precious”.