In-person events are still off the table for most of the world, but that’s not the case for CinemaCon. The convention is taking place this week in Las Vegas for fully vaccinated attendees.
CinemaCon is typically the place that the major Hollywood studios debut their upcoming film slates to theatre owners and industry press. While it may be a smaller crowd this year, the studios have come out of the gate swinging with their new movies, most of which have been long-delayed by COVID-19.
While most of CinemaCon’s presentations are for attendees’ eyes only there’s still been plenty of exciting news, updates and trailers about your most-anticipated films.
Here’s all the news you need to know about from CinemaCon 2021.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Easily the biggest thing to come out of CinemaCon (and the whole of 2021, let’s be real) is the long-awaited first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The internet has been so eager for any tiny glimpse at Tom Holland’s third Spider-Man film that it jumped on a leaked pre-vis trailer just a day earlier. Still, it couldn’t compare to the excitement of the real thing which broke the record for the highest amount of trailer views in 24 hours.
The trailer is non-stop excitement showing the fallout from Far From Home where Spider-Man’s identity was revealed to the world. To deal with this Peter Parker turns to Doctor Strange and asks him to cast a spell that will eradicate everyone’s memories of his role as Spider-Man.
Naturally, the spell goes wrong somehow and the Multiverse is unleashed, bringing in some familiar characters from not only the MCU but all the past Sony Spider-Man movies.
Spider-Man: No Way Home definitely established itself as one of the must-see movies of the year. If the trailer viewership is anything to go by it will be breaking records again when it releases on December 17.
The Matrix 4
A new Matrix movie has been in the works for a while now but very little is known about it.
Thanks to CinemaCon we now know the title of the fourth film will be The Matrix: Resurrections. Some footage was also shown to attendees and you can read a full description of what was shown.
Long story short it seems The Matrix: Resurrections is retreading a lot of the same story as the very first movie with both Neo and Trinity seeming to have forgotten their past lives. It’ll also have more of that slick slow-mo action The Matrix is famous for so you won’t find any complaints here.
The Matrix: Resurrections is due to open on December 16.
Uncharted
Another Tom Holland special coming your way is the Uncharted movie.
The film adaptation of Naughty Dog’s hit game franchise has been in the pipe for what feels like forever but it’s very real and new footage was shown at CinemaCon.
Again you can see a full description here but it seems like the Uncharted film has managed to emulate some of the most iconic moments from the game in a good way.
Uncharted is scheduled for release on February 18, 2022.
No Time To Die
We came so close to seeing the new James Bond movie last year but it has been inevitably pushed back time and time again. Will we actually see it on September 30? Who knows but the movie is clearly ready to go with 10 minutes of footage shown to CinemaCon attendees.
No Time To Die sounds a lot like what you’d expect from a James Bond film. There’s lots of running, shooting, car chases, Aston Martins, you get the idea but you can read more about it here.
The Batman
People may have scoffed at Robert Pattinson’s initial casting as Batman, but it’s undeniable his new movie looks good.
The CinemaCon presentation showed the same excellent first trailer for The Batman that was screened at DC FanDome last year with the addition of some new footage and behind the scenes featurettes.
The Batman is heavily inspired by the Batman: Year One comic run which director Matt Reeves highlighted in the featurette. What does that mean? The Batman will be a “radically different” interpretation of the character.
CinemaCon attendees were also treated to a look at Batman facing off against Catwoman, Andy Serkis garbed up as Alfred Pennyworth, and a fiery look at the new Batmobile.
Get keen because The Batman is set to release in March 2022.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
CinemaCon attendees definitely got a good look at the new Ghostbusters movie, if by ‘good look’ you mean watching the entire film.
Following the screening, the first reactions to Ghostbusters: Afterlife appeared online and it looks like a winner.
The film releases on December 2 in Australia.
Dune
Fans recently got a glimpse at Warner Bros. adaptation of the sci-fi classic Dune in its first major trailer but even more new footage was shown at CinemaCon.
The sizzle apparently showed Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), and Liet Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) on a rescue mission that is disrupted by the arrival of a massive sandworm — an iconic moment from the book.
Fans will have to wait to see the full scene when Dune releases in cinemas on October 21.
Jurassic World: Dominion
Another piece of footage that hasn’t been made available online is a look at Universal’s new Jurassic Park film.
According to descriptions online, Jurassic Park: Dominion will explore whether humans would be safe if dinosaurs still lived among us. The answer appears to be a resounding no with clips of a mosasaur eating a helicopter and a T-Rex stomping through a city shown.
The holy trinity of Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum was also shown reunited alongside Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Jurassic Park: Dominion is set to release in June 2022.
Spencer
If you’re itching for more royal content while you wait for a new season of The Crown then Spencer might be what you’ve been looking for.
A new poster and trailer for the Kristen Stewart-starring film were revealed at CinemaCon giving a closer look at a new take on Princess Diana’s story.
Spencer releases November 5.
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick has been years in the making (plus add some extra years for all the times it’s been delayed).
CinemaCon goers got a look at the first 13 minutes from the fighter-jet film which was, once again, not released online. According to descriptions, the footage shows Tom Cruise defying his superiors by flying a plane at Mach 10 and then literally crashing and burning.
In addition to the scene, Paramount released a new trailer for Top Gun: Maverick which will likely make its way online prior to the film’s release in November 2021.
Mission: Impossible 7
Action… #MI7 Day 1
????: @ChrisMcQuarrie https://t.co/Ff6puUz8Ki pic.twitter.com/Bam2QAXkOD— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) September 6, 2020
Tom Cruise pulled double duty at CinemaCon with both Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible 7 on his plate. The actor apparently appeared on video from the set of MI:7 with a detailed video of his latest wild stunt.
The stunt will see Cruise really drive a motorcycle off a cliff, jump off the motorcycle in mid-air, freefall and then parachute to the bottom of a huge gorge – without a stunt double.
It’s got to be one of the craziest stunts ever captured on film and we can see it on the big screen in May 2022.
Unfortunately, not every single film shown at CinemaCon 2021 has been detailed online.
Studios also showed off upcoming releases like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse 2, A Journal For Jordan, Bullet Train, Sing 2, Halloween Kills, The Black Phone, Ambulance, Dear Evan Hansen, The Many Saints of Newark, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Borderlands and many more which we’ll have to wait to see in cinemas.
This article has been updated with additional news from CinemaCon 2021.