In the days leading up to Warner Bros. CinemaCon 2025 presentation, rumors have swirled about a major shakeup at the studio. According to reports, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has grown frustrated with too many risks on unproven IP and big budget failures from his Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy. Nevertheless, it was business as usual for the pair as they took the stage to present a look at WB’s upcoming slate to the crowd of exhibitors in Las Vegas.
When studios come in front of the CinemaCon crowd, made up of exhibitors and theater owners from around the country, they typically find a balance between showcasing their upcoming releases for the next 12 months or so and throwing out a few teasers for major upcoming releases further out to look forward to. At Warner Bros. 2025 presentation, they largely avoided looking further into the future, sticking primarily to their 2025 slate, leaving behind any news-making surprises. Nevertheless, WB President of Distribution Jeff Goldstein came out to thank the exhibitors for their support of big movie releases over the years. He congratulated theater owners on the slew of upgrades so many theaters have made over the last few years and noted that the improved experience helps encourage audiences to make the trek to the big screen. “Nothing will replace it,” Goldstein said of the movie theater experience.
We got brief looks at WB’s April releases, “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners,” before Abdy and De Luca launched into a look at Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor took the stage to talk about their experience with the film. DiCaprio said that the film taps into “something political in our psyche that’s been there for a long time” but also notes the film’s epic scope. The stars introduced an extended scene in which DiCaprio’s Bob tries to get some answers from someone on the phone while having a bit of a breakdown. The film is a big gamble, with Anderson’s biggest budget yet, but De Luca and Abdy assured the crowd that audiences would be ready for it.
New Line Cinemas President Richard Brener came out to highlight a few horror releases for 2025. After showcasing an absolutely brutal “Final Destination: Bloodlines” death sequence involving an MRI and peanut allergies, Brener quipped, “See you at the Oscars.” It’s a rightfully creative sequence, so fans of the “Final Destination” series seem to be in good hands. “Barbarian” director Zach Cregger will deliver his long-awaited follow-up “Weapons” this fall. Cregger described his film as “twisty-turny,” and that it’s a film that “unravels and reinvents itself as it goes along.” Sure enough, the terrifying trailer looks like the sort of confident big swing a director can take after a major hit like “Barbarian.”
Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer came out on stage to take a quick victory lap for “Top Gun: Maverick,” which premiered at CinemaCon in 2022, and to introduced an extended look at “F1.” Kosinski said this is “the most authentic racing experience you’ll have in the cinema,” and the footage they showed backs that up. They brought us the first ten minutes of the film, showing Brad Pitt’s Sonny taking over (and dominating) the night shift at Daytona. The footage is visceral and immersive, perfect for massive screens. The exhibitors in the crowd could see those sweet “Top Gun: Maverick” dollars already.
Looking ahead just slightly to 2026, Abdy and De Luca brought out director Maggie Gyllenhaal and star Jessie Buckley for “The Bride!” Gyllenhaal was thrilled to speak to the CinemaCon crowd and even began getting deep into the weeds of how “The Bride!” utilized the vertical expansion of IMAX film for certain sequences. The trailer looks batshit insane, like a combination of 20s gangster flicks, punk rock, monster movies, and Victorian romance. Buckley says that while The Bride in the original “The Bride of Frankenstein” barely speaks, her Bride couldn’t be more different. “She’s a bit naughty,” Buckley joked.
A newly revamped Warner Bros. Pictures Animation received a major showcase during the WB presentation, including a teaser showing off a slew of new projects. President Bill Damaschke announced a “new commitment to theatrical animation” from the studio, and they’re backing it up with a wide variety of projects, both original works and films utilizing preexisting IP. Among others, the teaser showcased “Meet The Flintstones,” based on the classic TV series “Oh The Places You’ll Go” from director Jon M. Chu,” Margie Claus,” the first animated film for Melissa McCarthy, “Dynamic Duo” with DC Studios, and “Bad Fairies,” an original musical from the writers of “Six: The Musical.” Their first release will be “The Cat in the Hat” in February 2026, and Bill Hader took to the stage to showcase a very early, unfinished look at a trailer. The film looks funny, if perhaps a bit unsurprising. It looks very much in the vein of Illumination’s Dr. Suess adaptations.
Without any hint of self-awareness, the teaser opened prominently with Bugs Bunny, despite WB dumping “Coyote vs. Acme,” “The Day The Earth Blew Up,” and removing all classic “Looney Tunes” cartoons from Max.
Last, but not least, Peter Safran and James Gunn took the stage on behalf of DC Studios. From the start, Gunn promised a few surprises during their presentation, but sadly, they didn’t come to pass. The pair clearly declared this to be a new era for DC, starting with this summer’s “Superman.” Gunn thanked the exhibitors for their support over the years, especially for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” He shared that part of what propelled him to take the job as DC Studios’ chief was a desire to push forward the theatrical experience with their films. This begins with “Superman,” which Gunn says he wanted to be “utterly fantastic and utterly human at the same time.” The cast of “Superman” backed this up as David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult joined the filmmakers on stage.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire presentation was there were no surprises from DC Studios. Despite having numerous projects in development, including a whopping three films currently scheduled for 2026, not a single DC project outside of “Superman” was even referenced in passing during the presentation. While laying out major superhero plans is better suited to a Comic Con crowd instead of this industry event, it’s still surprising for Gunn and Safran to not even hint at the “new era” for DC Studios following “Superman.” They’ll certainly need support from exhibitors for those films.
Despite the shakeups, or threats of shakeups at least, behind the scenes at WB, they still have a promising slate for 2025 and early 2026. Hopefully, whoever is in charge next year will maintain the same level of commitment to big-screen risks, both on IP and original ideas, that this slate represents.
What was your favorite announcement out of Warner Bros’ presentation? Were you surprised to not hear more from DC Studios? Which of their films are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Twitter account.
