The same week that more than 2,000 actors, directors, and producers signed onto a letter opposing Paramount Pictures’ bid to purchase Warner Bros, David Ellison stepped out onto the CinemaCon stage. The middling applause told the whole story: the exhibitors in the crowd don’t exactly know how to feel. Ellison made some genuinely exciting promises: a 45-day exclusive theatrical window for every film, and SVOD availability after 90 days. He also said that if the acquisition of Warner Bros. goes forward, he will commit to releasing no fewer than 30 movies a year in theaters. From any other studio head, this would be a no-brainer. But as encouraging as those promises are, they come with an uncomfortable price tag: inevitable layoffs from consolidation, right-wing authoritarianism and censorship in news divisions, and President Trump’s thumbs on the scales. Naturally, Ellison refrained from any comments in those directions. Paramount moved on, highlighting its upcoming slate, which is somewhat lackluster, at least compared to what the other studios have offered thus far.
Before diving primarily into their 2026 films, the studio chiefs launched through brief mentions of a host of new projects, from officially announcing “Top Gun 3,” a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” sequel featuring Shredder, “Sonic The Hedgehog 4,” “A Quiet Place III,“ and an adaptation of “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.“ Next, Oscar winners James Cameron and Billie Eilish took to the stage to showcase a look at “Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D).“ Cameron discussed the new technology he and the team at Lightstorm developed, including a new 3D rig that had never been used before, even on the “Avatar“ films, and an 800mm lens. This lens allowed them to have breathtaking close-ups of Billie on stage, and used AI to re-render some of the backgrounds. The footage they showed certainly looked good, though not necessarily anything that seemed groundbreaking in the concert film space.
Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Anna Faris came out to tease “Scary Movie.” They said they’ve heard that R-rated comedies don’t do well in theaters anymore. “Fuck that,” Faris declared. They believe, of course, that audiences will come out for the long-gestating new entry in the franchise. Marlon took the opportunity to preemptively apologize to a whole host of people that I won’t repeat here, but it was hilarious. The new trailer opened with a parody of all of Jordan Peele’s movies, and went wild from there. Much of the footage was already shown in the earlier trailer, but it looks like a reinvigoration of the series. Hopefully, audiences agree when it comes to theaters on June 5th.
Continuing with legacy franchises (if we can call it that), Johnny Knoxville took the stage to announce the title of the latest “Jackass” film: “Jackass: Best and Last.” He said that because they knew this was the last film they would do, they went all out. The trailer shows that it might be true. A robot joins them for all the antics in the new film, and even gives Steve-O a prostate exam. The movie looks extremely brutal and hard to watch, as it should, and also pretty nostalgic. It comes out June 26th.
On the animated front, we got a new look at “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” in which the pups must save Dino Island from a volcano, accidentally ignited by Mayor Humdinger as he tries to steal all the diamonds from the island. Paramount also announced that The Backstreet Boys will contribute original music to the film. Next, the first trailer for “The Angry Birds Movie 3,” in which Red deals with fatherhood, having a teen and a baby. Both movies look fine, but it would be nice to see something original from Paramount Animation.
The massive cast for “Street Fighter” took the stage for a nostalgia-driven look at the film. Set in 1993, it’s got a surprising amount of style. The cast leaned heavily into the bit, crowding around an old TV to try and watch the trailer, because 50 Cent kicked them off-stage so the audience could see it for themselves. With both “Mortal Kombat II” and “Street Fighter” coming out this summer, this film seems to have a little bit more of the exciting edge.
Two more original stories arrived next. We got to see the trailer for David Ayer’s next movie, also produced by Damien Chazelle, called “The Heart of the Beast.” This is an intense survival thriller in which Brad Pitt and his dog, both veterans of war with PTSD, crash-land in the wilderness and fight to survive. We’ve seen plenty of these stories before, but this was shot well with plenty of grit and violence. Then, in a completely different direction, was a look at the true story of a football player fighting against all odds. Starring David Corenswet, “Mr. Irrelevant: The John Tuggle Story” tells Tuggles’ story of being the last man selected in the draft (always dubbed Mr. Irrelevant), who gets a horrible diagnosis, but continues to fight on. It looks like a really optimistic story of hope and perseverance, with a solid performance from Corenswet.
One small film that’s likely to have a solid haul at the box office is “K-Pop Superstar: The Movie.” Shot on location, this movie follows a Korean-American girl who heads to Korea to compete on a TV show to become the next big K-Pop superstar. It looks very fun, and well-timed to capitalize on the explosion of K-Pop in America. This presentation was followed by an appearance from Johnny Depp, who will star as Scrooge in Ti West’s “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.” The footage was solid, with a few creepier-than-expected horror moments, but it otherwise didn’t look much different from every other previous entry.
To wrap things up, Paramount hosted a huge African dance group on stage, with much of the cast of “Children of Blood and Bone.” From director Gina Prince-Bythewood, this adaptation of the acclaimed fantasy novel stars Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thuso Mbedu, Tosin Cole, and many more. The trailer looked huge and magical, as a community who begins to experience magic powers come under attack from their evil king. This could easily be a new franchise for Paramount if it lands well January 15th.
Paramount’s presentation seemed to lack true blockbusters, with even their big franchise plays like “Scary Movie” and “Jackass: Best and Last” look to make modest profits. Still their teases for 2027 appear to be much heavier with big budget sequels and bigger box office potential. Even so, it’s all clouded by the merger discussions, and the supposed hesitation from some bigger stars to join the studio. But will the growing number of artists signing their opposition actually refrain from work with Paramount? It’s unlikely. Ellison’s promises are a step in the right direction, but everything else surrounding the deal is a major step backward. There will be many, many more discussions about Paramount and its future in the months to come, but it could have a major impact in Hollywood.
What was your favorite announcement from Paramount Pictures’ presentation at this year’s CinemaCon? Which of their films are you most excited about? Please let us know in the comments below or over on our X account.
