From John Wick 4 to Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and let’s not forget the critic praising Top Gun: Maverick world premiere – even saying CinemaCon 2022 fourth and final day was filled with exciting blockbuster title previews would be an understatement. Paramount Pictures kicked off the presentation with a sizzle reel offering teasing new glimpses of Dungeons & Dragons, Paws of Fury, A Quiet Place: Day One, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts & more. Though clearly, the rest of the announcements & reveals at Thursday night’s presentations in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas proved that cinephiles can look forward to more than just comic book movies from Marvel and DC film this summer and the next. Here’s a recap of all the projects unveiled at the Hall-H-Esque, The Colosseum.
Paramount’s exclusive screening of Top Gun: Maverick featuring veteran action star Tom Cruise as Captain. Pete Mitchell initially stole the thunder at CinemaCon 2022 Day 4, enough to invoke cheers from a tearful audience asking to re-play the sequel (directed by Joseph Kosinski). Additionally, prior to the world premiere – the studio praised its success at the box office thanks to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 which stands as Paramount’s largest opening weekend in 8 years (the arena, during the presentation, was also Sonic themed).
Full disclosure. I’m a huge Top Gun fan. But I think even if I wasn’t, I would have LOVED Top Gun: Maverick. The action is intense & gorgeous, characters and relationships rich & rewarding, then it tugs on the heart strings too. It’s a special sequel & I’ll be its wingman anytime pic.twitter.com/i23WuIvE9m
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 28, 2022
Crowd shouts to “show it again!” after #TopGunMaverick credits end. I can’t say I’d object. See this on the BIGGEST damn screen with the BEST sound system that you can find. Good on Tom Cruise for continuing to be an insane person. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/Y5zhMmMOlT
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) April 28, 2022
The #CinemaCon audience loved #TopGunMaverick so much that no one left at credits, and when it ended there were chants to play it again. If you’re a big TOP GUN fan, there’s a ton of nods to that film, but if not, then MAVERICK works as a tremendously entertaining standalone film pic.twitter.com/djSkc1qpmZ
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 28, 2022
The sizzle reel included new footage from Dungeons & Dragons teasing Michelle Rodriguez’s character donning armor and riding a horse and Chris Pine by her side. The teaser was non-spoilery but assures the fantasy feature will be a big-budgeted blockbuster potential title. A title reveal teaser was released which can be seen below.
Paramount Pictures panel also showed the first footage of the live action Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Didn’t offer a great sense of the plot, but it looks like it has a big budget and great productions values for a fantasy feature. #dungeonsanddragons #CinemaCon #DD pic.twitter.com/4s2CkgQgJC
— Jeffrey Harris (@Wheeljack83) April 28, 2022
"which showed Michelle Rodriguez 'wearing armor' and riding a horse alongside Chris Pine. Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page also appeared in the teaser footage, wearing 'snazzy fantasy armor'"
I give up. This people's idea of fantasy is people wearing armor.https://t.co/o17yk2GvJ3
— Nazgûl (@TypingCat) April 29, 2022
New footage for Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank was shown, the Kung-Fu panda resembling animation feature with veteran A-lister Samuel L. Jackson lending his voice for the “Mother Father Cocker Spaniel” screaming teacher. Following up next was footage from the period drama directed by Damien Chazelle, Babylon starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Meryl Streep, etc. From the world of Autobots and Decepticons, brief sequences from Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts was showcased with brief shots of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Anthony Ramos’s character.
On the horror side, A Quiet Place franchise, Paramount revealed its third film will be a prequel titled Quiet Place: Day One. Furthermore, a logo for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was revealed. The last update from February stated it will be a Seth Rogan-produced TMNT CGI animated film, scheduling its release for August 11, 2023.
Paramount’s best highlight is arguably the debut trailer for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One which began with recorded footage of Cruise on a biplane to introduce Top Gun 2 during the filming of MI 7. Christopher McQuarrie was also shown on another biplane cueing Cruise for the next sequence. Footage description hypes the higher staked stunt scenes with horse and motorcycle chases, with one particular scene showing Cruise launching off a cliff on a motorcycle. Other stand-out titles coming for 2023 as shown in the presentation were Scream 6, Paw Patrol: The Mighty movie, The Tiger’s Apprentice and a biopic of Bob Marley and Bee Gees.
AHH we just watched the first footage from the next #MissionImpossible movie, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- DEAD RECKONING. Horse chases, motorcycle chases, tons of running, train fights, Cruise launching off a cliff on a motorcycle. Holy crap I’m in love #Cinemacon2022
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 28, 2022
Here’s what Lionsgate CinemaCon 2022 panel’s sizzle reel showcased
The studio behind blockbusters like John Wick, The Expendables franchise & more began with a first look for The Expendables 4 which was shown with a pre-recorded message from 50 Cent. Also, the fourth film title’s logo is stylized as Expend4bles.
Currently onscreen right now: Expend4bles. And yes, that IS how the studio has stylized the title.
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) April 28, 2022
From The Hunger Games franchise, a prequel project set for 2023 was showcased with a teaser. Furthermore, the film is titled The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes. Revisiting the horror genre, Lionsgate gave an update on Marc Forster’s The Devil’s Light, an exorcism church-centric movie. Shazam 2 star Helen Mirren was once again in attendance, but as a recorded message for White Bird: A Wonder Story, a sequel to 2017’s Wonder directed by Stephen Chbosky.
Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski take the stage for JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4. They first met in 1998 while making THE MATRIX. The trailer saw Wick fighting men armed with axes in the rain. There was an army of archers, a lot of swordplay, and at least one very angry dog.
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) April 28, 2022
Helen Mirren joins on screen to introduce White Bird: A Wonder Story, saying that director Mark Forster created “a film of magic realism that is both beautiful and emotional.”
— CinemaCon (@CinemaCon) April 28, 2022
After a few interesting announcements, Joe Drake, the president of distribution took the stage for John Wick. The Matrix: Resurrections star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski came on stage for John Wick: Chapter 4. The first trailer showed Reeves’ gun-blazing Baba Yaga fighting multiple men armed with axes in the rain, an army of archers, swordsmen and a very angry dog.
Footage from the video game adaptation, Borderland directed by Eli Roth was screened but no release date attached yet. Added, the John Wick spin-off, Ballerina, with Ana de Armas in the lead role releases this summer. Surprisingly, a new Dirty Dancing movie is also in the works with Jennifer Grey. Lionsgate wrapped up its presentation with a CGI clip for the Hungers Games prequel. That ends the highlights for the final day of CinemaCon 2022.
Just saw the first footage from @eliroth’s #borderlands movie. Was about 20 to 30 seconds and looks like the video game has come to life. Also heard @jackblack as Claptrap. He sounds like Jack with an electronic twist. Can’t wait to see more. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/8zhiMq5ldo
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 28, 2022
Lionsgate ended their #CinemaCon panel with a teaser trailer for #TheHungerGames prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.’ Had no actual footage it was an all CGI thing that ended with the release date. pic.twitter.com/Bhgrn49yJF
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 28, 2022
