CinemaCon 2021: Studios & Exhibition Convene To Sort Out An Industry Teetering On Edge Of Survival

Sam Cunningham was a football player who helped break down racial barriers at the University of Southern California before excelling with the New England Patriots.Cunningham joined the USC Trojans in 1970, becoming part of an integrated team with an all-Black backfield that was unusual for the time. In his first college game, the Trojans traveled to the University of Alabama, where they beat the Crimson Tide 42 to 21, thanks in part to Cunningham’s two touchdowns.

Update: Warner Bros. has revealed this morning what we first saw at CinemaCon, the trailer for The Matrix: Resurrections.

Sky Studios Hires Drama Chief

Naman Ramachandran Sky Studios has appointed Preethi Mavahalli to the newly created role of creative director, drama, reporting into chief content officer Jane Millichip. She will join in Jan.

Michele Amabile Angermiller Jeff Rabhan (pictured), the music industry veteran who spent the last decade as chairman of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University, has joined the Los Angeles Academy of Artists and Music Production (LAAMP) as executive director.

With a strong $1.9 million box office on Thursday night for Candyman, things are looking pretty sweet today for Colman Domingo. 

A post shared by CinemaCon (@cinemacon)According to the convention’s website, CinemaCon is “the largest and most important gathering for the worldwide motion picture theater industry.” It is the Official Convention of the National Association of Theater Owners.A post shared by CinemaCon (@cinemacon)CinemaCon features the largest cinema trade show in the world and brings together guests from over 80 countries.

Happy Friday International Insiders. Tom Grater here delivering you a round-up of this week’s international news. To get this sent to your inbox every Friday, sign up here.

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CinemaCon attendees had an action-packed morning viewing footage from Paramount’s Tom Cruise starrers “Mission: Impossible 7” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” Tom Cruise didn’t appear in person, but was onscreen for Paramount’s presentation in Las Vegas on Thursday.For “Mission: Impossible 7,” Cruise appeared on video describing the harrowing motorcycle stunt jumping off a mountain in Norway in a behind-the-scenes featurette.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterCinemaCon, the annual convention of movie theater owners, is all about flash.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterUniversal Pictures unlocked the cage on the first new footage from “Jurassic World: Dominion” on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.Presenting at CinemaCon, the annual convention of movie theater owners, the studio offered up a behind-the-scenes look at the returning cast of the original “Jurassic Park” — Laura Dern as Dr.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterFinally, something scarier than the COVID-19 delta variant has come out of CinemaCon 2021.Universal Pictures unveiled a packed trailer for its upcoming Blumhouse horror thriller “The Black Phone” on Wednesday, during a presentation to the annual convention of movie theater owners in Las Vegas.Reuniting Ethan Hawke with his “Sinister” writer-director Scott Derrickson, the project is adapted from a short story by Joe Hill.

Universal did drop something fresh during its presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday: the first look at Michael Bay’s action movie Ambulance. 

Out of all the studios giving presentations during CinemaCon this week, Universal showed great respect to exhibition workers, by including them as presenters in their theatrical release reel.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterLady Di has made her Vegas debut.The crowd of theater owners at CinemaCon, the annual trade show convention currently unfolding at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, got a first look at footage for “Spencer,” the biographical drama featuring Kristen Stewart as a young Princess Diana.“Spencer,” set in 1991, unfolds over the Christmas holiday and grapples with Diana’s (born Diana Frances Spencer) decision to end her marriage to Prince Charles.

Matrix movie has been revealed: The Matrix: Resurrections.The news was shared by Warner Bros during their CinemaCon presentation, where they also played a trailer to attendees in Las Vegas yesterday (August 24).The film is due to hit cinemas on December 22.

Robert Marich Taking a low-key approach, Warner Bros.

Warner Bros went completely virtual at CinemaCon with a pre-recorded hour-long reel sans executives onstage. We understand that it had nothing do with Covid, nor any kind of day-and-date head ducking, rather their senior ranking domestic and international distribution guys were unable to attend the confab for respective personal commitments. Warners does have other members from their distribution team attending the confab who were in the audience.

Following MPA Chairman-CEO Charles Rivkin today at CinemaCon were National Association of Theatre Owners Chief John Fithian and No. 1 global circuit boss Adam Aron, who continued the patriotic messages for theatrical exhibition about how they are an essential to a multi-billion industry.