If Will Smith and Denzel Washington were the warm-up act at CinemaCon on Monday, Warner Bros. brought the main event, showcasing what might be Hollywood’s most exciting — and most eclectic — upcoming movie lineup on Tuesday.
Studio executives, filmmakers, A-list stars and one larger-than-life icon (ahem, Oprah) took to the stage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to preview first looks at the musical version of The Color Purple, the much-hyped fantastical comedy Barbie, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka, the visually stunning sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two, and a trio of DC superhero movies led by the hugely anticipated, if potentially controversial The Flash (but not the Joaquin Phoenix-powered follow-up Joker: Folie à Deux) for an audience of movie exhibitors and media.
The only thing missing: free cars for you… and you… and you.
Here’s a full rundown of the biggest highlights from Warners’ 2023 CinemaCon panel.
The Color Purple
Oprah Winfrey made her first trip to CinemaCon (greeting the audience with an Oprah-appropriate “Hellooooooo, CinemaCon!”) along with director Blitz Bazawule to tease the upcoming song-filled adaptation of Alice Walker’s seminal 1982 novel, originally filmed by Steven Spielberg for his 1985 Oscar-nominated blockbuster and later translated into a 2005 Tony-winning Broadway musical. Winfrey made her breakthrough as Sofia in Spielberg’s version, and called the experience of making that film “the most important thing that ever happened to me.” (Winfrey was discovered out of relative obscurity by Quincy Jones, and subsequently earned one of the film’s 11 Oscar nominations.) She and Jones also served as producers on the Broadway show.
Vowing that it’s “not your mama’s Color Purple,” Winfrey and Bazawule unveiled the new film’s dramatic first trailer, heavy on acting fireworks (with Taraji P. Henson as Shug, Danielle Brooks as Sofia and American Idol alum Fantasia in her screen debut as Celie) but light on musical excerpts. However, when the film’s three stars joined Winfrey and Bazawule onstage, they teased the self-empowerment anthem “I’m Here” as a number that’s going to wow viewers. Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R. and Halle Bailey co-star, with the film opening on Christmas Day.
Barbie
Director and co-writer Greta Gerwig talked about the disco influence and wanting to make Barbie’s Corvette outshine the Batmobile. Producer and star Margot Robbie said walking in the film’s pastel paradise set was like “a shot of dopamine,” revealing that even grown men teamsters and the cast of Fast and Furious (who were filming nearby) made pilgrimages to the Dreamhouse. Co-star America Ferrera admitted she wasn’t a Barbie fan growing up, but still had “feelings” about Mattel’s famed doll line.
But it was Ryan Gosling who stole the show as Gerwig and cast introduced a giddy new trailer for the zany star-studded comedy, which finds Barbie and Ken on a Matrix-esque journey out of their trouble-free fantasyland and into the real world.
“Up until this point, I only knew Ken from afar. I didn’t know Ken from within,” deadpanned Gosling, gamely attired in a bright pink jacket. “I doubted my Ken-ergy. I didn’t see it. … I was living my life and the next thing I knew, I was bleaching my hair and shaving my legs and rollerblading on Venice Beach.”
As for the film’s set, Gosling added: “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I feel like I finally know what Dorothy felt.” Barbie opens July 21.
Wonka
Also premiering on Tuesday was the aspirational first trailer for Wonka, a period-piece origin story starring a very committed Timothée Chalamet as the up-and-coming candymaker who boldly takes on his city’s “Chocolate Cartel.” The preview concludes with a cheeky cameo by Hugh Grant as… an especially diminutive Oompa Loompa (who had that on their 2023 movie Bingo card?).
Chalamet then took to the stage and hailed his role as a “dream come true,” saying that his young Wonka will be a more hopeful, optimistic version of the character than Gene Wilder’s more cynical candy king — and promised lots of swimming in chocolate. Wonka will open Dec. 15.
Dune: Part Two
Chalamet pulled double duty for Warners on Tuesday, returning to the stage alongside director Denis Villeneuve and co-star Zendaya to hype the follow-up to 2021’s Oscar-nominated epic fantasy. Chalamet discussed how his hero, Paul Atreides, blossoms into a leader in part deux, Zendaya said she got to more fully explore the role of Chani this time around, and Villeneuve teased new characters played by Elvis’s Austin Butler (“some kind of Olympic sword master mixed with a psychotic serial killer”), Christopher Walken (“who brings a lot of humanity to man who betrayed his best friend”), Florence Pugh (“a key player in the political chess game of Dune”) and Léa Seydoux (“who is a bringing a mysterious character to the screen with a lot of grace and civility”).
The word “breathtaking” was tossed around a lot, including in the film’s first trailer, which presented more stunning visual Dune-y imagery from Oscar-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser and a side of lip-locking from Paul and Chani that’s sure to excite the shippers on social media once it gets released to the public. The film will hit theaters on Nov. 3. (The new Warners executive team proudly proclaiming cinema owners that the studio was committed to theatrical releases after the previous regime was criticized by filmakers, stars and exhibitors for unleashing 2021’s Dune and other pandemic-era films simultanteously on HBO Max.)
Aquaman 2, Blue Beetle and The Flash
New DC bosses James Gunn (who sent in a taped message as he’s on a global press tour for his Marvel finale, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3) and Peter Safran (in the flesh) kept their focus on 2023 releases, which meant no Superman: Legacy updates or Joker: Folie à Deux sneak peeks. But they did offer up goods on The Flash (June 16), Blue Beetle (Aug. 18) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 20), in reverse chronological order.
The CinemaCon crowd was reminded multiple times of the somewhat-shocking fact that 2018’s Aquaman remains DC’s highest-grossing film. Director James Wan and star Jason Momoa delivered taped messages touting their excitement for the sequel and showed off the first trailer, which finds Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), now a baby daddy, having to recruit his half-brother and former rival Orm (Patrick Wilson) to defeat a buffer-than-ever Yahya Abdul-Mateen as the menacing Black Manta. Rarely spotted in the first look: Amber Heard as Arthur’s love interest and baby mama, Mera.
Next up, director Angel Manuel Soto (Charm King Kings) and stars Xolo Maridueña and Bruna Marquezine appeared to discuss Blue Beetle, with Cobra Kai breakout Maridueña describing his Peter Parker-esque teen as the only person ever to get superpowers and not want them and Marquezine discussing the film’s Latino/Latinx representation. The trio then introduced new preview that is only slightly extended from the version already in circulation online. (Susan Sarandon a villain, though? Brilliant.)
And then of course there was The Flash, which WB and DC remain bullish on despite various controversies surrounding the erratic behavior of embattled star Ezra Miller. Early buzz is that the film delivers, with Gunn saying it’s one of favorite superhero movies ever. Director Andy Muschietti was generous in his praise of Miller, calling them “an incredible actor” and one of the best he’s worked with.
Judging from the film’s new trailer (above), however, the studio appears to have some hesitance on marketing Miller as the face of their franchise. The preview opens up instead with Michael Keaton’s long-awaited return to his role as Bruce Wayne, and there’s nearly as much Batman in the preview as Flash (a lot of Keaton — including a callback to his legendary line “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts” — and even a little Ben Affleck). Sasha Calle’s Supergirl also has a heavy presence in the film.
CinemaCon audiences will see whether the hype delivers when they get a look at the entire film later Tuesday.
