I've been covering this event for over a decade, and something I've never seen before is four stunt motorcyclists, on stage, literally backflipping off of ramps... not until now, anyway. Of course, because it's Paramount, this was all set to the theme song from the Mission: Impossible franchise. This panel is going to be nuts.
First, an announcement from Chris Aronson from Paramount praising the theatrical experience, as is tradition. He also went down a list that he claims are important, active steps some theaters are taking to ensure that, in these complicated times, where entertainment is everywhere, people still come to the movie theater. This includes: Only 4-5 trailers before screenings with no ads, daily deals on concessions to incentivize guests, longer matinee pricing until 6 pm, and National Popcorn Day, where you bring your own bucket.
Sounds good to me!
Writer and director Edgar Wright has taken the stage alongside Glen Powell to talkThe Running Man! Wright expressed that he's a huge fan of Stephen King's The Running Man, and he believes there's never been a loyal adaptation to that book. Powell called the film "a real cinematic treat," and claims that he "has never worked harder on a movie in my life."
Powell has introduced his co-stars on the film, Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin. After showing an action shot of Glenn's dog Brisket from set, they threw to the very first look at The Running Man...
Ya'll... Edgar Wright's The Running Man looks incredible. It feels like a more brutal, funny and stylized version of The Hunger Games. Glen Powell performs bad ass stunts and survives a grenade blast, Michael Cera uses a water gun and an electrical current as a weapon. It was nuts. The film comes our way November 7!
Next we got an early trailer for Smurfs, guaranteed to be a reimagining of the franchise from director Chris Miller. John Goodman as Papa Smurf and Nick Offerman as his brother are a perfect choice. It doesn't seem groundbreaking, but it's definitely the Smurfs. See it July 18!
Two legends of taken the stage. Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob Squarepants, and for the second time this con, Mark Hamill! Why Hamill? He'll be voicing the first-ever big screen appearance of The Flying Dutchman in The Spongebob Movie: Search For Squarepants.
They threw to an early trailer for the film, and it's delightful, of course. I mean, it's Spongebob. It appears more computer animated and detailed, which is fitting for the big screen, and it follows Spongebob on a journey to prove himself by becoming a squash-buckling pirate. It pretty much seems par for the course when it comes to Spongebob, and I'll take it.
We've got The Naked Gun! They threw to an early trailer for the film... and it looks hilarious. Liam Neeson plays the son of Leslie Nielsen's Lt. Frank Drebin. The absurdity, slapstick and classic wordplay is exactly what we needed from that trailer. And don't forget Neeson's strawberry panties.
But don't take my word for it. The trailer has been released online, and you can watch it at the top of this article!
Channing Tatum has taken the stage to talk about Roofman! A synopsis via IMDB reads, "The story of the rooftop robber, Jeffrey Manchester, and his time on the lam evading capture." The film looks very funny, which seems to be a first for director Derek Cianfrance, and it feels similar to 2001's Bandits. Tatum plays a fumbling criminal who is also a notorious gentleman. See it October 3!
Tom Cruise is in the house! The world's last remaining movie star began his time on stage by requesting a moment of silence for his friend Val Kilmer, and it was incredibly touching.
Tom Cruise then became the first person all week to read from flashcards behind a podium, which feels... better? There had been recurring jokes about the teleprompters throughout the convention, and Cruise decided that it wasn't his style. He's talking about writer/director Christopher McQuarrie's storied career, starting from his Oscar-winning work on The Usual Suspects, all the way into his uncredited writing stints on Ghost Protocol and Top Gun: Maverick. The tribute to McQ was rather heartfelt and really did paint an incredible picture of his contributions to the industry.
Tom Cruise then introduced McQuarrie to the stage to honor him with CinemaCon's Director Of The Year award. The first thing McQ did, of course, was thank Cruise, who he claims took a chance on him as a director when no one else would. Again, it was very touching. And now, they're introducing footage from Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
What can I say? The new trailer is fantastic. It opens on a general, played by Nick Offerman, reading out Ethan Hunt’s rap sheet, which includes reference to a series of bold things the character has done to complete missions throughout the franchise, from the first film through Dead Reckoning. His reaction is so bewildered that it warrants a laugh from the audience. The trailer then featured Tom Cruise hanging from (another) plane, and a series of other quick cuts to stunts that we've already seen referenced in the trailer that was released a few months ago. Tonally, I think this one looks more on point than Dead Reckoning, (and hopefully that means less misplaced Dutch tilt). I think this installment is shaping up to be a fitting end to an iconic franchise.
That's all, folks! Join us later this evening as we live blog from the Disney panel here at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas!
