分类： entertainment

The global film industry’s most anticipated annual preview event, CinemaCon, kicked off this week in Las Vegas, drawing A-list stars, award-winning directors, and studio executives to the stage to share exclusive first looks at the biggest upcoming blockbusters and franchise installments. Footage and trailers screened at the invite-only industry gathering often reach fans days or even weeks before they are released online, making the event a must-watch for movie lovers around the world. Here are all the most groundbreaking announcements and first looks that made headlines out of this year’s convention.

As the conference drew to a close on Thursday, Disney pulled back the curtain on the first full official trailer for the highly anticipated next chapter of the Avengers franchise, *Avengers: Doomsday*. The four-minute clip gave fans their first on-screen look at Robert Downey Jr.—who portrayed fan-favorite hero Iron Man in 2019’s *Avengers: Endgame*—stepping into the role of iconic masked villain Doctor Doom. The upcoming film, scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, unites a sprawling cast of both legacy and new Marvel characters. Footage showed a tense action sequence between Channing Tatum’s Gambit and Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, plus a return of Patrick Stewart as the X-Men’s Professor Xavier, who delivers a foreboding warning: “Something’s coming, something we may not be able to deter.” Chris Evans also reprises his role as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, who appears before Chris Hemsworth’s Thor as Mjolnir flies directly into Rogers’ hands. Speaking to the packed CinemaCon crowd, Evans explained his decision to return to the role: “I said I would only come back if there was a real reason. And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.”

Paramount Pictures made one of the week’s most exciting announcements, confirming that global superstar Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in *Top Gun 3*. Josh Greenstein, Paramount’s president of motion picture distribution, told attendees that the sequel to 2022’s record-breaking *Top Gun: Maverick* is “officially in development with a script well under way.” The 2022 installment earned a staggering $1.5 billion at the global box office, delivering a much-needed boost to struggling theater chains as audiences began returning to cinemas in droves following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cruise was already on-site earlier in the week to preview his upcoming dramatic departure from action roles, *Digger*, where he portrays a gray-haired oil baron forced to clean up the environmental disaster he created.

Fresh off her critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance in *Wicked*, pop superstar Ariana Grande is shifting gears to comedy in the next installment of the beloved *Meet The Parents* franchise, *Focker In-Law*. Grande will star opposite original leads Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the follow-up, which shifts focus to the next generation of the franchise’s iconic family dynamic. Where Stiller’s character Greg spent the first film fighting to earn his girlfriend’s father’s approval, the new movie will see Stiller’s son navigate the same tension, with Grande playing his love interest. The first official trailer for the film premiered at CinemaCon and has already been released to the public online.

Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan is set to make his first return to cinemas since 2023’s Oscar-winning Best Picture *Oppenheimer* with a sweeping adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic *The Odyssey*. The film stars an all-star ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Nolan treated CinemaCon attendees to an exclusive early screening of the film’s iconic Trojan Horse sequence, which has not yet been released to the public, though a full trailer dropped online ahead of the event. Explaining what drew him to the centuries-old story, Nolan told the crowd: “It’s a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years. It’s not a story, but the story. I wanted to grab the exciting opportunity of bringing it to a modern cinema audience.”

The cast and crew of the hit *Dune* franchise, including leads Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa, joined director Denis Villeneuve on stage to introduce an exclusive seven-minute opening sequence from the franchise’s third installment. Villeneuve told the audience that *Dune: Part Three* will have a very different tone from its predecessors, framing it as more of a tight thriller than the sprawling epics of the first two films. “It’s more action-packed, faster-paced, and more emotional,” he explained. Variety’s on-site reporter echoed that description, writing that “things get violent, loud and deadly, fast.” A full trailer for the film launched online last month, and the movie is set to premiere on the exact same day as *Avengers: Doomsday*—December 18, 2026—setting up what film fans have already dubbed the “Dunesday” box office showdown between two of the year’s biggest releases.

A posthumous project for late *Top Gun* star Val Kilmer has sparked new industry debate about the use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood, after filmmakers used AI to recreate Kilmer’s performance for the upcoming film *As Deep As The Grave*. Kilmer was cast in the role of a Catholic priest in the American West before his death in 2025, but he never got the chance to film his scenes. With full approval from Kilmer’s family, filmmakers used AI technology to generate a digital performance of the actor, and the first trailer premiered at CinemaCon. The clip shows Kilmer’s digital counterpart at multiple points in his character’s life, ending with a haunting line delivered to a young child: “Don’t fear the dead, and don’t fear me.” While the visual quality of the AI recreation has been widely praised as convincing, the project has amplified longstanding concerns among Hollywood performers and creatives that AI could eventually replace human actors in mainstream productions.

Amazon MGM Studios also shared a cautious update on the future of the legendary James Bond franchise, confirming that the studio is taking its time to find the right actor to step into the iconic role of 007. “I know you’re all wondering when we’re going to announce who’s playing James Bond,” said Courtenay Valenti, head of film at Amazon MGM Studios. “Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. What I can tell you is this: When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team… you’re setting the stage for something that’s truly worthy of the Bond legacy. That film is coming, and when the time is right, we’ll have much more to share.”

Beloved marmalade-loving bear Paddington is set to return for a fourth big-screen adventure, StudioCanal confirmed at CinemaCon. The character has already spawned three hit feature films and a record-breaking West End musical, which took home multiple Olivier Awards just last weekend. While few plot details have been revealed, Studiocanal chief executive Anna Marsh confirmed that “world-renowned comedy writers” are already attached to the project.

Sixteen years after *The Social Network* chronicled the founding of Facebook, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is stepping into the director’s chair for a follow-up focused on the 2021 Facebook whistleblower leak, titled *The Social Reckoning*. *Succession* star Jeremy Strong will portray Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, joining a cast that also includes Mikey Madison and Wunmi Mosaku. “There isn’t a life that Facebook’s algorithm hasn’t touched, and that influence has shaped everything. So it’s time to say more,” Sorkin told the CinemaCon crowd. The trailer was screened exclusively for convention attendees and has not been released to the public. The film is scheduled for a October 2026 release, positioning it perfectly for upcoming awards season consideration.

Fresh off his Oscar win for Best Actor for *Sinners*, Michael B. Jordan is set to star in and direct a modern reimagining of the 1999 heist classic *The Thomas Crown Affair*, itself a remake of the 1968 original starring Pierce Brosnan. The first trailer premiered at CinemaCon, giving attendees their first look at Jordan in the lead role, alongside co-stars Adria Arjona, Lily Gladstone, and Aubrey Plaza.

Comedy legend Mel Brooks delighted the crowd by unveiling the official title for the long-awaited sequel to his 1987 Star Wars parody *Spaceballs*, titled *Spaceballs: The New One*. Multiple original cast members will return for the follow-up, including Brooks himself, George Wyner, Daphne Zuniga, and Bill Pullman. The film also marks the return of Rick Moranis, one of the biggest box office stars of the 1980s and 1990s, who has not appeared in a live-action feature film for nearly 30 years. According to Variety’s on-site reporting, the first trailer spoofs everything from modern *Star Wars* installments to *Avatar* and *Harry Potter*.

A new biographical drama *I Play Rocky*, which chronicles the turbulent production of 1976’s iconic boxing classic *Rocky*, premiered its first trailer at the convention. Rising star Anthony Ippolito portrays a young Sylvester Stallone during the film’s development, and the performance earned early praise from attendees for Ippolito’s accurate capture of Stallone’s signature mannerisms, posture, and speech patterns.

After the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s *It Ends With Us* became a surprise box office hit (overtaking headlines for the public fallout between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni), another of Hoover’s bestselling novels is getting the big-screen treatment: *Verity*. The thriller will star Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, and Anne Hathaway. It follows a struggling young writer who is hired to finish the remaining books of a famous author after a mysterious accident leaves her incapacitated, only to uncover a dangerous unfinished manuscript that hides dark secrets.

The hit modern *Jumanji* franchise is returning for another installment, with leads Kevin Hart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Jack Black announcing the new film’s title: *Jumanji: Open World*. “We’re pumped about being back,” Hart told the crowd. Johnson added that the production has kept the original dice that appeared in the 1995 *Jumanji* film starring Robin Williams, saying: “Robin, as we like to say, this one’s for you.”

Disney also shared a slew of additional announcements during its CinemaCon presentation, including the first footage from *Toy Story 5*, the fifth installment of the decades-long animated franchise. Footage showed longtime leads Woody and Buzz Lightyear teaming up (and bickering) to save their fellow toys from a new digital threat named Lilypad. Original voice actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen took the stage together, joking about the 30 years that have passed since the first *Toy Story* film: “We looked at a video of us doing the first one – we look like our grandchildren,” Allen joked. Dwayne Johnson also previewed footage from Disney’s upcoming live-action *Moana* remake, while Queen Latifah shared a first look at *Ice Age: Boiling Point*. Disney also screened new clips from *The Devil Wears Prada 2*, which sees Meryl Streep reprise her legendary role as frosty fashion editor Miranda Priestly. Director Jon Favreau also introduced the opening scene of his upcoming new *Star Wars* feature, *The Mandalorian and Grogu*.

American performer Joy Harmon, whose name became forever tied to one of the most memorable brief scenes in Hollywood cinema history, has passed away at the age of 87. According to U.S. entertainment media reports, Harmon died at her Los Angeles residence on Tuesday, following a multi-week battle with pneumonia.

Though Harmon built a 20-year career in film and television with 32 credited on-screen roles between the 1950s and early 1970s, her cultural legacy is anchored by a 3-minute wordless appearance in the 1967 Paul Newman-led prison drama *Cool Hand Luke*. Credited only as “The Girl” in the film’s official casting, her character — casually referred to as Lucille by a group of working prisoners — became the center of one of cinema’s most iconic subtly provocative sequences. Filmed while the inmates dug a roadside ditch, the scene shows Harmon washing a vintage car, at one point wringing soap suds from her sponge against her body, a moment layered with sexual innuendo that immediately captivated both the on-screen prisoners and generations of movie audiences.

In a 2017 interview with *Entertainment Weekly*, Harmon reflected on the unexpected cultural staying power of the scene, saying she had approached the moment simply as an actor doing her job. “I was just washing a car to the best of my ability and having fun with it, with the sponge and everything,” she explained. “My concept of the [scene] was not like what came out. I was not aware that there were two meanings to things that I was doing, and I’m still not really that much aware of what they all were.”

Long before her breakout big-screen role, Harmon got her start in the entertainment industry as a child model and beauty pageant titleholder, gradually building her resume with guest spots on comedy series and game shows. Beyond *Cool Hand Luke*, she accumulated a wide range of television credits, appearing on hit 1960s and 1970s shows including *Bewitched*, *Batman*, *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.*, *The Beverly Hillbillies*, *The Monkees*, and the classic sitcom *The Odd Couple*. Most of her film work came throughout the 1960s, before she stepped back from regular on-screen acting in the early 1970s.

After leaving her full-time acting career behind, Harmon took on a role at Disney Studios before launching a new venture: she opened her own bakery in Los Angeles in 2003. Even decades after her last on-screen appearance, U.S. media reports confirm she continued to receive fan mail at her home every week, a testament to the lasting impression of her work on classic film fans. Harmon is survived by her three children and nine grandchildren.

After years of teases and months of widespread fan speculation, pop icon Madonna has made it official: her 15th studio album, *Confessions II*, a sequel to her 2005 dance classic *Confessions on a Dance Floor*, will hit shelves and streaming platforms worldwide on July 3. This marks the superstar’s first full-length new release since her 2019 album *Madame X*.

The iconic singer first began dropping hints about the follow-up project back in 2023, and last week kicked off the official announcement rollout by wiping her entire Instagram feed and updating her bio with a famous lyric from the 2005 lead single *Hung Up*: “Time goes by so slowly.” The next day, she shared the full confirmation alongside key details about the upcoming record, as well as a 60-second preview clip of the album’s opening track, *I Feel So Free*. Built around a pulsing, throbbing synth bassline, the new track weaves in a beloved line from Madonna’s 1980s hit *Into the Groove*: “Out here on the dance floor, I feel so free.”

The original 2005 *Confessions on a Dance Floor* is widely regarded as one of the best albums of Madonna’s decades-spanning career, alongside fan and critical favorites like *Like a Prayer* and *Ray of Light*. The unapologetically euphoric, club-focused record gave the world global hits including *Sorry* and *Hung Up*, which famously sampled ABBA to massive commercial and critical success. For the long-awaited sequel, Madonna has reunited with British producer Stuart Price, who co-created the original 2005 album with her. The pair first recorded the first installment in the loft of Price’s London home, where Madonna even carved her name into the studio rafters during breaks from recording. The pair most recently worked together on Madonna’s 2023 *Celebration* tour, and by early 2024, they were back in the studio together at Price’s new west London space. Madonna shared the news of their reunion on social media with the playful line: “Back in the Stu with Stuart Price.” Weeks later, she updated her fanbase that working on the record had been “medicine for my SOUL,” and shared behind-the-scenes photos showing her children joining her in the recording process. Price, whose production credits also include work with Dua Lipa, The Killers, Jessie Ware, Rina Sawayama and Pet Shop Boys, has co-produced the entirety of the new album.

In an official press release announcing the album, Madonna framed the project around the core message of a new track titled *One Step Away*, pushing back against common misconceptions of dance music. “People think that dance music is superficial, but they’ve got it all wrong,” she wrote. “The dance floor is not just a place, it’s a threshold: A ritualistic space where movement replaces language.” The 67-year-old pop legend called this framing her “manifesto” for the new record, adding: “We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies. These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years – they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people.”

Alongside the album announcement, Madonna also unveiled the full official album cover for *Confessions II* on Wednesday. Anticipation for the release has been building among fans for months, after a March report from *The Sun* claimed Madonna had filmed what would be “her most X-rated music video to date” at a secret UK location. Additional rumors have also swirled that the pop icon will make a surprise guest appearance alongside Sabrina Carpenter during Carpenter’s set at the second weekend of the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this coming Friday. Promotional posters for the new album have already begun popping up in major cities across the globe to build hype ahead of the July release.

Beyond her new music, Madonna is also set to appear in the second season of the Emmy-winning satirical series *The Studio*, which skewers the inner workings of the Hollywood film industry. The star filmed her guest role in Venice back in March, the same city where she shot her iconic 1984 *Like a Virgin* music video. She filmed her cameo alongside Julia Garner, who was originally attached to play Madonna in a scrapped biopic about the star’s life. According to *Variety*, the upcoming second season of *The Studio* will reference the failed attempt to bring Madonna’s life story to the big screen in its storyline.

LOS ANGELES – A growing wave of opposition is roiling Hollywood’s top creative circles, as more than 1,000 influential industry figures have signed a public open letter condemning the proposed $111 billion acquisition of iconic Warner Bros. by Paramount Skydance. The list of signatories reads like a who’s who of A-list talent and award-winning creators, including Academy Award-winning actors Jane Fonda and Joaquin Phoenix, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, blockbuster director J.J. Abrams, and Dune visionary Denis Villeneuve.

The core argument laid out in the petition centers on the risks of further media consolidation in an already overly concentrated entertainment landscape. Signatories warn that the merger, which would shrink the number of major U.S. film studios from five to just four, would deliver widespread harm across the entire industry—from working creators to global audiences. “This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries — and the audiences we serve — can least afford it,” the letter reads. The group projects that the merger would lead to fewer creative opportunities for emerging and established artists alike, widespread job losses across the production ecosystem, inflated content costs, and diminished viewing options for consumers.

Paramount Skydance, helmed by CEO David Ellison, first unveiled its takeover plans for Warner Bros.—home to some of Hollywood’s highest-grossing and most culturally influential franchises including *Harry Potter*, *The Lord of the Rings*, and *Game of Thrones*—in February. The bid beat out an earlier offer from streaming giant Netflix, which many Hollywood insiders had viewed as the more favorable of the two potential suitors.

Across Los Angeles’ entertainment community, widespread anxiety persists that merging two major studios will trigger sweeping cost cuts, a concern amplified by reports that the massive acquisition price will be largely debt-financed, forcing new leadership to pursue aggressive savings to offset the purchase. These cuts would not only impact high-profile writers, directors and actors, organizers argue, but would also decimate employment for the tens of thousands of below-the-line workers and small business operators that underpin Southern California’s film production ecosystem—from makeup artists and set builders to local limousine services, on-location food vendors, and event florists.

The letter also notes that the U.S. entertainment sector, one of America’s most valuable cultural and economic exports, has already been pushed to the breaking point by decades of successive industry consolidation. “Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement. Media consolidation has already weakened one of America’s most vital global industries — one that has long shaped culture and connected people around the world,” the statement continues.

The proposed merger has already attracted high-level political backing: multiple industry reports confirm that the bid has the support of U.S. President Donald Trump. For its part, Paramount Skydance has pushed back against critics, releasing a public statement on Monday reaffirming its commitment to robust theatrical film production. The company said, “We have been clear in our commitments to increase output to a minimum of 30 high-quality feature films annually with full theatrical releases.”

As regulatory review of the proposed acquisition gets underway, the open letter signals that the Hollywood creative community is prepared to keep organizing against the merger to protect the industry’s long-term health and competitiveness.