CinemaCon 2026: The Biggest Reveals from Hollywood's Annual Showcase

CinemaCon wrapped its 2026 edition at Caesars Palace on Thursday, and the message from every major studio was exactly the same: theatrical is back, and it’s bigger than you think. The National Association of Theatre Owners kicked things off with Q1 numbers showing North American box office up 14% year-over-year, and the studios spent the rest of the week proving they intend to keep that momentum going.

Warner Bros. Brings the Heavyweight Slate

Warner Bros. came in swinging. James Gunn took the stage to introduce a sizzle reel from his Superman film, which opens July 2026, and the early footage suggested something warmer and more hopeful than recent DC outings. But the room genuinely lost it when Christopher Nolan appeared via video to show the first look at The Odyssey. The footage was brief, maybe ninety seconds, but what was there looked like Nolan operating at full scale: practical ships, enormous crowds, and a washed-out color palette that made ancient Greece feel lived-in rather than mythic.

The studio also presented Minecraft Movie footage, which had premiered the night before, and gave attendees an extended look at Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which continues to generate strong word-of-mouth after early test screenings.

Disney Bets Big on Franchises and Originals

Disney’s presentation ran nearly three hours and still felt trimmed. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige introduced the first public footage from Avengers: Doomsday, confirming Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom in a sequence that had the Caesars Palace crowd on its feet. The Russo brothers appeared on stage to promise the film would “earn its runtime.”

Pixar showed an extended clip from Toy Story 5, leaning hard into the emotional beats that made the franchise a cultural institution. And James Cameron sent a message from the Avatar: Fire and Ash editing bay, promising the new installment would introduce a Na’vi clan so visually complex that rendering a single frame takes 72 hours.

One surprise: Disney confirmed a new original animated feature from the team behind Encanto, slated for holiday 2027. No title yet, but the concept art showed a South Asian setting and a musical number that had people humming on the way out.

Universal, Paramount, and the Rest

Universal leaned on its reliable franchises. The studio debuted the first trailer for Jurassic World: Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards, which strips the series back to its horror roots. Nobody 2 brought Bob Odenkirk on stage for a characteristically deadpan introduction. And Wicked: For Good, the second half of the musical adaptation, showed a first look at the expanded Oz that director Jon M. Chu has built.

Paramount kept things tight with a Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning stunt reel that was basically eight minutes of Tom Cruise doing things insurance companies would rather he didn’t. The studio also announced a new Star Trek film from director Toby Haynes, targeting a 2027 release.

Sony ran a comparatively modest slate but generated genuine excitement for 28 Years Later, the long-awaited continuation of the zombie franchise from Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. The trailer was reportedly so intense it prompted walkouts at a private screening, which Sony’s marketing team promptly turned into a selling point.

Lionsgate also made a showing, unveiling the first footage from the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas. The action choreography looked brutal in the way John Wick fans expect, and the early reaction suggested the franchise has life beyond Keanu Reeves. Meanwhile, the independent distributors like A24, Neon, and Focus Features held smaller presentations that theater owners actually showed up for, which wouldn’t have happened five years ago. A24’s slate includes a new film from Ari Aster, and Neon previewed what looks like a major awards play for later in the year.

The Exhibition Side

Theater owners weren’t just passive spectators at this year’s convention. Several major chains used the event to announce upgrades: AMC committed to converting 40% of its screens to laser projection by 2028, Regal is expanding its 4DX footprint significantly, and smaller regional chains presented data showing that theaters with premium amenities are outperforming those without by nearly two to one.

One panel that drew a standing-room crowd addressed the shrinking theatrical window. The consensus among exhibitors is that the 45-day standard, which emerged after the pandemic, has settled into a sustainable norm. Longer than the 17-day windows studios briefly experimented with, short enough that audiences don’t feel like they’re waiting forever for home viewing. The dialogue between distributors and exhibitors on this point was notably less adversarial than in recent years. Both sides seem to have accepted that the current model works.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond the glitz, CinemaCon 2026 revealed a few industry shifts worth noting. Premium formats like IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and ScreenX are no longer niche add-ons. Every major studio presentation included at least one title “filmed for IMAX” or “designed for the premium experience.” Theater owners were told to invest in laser projection and upgraded sound or risk losing tentpole bookings.

International markets were a recurring theme. Studios repeatedly cited overseas box office performance as the deciding factor in greenlighting sequels. China’s market, which has been unpredictable for Hollywood releases, showed signs of reopening to major titles in late 2025, and every studio seemed cautiously optimistic about continued access. South Korea and India were name-checked as growth markets that are punching above their historical weight.

The other unmistakable trend: studios are investing in mid-budget adult dramas again, not just franchise entries. Warner’s The Amateur, Universal’s Nobody 2, and several titles from specialty divisions suggest the industry has noticed audiences returning for more than just superheroes. After years of consolidation and IP obsession, the slate at CinemaCon 2026 felt oddly balanced, and that might be the most encouraging sign of all.