CinemaCon 2023: Universal And Focus Features Presents

CinemaCon 2023 has seen several of Hollywood’s biggest movie studios plot out their release plans for the next year or so, including Universal Pictures and Focus Features, which will be releasing over 27 movies in 2023 alone.
With Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated OPPENHEIMER, Illumination Studios’ new animated family film MIGRATION, Wes Anderson’s star-studded ASTEROID CITY, FAST X, and more, the studio has big things in store for moviegoers. But don’t feel left out If you weren’t among the attendees at CinemaCon 2023, as we have the inside scoop on everything that was announced by Universal and Focus Features on the big stage..
It seems like just yesterday THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS kicked off a franchise that would span multiple decades, bringing epic action sequences and a whole lot of heart to the big screen. And not that long from now, we’ll get to enjoy the penultimate chapter in the franchise when FAST X gives us what could be the most supercharged installment yet.
During Universal CinemaCon 2023 presentation, Vin Diesel was on hand with several other members of the cast to show off some extreme FAST X footage that featured the upcoming movie’s heroes and villains pulling off some of the most impossible stunts to date. When addressing those in attendance, Diesel implied that everyone who has made the franchise such a massive hit over the years – including the millions of moviegoers who come out for each installment – are part of the FAST family.
But the upcoming release of FAST X is part of the franchise’s final chapter, Diesel revealed that the second half of the massive two-parter will drift into theatres at some point in 2025. Though no details were provided on the exciting conclusion, it should be a white-knuckle thrill ride from start to finish.
FAST X opens May 19th.
Universal Pictures also talked about recent successes like BAD GUYS, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, and THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, the latter of which is still bringing passionate moviegoers of all ages to AMC Theatres locations. But studio heads, including some from DreamWorks Animation, were also very eager to discuss the future.
Hot off his extraordinary portrayal of Bowser in THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, Jack Black was on hand to talk about KUNG FU PANDA 4 and provide a rough outline in place of a new trailer. When the movie arrives, it will follow Poe as he trains a new apprentice and prepares to take on a new enemy known as The Chameleon. But that wasn’t the only beloved franchise to get some love at CinemaCon 2023.
Earlier in the presentation, Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake highlighted the upcoming TROLLS BAND TOGETHER; and of course they were playing fast and loose with the NSYNC puns when talking about the upcoming theatrical release. The stars offered up an exclusive clip featuring a wedding gone wrong and the subsequent adventure at the center of the movie slated for a November 2023 release.
Universal also laid out its plans for MIGRATION, a new family-friendly animated movie from Illumination that will follow a group of ducks going on an epic journey. The movie, which is slated for a holiday 2023 release, features a voice cast that includes Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Carol Kane, and more.
And last but not least, there is RUBY GILLMAN, HUMAN KRAKEN, a new animated franchise that DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn said “has potential to be the girl power movie of the summer.” The movie, which stars Lana Condor as a teenage princess who can transform into a sea monster upon jumping in water, will be a coming-of-age hero’s journey.
In addition to hearing about all of Universal Pictures’ plans for this year, the CinemaCon 2023 crowd was also presented with a lot of details about some of the studio’s projects that won’t land on the big screen until 2024.
Longtime fans of the massively popular theatrical production “Wicked” have been in love with the musical prequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ for a few decades now, but the upcoming big-screen adaptation, WICKED, may very well be something new for the general moviegoing audience. Though a trailer wasn’t yet ready for CinemaCon 2023, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Glenda, respectively, were on hand to offer up a tiny taste of what’s to come with a short clip of footage from the movie that’s still in production.
It may seem like a long time to wait, but we’ll finally get to see what Jon M. Chu has in store for us when WICKED PART 1 opens Thanksgiving 2024 with the second half following in Christmas 2025.
And speaking of big 2024 movies that will take Universal Pictures into the future, David Leitch, Ryan Gosling, and Emily Blunt were on hand to talk up their upcoming action thriller, THE FALL GUY, which follows a stuntman as he finds himself in a dangerous predicament. But that wasn’t all, as the director and stars were also there to show off the first trailer, which featured all kinds of stunts, including car rolls, people being set on fire, gun battles, and so much more. THE FALL GUY opens in March 2024.
In addition to all of those movies, Universal Pictures also highlighted a great deal of its other upcoming releases, including Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated historical drama, OPPENHEIMER. Before sharing an extended clip from the epic about J. Robert Oppenheimer’s journey to create the world’s first atomic bomb, Nolan shed additional light on the movie, saying the famous theoretical physicist’s story is one that has to be seen to be believed, before offering a promising yet haunting description of the film.
“This is a cinematic tale. The story is both dreams and nightmares.”
And with a director like Christohper Nolan behind the camera, and all-star cast anchored by Cillian Murphy bringing the story to life, it’s hard to imagine OPPENHEIMER being anything but a cinematic masterpiece.
This isn’t the end of AMC Theatres’ coverage of CinemaCon 2023, as multiple presentations are still yet to come. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and check out AMC Scene for updates on all the major reveals and everything else coming to AMC Theatres this year and beyond.