7 Takeaways From CinemaCon 2018: Change Is Everywhere, Movies Endure

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The movie exhibition business wrapped its annual CinemaCon gathering in Las Vegas this week, and there was plenty to learn about the state of the entertainment industry and the change that is convulsing the entertainment business.

One studio had an entirely new executive team, another had to address the elephant in the room — its pending acquisition by another huge conglomerate — and the bar for entertaining the room was raised by a marching band, a video skit starring a studio mogul and … Cher.

One thing I’ll say for the movies overall — the ones coming down the pipeline about music and musicians and their journeys seem the ones with the most heart. Here are my takeaways

Also Read: Lionsgate Trots Out Blake Lively and 'Blindspotting,' But Identity Crisis Looms

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Marvel Studios

1. Disney is a monster.

There’s no denying the dominance of this content-creating, brand-defining machine led by Bob Iger and Alan Horn on the movie side. Never was the strategic brilliance of Iger in acquiring Marvel and Lucasfilm more clearly on display than at this year’s presentation (last year the studio barely bothered to show, it felt so confident).

Disney consistently leads the Hollywood pack in market share, has had 12 films hit $1 billion at the box office in the last six years, and looks poised to continue to do so with upcoming films including this weekend’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and the new Star Wars installment, “Solo.”

And while Marvel is a hit machine, spinning off one global superhero hit after another, the other pillars of the Disney palace are also incredibly strong – besides the “Star Wars” saga, Pixar with another “Incredibles” franchise coming, traditional animation and a whole lot of interesting realistic computer graphic-drawn movies. The one most intriguing to me is “The Lion King,” with real animals. Any excuse to bring that beloved title and music to the screen seems like a good idea. Things to worry about: what will happen to animation if John Lasseter doesn’t come back?

Also Read: 'Mowgli' Director Andy Serkis Promises a Darker, Bloodier 'Jungle Book' Sequel

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2. Suddenly, Paramount has come back to life.

After years of moribund production and morale-sucking boardroom battles and family strife, this iconic studio finally seems to have some energy, direction and pulse. New CEO and chairman Jim Gianopulos got everybody’s attention by opening with a self-deprecating video skit, in which a “Vegas Air” flight attendant criticized the mogul for having too many vowels in his name and then did her own imitation of “A Quiet Place,” the studio’s stealth horror hit.

It was a savvy way to win over the crowd since a lot of the upcoming films on Paramount’s slate would not be out until 2019 and an entirely new executive team — Wyck Godfrey, Brian Robbins, Mireille Soria — was being introduced. The studio is counting on good will and a little patience but the overall message was clear — Paramount has a plan, is making movies at a steady clip once again and has its head back in the game.

My only real quibble: Tom Cruise spent waaaaay too much time on stage explaining his latest death-defying stunt jumping out of an airplane for “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” but that’s because he’s Tom Cruise. At least he didn’t jump on a couch.

Also Read: 'A Quiet Place' Sequel in Development at Paramount Pictures

3. Universal brought the delight of movies to the room.

Universal offered a mix of drama (“First Man” is about Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon), horror (“Halloween” with an irrepressible Jamie Lee Curtis), fantasy (Peter Jackson’s “Mortal Engine” is creating new worlds that, he promises, are like nothing we’ve ever seen) and thrillers (M. Night Shyamalan has a new one coming with Bruce Wiillis and Sam Jackson).

But even though he wasn’t in the room, it was Dwayne Johnson’s new action movie, “Skyscraper,” that seemed like something that you need to see on a massive screen, and that is likely to make your heart stop. That guy is a movie star, can we just say that?

Universal ended it all with a surprise live performance by Cher of “Fernando” by ABBA. She plays the grandmother in the sequel to “Mamma Mia.” The original was an unwatchable mess of a movie with the cheesiest performances on the planet that made a bajillion dollars. I’ll probably watch the sequel.

The great @Cher delights us all at #cinemacon with performance of Fernando by ABBA. Here’s a glimpse: @TheWrap pic.twitter.com/nKthcmHPpy

— Sharon Waxman (@sharonwaxman) April 26, 2018

Also Read: James Wan and 'Aquaman' Cast Offer First Look at Work-in-Progress Atlantis

4. Warner Bros. needed help, a lot of help.

The studio is in transition, now under former New Line head Toby Emmerich, and his newness showed. The presentation dragged on as one troupe of movie stars followed another, making small talk and pretending to be relaxed around stilted emcee Will Arnett. (Why bring Anne Hathaway on stage for “Ocean’s 8” if you’re not going to talk to her?)

And if “Life of the Party” with Melissa McCarthy seemed like one too many versions of the movie we’ve already seen her do (clueless fish out of water, this time she’s a mom going back to college), the ensemble film “Tag” — drama? comedy? thriller? mystery? — about a group of friends who play a highly aggressive form of tag for a month every year was simply a hot mess.

“Crazy Rich Asians” looks like it could be a big winner, though the trailer made it hard to tell. But wait! There’s one huge redeeming movie on the Warner slate that made all of it worthwhile. Bradley Cooper brought “A Star Is Born,” his remake of the famed Barbara Streisand – Kris Kristofferson love story. And the trailer unveiled of Cooper and Lady Gaga was a revelation. The film promises a full-on love story with Gaga dropping all the makeup and pretense and bravada. Which brings us to…

Also Read: 'A Star Is Born': Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Nail High Notes With Trailer Debut

5. Music movies rule.

There are so many wonderful films this year about music and musicians that it’s worth pointing it out. As mentioned, “A Star Is Born” looks like it will deliver. Cooper learned to play an instrument well enough to perform.

But Fox’s upcoming “Bohemian Rhapsody” appears to be a similarly strong take on the legendary Freddy Mercury, an epic performer and rule-breaker, played by Rami Malek. And did I mention that the “Mamma Mia” sequel has Cher in it?

6. 3-D is dead.

Over four days and dozens of movies that were presented to the exhibitors in Vegas, only one movie — ONE — was in 3-D, a technology that was all the rage four or five years ago. The lone exception was “Alita,” a largely CG action movie by technology diehard James Cameron about a young female cyborg given a superhuman body. (I think that’s what it was about.)

Robert Rodriguez directed it, and I’m not entirely sure if the 3-D adds all that much to the story. But what was once supposed to be the salvation of movie theaters — adding a premium ticket price to their weekend box office haul — has mostly fizzled. Calling Jeffrey Katzenberg, who predicted otherwise.

Also Read: Enter a 3-D Jungle With 'Jumanji' in Virtual Reality This December

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7. And finally: Fox.

Who knows if the studio will be at CinemaCon next year? If the Disney acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox goes through, it won’t. So studio chief Stacey Snider wisely used the moment to remind the thousands of exhibitors in the room that she knew no more than they did about the future of her studio, but that she was committed to delivering great movies in the meantime.

And she backed it up with an emotional reel of Fox movies over the last 80 years, from “Titanic” to Shirley Temple to “12 Years a Slave,” reminding everyone what a contribution Fox has made to the culture. “Let’s wear our heart on our sleeves,” she urged the packed hall, choking up (and she wasn’t the only one). “Let’s celebrate the humanity that comes from discovering that we are more alike than different.”

Her words managed to overshadow the bravura, hilarious opening of the Fox presentation with Deadpool leading dancers to the song “One” from the Broadway classic “A Chorus Line.” And it was a fitting reminder that if Fox goes away, we may all be the poorer.

All 23 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best (Photos)

Nobody on the internet wants to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's a topic we just can't go on ignoring. But seriously: even though this seemingly unstoppable franchise has rabid fans across the globe, no one can agree on which ones they like best (or least, for that matter). TheWrap's Film Reviews Editor Alonso Duralde take his own stab at the subject -- and no, he's not getting paid by anyone at Disney to like (or dislike, for that matter) any of these films.
Marvel
23. “The Incredible Hulk” (2008)

Released just five years after Ang Lee’s “Hulk,” this second attempt to make a leading man out of the big green Gamma-radiated creature proved to be similarly disappointing. If we’ve learned anything from the Avengers movies, it’s that Bruce Banner works best when he’s a supporting character (and when he’s played by Mark Ruffalo).
Marvel
22. “Ant-Man” (2015)

While this movie deserves credit for not putting the fate of mankind on the line -- the stakes are more child’s-toy-train-sized -- the film’s stabs at humor seem overplayed, and little of Paul Rudd’s natural charm comes to the forefront of what should be a breezy caper. We can only wonder what Edgar Wright’s original version might have been like.
Disney/Marvel
21. “Thor” (2011)

Director Kenneth Branagh nails the thee-and-thou of the Asgard segments, but the small town where the climax plays out is one of the screen’s cheesiest fake cities since the terrible 1980s “Supergirl” movie. On the upside, actor Chris Hemsworth demonstrates a twinkly wit in this thunder god adventure, matched with impressive brawn.
Marvel
20. “Iron Man 2" (2010)

The best MCU movies do a good job of distracting you from all the setting-up of future franchise entries; this one offers so much empire-building that it might as well have a “Pardon Our Dust” sign on it. Still, the first appearance of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, dispatching a hallway’s worth of opponents, made an unforgettable impression.
Disney/Marvel
19. "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)

Much as he did in “The Rocketeer,” director Joe Johnston excels at portraying the gloss of the 1940s, although the characters aren’t nearly as vivid as the USO bunting. But fear not, true believers -- Cap’s onscreen adventures got way better in his subsequent solo and team movies.
Marvel
18. "Thor: The Dark World" (2013)

Firmly average, yes, but an improvement on its predecessor and a straight-up good time, skillfully balancing superheroics, second bananas, entertaining villains and the occasional killer one-liner. By no means a cornerstone of the MCU, but this one, mostly, works.
Disney/Marvel
17. “Iron Man 3” (2013)

Director and co-writer Shane Black doesn’t always have the tightest grasp on the story -- what does the nefarious Extremis do again, and why? -- but he shows off his skill at witty banter (which Robert Downey, Jr. can perform within an inch of its life) and breathtaking action (a mid-air rescue of a dozen passengers who have just tumbled out of Air Force One).
Disney/Marvel
16. “The Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)

It’s always fun when the band gets back together, but it’s also difficult to recapture the magic of that first time. This sequel offers plenty of excitement and Joss Whedon-scripted badinage, but it’s also a little overstuffed with supporting characters and set-ups for the next round of MCU movies. Lovers and haters of superhero movies can both find bolsters for their arguments here.
Disney/Marvel
15. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017)

The band is back together, and they're as bristly hilarious as in their first outing, but overall this sequel feels like it's just vamping (entertainingly) until the next major plot shift in the MCU. Kurt Russell pops up as Ego the Living Planet, who claims to be the long-lost father of Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and while the movie is more concerned with character and emotion than plot, not all of the moving moments ring true.
Disney/Marvel
14. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

This sequel has a better sense of its own silliness than its predecessor, as Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) run from the feds, battle the dimension-phasing Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and thwart the plans of a mobster (Walton Goggins), all while planning a rescue of The Wasp's mom (Michelle Pfeiffer) from another dimension. Feels more Disney -- in the Kurt-Russell-as-Dexter-Riley sense -- than Marvel, but still fun.
Disney/Marvel
13. Captain Marvel (2019)

The self-fulfillment and the 1990s retro are both played with a fairly heavy hand, but there's lots of fun to be had here, from Brie Larson's heroine, both ebullient and haunted -- nothing like amnesia to spice up yet another origin story -- to one of the greatest feline second bananas in cinema history.
12. "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)

It's a little tough to judge this one on its own merits since it's so clearly half a movie; we won't really know how this film comes to fruition until we get the sequel. But in the meantime, it does a fairly impressive job of juggling some 25 major MCU characters and keeping its sense of humor even in the face of mass destruction (and intense scenes involving torture and genocide).
Disney/Marvel
11. "Avengers: Endgame" (2019)

You get all the requisite T-crossing and I-dotting you would expect at this stage of the game, but the capper for the first chunk of the MCU saga is a mostly satisfying season finale that offers rare moments of catharsis among entertaining character moments that will prompt laughter and even, maybe, a few tears.
Disney/Marvel
10. "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019)

This second outing from director Jon Watts and leading man Tom Holland maintains the larkish tone and emphasis on characters that makes these films feel like such a unique corner of the MCU. This time, the post-snap (or "blip," as the film calls it) Peter Parker and his pals head to Europe in a movie that feels like a road comedy which occasionally busts out some superheroics.
Disney/Marvel
9. "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017)

Director Taika Waititi ("Hunt for the Wilderpeople") strikes a delicate balance between breathless action and fate-of-the-universe stakes on one hand and tongue-in-cheek silliness and snappy banter on the other. Luckily, he's got Chris Hemsworth, who excels at both, surrounded by the witty likes of Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo and franchise newbies Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum and a gloriously over-the-top Cate Blanchett.
Disney/Marvel
8. "Captain America: Civil War" (2016)

The plotting and pacing aren't as tight as in "Winter Soldier," but if you're looking for dark human conflict and rousing superhero-on-superhero action, this movie does a whole lot right that "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" did wrong.
Disney/Marvel
7. "Iron Man" (2008)

It all starts here -- a superhero origin story for literalists who can’t get behind exploding planets or radioactive spiders. Jon Favreau, then most famous for directing "Elf" and writing and co-starring in "Swingers," seemed an odd choice for the material, but he knows how to give us both the characters (played by Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow with panache) and the ka-blam.
Marvel
6. "Black Panther" (2018)

While Chadwick Boseman's titular African king-superhero takes something of a back seat to a troika of fascinating female characters -- played by Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright -- the movie nonetheless overflows with excitement and rich backstory. (And Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger ranks among the franchise's greatest villains.)
Disney/Marvel
5. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017)

Less guilt-driven and haunted than previous iterations of the character (on the page or screen), Tom Holland's Spider-Man has enough on his plate dealing with his superhero growing pains. Hungry to join The Avengers but still grappling with all he has to learn -- he's only 15, after all -- our hero faces off against blue-collar bad guy The Vulture (Michael Keaton, Birdman at last) in an adventure that's breezy and funny while also featuring genuine stakes, terrific characterizations and wonderfully detailed casting. (You gotta love a teen movie that works in Zendaya, Tony Revolori, Abraham Attah and Josie Totah, plus scene-stealing newcomer Jacob Batalon.)
Sony/Marvel
4. "Doctor Strange" (2016)

It would be all too easy to make the spell-casting Master of the Mystic Arts look ridiculous on the big screen, but somehow director Scott Derrickson and his crew gave us a version of surgeon-turned-magician Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who seems at home in the real world, rubbing shoulders with the Avengers, and traversing trippy, eye-popping dimensions where none other could go.
3. “Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014)

Breezy, flippant and soaking in the super hits of the ’70s, this comedy adventure is something of an outlier -- both tonally and geographically -- in the Marvel Universe. Still, whether or not Rocket Raccoon and Black Widow ever cross paths, this star-spanning saga was a reminder that there’s more than one way to tell a superhero story.
Disney/Marvel
2. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014)

Aggressive patriotism meets anti-government paranoia in this exciting tale that pits the Captain against labyrinthine conspiracies. It also turns out that Steve Rogers is way more interesting displaced in time in the 2000s than firmly at home in the 1940s. And you will believe The Falcon can fly.
Disney/Marvel
1. “The Avengers" (2012)

Still the gold standard of the MCU, this movie reveals that Joss Whedon gets comic books down to their DNA, in the same way that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were fluent in the language of serials in the “Indiana Jones” movies. Putting all these heroes in one room (or helicarrier, anyway) yielded terrific results, even if the film’s success led to the all-superheroes-all-the-time ethos of contemporary Hollywood.
Disney/Marvel

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TheWrap critic Alonso Duralde orders the MCU, including “Spider-Man: Far From Home”

Nobody on the internet wants to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's a topic we just can't go on ignoring. But seriously: even though this seemingly unstoppable franchise has rabid fans across the globe, no one can agree on which ones they like best (or least, for that matter). TheWrap's Film Reviews Editor Alonso Duralde take his own stab at the subject -- and no, he's not getting paid by anyone at Disney to like (or dislike, for that matter) any of these films.

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