CinemaCon 2024 Day 3 Recap: The Crow, Ballerina, Wicked, Twisters, and Nosferatu

CinemaCon 2024 continued on Wednesday for Day 3 with big-ticket studio presentations for Lionsgate and Universal Pictures, including some in-depth looks at upcoming films such as The Crow, The Ballerina, Michael, and Borderlands from Lionsgate, along with Twisters and Wicked for Universal. Lionsgate opened things up on Wednesday with the morning studio presentation.

Before showing off the upcoming slate, Lionsgate Chairman Adam Fogelson talked about upcoming projects on the horizon for the studio, including a remake of Highlander starring Henry Cavill, a live-action adaptation of the Naruto franchise, Now You See Me 3, and he also revealed that Jason Blum and Blumhouse are going to oversee a reboot of The Blair Witch Project for Lionsgate. Fogelson also revealed that Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment will be collaborating with Hasbro Entertainment for a Monopoly movie. Maybe it will be a commentary on unchecked capitalism or big business? I’m not really keen on a Monopoly movie, but Barbie became a huge hit. Ouija has two films as well, so hey, it could work from a business standpoint I suppose. I’m very cautious about Hollywood adapting Naruto. I just don’t see how all that story material can be boiled down into a movie experience. Naruto stories are so dense, with so many characters and factions. It seems ill-advised, like trying to adapt Death Note into a single movie.

Next up, Lionsgate previewed two new films from director Guy Ritchie: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and In the Grey. In the Grey is a new contemporary spy-thriller about a group of operatives who steal money back that’s stolen by elite thieves. It stars Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza Gonzalez. Cavill was there live in attendance to talk about working with Ritchie again, and he also teased his upcoming role in Highlander, saying [paraphrasing], “If you’ve seen my swordplay before, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” I’m open to the idea of a Highlander remake being good. At the same time, it annoys me that yet another classic franchise is getting rebooted. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare arrives on April 19. In the Grey is due out January 2025.

A new trailer was shown for The Strangers: Chapter 1. In this prequel to the horror franchise, a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Gabriel Basso) make a stop in a small town before they are stalked and hunted by the masked strangers of the previous films. There’s a tense sequence where the couple hide under the cabin from the strangers and Petsch’s character accidentally impales her hand on a nail and has to hold herself from screaming out the pain. This is directed by none other than Renny Harlin. I know this series has its fans, but it looks like much of the same as the previous films. The Strangers: Chapter 1 arrives on May 17.

Filmmaker Eli Roth and Ariana Greenblatt came out as they were live in attendance to preview the Borderlands live-action movie. Roth and Greenblatt spoke about their inspirations for their character. Roth also spoke about getting Cate Blanchett on board for the film, and how she was game to hold a flamethrower telling Roth that she’s always wanted to do a movie like this as Escape From New York is one of her favorite films. They introduced an extended sizzle reel for the film.

I’m not a huge fan of the Borderlands game series, but it at least looks fairly comparable to the imagery and characters of the game. I did enjoy all the gags with Jack Black as the voice of Claptrap, sort of like a twisted, sadistic, and mean-spirited version of R2D2. The footage, much like the trailer, definitely pushed a Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, in that a colorful gang of misfits unwittingly become a team working toward a common goal. I will say at least, Blanchett looks really cool and badass as Lilith. It doesn’t look like she’s phoning it in at all. Kevin Hart is doing his usual schtick, but I did enjoy Greenblatt’s line as Tiny Tina, “Time to make it rain…with your body parts!” At the very least, it looks like it will be a fun, irreverent sci-fi action movie. Borderlands is due out on August 9.

The next film previewed is the eerie, psychological horror film, Never Let Go. Halle Berry stars as a mother raising her twin young boys in a remote forest cabin taking place after an apocalyptic event. They can only wander outside while staying connected to a rope, and they can never let go of the rope. The forest appears to be filled with terrifying creatures or monsters who might be able to mimic human appearances. This one looks creepy and unsettling like it might have some potential. Halle Berry was also there live to talk about the film and how she went method to prepare for her role, even learning how to skin and eat squirrels. The film arrives on September 27.

Next up for Lionsgate was a look at the upcoming remake of The Crow. This was an extended sizzle reel featuring new R-rated footage. While this looks like it’s keeping with the R-rated roots of the classic 1994 film, as an adaptation of The Crow, it looks completely lacking. I don’t like that when Eric Draven (Bill Skarsgård) goes to the afterlife he has everything painstakingly explained to him by a mysterious spirit. That was never necessary in the original film. I think Bill Skarsgård is inspired casting as Eric, but I don’t much care for his overall look as The Crow.

The new footage did impress upon how downright gory and grisly the movie will be. Eric is shown to slowly stab a thug through the eye. After he targets some of the bad guys in a moving vehicle, he’s thrown into oncoming traffic. His exposed broken bones are shown healing and stitching themselves back together. I was a bit thrown off by how Eric meets his girlfriend. My understanding is that Eric and Shelly meet in a rehab clinic, but it looks like an oddly unnerving facility. So far, I’m not sold on this project, but we’ll ultimately find out the verdict when it hits theaters in August.

Also shown during the presentation was a new action-thriller, The Killer’s Game starring former WWE Superstar Dave Bautista (aka Batista). Bautista portrays an assassin who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He calls for a hit on himself so he can go out in a blaze of glory. However, he eventually learns that the terminal illness diagnosis was an error, and he’s unable to cancel the hit. Now, Bautista’s character has to fight against all the killers he ordered to take him out and also protect his girlfriend (Sofia Boutella) in the process). Ben Kingsley, Pom Klementieff, and Terry Crews also star in the film.

Mel Gibson directs a villainous Mark Wahlberg in the upcoming aerial-themed thriller Flight Risk. Michelle Dockery is a US Marshal escorting a key witness (Topher Grace) to a trial to testify against a mob boss. However, it turns out the blue-collar pilot (Wahlberg) is actually a mob hitman sent to kill the witness, and they are flying a tiny Cessna over rugged terrain, and the hitman is the only one who knows how to pilot it. Wahlberg playing an unhinged psychotic villain is something different from his more recent roles. I was surprised to see that Gibson was the director of this.

Next up for Lionsgate is the supernatural comedy, Good Fortune. Aziz Ansari writes, stars, and directs the upcoming comedy opposite Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen. Ansari is a down-on-his-luck laborer and laundryman who is visited by a rather incompetent and buffoonish guardian angel, Gabriel (Reeves). Gabriel has Ansari’s character switch places with Rogen’s Jeff, a rich entrepreneur Ansari was doing some gigs for. Ansari now has wealth and power, and he refuses to give it up, making things awkward for Gabriel and Jeff. Of course, comedy and high jinks ensue. Because of his failures, things continually get worse for Gabriel. He loses his angel wings, and some of his powers, so he starts taking dishwasher jobs and smoking.

Ansari was live in attendance to talk about the film and told a lot of jokes. He and Fogelson revealed that in four John Wick films, Keanu Reeves never got hurt or injured. However, during the production of Good Fortune, Reeves got hurt and fractured his knee, and they shared a photo of Reeves on crutches from the set. Reeves fractured his knee after tripping on a rug, but he still gutted it out and finished filming all his scenes.

Lionsgate showcased Ballerina, a new spinoff of the John Wick franchise starring Ana de Armas. Ballerina is set in between the third and fourth John Wick films. Ana de Armas is a character who seeks revenge and receives training under Anjelica Huston, who is back as The Director of this film. Other John Wick franchise veterans are also back, including Ian McShane as Winston and the late, great Lance Reddick as Charon. Norman Reedus is also part of the cast. There’s some footage of Ana de Armas as Eve in action, beginning her path of becoming an ace assassin. She also meets John Wick, the returning Keanu Reeves. It looks like Eve asks Wick for advice about learning how to do what he does in the assassin game. John Wick replies, “It looks like you already are.” Ballerina arrives on June 6, 2025. They aren’t addressing the fate of John Wick for now.

Producer Graham King came to close things out for Lionsgate with an early look at the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, aptly titled Michael. King promised a comprehensive experience that would cover all aspects of Michael Jackson’s life, including his childhood, adulthood, and his private life away from the media. He also suggested the movie will address the controversial topics of Michael’s life. The film stars Juliano Krue Valdi as the young Michael Jackson, and Jaafar Jackson as the adult Michael. Nia Long portrays mother, Katherine Jackson, Colman Domingo plays father Joe Jackson, and Miles Teller portrays Jackson’s longtime attorney John Branca.

The footage showcased that it will cover Michael’s early years in The Jackson 5, his solo career, and then becoming the King of Pop. It appears that Jaafar Jackson looks well cast in the role, and he worked hard to capture Michael Jackson’s voice and mannerisms. The biopic arrives on April 18, 2025.

Universal Pictures took over The Colosseum for the afternoon presentation, with new extended looks at the studio’s upcoming slate, including Wicked, Twisters, Despicable Me 4, and more. Illumination CEO came out to introduce an early look at Despicable Me 4. Chris Renaud, who directed the first two films, is back to direct the fourth entry. In Part 4, Gru (Steve Carrell) is playing the mentor to Poppy (Joey King), an aspiring supervillain. He also has a baby, Gru Junior, now. In the sequence shown, Gru and Poppy are trying to sneak into a highly guarded castle to steal a rich lady’s pet honey badger. They are joined by two Minions, and many high jinks ensue. Eventually, thanks to inexplicable help from Junior, they can steal the honey badger and stage a death-defying escape from the castle. Will Ferrell joins the cast as the new villain, Maxime Le Mal. Also, Pharrell Williams is back as the film’s songwriter and music coordinator.

Director Lee Isaac Chung came out to introduce his new film, Twisters, a long-awaited follow-up to the 1996 classic. Chung talked about being a fan of the original and what he was hoping to achieve with the realism in the new films. He also spoke about wanting to make the film a hopeful story rather than a pessimistic about nature. Stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos all took the stage next and took part in a playful skit with some fake leaves, a stuffed cow, and some wind fans to demonstrate the conditions they worked under onset.

The presentation revealed a new trailer for the film, offering more of the action and stunts. Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate Cooper reluctantly teams up with storm-chasing influencer Tyler Owens (Powell) to attempt to use a device she believes can disrupt a tornado. It’s not clear what connections, if any, there are to the first movie. It looks like all of them are new characters. The only things that look similar are the rural American setting and a deadly storm system similar to the first movie. I thought the original was a great popcorn movie, so we’ll see how this one turns out. Twisters hits theaters on July 19.

Universal also debuted a new trailer for Blumhouse Production’s update of its Wolfman franchise, now titled Wolf Man from writer-director Leigh Whannell. In this remake, a family of three is alone at a cabin, and it looks like the father becomes bitten by a Werewolf before becoming one himself. Much like Invisible Man was used as a metaphor for controlling, abusive significant others, this film looks like it’s perhaps exploring the idea of an abusive parent or spouse, but it’s still not completely clear. It arrives in theaters on January 17, 2025.

Another creepy horror film that was showcased was James Watkin’s Speak No Evil. In this feature, a family of three unwittingly befriends and stays with a family of psychopaths headed by dad James McAvoy. Their son doesn’t talk much, and the trailer later reveals that McAvoy’s character likely cut off his tongue. It’s a creepy, unsettling premise at least, realizing you are trapped in a remote vacation home with some unhinged lunatics.

During the Focus Features portion of the presentation, a trailer was shown for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. I’m very much looking forward to this one. It looks like Eggers was given a sizable budget to realize his vision, as the scope looks fairly large and epic. This looks like a classic gothic horror take on vampires. However, we only got a brief glimpse of what I believe was Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok. Nosferatu arrives on December 25.

Director Chris Sanders and star Lupita Nyong’o were out next to preview the new DreamWorks Animation feature, The Wild Robot. Nyong’o stars as Roz, a helper robot meant to assist humans in a futuristic society. However, her container ends up crash-landing in the wilderness, and she unwittingly becomes a mother to a newly hatched gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor). Now, Roz has to help the gosling learn how to swim and fly by the fall. However, Roz’s makers send other robots after her to reclaim their equipment. This looks like it will be an emotional journey, but it will have talking animals. That said, the imagery looked dynamic and powerful as Roz grows beyond her programming and becomes a “Wild Robot.” This is an animated feature with a lot of potential.

The first Wicked movie, based on the iconic stage musical, closed out the Universal presentation. The studio went all out for the showcase, giving the audience light-up lanyards and roses for the experience. There was a fun introduction by the giant, mechanical talking head for the Great and Terrible Oz before Oz himself (Jeff Goldblum) appeared live to talk about his work on the film. Goldblum considered the production and experience “dreamy” before bringing out producer Marc Platt and director Jon M. Chu to preview the upcoming film. Chu noted that production recently wrapped on both parts, as Wicked will be released as two films. Chu also spoke about his personal connection to Elphaba as a character. They were later joined onstage by Jonathan Bailey (Fiero) and Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible). Yeoh jokingly asked Chu why he always casts her as such “mean” characters. Chu says her characters are only complicated and she colors them all with such wonderful shades. Chu and Platt noted that casting Elphaba and Glinda was critical to the film, and Platt explained how Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande “claimed” the roles.

Erivo and Grande took the stage next looking very excited to talk about the film and spoke about the responsibility of portraying their characters. This was followed by a new look at the film. I noticed while the trailer had snippets of all the famous songs, there didn’t appear to be any teases of the musical numbers or actually showing the actors singing the songs. I assume that’s being saved for the film or later trailers. I do like the casting of Peter Dinklage as Doctor Dillamond and how Dillamond looks like an actual goat rather than an anthropomorphic goat. The first Wicked movie arrives on November 27. Part 2 arrives on November 26, 2025.

That wraps up Day 3 of CinemaCon. I’ll be back later to finish things off for Day 4 with Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios!