MGM Amazon Studios has entered the CinemaCon chat. The studio, known mostly for its streaming content, came out swinging at this year’s event held in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. In their opening statement, the studio says that they are planning on releasing 14 titles for theatrical release in 2026. What is interesting about their presentation is that the majority of their presentation was for 2026, meaning if they come back for a sophomore showing, they will have to talk about the same films again with their approaching release. Below we take a look at what was announced at their inaugural presentation.
“PROJECT HAIL MARY”
The first feature film featured was “Project Hail Mary”, starring Ryan Gosling and helmed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Those in attendance were the first people to see the exclusive trailer that gave us details about the film. It feels like a film inspired by “Interstellar”, as Gosling plays a science teacher who is forced to go to space in order to try and save Earth. In another star system 12 lightyears away, he meets an alien named Rocky, who is trying to figure out the same problem for his planet.
Kevin Wilson, head of Theatrical Distribution, said that this film, “is everything you want in a theatrical event”. Later, Gosling joked that, “we tried to put it on a TV once and it wouldn’t fit. “Project Hail Mary” is set to hit theaters on March 20, 2026.
“VERITY”
Next up was one for the book clubs, “Verity”. This feature film is based on the popular Colleen Hoover book. The film adaptation stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. While the stars were not in attendance, they did send a quick video to share their excitement for the project. The CinemaCon crowd was then treated to the first look at the teaser trailer. “Verity” is scheduled to be released on May 26.
“THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR”
In a quick video message from Michael B. Jordan, we find out that he is across the pond in London, filming “The Thomas Crown Affair”. A film in which he stars, directs, and produces. That film is also scheduled to be released in sometime 2026.
“AFTER THE HUNT”
Moving to a film by Luca Guadagnino titled, “After The Hunt”. Guadagnino was in attendance along with stars Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri. The film stars Julia Roberts as a college professor who finds herself in a tough spot after one of her best students accuses one of her colleagues of inappropriate behavior. Dealing with this situation now threatens to reveal a dark secret from her past.
“MERCY”
Now to a crime-thriller starring Chris Pratt titled “Mercy”. In the film, we find a society that has developed a judicial system that is powered by A.I. The program takes the place of a judge, jury, and executioner. Pratt plays a detective who was the one that happned to design the system. But when his wife is murdered, he is connected to the machine that warns him that he has 90 minutes to prove his innocence or be executed. The A.I. is played by Rebeca Fergeson.
After the trailer, the lights came back on, and we found Chris Pratt on stage strapped to that same chair. To be released, Pratt must compliment and thank exhibitors more grandly. “Mercy” is said to be released on January 23, 2026.
“THREE BAGS FULL: A SHEEP DETECTIVE MOVIE”
This next film seemed to throw everyone off for a moment, especially when the first image we see of it is Hugh Jackman with goats, for the film “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie. Jackman appeared virtually along with co-star Emma Thompson to talk about how bonkers the project is. It is described as a “who done it” type of story as a flock of sheep tries to solve the murder of their shepherd. Looks like it could be a lot of fun. That one is alsc scheduled for sometime in 2026.
“CRIME 101”
To talk about the next film, we welcomed Chris Hemsworth and Halle Barry, along with director Bart Layton titled “Crime 101”. They said that in this film, we find four very different complicated people on a collision course. Layton says that he was looking to “capture LA in a way that we haven’t seen in theaters,” with a thought provoking thriller that is visually striking with puzzles that will keep you guessing until the end.
We were treated to what looked like an extended trailer, where we meet all four protagonists individually, which, along with Hemsworth and Berry includes Mark Ruffalo and Barry Keoghan. Through the footage we see the series of crimes that sparks the plot. With the way this was shot, it also seems to incorporate a noir feel.
“IS GOD IS”
The thriller was followed by an upcoming Broadway feature film adaptation of “Is God Is”. To talk about the film, Vivika A. Fox, Kara Young, and Mallori Johnson took the stage. The story follows two twins named Racine and Anaia. Despite being twins, they have burn scars that make them look very distinct from one another. One day, they find out that their mom is still alive and that their father was responsible for their burns as well as their mother’s bedridden state. The twins are ordered to find and kill their father, kicking off a journey where they question whether murder will solve anything or if mercy might be the right path.
On stage the ladies described the film as an afro punk, spaghetti western, Greek tragedy.
ALSO SEE CINEMACON RECAP: EVERYTHING ANNOUNCED BY WARNER BROS.
“MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE”
Next was one of the most anticipated projects from the studios, “Masters of the Universe”. While there was no trailer shown, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the filming. This included commentary from director Travis Knight. We got a closer look at a lot of the costumes and sets, which seemed like they were trying to do as practically as possible. It looks like it’s going to be a massive film that fans can be proud of. On stage, there was also concept art of some of the characters. The film is slated to be released on June 5, 2026.
“THE ACCOUNTANT 2”
For the finale of the Amazon MGM Studios presentation, Ben Affleck, John Bernthal, Daniella Pineda, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson took the stage to talk about “The Accountant 2”, which is ready to make its debut in theaters on April 25. We got an extended trailer, which showcased a bit of a shift in tone from the previous film. This feels more of an action-comedy than a more serious action film. One that explores more the brotherhood between Affleck and Bernthal’s characters.
JAMES BOND
I think everyone was anxious to see if we were going to get any information regarding the future of the James Bond franchise. Amazon MGM executives Courtney Valenti and Sue Kroll spoke briefly about the new director of the franchise under Amy Pascal and David Heyman, saying, “We are committed to honoring the legacy of this iconic character while bringing a fresh, exotic new chapter to audiences around the world. Apparently they are currently in London working on the project. At the end of the presentation there was a sizzle reel that concluded with a shot of a “Top Secret” James Bond script and the iconic shot down the barrel that morphed into the MGM logo.
Overall, I feel that it was a solid presentation, showcasing a range of projects as well as the amazing talent behind them.
What was your favorite announcement? Let us know in the comment section below!
