CinemaCon Day 3 is finally here! That Hashtag Show is on-hand inside the Universal presentation, keeping you updated on everything getting announced and discussed in Las Vegas, Nevada. Michael Knoblach, head of music over at Universal, is out first with a live orchestra.
They’ll be playing some selections from classic cinema tonight and performing along with all the high-profile announcements that Universal has for the crowd. There’s some Back to the Future early on, and the entire room basically starts vibrating during Jurassic Park!
JAWS and The Fast Saga are also getting the orchestral treatment. The crowd has another big reaction to Despicable Me’s score playing on such lavish instrumentation. Oppenheimer’s massive sound fills the room and people are really feeling it now.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is also a part of this showcase and you can feel some of that nostalgia take hold. Wicked closes us out and the entire crowd is primed and ready for some big announcements!
Check out our recap of the Universal presentation below:
Jurassic World Rebirth
Donna Langley, the Chairwoman of Universal Studios, comes out to greet everyone. The studio touts its 65 films released over the last 3 years. (Universal also mentions that their Rotten Tomatoes average is higher than any other studio since 2021. The more you know!) It turns out that having Jurassic Park play such a big role in that orchestra performance was a hint. Because out strolls director Garetth Edwards.
Jurassic World Rebirth is the bold new start for this beloved franchise. But, the filmmaker isn’t alone. His series stars, Mahershala Ali and Scarlet Johansson, are here as well! Gareth Edwards mentions wanting to make this film “feel as realistic as possible.” So, Jurassic World Rebirth was shot on location in Thailand.
Johansson says that getting into Jurassic Park has been a dream of hers for a while. (15 years!) She rolled up on Steven Spielberg personally to secure this role. Apparently, Ali isn’t a fan of rollercoasters. Edwards quips that he’s not a fan of streaming. An exclusive scene is just the icing on this cake. Jurassic World Rebirth thrives on dinosaur attacks, tension, and the series’ trademark action set pieces. Big crowd pleaser on the way from Universal there.
Dreamworks!
Gabby’s Dollhouse is the first project from Dreamworks. Gloria Esteban plays Granny, and Kristen Wiig is the cat lady. Expect more on that one soon!
Next up is The Bad Guys 2. The first movie really made some moves at the box office, so expect more of the same here. Craig Robinson and Awkwafina are out to talk about the film! As one would expect, Robinson brought an inflatable shark up on stage.
The Bad Guys 2 sees our crew dragged back into action by a group called The Bad Girls. There’s rocket hijacking, luchadores, and even more zany heist action. The first movie was so good, so it’s fun to see the world expanding.
How To Train Your Dragon
Big news right out of the gate with this movie. How to Train Your Dragon 2 now has a release date. Fans can look forward to Hiccup and Toothless’s return on June 11, 2027. Dean DeBlois, Gerard Butler, and Nico Parker are here to talk about making the live-action version of the fan-favorite.
HIM
We get Marlon Wayans and Tyreek Withers out to introduce the film. Delightful little joke about how he’s the only member of the family here. The movie’s out on September 19th and the trailer is playing. HIM is a sports/horror hybrid movie. Jordan Peele is involved, so take that as a warning folks, it is going to be interesting!
Nobody 2
Bob Odenkirk is back as Hutch in this follow-up to a wild action feature. They showed us the trailer and that might have been the biggest reaction of the night in the room. Hutch and his family are on vacation, and he gets lured into another criminal underworld.
For fans of Nobody, this is exciting because the sequel seems to have a different feel from the first movie. So much action, and Odenkirk in full blown star mode, a lot of people are going to be circling this one on their calendars.
Focus Features
Specialty features and genre fans can rejoice! We’ve got a wide berth here. The Phoenician Scheme, Bogonia, and Downton Abbey all get some love on the big screen. A whole lot of variety is going on. Wes Anderson turned the style knob to 11 for The Phoenician Scheme. (And it’s him so that’s amazing on a theater screen.) There are so many stars involved as well.
Yorgos Lanthimos is also back for his next film, Bugonia. Emma Stone is alone, at this point, of course, she’s going to be! There are bees and kidnappings galore. But, no one was prepared for the next reveal…
Blumhouse
Jason Blum strolls onto the stage in a Freddy Fazbear suit. So, it’s Five Nights At Freddy’s time. The first film did pretty amazing numbers at the box office. FNAF 2 is going to hit theaters in December. And, there’s a first look for people in the crowd! The FNAF trailer is mostly just vibe setting. However, somebody gets pulled through a glass door. And then, near the end, Josh Hutcherson and his family return.
Drop is a non-sequel original IP that Blumhouse has on-deck. The studio has a bunch of projects on the docket though. (In a completely unrelated note, FNAF 1 was Blumhouse’s biggest movie ever.) The second movie in the popular kids horror franchise will be rated PG-13.
The Black Phone 2
Some things we assumed from the end of the first film are not the case. Death is not the end for some of the characters we’ve met. In the new footage, “Rooster” by Alice In Chains plays. There’s a youth camp, and everything has a decidedly sinister edge.
The Grabber is back. There’s a phone booth. This audience is already drawn in. Truly terrifying stuff to close that clip out.
M3GAN 2.0
Okay, so this sounds made up but there are no less than 30 M3GANs on stage. The performers are contorting and dancing to “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. I think we’re setting the right tone. But, we’re also a bit creeped out. (Probably a good thing!)
Madeline McGraw is on-hand to help intro the film too. The clip they showed is nothing short of short-circuit inducing. We noticed androids fighting each other and the tone of the sequel really snowballing. It’s like the creative team looked each other in the eyes and said, “let’s leave it all out there.”
As a final touch, Jason Blum returns with a special guest: James Wan! Apparently, we’re doing an adult version of M3GAN called SoulM8te. That one is out in January. Traile pushes that concept to its logical extreme, too.
2026 Slate
This is going to have the Internet talking. April is bringing us The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel! There are other hits on here as well. Minions 3 barrages into theaters in July. Shrek 5 will grace screens in Holiday 2026. For the summer frame, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hits along with Spielberg’s upoming project.
Wicked For Good
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande walk out to introduce what could be the biggest film of the year. The orchestra is making a full-throated appearance here. John M. Chu climbs up onto the stage as well. Wicked is the highest-selling December movie of all time. And, there’s footage to be shown as well!
Hard to hear exactly what’s going on over all this screaming. But the music is just sublime. Teases for The Wizard, heartfelt reunions, and so much more. It’s clear that Wicked fever never really left.
Wicked For Good takes us back down the yellow brick road on November 21, 2025.
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