CinemaCon Preview: 5 Films That Will Get a Boost in Vegas Next Week, and Wild Predictions for Each Studio

Happy Wednesday, folks!

Well, unless you work for Bad Robot, which is downsizing in very public fashion in the wake of J.J. Abrams’ humbling move to New York; or Sony, which is laying off hundreds; or Disney, which is expected to lay off 1000 staffers as part of some scheme Josh D’Amaro has allowed to be labeled “Project Imagine”; or you’re Jeff Shell, the former president of Paramount Skydance who was forced to resign after being sued by a gambler whose company he never should’ve kept; or you’re a fan of Steven Soderbergh, who announced that his next movie with Wagner Moura will be made with the help of… “a lot of AI.” And gas is nearly $7 a gallon. God help us all!

At least it was a good day for the editors of the Avatar franchise, as Disney apparently wants James Cameron to make Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 “shorter.” I don’t know if that will make their job easier or harder, but at least there will be fewer child kidnappings to sort through — one would hope!

I’ve been too busy watching television — Beef S2, The Boys S5, Daredevil: Born Again S2, Euphoria S3, Hacks S5, HBO’s Half Man, Netflix’s Detective Hole, NBC’s two Law & Order shows, etc. — to pay much attention to all the Cannes rumors floating around, but suffice to say, I fully expect Zack Snyder’s The Last Photograph to make its debut on the Croisette, as rumored. I’ve heard good things about the film, which represents a change of pace for its talented director following a trio of Netflix movies.

I’m also hearing good things about Antoine Fuqua’s Michael in advance of its April 24 release. By then, the domestic box office will have gone from Super Mario to Super Michael, as the music biopic is poised to open north of $60 million. Expect it to perform even better overseas, where Michael Jackson is beloved.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been so busy setting up the new pad that when I looked up at the clock last night, I realized there was no way I could get from Santa Monica to Century City in time for Emerson College’s 6th annual Industry Film Showcase at CAA, organized by the tireless Aimee Rivera. I heard the event had a great turnout, though, and I’m bummed to have missed it.

Tonight, I’ve got a juicy CinemaCon preview, a scoop about Netflix’s Kevin Hart roast, and a look at today’s Superman casting mishegas.

There are also items about the new writers of the X-Men and Scream franchises, the latest addition to FX’s Alien: Earth, movies about Bob Barker and Walter Cronkite, and my thoughts on A24’s teaser for Olivia Wilde’s Sundance comedy The Invite.

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