One of the movie industry’s biggest annual event was a packed four days. Here is everything that happened, from Spider-Man to Avengers: Doomsday and more.
CinemaCon 2026 just wrapped up at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and over the course of four days, nearly every major studio took the stage to show what is coming. The announcements kept rolling in all week with first looks, surprise celebrity appearances, footage reveals, and one trailer that got played twice because the star asked for it. Here is a running look at the biggest moments from each presentation.
Paddington 4, Spider-Man, and a Resident Evil reboot
The week opened with a few quieter presentations before Sony took over for the night. StudioCanal got early buzz by announcing Paddington 4 is in active development, along with a new animated Paddington, a live-action Pippi Longstocking, and films based on the Mr. Men books. Angel Studios also unveiled Runner, an action film starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson.
Sony’s presentation was the main event of the night too, with CEO Tom Rothman opening with a passionate push for longer theatrical windows, shorter pre-show ads, and lower ticket prices. Then Tom Holland appeared via hologram to introduce an extended clip from Spider-Man: Brand New Day showing a Peter Parker nobody recognizes anymore, with MJ moved on and his eye mysteriously turning black. Holland described it as the most emotional Spider-Man entry yet. The film opens in July 2026. Zach Cregger also previewed his Resident Evil reboot with a tense, creepy clip, and Sony confirmed an R-rated animated Bloodborne film and Justin Lin’s live-action Helldivers for 2027.
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Warner Bros. brought the star power
Warner Bros. had one of the most talked-about nights of the week. Surprise appearances from Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Timothee Chalamet, and Zendaya kept the energy high throughout. The Lord of the Rings news was a genuine highlight, and Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum is confirmed for December 2027, with Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood returning and Jamie Dornan joining as Aragorn. Warner Bros. also launched a new film label called Clockwork, with Sean Baker’s Ti Amo! announced as its first release in 2027.
Legends on stage and Ryan Gosling being well, Ryan Gosling
Universal brought Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and Robert De Niro to the stage together, which was a moment in itself. A first trailer for Violent Night 2 also dropped, with Kirsten Bell announced as Mrs. Claus.
Amazon MGM’s night was immediately stolen by Ryan Gosling, who walked out carrying a bouquet of flowers and a handwritten thank-you note that he passed around the entire audience. The studio confirmed an extended theatrical window for his film Project Hail Mary following one of the biggest opening weekends of 2026.
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Paramount’s merger news and Johnny Depp’s return
Paramount opened Day 4 with a Tom Cruise-narrated video directed by Jon M. Chu, featuring cameos from Timothee Chalamet, James Cameron, the Duffer Brothers, and Sonic the Hedgehog. CEO David Ellison then made the biggest industry announcement of the panel, promising a minimum of 30 films per year from Paramount and Warner Bros. combined once their merger closes. Johnny Depp also appeared alongside Johnny Knoxville, with Street Fighter and Sonic the Hedgehog 4 both getting stage time.
Disney and Marvel ended the week with a bang
Disney closed out CinemaCon with the most anticipated presentation of the week. Jon Favreau kicked things off by showing the first 18 minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars film in theaters since 2019. The footage opens with Mando and Grogu hunting ex-Imperial warlords across a snowy battlefield, taking down AT-AT walkers. Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward then sends them on a new mission to track down Rotta the Hutt, played by Jeremy Allen White. The film opens on May 22.
Then Robert Downey Jr. walked into Sympathy for the Devil and introduced the first full trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. He liked it so much, he made Disney play it twice. The trailer assembles the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four in one MCU film for the first time. Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier warns that an unthinkable decision is coming. Thor says they need a miracle. That miracle is Chris Evans, back as Steve Rogers for the first time since Endgame, catching Mjolnir out of Thor’s hand in the final shot. Kevin Feige confirmed the film ties back to the original X-Men timeline, and that Endgame will be re-released in September ahead of Doomsday’s December 18 opening.
Disney also confirmed Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back for Toy Story 5 on June 19, showed first footage from the live-action Moana with Dwayne Johnson opening July 10, revealed Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones as leads of its upcoming animated film Hexed, and confirmed The Devil Wears Prada 2 with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway opens on April 29 in PH and May 1 worldwide.
Four days, seven major studio presentations, and more footage reveals than any single fan could keep up with. With Star Wars back on the big screen in May, a stacked Disney summer ahead, and Avengers: Doomsday sitting at the end of the calendar, the 2026 movie year has a lot riding on it.
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