2024 poised to be superb year for movies 

NATO organizes an annual convention called CinemaCon, where studios gather to show cinema owners the movies they intend to release in the next twelve months.

Now, before you lose your mind, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) does not organize movie-related conventions in between overseeing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East; in this case, NATO refers to the National Association of Theater Owners. And if you are wondering why CinemaCon does not attract the same excitement as ComicCon, the convention is primarily a trade show.

Studios and technology firms are trying to woo cinema owners by showcasing new popcorn machines, projectors, coffee dispensers, etc. Nonetheless, entertainment journalists flood the convention because many studios use the event to promote their upcoming films.

CinemaCon 2024 was exciting because Hollywood is still reeling from the consequences of the 2023 Writer and Actor strikes. They needed to reassure stakeholders that business had resumed.

Disney was particularly impressive this year. They made more of an effort than usual because they struggled in 2023. The company has burnt through most of its goodwill. They wanted to give audiences a reason to trust them again, and the studio succeeded. Disney amazed its audience with 35 delightful minutes of Inside Out 2.

Apparently, the sequel may even exceed the quality of its predecessor. Some attendees were not on board with Mufasa: The Lion King. Who wants to know how Mufasa became Mufasa? Then again, similar questions arose when the live-action The Lion King was first announced, and that film grossed over a billion dollars.

Dwayne Johnson appeared to promote Moana 2, in which the titular character returns to the island after her epic journey across the open seas. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stole the show. Fans of the franchise wondered whether the film could thrive without Andy Serkis’s Ceasar. Disney’s footage quelled those doubts.

Deadpool 3 was the crowning jewel of the entire presentation. Kevin Feige called it the most joyous film they have ever made. If CinemaCon reviews are any indication, Disney gave Ryan Reynolds the freedom to be as filthy as he wanted.

Lionsgate’s sneak peek of Ballerina was well-received. Journalists praised Ana de Armas’s charm and vigor. They also lost their minds when Keanu Reeves’s Baba Yaga appeared. Micheal is still Hollywood’s most controversial project because it will attempt to explore Micheal Jackson’s life without highlighting the sex scandal that destroyed his legacy. And yet, footage of the biopic was met with applause at CinemaCon.

Reviews of the Gladiator 2 footage have been mixed. Director Ridley Scott has a spotty record, and even his hardcore fans are hesitant to trust him with this sequel.

Transformer One was the biggest surprise of the convention because it takes audiences back to the early days of the Transformers, when Megatron and Optimus were brothers in arms and before they gained their famous names and the ability to transform.

Fans of the indie scene are salivating over Robert Eggers’ next film (Nosferatu). The CinemaCon footage was everything they hoped for. The same is true for Wolfman, which is expected to follow in the footsteps of low-budget gems including The Invisible Man.

Warner Bros brought the house down with a trailer for Joker: Folie a Deux and footage from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. However, some CinemaCon attendees have argued that Mickey 17 eclipsed them all.

The director (Bong Joon-Ho) made Snowpiercer, and Parasite. Along with Alien: Romulus, which will attempt to recreate the claustrophobic horror of the first film, The Crow, and A Quiet Place: Day One, this year’s CinemaCon showed that 2024 will be an excellent year for movies.

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