CinemaCon Buzzmeter: What’s Hot and Cold in Las Vegas

CINEMACON BUZZMETER WHAT’S HOT AND COLD AT THIS YEAR’S EXHIBITOR CONFAB IN VEGAS: THE LION KING Talk about a home run. Disney offered a glimpse at stunning footage of a young Simba and Mufasa basking in a photorealistic African savannah. Add the prospect of Donald Glover and Beyonce singing classic hits, and this remake looks to be huge. (Disney, July 19, 2019) TOY STORY 4 Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and crew look just fine in new hands. The toy’s first big adventure without Andy still captures all the magic from the first three films. Fourth time’s a charm! (Disney, June 21, 2019) IT: CHAPTER 2 “You’ll float, too.” The tagline of Stephen King’s terrifying adaptation likely applies to its box office numbers as well. Both generations of the Losers’ Club took the stage in Vegas, promising to haunt audiences once again. (WB, Sept. 6, 2019) GEMINI MAN Will Smith and Ang Lee make for a powerful duo. The dramatic footage that uses cutting-edge technology to see Smith fighting his younger self was enough to wow the crowd at CinemaCon. (Paramount, Oct. 11, 2019) GOOD BOYS Footage of Seth Rogen’s raunchy comedy starring Jacob Tremblay as an innocent teen who lets the f-bombs fly got huge laughs in the crowd. (Universal, Aug. 16, 2019) THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 The sequel looks just as funny and adorable as the first. Add Tiffany Haddish as a feisty Shih Tzu named Daisy, and Universal has pet-lovers salivating. (Universal, June 7, 2019) TERMINATOR: DARK FATE Mackenzie Davis, Gabriel Luna and Natalia Reyes join franchise mainstays Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton in a sequel that looks gritty and satisfying thanks to director Tim Miller. (Paramount, Nov. 1, 2019) ROCKETMAN Taron Egerton channels Sir Elton John, fabulous eyewear and all, in the fantasy musical. Renditions of hits like “Your Song,” “Crocodile Rock” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” make it feel like an all-out rock concert. (Paramount, May 31, 2019) JOKER The Crown Prince of Crime received a warm reception in Vegas. Joaquin Phoenix’s gritty take on the Joker dulled skepticism about the DC origin story.(WB, Oct. 4, 2019) FORD V. FERRARI Matt Damon and Christian Bale play an engineer and race car driver in bed with Ford, struggling to build an automobile to defeat the dominant ride of the 1960s — the Ferrari. We’d bet this one cruises through awards season. (Fox, Nov. 15, 2019) DETECTIVE PIKACHU If Ryan Reynolds can pull off his same snarky charm from “Deadpool,” the Pokemon adaptation could become a hit among fanboys. (WB, May 10, 2019) UGLYDOLLS The animated adventure about a band of misfit sockpuppets could be a crowd-pleaser with families. Plus, it features all-new music from Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and Blake Shelton. (STX, May 3, 2019) YESTERDAY The premise seems simple enough: What if you were the only person in the world who knew John, Paul, George, and Ringo? But iconic renditions of Beatles songs might not be enough to prevent the film from feeling too cheesy. (Universal, June 28, 2019) ALADDIN Guy Ritche’s take on the Disney classic tows a thin line between captivating and cringy. Can Will Smith’s Genie hold a candle to Robin Williams’ epic role? (Disney, May 25, 2019) MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN Ed Norton directs and stars in this drama about a 1950s private detective with Tourette’s. The rough trailer screened sucked the oxygen out of the room. (WB, Nov. 1, 2019)