Twenty-four years after the Oscar-winning original, ‘Gladiator II’ is set to make its long-awaited debut this November. Paul Mescal stars as a grown-up Lucius, nephew of the fallen Emperor Commodus. The sequel continues the saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance in Ancient Rome, introducing a host of new characters and adding fresh layers to the story.
The film features a blend of familiar faces and new talent. Paul Mescal (known for the TV series ‘Normal People’) takes on the central role of Lucius along with other new joiners Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal. Returning cast members include Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi.
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Yes! Ridley Scott returns to direct ‘Gladiator II’, produced by Scott Free. The film reunites several key members of the original production team, including cinematographer John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max, and costume designer Janty Yates. Scott himself has called the film “one of the best things I’ve ever made.”
‘Gladiator II’ is poised to become one of 2024’s biggest blockbusters, with expectations high for it to break up to ten box office records, according to Screen Rant. The budget has increased from US$165 million to US$310 million, making it one of the most expensive films ever made.
Scott hints at an epic opening sequence, potentially his grandest action scene yet.
The first official trailer for ‘Gladiator II’ has made a massive impact, garnering 128 million views across social media platforms in just 24 hours. This more than doubles the 75 million views achieved by the “Top Gun: Maverick” trailer, highlighting the immense excitement surrounding the sequel.
The original ‘Gladiator’ set a high bar, earning 12 Academy Award nominations and winning five, including Best Picture. It grossed US$503.1 million against a US$103 million budget. ‘Gladiator II’ is expected to continue this legacy, making a significant impact at the box office and potentially breaking multiple records.
This highly anticipated blockbuster provides a valuable platform for brands to connect with both long-time fans and new movie enthusiasts who appreciate epic storytelling and high-quality cinema. The film is expected to resonate particularly well with affluent male audiences.
Contact us to explore advertising opportunities alongside this monumental release.
Prepare for battle— in cinemas November 14, 2024.
Source: Valmorgan, Entertainment Weekly, Screen Rant, Deadline
The 2023 edition of CinemaCon drew to a successful close after four days of thrilling presentations, demonstrations, and discussions, which offered an unparalleled opportunity for industry leaders to come together and discuss the future of cinema.
CinemaCon attendees were privy to exclusive product presentations, cutting-edge technology demonstrations, and thought-provoking panel discussions featuring experts from various sectors of the industry, including studio executives, theatre operators, and technology providers.
Leading studios, including Disney, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery, presented their latest trailers for upcoming theatrical releases, and as always, the event concluded with the ‘Big Screen Achievement Awards’ – held in honor of celebrities whose contributions to the industry have helped shape cinema into what it is today.
If you missed any of the presentations, fear not! Here are the latest trailers that were released during the event:
Sony Pictures set the tone for CinemaCon 2023 by showcasing a variety of major movie trailer releases and announcements. Some of the notable titles that were unveiled included Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Gran Turismo: The Movie, The Equalizer 3, and Insidious: The Red Door.
The Equalizer 3
Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington presented the first trailer of The Equalizer 3, in which he reprises the role of former government assassin Robert McCall. The film is described as the “final chapter” in the story, indicating that it could be the last with Washington as Robert.
The film is set to release in cinema on 31 August 2023.
Gran Turismo: The Movie
Orlando Bloom and Stranger Things star David Harbour presented a new trailer for Gran Turismo: The Movie. The film is based on the life of Jann Mardenborough, a real-life Gran Turismo player who became a professional racer. Archie Madekwe plays Mardenborough in the film. It also stars Djimon Hounsou as Mardenborough’s father. Harbour plays Jack Salter, a retired race car driver, who trains Jann.
The film is set to release in cinema on 10 August 2023.
Insidious: The Red Door
CinemaCon 2023 attendees were treated to an extended trailer for Insidious: The Red Door.The new footage showed an adult Dalton (Ty Simpkins) being haunted by a wide variety of demons while now attending college. At the request of his wife Renai (Rose Byrne), father Josh (Patrick Wilson) accompanies him to help move into his college dorm where he realizes that Dalton’s connection to “the Further” is coming back in full force.
The film is set for release in cinema on 6 July 2023.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Fourteen minutes from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was shown at CinemaCon 2023 as the studio is still finishing the movie. The latest trailer shows Miles Morales as he returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
The film is set to release in cinema on 1 June 2023
Other movies showcased by Sony Pictures included Kraven the Hunter (5 October 2023), Dumb Money (19 October 2023) and Napoleon (21 November 2023).
Warner Bros. Discovery presented a slew of trailers and announcements on 25 April, the second day of the mega event. Here is a look at the studio’s upcoming releases including three DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movies — The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The Flash
Ezra Miller plays two versions of Barry Allen in different realities. While Ben Affleck appears as Batman in his own reality, Michael Keaton returns as the Dark Knight in an alternate reality in the story. Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and Michael Shannon’s General Zod are also seen in much more detail in the new trailer.
The film is set to release in cinema on 15 June 2023.
Blue Beetle
The Blue Beetle footage shown at CinemaCon 2023 was very similar to the trailer that was recently released. However, it did give us an even better look at the villainous Carapax. The trailer shows what fans have already seen, which is Xolo Maridueña’s Jamie Reye getting his hands on an alien object that looks like a mystical scarab which turns him into a superhero.
The film is set to release in cinema on 17 August 2023.
Barbie
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling joined director Greta Gerwig for an extended trailer release of Barbie.
The film is set to release in cinema on 20 July 2023.
Other movies showcased by Warner Bros. Discovery included: Dune: Part Two (2 November 2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (19 December 2023), Wonka (14 December 2023), The Color Purple (24 December 2023), The Nun II (7 September 2023), Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (TBA).
Disney brought Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Animation and Pixar films to CinemaCon 2023. Among these were MCU films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels, animated movie Elemental, and highly anticipated movies The Little Mermaid and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
A Haunting in Venice
The third instalment in Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movies had its first teaser trailer release at CinemaCon 2023.
The film is set to release in cinema on 14 September 2023.
Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins
The maverick Taika Waititi is ready with his sports comedy film Next Goal Wins. It is about the American Samoa football team, known infamously for its 31-0 loss to Australia in a FIFA game in 2001. The film follows Michael Fassbender’s Thomas Rongen, a coach who is hired to help the team qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The film is set to release in cinema on 16 November 2023.
Elemental
Pixar’s Elemental is an animated film about residents of Element City, each of whom belong to an elemental group — land, air, water and fire. The extended 20-minute clip focussed on a fire element character, Ember, from the time she was a baby to her younger years. Unable to control her temper, she causes a disaster which brings her in conflict with water-element character Wade.
The film is set to release in cinema on 15 June 2023.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny concluded Disney’s slate of presentations at the event. Attendees got to see an action-packed clip from the upcoming film. The clip followed Harrison Ford’s Indy and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena in pursuit of Mads Mikkelsen’s antagonist character Jürgen Voller through Tangier in Morocco.
The film is set to release in cinema on 29 June 2023.
Other movies showcased by Disney included: The Creator (28 September 2023) and Wish (21 November 2023).
Paramount Studios showcased their 2023 and 2024 slates of highly anticipated movie titles during their presentation at CinemaCon 2023.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
CinemaCon 2023 was treated to a brand new look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The footage was extended from the already-released teaser.
The film is set to release in cinema on 3 August 2023.
The studio showcased a full 20 minutes of the upcoming film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, starring Tom Cruise and set to release on 11 July 2023, along with the first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which is scheduled for release on 19 October 2023, and a first look at A Quiet Place: Day One, set to release on 8 March 2024.
Universal and Focus Features presented their films after Disney on Day 3 of CinemaCon 2023.
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan took to the stage to introduce Oppenheimer, one of the most-anticipated movies of 2023. Nolan said that a full trailer may be attached to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 theatrical release. A five-minute reel was then shown to attendees. Cillian Murphy plays J. Robert Oppenheimer in the film. Matt Damon essays Major General Leslie Groves. Among the A-list star cast of the film are Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, David Dastmalchian, and Rami Malek among others.
The film is set to release in cinema on 20 July 2023.
Fast X
Vin Diesel made a surprise appearance at CinemaCon 2023 to announce that Fast X – Part 2 will be released in theaters in 2025. The announcement was made after the first part of the movie, Fast X, which is set to be released in cinemas on 18 May 2023. The event came to a close for the day following a trailer of Fast X.
Other titles showcased by Universal and Focus Features included: Drive-Away Dolls (22 September 2023), Kung Fu Panda 4 (6 March 2024), Wicked (November 2024).
Source: Lifestyle Asia, DiscussingFilm
The 94th Academy Awards Winners were held at the Dolby theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday 28 March 2022. Hollywood’s biggest night saw awards across 23 categories —eight of which were handed out in the hour before the ceremony.
The award ceremony featured musical performances by Beyonce, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, Reba McEntire, Sebastián Yatra, Travis Barker, Sheila E. and Robert Glasper.
The Night’s Presenters included Rachel Zegler (arriving at the Oscars after not originally being invited), Lady Gaga, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Murray, Jacob Elordi, Venus and Serena Williams, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Garner, H.E.R., Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Tony Hawk, Bill Murray, Elliot Page, Kelly Slater, Tracee Ellis Ross, Uma Thurman, Kevin Costner, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, Ruth E. Carter, Jason Moma, Josh Brolin, Shaun White, and many more — including last year’s acting winners Daniel Kaluuya, Anthony Hopkins, and Yuh-Jung Youn.
Here is the full list of winners from the 94th Academy Awards:
BEST PICTURE
Winner: CODA
Other nominees: Don’t Look Up, Dune, Belfast, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, King Richard, Nightmare Alley, Drive My Car, The Power of the Dog
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Other nominees: Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza; Steven Spielberg, West Side Story; Kenneth Branagh, Belfast; Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Other nominees: Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter; Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos; Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers; Kristen Stewart, Spencer
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Will Smith — King Richard
Other nominees: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog; Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick … Boom!, Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth; Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Winner: Billie Eilish and Finneas, “No Time to Die,” – No Time to Die
Other nominees: “Dos Oruguitas,” Encanto; “Be Alive,” King Richard; “Down to Joy,” Belfast; “Somehow You Do,” Four Good Days
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: Summer of Soul
Other nominees: Flee, Ascension, Attica, Writing with Fire
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: CODA
Other nominees: The Power of the Dog, The Lost Daughter, Dune, Drive My Car
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Belfast
Other nominees: Licorice Pizza, Don’t Look Up, King Richard, The Worst Person in the World
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Winner: Cruella
Other nominees: Dune, Nightmare Alley, Cyrano, West Side Story
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Winner: Drive My Car
Other nominees: The Worst Person in the World, Flee, The Hand of God, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Troy Kotsur, CODA
Other nominees: Kodi Smit-Mcphee, The Power of the Dog; Ciarán Hinds, Belfast; J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos; Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Encanto
Other nominees: Luca, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Flee, Raya and the Last Dragon
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner: Dune
Other nominees: Spider-Man: No Way Home, Free Guy, No Time To Die, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
BEST SOUND
Winner: Dune
Other nominees: The Power of the Dog, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Nightmare Alley, West Side Story
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Other nominees: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog; Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard; Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter; Judi Dench, Belfast
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner: Dune
Other nominees: Dune, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog, The Tragedy of Macbeth, West Side Story
BEST FILM EDITING
Winner: Dune
Other nominees: The Power of the Dog, Don’t Look Up, Tick, Tick … Boom!, King Richard
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Winner: Dune
Other nominees: The Power of the Dog, Parallel Mothers, Don’t Look Up, Encanto
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Winner: The Long Goodbye
Other nominees: The Dress, On My Mind, Please Hold, Ala Kachuu – Take and Run
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Winner: The Windshield Wiper
Other nominees: Robin Robin, Boxballet, Affairs of the Art, Bestia
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Winner: The Queen of Basketball
Other nominees: Audible, Lead Me Home, Three Songs for Benazir, When We Were Bullies
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Winner: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Other nominees: Coming 2 America, Cruella, Dune, House of Gucci
BEST SOUND
Winner: Dune
Other nominees: Belfast, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story
Source: Oscars