Paramount Shows Off Action and Animation at CinemaCon as Skydance Merger Looms

Paramount’s Thursday CinemaCon presentation comes as the studio has hit a crossroads. With its upcoming merger with Skydance going through a lengthy government review process, this is expected to be the last time that Paramount chief Brian Robbins will be on the Las Vegas stage.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished at Paramount amidst all the noise going on at our parent company,” Robbins said in his speech, which reflected on the century-plus history of the Melrose studio that is about to move under David Ellison’s ownership.

Whenever he may exit, Robbins, along with a team that includes film president Mike Ireland and animation president Ramsey Naito, would leave behind a lengthy slate. Robbins listed some of those films in his opening remarks, which include Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of the book series”Children of Blood and Bone,” David Ayer’s “Heart of the Beast,” and the next chapter of one of Paramount’s most dependable franchises, “Sonic the Hedgehog 4.”

Domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson also continued his CinemaCon tradition of dramatic entrances, taking part in a “Mission: Impossible”-themed motorcycle stunt show, along with candid thoughts on the challenges facing moviegoing.

“We have to offer a premium moviegoing experience, not just charge premium prices,” said Aronson. He praised movie theater chains that are making pro-customer changes like fewer trailers, grassroots marketing to potential moviegoers, daily deals on concessions, and extended matinee prices until 6 PM.

To drive that home, he presented a graphic listing theater chains that do each of those things, such as Midwest chain Classic Cinemas, which has extended matinee prices across all of its locations.

But Aronson mixed that constructive criticism with a little dash of snark.

“Discount Tuesdays. Everybody does them. But why not Discount Wednesdays? Unless you’re already at full capacity,” he said.

Robbins and Aronson gave way to a presentation that was focused on action and animation, starting with Glen Powell and Edgar Wright presenting their take on “The Running Man,” which Paramount hopes will play a role similar to what “Gladiator II” played against “Wicked” and “Moana 2” and attract moviegoers who want fight scenes instead of music numbers.

On the comedic side, “The Lonely Island” member Akiva Schaeffer will bring back the “Naked Gun” series, which got the audience roaring with laughter when an extended trailer showed a biting acknowledgment of O.J. Simpson’s involvement in the series. Ramsey Naito also took the stage to announce the new title for “The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender” and new trailers for “The Smurfs” and “Spongebob SquarePants: The Search for Squarepants”

And at the end of the show, Tom Cruise took the stage to reveal a new trailer for “Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning” and to present the film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie, with the CinemaCon Director of the Year award. He also took a moment to honor the late Val Kilmer, with whom he shared the screen on both “Top Gun” films.

The post Paramount Shows Off Action and Animation at CinemaCon as Skydance Merger Looms appeared first on TheWrap.