President of Cinema for RealD, Anthony Marcoli, kicked off the panel. He reflects when Chicken Little kicked off RealD’s 3D innovations in movie theaters. He goes on to cite how many of the top 10 highest grossing films of 2015 were available in 3D, and it’s 8. He wrapped up by introducing Sony’s sizzle reel.
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The reel, which played without sound, featured clips from previous films and upcoming movies like Passengers, Ghostbusters, and Magnificent Seven.
Tom Rothman, Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, takes the stage. He fills the audience in on the massive amount of movies which are about to be previewed. The presentation will begin with two “very different” films, the first of which is Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. Footage plays.
An army soldier – Billy Lynn -stands beneath fire works of a huge football game. Flashing back, he’s in an intense battle of modern day warfare. He continues on the field, struggling with being honored for the worst day of his life. He reunites with his sister and family. It’s very emotional. He is told that his story belongs to America now. Vin Diesel puts his hand on Billy’s shoulder in a desert base. Billy is seen in love, at battle, crying on the field. To conclude the trailer, he watches fireworks on the field and is asked by his sister (Kristen Stewart) what really happened “over there.”
Next up is Passengers, which Rothman calls “intimate” and “epic.” He welcomes the movie’s stars, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt to the stage. Lawrence descibes her character: a writer in New York who wants to take the 120 year journey to come back and write about. Pratt’s Jim is a mechanic who enjoys fixing things. They present some early, incomplete footage for the film.
A huge ship, called Starship Avalon, flies through space with over 5200 character on board. Jim (Chris Pratt) is awoken ahead of schedule. He showers up and gets dressed, ready to meet people, but running around the extravagantly sci-fi ship, he finds no one. He soon learns that he won’t arrive on the destination planet for 90 years. He has trouble getting food and drinks but eventually gets coffee from a machine. Later, he’s excited to find a bartender, who turns out to be an android. Jim continues his exploring and innovating on the ship as the bartender’s voiceover tells him that every cloud has a silver lining. He eventually finds Lawrence’s character who is wondering what’s going on. She asks how long he’s been awake and it’s been a year and three weeks. They want to go back into hibernation but nothing works. They come to grips with the fact that it won’t work and start occupying each other on the ship by movies, dates, and swimming. They eventually got it on in the cafeteria, and the pool, and out in space (or at least hold hands out there). As Lawrence’s character swims, the gravity in the ship is lost and she is trapped in a bubble of water as Jim drifts from his bed. They come to find out they’re stranded on a sinking ship. Jim suits up to try and find a fix but the two are shown struggling on the ship and eventually he is pulled out into space.
Next up is a sizzle reel of films coming from TriStar. It includes looks at Jamie Foxx, Ansel Elgort, Lilly James, Alza Gonzalez, and Kevin Spacey’s Baby Driver, Ewan MacGregor’s T2 which will return the original cast and starts filming in May, and George Clooney and Julia Robert’s Money Monster.
Stage turns to Sony’s faith based films from Affirm Films and then Sony Pictures Animation. Kristen Belson takes the stage to talk about the upcoming animated projects. She discusses the “big, big adventure,” the Smurfs will go on in their next film and teases how the Smurfs world will be changed forever, highlighting Demi Lovato as Smurfette. Then, The Emoji Movie, which is set for August 11, 2017. It takes place inside of a cell phone where emojis live and work. Concept art looks like computer chips turned into communities and the movie will go to the “world of the wallpaper,” where each icon is a massive cube containing a unique world. In December of 2017, Sony Pictures Animation will tell a Nativity story from the point of view of animals on hand for the first Christmas. On September 21, 2018, the third installment of the Hotel Translyvania will arrive. Finally, the Animated Spider-Man movie set for December of 2018 is highlighted with a logo on screen.
Screen Gems takes over the screen for a sizzle reel, starting with an ad from Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation which transitions into a trailer set in Raccoon City. Alice says she’ll be telling her final story. Zombies are everywhere. Explosions and fire are everywhere. She’s leading a group to the hive. They have to get the airborne anti-virus. Alice ziplines and kicks ass and monsters look intense.
Then, blood drips down the screen. A message appears on the screen about crossing the line between reality and entertainment. Footage of people being killed in a house is seen through the “Keep Watching” title. A woman sits, crying, “Why are you doing this to us?” but the man doesn’t seem the least bit phased. In a kitchen, another man sees a photo printing from an old fashion Kodak camera. As the picture becomes more clear, he sees someone is standing behind him. Upon turning around, a masked man attacks the man in the kitchen.
Third is another “seductive thriller” which looks very intimate and brutal: When The Bough Breaks. Then, a look at the next Underworld film. The girl kicks ass in shadows and is preparing for a new war. She is told to pursue special blood which will make her invincible. A very recognizable cast slays enemies with quick action and effects. It’s Underworld: Blood Wars.
Lastly from Screen Gems is a film about a couple of poor decision making teens who attempt to rob a blind man but get caught. One gets killed and the two others are trapped in his house as he now has their friend’s gun. What they find is quite haunting. It’s action packed and claustrophobic as they try to escape. It’s Don’t Breathe.
Now, it’s time for the Columbia slate of films. They will be partnering with Skydance for Life with Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, and and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Looks at The Shallows, Inferno, and The Angry Birds Movie take the screen.
The Shallows sees Blake Lively eerily in the ocean. When she elects to catch one last wave she is ripped under the water. Two surfers try to rescue her but they are brutally mauled by a shark. Someone finds the footage and might be able to help but Lively’s character is stranded out in the middle of the ocean, claiming to have a plan.
Inferno sees Tom Hanks trying to finish the plan. He finds art of Dante’s Inferno and questions the map of hell. Chaos ensues and red smokey liquid erupts from a building.
Angry Birds shows the humor of birds not being able to fly. Red has trouble fitting in because he is always so angry.The green pigs show up and while many are welcoming, Red isn’t. He’s rallying everyone to fight against them.
It’s time for the grand finale. The lights go down on the speaker and start going a little crazy. Whispers are heard throughout the coliseum. Ghostbusters footage starts to play. The ladies ride in their ECTO-1 to the scene of a Ghost. As the light scome up, director Paul Feig and the four members of the Ghostbusters team are on the stage. Kate McKinnon says she has a life long love of taking things apart. Melissa McCarthy says she grew up in a barn talking to ghosts. Leslie Jones jokes with an audience member who yells, “I love you, Leslie!” Kristen Wiig claims to have gotten a degree in particle physics for the role. After the banter, they introduce some a new clip.
The new Ghostbusters, minus Leslie Jones, are looking for Ed Molgrave. A young man tells them he died fifteen years ago. McCarthy is excited because that means he’s a ghost and Ed Jr. approaches, looking exactly like Ed Molgrave. McCarthy is in a hurry. The young man tells her she is going to die in there. Inside, McCarthy tests for ghosts on a PKE meter which looks like a cotton candy maker. McKinnon films the whole thing. Wiig finds herself stepping in some slime on the ground and the door creeks open right behind her. She walks away, thinking it was a prank. McCarthy is startled when confronted because she didn’t open the basement door. The PKE meter is picking up something and reacting. The basement door starts glowing blue. McCarthy takes the camera and crackles startle them but it’s McKinnon eating Pringles. A ghost slowly emerges from the basement. Wiig approaches first and the ghost spews slime all over her before flying out the window. The group celebrates despite losing the ghost. A reel from the movie begins, with Hemsworth trying some coffee for McCarthy and almost vomiting because he hates coffee but telling her that her sugar is in it. Leslie Jones links up with the team, offering help because she knows the city. Outside of their apartment, a ghost embodies Hemsworth, who goes on a path of rage. Giant ghosts run rampant through New York City. Dan Aykroyd pulls up in a cab as Wiig needs a ride but denies it, concluding, “I ain’t afraid of no ghost.”
The attention turns to the R-rated CG animated Sausage Party which shares a hilarious trailer.
The Magnificent Seven is up next. Antonie Fuqua and Chris Pratt are on hand to chat about it. Pratt says he’s “always wanted to do a western.” He describes his character as “a gambler,” and “one of the first people to join the seven.” He concludes with his own review of the movie, calling it “F—ing awesome.” Time for some footage, which may have been .
A mustached Denzel Washington guns a man down as he says, “A man carries a gun, he intends to use it.” He shoots down bartenders and patrons but Pratt isn’t phased, just bummed he won’t be getting his drink. The two go out trying to recruit help for a mission. A man guns down another in a street, and the dead man’s wife is willing to join the team. A sharpshooter, a gambler, a tracker, a comacnhee warrior, and others make up the team. They are going to take on an army. They’re ready to die for their cause. Pratt is excited to find dynamite because he’s always wanted to blow something up, and he does just that. They bully a sheriff into taking off his sheriff badge.
A sizzle reel of movies coming soon crosses the screen, starting with a Stephen King story starring McConaughey and Idris Elba: The Dark Tower. Lots of titles take the screen: Bad Boys III, Equalizer 2, MIB 23, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Nightingale, Peter Rabbit, Zombieland 2, Insidious: The Next Chapter, Charlie’s Angels, Flatliners, Barbie, Life, Rock That Body, Robotech, Jumanji, and Blade Runner.
To conclude, Spider-Man is brought up. Tom Holland is brought to the stage from the Civil War premiere live. To the host’s surprise, Tom Holland heads takes the stage. “I’m Tom Holland and I’m your new Spider-Man,” he says before announcing the title of the new Spider-Man film, which is Spider-Man: Homecoming. “It’s obviously a high school reference,” Rory Bruer says, adding that the movie “shows the enduring parts of Peter Parker’s youth.”
“The film is a homecoming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe” for Sony according to Bruer, who hands it over to Holland.. Holland says the story will be about Peter figuring out “where he really belongs in this world.”
Holland introduces a clip of Spider-Man and promises to be back at CinemaCon next year to promote the film. Be warned, the description below contains spoilers for Captain America: Civil War.
Queens. Peter Parker gets out of an elevator and finds Tony Stark in his apartment with Aunt May. Peter is shocked to see Tony, who is making something up about why he’s there, saying Peter has been e-mailing him. Peter plays along and eventually questions if this grant that Tony is talking about involves money. “Yeah, look who you’re talking to,” Tony says.
That concludes Sony’s presentation.
