CinemaCon Kickoff: Opening With Universal’s The Fall Guy

On Monday, CinemaCon kicked off in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The week-long event gathered movie theater owners from around the country, their staff, their partners, studio executives, and more in Nevada for a preview of what’s coming to theaters throughout the year. Universal played host to the opening night in the Colosseum, promising a screening of The Fall Guy. The week will also see Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Disney, Paramount, and more offering early looks at upcoming titles. 

The show opened with NATO’s Mitch Neuhauser, dressed in a pink Barbie-colored suit, an Oppenheimer-inspired hat, and a Taylor Swift t-shirt (referencing three of 2023’s biggest theatrical releases), talking about how naysayers count the box office out before anhything bad happens. “Our industry is always fighting to prove its resiliency,” he said. “The studios are doing their darnedest to put out the absolute best products they have, which you’re going to see this week.” He cites titles like Ghostbuster, Dune Part II, and Godzilla x Kong for carrying the box office so far, this year. In concluding, he wants to be “optimistic about our great future.” 

Coca-Cola stays on board with CinemaCon for five more years as a presenting sponsor, getting some applause from the crowd. Neuhauser continuest his sentiments by requesting privacy for the footage screened, noting that much of it will be unfinished so attendees should try to keep sentiments to themselves. In addition to the Coca-Cola announcement, Neuhauser thanks CinemaCon’s other sponsors, including CJ 4DPLEX, which garnered more than $400 million in box office dollars in 2023 with an expansion to 1,100 locations. Before screening The Fall Guy, Neuhauser notes it will play in Dolbyvision and Atmos. 

Jim Moore, President of Domestic Distribution at Universal Pictures, takes the stage. “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to help kickoff CinemaCon 2024,” Moore said. “The Fall Guy is a movie that inviters you to have a good time…Audiences and critics are both raving about it. We had an explosive launch at SXSW in March.” The filmmakers and cast were not available to introduce the film to the CinemaCon crowd. Moore calls the film, “an explosive tribute,” to stunt people in Hollywood. With that, Moore introduces the screening and steps of the stage.

Tomorrow, Tuesday will see presentations from Crunchyroll, Sony, and Warner Bros (expect DC Studios updates!). Wednesday’s schedule has Lionsgate, Universal, Focus Features, and a screening of Neon’s Babes. Thursday will close with presentations from Disney and Paramount, as well as CinemaCon’s Big Screen Achievement awards. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates throughout the week!