How Movie Studio Spies Size Up the Competition

Tom Cruise’s longest-running role on the big screen is playing Ethan Hunt, a rogue spy who works for a shadowy government agency. His character has more in common with than might meet the eye. For decades, rival studios have used the Las Vegas convention of theater owners to see what the competition has coming down the pike. Executives and their minions aren’t barred from attending each other’s studio presentations. They slip in and out without any interference or hassle. “It’s incredibly important,” says one veteran studio executive, who like many of his compatriots has attended the show for years. Imagine if automakers were allowed to obtain an early peek of a competitor’s line-up and even prototypes. “We are all jockeying for position,” continues the exec. “I find it very beneficial, especially as you are looking down the road. Something may come out of CinemaCon that you didn’t expect to pop, so it can help inform how you date your films.” Related Stories To get the goods, check out this one rival report on Sony’s session, which kicked off this year’s convention. “Everyone loved the Karate Kid: Legends stage performance and The Beatles, which introduced Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, and Harris Dickinson as the Fab Four. However, the presentation felt a bit disjointed at times.” One person who wasn’t in anyway disjointed was Sony movie chief Tom Rothman, who prompted applause when bringing Sam Mendes on stage and revealing the cast of four separate movies on each of the Beatles. He and Mendes then went on to reveal that the movies will hit theaters in April 2028. If anything, this year there was more sleuthing to do, thanks to the return of Sony and the debut of Amazon MGM Studios on stage inside the cavernous Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace where the presentations take place before armies of exhibitors from around the world. (The Colosseum seats more than 4,100.) When compiling dossiers, studios are known to include exhibitor reactions, including this one, “Pretty good! Tom Rothman was wild and might be attempting a second career as a comedian,” wrote one cinema operator regarding Sony, which was the first studio to present during CinemaCon, which ran March 31-April 4. Competitors also want to see how their counterparts come off on stage, as underscored by this overall summary from a rival studio regarding Universal: “Unlike Warner Brothers, executives didn’t linger long on stage, instead they allowed the talent to shine. The clear standouts of Universal’s afternoon in terms of audience reaction were: Jurassic World Rebirth, Shrek 5 and Wicked: For Good.” Speaking of Warners, Brad Pitt-starrer F1, from Apple Original Films, was among the darlings of CinemaCon during the WB session. “It stood out as the highlight of the presentation, and people were wowed,” read one memo. The audience was treated to 10 minutes of footage of the film, which is directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, both of whom were on hand. Warners’ other high-profile summer tentpole is James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman, the first movie greenlit by Gunn and Peter Safran since they were put in charge of DC Studios. Despite many exhibitors feeling uncertain about Superman headed into CinemaCon, several were won over, though some remain wary. Many exhibitors were also annoyed by how long Safran and Gunn questioned Superman actor David Corenswet, co-star Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult, who stars as Lex Luther on stage. “Superman would have looked better without 25 minutes of talk,” one exhibitor told a rival. “New Line’s Final Destination: Bloodlines was a surprise standout and got one of the biggest reactions out of the crowd,” wrote one studio in its CinemaCon wrap of Warners’ presentation. This year, there was a new studio to add to the list of those to spy on: Amazon MGM Studios, which made its CinemaCon debut. One Amazon MGM title that is now on everyone’s radar after seeing footage is Project Hail Mary, a space epic based on Peter Weir’s bestseller starring Ryan Gosling and directed by dynamic duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord. Described as a true cinematic spectacle, Gosling’s character is asked to go on a solo space mission to save the sun and other dying stars. The film is set to premiere March 20, 2026, and the crowd’s reaction made it clear — “they loved it,” wrote one Amazon MGM rival. Another rival noted that while Amazon MGM’s first CinemaCon presentation was full of star power, it likewise felt a bit disjointed. “It was nice, but they have to do something to connect their movies to the theatrical experience. They are trying but something lacks, like their presentation,” said one exhibitor. Paramount — the king of stunts at CinemaCon — was bolstered this year by Cruise appearing in person. He was more on the somber side as he paid tribute to his late Top Gun: Maverick co-star Val Kilmer before giving top CinemaCon honors to his Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie. Virtually every rival stdio only had positive things to say about Cruise. Rivals may be grumbling, but Universal and Disney got the highest marks from rivals. As summed up by one studio, “Reactions were out of this world for Disney. The titles that stood out the most with positive audience reactions were Lilo & Stitch, Zootopia 2, Thunderbolts*, and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Surprisingly, The Roses … had the most laughs, cheers, and claps. The audience was ablaze to see multiple scenes of Avatar: Fire and Ash (in 3D), showcasing the visual spectacle that it is. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan of Freakier Friday were the fan favorites.” That doesn’t mean every Disney title was admired. Elio is questionable, according to another rival. At the same time, “Fantastic Four looked good, and I am sure Avatar will deliver.” Adds another executive of the dueling dossiers at CinemaCon, “It’s a weird thing, right, that they let in the competitors? We’re not the customers.” A version of this story first appeared in the April 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. 

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