CinemaCon 2026 opened in Las Vegas with Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison declaring that movies are far from finished. That energy carried through the week as Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, Paramount, and Amazon MGM each took the stage to walk audiences through what is coming to theaters over the next 18 months. The presentations included footage, surprise appearances, and enough franchise reveals to fill a calendar twice over.
Disney and Marvel lead with heavy hitters
Disney arrived at CinemaCon with some of the most anticipated titles on the entire slate. The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau, brings the beloved characters from the streaming series to theaters on May 22, with Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver both attached to the project.
Toy Story 5 follows on June 19, with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning to voice Woody and Buzz. The film centers on a young girl whose attachment to her Lilypad device leaves her toys feeling sidelined, pushing the franchise into new territory around technology and childhood.
Whalefall, adapted from Daniel Kraus’s novel and co-written by Kraus alongside director Brian Duffield, follows a scuba diver swallowed by a sperm whale. The footage shown at CinemaCon landed well with the crowd. It opens October 16.
Marvel closed Disney’s presentation with Avengers: Doomsday, arriving December 18. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the universe, this time as Doctor Doom, picking up threads left by Avengers: Endgame.
Paramount brings Cruise back and the Jackass crew out one last time
Paramount confirmed Tom Cruise is returning for Top Gun 3 at CinemaCon , following the enormous success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer made the announcement, though a release date was not confirmed at the event.
Jackass: Best and Last lands June 26, with the full crew back for what Johnny Knoxville has framed as the franchise’s definitive finale.
Warner Bros. goes dark and magical
Warner Bros. showed up with range. Tom Cruise appears again, this time for director Alejandro Iñárritu’s Digger, a dark comedy in which he plays an oil executive. That one opens October 2.
Practical Magic 2 reunites Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock in a September sequel to their 1998 original. And Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, shares a December 18 release date with Avengers: Doomsday, setting up one of the more interesting box office showdowns in recent memory.
Sony swings with Spider-Man and Zuckerberg
Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, opening July 31. The film picks up after its hero has sacrificed his previous identity, giving the series a genuinely fresh starting point.
The Social Reckoning, an Aaron Sorkin-produced sequel set 17 years after the original, stars Jeremy Strong as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It opens October 9.
Universal brings Nolan and Spielberg to CinemaCon
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey arrives July 17 with Matt Damon and Zendaya among its cast. It is shaping up as one of the year’s most ambitious theatrical events.
Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, a science fiction film built around alien encounters, opens June 12 and gives Universal a strong early-summer anchor.
Amazon MGM looks further ahead
Amazon MGM is a bit further out. Michael B. Jordan directs and stars in a reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair, set to open March 5, 2027. A sequel to the cult comedy Spaceballs is also confirmed, targeting April 2027.
CinemaCon 2026 made one thing clear: the studios are betting big on theaters, and the next year and a half gives audiences a lot of reasons to show up for CinemaCon.p
