Another CinemaCon is in the books and, as usual, the major film studios brought out some of the best releases they have to offer through the rest of 2016 and beyond. The annual meeting of the exhibition industry has become a reliable way to learn which films could have an impact at the box office.
By the end of this year’s convention, we came away very encouraged by a number of films from every studio and their potential to help deliver another big year. It’s still questionable whether 2015’s record $11.1 billion domestic gross can be topped, but if enough of these films succeed critically and commercially—with a few unexpected hits along the way—we can’t rule out 2016’s chances to come close.
Here’s our look at Disney‘s CinemaCon 2016’s presentations:
Coming Soon, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Disney opted for a light presentation reel this year. They kicked things off by screening the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer, which played as strongly among attendees as it had already been doing with its worldwide online release just a week prior. It goes without saying that this is expected to be a major box office player come December.
Heroes in Tights
On the Marvel side of things, the first trailer for Doctor Strange debuted and it looks like yet another Marvel success. The film’s visual aesthetic is drawing comparisons to Batman Begins and Inception, and star Benedict Cumberbatch’s already significant global popularity should help it follow in the footsteps of Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man to become the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next big sub-franchise. We’re optimistic about its blockbuster potential and will be watching upcoming trailer releases very closely.
Closing out the Disney show, Captain America: Civil War received its first full screening after the world premiere held in Hollywood the night before. Reactions were in line with the film’s excellent reviews leading to last weekend’s big box office debut.
Family Friendly Fare
Following a well-received showing of The BFG trailer (Steven Spielberg’s next film, slated for release this summer), Pixar screened the first 27 minutes of Finding Dory. Needless to say, the studio looks to have delivered another of their specialties—a character-driven sequel much like the Toy Story films. It’s certainly the front-runner to be this year’s top-grossing animated film, which is saying something following the success of parent Disney’s Zootopia. If reviews prove strong, it should even become one of the year’s top performers all around.
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