Hollywood’s top studios gathered in Las Vegas to preview their upcoming films to theater owners and the media. Here’s the buzz from Caesars Palace, where CinemaCon wrapped on Thursday:
| CINEMACON BUZZMETER | |
| WHAT’S HOT AND COLD AT THIS YEAR’S EXHIBITOR CONFAB IN VEGAS: | |
 |
“BLADE RUNNER: 2049” |
|---|---|
| Visually stunning, with a few sly nods to Ridley Scott’s 1982 original and a super creepy Jared Leto. Sign us up. (Sony/WB) | |
|
“DUNKIRK” |
| The Christopher Nolan WW2 drama looked epic in every sense of the word. (Warner Bros.) | |
|
“THE RED SPARROW” |
| Jennifer Lawrence spy thriller oozes sex and intrigue. (Fox) | |
|
“WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES” |
| A big, fat surefire summer smash. (Fox) | |
|
“AQUAMAN” |
| The superhero film hasn’t shot yet, but that didn’t stop DC from showing images of its production design. This dreamy, arresting underwater world looks like it could be a comic book breakthrough. Fingers crossed. (Warner Bros.) | |
|
“ATOMIC BLONDE” |
| Charlize Theron looks badass as a Cold War spy. An action hero is born. (Focus) | |
|
“THE BEGUILED” |
| Dreamy, sultry, and Southern. This erotic drama weaves a spell. (Universal/Focus) | |
|
“DOWNSIZING” |
| Sure to go down as Alexander Payne’s most bizarre film. Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig as a couple who decide to shrink themselves in order to live the good life. The 10 minutes that screened were out there, but hilarious and compelling. (Paramount) | |
|
“THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS” |
| Exhibitors were thrilled with the over-the-top stunts, humor and icy villainess Charlize Theron, opining that it’s better than “Furious 7.” (Universal) | |
|
“MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS” |
| Star studded Agatha Christie mystery sparkles with an infectious sense of fun. (Fox) | |
|
“THE HOUSE” |
| Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler comedy about parents who turn to crime to pay for their kid’s college has the marking of an R-rated summer comedy smash. (Warner Bros.) | |
|
“THE MUMMY” |
| Scary, sexy, cool. Tom Cruise looks a tad too adrenalized, but this remake doesn’t skimp on the gotcha moments. (Universal) | |
|
“BAYWATCH” |
| A gag where Zac Efron’s dim bulb life guard examines a dead man’s genitals is worth the price of admission. (Paramount) | |
|
“HITMAN’S BODYGUARD” |
| Samuel L. Jackson gets most of the laughs as a hitman bonding with his bodyguard, played by a restrained Ryan Reynolds. (Lionsgate) | |
|
“JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE” |
| The filmmakers would have us believe that “Jumanji” is a beloved property. That may or may not be the case, but the combination of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black should translate into a big global hit. (Sony) | |
|
“THE GREATEST SHOWMAN” |
| Hugh Jackman musical looks like catnip for the “Chicago” and “La La Land” crowd. (Fox) | |
|
“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES” |
| Tuesday’s screening left exhibitors praising the visual effects, Johnny Depp’s performance and a lively story viewed as a significant improvement on the fourth film, 2011’s “On Stranger Tides.” (Disney) | |
|
“WONDER WOMAN” |
| Still a bit dreary, but Gal Gadot has star power to spare. (Warner Bros.) | |
|
“ANNIHILATION” |
| Hard to know what’s going on in this Natalie Portman thriller, but it sure looked scary. (Paramount) | |
|
“SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING” |
| Lots more Michael Keaton as the villainous, Tony Stark-hating Vulture. Tom Holland has a wide-eyed appeal that could offer a fresh take on a familiar hero, but after five different Spider-Man movies, there’s a risk of fatigue. (Sony) | |
|
“ALIEN: COVENANT” |
| Undeniably scary, but basically a rehash of previous trailers. Plus, “Prometheus” under-delivered on its terrifying marketing campaign. (Fox) | |
|
“DESPICABLE ME 3” |
| By the numbers spot for the animated sequel. Doesn’t matter though. This sequel will make bank. (Universal) | |
|
“SUBURBICON” |
| George Clooney takes a cudgel to Eisenhower era conformity. It looks offbeat, well shot, and very, very bloody. (Paramount) | |
|
“VALERIAN” |
| Luc Besson’s passion project looks a lot like the French director’s “The Fifth Element.” There are outrageous aliens, a Day-glo color palate, and Rihanna in a nurse’s costume. Looks dangerously out there. (STX) | |
|
“THE DARK TOWER” |
| Some cool standoffs between Idris Elba, as a heroic gunslinger, and Matthew McConaughey as the villainous Man in Black. But the plot seems very convoluted and it’s opening in a crowded summer season. This may just be for die-hard fans of Stephen King. (Sony) | |
|
“JUSTICE LEAGUE” |
| Zack Snyder clearly got the memo that “Batman v Superman” needed a humor injection, but the jokey trailer still seemed like a joyless affair. (Warner Bros.) | |
|
“MOLLY’S GAME” |
| Aaron Sorkin makes his directorial debut in this thriller about a corner-cutting entrepreneur (Jessica Chastain) who dreams up a high-stakes poker game. Tough to see how this breaks out barring awards buzz. (STX) | |
|
“THE BOOK OF HENRY” |
| It’s a film about a boy genius! No, it’s a mystery! No, it’s an awards-bait drama! What it looks like is a mess. (Focus) | |
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“GEOSTORM” |
| Wretched CGI and an utterly derivative plot, this Gerard Butler disaster movie looks like “Sharknado” with a slightly bigger budget. (Warner Bros.) | |
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“THE EMOJI MOVIE” |
| Why? Just why? (Sony) | |
| Hot, extremely positive ice cold |
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Pictured above: Fox’s “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which opens nationwide July 14, 2017.