Warner Bros. Unveils Its Latest Projects at CinemaCon 2023
Among them are "Dune 2", "Aquaman 2: Lost Kingdom" and many more
CinemaCon is one of the most important movie events of the year, and major film distributors love to use it to promote their upcoming movies. Movie giant Warner Bros. also took the opportunity to present new trailers for the most anticipated projects of the coming months.
After the takeover of DC Studios by Peter Safran and James Gunn, all signs are pointing to a fresh start at DC and so "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will be the final blockbuster of the DCEU. Warner Bros. revealed the first trailer for the sequel and of course, lead actor and fan favorite Jason Momoa was given plenty of screentime. Among other scenes, Aquaman is said to have been seen staying in a lighthouse in Atlantis and fighting various enemies shortly after. Black Manta, portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, also has an action-packed face-off with the DC superhero. By the way, the controversial actress Amber Heard is also on screen, although they may have deliberately kept her appearance short. The last DCEU film will be released on December 20, 2023, before the new DC Universe, or DCU for short, takes over.
Even though there has been a lot of speculation in recent months about the first solo film by Barry Allen aka "The Flash" and lead actor Ezra Miller, the movie will play a decisive role in the transition from the old to the new DC universe. If those present are to be believed, however, the wait for the first shots was definitely worth it and director Andy Muschietti has, by all accounts, succeeded in making a very good superhero film. Just about everyone should get their money's worth, as there are both emotional and nostalgic as well as action-packed and breathtaking scenes to be found in the new trailer. Whether the final film will live up to fans' expectations, which have now been raised even further, can be seen in movie theaters from June 16, 2023.
The "Barbie" film adaptation by director Greta Gerwig is likewise expected to have a lot of potential. The multicolored adaptation, which is supposed to be much more profound than the neon pink world and clichéd characters would have us believe, is already an Internet phenomenon. In addition to Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, actor and wrestler John Cena will play a special version of Ken. In the trailer shown at CinemaCon, Cena is seen swimming through the water as a merman while accompanied by a mermaid, played by pop star Dua Lipa. The finished movie is scheduled for release on July 21, 2023, so the ComicCon trailer should be out very soon.
The sequel to Denis Villeneuve's "Dune", released in 2021, is surrounded by just as much hype. The film takes us back to the desert planet Arrakis, where the main character Paul Atreides is preparing for his revenge campaign against Baron Harkonnen. The freshly shown trailer is said to live up to the expectations for the epic sci-fi movie and create great anticipation for "Dune: Part Two".
Fittingly, Vanity Fair published the first exclusive images from "Dune 2" on Thursday. In addition to familiar characters such as Zendaya's Chani, Josh Brolin's Gurney and Baron Harkonnen, there is also a mysterious shot of the back of the Harkonnen heir Feyd-Rautha, played by newcomer Austin Butler. The new actor is joined by Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan and Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot.
For moviegoers, the movie will be a special experience, as the film was shot entirely with IMAX cameras and will thus already visually surpass its predecessor. Starting November 3, 2023, you'll be able to watch "Dune 2" in cinemas.
The presentation of "Meg 2: The Trench" also made massive waves. One scene in particular, in which lead actor Jason Statham fights the giant shark with a sword, provides a great preview of many crazy action scenes. In the trailer, which is not yet public, you can even see a T-Rex being eaten by a megalodon. But there will be no crossover with "Jurassic World": Said scene probably shows a prehistoric world and not the 21st century. We look forward to the release of the trailer and the theatrical release on August 4, 2023.
Further minor news included "Blue Beetle" from DC, "Willy Wonka", "Beetlejuice 2" and the horror sequel "The Nun II".