Paramount Pictures Brings Big Laughs, Big Stars, and Big Commitments to CinemaCon 2026

Paramount Pictures kicked off their CinemaCon presentation with a short film produced on the Paramount lot, directed by Jon M. Chu and featuring many of the filmmakers and stars mentioned throughout the show. It culminated with Tom Cruise sitting atop the studio water tower, narrating the opening — a fitting symbol of a studio that is loudly declaring its recommitment to theatrical storytelling.

The showcase’s biggest surprise came early, when CEO David Ellison made an in-person appearance to address exhibitor concerns about the pending Warner Bros. merger head-on. He committed to a combined minimum output of 30 theatrical titles per year across both studios, a minimum 45-day theatrical window, and a 90-day window before films move to SVOD (subscription video on demand). The room, which had been cautiously optimistic, responded warmly.

The show was hosted by studio co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, who wasted no time making the case that Paramount's best days are ahead. Before diving into the individual film presentations, they rattled off an impressive list of projects in development, including The High Side with Timothée Chalamet and James Mangold, Call of Duty with Pete Berg directing and Taylor Sheridan writing, new installments of Star Trek, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and World War Z, the next chapter of Top Gun: Maverick, Paranormal Activity from James Wan and Jason Blum, Possession starring Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner, Long Legs with Nicolas Cage, Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow directed by Sean Hader and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Get Lite — the directorial debut of Teyana Taylor — and the animated original The Naughty List from Robert Rodriguez. A three-year global distribution deal with Legendary Entertainment was also announced, kicking off with Street Fighter. Video greetings were shared from the teams behind Sonic 4, the TMNT: Mutant Mayhem sequel, and A Quiet Place 3, with John Krasinski confirming he is returning to the director's chair and reuniting Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, while adding Jack O'Connell, Jason Clarke, and Katie O'Brien to the cast. Pete Berg also recorded a greeting to personally confirm he and Taylor Sheridan are writing and directing Call of Duty, targeting a summer 2028 release. 

Hit Me Hard and Soft — May 17th

The first major presentation united two Oscar winners on the same stage: director James Cameron and artist Billie Eilish, here to introduce a concert film documenting Eilish's tour. Cameron described an entirely new generation of 3D camera technology developed specifically for the project, including an 800mm long-lens system capable of reaching from the back of an arena with stunning dimensionality, and an ultra-compact gimbal camera about half the size of a cigarette pack that could be placed directly on stage alongside the performer. Eilish spoke about wanting to give her fans — including those who never got a ticket — a genuine VIP experience, and emphasized that this is not a film made for streaming. 3D glasses were distributed for an extended look, and the footage was breathtaking.

Scary Movie — June 5th

Shawn and Marlon Wayans reunited with Anna Faris on stage to bring back the franchise that started it all. The trio was characteristically irreverent, pushing back on the notion that R-rated comedies can't perform at the box office and issuing an extended, tongue-in-cheek list of pre-emptive apologies to the many groups the film intends to offend — white people, Black people, Mexicans, Asians, the entire state of Vermont, various constitutional amendments, and, of course, their exhibition partners. An extended trailer followed. The film is part of Paramount's distribution deal with Miramax. Statues around Caesar’s Palace had been decked out to promote the film, and attendees walked away with a “wazzup” t-shirt.

Jackass: Last and Best — June 26th

Johnny Knoxville, visibly emotional, introduced what he says will be the final Jackass film. Having spent 25 years with the same group of people, Knoxville shared that knowing it was the last one meant they had to go harder than ever — and the behind-the-scenes footage suggested they delivered on that promise. Highlights include a first-of-its-kind robotic prostate exam stunt.

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie — August 14th

From Paramount Animation and Spin Master comes the third big-screen Paw Patrol adventure. A teaser trailer was shown, and the voice cast was revealed to include McKenna Grace, Snoop Dogg, and Jennifer Hudson. The Backstreet Boys are providing original songs for the film.

Street Fighter — October 16th

Legendary UFC announcer Bruce Buffer took the stage to call out the film's sprawling cast — until he was relieved of his duties by Eric André. The cast assembled on stage is remarkable in its breadth: Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Roman Reigns as Akuma, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Olivier Richters as Zangief, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Balrog. 

Comedian Andrew Schulz, who plays Dan Hibiki, decided this was the time and place for a gay joke. Schulz arrived on stage in a neck brace. When asked about it, Schulz joked that he sustained the injury while watching Heated Rivalry with Cody Rhodes last night. Rhodes turned down his offer to participate in a bit that wasn't in the teleprompter script. When the joke got a tepid response from the crowd, Schulz dug himself in further, saying he saw the Street Fighter trailer in 4DX - “4D reminds me a lot of what I was watching on Heated Rivalry” - which was received poorly by an audience of theater owners with 4DX theaters and executives from 4DX's parent company CJ 4DPlex, who was a presenting sponsor before this very panel. Not present was Schulz’s gay costar, Orville Peck, whose presence presumably would've made Schulz too embarrassed to crack this joke in the first place, or at least could've resulted in a fun quip from the witty country singer. Shulz was seen at a separate Las Vegas Street Fighter trailer launch event the same day, without the neck brace or any signs of mobility challenges.

Ebenezer — November 3rd

Director Ti West shared via video that he has been obsessed with A Christmas Carol since childhood — not because it is a Christmas story, but because it is a ghost story, and his first foray into horror. When it came time to cast Scrooge, his first and only thought was Johnny Depp. What followed was one of the presentation's most memorable moments, as Depp appeared in person to the delight of the crowd. He spoke about his own lifelong obsession with the story and his desire to find a fresh angle on a character the world thinks it knows. Ian McKellen appears to play Marley. The teaser showcased a vision of A Christmas Carol filtered through twisted, absurdist comedy and genuine dread.

Angry Birds 3 — December 23rd

A teaser trailer set to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" showed the birds struggling to care for a baby. No additional details were shared.

Mr. Irrelevant: The John Tuggle Story — December 25th

NFL legend Phil Simms took the stage to introduce the biopic of John Tuggle, the final pick of the 1983 NFL Draft and the first player ever to bear that "Mr. Irrelevant" label to make an NFL roster. Simms, who coached Tuggle with the Giants under Bill Parcells, spoke with genuine emotion about what made Tuggle special, calling him a building block for the franchise that would go on to win Super Bowls. Star David Corenswet, unable to attend in person, recorded a video introduction in which he noted, as a Philly kid, that it took some convincing to wear a Giants jersey — until he learned that Tuggle scored his only regular season touchdown in Philadelphia, and the Eagles fans cheered for him anyway, because he was the ultimate underdog. The first trailer debuted following Corenswet's introduction.

Heart of the Beast — Fall

Directed by David Ayer and produced by Damien Chazelle, this survival thriller stars Brad Pitt as a retired Army Special Forces veteran lost in the Alaskan wilderness alongside his combat dog Odin — silver-toothed, missing a leg, and just as determined to survive as his owner. The trailer was raw and emotional, leaning into the unbreakable bond between the two as they face the unforgiving landscape together.

Children of Blood and Bone — January 15th, 2027

Closing the presentation, Children of Blood and Bone delivered the biggest spectacle of the day: drummers and dancers filled the stage as writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood's cast was called out one by one, each walking out to share why the film matters to them personally — Chiwetel Ejiofor, Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Tosin Cole, Lashana Lynch, Regina King, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, and Thuso Mbedu. The trailer that followed revealed an African fantasy epic steeped in magic, mythology, and ancestral power.

KPop Superstar - February 14th, 2027

KPop Superstar is an HYBE-produced coming-of-age story about a Korean-American girl who secretly enters a K-pop competition against her family's wishes, filmed entirely in South Korea and starring Eric Nam and Ji-Young Ju. 

Stay tuned to LaughingPlace.com for more news from CinemaCon.