24/04/2018 Postcard from Vegas: Day 1 at CinemaCon 2018
Tonight, Quentin Tarantino summed up what CinemaCon is all about when he said “I love movies and movies in movie theaters”.
He was there at the climax of Sony Pictures studio presentation this evening, to tease the August 2019 release of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. The ex-Weinstein Company title begins shooting this summer and will transform Los Angeles back to the counter culture explosion of 1969. It’s Tarantino’s first film to be set in LA since Jackie Brown and lead star Leonardo Di Caprio – who joined Tarantino on stage this evening – described ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD as Tarantino’s best ever screen play. Sony’s Chairman Tom Rothman went a step further endorsing the project as the best screenplay he’s read during his 30 years in the business.
Sony’s slate presentation this evening emphasised it’s commitment to original story-telling and using its label structure to attract and nurture diverse film-makers, such as Director X (currently in production on SUPERFLY) and Catherine Hardwicke (who is bringing a smart, Latino heroine – played by Gina Rodriguez – to the screen in MISS BALA)
The evening included a heavy A-list talent presence from Will Ferrell opening the show with anecdotes and footage from HOLMES & WATSON, to Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams and director Ruben Fleischer presenting the new VENOM trailer, to Benicio Del Toro presenting new footage from SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDARO, to Claire Foy and director Fede Alvarez showcasing Sony’s re-boot of the ‘dragon tattoo’ series with THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB, which see Foy take on the bad-ass, brutal lead character of Elizabeth, somewhat different to the one we are used to seeing her play in ‘The Crown’.
Sony is making movies that appeal to the broadest possible audience demos and they certainly demonstrated the point this evening presenting new footage from SUPERFLY, MISS BALA, GOOSEBUMPS: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN, WHITE BOY RICK, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3, DOG’S WAY HOME (which I admit, actually made me cry) and the brand new extended trailer for VENOM, amongst others.
Dedication to original storytelling and a very strong relationship with its filmmakers was Sony’s calling card this evening. Tomorrow Disney and STX Films take their turn. I’ll be back….