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Billie Eilish and James Cameron speak during CinemaCon 2026.
Getty Images for CinemaCon
It’s not the sexiest topic, but even with all the stars in Las Vegas for CinemaCon this week — from Tom Cruise to Tom Hanks — the talk of the town was how long films get exclusive runs in theaters before they stream. Execs from Sony, Warner Bros., Amazon MGM, Paramount and Disney all dedicated portions of their showcases to ensuring the annual meeting of theater owners that movies would stay on their screens for longer.
Even Steven Spielberg joined in on the fun, praising Universal’s 45-day window but adding, “Today, I’ve gotta be greedy. Do I hear 60 days? Do I hear 120 days? Those days have got to be coming back to us soon. We can all make it happen. We have to insist on making it happen.”
Sony’s Tom Rothman encouraged attendees to hold studios accountable in his Monday night speech: “Enforce longer windows, even if that means you cannot play every film.”
The groundswell of support was met with vigorous enthusiasm and a hopeful feeling that maybe, if everyone keeps their promises, the theatrical business could even enter a new era of prosperity.
Below are my biggest winners of the week:
MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: “We heard a rumor that R-rated comedies don’t work at the box office,” Marlon Wayans quipped while teeing up “Scary Movie” for Paramount. “That’s fucking bullshit,” co-star Anna Faris responded. Comedy with a capital “C” took center stage this week, cementing the continued return of the chuckler after a year with big theatrical successes like “One of them Days” and “The Naked Gun.” Also touted in the Colosseum were Amazon MGM’s “Spaceballs: The New One,” Universal’s “Focker-in-Law” and Paramount’s “Jackass: Best and Last,” all of which were met with big laughs.
HEAVY HITTER DIRECTORS: Universal touted its top-shelf talent from behind the camera with splashy moments and standing ovations for both Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg (the only other standing Os of the week went to Tom Cruise, plus “Toy Story” duo Tim Allen and Tom Hanks). Nolan’s breathtaking look at a claustrophobic, action-packed Trojan Horse sequence from “The Odyssey” elicited rave reviews in the room. Meanwhile, Spielberg gave an extended glimpse at his summer blockbuster “Disclosure Day,” with new footage showcasing Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor in their own close encounters of the third kind. Other top directors drawing fanfare included Boots Riley for Neon’s “I Love Boosters” and the Russo Brothers for Disney’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” plus JJ Abrams and Alejandro Iñárritu for Warner Bros. films ‘The Great Beyond” and “Digger.”
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Despite ditching the dog and pony show inside the Colosseum this year, Lionsgate managed to make its presence known and capitalize on the hubbub, strategically dropping the trailer for “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” on Monday morning. They followed it up with the best party of the week on the Nobu Hotel’s rooftop, where motion picture chair Adam Fogelson held court and mingled with every journalist in the room.
REPEAT OFFENDER: Of all the A-list talent carted onto the stage, one proved himself to be a particularly prized asset across several studios: Jack Black. The actor popped up in three showcase presentations for Sony (for “Jumanji: Open World”), Universal (for “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”) and Warner Bros. (for a video rendition of his “Lava Chicken” ditty from “A Minecraft Movie”). “With all the challenges that the industry is facing, your incredible talent drives audiences into theaters and they leave with gigantic smiles on their faces,” Illumination’s Chris Meledandri told him on stage. “You are a true movie star.” Well, yes!
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