Day three of CinemaCon 2025 brought Universal Pictures and Focus Features’ presentation, revealing fresh looks at some major releases. Let’s break it down!
Turns out Wednesday at CinemaCon turned out to be “Universal Day” as it started this morning with a special screening of the new How to Train Your Dragon live-action film. You can see my impressions (as much as I can say) here. But this afternoon also brought their big presentation which kicked things off with an orchestral performance conducted by Ricky Minor that took us through a number of iconic film scores.
It was, in short, amazing to hear it all played live on stage. Hearing the Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Psycho (among SO MANY others) live via an orchestra was an altogether awe-inspiring experience. It felt like hearing them for the first time. It was a phenomenal way to start off their presentation and they remained on stage throughout the presentation to play-on/off people hitting the stage.
Now, let’s talk about the films shown off!
Jurassic World Rebirth – July 2, 2025
Universal started big, by bringing out Scarlet Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and director Gareth Edwards to the stage to discuss the return of Jurassic World to the big screen. They shared some fun stories about how much they all love the Jurassic franchise and what it was like working on this one. All of which culminated in them showing off a brand new trailer for the film.
It was insane. Where the first trailer set the stage for the story and why these characters were dealing with dinos again, this trailer was all about the spectacle. Not only do we get better looks at some of the new, terrifying creatures, the action is significantly stepped up. The tension is off the charts, evoking the stronger horror vibes, as we see ScarJo nearly eaten by a Mosasaurus, along with some strange bat/raptor thingy that was the stuff of nightmares. There’s a little bit more on the T-Rex/river raft scene as well that had me trying to sink into my seat.
If you were on the fence about returning to this franchise, this trailer should help sell it. Plus, there’s a cute ass baby triceratops being carted around in a backpack. I have little doubt that’s going to set the internet ablaze whenever this trailer is released to the public.
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie – September 26, 2025
Next up, Margie Cohn (Dreamsworks’ President) revealed on stage that Kristen Wiig and Gloria Estefan are part of the cast before dropping the trailer. By and large, it lays out the plot pretty directly, as the film sees Gabby embarking on a roadtrip with her grandmother, when the titular dollhouse is stolen by a villainous Wiig. It looks about like you’d expect a Gabby’s Dollhouse film to look, and I’m sure kids are going to go nuts for it.
The Bad Guys 2 – August 1, 2025
Two-fifths of The Bad Guys (Awkwafina and Craig Robinson) came on stage next to discuss the animated sequel which sees the crew return thanks to a new group known as the ‘Bad Girls.’ They also showed off a new trailer for the film in which the crew, determined to retain their Good Guy status, set out to stop the new villains. A task which manages to take them into space.
It’s a fun little trailer. To be honest, I still haven’t seen the first film, though I’ve heard good things. I did see the recent short film that was attached to Dog Man and thought it was pretty great. Guess it’s about time for me to dive into these films!
How to Train Your Dragon – June 13, 2025
Director Dean DeBlois, Gerard Butler, and Nico Parker took the CinemaCon stage once again (there were at the screening this morning) to reveal some pretty big news. The HTTYD film arriving this Summer is the FIRST live-action movie in the franchise. Universal is releasing a live-action How To Train Your Dragon 2 on June 11, 2027!
Him – September 9, 2025
Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers arrived to offer up the first look at the Jordan Peele produced sports/horror movie, Him. It looks all kinds of trippy. The trailer starts off feeling like a traditional sports movie, but devolves pretty quickly as Wayans’ coaching begins to take on a more sinister tone. The driving through-line about “what will you sacrifice” to be great seems to get literal. It’s a solid teaser that gives just enough to get you intrigued, leaving you curious for more, while also setting a chilling tone that might be enough on its own.
Nobody 2 – August 15, 2025
Following that, we got a look at the first trailer for the action sequel, Nobody 2. It’s a certified HOOT. This time around, Hutch is intent on spending more time directly with his family as his new/current line of work keeps him busier than usual. So he takes them all on an old-fashioned family vacation. Unfortunately, he inadvertently stumbles upon an old bootlegging route controlled by a ruthless crime boss (Sharon Stone) and involves some corrupt cops.
It’s a great trailer that plays on those family vacation movie vibes, while kicking up the action in some fun ways. Bob Odenkirk seems like he’s having a blast coming back to this role, and seeing a more confident, fully unleashed Hutch (who’s fighting alongside his family) was great.
Focus Features
Chairman Peter Kujawski came on stage to discuss Focus Features, highlighting the impressive year they had in 2024 (with Conclave, Nosferatu, etc) and share more on their upcoming slate. Discussing how all their upcoming films run the gamut in genres, with a mixture of franchise and auteur focus, but all were made with the big screen, theater experience in mind.
While they have a bunch of stuff in the works, including projects from Ethan Coen and Chloe Zhao, they only showed off three films today:
The Phoenician Scheme – June 6, 2025 (Wide Release)
We got a first look at the trailer for Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, starring Benicio Del Toro, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Mathieu Amalric. It looks, well…it looks like what you’d expect from a Wes Anderson film. I will say it looks to have a smidge more violence and action than Anderson typically brings. The deadpan humor, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s ridiculous makeup, are a highlight though.
Bugonia – November 7, 2025
Following that, we saw a quick glimpse at Yorgos Lanthimos’ next film. Honestly, just knowing Lanthimos is directing the film is more than enough to get me to watch it…which is good, because the trailer really doesn’t offer a whole lot. It looks like you’d expect a Lanthimos joint to look, including a bald Emma Stone.
Bugonia stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons and follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced she is an alien intent on destroying Planet Earth.
Downton Abbey: The Grande Finale – September 12, 2025
Lastly, we got a quick glimpse at the latest, and final, Downton Abbey film. There’s really not a whole lot going on in the trailer, at least for people like me who haven’t really kept up with the series/films. But it’s cool to see others excited for this one.
Blumhouse Pictures
Jason Blum, fully dressed up as Freddy Fazbear from Five Nights at Freddy’s then took the stage to talk about the upcoming films from his iconic horror company.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 – December 5, 2025
First up was, fittingly, a quick teaser for Five Night’s At Freddy’s 2, which takes the animatronic horror action out of the pizzeria and into the wider world. There are some quick scares/kills on display, but after that first film…I’m gonna need more convincing. Thankfully, they have some time to make that happen.
Black Phone 2 – October 17, 2025
Returning actress, Madeleine McGraw, joined Jason Blum on the stage to talk about the upcoming Scott Derrickson sequel (the first time he’s done one) Black Phone 2. They discussed the importance of the story being told and how it manages to somehow be even scarier than the first…Judging by the first trailer they showed, that may not be an exaggeration.
The Grabber is back, and despite dying in the previous film, has managed to become even deadlier than ever. He’s exacting his vengeance from beyond the grave and there’s a distinct Freddy Krueger feeling to how he’s tormenting people. The ‘black phone’ this time around seems to be how the Grabber will communicate with Finney, who must find a way to stop the supernatural killings.
While I’m not big on horror films, there’s a whole lot to love in this trailer and that Scott Derrickson magic is on full display.
MEGAN 2.0 – June 27, 2025
A horde of MEGAN “bots” took the stage to dance/perform as an introduction to the full-length trailer for MEGAN 2.0. This looks like a blast. Following the events from the first film, Gemma and Cady have confined the murderous AI into a more cutesy-chibi style robot until she can be trusted to contain her violent tendencies.
When a new robot, Amelia, built off the original MEGAN designs, begins killing off everyone connected with the project Gemma must rebuild MEGAN, better than ever, in order to protect them. The trailer covers these plot points, which feels almost like the franchise is taking a Terminator 2 approach to things. So less horror (though the tone is definitely present in the trailer) and more action as MEGAN and Amelia duke it out in some fun ways.
SOULM8TE
James Wan joined Jason Blum to reveal the first look at their latest collaboration, SOULM8TE. They essentially describe the movie as a more “adult” take on the MEGAN concept. So if you liked the premise of that film, but want more kills this is the one for you.
The story centers on a life-like robot, this time a sex doll essentially, who becomes obsessed with the human she’s bonded with. To the point she believes she loves him and is genuinely bonded to him. When others begin to get in the way, she turns violent.
There’s a lot of comparisons to be made with the recently released Companion, but SOULM8TE looks to be going full-on slasher with its gore and over the top violence.
Quick Bits
Jim Orr (Theatrical Distribution President) then hopped on stage to share some quick updates on other Univseral stuff coming down the road, without a whole lot to share about them. Mostly just a reminder that these films are on the horizon including, The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, Shrek 5, Minions 3, Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, and Steven Spielberg’s new flick.
Curiously, there were no mentions at all of the next film from Jordan Peele or The Daniels, which is likely an indicator they’ll end up slipping into 2027. Also, not a single peep about the next Fast & Furious movie, Fast X: Part 2.
Wicked: For Good – November 21, 2025
Universal closed out their presentation by bringing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo on stage (along with director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt) to talk about the Wicked sequel. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating…I absolutely had no interest in these films. I’m not big on musicals, I’ve never read the book(s) or seen the play, and I’m not even that big on Wizard of Oz. And yet, the first film blew me away and left me eager for more.
Thankfully, they showed attendees the first Wicked: For Good trailer, and it ruled. It feels like an epic, capturing the bigger nature of the story this time around, while showing the heart and dynamic between Glinda and Elphaba that made the first film so touching. It also didn’t shy away from showing some of the musical aspects, teasing some songs that are sure to break hearts.
In a night stacked with great trailers, Wicked: For Good still managed to stand out. I can’t wait for it to release publicly so I can watch it again and again.
Overall, Universal brought the goods with some slick/fun trailers, and a stunning all around presentation.
