Paramount Pictures kicked off the presentations at CinemaCon Day 4, bringing fresh looks at an impressive slate. Let’s recap it all!
Paramount, keeping in theme with the action of Mission: Impossible started their presentation by featuring a motorcycle stunt show ON THE STAGE. It was pretty damn impressive to see the things they pulled off in the, obviously, limited space.
They then talked, quite frankly about the need for movie theaters to work hard to keep theater-goers coming back; mentioning a number of programs and encouraging the theater owners in attendance to “create a premium experience for audiences, not just charging audiences a premium.” Probably the hardest I’ve clapped so far.
Before getting into the main part of the presentation—the slate for this upcoming year—Paramount gave a quick mention to a handful of films currently in production and on the horizon for next year: Children of Blood & Bone; the Untitled Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Kendrick Lamar Movie; Heart of the Beast (David Ayer); Sonic The Hedgehog 4; and Scream 7.
The Running Man – November 7, 2025
Edgar Wright, Glen Powell, Coleman Domingo, and Josh Brolin hit the stage to present the first look at The Running Man. If this wasn’t already on your most anticipated lists for this Fall, it’s time to get it added.
Based on the Stephen King story, The Running Man sees Ben Richards (Powell) participate in a deadly reality show in which he’s hunted down by professional killers. If he wins, however, he gets a bunch of money to help his sick child and family. The footage shown was incredible, electrifying, and all other adjectives I can’t think of right now.
This is Edgar Wright, who’s films I’ve always loved, in full-on action mode. His signature frenetic style is on full display here, combined with the effortless charm of Glenn Powell. It gets the blood pumping and instantly shot up my list of must-see movies this year.
Animation
Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount & Nickelodeon Animation came to the stage to share some quick bits on upcoming projects. Among the films mentioned is a third Paw Patrol flick, The Dino Movie, and the TMNT: Mutants Unleashed sequel. Eager Avatar fans awaiting news on the animation film were given an official title: The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.
Smurfs (July 18, 2025) – Following that, a special video message from Rihanna introduced an all new trailer Smurfs, which looks significantly better than expected. I wasn’t all that woohoo on the first trailer (or another attempt at the Smurfs on the big screen), but this was a pretty fun trailer with a lot of solid humor and the animation is really sleek. I wouldn’t call myself a “believer” just yet, but I no longer expect to be miserable when my daughter inevitably takes me to watch it.
The Spongebob Movie: The Search for Squarepants (December 19, 2025) – Tom Kenny, the iconic voice of Spongebob arrived on stage to introduce Mark Hamill and discuss The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants. We got to see the first trailer, which feels like exactly you’d want a Spongebob movie to be. I’ve never really been big on the show myself, but even with the 3D style change in animation, it expertly retains the overall feel of the show.
The Naked Gun – August 1, 2025
Paramount then went directly into the first trailer for the Liam Neeson starring revamp of The Naked Gun. The trailer actually went online before the show got started, so feel free to check it out above. Personally, I’m digging it. I love the connections it has to the previous films, while it seems to retain the madcap, super silly vibes, the franchise is known for.
Roofman – October 3, 2025
Channing Tatum took the stage to talk about his upcoming film, Roofman. It tells the true story about Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army Ranger who turned to a life of crime by robbing various McDonald’s restaurants by cutting a hole through the roof (hence the Roofman nickname). Tatum called the film an “entertaining ride, equal parts devastating, emotional and somehow hilarious.”
In the trailer, we see Tatum’s Jeffrey be a kind, and polite, thief, as he gives the McDonald’s manager his own coat because he was cold in the freezer. Following that, he’s arrested during his daughter’s birthday party, but ultimately escapes prison and hides out inside a Toys R Us. From his hiding spot, he keeps surveilance on the workers, ultimately falling in love with one of the women there (Kirsten Dunst).
His new love complicates things as his criminal past continues to haunt him. It looks like an interesting blend of comedy, drama, and even romance.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – May 23, 2025
Tom Cruise himself arrived on stage to help present the new Mission: Impossible film, which closed out the Paramount presentation. After starting things off with a touching moment of silence (that the entire Colosseum participated in), he dove into presenting this year’s CinemaCon Director of the Year: Christopher McQuarrie.
It was a long speech, but Tom Cruise’s effortless charm made me want to hear more. He detailed some fun stories about how McQuarrie saved/worked (uncredited) on a number of his projects and for Paramount. Much as I have some personal issues with Cruise, there’s no denying the man loves film, loves making them, and doesn’t hesitate to give credit where it’s due.
It was a stellar tribute to the director and his accomplishments, just before McQuarrie joined Cruise on stage. McQuarrie accepted the Director of the Year award, giving a quick speech thanking his family and Tom Cruise for helping to give him a chance when he was prepared to give up on filmmaking.
Then, of course, they debuted a brand new trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. It fucking rules. There’s tons more action, bigger set pieces, and all the emotion of various elements “wrapping up.” If this trailer doesn’t get you hyped, you may want to go to the hospital to find your heartbeat.
All in all, Paramount’s presentation had some good highlights, but ultimately felt a bit uneven. Running Man and Final Reckoning were easily the highlights, while everything else was “fun” but didn’t exactly leaving me dying to head to theaters. Felt like they were so focused on promoting Mission: Impossible they didn’t give enough time to promote many of the other projects they have in the works. Still, some solid trailers!
