By Lionsgate held its presentation at CinemaCon today and with it came updates on a number of projects including some first looks at several films.
Right off the bat the mini-major launched with footage from “Michael,” the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic from Antoine Fuqua which stars Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson as Michael along with Colman Domingo, Nia Long and and Miles Teller.
The project is currently midway through filming and is confirmed to feature 30 songs spanning Jackson’s entire career. Attendees have spoken about how the recreations here are so accurate as to be kind of disturbing. The film open April 18th 2025.
The next big one was “Ballerina,” the spin-off of the “John Wick” franchise led by Ana de Armas. As previously confirmed, this unfolds between the third and fourth ‘Wick’ films.
Footage screened show her heavily-tattooed and heavily armed character in the snow, plenty of swordplay and flamethrower action, bone breaks and glimpses of Norman Reedus and Keanu Reeves in the film. That film opens June 6th 2025.
In terms of more immediate projects, a trailer was shown for the Mel Gibson-directed “Flight Risk” which boasts a Black List script by Jared Rosenberg.
Mark Wahlberg stars as a Southern-accented, balding, and psychotic hit man who tricks a federal agent (Michelle Dockery) into allowing him to pilot a plane out of a remote area – a plane carrying an informant (Topher Grace) who is the hit man’s target.
More footage from “Borderlands” was shown with Eli Roth revealing that Blanchett wanted to do the movie because of her love for John Carpenter’s “Escape from New York”.
Another first look was “Never Let Go,” the new thriller from “Crawl” director Alexandre Aja that was recently set for a September 27th release.
Halle Berry stars as a mother of fraternal twins who have never gone beyond the sinister forest surrounding their cabin. Whenever they leave, they are bounded by rope as they venture out.
Aziz Ansari was on hand to promote his comedy “Good Fortune” which stars Keanu Reeves as an angel with Ansari saying: “He actually is an angel, this is the first time he’s gotten to play his true form”. Footage from the remakes of “The Crow” and “The Strangers” was also screened.
Finally, there were some announcements. “Now You See Me 3” will see all four of the original cast (Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher) returning whilst Ruben Fleischer (“Venom,” “Uncharted”) will direct.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling, will hit cinemas in 2025. The “Barbie” star plays a man who wakes up from a coma afflicted with amnesia & soon remembers he was sent twelve light-years away from Earth to save humanity.
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