Warner Bros. at CinemaCon: Everything We Learned From the Presentation
To kick things off at their CinemaCon panel, Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed a new specialty film label, which Deadline revealed in December. The studio’s presentation revealed the division’s name, Warner Bros. Clockwork. Its first film acquisition is Ti Amo!, from filmmaker Sean Baker. Warner Bros. Clockwork has acquired global distribution rights for the film, excluding France, and will be releasing it in theaters globally in 2027.
Continue reading below for our breakout of all of the important film announcements from the CinemaCon presentation.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
Gandalf and Frodo Baggins return in Andy Serkis’s The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Warner Bros. confirmed the cast at CinemaCon and revealed a poster, which prominently featured Gollum.
Scheduled to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027, The Hunt for Gollum will also bring back Lee Pace as the Elvenking of Mirkwood Thranduil. Serkis is, of course, also returning, playing both Gollum and Smeagol in this character origin story. Also revealed: Jamie Dornan will be taking over for Viggo Mortensen and playing a young Strider (aka Aragorn), and Leo Woodall will portray Halvard.
“Across two trilogies, a mark of a Middle-earth film has always been the formidable array of talent brought to bear in every role,” said Serkis in a statement. “The Hunt for Gollum continues in that tradition.” The Hunt for Gollum will take place between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, following Aragorn and Gandalf as they search for Gollum to provide details about Bilbo’s ring.
The Hunt for Gollum will be the first live-action film based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien since The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies was released in 2014.
Digger
Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu took the stage during the presentation to discuss their project Digger. “I started having the idea for this film nine years ago,” said Iñárritu, “and two years after that Tom and I started talking about the possibility of him becoming Digger Rockwell. We know he is fearless, but embodying this character is another kind of fearless.”
From the first look we got, Digger is a role where Cruise gets to embrace the wild and absurd, much like he did in Tropic Thunder with Les Grossman. Frankly, though Cruise is an action legend, some of his most memorable performances are when he can shed that persona and become somebody so completely different. And though Iñárritu said he is still working on the film, it’s pretty safe to say that this will be a collaboration that is one for the ages.
Dune: Part Three
A Warner Bros. presentation would not be complete without an exclusive look at the long-awaited finale of the Dune trilogy. Going extra theatrical by bringing out people dressed as Dune characters amid the iconic score of the film, Warner Bros. showed the first seven minutes to the audience, promising an epic spectacle for the conclusion. In it, a battalion of Fremen–led by Javier Bardem’s Stilgar–attacks giant cannons in a heart-pounding sequence.
Director Denis Villeneuve was joined onstage by stars Jason Momoa, Zendaya, and Timothee Chalamet to discuss, with Villenueve calling the film “more of a thriller, action-packed, and more emotional” than the previous installments. Chalamet hinted at his character’s long-awaited descent into darkness, calling Paul Atreides the “all-powerful dark emperor of the universe.”
Practical Magic 2
28 years after the original film spawned a generation of witches, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return to reprise their iconic roles as Sally and Gilly Owens. Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest will also be returning to the roles of Aunts Frances and Jet. The trailer was just released online, so now fans will be able to get their own first look at this anticipated sequel, which also stars Lee Pace.
Bullock and Kidman also came out to introduce the film and talk about the legacy of the first one. It was clear that they are excited to step back into this world together, and that their sisterly bond has not diminished over the years. Also, Bullock had Kidman say her iconic “we come to this place for magic” AMC line, so that was pretty cool.
Supergirl
Attendees were shown an extended look at the anticipated follow-up to 2025’s Superman. Director Craig Gillespie and stars Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa took to the stage to talk about Supergirl, as well as answer some questions. DC Studios co-chairperson Peter Safran asked Momoa, who portrayed Aquaman in the previous DC era will now portray Lobo in the new DCU, who would win in a fight. Momoa’s response was neutral, with him suggesting that they would just want to get drinks together, which prompted Safran to jokingly suggest an Aquaman/Lobo movie for 2031.
In the footage shown, Kara (Alcock) is preparing to jump offworld via public space transportation. However, she discovers Ruthye (Eve Ridley) has somehow tagged along. The two get into a bit of trouble with some space pirates before the clip ends. Without giving too much speculation away, it looks like Gillespie is sticking pretty closely to Gunn’s aesthetic and vibe of his Superman film.
The above films are just a small taste of what Warner Bros has to offer
Alongside these titles, Warner Bros also released minor sneak peeks at Clayface and the J.J. Abrams-produced The End of Oak Street. Mortal Kombat II also had a clip shown, but with it being so close to its release date not much else was given. A new Godzilla and Kong film was also announced, titled Godzilla x Kong Supernova.
The slates for 2026 and 2027 look packed. However, with the uncertainty surrounding the merger, only time will tell if these films stay on track. We’ll find out at the April 23 special shareholder meeting.
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