Our Favorite Announcements from CinemaCon 2023

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes

Lionsgate presented The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes during their panel at CinemaCon 2023. Described as fitting into The Hunger Games universe in the same way that Wicked fits into The Wizard of Oz, the film promises to be an exciting addition to the franchise. The studio even showed off a new poster and a trailer for the film during the panel. Unfortunately, outside of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes, Lionsgate did not bring any footage of the rest of their 2023 slate to the convention.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Animated Movie

An Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie is set to release next year. The film will follow Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Toph in their adult age. The group looks like they’re in their late 20s to early 30s. Ramsey Naito, who announced the film, promised that “this movie will blow you away.” Unfortunately, no footage of the film was shown during the event.

Transformers Prequel

Paramount announced a new animated prequel called Transformers One. The movie is set to release in July 2024 and stars Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, and Laurence Fishburne. No plot details were revealed, but fans can expect to see the Transformers franchise expand its universe with this upcoming release.

A Haunting in Venice

“A Haunting in Venice” was showcased, featuring Michelle Yeoh in a lead role. The footage unveiled showcased Yeoh leading a seance, and the movie reportedly has a significantly darker tone compared to the previous Poirot films directed by Kenneth Branagh.

20 Minutes of Pixar’s Elemental

Pixar’s upcoming film, Elemental, was given a special 20-minute 3D showcase for attendees. The movie, directed by Peter Sohn, takes place in Element City, where residents made up of fire, water, land, and air live together. The story follows Ember, a strong and sharp young woman who becomes friends with Wade, a carefree and easygoing guy. Their friendship causes Ember to question her beliefs about the world around them. With an intriguing concept and an exciting creative team behind it, Elemental is shaping up to be another must-see movie from Pixar.

First Clip of Wonka

Fans of the beloved classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were in for a treat as an extended trailer for the upcoming prequel, Wonka, was shown at a recent event. The trailer received high praise from attendees, with one reporter describing it as “perfect” and noting that it felt like a proper prequel to the original Gene Wilder film. The movie stars Timothy Chalamet in the titular role, with Hugh Grant taking on the unexpected role of an Oompa-Loompa. Fans also learned that Chalamet had the unique experience of swimming in chocolate for the film.

There were many things revealed and explained at this year’s Cinemacon and these were only some of our favorites. Please check out That Hashtag Show for complete coverage from the floor. Also, follow Star_Hat_Goofy for his reaction to screenings including that of The Flash.