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CinemaCon 2026 saved one of the most highly anticipated special presentations for last. The great Disney came to the stage with its expansive and diverse slate, including Toy Story 5. There has yet to be a bad installment in this franchise, and based on the footage we say from Toy Story 5, that will continue to be true. We already knew that Toy Story 5 would be grappling with how technology is affecting the way that kids play with their toys. Pixar

Here’s the synopsis for Toy Story 5:

The toys are back and this time, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?

We see Bonnie play with the Lilypad all night long and once she goes to breakfast they confront her. She notes now she can easily make Bonnie friends while she plays, suggesting that she’s better for her. Jessie hates it, especially when Lilypad calls her old. She tries to fight the pad but it is not no avail. Bonnie returns and is delighted to be invited to a dance group.

We even got Tom Hanks and Tim Allen on stage to talk about reprising their roles! They were a funny delight and show another exclusive clip. We see Woody wearing a poncho, which one one seems to like. Woody also looks…different with a bald patch and a rounder stomach. He greets Buzz Lightyear and they are both a little confused that Jessie called Woody. They both think they are the deputy.

Lilypad thinks Wood is old because he’s bald. Woody laments that toys are for play but tech is for everything. Buzz says they have to fight back and achieve their mission to make a child happy.

Toy Story 5 will hit theaters on June 19.

For more of our CinemaCon coverage, head to our tag here.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 is bringing our favorite fashionistas back to the big screen on May 1. We’ve gotten a few trailers and many looks at the film’s returning cast but this CinemaCon footage is something that we’ve never seen before. Thanks to Disney, we have a closer look at what this sequel will entail. 20th Century Studios

Here’s a brief summary of the premise for The Devil Wears Prada 2:

Andy returns to Runway as Miranda Priestly navigates a new media landscape and Runway‘s position within it. They reconnect with another former assistant, Emily, who is now the head of a luxury brand that possesses funding which could ensure Runway‘s survival.

Before the footage, Anne Hathaway came on via video to celebrate returning back 20 years later. We see Miranda at a meeting talking about a vintage Mugler shoot and she’s not happy about it, calling the models “starving goats,” which doesn’t land. Another person at the table comes up with an idea involving a “bum bag,” and that doesn’t land either. We a few glamorous shots of all our returning characters before the brief clip ends.

For more of our CinemaCon coverage, head to our tag here.

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For three seasons Din Djarin and his little green son have proven they know “the way” to make a compelling TV show in the galaxy far, far away. Now Disney is giving the beloved duo a chance to prove they can make a compelling movie. The Mandalorian and Grogu will bring the Star Wars pair to big screens next month and now there’s a new trailer. Before it lands in theaters, though, it made a stop at this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas. During a presentation Disney provided another glimpse at the film and offered new insights into what fans can expect when Baby Yoda and his bounty hunter dad make their way to cinemas.

Director Jon Favreau talked about how it was truly a dream come true to make this film. He hopes new fans will feel the same way that he felt when he watched Star Wars for the first time. Favreau says there are practical sets, stop-motion, and so much more that took years to bring together. He gave Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver their props and said that Ludwig Goransson did the score.

We see Mando talking to Ward, who says it is not about revenge but protecting everything that the Rebellion fought for. We get sweeping scenery, lots of Grogu moments, and more. At one point, Mando sends Grogu away so he can fight. A Hutt tells Mando that he will suffer, and we hear our titular bounty hunter say that the old will protect the young and the young will protect the old. Of course, there’s lots of laser action and Mando ending the clip saying “This is the way.”

We also got the opening sequence that notes that the Galactic Empire has fallen and Mando and Grogu are in the lawless Outer Rim to hunt Imperial forces. There’s a meeting happening where a ruthless leader says he will still there to protect them and now he must maintain it with support. he says long live the empire and those around the table agree. He delivers bad news and says he is raising everyone’s tribute. When someone challenges him, he shoots him then tells the others to go back to their townships and focus on solutions not excuses. A guard goes down while others go to see what’s going on.

A droid infiltrates the place, calling for a code red. People in the room go down one by one as Mando enters, but the leader. Mando brilliant sets a bomb trap and Grogu appears, lifting the droid with the Force and dismantling it. Grocus finds himself up against an antagonistic force but cleverly hides, mando get onto a terrain defense vehicle and tells him to hop on so they can go off into the snowy mountainous terrain.

Of course, it’s a fight to get away but we see a couple of AT-ATs fall. There’s a prep to engage Mando but he’s already on the ship and takes down everyone in an epic fight sequence. Our favorite duo are on a an AT-AT with ticking bombs and barely make it out, but not before Mando gets his shot. Grogu even sneezes adorably and Mando talks to the pilot Zeb.

Mando meets back up with the ward, who says that his approach was very “messy.” She gives him his next mission to meet with Rotta the Hutt and find Commander Coyne. He’s not happy about the job but he takes it. He gets another vessel and warns Grogu to not touch anything.

The Mandalorian and Grogu comes from director and show creator Jon Favreau. He also produces along with Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce. Three-time Oscar winner and show composer Ludwig Göransson is also handling the film’s music

Lucasfilm

This big screen adventure stars Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward, and Jeremy Allen White as the buff as heck Rotta the Hutt. As is Martin Scorsese who voices an Ardennian fry cook. (Seriously.) Star Wars Rebels hero and New Republic pilot Zeb Orrelios who made his live-action debut on The Mandalorian is also getting in on the fun. He might not have very much of it, though. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu. 

Will this two-member clan find the same kind of success on the big screen as it has on Disney+? We’ll find out when The Mandalorian and Grogu soars into theaters on May 22.

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Johnny Depp hit the stage during Paramount Pictures special presentation at CinemaCon 2026 to confirm that he is indeed portraying Scrooge in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, an upcoming film by Ti West. The movie will release on November 13, and Depp gave attendees their first look at the fantasy film. We see Depp’s haggard, mean, and miserable Scrooge, who hates the poor of course. He screams “Humbug” to anyone who will listen too. MGM

Things get a little creepy once the creepy ghosts show up and haunt him into being a decent person. These spectors are a lot more haunting than we thought they would be, with even a few light scares along the way.

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At CinemaCon 2026, Paramount Pictures wanted to reconfirm its commitment to Star Trek. The studio took the time to mention that a new Star Trek movie is in the works, even though they didn’t go into details about the film during the presentation. We’ve heard about this new Star Trek movie already, but it’s good to know the studio is taking its Star Trek seriously, even though Star Trek 4 with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and the crew never came together.John DiMarco

In November of 2025, we learned that John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein will write and direct a new Star Trek movie, but it will be unconnected from any previous version. Judging by this team, who are also responsible for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the new film might take us on a more comedic, less serious journey. And we’re excited. This new Star Trek movie will serve as a fresh start for the franchise’s cinematic arm. Although we initially thought Paramount might reboot The Next Generation as an easy win, we’re glad it’s going in a new direction. We can’t wait to see Star Trek back on the big screen.

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And we’re glad to hear mention of this new Star Trek movie in 2026, although we do wish we could have recieved just a few more details to tide us over. Hopefully, this won’t be like Star Trek 4 with constant updates that lead nowhere. For more on what’s happening at CinemaCon 2026, you can follow our tag here.

In the meantime, we’ll be mourning the Star Trek 4 that wasn’t. We really wanted to see more of Chris Pine’s Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock, older and wise. But, all the same, we are looking forward to the new Star Trek movie that is. Hopefully we will get some more details soon.

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Legendary and Paramount Pictures live-action Street Fighter dropped an amazing trailer on April 16. It delivers the action, classic moves, and an intriguing storyline for the perfect blend. Fans are surely cheering all over the world in delight and ready to see Street Fighter on October 16. But, before then, Paramount Pictures and the film’s cast and director Kiato Sakurai brought the tournament to CinemaCon to dazzle fans with some additional footage.

Here’s what goes down. We heard some hits from days gone by, like “Ante Up,” as video of various Street Fighter games and fans playing grace the screen. Then, the stage became a championship battle spectacle as an announcer brought out the cast, just like a boxer would. We get our film Ken, Ryu, and Chun-Li on stage to hype fans up before the rest of the cast comes out, including Eric Andre as Don Sauvage, the film’s announcer.

Paramount Pictures/Legendary

We see some footage from the trailer but also Chun-Li and Ken have deeper conversation, and we also see her kick the crap out of Ryu. She reveals that she’s paid to find champions, even if they are lost. We see Ken singing 4 Non Blondes “What’s Going On?” sadly at a bar and then attempting to fight Ryu. Of course, there are game moves aplenty and some great jokes. It looked just as cool as the trailer.

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The STREET FIGHTER Trailer Is Pure Shoryuken Cinema

Editor’s note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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It’s all happening. At CinemaCon 2026, Paramount confirmed that Top Gun 3 is in the works and it is really happening. Not too long ago, any kind of Top Gun sequel felt like just a pipe dream. But everyone, including us, absolutely LOVED Top Gun: Maverick, which means, yep, Top Gun 3 is on the way. Tom Cruise will almost definitely return for Top Gun 3 as Pete Mitchell, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer will as well. Paramount Pictures

Top Gun: Maverick told the story of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he headed back to his flight school to help a new era of pilots learn how to run a mission. We also got to see the sun of “Goose,” Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, played by Miles Teller. Goose, of course, died in the first movie. At Nerdist, we gave Top Gun: Maverick a solid score 3.5/5 stars. We’ll have to see if Top Gun 3 can beat that.

We first heard about Top Gun 3 in 2024. And as of September 2025, Bruckheimer confirmed the movie was still in development. Previously, Tom Cruise stated, “Yeah, we’re thinking and talking about many different stories and what could we do and what’s possible. It took me 35 years to figure out Top Gun: Maverick, so all of these things we’re working on, we’re discussing Days of Thunder and Top Gun: Maverick. There’s numerous other films that we’re actively working on right now…” But this is the first time the movie has been officially presented as happening by Paramount.

For now, all we know about Top Gun 3 is that it’s happening and a script is in the works. We’ll have to stay tuned for more details on Tom Cruise’s next flight. If this Top Gun 3 news has you itching for the franchise, you can stream Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+ right now.

For more CinemaCon coverage, you can check out our tag here.

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Nerdist made our way to Las Vegas for CinemaCon 2026 and it is quite the spectacle, indeed. From star-studded special presentations from major production entities to social mixers, it is a place where theater owners, technology and beverage companies, journalists, and influencers alike all come together with excitement. One of the coolest experiences we had at CinemaCon was to watch exclusive clips during an early press experience for Masters of the Universe. A small group gathered together in a theater to watch three scenes from the film and to hear some refreshing insight from two leading cast members, Nicholas Galitzine (Adam/He-Man) and Camila Mendes (Teela), as well as director Travis Knight. Amazon MGM Studios

First, Knight gave us some insight into his background as an ’80s kid who found connection with He-Man during a time where a lack of emotional depth and hyper masculine heroes were all the rage. To him, He-Man showed that you could be strong and decent. Now, he’s bringing his vision of Eternia (and having a nerdy good time) to the big screen. Knight called MOTU cheeky, fun, playful, and sincere, and was clearly proud of 2.5 years of work finally coming together.

Now, let’s talk about those scenes from Masters of the Universe!

Skeletor Actually Gets to Win And Sieges Eternia

We all know the basic formula of most Masters of the Universe episodes from the ’80s animated series. Skeletor comes up with some scheme of the week to gain power and rule the universe. He-Man stops him and Skeletor promises to come back and try again. Well, in this Masters of the Universe clip, Skeletor actually gets a win. He arrives with his band of Evil Warrior to attack, but Duncan (Man-At-Arms) and soldiers give him one heck of a fight back. Duncan tells King Randor that he will keep his wife and young son Adam safe, and promises his frightened mentee/spiritual daughter Teela the same thing.

And behold, Trap Jaw shows up so he can go toe-to-toe with Duncan, who gets the upper hand, but not before the tables turn. We don’t fully see what happens there but it such a great scene where Idris Elba shines. Speaking of him, Knight says he is one of the coolest guys to exist, no shade to Nicholas, who agrees. “When I met him, he’d just gotten off his motorcycle,” he said. “He was wearing his leathers. He walked in slow motion, like a John Wick movie. They’re like pigeons flying behind him. Shit, he’s so cool. And as we all know, he’s an extraordinary actor. He’s a great action hero and he’s really, really funny.”

Meanwhile, Skeletor and his gang corner Randor and his family. He says the reign of Randor is over, and the king sends his child and wife away to run towards safety before boldly battling everyone. After being apprehended yet still holding a weapon very close to Skeletor’s face, our favorite villain says he will take his head and then proceeds to slice off the head of a statue. Skeletor takes the crown off Randor’s head and seems to rename the place Eternos as Evil-Lyn strides in. The scene ends with a much more humorous note as Skeletor raises his fist and cackles for a little too long, causing everyone around him to look confused. He is annoyed that they didn’t realize that was the crescendo and the scene ends.

Adam Vs. Beast Man Doesn’t Go Well But Teela Saves the Day

Many years later, an adult Adam is in the back of a cop car. The officers poke fun at him about his big ole sword before things get serious. Beast Man appears in gridlocked traffic and starts tearing vehicles up. He gets to the cop car, but Adam has already broken out of it with his sword. They fight as 4 Non Blondes “What’s Going On?” plays in the background, with Beast Man getting the upper hand and nearly taking Adam out. Thankfully, Teela shows up to save him, sending Beast Man crashing off the bridge and giving us a cool superhero landing. Adam is shocked to see her and she extends her hand, asking him if he’s ready to go home.

Amazon MGM StudiosAdam Becomes He-Man and Thrashes Trap Jaw

In this scene, Adam, Teela, and a haggard (and hilarious) Duncan are hiding from Trap Jaw and his not-so-merry gang. Adam wants to use his superior customer service skills to reason with him and, well, that goes as badly as Teela said it would. Trap Jaw is there for the fight, baby, and Adam has literally no power against him. Teela yells for him to use the sword and he sees a vision of his mom, who tells him to say the iconic line “By the power of Greyskull, I have the POWER!”

And his transformation into He-Man is epic and feels very anime and magical transformation inspired. You see him glow, his veins bulge, and his muscles expand. When asked about this, Knight said the following, “I was always told the guys that whenever we were at some kind of a crossroads was just to go back to the source [material]. And so even though we took liberties for some of that stuff and we want to make things look modern and cinematic, we always went back to the Filmmation cartoon… Actually, when Adam transforms for the first time, we’d see the spirit of Grayskull right behind him. It’s kind of a blink and you miss it moment, but it’s there.”

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He continued, “And I think that level of devotion to the original source material is something you’ll find all throughout the whole movie. For me, seeing Adam transform into He-Man was a really moving experience… as we go through the movie, I think that you’ll experience to see him become this person after all he’s endured is actually a very emotional thing. And I think we wanted to try to do visually was showcase how what was inside of him was finally coming out to the exterior.”

Back to the scene. The fight commences and Adam is shocked at how easily he gets the upper hand. But Trap Jaw gets in a sneak attack that makes Teela and Duncan look like the eyeball emoji. In the end, He-Man rips Trap Jaw’s arm off and uses it to take out the remainder of his men.

Nerdist

That’s just a taste of what we will get when Masters of the Universe hits theaters on June 5. Thank you to the team at Amazon MGM Studios for an powerful experience.

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Big news for Call of Duty fans straight out of CinemaCon: the live-action film from Paramount Pictures will hit theaters on June 30, 2028. We got a little look at what to expect from the film with some animated images and words from Peter Berg, who is set to write, direct, and produce the film, and his collaborator Taylor Sheridan.Activision

They note that they wanted to capture the authenticity of the beloved video game franchise but also bring a wild and expansive scope that will lead to an epic summer splash. We will surely get more news as June 2028 draws nearer and Call of Duty makes it to theaters.

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Scary Movie is back, baby. The first trailer for the franchise’s return brings back some fan favorite characters like Shorty (Marlon Wayans), Ray (Shawn Wayans), Cindy (Anna Faris), Brenda (Regina Hall), and more for wild parody action. When we arrived at CinemaCon 2026, we were greeted by this sight, and knew that Scary Movie would be a big part of Paramount Pictures special presentation on April 16. Nerdist

And we were right because a new Scary Movie trailer dropped to give attendees a closer peek at footage that will hit the big screen this summer. A few cast members, specifically the Wayans brothers and Anna Faris, came out to make the audience laugh. They say laughter is the best and even better in a theater.

We see Ghostface stirring a tea cup just like Get Out before he tells Shorty to sink into the chair. He ends up in a sunken place that makes Shorty high. There’s news that Ghostface is back and only Cindy can stop him. She reunites with Brenda, who notes her dropping boobs.

Weapons also shows up with kids high on candy, the Sinners vamps sing The Jeffersons “Movin’ On Up” song, which gets a boo from Brenda, Ray, and Shorty. And, Brenda even jokes that no one watched the John Wick universe Ballerina movie. Of course, we get Shorty and friends with Ghostface yells WAZZUP.

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Scary Movie will hit theaters on June 5.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 sped into CinemaCon 2026 with just a little teaser footage. In it, we see Maddie and Tom setting up a friendly race between Sonic, Tails, and Shadow. Sonic is hilariously wearing a rubber duck float around his waist. The clip acknowledges the success of this billion dollar franchise. Paramount Pictures

Then we see Sonic flying through the sky, Knuckles running fast (presumably straight towards chaos), and Amy Rose looking adorable as she wields her hammer.

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The Sonic the Hedgehog 4 footage shows the return of Jim Carrey’s Robotnik as he threatens to get back into chaos. It doesn’t give away any specific plot details but it is just enough that makes us even more ready for the film to arrive in theaters on March 19, 2027.

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One of the biggest questions in Hollywood right now involves one of the industry’s most iconic characters. It specifically revolves around the fact that the iconic role remains unfulfilled. Every spy fan wants to know one thing. Who will be the next James Bond? The newest entry in the franchise already has a big-time director in Dune‘s Denis Villeneuve. What it still doesn’t have is a 007. And that might be a good thing, because Amazon MGM Studios says it’s taking its time to make sure they get this right. At CinemaCon, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed they have NOT yet cast a new actor to play James Bond.MGM

Amazon MGM Studios‘ Film Head Courtenay Valenti offered a James Bond casting update at this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas. It wasn’t the announcement fans have waited for. Instead, Valenti confirmed that James Bond has NOT yet been cast. And yet, this news should make fans feel good, considering the general angst around the studio’s acquisition last year of complete creative control and plans for a 007 cinematic universe. Valenti said, “Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter. And it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.”

MGM

So when will we hear who is replacing Daniel Craig in these big cinematic shoes? Valenti, after praising the directing, writing, and producing team already in place, said, “When the time is right, we’ll have much more to share.”

We believe Amazon MGM Studios is treating the responsibility of casting the new James Bond with care and deep respect. We also know no matter who gets the part a lot of fans won’t be happy. Then the movie will come out, and we’ll all find out for sure if the new James Bond is worthy of having been the answer to one of Hollywood’s most important questions.

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In the world of The Boys, it is not easy to be a good person. Now, after four seasons of battling Supes and the evil corporation they work for, Mother’s Milk has resigned himself to not making it out of this war alive. He hasn’t given up the fight, though. Nor has he lost his soul entirely. What’s it like playing a very different version of a character after all this time? We spoke to Laz Alonso about MM’s transformation in the show’s final season and his performance in episode three. The Boys star also told us what it was like to shoot a scene with just Giancarlo Esposito, being in your own head as an actor, the shocking truth about fake cigars, and more.Prime Video

Nerdist: You have filmed with Giancarlo Esposito before, but in episode three of The Boys season five, you have that intense scene where it’s just the two of you alone in a small room. What was it like shooting that sequence with him?

Laz Alonso: It was great on many levels. First, because he’s one of my heroes in this business, just as an actor. Having that moment to work opposite him in a very precarious situation, because we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum here, we’re on opposite ends of the fight, yet it was a moment of truce. It was awesome.

It was also awesome to see him work. To see his process, how he changes things up on the fly, and be able to play with him. I knew that because he was a theater actor who came up in New York, that would be the energy that he brought. Very spontaneous. I’ve worked with him before, but in more of a group setting. But here, where it was more personal, man, it was fun. And it was good to feel both of our characters, who had so much history, finally be able to talk about it.

You said he’s one of your acting heroes. You’ve been doing this a long time, you’ve shared the screen with lots of big names, you’ve given this amazing performance, but when you’re working with him, do you still find yourself a little intimidated or overwhelmed or just in awe?

Alonso: Starstruck, man. Starstruck. I love that feeling. I had that feeling recently at the Saturn Awards when I got to meet Laurence Fishburne. He’s a hero. These are people I looked up to and hope to one day share the screen with. And this business just has a way of pinching you when you forget. “Oh my God, this is someone that at one time in my career, I thought one day I hope to be there with them, and here we are.” It was an amazing moment, an amazing scene. And he and I also have really good rapport personally. So we had a fun day on set anyway, and you can’t top that.

Prime Video

MM hasn’t given up the fight or lost his humanity, but his new cynicism has made him a lot less anxious and a lot looser this season. What was it like getting to play this version of the character versus previous seasons?

Alonso: It was challenging because you get to a certain point where you know the character so well that you react as the character. But I had to remind myself, “Oh, that’s not MM this season.” And I had to basically create a new version of him. Every scene I was in, whatever my instincts wanted to do, I had to do the opposite. So there were a lot of moments where I was in my head, where I may not have felt as authentic, and I had to battle through that. Because for the last eight years I’ve been living as this character, and it really does take over.

When you’re on set, you just move a certain way, and you do things a certain way, and you gravitate to certain things as the character. And I had to switch all that up. This was probably the most challenging season for me out of all the other seasons that I’ve done.

Prime Video

Well, MM is physically carrying himself differently this year. Did you consciously have to think about that aspect of your performance, or was it a natural outgrowth of this emotional state?

Alonso: No, everything was conscious this season. Everything was intentional, everything was conscious. Everything was trying to give people a different version of what they think or what they have seen for so long, to the point where they notice it. You know when you know someone, and they’re off, and you can’t really put your finger on it? “What’s wrong with that guy, what’s gotten into him?” That’s what I wanted people to feel like. “What’s gotten into MM?”

Obviously, Eric Kripke and I had a lot of talks about it. He gave me a lot of reassurance. He liked the work I was doing. I was questioning it like, “Eric, are you sure? I can do that scene again.” But he was like, “No, man, you’re killing it. We love what’s happening here and just keep doing what you’re doing.” And so that was kind of where we decided to really lean into.

What was your process like when you were trying to figure out the right balance between portraying his resignation to his assumed fate without losing the character’s natural desire to fight and be a good person?

Alonso: There are moments in the script that still give him a glimmer and a glimpse of who he really is. In episode two, where he saves Countess Crow, that’s the old MM. But then the new MM can look at Soldier Boy and leave. The old MM would never have been able to do that. The older MM would’ve sat there and risked dying to make sure he’s dead. And then go make sure he’s dead in person. Kick the body a few times.

The new version of MM, there is something liberating about not caring. And we played down the OCD this season because we wanted to show that when he lets go, there are other things as well. The trauma attached to his need to control, he also lets it go. And so yeah, there were a lot of things that allowed us to give it a different color.

Prime Video

One thing you still get to do is be a tough guy. You get tossed around in this episode, but you don’t actually have to fight. Do you prefer when you get to sit out the combat, or would you rather be more physically involved, like in episode one?

Alonso: It’s a balance of both. I’ve always loved the physicality of an action sequence. I love going to rehearsals. I love learning the choreography and then adding character elements to the choreography. That part’s always fun. And we have a lot of fun doing it with Brand X and those guys. But there’s also a type of gratification in being able to be the mental one of the team and just building the DNA of the character that allows him that kind of leeway to also be the thoughtful guy, the emotionally aware guy.

Considering the show has Amazon money, how good were the cigars they gave you?

Alonso: Bro. They were fantastic. And here’s the thing: I’m a cigar smoker, and they were specific on-set, no tobacco cigars. They were that special leaf that is supposed to be disgusting. They were amaaaaazing. Fake cigars, to the point where I would never be able to tell that they were fake. And I’m an avid cigar enthusiast. Fantastic smokes.

Do they smell like cigars?

Alonso: They smell like cigars. To the point where we were questioning whether or not they were real or not. We just didn’t get the buzz.

Prime Video

I was thinking about that, what being in that small little area with all that cigar smoke was like.

Alonso: It smelled like a cigar room. It smelled like a cigar lounge, but there were no effects. The residual stuff you get from cigar smoking, there was none of that. Went to sleep that night, woke up the next day, didn’t even feel like I smoked. I was like, “Wow, this is great.” I thought I was going to wake up feeling like crap.

Can’t get any better than that.

Alonso: We probably went through at least 25, 30 cigars to shoot that scene. It was wild.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He really hopes MM is wrong and he lives. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Gamers around the world were looking at their phones and shouting “YES! YES!” like M. Bison on Thursday morning because the Street Fighter movie trailer forward, down, down-forward, punched its way out of CinemaCon and into our eyeballs on Thursday morning. The latest trailer for Legendary and Paramount’s highly anticipated video game adaptation is much more story-focused than the teaser we saw at The Game Awards in December. Between iconic moves taken directly from the games and some seriously deep-cut Easter eggs, Street Fighter is clearly made with a lot of love for its source material, especially 1991’s Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.

Set in 1993, Street Fighter puts the focus front-and-center on Ken Masters, Chun-Li, and Ryu as their paths converge on the World Warrior Tournament, a competition between the greatest fighters from around the globe. The tournament will seemingly take place under the auspices of Shadaloo, a mysterious criminal organization run by the delightfully camp dictator-in-training M. Bison.

Why, you ask? Well, to make money! Running a shadowy organization ain’t cheap. But presumably also to lure out a world-weary Ryu to pit him against the demonic Akuma, who we glimpse in action toward the end of the trailer both doing battle with and exerting his influence on the hadoken-launching hero. Could this be the “deadly conspiracy that forces [our heroes] to face off against each other and the demons of their past” as promised by the synopsis? Probably, but only time will tell.

While the trailer gives us our best insight into the film’s narrative, it doesn’t skimp on the action either. Longtime Street Fighter players will spot moves like Ken’s Shoryuken, E. Honda’s Hundred Hand Slap, Guile’s Flash Kick, Akuma’s Empyrean End, and Ryu’s Hadoken, just to name a few. Plus, I’m pretty sure there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it look at M. Bison using his Psycho Power around the 2:30 mark.

And is it just us or is that shot of Chun-Li entering the shower a reference to Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie? Considering we saw Vega get launched through a wall in the first teaser, it seems like that might be a favorite of director Kitao Sakurai.

So when can you put your quarter up to see the movie? Legendary and Paramount’s Street Fighter will spinning bird kick its way into theaters on October 16, 2026.

Editor’s note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

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The Blumhouse/Atomic Robot riffs on Universal’s classic monsters thus far have been an interesting experiment. I don’t think anyone saw the success of Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man coming, nor perhaps that his follow up, The Wolf Man, would land with a thud. With the third riff comes a bit of drama, not least Universal punting it off to Warner Bros. to avoid brand confusion with some big-budget rebootquels on the way. Thus, we have Lee Cronin’s Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, which in a lot of ways is the most different of the bunch. It’s much more like Cronin’s previous Evil Dead Rise than anything starring Brendan Fraser and Imhotep. But that’s really why I think it works as well as it does.Warner Bros.

Unlike any of the previous Mummy films in the main canon, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy eschews action-adventure for pure supernatural body horror. This movie is grotty and proud of it. It also carries on a theme for Cronin in putting normal families in the gnarliest horror stories possible. And like Evil Dead Rise, the horror aspects here come with a devilishly comedic tone. It maybe pulls a few punches, but not as many as one might expect.

The story begins in Egypt where news correspondent Charlie (Jack Reynor) lives with his wife, medical professional Larissa (Laia Costa), two kids, and a third on the way. One afternoon, a mysterious woman (Hayat Kamille) abducts the daughter, Katie, and the Cairo police—including young officer Dalia (May Calamawy)—have no idea where she is.

Eight years pass, the family has relocated to Albuquerque, and out of the blue, people find Katie (played as a teen by newcomer Natalie Grace). Only, our poor girl isn’t quite what they remember. She shows signs of mistreatment and malnutrition as well as a strange skin condition. Katie can’t speak and is mainly catatonic aside from occasional violent spasms. As Charlie and now-Detective Dalia try to piece together what happened, the true nature of Katie’s dark presence begins to infect the house, the family, and maybe even the world?!

Warner Bros.

One of the biggest issues with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is the story is almost at odds with itself. It tries to at once evoke things like The Exorcist and Evil Dead and supernatural mysteries like Sinister and Insidious. (Not surprisingly, those second two from producers Jason Blum and James Wan.) The plot doesn’t need to be as complex as it tries to be, but it often feels like Cronin needs to justify it being a movie about a mummy, sort of, so needs ancient curses and cults. Half of it goes nowhere. I’m not sure it needs that stuff, and I think it ultimately gets in the way of what really works.

Once Katie gets to Albuquerque—to a massive old house, perfect for horror—and the gross and uncanny stuff really starts, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a hell of a lot of fun. Multiple times during my press screening, the audience emitted loud, involuntary noises as a result of the splatter. At its best, the movie evokes Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive or the darkest parts of Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist. And, yes, Evil Dead. I keep coming back to that because that really is what it felt more like.

Warner Bros.

I really need to take a moment to shout out Natalie Grace’s performance. Almost the totality of it is under heavy makeup and requiring physical contortion. She’s the highlight of the entire film, perfectly understanding the part she’s playing. She makes Evil Katie relish in the wickedness in just the right way. I loved watching her every reptilian tongue flick and rigor mortis twitch. Great stuff.

Whether or not the movie is “scary” certainly depends on taste and preference. I find gross-out splatter effects more fun than scary. If body horror and gore isn’t your thing, then you’ll likely keep your face behind your hands. If you enjoyed Evil Dead Rise, I think you’ll enjoy this.

⭐ (3.5 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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Henry Cavill’s upcoming film Highlander is in the midst of production, but that didn’t stop it from making a splash at CinemaCon 2026. During Amazon MGM’s special presentation panel, Cavill himself dropped in via video, and it was clear that he was in the midst of shooting. There are dirt smudges on his face and his hair is asket, but don’t fool yourself. His version of “disheveled” is still very hot. He gives us the gift of some very early footage of the film along with some behind-the-scenes commentary with director Chad Stahelski and other cast members like Dave Bautista, who portrays the Kurgan, the most feared of the immortals.

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We see Cavill’s lead character in teaser footage as he sulks through a crowd. He says “I am Connor MacLeod, who was born in 1518, and I am immortal.” There’s fight scenes and a standoff with the Kurgan. In this film, a group of people called the Immortals are racing towards the Gathering to battle and see who is the last one standing. Bautista says it is a dream role for him because he grew up with it.

Amazon MGM Studios/Lionsgate

According to Cavill, shooting is only about halfway done. Production has yet to go to places like Poland and the Scottish highlands. Highlander doesn’t have a release date yet but we are crossing our fingers for sometime in 2027.

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At CinemaCon, Amazon MGM Studios brought out Spaceballs: The New One director Josh Greenbaum, Josh Gad, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and the incredible Rick Moranis, who is returning back to the big screen as Dark Helmet after many decades. This long-gestating sequel is hitting theaters on April 23, 2027, and new footage dropped. Amazon MGM Studios

There’s obvious poking fun at the galaxy far, far away. We get some humorous content, including poking fun at the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger and the many rumors about a Spaceballs sequel over the years. The narrator even admits that this is a series of clips that are totally out of sequence but look really theatrical. It is a campy and silly as we all hoped for. It’s time to hop back into the cosmic saddle, and there’s nothing off limits. We even get a urinal joke featuring a Na’vi character.

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Funnily, Rick Moranis gets interrupted constantly when asked questions on stage, keeping with the tone of the universe. We are absolutely looking forward to this film.

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Amazon MGM Studios kicked its CinemaCon 2026 presentation off with a bang, bringing Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan out to talk about his new film, The Thomas Crown Affair. It is a new remake of a film about a billionaire who is up to criminal activity, specifically stealing a painting. Jordan notes that he dreamed about making this movie and watched the 1999 film with Pierce Brosnan as the titular character when he was a kid. And yes, we got a trailer for The Thomas Crown Affair and Michael B. Jordan continues to be the hottest man on the planet. Warner Bros. Pictures

Jordan’s Thomas Crown flirts with a woman who is onto his scheming, and she’s played by Adria Arjona. He’s giving very secret badass energy and has a few things in his possession that don’t belong to him, including a specific painting. Jordan is in full action swing, scaling the sides of buildings, beating down his detractors, and driving a race car.

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The Thomas Crown Affair, which Michael B. Jordan also produces and directs, is set for a March 5, 2027 release date. Jon Baptiste is on the score, and also made an appearance to play the piano, and Adria also briefly appeared to greet the crowd. Let’s go and sit at the theaters to wait right now.

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Masters of the Universe brought lots of epic action and power to CinemaCon 2026. The film’s release is right around the corner on June 5, and we’ve gotten two very different trailers for it previously. The first teaser was quite comical and ’80s soaked while the other trailer gave us more action. Well, there’s more where the latter comes from, and director Travis Knight, He-Man actor Nicholas Galitzine, and Teela actress Camila Mendes knew what attendees and MOTU fans wanna see. The newest trailer from Masters of the Universe is absolutely dazzling as Adam comes home and embraces the fight against Skeletor.

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Speaking of that cackling nightmare of a villian whom we all love, he’s absolutely menacing in this clip. At one point, he taunts Adam, saying that he can pretend to be a hero but is he really anyone without the sword. But before that, we see Adam in the back of a cop car when Beast Man shows up and wreaks havoc in traffic. Adam escapes the vehicle with his sword but he loses it and nearly loses the battle until Teela shows up to save his behind. He’s shocked to see her and she asks if he’s ready to go home. And that’s when things get weird in the best way.

Amazon MGM Studios

She says that everything changed since he left. He addresses a group of people who thought he was dead, but certainly welcome him to fight Skeletor. We see big characters like Mekaneck and Evil-Lyn get some pretty humorous moments too, especially between Teela, Duncan, and Adam as she pilots a ship. We even see He-Man on a motorbike and in full action as he slays his enemies. It is epic, loud, bold, and made us even more excited for the film to hit theaters this summer.

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Jessica Chastain is bringing some serious scary mother vibes this spooky season. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse dropped the first trailer for Other Mommy at CinemaCon, and we are still shook by its imagery. In it, Chastain appears to be an ideal mother who comes home and chats with her daughter. The little girl is hiding ice cream behind her back, and the mom gently chastises her. Like a good mom, she offers better food options, like pasta and scrambled eggs before putting a pot of beans on the stove.

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The mother says she thinks about when her and her daughter were one person, which the daughter assumes means when she was pregnant. But no, that’s not it. This mom says the daughter was in her heart and then asks to go inside the girl’s heart. Chastain’s eyes widen as tears stream and smoke rises from a burning pot on the stove. It is incredibly creepy to watch.

The father of the family, Russ (Jay Duplass) comes home and asks what’s wrong, but then there’s a jumpscare of this “other mommy.” who is disfigured and hiding under a kitchen island. Russ tells his actual wife, Ursula, that something was basically cosplaying her in their home.

Warner Bros. Pictures

And things get increasingly unsettling as the lines between the actual mom and this entity start to blend as the daughter is haunted. Other Mommy is directed by Rob Savage with James Wan producing and Nathan Elston penning its script. Other Mommy will drum up maternal nightmares on October 9, and if the trailer is any indication, we are in for a new horror classic.

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