Sony defends big-screen releases, unveils new ‘Spider-Man’ at CinemaCon
By David Villafranca
Las Vegas, US, Aug 24 (EFE).- Sony kicked off the 2021 edition of CinemaCon on Monday with an impassioned defense of the power and magic of the big screen and the unveiling of two of its most widely anticipated releases in the coming months: “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”
After a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, CinemaCon, the world’s largest film industry business event, returns this week to Las Vegas.
The event could not come at a more opportune time as Hollywood is in the midst of a debate on the future of cinemas, the growth of online streaming services and the post-pandemic outlook for the sector.
Against this backdrop, Sony, which unveiled the trailer for the new “Spider-Man” movie and screened “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” for the first time, made its intentions clear: cinemas will be the first and only place where their films will be released.
“Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home is devastating to our collective business,” Sony Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein said in reference to the simultaneous digital and theatrical premiere of films that other studios such as Disney and Warner Bros. have experimented with.
“Our movies will be seen exclusive first in our movie theaters. Movie theaters and the theatrical movie experience will triumph,” he added.
Apart from its business strategies, Sony also presented footage from a slate of movies on its roster including Jared Leto’s “Morbius,” Tom Hardy’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” as well as the live-action adaptation of video game franchise “Uncharted” starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.
But the highlight was the presentation of the long-awaited trailer for “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, the third installment in the Spider-Man franchise featuring Tom Holland that will be released in cinemas on Dec. 17.
The trailer shows Peter Parker dealing with the world knowing he is Spider-Man.
Among the most interesting additions to the new movie are Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange and Alfred Molina as the evil Doctor Octopus. Zendaya also reprises her role as MJ.
The icing on the cake was the world premiere of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” the new installment of the popular supernatural comedy franchise that will hit theaters on Nov. 11.
With the usual secrecy surrounding this convention — the media cannot write about the movies that are being screened during these days — the special preview of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was attended by two special guests: Ivan Reitman, the director of the original “Ghostbusters” (1984) and “Ghostbusters II” (1986) and who produces the new film, his son Jason Reitman, who takes over from his father as director.
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace.
However, cast members of the original 80s films such as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver, will also return. EFE
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