With **Fast & Furious 7 **still burning rubber at the box office (it’s creeping up past $1.16 billion globally), Universal was understandably happy to announce to the assembled business owners at CinemaCon that the eighth instalment of the franchise is on its way. Cinemagoers will have to wait a little while, though, as the film isn’t scheduled to hit cinemas until April 14, 2017.
Still, with Vin Diesel on hand to announce the news, there was predictable excitement, even if he couldn’t do it while pulling donuts across the stage in a concept sports car that doesn’t even hit the market until 2018. He did, however make a big promise. “I swear to you and to my brother upstairs (the late Paul Walker) we are going to make the best movie you’ve ever seen.” He’s not one for hubris, is Vin.
On the Fifty Shades Of Grey front – because you knew the studio would have to talk about it too, given the success of the first – the sequels now have release dates. **Fifty Shades Darker **will be out on February 10, 2017 with **Fifty Shades Freed **following on February 9, 2018.
In related release date news, Universal also announced a few changes to the schedule, with Warcraft shifting from its March 2016 date to June 10, 2016, in what we’re hoping is a sign of confidence in the film’s ability to play with the summer big shots. Pacific Rim 2, from Guillermo del Toro (more on him shortly) is moving from a planned April 2017 date to August 4 the same year. Got to make room given the director’s busy schedule.
The Mummy, the first picture aiming to take full advantage of the studio’s monster franchise, is switching from June 24, 2016 to March 24, 2017, while the second, still-untitled creature feature follow-up jumps from April 2017 to March 2018. Looks like Universal’s team is aiming to turn March into Monster Month for the next few years, assuming things work out for the movies.
Producing maven Jason Blum and director M. Night Shyamalan introduced footage from their new low-budget horror thriller** The Visit**, which shows the scary things that happen when a couple of kids spend time with their grandparents. And we mean more than being made to listen to old stories. You canget your own taste of the film here.
Also on hand? Del Toro himself, a man who knows how to work a crowd, be it the fans of Comic-Con or the mostly corporate types here. “That was a long walk for a fat man,” he quipped of his stroll from the wings to the stage as he brought new footage from Gothic haunted house thriller Crimson Peak, which looks suitably terrifying and boasts a quote from Stephen King (who has already seen a version of the film, the swine) praising GDT’s work.
Pitch Perfect 2, which Universal hopes will perform as successfully as the original, had an extended clip and there was impressive footage from Everest, with director Baltasar Kormákur commenting, “We set out to make a film as authentic as possible. I wanted to make a big scale adventure film and a drama with the heart of an indie.” He might have done just that, based on what we saw.
Comedy was well represented by Seth MacFarlane, here to pimp Ted 2 and asking cinema owners to appreciate one segment of the audience. “More stoners in the audience mean more popcorn sales. Maybe don't give them such a hard time...” But Amy Schumer, representing Judd Apatow’s latest, Trainwreck, which she wrote and stars in, trumped him by bemoaning his jokes and then switching tracks to express how proud she is of her own film. A trailer also played for the new Tina Fey/Amy Poehler team-up Sisters (though the pair were sadly not present).
Switching things up again, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and director F. Gary Gray introduced a look at NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, with Cube admitting he thought no company would have balls to make the film.
And the tone changed again, becoming altogether more family friendly as Illumination Entertainment boss Chris Meledandri strode on stage to introduce footage from Minions. As well as more moments with the little yellow fellows, Meledandri was there to preview the freshly titled The Secret Life Of Pets, which features a voice cast including Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Dana Carvey and Albert Brooks.
To wrap things up, co-writer/director Colin Trevorrow arrived to hype Jurassic World before Chris Pratt bounded out to show an extended sizzle reel for the movie, which the studio is naturally pinning its hopes on to keep the big summer bucks rolling in. You can see more from the film right here.