Common Photos teases ‘Depraved’ and proclaims ‘5 Nights at Freddy’s 2’

LAS VEGAS — With the mud settled from an enormous 2023, profitable greatest image and topping the field workplace, Common Photos is trying to the longer term. The studio’s upcoming releases embrace the massive display screen adaptation of “Depraved,” “Twisters” and the newly introduced sequel to “5 Nights at Freddy’s.”

Common introduced a few of the stars of its greatest movies, like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Glen Powell, Lupita Nyong’o, Daisy Edgar Jones and Anthony Ramos to CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday to get the viewers of theater homeowners and exhibitors excited for what’s to return as properly.

“This complete expertise is completely unimaginable to place into phrases,” stated Grande, who with Erivo launched some new footage from the Thanksgiving launch.

Goldblum was additionally readily available to speak about “Depraved” through which he performs the person behind the scenes.

“I’ve been chased by dinosaurs, I flew into the stomach of a humongous spaceship … I tuned right into a fly,” Goldblum stated. “However I’ve by no means been a part of the actual taste or magic that’s this film. … The entire expertise has been dreamy.”

The primary a part of “Depraved” arrives in theaters on Nov. 25, with half two coming in 2025, additionally over Thanksgiving. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the movie stars Erivo because the green-skinned Elphaba and Grande as the favored Glinda. Yeoh performs the headmistress at their college, and, the studio just lately introduced, Peter Dinklage shall be Dr. Dillamond, a historical past professor and goat.

Producer Marc Platt has been on the “Depraved” journey for 25 years, since he first learn the novel.

“I at all times meant ‘Depraved’ to be a film,” he stated.

It was Stephen Schwartz who satisfied him that it wanted music and to go to Broadway first. The theatrical manufacturing made an enormous impression on the film’s future director, too, who introduced each a reverence for the stage present and a imaginative and prescient for giant display screen grandeur.

“We dreamed very, very, very large for ‘Depraved,’” Chu stated.

“Twisters” star Powell launched some intense new footage from “Twisters,” which is storming theaters July 19. The movie, a companion to the 1996 Jan de Bont blockbuster, was directed by “Minari” filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung and produced by Frank Marshall and Steven Spielberg, who Chung stated is a “twister fanatic.”

“We actually tried to make this movie as immersive and actual as doable,” Chung stated. “That is meant to be a joyful, enjoyable journey.”

Common was the highest grossing studio in 2023 due to the likes of juggernauts like “The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film” and “ Oppenheimer,” which accounted for over $2.3 billion in ticket gross sales alone, and different hits like “M3GAN,” “Cocaine Bear,” “Quick X” and “5 Nights at Freddy’s,” the online game adaptation that remodeled $295 million worldwide regardless of its day-and-date launch. All advised, Common made almost $5 billion in ticket gross sales. It’s the primary time that Common topped the charts since 2015, earlier than Disney dominated in first place for nearly a decade.

“Audiences are sending us a really clear message: They’ve fired off a shiny inexperienced flare telling us they’re prepared for one thing new,” stated Jim Orr, Common’s head of distribution.

Additionally, he added, “We launched extra films in theaters than every other studios.”

Common plans to launch greater than 20 movies theatrically in 2024, too, greater than every other studio for the third 12 months in a row, spanning all genres and together with authentic titles and franchises.

Chris Meledandri, the founder and CEO of Illumination, spoke in regards to the upcoming “Despicable Me 4” (July 3) and a brand new Mario film that’s in improvement for 2026, but in addition stated that their “dedication to producing authentic animated movies stays steadfast.” Their authentic “Migration,” launched in late 2023, grew to become a slow-burn hit incomes almost $300 million globally.

Common additionally has DreamWorks Animation choices, which just lately launched “Kung Fu Panda 4” and has “The Wild Robotic” set for September, from “Lilo & Sew” filmmaker Chris Sanders and based mostly on the youngsters’s e book by Peter Brown and that includes Nyong’o’s voice.

“In the event you haven’t learn it, please do your self a favor and do it as a result of it’s fantastic,” Nyong’o stated.

On the opposite finish of the rankings spectrum, horror movies are additionally a key element of the combo as some of the constant field workplace genres in current historical past. Developing, the studio has “Wolf Man,” with Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott, coming in January, “Communicate No Evil,” a remake of a Danish horror with James McAvoy set for Sept. 13 (a Friday), after which “5 Nights at Freddy’s 2” within the fall of 2025.

Focus Options, the impartial arm of Common, which put out movies like “Asteroid Metropolis” and “The Holdovers” final 12 months, additionally previewed its slate together with Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic “Again to Black” (Could 17), Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” (June 21), Edward Berger’s Machiavellian papal thriller “Conclave” (Nov. 8) and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” (Dec. 25).

“This positively ain’t your father’s ‘Nosferatu,’” stated Focus chairman Peter Kujawski.

Donna Langley, the Chairman of NBC Common Studio Group, took the stage to thank the exhibitors within the room. She famous that it could have been simple to drop the mic after their final 12 months.

However, Langley stated, “We imagine that our greatest 12 months ought to at all times be in entrance of us and our greatest tasks at all times within the pipeline.”