Universal wowed CinemaCon 2025 with “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Jurassic World Rebirth,””Wicked: For Good,” and more. Get the biggest reveals and footage details.
CinemaCon 2025, held from March 31 to April 3 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, provides many major motion picture companies with an opportunity to show off their latest projects. It served as a pivotal platform for Universal Pictures and its specialty division, Focus Features, to unveil their upcoming film slate to industry professionals. The Universal presentation on Wednesday, April 2, was marked by a series of high-profile announcements, exclusive footage reveals, and appearances by notable talent. This showed Universal’s commitment to delivering diverse cinematic experiences in the coming year.
Universal presented many movies to the CinemaCon audience. This article will focus on the theme park-related movies.
“How to Train Your Dragon”
With “How to Train Your Dragon” fulfilling the role of a key intellectual property for Universal Epic Universe theme park opening May 22, many fans showed interest in this live-action remake of the animated film. One of the centerpiece presentations by Universal at CinemaCon was the live-action adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Before Universal’s CinemaCon Panel, the studio hosted the first full screening from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time. Directed by Dean DeBlois, who piloted the original animated trilogy, the film aims to bring the beloved story of Hiccup and Toothless to life again. The adaptation promises to retain the heart and adventure of its predecessors while offering audiences a fresh visual experience. The film is slated for a theatrical release on June 13, 2025.
CinemaCon attendees got an up-close look at a massive model depicting the live-action version of Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.” Complete with black scales, green eyes, and a man-made fin on his tail, the dragon perfectly replicates the original 2010 animated movie version.
“Jurassic World Rebirth” at CinemaCon
Another intellectual property used in the Universal theme parks got to show off at the CinemaCon presentation. Universal gave fans a little more information about “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the latest installment in the Jurassic franchise. Directed by Gareth Edwards, known for his work on “Godzilla” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the film is expected to offer a fresh take on the prehistoric saga. Details about the plot remain under wraps, but the collaboration between Edwards and screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the original “Jurassic Park,” has generated significant anticipation. The film is scheduled for release on July 2, 2025.
Universal started its presentation of new movies with “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” This included appearances by director Gareth Edwards and stars Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali.
“It has been a lifelong dream to be in a Jurassic movie,“ said Johansson on being in the cast. She told attendees she would reach out to the studio every time she heard about a new movie happening, before Edwards joked that she was too expensive. Also, Johansson reflected with Edwards on how “most blockbusters are shot with a green screen and studio, but [he] wanted to make this feel as realistic as possible.” This led to them going “to the other side of the world” to make it happen.
Blumhouse Productions’ Horror Sequels at CinemaCon
Blumhouse Productions, in partnership with Universal, unveiled teasers for upcoming horror sequels, including “M3GAN 2.0” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.” “M3GAN 2.0” is set to continue the story of the AI doll with a dark twist, following the success of the original film. “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” promises to heighten the suspense and animatronic horrors that captivated audiences in the first installment.
Both films are part of Universal’s strategy to solidify its position in the horror genre. With Halloween Horror Nights’ continued success and Universal Horror Unleashed’s opening in Las Vegas in August, expanding and showing off the partnership with Blumhouse makes sense.
The presentation opened with creepy theme music played on the speakers. This was followed by Blumhouse Productions CEO Jason Blum’s entrance, during which he wore a massive Freddy costume before being helped out of it on stage.
Blum then showed pictures of some of his past costumes, including Megan from M3GAN. He then confirmed that “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” will be released exclusively in movie theatres on December 5. This will work differently from the first film, which debuted on Peacock and theatres simultaneously. According to Blum, this sequel will “explore even deeper the mysteries behind these homicidal, PG-13, animatronics.”
“Black Phone 2”
The first “Black Phone” movie was part of a Halloween Horror Nights house. Now, we have “Black Phone 2.” Jason Blum donned a new mask to promote this film.
Star Madeline McGraw took the stage for attendees, reflecting on filming for the new movie being “truly just the best.” Speaking on director Scott Derrickson, she told fans that he “felt like he wasn’t done with these characters.” McGraw later confirmed that Ethan Hawke’s Grabber died in the original film before teasing that death might not be the end for him.
A short trailer for “The Black Phone 2” was shown. The trailer teases a new villain getting into people’s minds and dreams, bringing back much of the same horror vibe felt in the original film. However, the influence and voice of the original Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke, has not gone away.
“M3GAN 2.0”
“M3GAN” star Violet McGraw was the next celebrity guest to join the excitement as she promoted the upcoming sequel. She discussed the basic plot, which involves a scarier AI named Emilia being online with “even worse intentions,” forcing the crew to take desperate measures to restart M3GAN to defeat this new enemy. The presentation then brought out 30 “M3GAN dolls for a performance set to Britney Spears’ hit song, “Oops!…I Did It Again” before a trailer for the sequel played.
Like M3GAN dolls have done at Halloween Horror Nights events, they interacted with guests. At CinemaCon, they even spent some time interacting with the cameras.
The day after the CinemaCon presentation by Universal, a trailer for “M3GAN 2.0” was released. You can see it below.
“Wicked: For Good” Presentation at CinemaCon
The incredibly popular first “Wicked” movie has been creating speculation that Universal would dedicate space in their theme parks for the “Wicked” intellectual property. Univereal knows it has a money-making hit on its hands.
The CinemaCon presentation concluded with a segment dedicated to “Wicked: For Good,” the sequel to the successful musical adaptation. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande took the stage alongside filmmakers to discuss the continuation of Elphaba and Glinda’s story. The sequel aims to delve deeper into the characters’ journeys, exploring themes of friendship and identity against the backdrop of Oz. The film is set for release on November 21, 2025.
During the presentation, new footage from the movie showed Glinda in a flowing white dress going through the Emerald City with a bell ringing. “Elphaba Thropp, I know you’re out here. Just come in before the monkeys spot you“ said Glinda. Also, the footage shows Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible saying, “The Wicked Witch cannot allude us forever,” while Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero and his men are hunting her down. Elphaba then lands dramatically on the newly built yellow brick road.
The footage also showed Dorothy walking down the yellow brick road for her first meeting with the Wizard alongside the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. However, for “Wicked” fans, the dialogue between Glinda and Elphaba caused the most significant reaction. “Wicked” fans got to hear: “You’re the only friend I’ve ever had,” Elphaba admits to Glinda. “And I’ve had so many friends,” Glinda replies. “But you’re the only one that mattered.”
Industry Impact
Universal’s presentation at CinemaCon 2025 underscored the studio’s commitment to supporting the theatrical experience and fostering strong relationships with exhibitors. By showcasing a diverse slate that includes action-adventure, musicals, and horror, Universal aims to cater to a wide range of audience preferences, ensuring robust box office performance in the coming year. The emphasis on immersive formats like IMAX and 4DX further highlights the studio’s dedication to enhancing the cinematic experience.
Based on the crowd reaction to the movie properties shown by Universal at CinemaCon, theme park fans should anticipate more from all of them. For more theme park-related news and information, visit MSM News.
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