LAS VEGAS – Amazon MGM Studios wasted no time ushering in the stars for its 2026 CinemaCon presentation. Eventually, Ryan Gosling would surprise with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller to thank theater owners for their partnership as “Project Hail Mary” officially crossed the $525 million mark worldwide. But the first act belonged to this year’s Best Actor Oscar winner, Michael B. Jordan.

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Before Jordan came on stage to tout his version of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” the event kicked off with his composer, Jon Baptiste, playing a selection of music from the movie, delighting the assembled exhibitors. When Jordan came on stage, he got a massive roar, sheepishly admitting he liked hearing that “Best Actor winner” before his name. We’ll also assume he liked the reaction from the audience to the first trailer for “Crown.”

The setup is the same as the original 1968 title and the 1999 remake. A bored super-rich art thief (Jordan) is captivated by an insurance investor (Adria Arjona) who may or may not be playing her own game. In the middle of all of this is the investigator’s direct report (Kenneth Branagh), who has his own agenda. With stunning Italian coastal views and scene-stealing chemistry from Arjona (“Andor,” “Blink Twice“), “Thomas Crown Affair” has the requisite scope. His second directorial effort, Jordan knows what he’s doing. He also knows how to differentiate his “Crown Affair” by making our anti-hero pull off some “Mission: Impossible” inspired stunts, such as scaling and leaping onto a glass skyscraper in a sequence that Tom Cruise would applaud. The entire endeavor looks slick, stylish, and destined to be a big hit…when it arrives next March.

Here are some quick takes on the rest of the films previewed at Amazon MGM’s presentation.

“The Sheep Detectives”
Hugh Jackman and Nicholas Braun stopped by to help hype Kyle Balda and Craig Mazin’s adaptation of the Leonie Swann novel “Three Bags Full.” The new trailer focuses a bit more on the human investigation by a local officer played by Braun, as some of the big names voicing the sheep are also looking into who murdered their shepherd, portrayed by Jackman. Amazon MGM Studios has been excited about this one since last year’s presentation and kept moving it on the schedule to find a better date. We’re not sure if May 8th is that date, but the movie has star power. Mazin’s script must be super funny, or Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Bryan Cranston, or Regina Hall wouldn’t bother. We’re not sure it’s even a word-of-mouth hit in the U.S., but something tells us it will kill in the U.K. and Europe.

“Masters of the Universe”
Director Travis Knight and stars Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes were on hand to introduce an extended clip and a new trailer that explains more of the story. The clip finds Adam (Galitzine) being attacked by an Eternian creature out to kill him. Unsure of his own strength or powers, he’s rescued by Teela (Mendes), who hasn’t seen him since they were kids. The footage was fine, the fight sequences aren’t bad, but it all seems a bit too B-movie. And perhaps less self-aware than it needs to be? Either this material needs to be played as super grounded and serious, or more over the top and meta. Knight seems to be trying to thread a needle in between, and it just feels off. Amazon MGM hopes this is a new franchise, but we’re concerned…Mendes, as always, is great though.

“Verity”
Collen Hoover adaptations have proven they have a $90 million floor at the global box office, but this one is gonna be a smash because it feels like a unique studio thriller. Moreover, it looks fun for moviegoers oblivious to the author’s involvement. The trailer finds Lowen (Dakota Johnson), brought on by Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) to help ghostwrite for his wife, popular author Verity (Anne Hathaway). What the world doesn’t know is that Verity is seemingly comatose after a terrible accident. But, is she? Her child tells Lowen their mom speaks to them, and our heroine swears she catches Verity looking at her “out of character.” It’s a fantastically cut trailer that plays super broadly. This could be an “It Ends with Us” level smash.

“A Colt Is My Passport”
A remake of a 1967 Japanese film of the same name, this Gareth Evans-directed thriller finds our hero (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) trying to avoid violence. But a slew of characters portrayed by Tim Roth, Jack Reynor, and Noah Taylor have other ideas. The ’70s period setting is fun, and the action scenes are superb (I mean, Evans is the director of both “Raid” movies), but can this pop in theaters in 2026? Something suggests it may need absolutely stellar reviews and incredible word-of-mouth to do so. Intriguing swing for Amazon MGM, though.

“How To Rob A Bank”
When a movie is set to release on Sept. 4, it sort of tells you all you need to know. “John Wick” uncredited co-director and “Deadpool 2” director David Leitch helms this Robin Hood-inspired tale of a group of criminals (Pete Davidson, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Sawai) who post how-to-rob-banks videos on the internet (“A career with a 90% success rate!”). John C. Riley plays an investigator out to catch them before they rack up even more views. Despite the contemporary technology, the preview gave a very late 90s indie vibe, which doesn’t feel commercial whatsoever. The entire endeavor screams immediate cult movie. That probably didn’t excite exhibitors despite the free merch and BMX bike stunts that flew on stage before Davidson and Leitch tried to hype it.

“Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother”
Now this is one to watch out for. From Bassam Taraq (“Mogul Mowgli”), “Your Mother” centers on a rare Islamic protagonist (Mahershala Ali), who sells perfumes as his day job but off the clock is a killer to protect his community. Jon Cho plays a grill-faced villain, and the flick has additional roles for Giancarlo Esposito and Tramell Tillman. Notably, this Orion Pictures release looks more like a prestige thriller than the action flick Ali and Taraq tried to sell on stage. It doesn’t hurt that Katelin Arizmendi’s cinematography is eye-popping from the preview alone.

“Highlander”
This 2027 tentpole is just halfway through production, but star Henry Cavill headlined a teaser in production, which showed footage and behind-the-scenes fight rehearsals. Here’s the thing. They have a lot of locations left to film across Europe, but the footage shown literally looked like “John Wick” with swords instead of guns. Considering the director is Chad Stahelski, no one should be surprised by the same aesthetic? Really? Will longtime “Highlander” fans be down with this? Will “John Wick” hardcore fans be confused? Let’s revisit at CinemaCon 2027.

“Spaceballs: The New One”
We’re not sure when Amazon will officially release the trailer for this one, but it was so entertaining that it’s hard to believe it won’t hit theaters until April 27 of next year. Director Josh Greenbaum brought out stars Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Josh Gad, Lewis Pullman, and Rick Moranis. The group had a super funny bit where they kept interrupting Moranis, who essentially never got to speak (he was even cut off by videos from co-star Keke Palmer and Mel Brooks himself). We have no idea what the plot is for this long-awaited sequel, but the preview was full of super-funny sight gags, including a bathroom stall pee size comparison with a Na’vi that Moranis kills. This movie is essentially a nostalgia play, but if the new “Scary Movie” blows up this summer as expected, Amazon MGM might have enough material to sell the new “Spaceballs” as a general Sci-Fi spoof in 2027.

“I Am Rocky”
Director Peter Farrelly and cast members read some not-so-inspiring prepared remarks, but the movie looks like it could be a crowd-pleaser. The true story of how Sylvester Stallone had to write his own script for a movie to be the lead in one, the trailer already surprises with revelations about the “Rocky” production that few are aware of. More importantly, Anthony Ippolito, who has worked steadily but somehow under the radar for over a decade, is jaw-dropping as Stallone. “I Am” was seemingly not meant to be an awards movie, and who knows how the film actually lands, but damn, what Ippolito shows in the preview alone makes it a super intriguing play.

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