The Universal CinemaCon 2025 presentation sparked interest not just for what was revealed—but for what was missing. While the studio brought out stars and trailers for upcoming films, it sidestepped its biggest 2026 projects.
In previous years, Universal made waves at CinemaCon by debuting footage or breaking news. This year, it only name-dropped several major upcoming titles. These included Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, Shrek 5, Jordan Peele’s next film, and Steven Spielberg’s untitled sci-fi project.
However, the biggest surprise came from what wasn’t mentioned at all: Fast and Furious 11. Universal didn’t include it in the presentation, despite fan anticipation and its franchise legacy.
Instead, the studio focused heavily on its 2025 slate. It opened with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and director Gareth Edwards, who presented a new trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth. Johansson joked about offering to play any role—even one that ends in her being eaten. Although she survives longer than five minutes, the trailer shows her clinging to a boat in a tense chase involving a Mosasaurus.
Universal also rolled out trailers for The Bad Guys 2, Nobody 2, and Him, a horror thriller produced by Jordan Peele. In addition, the studio showed footage from Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie to appeal to younger audiences.
Horror fans got a full lineup from Blumhouse, featuring previews for M3GAN 2.0, SOULM8TE, The Black Phone 2, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. These trailers drew strong reactions, especially after Jason Blum’s costumed reveal earlier in the week.
Focus Features brought a change of tone with three prestige titles. These included The Phoenician Scheme, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, and Bugonia. The studio clearly aimed to balance thrills with award-season fare.
Another highlight came from Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, and director Dean DeBlois, who promoted the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon. Universal had already screened the full film earlier in the day. During the presentation, DeBlois confirmed a sequel is coming—How to Train Your Dragon 2—with a theatrical release date set for June 11, 2027.
To close the presentation, Universal turned to Wicked: For Good. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, director Jon M. Chu, and producer Marc Platt took the stage to introduce a powerful trailer. The footage emphasized the emotional rift between Elphaba and Glinda, featuring performances of “For Good” and “No Good Deed.” Viewers also got a better look at Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard of Oz, as he interacts with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. The sequel hits theaters November 21, 2025.
In the end, the Universal CinemaCon 2025 presentation leaned on short-term excitement. The studio chose to build hype for its 2025 films while holding back on its 2026 blockbusters. Whether this signals a strategic marketing shift or a surprise plan later in the year remains to be seen.
