Hollywood Bulletin; CinemaCon Day One Reveals, First Reviews of A Minecraft Movie Overwhelmingly Positive & More

The latest Hollywood news from March 31st.

CINEMACON DAY ONE

CinemaCon kicked off yesterday! The annual convention for the movie theater industry is home to exclusive footage, first-look reveals, and major announcements for highly anticipated films. The event runs until April 3, and today was all about Sony Pictures Entertainment. SPIDER-MAN, BITCHES. I’m getting ahead of myself. The top reveals of CinemaCon Day One are down below!

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TL;DR

• Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will hit theaters on June 4, 2027.

• Tom Holland’s Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is set for release on July 31, 2026.

• Nathan Fillion will reprise his role as Guy Gardner in the upcoming Lanterns HBO series.

• Shailene Woodley has been cast in a major role for Paradise Season 2.

• Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has been renewed for a second season.

• Halle Berry is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to return as Storm in Avengers: Doomsday (source: DanielRPK).

• Production on House of the Dragon Season 3 has officially begun.

• A new photo of Milly Alcock on the Supergirl set has been released.

• Princess Mononoke was re-released in IMAX, earning $1.2 million domestically on Thursday.

• The first look at the Beatles biopic cast has been revealed:

  • Harris Dickinson as John Lennon

  • Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney

  • Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr

  • Joseph Quinn as George Harrison

  • The four-film event will be released in theaters in April 2028.

• The Chainsaw Man movie will premiere in theaters on October 29.

• Jake Kasdan is set to return as director for Jumanji 3, which will hit theaters in December 2026.

• Takashi Yamazaki is moving forward with his first English-language film, Grandgear.

• Jason Mamoa confims he is returning for Dune 3. “If you didn’t read the books, it’s notmy fault.'“ He adds.

• Karate Kid: Legends trailer showcased at CinemaCon.

• Footage from I Know What You Did Last Summer reveals Freddie Prinze Jr.'s character returning at a town hall meeting about a series of summer murders.

• A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey will star Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell as strangers traveling together through a red door that takes them into their memories.

• Zach Cregger says his Resident Evil film will focus on a single protagonist navigating a descent into hellish territory. It is set to release in September 2026.

• The first trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing showcases Austin Butler looking after an unstable, mohawk-wearing Matt Smith’s apartment—until multiple crime families come looking for Smith’s character.

• The first footage from Beyond the Spider-Verse reveals Miles and Gwen reuniting and Miles fighting The Prowler before embarking on an adventure with him. The animation style introduces new innovative techniques.

• Cillian Murphy is officially set to return in the 28 Years Later trilogy.

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LOTS OF SPIDER NEWS AT CINEMACON AND MORE…🕷️🕸️

Spiderman

CinemaCon revlead to fans and move theatre owners alike, the the first look of Beyond the Spider-Verse. Producer Phil Lord spoke at the con saying, “It’s going to be a massive finale to the trilogy.” He hinted that Miles starts the film as a fugitive, on the run from every Spider in the multiverse, and cryptically added, “Gwen and his other friends may or may not be enough to help him save the family that’s been the leading part of the entire system.”

I wasn’t in the room (because I live on the freaking East Coast), but Variety reported that the footage showed Miles defiantly declaring that he’s done letting people tell him how his story should go. Gwen and his Spidey allies also made brief appearances in the teaser—which hasn’t been released to the public yet.

Lord ended the presentation by emphasizing that Beyond the Spider-Verse is meant for the biggest screens possible, promising: “We are prepping this movie especially for your large-format screens. It looks insane.”

Oh, and we finally have a release date: June 4, 2027

I’m fine. Totally fine.

But luckily to hold us over, Marvel and Sony’s collaborative Spider-Man film is coming before then.

Brand New Day

Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie is officially titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and in a pre-recorded message, Holland acknowledged the No Way Home cliffhanger, saying, “It’s a fresh new start. That’s all I can say.”

Fans are already speculating that the movie could adapt One More Day—a controversial comic arc where Peter Parker makes a deal with Mephisto to save a dying Aunt May. But honestly? I think we’re safe. Since you know. This happened 😃.

Yeah… but in other news, people are still trying to figure out who the hell Sadie Sink is playing in the film. Some fans are convinced she’s the “official” Mary Jane Watson—because apparently, Zendaya’s Michelle Jones-Watson being literally called MJ throughout the previous trilogy still isn’t enough for some people. But hey, whatever helps them sleep at night.

Others believe Sink may be set up as Jean Grey for the MCU’s inevitable X-Men lineup. Honestly? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess.

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28 Years Later

I really hope this resurgence of The Last of Us, 28 Years Later, and The Walking Dead spin-offs sets us back into our zombie TV and movie era. This subgenre will always have a special place in my heart—especially since World War Z sequels were never finished, and I need at least a damn script to keep me from tweaking.

But back to the important part.

28 Years Later picks up—just like the title says—28 years after the rage virus spread across the globe. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and newcomer Alfie Williams must journey from their island to the English mainland, where it’s been nearly three decades since the infection began… and these zombies are hungry🧟‍♂️.

Danny Boyle, director of the film, spoke at the convention, confirming Cillian Murphy's return and teasing, "Like all good things in life, you may have to wait a little while for him to make his appearance."

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The Beatles 🥁

Director Sam Mendes took to the stage at CinemaCon last night and revealed the cast poster for the four feature films set to release in April 2028. The four films will be framed from the perspective of each band member onstage. Set to star in the films are Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

Go girl give us nothing.

Mendes claimed that Sony film head Tom Rothman called the projects “the first binge-able theatrical experience.” After hitting the stage, all four actors recited lyrics from the band’s song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and then took a Beatles-style synchronized bow. First bingeable movie experience? Sounds kinda cool to me.

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Resident Evil

Literally foaming at the mouth writing this because when I tell you I’m such a hardcore Resident Evil fan, I’m not new to this—I’m true to it 😔✊🏾.

I have no shame.

Obviously, nothing has been shot yet, but Zach Cregger still stopped by CinemaCon to tell movie theater owners about his rendition of the beloved horror game franchise, teasing his version as “unlike any of the previous films” and a “wild ride.”

“My movie will be built in the spirit of those games and follows one central protagonist from point A to point B, as they descend deeper into hell,” he added.

It was reported earlier in the week that Austin Abrams—most may remember him from his role in Euphoria as Ethan—was in early talks to star in the reboot. There’s also been speculation about Mikey Madison being offered the lead role in the film, but again, this is all speculation. Sony has made no official announcements regarding casting.

Regarding the plot itself, it was rumored by Daniel “DanielRPK” Richtman, who shared some insights into the story via his Patreon. According to Richtman, the Resident Evil movie may focus on a totally new character, as opposed to the well-established ones we already know.

“The upcoming Resident Evil film follows a hapless courier tasked with delivering a package to a remote hospital,” Richtman said. “He finds himself caught in the middle of an outbreak and must fight through hordes of mutated creatures to survive.”

Based on that, it seems like Cregger may be going with an original new story. As a fan, I’m not sure how I feel about that. I mean, I’d love feature films centered around each game with our favorite characters like Leon, Claire, Jill, Chris, etc., but I would be bummed again if they weren’t done right. So, maybe a new story wouldn’t be so bad. I don’t know, but I can’t lie and say I’m not a little excited about the prospect.

The film will release next year, on September 18, 2026.

'Resident Evil' Reboot Erupts Bidding war

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Minecraft

Since the initial announcement, fans have been hesitant about what to expect from A Minecraft movie. And when the trailer dropped? Oh, the internet definitely had thoughts, especially on whether the visuals were worthy of the beloved game. But surprisingly, early reviews for Warner Bros. A Minecraft movie are shockingly positive? Critics are praising its comedic moments, vibrant world, and stellar performances from Jack Black and Jason Momoa.

“‘Minecraft Movie’ is an AWFUL… lot of fun! Director Jared Hess’s signature awkward/random humor had me audibly cackling several times. The VFX are impressive, even if the humans stick out. Its biggest faults are in its story & underdeveloped leads. Still, though, pretty entertaining.” — Journalist Cris Parker

“Jack Black & Jason Momoa is the combination I didn’t know I needed.” — Grace Randolph

As someone who was a hardcore Minecraft player back in middle school, I gotta say—I’m pleased. Sounds like Minecraft is actually a faithful adaptation.

A Minecraft Movie hits theaters this Friday, April 4th.

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That’s all for today, folks. It’s 2 am and I feel like my computer screen is burning my retinas.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!