Amazon/MGM were back in style at CinemaCon this year, fresh off the smash success of Project Hail Mary. Despite being owned by a streamer, they seem totally dedicated to the theatrical experience. One big title is their reboot of The Thomas Crown Affair, starring (and directed by) Michael B. Jordan and Adria Arjona.
The Amazon presentation actually started with the movie’s composer, Jon Batiste, playing the theme song from the original, “The Windmills of Your Mind” (which also showed up in the John McTiernan remake in 1999), along with some of his own music from the film, which mixed hip-hop beats with his virtuoso piano playing.
We then saw a bit of footage, with it seeming pretty faithful to the concept of the original movies, with Jordan as a billionaire involved in high-class art theft, while being investigated by an insurance investigator. The chemistry between the two seems palpable, but the scale of the film is immense. It almost plays more like a James Bond movie, with Kenneth Branagh as a villain targeted by Crown as part of a revenge scheme. There’s also hand-to-hand action, which is different from the last two Thomas Crown movies, where Crown wasn’t a man of action per se.
Jordan showed up and said it’s a movie he always wanted to remake, having been a big fan of the Pierce Brosnan version in 1999, although it wasn’t until he saw the Steve McQueen version that he really figured out how to approach the film. Arjona was also there, with Jordan greeting her as the “newest addition to the DC world” based on her recent casting news.
The Thomas Crown Affair hits theaters on March 5th, 2027.
But, that’s not all…
Project Hail Mary’s victory lap
With Project Hail Mary such a massive hit, Ryan Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller actually came out to thank the exhibitors present for their work promoting the film, to the tune (so far) of $500 million and urging them to continue to promote original films. They also noted the theatrical window for the film is going to be extended, so don’t expect it on Prime Video for a few months yet.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
One of the many directors associated with Marvel’s long-delayed Blade reboot was Bassam Tariq. While his version never came to pass, he clearly clicked with would-be star Mahershala Ali, with the two teaming up for this hitman thriller.
Ali says he’s always wanted to do action, having been a former athlete, with his character a loving father who leads a double life as a hitman. It’s an intriguing-looking film, with an arthouse vibe but also some intense action sequences—albeit of the down-and-dirty variety, with realistic gunfights and hand-to-hand battles. It looks like a groovy cross between an indie flick and an action movie, and I’m here for it.
Spaceballs: The CinemaCon Presentation!
Spaceballs 2 got a great presentation. It kicked off with a pre-recorded video from Dark Helmet, in which he poked fun at premium formats and even the WB/Paramount merger.
Rick Moranis got a huge ovation when he walked on stage with the OG stars, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and new stars Lewis Pullman and Josh Gad. The panel was fun, with Moranis not allowed to speak, as every time he started to talk he was humorously cut off—first by Gad, and later by Keke Palmer in a pre-recorded video as she introduced the first footage.
You can tell the movie is directly riffing on the Star Wars sequel trilogy, particularly The Last Jedi. Palmer plays a Rey-like character, although Lewis Pullman is not a Kylo Ren-like figure as expected, with him more of a swashbuckling hero. The footage brought down the house, with it looking like Moranis hasn’t lost a beat. Finally, the title was changed from Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money to Spaceballs 2: The New One. This was amusingly announced in a video clip by Mel Brooks, who – once again – cut off Moranis before he could talk.
Highlander
Another eighties property getting a giant reboot via MGM is Highlander. Chad Stahelski’s first movie since John Wick: Chapter 4 is high on the must-see list for many JoBlo readers, and we got a small taste of what’s heading our way in 2027. It’s only halfway through shooting, but the footage we saw looked fantastic, with a visual style very much in line with John Wick 4—only with swords instead of guns.
Cavill’s Connor MacLeod sports a thick Scottish accent this time (much better than Christopher Lambert’s— as much as I love him), and we also caught glimpses of Russell Crowe as Ramirez and Dave Bautista as the Kurgan. It looks like it could be Amazon’s biggest movie ever—and yes, the soundtrack will be packed with Queen music.
Which movie are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed