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| Author | Mia Blakeney |
The 32nd Edition of CineEurope, the annual trade convention for cinema exhibitors and associates, took place last week in sunny Barcelona.
Members of the DCM team attended the event to gain further insight from film studios, distributors, directors and stars, and see exclusive previews of some of the most exciting upcoming big screen content.
“The highlights of any CineEurope are the studio presentations and this year’s were the biggest for years. Studios championed their film making talent and the diversity and quality of their stories, and many filmmakers and actors were in attendance to tell us just how excited they were to have their films premiere on the big screen.” Tom Linay, Content Business Director
“I’ve been lucky enough to attend CineEurope for many years, and 2023 was by far the best for so many reasons. DCM had our largest ever Exhibitor contingent in Barcelona this year. It’s always so lovely to catch up with old friends, and make some new ones, as we see what the next 12 months looks like. Aside from the films, one of the most impressive things this year was, for the first time, CineEurope was ‘packageless’, thanks to Coca Cola who provided every delegate with a reusable strawless cup ahead of each presentation. It’s great that sustainability remains at the forefront of our industry.” Steve Davis, Exhibition Director
Attendees were treated to exclusive first-look footage of films such as The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Gran Tourismo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Marvels, and Disney’s live action remake of Snow White.
Hollywood stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya took to the stage to talk about upcoming films that they star in, revealing clips from Wonka, Challengers and Dune II.
Exclusive screenings were held of exciting upcoming films, including Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the year. Coming to cinemas on 10 July, Tom Cruise is back after his whirlwind year of success last year with Top Gun: Maverick, the biggest film of 2022. Critics and fans are excited to see whether Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One can match its success in 2023.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which has just landed in cinemas today (28 June), was also shown to CineEurope visitors. DCM's Exhibition Director Steve Davis was particularly excited about this one: "We were lucky enough to see a preview of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and as a massive fan it did not disappoint. His father would have been proud." 80-year-old Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist in the fifth instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise, which is sure to be popular with old and new fans alike.
Across the four days of the convention, industry leaders took part in a variety of talks and panels, and from these a number of important talking points arose:
The Theatrical Release
Although the Covid-19 pandemic halted the theatrical release of films in its tracks, at CineEurope 2023 major studios including Disney, Universal, Sony, Warner Bros and Paramount, made it very clear that their films, across a wide variety of genres, will be released exclusively in theatres. The amount of films being made is still catching up to pre-pandemic levels, but studios reiterated their pledge for a strong theatrical release to continue as the film slate grows.
Streaming Services Utilising Cinema
This year, Apple is giving three films a full theatrical release via three different distributors: Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon via Paramount; Ridley Scott’s Napoleon via Sony; and Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle via Universal. Each distributor promoted their partnerships with Apple in their presentations, and rather than competition, see these partnerships as a positive and collaborative step forward for cinema.
The Power of Premium
Comscore shared some interesting data showing that, as audiences continue to return to cinemas after the pandemic, they are increasingly choosing premium cinema experiences, especially for big blockbuster films such as Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water. Premium screening experiences, such as IMAX, Dolby Atmos, 3D and 4DX are drawing in a greater proportion of the cinema audience, which is good news for box office revenue. Their data proves that, despite the cost of living crisis, audiences are willing to pay more to watch a movie in a way that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Diversity of Content
The film slate for H2 of 2023 and 2024 is looking more diverse and exciting than ever. Alongside popular super-hero movies and big blockbusters, the slate is scattered with a wide range of genres, with something for everyone.
This summer, adult comedy makes a return with No Hard Feelings starring Jennifer Lawrence, and Strays with Will Ferrell voicing the lead.
Musical theatre fans have a lot to look forward to in 2024, including Bob Marley: One Love, The Colour Purple and Wicked.
Family films performed extremely well in 2022 and 2023, and the 2024 film slate includes the likes of Migration, Kung Fu Panda 4, Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 and so much more.
Premium ABC1 audiences have an extensive choice of upcoming films. This year includes Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Past Lives, A Haunting In Venice and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. 2024 sees Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) return with Mickey 17, an adaptation of the popular sci-fi novel Mickey7, starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie and Steven Yeun.
View more of the exciting films coming to cinemas in 2023-2024.