CinemaCon 2025: Warner Bros. Touts Animated Film Slate Alongside Superhero and Horror Tentpoles

Warner Bros. returned to the CinemaCon stage with a four-brand presentation spanning Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation, and DC Films. Theatrical exhibitors were treated to exclusive footage, major announcements, and appearances from A-list talent. President of Distribution Jeff Goldstein opened the presentation and closed it dressed as Krypto, the Superdog - setting a tone that mixed reverence for theatrical experiences with a playful spirit. Here’s a breakdown of what each brand brought to the stage, organized by studio and release date.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca kicked things off by promoting Minecraft, releasing this weekend, and expressing confidence in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming original film Sinners, arriving April 18. Coogler couldn’t attend in person but sent a video greeting. These two titles, while not given full presentations, were acknowledged as part of the studio’s 2025 theatrical push.

F1 – June 27, 2025

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski introduced the first 10 minutes of this globe-trotting Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt. Shot at real F1 races around the world—including Las Vegas—the footage finds Pitt’s character looking for a new opportunity, which seemingly arrives via Javier Bardem’s character. The film is a collaboration with Apple.

One Battle After Another – September 2, 2025

Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film was introduced by stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor. Shot in VistaVision for IMAX, the film gives actors creative control over character decisions. An extended preview featured DiCaprio in a tension-filled phone call.

The Bride! – March 6, 2026

Maggie Gyllenhaal reinvents the Bride of Frankenstein in a radical new take starring Jessie Buckley. Gyllenhaal shared how a chance encounter with a tattoo inspired the project. Buckley described the script as “electrifying," calling the film a punk love story. Scenes set in the monsters’ minds were shot in IMAX. A teaser revealed the bride’s creation from a murdered woman.

New Line Cinema

New Line Cinema President Richard Brener took the stage to preview a horror-heavy slate. While full segments were saved for select films, he name-dropped two major in-development titles—Mortal Kombat 2 and The Conjuring: Last Rites—which were not shown in footage but served as marquee reminders of the label’s genre dominance.

Final Destination: Bloodlines – May 16, 2025

A new chapter in the long-running franchise, this film features two brothers attempting to cheat death in a hospital setting. A dramatic clip showed a peanut allergy stunt gone wrong near a deadly MRI machine. As expected, death finds a way.

Weapons – August 8, 2025

From Barbarian director Zach Cregger comes this horror mystery centered around an elementary school teacher whose entire class disappears one night. The teaser featured eerie children and escalating tension.

Warner Bros. Animation

Recently revitalized under the leadership of Bill Damaschke, Warner Bros. Animation offered a quick sizzle reel featuring titles like Meet the Flintstones, Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, DC’s Dynamic Duo, Bad Fairies, The Lunar Chronicles, Margie Claus, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go. While these projects weren’t detailed, the studio's renewed focus on theatrical animation was made clear.

The Cat in the Hat – February 2026

Bill Damaschke introduced Warner Bros. Animation’s rebranded division and previewed The Cat in the Hat, voiced by Bill Hader. In this expanded take on the classic Dr. Seuss story, the Cat is part of a world of joy-bringers, but his chaos threatens his hat privileges. A work-in-progress teaser showed colorful visuals and Hader’s comedic take.

DC Films

Superman – July 1, 2025

James Gunn and Peter Safran declared this the "Summer of Superman" with a behind-the-scenes sizzle reel. Gunn said the Max Fleischer cartoons inspired his tone. Stars David Corenswet (Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor) joined him on stage. Highlights included Corenswet flying, Brosnahan designing Lois’ costumes and apartment with pockets in mind, and Gunn’s dog Ozu inspiring Krypto. A clip showed Krypto dragging an injured Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where robots healed him.

And that’s a wrap on Warner Bros.! Stay tuned to LaughingPlace.com this week for more coverage from CinemaCon.