CinemaCon: Amazon/MGM debuts first Thomas Crown Affair footage and more from the panel
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.
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