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(L to R) Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) in ‘Focker In-Law’, written and directed by John Hamburg. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
- Universal made its big presentation to the 2026 CinemaCon crowd.
- Among the movies promoted were ‘Disclosure Day’ and ‘The Odyssey’.
- There was also a look at ‘Minions & Monsters’ and ‘Other Mommy’.
Universal had a more muted and mixed 2025 than some other studios –– the latest ‘Jurassic World’ outing was a hit, but other titles, including thriller sequel ‘M3GAN 2.0’ stumbled.
Can it regain its mojo? ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s success as certainly helped, and it does at least have some heavy hitters on deck, including Steven Spielberg with sci-fi pic ‘Disclosure Day’ and Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated epic ‘The Odyssey’.
Release Date: Jun 12, 2026
Beyond those two biggies, we can expect the usual blend of family fare (including ‘Minions & Monsters’, the latest extension of the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise) and comedies such as ‘Focker In-Law’.
Related Article: Chris Nolan’s Starry New Movie Revealed to be an Adaptation of ‘The Odyssey’
Before the full presentation kicked off, Snoop Dogg took the stage to confirm that the biopic based on his career will start filming this summer, directed by Craig Brewer and starring Jonathan Daviss.
Here’s what was revealed…
Matt Damon is Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey’, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Christopher Nolan’s epic, based on Homer’s story, was somewhat naturally the first big movie featured. Starring half of Hollywood, it promises to be massive in scale and ambitious in scope.
The filmmaker himself took the stage to talk up his latest, joking that he’s glad he doesn’t have to follow Steven Spielberg. ‘The Odyssey’ is not, he says a story. It’s THE story, one he knew he had to shoot entirely in IMAX.
He praised his ensemble, especially Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, who he called the heart of the film. Oh, and it was a “nightmare to make in the best way possible,” but he’s nearly finished.
More than five minutes of new footage from the movie was shown, including a shipwrecked Odysseus (Damon) washing up on a shore, where he’s greeted by the goddess Calypso, played by Charlize Theron, asking her about his past life which he cannot remember, and a battle from the Trojan war and the iconic Trojan Horse.
Release Date: Jul 17, 2026
Budget: $250,000,000
(L to R): Ed, James and Henry in Illumination’s ‘Minions & Monsters’. Photo: © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Illumination has been a consistent performer for Universal, its animated output boosting studio coffers. So of course the team were present to pimp the next ‘Minions’ movie featuring the little yellow troublemakers.
It’s set in the 1920s and features the Minions trying to find a new master to serve. Pierre Coffin, who co-writes, directs and voices the creatures, told the crowd that he put everything into the new one, before introducing some fresh footage.
“Hollywood has a monster problem.”
Release Date: Jul 1, 2026
Monica Barbaro arrives on the red carpet of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Etienne Laurent / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
The next film to get a brief spotlight was romantic comedy drama ‘One Night Only’, which stars Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro as two New Yorkers searching for love on the one night of the year when sex is legal.
Release Date: Aug 7, 2026
Jessica Chastain attends the Governors Ball following the 84th Annual Academy Awards® from Hollywood, CA February 26, 2012. Photo: Heather Ikei / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
The initial teaser for the horror movie, starring Jessica Chastain, was shown. It features Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark), an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls “Other Mommy,” becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.
Release Date: Oct 9, 2026
(L to R) Alexis Louder, and David Harbour in ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.
Next up was a quick look at ‘Violent Night 2’, the sequel to the 2022 action comedy with David Harbour as a grumpy Santa who takes down armed thieves. The 2026 follow-up adds Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus in a story where Santa somehow ends up on the Naughty List.
Release Date: Dec 4, 2026
(L to R) Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Olivia Jones (Ariana Grande) in ‘Focker In-Law’, written and directed by John Hamburg. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Getting more of a spotlight was the new ‘Meet the Parents’ outing, which sees Ariana Grande as a young woman looking to marry into Ben Stiller’s family (and Stiller’s Greg Focker is suspicious of her).
Stiller and Robert De Niro took the stage to introduce a first look, with De Niro commenting that Grande is the funniest scene partner he’s ever had. Ouch!
Release Date: Nov 25, 2026
Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate in ‘Twisters’, directed by Lee Isaac Chung.
Focus Features was next up, with a quick look at the latest Jane Austen adaptation. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitríona Balfe, Fiona Shaw and George MacKay are among the cast.
Release Date: Oct 16, 2026
Director Robert Eggers on the set of his film ‘Nosferatu’, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Aidan Monaghan / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
Also featured? A look at ‘Nosferatu’ director Robert Eggers’ next chiller, ‘Werwulf’, which follows a gothic world where townsfolk are investigating a brutal werewolf terrifying their town.
Release Date: Dec 25, 2026
Emily Blunt in ‘Disclosure Day’, directed by Steven Spielberg. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘Disclosure Day’s Colman Domingo arrived on stage to introduce his director, Steven Spielberg, who is getting a special award from CinemaCon (along with a sizzle reel of past work and a standing ovation from the audience).
His latest, an alien-inflected sci-fi thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Domingo.
The iconic filmmaker took the chance to argue for longer release windows, which naturally plays well with this crowd.
He also sat down with Domingo to discuss his own movie-watching history, his father’s belief in life beyond our world, his own thoughts on aliens and his time making this latest effort.
New footage was shown (though Spielberg said he was keeping every frame of the third act withheld until the movie itself is released), with plenty of tense action.
“It is an experience, this movie,” Spielberg promised. “All you need to get from the beginning to the end is a seat belt.”
Release Date: Jun 12, 2026
And with that, it’s a wrap on Universal!
‘Focker In-Law’ opens in theaters on November 25th.
