Universal Pictures was the final panel at this year’s CinemaCon. Most of the reporters in the room expected a lot of cool footage since the studio has tons of high profile pics coming like Steve Jobs, Ted 2, Pitch Perfect 2, Warcraft, Crimson Peak, Sisters, Everest, Trainwreck, Jurassic World, The Secret Life of Pets, Minions, and Straight Outta Compton. For the most part Universal did a fine job, but with no looks at anything in 2016 and not a frame of footage from Steve Jobs or Warcraft, I left the panel wanting more. However, what they did premiere looked great and I'm certainly impressed with a number of their upcoming movies.

Like we’ve done for all the big CinemaCon panels, right after it ended I recorded a video blog with Peter from /film. Since he had to go right to the airport we tried to make my camera stand in a place it shouldn’t have been. You can see the results below followed by the real video blog and a few more things from the panel.

When the camera almost breaks:

The real video blog:


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Image via Universal

A few random notes:

  • Straight Outta Compton – This one is going to surprise people. The extended trailer makes the film look really good and I think the story is as relevant as ever with police brutality in the news almost every day. Also it has the soundtrack to beat this summer.
  • Ted 2 – The sequel looks as crazy as the first. Love everything about this.
  • Sisters – Looks funny, but not as funny as I was hoping. Saying that, I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and still believe in this movie.
  • Crimson Peak – Guillermo del Toro looks to have crafted something original and cool, and everything I’ve seen and learned about this movie makes me so excited to check it out. Loved all the footage they showed.
  • Trainwreck – I saw the full film at SXSW. It's insanely funny and Lebron James steals his scenes. It might be Judd Apatow’s best work, and I cannot recommend this one enough.
  • Everest – Looks insane. They filmed on location and some of the shots from the trailer were breathtaking. This could be something special.
  • The Secret Life of Pets – Forget Minions. This is the animated film I want to see ASAP. Ever wonder what your pets are doing when you leave for work? This film will answer it with the help of an amazing voice cast. Loved the footage.

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