LAS VEGAS — Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu thrilled CinemaCon attendees on Tuesday with a sneak peek of their comedy "Digger," one of the releases highlighted by Warner Bros. at the Las Vegas industry convention.
The four-time Oscar nominee was unrecognizable in the clip, seen with an older, more eccentric look while cradling a white cat in a mansion filled with taxidermied animals.
"The movie is wild, it's funny," said Cruise, who received a standing ovation from the packed room.
Inarritu said the role "could possibly be the most challenging" for Cruise.
"We know that he's fearless, the stunts, the planes, the jumps, but I have to say embodying this character, this is another kind of fearless," he said.
Warner Bros. gave a splashy presentation on the second day of CinemaCon, riding high on the recent successes of "Sinners," "Weapons" and Oscar best picture winner "One Battle After Another."
But the event did not address rival Paramount Skydance's mega-bid for the legacy studio, which has sent ripples of concern through an industry wary of consolidation and fearful for the future.
Pins bearing the slogan "#BlockTheMerger" were spotted being distributed throughout Caesars Palace, where the cinema trade show is taking place.
An open letter opposing the merger was co-signed by hundreds of Hollywood stars and filmmakers, including Denis Villeneuve and J. J. Abrams -- both of whom showcased upcoming releases during the Warner Bros. event.
Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Pictures Group, recapped achievements from the past year and emphasized the uptick in film productions from six in 2022, when they took over, to 11 last year.
"That is what committing to originality can get you," Abdy said.
De Luca promised 14 releases this year, adding that the studio is aiming for 18 in 2027.
The presentation included footage from "Dune: Part Three," introduced by director Villeneuve alongside stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Jason Momoa.
Other previews included "Practical Magic 2," starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, "The Great Beyond" from director Abrams, as well as "Supergirl" directed by Craig Gillespie.