CinemaCon 2024 took place April 8–11 in Las Vegas. The National Association of Theatre Owners’ official convention was not a public fan event: it brought exhibitors, studios and technology companies together to discuss the business and future of theatrical movies. Its agenda and studio presentations put more on the table than upcoming releases. These were ten questions movie theater owners—and audiences—had reason to watch.
1. Would studios offer a dependable slate beyond blockbusters?
Theater owners needed more than a handful of giant releases to sustain attendance throughout the year. At CinemaCon, Michael O’Leary, then president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, told the Associated Press, “It is not enough to rely solely on blockbusters.” He argued that a variety of movies and a strong market for smaller- and medium-budget films are critical. The question was whether studio plans would deliver that breadth, not simply whether they had another tentpole. Associated Press, April 9, 2024.
2. How much of the slate would be original versus franchise-based?
NBCUniversal’s April 11 recap said its presentation previewed clips and trailers from more than eight upcoming films planned for 2024 and early 2025, spanning original titles and established franchises. The titles it named included Despicable Me 4 and a sequel to Five Nights at Freddy’s. That gives a glimpse of one studio’s mix, not a count or representative measure of the entire industry’s plans. NBCUniversal, April 11, 2024.
3. Which genres and audiences were studios trying to reach?
NBCUniversal described its slate as spanning all genres, while CinemaCon’s international program put changing audience tastes on the agenda. UNIC’s seminar, “Changing Tastes and Changing Landscapes,” addressed evolving habits and opportunities to increase cinema attendance. Those agenda items show what the industry wanted to discuss; they do not establish that a particular genre or audience group was growing. UNIC, “UNIC at CinemaCon 2024”.
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4. What did exhibitors know about audience habits and attendance?
UNIC’s program included discussion of changing tastes and how often people go to the cinema. That is a central practical concern for theater operators: understanding what brings people back can inform programming and efforts to build attendance. The event information identifies the topic, but does not report a quantified finding or a strategy agreed by participants.
5. Could distributors and exhibitors share data more effectively?
A UNIC panel explicitly asked how distribution and exhibition were beginning to share data and what they needed to do next. UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte moderated; participants represented Vue International, Sony Pictures, Vista Group and The Boxoffice Company. The panel’s title indicates an industry question and conversation—not a documented agreement, new standard or specific outcome.
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6. How different were exhibition conditions around the world?
CinemaCon’s global focus included a press conference with leaders from Cinépolis, the UK Cinema Association, UNIC, Cinema United and EVT, according to Cinema United’s event recap. Their presence underscored that theaters operate across different national markets and conditions. The recap does not provide a complete comparison of those markets, so it cannot establish which region was performing better or explain differences in attendance. Cinema United, “CinemaCon 2024”.
7. What presentation technology could improve the theatrical experience?
The International Cinema Technology Association held a crash course on presentation-technology fundamentals as part of the international seminar program. That made projection and the quality of what audiences see and hear a legitimate convention topic. The agenda does not, by itself, document a product launch or specify a new technical standard.
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In prepared remarks on April 9, Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin cited 2.74 million American jobs and 122,000 businesses in making the MPA’s case for the importance of film and television production. Those are figures attributed to the MPA’s industry-impact argument, not independent evaluations established by the remarks. Rivkin also framed cinema as an experience, saying, “We are in the business of creating experiences.” Motion Picture Association, prepared remarks, April 9, 2024.
9. What was the MPA proposing to do about online piracy?
Rivkin said the MPA would work with members of Congress on legislation for judicial site-blocking in the United States. He described the tactic as targeted and legal: “For anybody unfamiliar with the term, site-blocking is a targeted, legal tactic to disrupt the connection between digital pirates and their intended audience.” The remarks describe a proposed legislative effort; they do not establish that such a law passed. Motion Picture Association, prepared remarks, April 9, 2024.
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10. What role does cinema play in everyday life?
Walt Hickey presented You Are What You Watch in a UNIC seminar about cinema’s impact on daily life and physical and psychological well-being. Putting that subject on the program widened the conversation beyond releases and operations to cinema’s place in people’s lives. The agenda establishes the seminar’s focus, not a particular research conclusion from Hickey’s book.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What CinemaCon 2024 could—and could not—tell moviegoers
The convention linked movie previews to the business questions behind theatrical exhibition: breadth of releases, audience habits, international conditions, data and presentation quality. NBCUniversal documented its own upcoming-film presentation, while the seminar program and industry remarks recorded subjects the convention’s participants considered important. Those sources offer a snapshot of the questions being asked; they do not provide a complete industry-wide release ranking, a quantified attendance forecast or proof that every discussed proposal became policy.
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