Paramount Boss Brian Robbins At CinemaCon: “Theatrical Films Are Cornerstone Of Our Business”; ‘Babylon’, ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Teased

Anthony D'Alessandro, Jill Goldsmith and Nancy Tartaglione
·3 min read
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In the switch-off between Paramount studio chief Jim Gianopulos to Brian Robbins, it was buzzed that the studio was on the verge of completely giving into theatrical day-and-date as it looked to fuel its streaming service Paramount+.

However, in the new era under Robbins, he promised exhibitors attending CinemaCon on Thursday that “theatrical films are the cornerstone of our business.”

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“When I started this job six months ago, I was asked what do I think the business will be in a post-pandemic world?” he said. “What I responded was pretty much exactly what Paramount looked like so far this year.”

“All four of our releases this year have opened to No. 1 at the box office and with Top Gun we think we have a really good shot at making it five for five. None of this would have been possible if we had not doubled down in our faith in our release dates,” said Robbins.

“We looked at the audience comfort data, and stuck to our guns and we kept Scream in January, and Jackass Forever in February and actually moved up The Lost City. Then last month we brought Sonic 2 to the big screen. And it paid off for us and for you guys,” he added.

“Consumers have been telling us, and many in the room knew this for a long time: Movies are a tremendous entertainment value,” said the studio boss, making a commitment to great future franchises and high-quality storytelling.

Before showing the world Top Gun: Maverick for the first time this morning, Paramount dropped a sizzle reel. Among the highlights were Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, in what looks to be a jazz-era, partying, edgy and funny early Hollywood period film. Margot Robbie appears playing what looks to be a tortured star, demanding for her close-up, intoning “You don’t become a star, you either are one or you ain’t.”

Some of the action takes place during the making of a swords and sandals epic while the camera swings around nightclubs and other film sets. Pitt’s Jack Conrad contributes, “When I first moved to Hollywood, the signs on all the doors said, ‘no actors, no dogs allowed.’ We changed that.” Cut to him addressing we are not sure who, and saying, “So, what happens up there on the screen means something.” The pic hits Christmas with an expansion on January 6.

The quick glance at Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez has the production quality of a top-notched historical epic; nothing hokey looking like the 2000 movie; a huge bet on reviving the role playing series for the big screen. Lush landscape locations are the co-star here, further demanding that this movie be seen on the big screen.

Paramount’s session this AM fired off with a hip-hop Sonic the Hedgehog themed dance crew on stage with the studio’s domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson arriving with a big Dr. Robotnik mustache.

He cautioned theater owners and industry players that “we are not completely back yet and this is not the time for complacency.” He warned against showing too many trailers – “numbing the audience so the recall point drops to nil” – and urged a good “price-value ratio.”

“Help us to help you,” he said. “Let’s be proactive. You are back in business. We are back in business. Let’s ensure this is a win-win for all of us.”

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