With the Super Bowl taking place this Sunday, it’s an opportunity for the studios to give viewers their first looks at some of the hottest movies coming to theaters this summer and fall.
It’s a good time for it, too, as viewership for the big game is up with a 20% surge in sponsorships and a marked increase in young women tuning into NFL games thanks to Taylor Swift.
The studios could see this as an opportunity to help combat a box office slump. But what trailers could we specifically see?
None of the major studios were forthcoming with what they’ll be revealing come Super Bowl Sunday, but some inferences can be made based on what the release date calendar looks like over the next few months. Sources tell TheWrap Paramount is expected to drop additional spots for their Kingsley Ben-Adair-starring Bob Marley biopic, “Bob Marley: One Love,” and already dropped a Ryan Reynolds/Randal Park ad for the John Krasinski-directed film “IF.” The first trailer for “A Quiet Place: Day One” is also likely to drop. That film, directed by Michael Sarnoski, stars Djimon Housou and Lupita Nyong’o, and these Paramount teases fit given that the Super Bowl is airing on CBS and streaming Paramount+ this year.
Universal won the year 2023 with big box office swings that paid off, and they could be looking to continue that for another year with a big Super Bowl spend though there’s been no comment from them. It’s presumed that additional footage from the likes of “Kung Fu Panda 4” and “The Fall Guy,” both of which have already presented initial trailers, could be included. The bigger question is whether their summer tentpole “Twisters,” starring Glen Powell, or the Jon M. Chu Broadway musical “Wicked” could debut their first trailers. The former already has a prime summer release date and could show off some footage if it wanted, while the adaptation of the popular musical fantasy starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande only finished filming last week.
Another tight-lipped studio is Disney, which admitted back in November they would be cutting back on films in 2024. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the next in the long-running “Apes” franchise is expected to drop a trailer. But the bigger question is whether audiences will get their first peek at “Deadpool 3,” Marvel’s sole 2024 release. The film wrapped production in January, and considering how much was filmed before the SAG-AFTRA strike it would make sense that something could be shown. There’s also the possibility of another look at the sequel to Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” ahead of the film’s summer release.
Because Netflix most recently debuted clips for all their television shows and movies for the entire year, it’s assumed they won’t be showing anything additional during the game, according to media reports. Amazon has several high profile projects planned for 2024, including the Anne Hathaway romantic comedy “The Idea of You” and the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring remake of “Road House,” the latter only recently dropped a trailer. However, they look to be avoiding dropping anything additional at this time.
Sources tell TheWrap that Warner Bros. will also not be presenting any Super Bowl trailers. Sorry for those expecting more Anya Taylor-Joy “Furiosa” footage or a first peek at Kevin Costner’s Western saga “Horizon.” Sony also won’t be doing any Super Bowl teasers for their films, so don’t expect anything from the latest installment in the “Bad Boys” franchise or anything new from “Kraven the Hunter.”
It showcases an interesting dichotomy: tentpoles remain smaller this year compared to previous years, both because of studio contraction as well as the fallout from the strikes. And with Super Bowl ads costing around $7 million, studios just aren’t willing to drop that much coin on a few minutes when they can do a full-court media blitz a few months later (or post footage on their own streaming platforms). Either way, audiences will be flocking to the game to watch Taylor Swift, and whatever trailers present themselves will be a happy coincidence.
