CinemaCon: Donna Langley Talks Universal’s Big Year Amid Industry Angst

Donna Langley became the first studio mogul to take the stage at CinemaCon this year in a sign of the general angst facing many Hollywood legacy studios.

Sony film boss Tom Rothman’s comments on stage usually turns heads, but his studio stayed home this year. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav showed up to get to know theater owners, but this year he had scheduling conflicts, so wasn’t part of Warner Bros.’ presentation Tuesday. But like Langley, Paramount chairman Brian Robbins is expected to be part of his studio’s session on Thursday.

Langley has plenty of reason to crow after placing No. 1 in marketshare in 2023 and watching Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer win big at the Oscars.

“When it comes to the traditional markers of success in our business, there’s not much more you could ask for than being No. 1 at the box office and winning the Academy Award for best picture, all in one year,” Langley told theater owners gathered at Caesars Palace. “And yet that’s not enough for us. We believe our best year should always be in front of us and our best projects always in the pipeline, because that’s what keeps people excited and coming back for more.”

Langley’s ability to forge strong relationships with top talent has been a hallmark of her career, and Nolan is no better example, considering he’d made almost all of his movies with Warner Bros. (Nolan wasn’t at CinemaCon this year, but he did thank theater owners via video during Universal‘s presentation.)

Langley said there’s no end to the list of people to thank for Universal’s winning streak, including the various divisions within the NBCU film empire, including Universal proper, Focus Features, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. She’s also amassed an enviable cadre of producing partners, including Jordan Peele’s Monkey Paw Productions, Amblin Entertainment and Blumhouse.

“And the results? Movies that are varied — but success that is not,” she said. The diverse nature of the studio’s slate was evidenced by the footage shown earlier in the presentation, from big event pics (Twisters, Despicable Me 4) to horror (Speak No Evil) to specialty fare (The Bikedriders).

Langley helped close out Universal’s presentation by introducing footage of Wicked, the ambitious two-part movie adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical (there were even tulips that lit up for each attendee).

“Thank you all for being here today,” she said. “And the wizard will see you now.”