Who could ask for better courtiers than Christopher Nolan and Snoop Dogg to accompany Hollywood’s most powerful female director when she takes the stage in Vegas? The answer is Donna Langley, the longtime Universal Pictures studio head whose meteoric rise to power now sees her overseeing all content across the sprawling entertainment and media empire, including television, streaming and movies as president of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios.
Many in her position would likely skip a trip to CinemaCon, the annual gathering of thousands of theater owners who are briefed on upcoming films from major Hollywood franchises. But while Langley’s kingdom has grown, she’s not a diva queen who has given up the crown jewel of her heart – the movie.
“All hail the Queen,” Snoop Dogg announced as he welcomed Langley to the stage after treating CinemaCon attendees to a surprise rendition of “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Gin and Juice.” The songs will be featured in Universal’s upcoming biopic about the rap legend starring Jonathan Davis as Snoop.
Langley then left behind a large gold chain and pendant bearing the Universal logo. Langley, a very discerning fashionista, tried on the necklace, but it didn’t quite match.
Once on stage alone, Langley turned to the most important contest being shown this week at CinemaCon — the relationship between Hollywood studios and exhibitors, and the ongoing dispute over how long a film should be shown exclusively in theaters. The theatrical window has shrunk dramatically during the pandemic years, with Universal striking a landmark deal with AMC Theaters to allow films to move to premium VOD as early as 17 days after their release if they open below $50 million and 45 days for films that open above that threshold. The result?
Outside of Disney, many studios send their pictures to PVOD after three to five weekends. But even AMC has soured on PVOD to the point that Universal announced in recent weeks that it would stick to a strict 45-day window, excluding titles from Focus Features. Now, the trade organization Cinema United, host of CinemaCon, is proposing a 60-day window (so far, the Paramount-Warners merger is a much bigger topic than Windows).
As Sony Pictures president of films Tom Rothman said earlier in the week at CinemaCon, Langley said exhibitors can’t just point the finger at the studios. It’s no secret that while some theater circuits invest heavily in large-format screens or reclining seats, many don’t have enough money to make any improvements, especially in small and medium-sized markets.
“The relationship with all of you has never been more important than it is now, as we work together to get people back into the routine of going to the movies,” she said.
“We are here at a time when inflation, fuel prices and other factors outside of our control are impacting discretionary spending, but when a consumer chooses with their wallet to buy that movie ticket, we are counting on all of you to make sure they have the best possible experience for their money to keep them coming back,” Langley added.
“We are committed to bringing a wide range of films to audiences,” Langley continued for you Theaters have longer exclusive periods throughout the year. This relationship will only succeed if we move forward to create a sustainable theater system together. This is how we preserve and protect this medium for the next generation. We have always been the first theater studio. a period.”
Case in point: Langley said the studio slate for 2026. Nintendo and Chris Meledandri Illumination Super Mario Galaxy On track to become the first billion movie of the year, while the summer is anchored by two of the world’s best directors: Steven Spielberg’s June sci-fi column. Disclosure day And Christopher Nolan’s epic Odyssey.
Nolan’s home studio for years was Warner Bros., but Langley lured him to Universal, where he directed the 2023 summer blockbuster, Oppenheimerwhich became part of the Barbenheimer phenomenon on its way to commercial success and major Oscar wins, including wins for Best Picture and Best Director.
Warner made a great effort to bring Nolan back into the fold, but Langley prevailed. Following her opening remarks at Wednesday’s CinemaCon panel, Langley shared a clip from Nolan’s career before he himself took the stage.
“It is an honor to present a director whose work not only tells stories but reshapes the way we experience them, a director who treats cinema not as a frontier, but as a frontier, and who continually pushes it forward through the pursuit of excellence that is as rare as it is inspiring,” Langley said.
In another coup for the CEO, Disclosure day It became the first film to be promoted by Spielberg in person at CinemaCon. He and Nolan are big proponents of exclusive theatrical windows, which before the pandemic were up to 90 days long. Spielberg praised Langley for the studio’s latest course correction when he took the stage inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, home of CinemaCon, but he also couldn’t resist the final quip: “Do I hear 60?”
