After being notably absent in the last edition in 2019, Sony Pictures, in a sign of support of the COVID-ravaged motion picture exhibition industry, made its return to CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners in the Monday evening official kickoff slot to the week's activity. Among the previews showcased during the presentation was the long-awaited first teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony and Marvel Studios' third collaboration on a solo screen adventure for the ever-popular webslinger. Considering that this first official look at the film is only now dropping less than four months in advance from its cinema release date on December 17, fans had anticipated that the unusually short (for a tentpole blockbuster, that is, for the first look typically comes many months, if not a full year, in advance) lead meant that it would confirm the much-rumored return appearances of former Peter Parkers Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield alongside current Spidey Tom Holland. Alas, the only surprise appearance is that of a pumpkin bomb (suggesting a more villainous return, that of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin from 2002's first Spider-film), with previously reported guest stars Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. Octopus/Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) from 2004's Spider-Man 2 appearing in the slick, admirably spoiler-light spot, which Sony officially released following its unveiling at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Stay tuned here all week for ongoing coverage of as much as I possibly can at home at CinemaCon 2021!
(Very special thanks to Sony Pictures, Heather Lewandoski and the entire team at Rogers & Cowan for all their helpful and generous assistance at the convention, as well as Mitch Neuhauser and the CinemaCon crew and John Fithian and the National Association of Theatre Owners)
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