Amy Poehler to Receive CinemaCon® Vanguard Award

DISNEY and PIXAR’S INSIDE OUT 2 OPENS ONLY IN THEATERS ON JUNE 14, 2024

WASHINGTON D.C. and LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (February 28, 2024) – Amy Poehler will receive this year’s CinemaCon® Vanguard Award, Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, announced today. CinemaCon, the official convention of NATO, will be held April 8-11, 2024, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Poehler will be presented with this special honor at the Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday, April 11, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and hosted by official presenting sponsor The Coca-Cola Company.

“Amy Poehler, in a most distinguished career, has been entertaining people on the big screen for over 20 years”, noted Neuhauser. “She is one of the most versatile, recognizable, and talented performers of our generation who simply brings joy, happiness, and a smile to our faces with each new role. In 2015, we showcased Inside Out for the global exhibition community here at CinemaCon, and now, we can’t wait to see what new ground Amy and her fellow Emotions cover in the eagerly anticipated Inside Out 2. We are honored to present her with this year’s CinemaCon Vanguard Award.”

Poehler will return this summer as the voice of Joy in Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2, releasing only in theaters on June 14, 2024. Inside Out 2 sees the return to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone. Maya Hawke lends her voice to Anxiety along with a voice cast that includes Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Tony Hale, and Liza Lapira. Inside Out 2 is directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen.

Best known for her starring role in the Emmy-nominated comedy series Parks and Recreation, Poehler began her career studying improv in Chicago, where she eventually co-founded the sketch/improv troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade. She then joined the cast of SNL, where she became the first-ever cast member to receive an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series,” earning this nomination two years in a row. Following her success on SNL, Poehler went on to star as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation — a role which earned her a Golden Globe Award, an American Comedy Award, a Gracie Award, and six consecutive Emmy nominations, along with two additional Golden Globe nominations and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her work on the show.

Poehler’s film credits include The House, Sisters, Wet Hot American Summer, They Came Together, A.C.O.D., Free Birds, Are You Here, Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and Mean Girls. In addition to lending her voice to the character of Joy in Inside Out, Poehler can be heard in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Monsters vs. Aliens, Horton Hears a Who!, and Shrek the Third. She also made her directorial debut in the Netflix comedy Wine Country and directed Netflix’s Moxie as well as Amazon’s documentary Lucy & Desi.

She is also the founder of Paper Kite Productions, a full-service entertainment company that produces content for traditional and non-linear platforms. Through Paper Kite, Poehler has produced several projects, including the upcoming film First Time Female Director, Peacock’s Baking It & The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Amazon’s Harlem, the Award-winning Netflix series Russian Doll, Adult Swim’s Three Busy Debras, Fox’s animated series Duncanville, and NBC’s Making It. In addition, Paper Kite recently launched Paper Kite Podcasts in partnership with Cadence 13 and Audacy.

Outside her film and television work, she released the New York Times Best Seller “Yes Please,” returned to SNL for an Emmy award-winning performance co-hosting alongside Tina Fey, and co-hosted the Golden Globe Awards. She also continues to produce the award-winning online website “Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls” and in the Spring of 2023, kicked off the Restless Leg Tour comedy show with Tina Fey.

Approved press image can be downloaded here.

About CinemaCon

CinemaCon attracts upwards of 6,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry – from exhibition and distribution to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also thrilled to have The Coca-Cola Company – one of the industry’s most highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies – as its official presenting sponsor.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 32,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and more than 30,000 screens in 88 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world as well as hundreds of independent theatre owners.

Additional information about CinemaCon can be found at cinemacon.com.

Media Contact

Heather Lewandoski
615.519.1747
hlewandoski@me.com

Filmmaker Shawn Levy to Receive CinemaCon® Director of the Year Award

MARVEL STUDIOS TO RELEASE DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE ON JULY 26, 2024

WASHINGTON D.C. and LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (February 16, 2024) – Filmmaker Shawn Levy will receive this year’s CinemaCon® Director of the Year Award, Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, announced today. CinemaCon, the official convention of NATO, will be held April 8-11, 2024, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Levy will be presented with this special honor at the Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday, April 11, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and hosted by official presenting sponsor The Coca-Cola Company.

“Throughout his impressive career, Shawn Levy never fails to give audiences what they want – the most entertaining, enjoyable and crowd-pleasing films imaginable,” noted Neuhauser. “As one of our most talented and leading filmmakers working today, we can’t wait to see what he brings to our theaters this summer with the eagerly anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s our honor to single Shawn out as our CinemaCon® Director of the Year.”

In Levy’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, the “merc with the mouth” is back in action with Deadpool & Wolverine, set to release exclusively in theaters nationwide on July 26, 2024. Directed,cowritten and produced by Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni and Matthew Macfadyen. Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and Levy.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Shawn Levy began his career studying performing arts at Yale University before receiving an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. In 2005, he founded 21 Laps Entertainment, a powerhouse that has produced some of the most acclaimed and commercially successful film and television content of its time, amassing over $3.2 billion worldwide at the box office. Most recently, Levy earned DGA and PGA nominations for directing and producing the Golden Globe®-nominated Netflix limited series All The Light We Cannot See, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Levy is also set to direct an upcoming Star Wars film and an international heist comedy starring Ryan Reynolds. Among the array of upcoming 21 Laps projects are the Lionsgate feature film Never Let Go, starring Halle Berry; the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple, starring Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber; Alexander And The Terrible, No Good Very Bad Road Trip starring Eva Longoria for Disney+ and Netflix’s highly anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things.

In addition to these projects, 21 Laps boasts an impressive roster of films and series, including Academy Award®-nominated Arrival, The Spectacular Now, Cheaper By The Dozen, Shadow and Bone, Last Man Standing, The Boogeyman and Unsolved Mysteries. Among Levy’s directorial achievements are the blockbuster Night At The Museum franchise, Reel Steel, The Internship, Date Night, This Is Where I Leave You, Free Guy and The Adam Project.

About CinemaCon

CinemaCon attracts upwards of 6,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry – from exhibition and distribution to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also thrilled to have The Coca-Cola Company – one of the industry’s most highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies – as its official presenting sponsor.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 32,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and more than 30,000 screens in 88 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world as well as hundreds of independent theatre owners.

Additional information about CinemaCon can be found at cinemacon.com.

Media Contact

Heather Lewandoski
615.519.1747
hlewandoski@me.com

Lupita Nyong’o to receive CinemaCon® Star of the Year Award

PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO RELEASE A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE ON JUNE 28, 2024

WASHINGTON D.C. and LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (February 14, 2024) – Lupita Nyong’o will receive this year’s CinemaCon® Star of the Year Award, Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, announced today. CinemaCon, the official convention of NATO, will be held April 8-11, 2024, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Nyong’o will be presented with this special honor at the Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday, April 11, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and hosted by official presenting sponsor The Coca-Cola Company.

“In just over ten years, Lupita Nyong’o has established herself as one of the most talented and respected actors of our time,” noted Neuhauser. “From her Oscar winning role in 12 Years a Slave to her most chilling and determined performance in Us, she never fails to surprise, captivate and engross us with each new role she undertakes. Lupita Nyong’o is recognized around the world for being a star of the highest magnitude, and CinemaCon and the global exhibition community are honored to recognize her as its 2024 Star of the Year.”

Nyong’o can be seen this summer starring in A Quiet Place: Day One, releasing in theaters nationwide on June 28, 2024. Produced in association with Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Sunday Night Production, the film is executive produced by Allyson Seeger and Vicki Dee Rock, alongside producers Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and John Krasinski. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, A Quiet Place: Day One also stars Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou, as they experience the day the world went quiet.

Kenyan actress, producer and New York Times Bestselling author, Nyong’o made her feature film debut in the Academy Award® winning film 12 Years a Slave for which she received the Academy Award®, the Screen Actors Guild® Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award and the NAACP Image Award. Additional film credits include Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Us, Little Monsters, Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The 355. She served as an executive producer for Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s feature debut, Goodbye Julia, the first-ever Sudanese feature to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, which was selected by the country to be its second-ever Academy Awards submission for Best International film.

In addition to a successful career on the big screen, Nyong’o earned a Tony® nomination for her Broadway debut in Eclipsed, won an Emmy® Award for the narration of her New York Times best-selling children’s book Sulwe, and executive produces the family program Super Sema, which is now in its third season. Nyong’o can also be heard narrating Discovery’s docuseries Serengeti, for which she has earned two Emmy® award nominations, and she will host a podcast centered on non-fiction cultural storytelling from the African diaspora.

About CinemaCon

CinemaCon attracts upwards of 6,000 motion picture professionals from all facets of the industry – from exhibition and distribution to the equipment and concession areas – all on hand to celebrate the movie-going experience and the cinema industry.

CinemaCon is delighted to have both the International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) as its tradeshow partners. CinemaCon is also thrilled to have The Coca-Cola Company – one of the industry’s most highly regarded and respected partners in the world of the movies – as its official presenting sponsor.

About NATO

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing more than 32,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and more than 30,000 screens in 88 countries worldwide. NATO’s membership includes the largest cinema chains in the world as well as hundreds of independent theatre owners.

Additional information about CinemaCon can be found at cinemacon.com.

Media Contact

Heather Lewandoski
615.519.1747
hlewandoski@me.com