By Movieguide® Staff
The lights dimmed Wednesday afternoon inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and Universal Pictures took the stage for what turned out to be one of the most star-studded, content-dense presentations of this year’s CinemaCon. From Christopher Nolan unveiling breathtaking new footage of his long-awaited *The Odyssey* to Snoop Dogg performing live to introduce his own biopic, Universal made it abundantly clear it intends to own 2026 at the multiplex.
We were in the room. And as always, we’re breaking down everything families need to know before they buy a ticket.
—–
## THE BIG ONE: *THE ODYSSEY* (July 17, 2026)
The moment the whole room had been waiting for came early. Universal wasted little time bringing out Christopher Nolan, who took the CinemaCon stage to a resounding wave of cheers and applause from exhibitors hungry for a look at *The Odyssey*.
And Nolan delivered — humbly, as always. “I’m just glad not to be following Steven Spielberg,” the filmmaker joked before turning serious. “We have a big one this time,” he said. “The Odyssey is a story that’s thrilled generations.”
Nolan pointed to Homer’s ancient epic as something that “has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years. It’s not *a* story, it’s *the* story.” He wanted to seize “the exciting opportunity of being able to bring this to a modern cinema audience.”
The footage was extraordinary. We got a look at Matt Damon’s Odysseus, King of Ithaca, speaking with Calypso (Charlize Theron), a nymph who has kept him hostage on her island for seven years after he washed ashore following the Trojan War. “How long have I been here, Calypso?” he asks. “I don’t remember anything before Troy. Did I have a wife, children, maybe a son?”
We then cut to Tom Holland as Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, who is told the tale of the Greek raid on Troy by Jon Bernthal’s Menelaus. The sequence culminates in a stunning IMAX-scale Trojan Horse sequence — the Greeks pulling the massive wooden horse through the sand by cables, hoisting it upright inside the fortress walls, and emerging by night to win the decade-long war.
Nolan described the film at its heart as being about “family” and “homecoming” — with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope (Odysseus’s faithful wife) forming the emotional core of the story.
Nolan’s technical ambitions are as epic as the story itself. He called *The Odyssey* “a long-held dream” — to shoot an entire film, including dialogue scenes, on IMAX cameras, forgoing any shifts in aspect ratio. He admitted it was “an absolute nightmare to film,” though he added, “We had an amazing time doing it,” and that the film is “almost finished.”
**MOVIEGUIDE® Parent Note:** *The Odyssey* draws on one of the greatest adventure stories in human history — one about loyalty, perseverance, and a husband and father desperate to return home to his family. That’s a story we can get behind. However, Greek mythology involves polytheistic gods, violence, and elements of sorcery (Circe, Calypso). Parents of younger children should be prepared for intense battle sequences and supernatural elements. That said, this is Christopher Nolan — filmmaking at the highest level of craft — and the themes of homecoming and faithful love are genuinely beautiful. This one is on our radar.
—–
## SPIELBERG RETURNS: *DISCLOSURE DAY* (June 12, 2026)
Spielberg promoted *Disclosure Day*, his summer sci-fi event picture that stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Eve Hewson, and Colin Firth. The premise centers on, as the title suggests, a government disclosure of extraterrestrial contact — a timely concept given the real-world conversations happening in Washington. Spielberg was charming and genuinely enthusiastic, and the crowd responded warmly to one of Hollywood’s true legends.
**MOVIEGUIDE® Parent Note:** Science fiction stories exploring first contact and government secrecy are not inherently problematic, but parents should be aware this film deals with themes of alien life and potential worldview implications around humanity’s uniqueness. We’ll have much more to say when a trailer drops publicly. Given Spielberg’s record for wonder and moral clarity in films like *E.T.* and *Close Encounters*, we’re cautiously hopeful — but attentive.
—–
## THE SURPRISE OPENING: SNOOP DOGG BIOPIC (2027)
Universal opened the presentation in unexpected fashion by bringing out rapper Snoop Dogg to reveal that his life is finally getting the biopic treatment, directed by *Hustle & Flow* director Craig Brewer, due in theaters in 2027. Snoop turned the clock back to the early ’90s by performing a short set of his classic hits before bringing out the actor who will be playing him on the big screen — *Outer Banks* star Jonathan Daviss.
“I got an office on the Universal lot right next door to Spielberg,” the rapper joked.
**MOVIEGUIDE® Parent Note:** Snoop Dogg’s biography inevitably covers gang culture, drug use, and an explicit music career. This is not a film for families or young audiences. We will review it thoroughly upon release and will not be recommending it without significant caveats.
—–
## THE FOCKERS ARE BACK: *FOCKER-IN-LAW* (November 25, 2026)
Universal unveiled the trailer for *Focker-In-Law*, setting a Thanksgiving release date for the fourth installment in the franchise, bringing back Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro — and adding Ariana Grande to the mix.
The trailer drew big laughs from the room. But parents would do well to remember where this franchise has been.
**MOVIEGUIDE® Parent Note:** We’ve reviewed this franchise from the beginning, and the record is not encouraging. When MOVIEGUIDE® reviewed the original *Meet the Parents*, we noted that the film “violates two important Christian principles” — including a scene that openly mocks the Christian faith at the dinner table and ridicules a character’s beautiful act of carpentry done in honor of Christ. *Meet the Fockers* carried what we described as a “strong pagan, politically correct worldview” that preaches “sexual liberation, permissiveness and New Age ‘interfaith’ ideas,” complete with 16 obscenities and content validating a hedonistic sex therapy practice. *Little Fockers* doubled down, with a major plot device built around an erectile dysfunction drug and a character who blended New Age philosophy with quotes from Buddha and Jesus in the same breath.
Now comes the fourth entry, adding pop star Ariana Grande to a franchise that has grown progressively cruder with each installment. The Thanksgiving window is savvy marketing — families will be looking for something to do together after the holiday meal. We’ll give it a fair review. But the track record speaks for itself, and parents should go in with eyes open.
—–
## ANIMATED FUN: *MINIONS & MONSTERS* (July 1, 2026)
Illumination’s latest outing got an enthusiastic first look, and the room lit up. *Minions & Monsters* was among the family-friendly highlights of Universal’s presentation — the beloved yellow Minions somehow encountering the classic Universal Monsters — and the footage was colorful, chaotic, and full of slapstick energy.
**MOVIEGUIDE® Parent Note:** Here’s the honest history. When MOVIEGUIDE® reviewed the original *Despicable Me* back in 2010, we gave it our highest praise — a “very strong Christian, redemptive worldview” and called it “a story of redemption, a story about the transforming power of love,” anchored by three little girls whose sincere, answered prayers transform a villain’s heart. *Despicable Me 2* and *Despicable Me 3* continued in largely positive, pro-family territory, and *Despicable Me 4* carried a “strong moral, pro-family worldview” with Gru protecting his family and little Agnes refusing to tell a lie.
But the standalone *Minions* films are a different matter. When the little yellow characters broke out on their own, something was lost. Our review of the original *Minions* movie noted that it “glorifies crime, villains and violence” and, crucially, ends with the characters “still chasing after the next villain to serve” — no redemption, no moral arc, no change of heart. We advised extreme caution. *Minions: The Rise of Gru* carried New Age elements, including a “Zodiac Stone” and inner-force mysticism.
MOVIEGUIDE® itself has already noted its hope that *Minions & Monsters* “will recapture that element of redemption” found in the original *Despicable Me*. We share that hope — but hope is not a review. We’ll watch this one carefully and report back.
—–
## THE CONCERNS: WHAT PARENTS NEED TO WATCH
Not everything at Universal’s presentation was cause for celebration. Sitting in that room, it became clear that Universal is aggressively programming content that should concern every Christian parent — not in a hand-wringing way, but in a clear-eyed, this-is-what-they’re-selling-your-kids way.
**ONE NIGHT ONLY (August 7, 2026):** Let’s be direct. Will Gluck’s *One Night Only* stars Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro in a world where one night a year is legally designated for strangers to have casual, no-strings-attached sex with anyone they desire. Universal presented this as a romantic comedy with heart. We’d call it exactly what it is: a major studio normalizing sexual immorality as the premise for a date movie. This is not edgy. It is not brave. It is the sexual revolution dressed up in a trailer with a pop song. It will be marketed broadly, it will look fun, and your teenagers will hear about it. Parents, be ready for that conversation.
**OTHER MOMMY (October 9, 2026):** Rob Savage’s *Other Mommy* stars Oscar winner Jessica Chastain playing two versions of the same mother — one loving, one demonic. Horror built around the corruption and inversion of motherhood — one of God’s most sacred human callings — is a particular kind of darkness. Hollywood has a long habit of taking what is holy and twisting it into something monstrous for shock value. *Other Mommy* appears to do exactly that. Hard pass.
**VIOLENT NIGHT 2 (December 4, 2026):** David Harbour returns as the blood-soaked, skull-cracking Santa Claus in the sequel to one of the more cynical films in recent memory. When MOVIEGUIDE® reviewed the original *Violent Night*, we noted that while the film had “a few positive nods to the meaning of Christmas,” it was ultimately “filled with bloody, sometimes gruesome, action violence and constant foul language” — and worse, that “some of the bloody violence and foul language is designed to titillate the viewer’s baser instincts.” We told media-wise viewers to stay away.
The sequel is coming regardless. And once again, it will be wrapped in Christmas red and gold and marketed to people who love the holiday. The original wasn’t just violent — it was deliberately designed to take a symbol of generosity and the cultural memory of St. Nicholas and turn him into a killing machine for R-rated laughs. That the sequel arrives again in December is no accident. Parents: do not let the holiday marketing fool you or your children.
—–
## FOCUS FEATURES: ART HOUSE WITH EDGE
Universal’s specialty arm, Focus Features, brought two notable titles to the presentation.
***SENSE AND SENSIBILITY* (September 11, 2026):** Focus Features offered fresh footage from the newest cinematic take on Jane Austen’s beloved novel, this time starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and *Outlander* star Caitríona Balfe. Austen’s timeless story of love, restraint, wisdom, and the folly of passion is one of literature’s great moral tales, and we’re hopeful this adaptation handles it with the care it deserves.
***WERWULF* (December 25, 2026):** This one deserves special attention — not because of its craft, but because of its audacity. Focus Features unveiled the first trailer for *Werwulf*, touting it as Robert Eggers’ “most terrifying motion picture yet.” The director who brought us *The Witch*, *The Lighthouse*, and *Nosferatu* is now plunging into medieval werewolf legend. Set in 13th-century England, a mysterious creature stalks the foggy countryside as ancient folklore becomes a terrifying reality. The film reunites Eggers’ *Nosferatu* collaborators Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe. Eggers himself has said this is the darkest script he has ever written.
And Universal is releasing it on Christmas Day.
Let that sink in. On the day Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ — the Light of the World — Focus Features has chosen to open what its own director calls the darkest film of his career.
We know exactly what to expect, because we’ve already been here with Robert Eggers. When MOVIEGUIDE® reviewed *Nosferatu* last Christmas, we found a film that “ruins everything by inserting too much blood, sexual violence and nudity” — a film where “graphic occult content overwhelms and infects the movie’s Christian, moral content,” where “the sacrifice involves the moral corruption of the female victim,” where even the Christian occult expert “becomes tainted,” and where one vampire attack carried homosexual implications. We called the ending “too disturbing.” We said NOSFERATU “would have been much better, and more enjoyable, without this excessive graphic content and moral corruption.”
That was Eggers’ *previous* film. And he has now told us that *Werwulf* is darker than that.
This is not a film for Christian families. It is not a film for teenagers. And its Christmas Day release date should be understood for exactly what it is: a pattern. *Nosferatu* opened Christmas Day 2024. *Werwulf* opens Christmas Day 2026. Hollywood has made it a habit to use the most sacred day on the Christian calendar as a launch pad for occult horror and content that would make most churchgoing families recoil. These are choices. They carry meaning. And we will call them out every single time.
—–
## THE BOTTOM LINE
Universal came to Las Vegas with the confidence of a studio that knows it has the goods. Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* is the crown jewel — a stunning, thematically rich epic about homecoming, family, and the cost of war. *Minions & Monsters* promises lighthearted family entertainment this summer. And Focus Features’ *Sense and Sensibility* could be a rare gem for adult audiences looking for something literary and uplifting.
But the slate also includes several films that should give families serious pause — particularly *One Night Only*, whose premise is as explicit as any we’ve seen marketed from a major studio in years, and the continuing horror output that increasingly seems to court darkness for its own sake.
As always, MOVIEGUIDE® will review every film on this slate and give you the information you need to make wise choices for your family. Stay tuned.
*MOVIEGUIDE® reaches 82 million families worldwide with the information they need to make entertainment choices that align with their faith and values.*
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +2Share:
– Content: +1