LAS VEGAS — Contemporary off finest image, finest actor and finest director wins on the Oscars final month, Warner Bros. is presenting its upcoming slate to movie show house owners.

The storied studio will take the principle stage at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas Tuesday for the annual CinemaCon conference and commerce present. However this 12 months is not only enterprise as traditional, with its pending acquisition by one other legacy studio, Paramount, looming.

Filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve and J.J. Abrams are anticipated to make appearances to hype their upcoming movies with Warner Bros. Villeneuve has “Dune: Half Three” arriving in December, and Abrams has a Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega sci-fi film, “The Nice Past” in November. The 2 filmmakers additionally share one thing past fall releases for a similar studio: Unequivocal opposition to the merger. They have been among the many over 1,000 signers of an open letter printed Monday to a web site referred to as BlocktheMerger.com. Some attendees on the conference have additionally been sporting #blockthemerger pins as properly.

Greg Marcus, whose firm’s Marcus Theaters is the fourth largest theater circuit in the US with 78 areas in 17 states advised The Related Press Monday that he was involved as properly for what it means for moviegoers and the worth of tickets.

“The focus of energy on the studio degree has allowed them to lift the price of going to the flicks to the patron fairly considerably,” Marcus mentioned. “Our margins aren’t any higher. We’re not making more cash. And but the associated fee to the patron has far outpaced inflation.”

Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the movie show commerce group, reiterated his group’s opposition to the merger Tuesday morning.

“Consolidation ends in fewer movies being produced for film theaters,” he mentioned. “We imagine this transaction can be dangerous to exhibition, customers and your entire business.”

O’Leary advised reporters that the choice is within the fingers of regulators now.

Not everybody within the enterprise of constructing and releasing films is against a Paramount owned Warner Bros. James Cameron is, in truth, a supporter. He additionally publicly opposed the concept of a Netflix owned Warner Bros. due to the potential implications for theaters. However he does not have the identical fears with Paramount.

Chatting with the AP final week on behalf of the upcoming large display live performance movie “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Arduous and Comfortable: The Tour (Dwell in 3D),” which is being launched by Paramount, Cameron mentioned “I’m a supporter of it, I do know it’s controversial.”

Cameron labored with Paramount Skydance chair and CEO David Ellison carefully on “Terminator: Darkish Destiny.” Ellison has promised to develop the mixed Paramount-Warner Bros. slates to some 30 theatrical releases a 12 months.

“I do know David fairly properly. And I do know that he actually cares about films. And he’s a pure born storyteller and thinks like virtually an old style entrepreneurial producer that was a storyteller that loves storytelling and cherished placing on spectacular exhibits,” Cameron mentioned. “He’s the appropriate man for the job to run a significant studio, and now it appears to be like like he’s going to have two of them, you understand, swept underneath his management, which doesn’t trouble me in any respect.”