CinemaCon 2014: Stars honored at Las Vegas convention

CinemaCon 2014, the Official Convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from March 24 to 27.

Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler and Kevin Costner were among the winners at an awards ceremony to mark the close of the CinemaCon convention.

The festival allows cinema exhibitors to get a first look at new films as studios and actors present footage from their most-hyped forthcoming projects.

This week, the first scenes from the eagerly-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation were unveiled.

The new Hobbit, X-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man films were also teased.

Sony Pictures debuted 30 minutes of 3D footage from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone – including scenes explaining the death of Peter Parker’s parents.

They also introduced Max Dillon who becomes Electro – played by Jamie Foxx; and Harry Osborn who becomes the Green Goblin – played by Dane DeHaan.

Jupiter Ascending, the new sci-fi fantasy adventure from the Wachowski siblings Andy and Lana, who created The Matrix trilogy, was also unveiled.

Mila Kunis joined her co-star Channing Tatum to promote the film in which Tatum plays a “genetically engineered human and wolf”.

Other films included Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and The Fault of Our Stars, based on John Green’s best-selling tearjerker about two young people with cancer who fall in love.

Its star Shailene Woodley was handed the female star of tomorrow award.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were awarded a prize for comedy filmmakers of the year after unveiling scenes from their new film The Interview, which stars Rogen and James Franco as two friends asked to assassinate Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea.

Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann – who was named comedy star of the year – attended the convention to promote their forthcoming film The Other Woman.

The movie sees Cameron Diaz’s character discover her boyfriend is actually married to Leslie Mann’s character, before the pair team up to seek revenge.

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler were handed the awards for male and female star of the year, after attending the festival to promote Blended.

The comedy about two families who embark on a trip to Africa reunites the pair who previously starred in 50 First Dates and The Wedding Singer.

Fifty Shades of Grey directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

Exhibitors were shown scenes featuring Christian Grey whisking Anastasia Steel off her feet with a joyride in his helicopter and a fancy make-over.

Johnny Depp presented clips of his new sci-fi drama Transcendence, in which he plays a terminally ill scientist-turned-unruly computer system.