Spider-Man helped kick off this year’s pared-down CinemaCon on Monday night, with Sony unveiling the first trailer for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to a crowd of theater owners in Las Vegas. This year’s convention, visually lighter in attendance and featuring a subdued tone, comes amid unprecedented challenges for theaters. The “Spider-Man” trailer also arrives under unusual circumstances, as a day earlier, a version of the “No Way Home” trailer leaked online, leading to Sony issuing take-down notices.

Sony film boss Tom Rothman, in town from vacation on the East Coast and sporting facial hair, acknowledged the leak while introducing the trailer, saying, “It deserves to be seen in the high-quality finished form in which it was made.” The Sony Twitter account also acknowledged the leak, tweeting, “shout-out to the real ones who are watching the trailer for the first time right now.”

Starring Tom Holland, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will deal with the multiverse and will feature actors from previous “Spider-Man” film franchises.

“No Way Home” is arguably the most important film on Sony’s slate, with anticipation for the Marvel Studios sequel rivaling something akin to Disney’s “Avengers” movies, with fans clamoring online for months for word on the project. The previous installment, “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” stands as Sony’s highest-grossing film ever, with it earning US$1.132 billion globally.

Sony, which does not have a streaming service, unveiled a sizzle reel reaffirming its commitment to putting films into theaters.

(SD-Agencies)