Donna Langley examines a gift from Snoop Dogg's at Universal's talent rich CinemaCon presentation. Ethan Miller/Getty Images Who could ask for better courtiers than Christopher Nolan and Snoop Dogg to flank Hollywood’s most powerful female movie executive when taking the stage in Vegas? The answer is Donna Langley, the longtime Universal Pictures studio head whose meteoric rise to power now has her overseeing all content across the sprawling entertainment and media empire, including television, streaming and film as chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios.
Many in her position would likely skip a trip to CinemaCon, the annual gathering of thousands of theater owners who are briefed on the upcoming films from the Hollywood majors. But while Langley’s kingdom has grown, she’s no diva monarch who has abandoned the crown jewel of her heart — film.
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“All hail to the queen,” proclaimed Snoop Dogg when greeting Langley on stage after treating CinemaCon attendees to a surprise performance of “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Gin and Juice.” The songs are to be featured in Universal’s upcoming biopic of the rap legend that stars Jonathan Daviss as Snoop.
He next bequeathed Langley with a large gold chain and pendant of the Universal logo. Langley, a fashionista who is very particular, tried to put the pendant on, but it wasn’t quite the right match.
Once alone on stage, Langley turned to the most important match being played out this week at CinemaCon — the relationship between Hollywood studios and exhibitors, and the continuing friction over how long a movie should play exclusively in theaters. The theatrical window shrank dramatically during the pandemic years, with Universal striking a landmark deal with AMC Theatres to let films go to premium VOD as early as 17 days after their release if they opened to less than $50 million and 45 days for films opening above that threshold. The result?
Outside of Disney, many studios send their pics to PVOD after three to five weekends. But even AMC has soured on PVOD to the point that Universal announced in recent weeks that it will abide by a strict 45-day window, with the exception of titles from Focus Features. Now, trade org Cinema United, host of CinemaCon, is suggesting a 60-day window (so far, the Paramount-Warners merger is a far bigger topic than windows).
Like Sony Pictures movie chief Tom Rothman said earlier in the week at CinemaCon, Langley all but said that exhibitors can’t just point the finger at the studios. It’s no secret that while some theater circuits are investing heavily in premium large-format screens or reclining seats, many don’t have enough cash on hand to make any improvements, particularly in smaller to mid-size markets.
“The relationship with all of you has never been more important than it is right now as we work together to get people back in the routine of going to the movies,” she said.
“We’re here at a time where inflation, gas prices and other factors out of our control are impacting discretionary spending, but when a consumer makes the choice with their wallet to purchase that movie ticket, we rely on all of you to make sure they have the best possible experience for their money to keep them coming back,” Langley added.
Langley continued, “We are committed to delivering a wide array of movies to your theaters for longer exclusive runs throughout the entire year. This relationship only works if we move forward to create a sustainable theatrical ecosystem — together. That is how we maintain and protect this medium for the next generation to come. We’ve always been a theatrical first studio. Period.”
Case in point: the studio’s 2026 slate, Langley said. Nintendo and Chris Meledandri’s Illumination’s The Super Mario Galaxy is on its way to becoming the first billion-hit of the year, while the summer is anchored by two of the world’s two best directors: Steven Spielberg‘s June sci-fi tentpole Disclosure Day and Christopher Nolan’s epic The Odyssey.
Nolan’s home studio for years was Warner Bros., but Langley famously lured him to Universal, where he made the acclaimed 2023 summer film, Oppenheimer, which became part of the Barbenheimer phenomenon on its way to being both a commercial success and a top Oscar victor, including best picture and best director wins.
Warners worked hard to bring Nolan back into the fold, but Langley won out. Following her opening remarks at Wednesday’s CinemaCon session, Langley shared a reel of Nolan’s career before he himself came onstage.
“It is my privilege to introduce a filmmaker whose work doesn’t just tell stories, it reshapes how we experience them, a director who treats cinema not as a boundary, but as a frontier, constantly pushing it forward with a pursuit of excellence that is as rare as it is inspiring,” Langley said.
In another coup for the exec, Disclosure Day became the first film Spielberg has ever personally promoted at CinemaCon. Both he and Nolan are fierce proponents of exclusive theatrical windows, which, before the pandemic, were as long as 90 days. Spielberg praised Langley for the studio’s recent course correction when taking the stage inside the Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace, home of CinemaCon, but also couldn’t resist a final quip: “Do I hear 60?”
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