CinemaCon is ready to start the conversation about this year’s convention, starting with the rollout of its first big award.
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o has been tapped to receive the CinemaCon Star of the Year Award during the Big Screen Achievement Awards held inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 11.
The honor comes ahead of her starring role in the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One for Paramount Pictures. The film hits theaters on June 28. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the thriller also stars Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou as they experience the day the world went quiet. Produced in association with Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Sunday Night Production, the film is executive produced by Allyson Seeger and Vicki Dee Rock, alongside producers Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller and John Krasinski.
“In just over 10 years, Lupita Nyong’o has established herself as one of the most talented and respected actors of our time,” said CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser. “From her Oscar winning role in 12 Years a Slave to her most chilling and determined performance in Us, she never fails to surprise, captivate and engross us with each new role she undertakes. Lupita Nyong’o is recognized around the world for being a star of the highest magnitude, and CinemaCon and the global exhibition community are honored to recognize her as its 2024 Star of the Year.”
Nyong’o made her feature film debut in the Academy Award winning 12 Years a Slave for which she received an Oscar, SAG Award, Critics Choice Award, Spirit Award and the NAACP Image Award. Her other big screen credits include Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Us, Little Monsters, Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The 355. Nyong’o also snagged a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut in Eclipsed, and won an Emmy for narrating her New York Times best-selling children’s book Sulwe.
CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from April 8-11. The event hosts north of 6,000 motion picture professionals from all corners of the industry including exhibition, distribution, marketing, promotion, equipment and concession areas. The International Cinema Technology Association (ICTA) and National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) are on board as tradeshow partners with Coca-Cola serving as the official presenting sponsor.
