Movies You Won’t Want to Miss: Hear from John Early and IndieWire Staffers About CinemaCon, ‘The Mummy,’ and ‘Maddie’s Secret’

With Anne Thompson off this week, the latest episode of IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” is a grab bag, let’s call it speed dating, of special guests.

First, we hear from IndieWire’s Senior Business Reporter Brian Welk about what he saw and sensed at the 2026 CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas. Studios unveiled their plans for the rest of the year and into 2027, with first-look footage of films ranging from “Dune: Part Three” to “The Social Reckoning,” “Werwulf,” and “Digger.” What’s great about CinemaCon is how it offers a map of what’s to come in terms of studio releases.

Brian goes into detail about how clips from several films played in the room. With the Paramount-Skydance absorption of Warner Bros. Discovery looming, he also breaks down how people were reacting to that news in Las Vegas. We also discuss Warners’ new specialty label, Clockwork, which secured its first plum with Sean Baker’s post-“Anora” follow-up, “Ti Amo.”

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Digger,” as Brian explains, was the highlight of CinemaCon, showing Tom Cruise in a physically demanding performance of the likes we haven’t seen from the twice-Oscar-nominated actor. The fall release will likely show up at the Venice Film Festival.

Later on the podcast, Ryan is joined by IndieWire’s Features Writer, and genre maven, Alison Foreman to talk about “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” which has so far scared up $37 million worldwide for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse. We debate the merits of the film and look ahead at a busy summer for horror movies, from Focus Features’ TIFF pickup “Obsession” to Neon’s Sundance buy “Leviticus.”

Finally, Ryan was joined by comedian/actor/writer/director John Early in studio for a charming interview about his directorial feature debut, “Maddie’s Secret.” It’s out from Magnolia Pictures in June, but just dropped at the New Directors/New Films festival in Manhattan after a celebrated TIFF premiere last year. The charismatic and well-spoken multi-hyphenate also stars in the ongoing Off-Broadway play “What We Did Before Our Moth Days,” from the powerhouse duo behind “My Dinner with Andre,” Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory.

Check back for more conversation with John Early once “Maddie’s Secret” opens this summer, but here you can get a taste of his delightful (and at times disturbing) movie, in which he himself stars as a woman who is a recipe influencer with an eating disorder. A tricky combination indeed, but it’s one he pulls out without irony or camp. Don’t miss this movie when it opens June 12.

Listen to the episode below or on your preferred podcast platform.