James Cameron, one of the industry’s leading champions of the theatrical experience, leads CinemaCon’s roster of honorees for the Big Screen Achievement Awards.
The ceremony — a starry gathering that closes the four day gathering of exhibition insiders presented by Cinema United — is set to take place inside the Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 16. It will see trophies going to James Cameron (Cinema United Spirit of the Industry), Queen Latifah (Cultural Impact in Film), LaKeith Stanfield (Star of the Year), Zoey Deutch (Vanguard Award) Adam Scott (Award of Excellence in Acting), Noah Centineo (Star of Tomorrow) and Catherine Lagaʻaia (Rising Star of 2026). Hosted by co-presenting sponsor Coca-Cola, the event will be hosted by Entertainment Tonight star Nischelle Turner, who replaces her ET colleague Kevin Frazier who has fronted it in years past.
“Our industry is at its best when those in it come together to celebrate the power of seeing a movie on the big screen,” said Cinema United president and CEO Michael O’Leary. “This includes the incredibly talented people both in front of and behind the camera, whose work is at the heart of what makes the moviegoing experience so powerful and enduring. The films from this year’s honorees will undoubtedly capture the imaginations of audiences around the world and we are proud to honor their achievements.”
Cameron’s honor comes on the heels of a mammoth release for his franchise blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash from 20th Century Studios, and ahead of the Oscar winner’s newest project, a concert film co-directed with a Grammy-winning superstar in Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D). That film, which opens in theaters from Paramount Pictures on May 8, 2026, was captured using Cameron’s proprietary 3-D camera systems.
Latifah’s trophy comes ahead of her return as the voice of Ellie in Ice Age: Boiling Point, due in theaters Feb. 5, 2027. The multi-hyphenate will receive her honor after a varied career that has seen her tackle stage, screen and the music charts while also being an active producer and entrepreneur. Her credits include Jungle Fever, Chicago (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), Set It Off, Living Out Loud, Bringing Down the House, The Secret Life of Bees, Hairspray, Mad Money, Just Right, Joyful Noise, The Last Holiday, Beauty Shop, Girls Trip, Miracles from Heaven and Hustle, The Little Mermaid, Bessie and most recently, The Equalizer.
Stanfield next stars in Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters from Neon. That film, out May 22, finds him starring opposite Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore in a film about a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. The Oscar nominee has been seen in Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out, Sorry to Bother You, Knives Out, Uncut Gems, The Harder They Fall, Selma, Snowden and Atlanta.
Deutch, who recently played Jean Seberg in Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, comes to the trophy as she is readying for the release of Sony Pictures Classics’ Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, which premiered at Sundance. The film hits theaters July 10. Deutch can soon be seen in Voicemails for Isabelle and has starred in Set it Up, Juror #2, Not Okay and Something from Tiffany’s.
Scott, who is coming off a critically acclaimed turn in Severance for Apple TV, returns to the big screen in Neon’s supernatural horror film Hokum on May 1. He plays novelist Ohm Bauman who retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes only to become consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. His other film credits include Step Brothers, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Black Mass, The Vicious Kind, Sleeping With Other People, Bachelorette, The Disaster Artist, Our Idiot Brother, Monster-In-Lay, Knocked Up and The Aviator.
Centineo comes to CinemaCon ahead of the anticipated release of Street Fighter from Paramount Pictures and Legendary Pictures in association with Capcom. The action pic will hit theaters Oct. 16. Centineo recently wrapped John Rambo and will star in and produce the live-action Gundam. Centineo broke out in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy and has a list of credits that includes Union County, Warfare, Black Adam and The Recruit.
Newbie Lagaʻaia will make her big screen debut in Moana, Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved animated adventure. The film opens exclusively in theaters July 10, and finds her playing the title character opposite Dwayne Johnson as the infamous demigod Maui. Prior to landing the coveted role, Lagaʻaia appeared in the limited series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
Hosted by Cinema United, CinemaCon takes place April 13-16, and is presented by sponsors the Coca-Cola Company and Barco.
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