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JJ Abrams stars at CinemaCon, but not 'Star Trek Beyond'

LAS VEGAS — CinemaCon 2016 kicked off with an award for Star Trek Beyond producer J.J. Abrams presented by Star Trek Beyond screenwriter and star Simon Pegg.

But the audience of theater owners and industry executives gathered at Caesars Palace on the first night of the annual exhibitors convention saw nothing of the film Star Trek Beyond, hitting theaters July 22.

That was surprising.

Accepting the CinemaCon Showman of the Year award, Abrams briefly discussed Star Trek Beyond.  

He said director Justin Lin, conspicuously absent from the important film gathering, "was working hard right now on finishing" the film which Abrams promised would be "the most thrilling Star Trek yet."

But the third film in the Star Trek reboot franchise has received early criticism after its first action-filled trailer in December. Even screenwriter Pegg told fans at the time "to hang in there" for better footage. 

The lack of this Star Trek footage puzzled observers at a convention filled with theater exhibitors who will be playing the film this summer.

"I was surprised (Paramount) went to all the trouble of bringing J.J. Abrams and then they didn't show any of Star Trek Beyond," said Sharon Waxman, editor of the industry website TheWrap.com.

Pegg, who starred in the two previous Star Trek films which Abrams directed, presented Abrams with the CinemaCon award. 

During his speech, Pegg pointed out that the man who also helmed Star Wars: The Force Awakens has built "one heck of a resume" as a director and producer.

Abrams discussed his early love of movies growing up as a self-described non-athletic, not-popular kid.

 

"Movies had a profound impact on me from a very early age. The power of cinema,  being transported to another time and place," said Abrams. "It was like nothing else."

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