The Dark Night Rises, Hobbit, Rock of Ages Unveiled at CinemaCon

Las Vegas CinemaCon may be for theater owners, but theres plenty of news for film freaks.According to the Associated Press, director Christopher Nolan revealed new footage of his upcoming Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. The clip showed plenty of violence, with imploding bridges, army tanks, and the menacing villain, Bane, aboard a plane. Attendees also got a good look at Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, with various shots of the actress in the anti-heros iconic black leather costume. Hathaway was also seen briefly as an apparent Wayne Manor servant before fleeing the mansion. Newcomers Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt join Christine Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman for the flick, set for a July 20th release.

Footage of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was also unveiled to mixed reactions, according to the Los Angeles Times. Peter Jacksons next Tolkien-based epic was filmed at 48 frames per second, double the standard industry frame rate. Although Jackson claimed the technique gives the illusion of real life, where movement feels smoother, some attendees werent keen on the fresh look. It looked like a made-for-TV movie, said one viewer. The question is if people want to watch movies that really look real or not, added another. I was expecting a subtle difference, but this was dramatic. The Hobbit is slated for a December release.

Tom Cruise also showed off his upcoming rock & roll musical adaptation Rock of Ages. In Rock, Cruise plays a raging, aging rocker in the mold of Axl Rose and Keith Richards. Cruise tried to pick up a few tips from Jon Bon Jovi, even taking the frontman to lunch, only to realize the humble, down-to-earthy singer was quite the opposite of his character. Director Adam Shankman also revealed that Cruise will show some saucy backside in the upcoming film. Rock of Ages is due out June 15th.

The Times was also there for Sascha Baron Cohens latest character stunt, this time dressed as General Admiral Aladeen, the titular character from his upcoming film The Dictator. In true Cohen fashion, Aladeen wasted no time in taking shots, targeting DreamWorks Animation boss Jeffrey Katzenberg and former Walt Disney Studios chair Rich Ross. Speaking about Katzenberg, who was promoting Madagascar 3 and Rise of the Guardians earlier, Cohen joked, I thought I was the only dictator speaking tonight. So imagine my surprise when I found out that Jeffrey Katzenberg was speaking. He rules with an iron fist. Taking aim at Ross, Cohen ragged on recent Disney flop John Carter. Just shoot the executive behind that, quipped Cohen. Oh wait, you did. The Dictator hits theaters on May 16th.

Earlier, director Jerry Bruckheimer announced that Jack White will write, produce and perform the score of the upcoming remake of The Lone Ranger by Disney. White has previously contributed music to films like Cold Mountain, but Ranger will be his first time scoring a feature film.