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Amazon ( AMZN ) promises 15 movies in cinemas a year

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Ben Affleck, Chris Hemsworth among star-studded lineup

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No hints on new James Bond

By Lisa Richwine and Rollo Ross

LAS VEGAS, April 2 (Reuters) - Ryan Gosling, Chris

Hemsworth, Halle Berry and other Hollywood stars turned on the

charm in Las Vegas on Wednesday to showcase Amazon.com's ( AMZN )

expanded push into the movie business.

Gosling appeared at the annual CinemaCon convention of

theater owners after the debut of a trailer for his coming

science fiction epic "Project Hail Mary," based on a popular

novel by Andy Weir.

In the film, Gosling portrays a teacher-turned-astronaut who

embarks on a long-shot mission to save the planet and meets an

alien named Rocky.

"This is why we go to the movies," Gosling said.

"I'm not just saying that because I'm in it, but also

because I'm a producer on the film," he said to laughter. "And

it's also true."

"Project Hail Mary" is set for release next March as Amazon ( AMZN )

picks up the pace of movie releases.

The online retailer, which also operates the Prime Video

streaming service, has released a handful of films in cinemas

each year over the past decade. The company now promises to

increase that to at least 15 annually by 2027. It has already

scheduled 14 releases for 2026.

Amazon ( AMZN ) bought the MGM studio and its vast movie library in

2022. Wednesday's presentation was Amazon's ( AMZN ) first at CinemaCon.

"We are committed to doing this for the long term," said

Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. "When

Amazon ( AMZN ) commits to something, we tend to do it big."

Theater owners welcomed Amazon ( AMZN ) to their annual gathering,

hoping the company will fill a void left when Walt Disney ( DIS )

subsumed the Fox movie studio in 2019. Box office

returns in the United States and Canada remain below

pre-pandemic levels.

During Amazon's ( AMZN ) pitch, Chris Pratt joked with the audience

from a chair used as a prop in the movie "Mercy," the story of a

murder suspect trying to prove his innocence. Andrew Garfield

and Ayo Edebiri touted "After the Hunt," a thriller about a

scandal on a college campus. Hemsworth and Halle Berry teased

their heist movie "Crime 101."

Affleck took the stage to promote "The Accountant 2,"

correcting director Gavin O'Connor when he said the original

film made its debut nine years ago.

"It's been eight years, five months, two weeks, five days

and 10 hours," Affleck said, reflecting his character's

precision.

O'Connor praised Amazon ( AMZN ) for its pledge to send movies first

to theaters rather than straight to streaming.

"The streamers now are the gatekeepers," O'Connor said in an

interview with Reuters. "If they are not putting movies out in

theaters, this stuff can go away - no joke."

"They have to keep the flame going," he added.

Amazon ( AMZN ) recently took creative control of the James Bond

franchise. The company did not provide any clues about who it

will cast to play the famous British spy.

"We are committed to honoring the legacy of this iconic

character while bringing a fresh, exhilarating new chapter to

audiences around the world," said Courtenay Valenti, Amazon

MGM's head of film.