THEY HAD US AT “THE FORCE AWAKENS!”
Article by Adam Mast
Every July, fans of comic books, movies, television, games, and the arts in general flock to San Diego for Comic-Con International. As you probably already guessed, movies are the hook for yours truly, and Comic-Con very seldom disappoints in that department. That’s why our crew is crazy enough to rough it and camp outside the San Diego Convention Center. Whatever it takes to get inside, right?
The official 2015 Comic-Con International lineup will be revealed here in the next few days, so I thought I’d take an opportunity to highlight a few noteworthy films and television shows that we at Cinemast.net hope will make an appearance in the Con’s massive 7000-seat Hall H ballroom.
Firstly, it should be noted that Marvel Studios (CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, DOCTOR STRANGE, AVENGERS: INFINITY WARS), Sony Pictures (SPECTRE, SPIDER-MAN, GOOSEBUMPS), and Paramount Pictures (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-ROGUE NATION) have officially decided to sit the Con out this year, leaving room for plenty of other noteworthy studios and entertainment properties to make an epic splash at this iconic San Diego staple.
Warner Brothers has announced that they’ll be on hand, so expect a huge BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE push. It’s safe to say they’ll be giving us a peek at SUICIDE SQUAD and info regarding JUSTICE LEAGUE as well.
In a complete mind scrambler, Lucasfilm has revealed that they’ll be at Hall H this year too. It was speculated that they wouldn’t show because Disney holds their D23 Expo in L.A. just a few weeks later. Clearly, Lucasfilm, director J.J. Abrams and the “Mouse House” realize, respect, and appreciate that every STAR WARS film—dating all the way back to A NEW HOPE—has had a presence at Comic-Con International, and obviously they want to keep the streak alive.
While THE FORCE AWAKENS will be well-represented by way of J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Lawrence Kasdan, “special guests”, and—from what we’re hearing—new footage, you can also bet that there will be news regarding the STAR WARS anthology films. Perhaps even director Rian Johnson will show up and talk a little bit about EPISODE VIII. There’s even an outside chance of an official INDIANA JONES announcement, as word of a reboot picked up a lot of traction earlier this week. Whatever the case may be, Lucasfilm is definitely going to be in Hall H with THE FORCE AWAKENS, and you can expect this panel to be the hot ticket at the Con this year.
We also know that there will be plenty of high profile television shows represented in Hall H. AMC has revealed that they’ll be bringing THE WALKING DEAD and its spin off series, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD. It’s a forgone conclusion that HBO’s GAME OF THRONES will be there as well.
So, that leaves countless other films and television shows that might or might not make an appearance. So without further ado, here’s a look a five presentations we hope will grace legendary Hall H during 2015 Comic-Con International in July.
TWIN PEAKS
David Lynch at Comic-Con?! Yes, please! It’s been over two decades since TWIN PEAKS fans were bewitched by the mysterious death of Laura Palmer, and quite frankly, after 1992’s haunting (and awesome) big screen prequel, FIRE WALK WITH ME came to a close, I don’t think anyone—myself included—ever thought they’d have an opportunity to spend time with these colorful characters again. In this day and age of re-visits, reboots, and sequels though, a return to TWIN PEAKS promises to be something quite unique. Why? Because it’s a David Lynch property, that’s why.
This project was brought to light earlier this year, but almost immediately, it hit a snag. After word surfaced that Lynch was leaving TWIN PEAKS over budget concerns, there was a fan outcry. Fortunately though, the iconic filmmaker who BLUE VELVET star Dennis Hopper once called “the world’s greatest surrealist” quickly returned with great news: Not only was he involved with the return of TWIN PEAKS again, but the series would return with twice the episodes than previously announced!
Some might argue that a potential TWIN PEAKS panel is something more suited for Ballroom 20. Well, I’m here to argue with you. To see Lynch grace massive Hall H would be an unforgettable experience. This man is a legend, and I, for one, am giddy at the mere thought of what kind of crazy questions attendees might throw his way.
THE X-FILES
The truth is out there, and how cool would it be to experience a little bit of that truth in Hall H? As is the case with TWIN PEAKS, X-FILES might be a potential panel one would expect to find in Ballroom 20, but this show has such a legendary reputation that a Hall H presentation would be more than warranted. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are currently in the thick of shooting this new, limited-run TV series with creator Chris Carter, but it would be quite a treat if they found time to break away and make a Comic-Con appearance. The smallest bit of footage would be a bonus, but a Q & A with cast and crew would be more than good enough for this X-FILES fan.
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
Marvel is usually the talk of Comic-Con, but Warner Brothers is no slouch when it comes to delivering the goods either, and aside from always bringing out amazing product reels, they also pride themselves on the appearance of A-list talent and bad ass presentation. As far as I’m concerned, their epic extended peek at MAD MAX: FURY ROAD won the Con last year. This year, there’s a ton of hype surrounding their big screen DC Comics properties (BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, SUICIDE SQUAD, JUSTICE LEAGUE), but I’m hoping the studio finds time amongst their high profile fare to give us a glimpse at Jeff Nichols’ November sci-fi release, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.
Nichols is known for his expertly crafted, character-driven independent films. If you haven’t seen TAKE SHELTER or MUD, they are both highly recommended. With the Joel Edgerton/Kirsten Dunst/Michael Shannon/Sam Shepard-headlined MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, Nichols tells the story of a father who hits the open road with his son after he learns that the little one has special powers. Nichols is a truly special talent and I’m incredibly intrigued to see what he does with a larger budget. His MIDNIGHT SPECIAL has finished shooting, but at this point, no one has seen a lick of footage. Comic-Con International would be a great platform for our first official glimpse at what I’m pretty confident is going to be a great movie.
2OTH CENTURY FOX
With Marvel sitting out the convention, a Lucasfilm panel happening on Friday, and Warner Brothers expected to occupy its usual opening Saturday time slot, 20th Century Fox could prove to be quite an amazing Saturday night closer. Fox made a big splash a few years back when they surprised fans by marching the cast of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST out on stage. What’s more, director Bryan Singer was on hand with a DAYS OF FUTURE PAST sizzle reel nearly a year before the film’s release. Singer did something similar with SUPERMAN RETURNS for Warner Brothers back in 2005. Suffice it to say, the X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST cast appearance and exclusive footage reel brought the house down in a big way.
I suspect Fox will spotlight X-MEN: APOCALYPSE in a similar fashion. The studio can easily complement this centerpiece with a look at its other upcoming fan-friendly superhero properties, including THE FANTASTIC FOUR, the Ryan Reynolds-headlined DEADPOOL, and a third WOLVERINE movie. In addition, Fox also has the much buzzed about Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi survival epic THE MARTIAN, starring Matt Damon. It opens this holiday season.
Perhaps Fox will even bring Matt Reeves to the Con and let him share info regarding the next PLANET OF THE APES picture. Heck, if the studio really wanted to blow the roof off Hall H, they could bring James Cameron out to dish on his upcoming AVATAR sequels.
Quite obviously, 20th Century Fox has a lot to offer. It would be silly for them to not attend.
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
I love to brush up on other Comic-Con International speculation articles, and it’s strange to me that of all the Con previews I’ve read thus far, none of them have brought up the possibility of a THE HATEFUL EIGHT panel. Surprising, because Quentin Tarantino is a huge fan of Comic-Con. It was in Hall H that he broke the news that Kurt Russell would play Stuntman Mike in GRINDHOUSE. Back in 2009, Tarantino’s buddy Eli Roth came out to San Diego to present a special advance screening of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. And just a few years back, Tarantino popped up in Hall H to give attendees an amazing extended peek at DJANGO UNCHAINED.
THE HATEFUL EIGHT has wrapped filming, and while Tarantino is busy with post production on the film, how cool would it be if he took a break, showed up at the Con, and gave fans eight minutes of bad ass footage from his upcoming holiday release?! Better still, how about an offsite presentation at one of San Diego’s local movie theaters, so we can see footage from THE HATEFUL EIGHT in glorious 70mm?! Here’s hoping.
The entire Comic-Con International lineup is expected to be revealed in the next few days, and if any of the titles from my previous little wish list make the cut, I’ll be one happy camper. Even if they don’t make the cut, programmers had me at THE FORCE AWAKENS. This is going to be the craziest Comic-Con ever!
Once the line-up is announced, we’ll post it here. Furthermore, we’ll be offering up day to day coverage from Comic-Con International here at Cinemast.net. Watch for it.
San Diego Comic-Con International will take place from July 8th–12th. To visit their site, CLICK HERE.
