San Diego Comic-Con is officially over, and now it’s time for the breakdown. Who left Hall H a champion and who just left Hall H? We’ve got the full blow-by-blow recap of what Warner Bros. and their DC Entertainment slate brought and how Disney and Marvel countered. There were big surprises (Brie Larson is Captain Marvel!), plenty of teasers (looking at you “American Gods” and “The Walking Dead”) and amazing cosplay aplenty. Stay with us as we bring you more news from the panels, crazy moments from the convention floor and exclusive photos from the L.A. Times studio.
- WATCH TRAILERS: “Suicide Squad,” “Justice League,” “Wonder Woman,” “Dr. Strange,” “Fantastic Beasts,” “Blair Witch,” “American Gods,” “Snowden,” “Luke Cage” and many more below!
- FAN UPSET: Disney makeover for Tower of Terror causes fan freak-out on social media
- COSPLAY: A “Game of Thrones” proposal
Cast of ‘Dirk Gently’ lines up for prom pics in the L.A. Times photo studio
Everything revealed in the CW Comic-Con panel — from new ‘Flash’ footage to what’s in ‘Supergirl’s’ pod
The CW, which has the most impressive TV block of comic book fodder, unleashed back-to-back-to-back-to-back panels late Saturday at Comic-Con for “Supergirl,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” “The Flash” and “Arrow.” Each bright beacon of genre fare brought with it a bit of information, a couple of clips or teases and a lot of silly.
Find out who (or what) is in the “Supergirl” alien pod!
‘He was a really cool dude, but then he asked for a kiss on the cheek’: Cosplaying at Comic-Con
Cosplayers Juliey-Mae Luster, Caroline Calhoun and Victoria Van Wyke take time to talk about the what it’s like to dress up at Comic-Con and the polite way to ask for a photograph. And the wrong way.
Even after 15 years in a row of braving Comic-Con crowds, this journalist can still find the love
The San Diego Comic-Con is a gathering founded on, and fueled by, love. The only way to nurture a convention like this for 46 years, to get people to make an annual pilgrimage from around the world, is with a shared affection.
And yet, sometimes, Comic-Con can make it hard to feel that love.
The bigger Comic-Con gets, the harder it is to navigate, and the more difficult it is for me to find that love at its core.
But every convention, I encounter something that reminds me. And this year, I found it more than once.
Marvel turns Comic-Con’s focus from the Avengers and onto its new crop of heroes
If Warner Bros. came into this year’s Comic-Con with the goal of resetting (and lightening the mood of) its DC superhero slate after the disappointment of “Batman v Superman,” the Marvel Studios panel Saturday showed Marvel making its own kind of change-up.
For the first time in years, this was a Marvel rollout with no Iron Man, no Captain America, no Black Widow and no Hulk. Instead, Marvel pushed further into its third phase of big-screen comic-book world-building.
Watch the ‘Steven Universe’ live musical performance by the cast at Comic-Con
Watch Rebecca Sugar perform the ending theme from “Steven Universe” at the show’s panel at Comic-Con in San Diego.
“Steven Universe” is known for many things: charm, inclusive storytelling, oddball fantasy plots, various gemstones and its absolutely excellent, original soundtrack. At Comic-Con that world came alive for one day only, and we’ve got plenty of footage from the truly special performance.
Here’s show creator Rebecca Sugar singing the full end credit theme which they only use segments of for the show, and it changes per season.
First look at ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ villain The Vulture
Tired of gritty, real life superhero movies where the villains and heroes are merely vague nods to their comic book counterparts? Then you’re going to love the concept art from “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
Sony just dropped concept art of the next Spider-Man villain The Vulture, and he looks like he was ripped right out of the comic books.
If you weren’t in San Diego with the thousands of screaming Hall H fans, never fear the whole Spider-Man panel has been uploaded for your viewing pleasure (minus the special footage sadly).
‘Dirk Gently’ trailer introduces the world to TV’s newest ‘insane’ detective
BBC America debuted the first trailer for “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” at the show’s Comic-Con presentation on Saturday.
What exactly is a “Holistic Detective Agency”?
Well, according to Elijah Wood’s character, Todd, Dirk Gently (played by Samuel Barnett) is “a detective who doesn’t find clues.” Gently is a detective who prefers to look at the whole, interconnected picture of everything.
In the show, a murder of a millionaire is what brings the detective into Todd’s life. Gently believes the two are destined to solve the mystery together, whether Todd likes it or not.
The show is slated for an Oct. 22 premiere.
‘Everybody showed up’: James Cameron on the special bond of the ‘Aliens’ cast 30 years later
Many films and TV shows host reunion panels at Comic-Con but few can probably boast the attendance figures of the “Aliens” 30th anniversary gathering Saturday in Hall H.
And that was the best way to explain what was so special about the Oscar-nominated 1986 classic, said director James Cameron.
A few highlights include:
- Biehn recalled with a grin the night that he and Paxton sneaked into a press screening and watched from the projector room.
- He said it! At one point Paxton said, “I just have three words to say: Game over, man!” to the delight of the crowd.
Brie Larson is officially Captain Marvel
Marvel makes it official: Brie Larson will star as Captain Marvel in the upcoming standalone movie.
In the closing moments of Marvel’s Hall H presentation, the attendees was introduced to the newest member of the Marvel family. The most recent round of rumors had zeroed in on the Academy Award-winning actress as the front-runner for the first standalone MCU film focused on a sole female title character.
Larson will be playing Carol Danvers, an Air Force officer who gains superpowers when an event causes her DNA to fuse with alien genes.
Watch the surprise now:
Disney’s Tower of Terror ride is closing, will reopen as a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ attraction
Disney representatives say that the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride will keep the fast-dropping elevator from the Tower of Terror, but the rest of the attraction will be completely overhauled.
William Shatner, Brent Spiner and more celebrate the legacy of ‘Star Trek’ during 50th anniversary panel
“Who was your favorite captain?” When this question was posed by a Comic-Con attendee to the members of the 50th anniversary “Star Trek” panel — with Capt. James Tiberius Kirk himself seated at the head of the table onstage in Hall H — there was only one way for the panelists to answer.
One among multiple celebrations around the seminal series, the panel brought together representatives from all five iterations of the television show: William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Brent Spiner (the android Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Michael Dorn (the Klingon Worf from “The Next Generation,” and also holding it down for “Deep Space Nine”), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine from “Star Trek: Voyager”) and Scott Bakula (Capt. Jonathan Archer from “Star Trek: Enterprise”).
“Is anyone legitimately not going to say Kirk?” asked Ryan with a laugh when the favorite-captain question emerged. To which Shatner retorted, “I can’t imagine that either.”
Shatner was the belle of the ball, but all of the actors spoke fondly of their time on their respective shows and living in the “Trek” world created by Gene Roddenberry.
Kurt Russell joins ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2’ as Star-Lord’s daddy
“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” is shaping up to be “Tango and Cash 2.”
Kurt Russell stoked fan adulation when he appeared at Comic-Con on Saturday to stump for “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2,” revealing that he would play Chris Pratt’s dad, “Ego,” in the Marvel sequel that is set to open next year. Meanwhile, a teaser of the movie presented at Comic-Con also revealed that Sylvester Stallone has a role -- which would make “Guardians” an official reunion of the “Tango and Cash” co-stars.
Released in 1989, “Tango and Cash” starred Russell and Stallone as L.A. cops who wind up in jail together. The movie was a critical dud but has become favorite among fans of the two actors.
“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” only recently finished filming in Georgia but Disney, which owns Marvel Studios, took advantage of Comic-Con to unveil a new retro 80’s logo for the franchise as well as a new theme park ride. The new logo features “Vol. 2” written in a slanted red font that is reminiscent of the “Beverly Hills Cop” movie logo.
Disney also revealed that a new “Guardians of the Galaxy” ride will open at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim in the summer of 2017, around the time the sequel opens in theaters. The ride will supplant the popular “Tower of Terror” attraction, which will close in January.
Disney said the new ride will allows guests to “experience multiple random, unique ride profiles in which the rise and fall of the gantry lift will rock to the beat of music inspired by the film’s popular soundtrack.” The ride will be titled “Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout.”
At Comic-Con, Russell appeared alongside star Chris Pratt, who is reprising his role as Star-Lord, as well as other cast members, including Michael Rooker who appeared in costume and full blue makeup.
‘Doctor Strange’ trailer debuts amid Benedict Cumberbatch fan frenzy
The stars of Marvel’s upcoming “Doctor Strange” -- including Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton -- greeted fans at Comic-Con on Saturday as the trailer of the highly anticipated November release debuted online.
Cumberbatch is making his first movie in the Marvel universe, playing the title character in the adaptation of the Steve Ditko comic. While Marvel unveiled a two-minute teaser trailer in April that focused on the relationship between Cumberbatch’s neurosurgeon and Swinton’s bald Ancient One, a slightly longer trailer debuted Saturday that provides glimpses of Mads Mikkelesen as the movie’s villain, Kaecilius.
The new trailer also shows scenes of comic banter between Cumberbatch and Ejiofor, who plays a fellow student in the Ancient One’s Buddhistic monastery.
When Marvel debuted the initial teaser in April, a backlash formed from some fans who objected to the casting of Swinton as a Tibetan character, claiming that it was another example of Hollywood “whitewashing” an Asian character. But screenwriter C. Robert Cargill later said that the Scottish actress was cast in the role to placate China, which has had a long-running antagonistic relationship with Tibet and doesn’t recognize the province’s claims to independence.
Perhaps in response to the backlash, Marvel has played up the role of actor Benedict Wong in the new trailer. The British-Asian actor didn’t appear in the earlier teaser.
Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ cast announced including Lupita N’yongo and the new villain
Marvel kicked off its Hall H panel with the brand new “Black Panther” movie.
“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler and lead Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa / a.k.a. Black Panther) were joined by Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira. Together they broke down who will be playing who in the new flick.
- Michael B. Jordan (who has been attacahed to this movie for a little bit) finally had his role revealed. The former Human Torch will play Erik Killmonger, who in the comics is Black Panther’s nemesis and exiled Wakandan, formerly named N’Jadaka.
- Lupita Nyong’o is set to play Nakia, who in the comics is one of the Dora Milaje or “Adored Ones” or women from rival villages in Wakanda assembled to serve T’Challa as bodyguards (and potential wives). Spoiler: in the comics when Nakia’s romantic feelings for T’Challa aren’t returned she turns into a villain named Malice.
- And finally Gurira will play Okoye. Okoye, in the comics, is Nakia’s friend and fellow Dora Milaje.
Also new to the “Black Panther” movie, this slick new logo:
‘Wonder Woman 75’ panel celebrates everything Diana Prince
Following the unveiling of the “Wonder Woman” trailer at the Warner Bros. Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday morning, the love for the Amazonian champion continued in the “Wonder Woman 75” panel.
“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins joined current “Wonder Woman” comic artist Nicola Scott and DC co-publisher Jim Lee for a panel to celebrate everything Diana Prince.
Even before the panelists took to the stage, attendees were treated to a slide show of various Wonder Woman looks in her 75-year history. The fans cheered for various favorites as images panned across the screen, with the loudest cheer, of course, reserved for an image of Gadot.
From the assembled fans to the “Wonder Woman” creatives, the love for the titular heroine was undeniable.
Jenkins said that even when she’s alone in the editing bay, looking at footage from the film, she finds herself sitting back and saying “god, I love Wonder Woman.”
The closeness that developed between Gadot and Jenkins through their partnership on the movie was apparent as they discussed moments while filming. They just knew their “Wonder Woman” film was greater than them, they said, and meant to be.
The panelists discussed the early impact of “Wonder Woman” on their lives and Scott admitted that she was a huge fan of the TV series starring Lynda Carter as a child.
“I learned how to use the TV guide because of Wonder Woman,” Scott said. “She’s the reason I draw comic books.”
The TV series also had an impact on Jenkins, who said having a hero like Wonder Woman meant everything to her.
Gadot said Wonder Woman’s influence is transcontinental.
“She was a household name alongside Batman and Superman” even in Israel, Gadot said. She described Wonder Woman as the “ultimate shero.”
The presentation also included the “Wonder Woman” trailer for those who missed its Hall H debut.
And of course, a packed room of Wonder Woman fans meant plenty of Wonder Woman cosplay.
Henry Cavill goes undercover at Comic-Con, surprises Will Smith
‘Justice League,’ ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Suicide Squad’: The Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment course correction
In the great superhero movie arms race, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are in the unenviable position of having to play catch-up to their distinguished competition, Marvel. It’s not their fault that Marvel recalibrated the way sequels work with their cinematic universe. And it’s not their fault that Marvel had a nine-movie head start.
So how did WB/DC respond at Comic-Con 2016? By bringing out the whole bloody Justice League: Ben Affleck’s Batman, Henry Cavill’s Superman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ezra Miller’s Flash and Ray Fisher’s Cyborg.
Oh, and they delivered the Suicide Squad too: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Cara Delevingne, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Karen Fukuhara and the great and powerful Viola Davis.
Star wattage goes a long way, and the lights were bright in Hall H. But what makes or breaks a presentation like this is the footage. And the footage – a first look at 2017’s Justice League, the first official trailer for 2017’s “Wonder Woman” and a special Comic-Con sizzle for August’s “Suicide Squad” — was heartening.
Heartening because the chief knock against Warners’ DC output has been that it is excessively grim and humorless.
‘American Gods’ makes fans a big promise: What you loved about the book, ‘you’ll see it in the show’
Armed with a trailer and surprise casting news, it was as if “American Gods” came to San Diego ready to make new converts. But if the capacity crowd at the show’s Comic-Con panel was any indication, there already is an extensive base of followers ready to worship the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel.
Showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, cast members Ricky Whittle (Shadow Moon), Ian McShane (Mr. Wednesday), Pablo Shreiber (Mad Sweeney), Yetide Badaki (Bilquis) and Bruce Langley (Technical Boy), executive producer David Slade and Gaiman himself were present for the panel.
“American Gods,” of course, has a special history with SDCC.
“I’ve been coming to San Diego Comic-Con for a really long time,” Gaiman said. “In 1999 I came by train. And on the train to San Diego, which was a three-day train journey from Chicago, I wrote the first chapter of ‘American Gods.’ So it all sort of started for me on the way to San Diego. And it’s so glorious that sort of round two of ‘American Gods,’ the television version, is happening here today.”
The big surprise at the presentation, of course, was the special appearance of Kristin Chenoweth and the news that she will be playing the goddess Easter in the show. But that was not the only thing attendees learned during the discussion.
Gaiman promised that as a general rule, if you loved something in the book, “you’ll see it in the show.” Take, for example, this recently tweeted image from Gaiman showing Laura Moon (played by actress Emily Browning). The character comes back from the dead, embalming scars and all.
Behold! Bryan Fuller’s new ‘Star Trek’ ship, the Discovery
Bryan Fuller joined the casts of “Star Treks” past at San Diego Comic-Con to talk all things Starfleet and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series.
But in even bigger “Trek” news, Fuller decided to debut the first look at the new spaceship which will lead his new Trek series (officially titled “Star Trek: Discover” on CBS All Access). Take a good, long look at the test flight of the Discovery.
Chris Setts proposes to Hayley Smith during a ‘Game of Thrones’ meet-up
She said yes!
Marvel debuts the first footage of ‘Legion,’ the story of Professor X’s troubled mutant son
Marvel is already producing television shows for a broadcast network and a streaming service, but next year, the comic book company will venture into the world of cable with “Legion.”
The show, which is set to debut on FX in early 2017, has some big talent attached to it: It’s being made by Noah Hawley, the creator of FX’s “Fargo,” and stars Dan Stevens, best known for playing Matthew Crawley on “Downton Abbey.”
The trailer, which premiered at Comic Con on Saturday, follows David Haller, a young man struggling with mental illness who has been seeking professional psychiatric help for years. Though he’s been told he’s schizophrenic, he slowly begins to realize that the visions he sees and the voices he hears -- which come from different sexes and possess various superpowers -- may be coming from another patient who has somehow intercepted his mind.
The character, meanwhile, has an important connection to the Marvel world: He may or may not be the mutant offspring of a kind-hearted professor in the “X-Men” series.
As you can see below, it appears early reaction to the trailer was mixed:
‘Suicide Squad’ makes autograph signings great again
Who says there are no movie stars anymore? The “Suicide Squad” autograph signing at Comic-Con on Saturday definitely suggested the opposite.
You know the star power is sizzling when someone like Henry “Superman” Cavill shows up in a mask just to say hi to the cast. Yes, that happened.
Fans swarmed around a camo-clad Will Smith, who also signed posters for fans, while Jared Leto was out-Jokered by a tough dude less than half his size.
And did director David Ayer just get a little political there at the table? Why yes, it looks as if he did.
New ‘Fantastic Beasts’ trailer drops, and Muggles everywhere lose their minds
When J.K. Rowling first announced that the Harry Potter universe would continue with a spinoff film, Muggles pretty much lost their minds.
But that excitement has seemed to wane since Warner Bros. began releasing trailers for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which hits theaters in November.
At Comic-Con on Saturday, the studio unveiled another trailer, first bringing out star Eddie Redmayne to give wands to all 6,000 audience members filling Hall H.
Perhaps the wands worked because the reaction to the new footage appeared decidedly more positive. The trailer begins with Colin Farrell — sporting his “Winter’s Tale” haircut from a few years ago — looking into rumors about the mysterious arrival of some mythical beasts. The culprit turns out to be Newt Scamander (Redmayne), whose creatures, all magically contained in a briefcase, have escaped all over 1926 New York.
As the trailer shows, the beasts come in all shapes and sizes: Some have long, witchy noses, while others look like “Game of Thrones”-esque dragons. But no matter their look, all of the creatures are perceived to be threats by the citizens of New York, who quickly send the police out in force to try to capture the various monsters.
A few Twitter reactions:
COMIC-CON Q&A: “Harry Potter” director David Yates talks “Fantastic Beasts”>>
‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ trailer is basically old-timey Jason Bourne but with more supercuts
Guy Ritchie and Charlie Hunnam have teamed up to bring King Arthur back from legends of old, and sporting the same hair cut as all the contestants on the “Bachelorette.”
Gaze upon the brand new “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” trailer that dropped at Comic-Con in Hall H, in hopes of drumming up press.
But does this mashup of modern and kingly work?
First ‘Kong: Skull Island’ trailer makes debut with Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson
The story of King Kong has been adapted for the big screen over a dozen times since the giant ape’s film debut in 1933.
Next March, Warner Bros. is taking a swing at the gorilla tale with “Kong: Skull Island,” an original story starring Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson. The film, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, is set in the 1970s and follows a team of adventurers who come across Kong while exploring a remote island in the Pacific.
The first footage from the movie was unveiled at Comic-Con on Saturday, and it barely gives us a glimpse of the massive beast until the very end of the trailer, until his head creeps over the edge of a cliff. To give you a sense of his size, it looks like Kong’s eye is as big as a human head.
Some knee-jerk reactions to the footage:
New ‘Suicide Squad’ trailer drops; Will Smith says ‘movie about bad versus evil’
Ben Affleck confirmed as director, star of solo ‘Batman’ movie
After months of speculation, Warner Bros. has confirmed that Ben Affleck will both star in and direct the next standalone Batman movie.
The studio did not make a splashy announcement about the news at its Comic-Con presentation on Saturday. Instead, panel moderator Conan O’Brien simply introduced the actor as “the director of ‘Batman,’ Ben Affleck” before he walked on stage.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. teased the idea that Affleck might be directing the next film about the superhero, with studio head Kevin Tsujihara referring to him as one of the filmmakers in the DC Comics universe.
The actor, of course, starred as as Batman in March’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which was directed by Zack Snyder. Affleck made his directorial debut on 2007’s “Gone Baby Gone” and several years later, he helmed “Argo,” which went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars.
First ‘Justice League’ trailer is a massive change in tone for Batman
Batfleck’s got jokes! The first ever “Justice League” trailer is here, and it is heavy, heavy, heavy on the rock and roll and superhero jokes. But don’t worry, Ben Affleck is still doing the bat voice.
Watch as Ben Affleck’s Batman assembles the ultimate DC hero squad in the first trailer for “Justice League,” which was released during the Warner Bros. panel in Hall H at Comic-Con.
And to all those complaining about the overly dark “BVS” tone: “Justice League” heard you.
First ‘Wonder Woman’ trailer reveals Warner Bros.’ big plans for Diana Prince
“They do not deserve you.”
Director Patty Jenkins and the rest of the “Wonder Woman” crew just dropped a whopping “Wonder Woman” trailer on the folks at Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. Behold the warrior woman power, a sword hidden in a gorgeous dress, and so, so, so many classic Wonder Woman trappings. Even the lasso of truth makes a cameo. Gal Gadot looks dynamite as Diana Prince. Let’s just hope Jenkins and the rest of the folks responsible for this origin story do this superhero justice.
The Los Angeles Times team is in the Warner Bros. panel right now, follow along:
‘Vampire Diaries’ to end run after upcoming 8th season
“The Vampire Diaries” is calling it quits with the 2016-17 season, executive producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Saturday.
“When you spend eight years with people, that’s high school and college combined,” Plec says in a goodbye video from the cast that screened at the end of the panel discussion. “There is no other scenario where you are this close and this tight with the people you get to work with, and it’s been such a joy and such an honor.”
Actors Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Candice King, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Michael Trevino and Matthew Davis bid their farewells in the video and thank “The Vampire Diaries” fandom for its love and loyalty.
The coming season of the show, which starts Oct. 21, will be the eighth for the CW stalwart.
Also, the band the Fray bookends the series in a sense: A new song, “Changing Times,” debuts in the goodbye video, after “Never Say Never” was used in the pilot. The Fray’s “Be Still” and “Ungodly Hour” could be heard in key episodes during the run as well.
First poster for ‘Kong: Skull Island’ revealed
Awaken the king, indeed.
In anticipation of the “Kong: Skull Island” panel today at Comic-Con, star Tom Hiddleston took to Twitter to share the film’s poster and a still from the movie.
“Kong: Skull Island” will tell the origin story of the infamous ape King Kong.
Be on the look out for more “Kong” news after today’s panel.
John Barrowman went full cosplay as Harley Quinn and the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl for the Eisner Awards
Proving that there is no part of fandom that actor John Barrowman cannot conquer, host of the 2016 Eisner Awards went full cosplay (with three costume changes) at the award ceremony at Comic-Con in San Diego.
Known for his roles in “Doctor Who,” “Torchwood,” “Arrow,” and many more, Barrownman hit the Eisner crowd with some deep cosplay cuts and classic hits while hosting the ceremony.
There was the traditional Harley Quinn, the short-skirted Zapp Brannigan from “Futurama,” and last (but certainly not least) the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (a personal favorite). Well done, sir.
‘Orphan Black’ cast and creators start to say goodbye, but first a bloopers reel
This time last year, the “Orphan Black” cast and creators appeared at San Diego Comic-Con after a cliffhanger season finale that involved a fan-favorite character getting shot in a parking lot. The question on everyone’s mind was, “Is Delphine really dead?”
Though this year’s “Orphan Black” season finale has left plenty of unanswered questions of its own — like how the founder of Neolution is still alive — the reunion of Delphine and Cosima left fans in more positive spirits.
Still, leaving fans in the dark about Delphine’s fate last year was on the minds of co-creators Graeme Manson and John Fawcett.
“We were really sorry,” said Manson about knowing all along that Delphine was going to come back. “We felt bad about everyone feeling bad.”
And although fans were sad to hear it, the co-creators also shared that the plan for “Orphan Black” had been to end the show around the five-year mark.
What can fans expect from the show’s fifth and final season?
“The focus of Season 5 is we all want answers,” said Fawcett. Those answers will come from unraveling the mysteries around P.T. Westmoreland (the founder of Neolution).
“And it will be interesting ... to see a little bit more of Rachel versus Sarah,” said Fawcett.
Though the co-creators know where the series will end, Tatiana Maslany and the rest of the cast are still in the dark about their journey next season. But they were asked about what they think will be the final line of the show.
Other “Orphan Black” Season 5 possibilities that were teased (with varying levels of seriousness) during the panel included a scene featuring 12 clones, as well as a Christmas special and a musical episode.
The presentation also featured an “Orphan Black” clip show and a silly blooper reel (full of moments between Maslany and Kristian Bruun) — where fans can see that even Maslany can sometimes forget exactly whom she is portraying sometimes. See the videos below (the videos contain some adult language).
‘Blair Witch’ sequel surprises Comic-Con with a secret screening and trailer
It’s been almost 20 years since that trio of wily teens got lost in the woods making a documentary about the “Blair Witch.” And in a surprise twist at Comic-Con, a follow-up feature, centered around a new group of youths who go back into the woods to look for the original filmmakers, was just dropped by Lionsgate.
At a surprise screening, the new “Blair Witch” film dropped under the pseudo name “The Woods.” Critics and fans were surprised to find out the screening for “The Woods” was actually a “Blair Witch” continuation.
The studio even created fake posters to fool the audience, but soon enough, the truth came out.
“Blair Witch” is directed by Adam Wingard of “VHS” and “The Guest” fame, and it already has a trailer. So far, the online buzz has been pretty positive, but when a film manages to pull off a surprise like this, it generally riles up a pretty happy crowd. We just really want it to be scary.
Check out the first trailer for the new “Blair Witch” sequel.
Sia joins ‘My Little Pony: The Movie’ as a pony (of course)
Singer-songwriter Sia is going to Equestria. The rock star has ponied up and will be joining the cast of “My Little Pony: The Movie.” Behold your banged songstress in My Little Pony form.
The pony movie already has an impressive cast list, including Emily Blunt, Uzo Aduba, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Peña and Liev Schreiber (seriously, what will Ray Donovan look like as a pony?). And now it has a pop star.
News of Sia’s involvement in the film broke at the San Diego Comic-Con Hasbro panel. The singer also will contribute two new, original songs to the October 2017 feature film.
This film is madness. We can’t wait.
‘Orphan Black’ goes ‘West Side Story’ at the LA Times photo studio
Ghost Rider to bring a dose of vengeance to ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’
The Comic-Con panel for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” concluded Friday afternoon with the announcement that Ghost Rider would be appearing on the show when it returned in the fall.
Though producers declined to share further information with the assembled fans, it was later confirmed that actor Gabriel Luna had been cast in the part of Robbie Reyes.
Reyes is not the same iteration of Ghost Riders that audiences may be most familiar with. Making his comics debut in 2013, Reyes is written as a high school student from East Los Angeles who becomes Ghost Rider after being involved in a street race gone wrong.
This is a different version of the character than pop culture saw in the film “Ghost Rider” and its sequel “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” both of which starred Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze, the original Ghost Rider.
One key difference between Reyes and Blaze is transportation, with Reyes opting for a black muscle car in lieu of a motorcycle.
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” returns on ABC for its fourth season on Sept. 20.
Make Comic-Con ‘Ha Ha Ha Again’ is the best of this cosplay Joker collective
Watch Rihanna surprise Comic-Con and announce she’s joining ‘Bates Motel’
All hail Rihanna, queen of SDCC 2016 and new “Bates Motel” cast member.
In a development that no one could have predicted, Rihanna appears to be the reigning queen of Comic-Con without ever setting foot in San Diego.
The massively popular recording artist all but secured the imaginary title with Friday afternoon’s announcement that not only would the singer be appearing on A&E’s “Bates Motel,” but she’d be playing Marion Crane, the legendary role originally played by Janet Leigh in “Psycho.”
At the “Bates Motel” panel, producer Carlton Cuse explained that this casting was five years in the making, and it was the plan to have Rihanna all along. He assured the crowd that even though last season saw the death of Vera Farmiga’s Norma, she will not be gone as she will be a full-time cast member.
Here’s the very video “Bates Motel” dropped on the unsuspecting crop of attendees.
Rihanna joins ‘Bates Motel’
This was the third time Rihanna was prominently featured in a Comic-Con narrative this year. Her song “Sledgehammer,” a collaboration with Sia, plays over the closing credits of “Star Trek Beyond,” which kicked off Comic-Con festivities with an outdoor screening Wednesday night.
Rihanna will also play a guest role in Luc Besson’s much-anticipated “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” to be released in 2017.
All in all, pretty impressive for someone who didn’t even have to stare down a crowd in Hall H.
Starz releases first look at ‘American Gods,’ and all is right with the world
Starz released its first look at the upcoming Neil Gaiman adaptation “American Gods” at its Friday Comic-Con panel, giving the world a glimpse of Gaiman’s iconic novel as interpreted by show runners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green.
“American Gods” is a story steeped in mythology, pitting old gods against new, as they battle it out on the earthly plane.
The Comic-Con panel also introduced Kristin Chenoweth as the newest member of the cast, who will play Easter, one of the old gods. Previously announced cast members include Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Gillian Anderson, Orlando Jones, Jonathan Tucker and Pablo Schreiber.
The series is scheduled to debut on Starz in 2017.
‘Bates Motel’ to end after Season 5
Producers at the Comic-Con panel for A&E’s “Bates Motel” on Friday announced that Season 5 would be the last for the show.
In 2015, the series was renewed for a fourth and fifth season and seemed bound for a looming conclusion after the death of Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) at the hands of her son Norman (Freddie Highmore) late in Season 4.
The fourth season of the show averaged 1.5 million viewers and, with its final season, will become the longest-running scripted show in A&E history.
Kids of Comic-Con are mini heroes
This is what Comic-Con envy looks like
Sure, more than 135,000 people are expected to be at Comic-Con International this year. But that’s definitely not all the people who wish they could be there.
So while the lucky tens of thousands milling around San Diego this weekend flood social media with pictures of how much stinkin’ fun they’re having, let’s take a moment to honor those left behind.
Of course, hope springs eternal ...
Just because it’s at Comic-Con doesn’t mean it’s good
The bigger something gets, the higher the potential for bad decisions. Case in point: There are some questionable advertising decisions on display at Comic-Con International 2016.
Remember, kids, just because you can brand something doesn’t mean you have to. Or should.
For example, what are the chances that they’re sleeping soundly at the Hilton this weekend?
Now, Southern California’s insane heat makes this cliche marginally bearable today.
But does this combo make any sense? Any sense at all?
Seriously, how does a person think of that in the first place? What does “White Walker Mocha” even mean? (And do not mention the part where just for a second we forgot about the heat. It’s still not right.)
Apparently beverages are an irresistible product-placement delivery system.
Though if cocktails are involved, maybe we shouldn’t complain too much.
After all, the more people who roll the advertising dice at Comic-Con, the more likely someone is to come up with a result that is bad-joke hilarious.
Now if only we had some way to pay for any of this stuff ...
‘American Gods’ adds Kristin Chenoweth to cast as Easter
‘Harry Potter’ director (and Comic-Con newbie) David Yates talks ‘Fantastic Beasts’
Every year at Comic-Con, fans dressed as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger can be seen walking the convention floor in their wizard robes. But surprisingly, the man who directed the last four movies in the “Harry Potter” franchise has never actually been to the convention.
This year, though, David Yates will finally make the trip to promote his upcoming Potter spinoff, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Due in November, the film — which stars Eddie Redmayne as an eccentric wizard and is the first installment in a planned trilogy — is set in the Potter universe but tells an entirely new story with unfamiliar characters.
At the Warner Bros. panel Saturday morning, Yates will pull back the curtain a little on the J.K. Rowling-scripted film. He spoke to The Times about exploring uncharted territory in the Potter universe and being a Comic-Con newbie.
Sophie Turner is ready to rule on ‘Game of Thrones’
Sansa believed it was more of a joint effort, in terms of the Battle of the Bastards. She thinks that she and Jon should be king and queen of the North. I don’t think Sansa thinks Jon is fit to run the North. He doesn’t have the intellect, or the savvy that she has. And I concur. He’ll make the right decisions, the moral decisions, but whether they’ll benefit anyone is something else.
— “Game of Thrones” star Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, on who is fit to lead the North
Inside Cinema Makeup School at Comic-Con
Lee Joyner discusses the intricacies of creating life-like costumes and makeup at Comic-Con.
‘Fear the Walking Dead’ makes a run for the border in new trailer
“Fear the Walking Dead,” the cool, West Coast cousin of “The Walking Dead,” returns to AMC for the back half of its second season on Aug. 21. Tied to the show’s Comic-Con panel on Friday afternoon, the network released a new trailer for the upcoming episodes, featuring its characters on a seemingly spiritual journey south of the border that looks to span the final eight episodes of the season.
No tiger, though. You’ll have to watch “The Walking Dead” for that.
Lin-Manuel Miranda will bring the history he couldn’t fit in ‘Hamilton’ to ‘Drunk History’
Who wants to see Lin-Manuel Miranda get tipsy and tell stories about Alexander Hamilton? Well now you can because the Broadway star is bringing all the stories he couldn’t fit into the musical to “Drunk History.”
“Drunk History,” for the uninitiated, is a show in which a narrator recites a historical (and oftentimes educational) tale from the past while rip-roaring drunk. That story is later reenacted by famous actors and comedians). Derek Waters, creator, director and writer of “Drunk History,” announced two big narrators for the next season: Miranda and “Better Call Saul’s” Bob Odenkirk.
We spoke with Waters at Comic-Con and he clued us in on the details behind Miranda and Odenkirk’s episodes.
“We have a ‘Hamilton’ episode and Lin-Manuel Miranda is drunk, telling the story of ‘Hamilton’ that’s something brand new that I’m really excited about.... Bob Odenkirk gets drunk and talks about the disco demolition in Chicago.”
What was their preferred poison? “Lin drank whiskey and Bob drank tequila,” Waters said. “He had tequila shots and vodka soda.” Which is impressive because Odenkirk doesn’t drink. “It was really impressive. No he did it for the show.”
When asked if he was nervous being around Odenkirk (who wasn’t an experienced drunk), Waters said of course.”It’s Bob and it’s like taking care of your favorite baby.”
As for the “Hamilton” details Waters had a specific goal. “I said I want you to tell the stuff that you didn’t get to put in the musical. Stuff that you can’t fit into that show. And it’s more Hamilton and Burr’s duel. Different duels that weren’t talked about in the musical. I never want people to feel like they’re doing homework. I want them to feel like, ‘Wow I’m getting to talk about something I truly love and no one knows it more than me. And he knows ‘Hamilton’ really well.”
But it’s not just “drunk ‘Hamilton.”’
“There are some little lyrics in there, but I was cautious and so was he.... There’s small little tidbits of it or but not much,” Waters said.
Comic-Con attendees decked out in their best ‘Game of Thrones’ cosplay
Watch adorable moments from the Comic-Con floor
The little blue tail at the end is everything!
Comic-Con International kicks off in San Diego
‘South Park’ celebrates 20 years with a little slice of Colorado
What better way to celebrate 20 years of hilarity, than with a little slice of South Park, Colo.?
Comedy Central’s hit animated comedy returns for its 20th season on Sept. 14. To commemorate the milestone at Comic-Con, a makeshift version of the town was created, enhanced by several other interactive opportunities for fans, including GIF booths and games.
Dying to be a citizen of South Park? Here is your chance.
Take a look inside the special “South Park” experience at Comic-Con:
Marvel sells its Comic-Con soul, lures fans with a MasterCard
Marvel isn’t pretending anymore: It wants to get in your wallet.
Yup, fanboys and fangirls need go no further than the Avengers’ home base at Comic-Con this year to sign up for a Marvel-themed MasterCard.
There are prizes for current and prospective cardholders! Check in, Robert V. Cardholder, and you might win a Captain America 75th anniversary shield -- “before anyone can buy one”! -- and tickets to the “Doctor Strange” premiere.
A Spider-Man pin and Marvel phone backers await those who apply -- “while supplies last”! -- and those who are actually approved for a card get a special-edition Daredevil pin as well.
Dang, that Daredevil pin is cute. And it’s so on trend. But we digress.
The card will get you some cash back on purchases and occasional free shipping on Marvel stuff, as well as a discount on merch at Marvel’s online store.
Getting your Comic-Con soul back? That’s another story.
‘Wonder Woman’ gets its first poster, and it’s stunning
Gal Gadot, star of summer 2017’s much anticipated “Wonder Woman,” shared the film’s first poster on Twitter on Friday morning. and it is a stunner.
Shown in three-quarter profile, sword drawn, Gadot’s Wonder Woman stands framed by billowing red smoke and blue sky. “Power. Grace. Wisdom. Wonder.” serve as the poster’s tagline emphasizing the character’s iconic initials.
But the detail spurring the most notice in the poster is the intensity of color found in Gadot’s costume, which features significantly more vibrant hues than displayed previously when introduced in Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” earlier this year.
Though Snyder’s auteurial aesthetic could be described as “where color goes to die” this doesn’t appear to be a shift spurred by “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins.
In its Comic-Con special issue, Entertainment Weekly featured a photo of Gadot in a costume that looks scorched and scarred, as though the missing link between the costume we see in the first poster and the one featured at the Comic-Con display in San Diego or in “Batman v Superman.”
Armor aside, the new poster gets our blood flowing for next year’s film. Is it possible that “Wonder Woman” could be the female-fronted superhero film we’ve been waiting for?
That would be wonderful.
Seth Rogen stages an animated food orgy in ‘Sausage Party’
Someone could probably make an adorable, family-friendly animated movie about talking food in a grocery store. But Seth Rogen is clearly not that someone.
At an early screening for the upcoming “Sausage Party” at Comic-Con on Thursday night, Rogen and his longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg told the crowd that the film is the fulfillment of a long-held dream to make a raunchy, envelope-pushing, R-rated version of a Pixar-style movie.
“It was really born of wanting to do our own version of a big, CG-animated movie and to really follow the structure and the tropes of those movies we love like ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Cars’ and ‘A Bug’s Life,’ ” Rogen said.
Set mainly in a supermarket, where the food believes humans to be gods who will bring them to a kind of beautiful Valhalla outside of the store, “Sausage Party” is a nonstop parade of jokes far too demented and filthy to describe here.
As an earlier audience had at South by Southwest when the movie screened there, the Comic-Con crowd ate it up (sorry) – particularly a climactic Caligula-style orgy involving an array of food items.
The version of the orgy in “Sausage Party” is actually toned-down from an earlier, eight-minute-long one, Rogen said: “The first version was truly the grossest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. There was a lot more fluids involved: a lot of mayonnaise.”
He laughed. “I think the MPAA didn’t know how to handle food. It crossed over into some unprecedented territory.”
Time for Comic-Con costumes -- and maybe some morning coffee
What do you look like first thing on a Friday morning? Probably not as intense as the folks at Comic-Con International 2016, who hit the scene early and en masse in San Diego, where the convention day officially began at 9:30 a.m.
Notes to self: Get the number for the first guy’s makeup team and the blue guy’s hairstylist. And stay on the good side of the woman going through weapons check.
Everything we learned about ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ at the Netflix Comic-Con panel
A few highlights from the seriously packed “Luke Cage” part of Marvel’s Netflix panel.
- Showrunner Cheo Coker revealed that the name of every episode on “Luke Cage” was the name of a Gang Starr (the East Coast hip-hop duo) album.
- Coker wants “Luke Cage” to be the, “Wu-Tangification of the Marvel Universe.” Because binge listening has become the new binge watching.
Wonder Woman’s newest weapon: USPS anniversary stamps
Wonder Woman is striking out on her own with a sheet of USPS first-class stamps to be introduced Saturday at Comic-Con International in San Diego and dedicated at a first-day-of-issue ceremony at New York Comic-Con on Oct. 7.
“WW’s 75th Anniversary is going to be celebrated on US Forever stamps!! So exciting. xo,” actress Lynda Carter, TV’s Wonder Woman, tweeted Friday.
The sheet of 20 stamps -- which the U.S. Postal Service said will depict Wonder Woman during four eras of comic book history: Golden Age (1941–55), Silver Age (1956–72), Bronze Age (1973–86) and Modern Age (1987–present) -- is priced at 47 cents per stamp, but because of that Forever status will still be good to slap onto an ounce of first-class mail whenever rates go up.
It’s not the first time WW has been ready to deliver: She was part of a DC Comics sheet released by the USPS in 2006 that also included images of Superman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, the Flash, Batman, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Plastic Man and Aquaman.
Batman made it onto a sheet of his own for his 75th anniversary in Oct. 14. Those stamps, which included four renderings of the Caped Crusader and four incarnations of the Bat Signal, also got Forever pricing and a Comic-Con launch.
For the foreseeable future, however, a Superman stamp will be worth only 39 cents.
First look at ‘Marvel’s Iron Fist’ and ‘Defenders’ series
Actor Finn Jones is debuting his Iron Fist look in this short, “Iron Fist” teaser trailer for his new Netflix series. Both the “Iron Fist” and the “Defenders” teasers dropped at San Diego Comic-Con; the “Iron Fist” is the only video with a little context.
You may remember Jones as Loras Tyrell on “Game of Thrones,” and he will no doubt be putting his fighting skills to the test in the new Marvel series as Daniel Rand (aka the Iron Fist). His power is given away in his superhero name, plus he’s pretty good at Kung Fu. Expect many, many punches to be delivered from this fella.
Next up is a title tease for Netflix’s big Avengers-like undertaking. Eventually all of the Marvel Netflix series (“Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist”) will do what all good comic book characters do and make a superhero squad. Their name is “The Defenders” and while the characters in the gritty New York-based dramas may not seem like a group of folks who play well with others, this series is definitely happening. Should be fun to watch the chaos.
Comic-Con cast call at the L.A. Times photo studio
‘Mr. Robot’ cast takes a break from the serious
I think I would like to play Shayla so I would know what it’s like to kiss me.
— Rami Malek, on what other ‘Mr. Robot’ character he would like to play
The first ever “Mr. Robot” panel at SDCC on Thursday kicked off in a very “Mr. Robot” fashion thanks to a video featuring the eponymous hacktivist himself in his familiar mask.
The message touting the “rebirth of society” was ominous enough, in fact, that it made a baby in the audience cry while it played. But the intro marked one of the very few serious moments of the presentation. Which made for an interesting break from the subject matter of the series itself.
“Mr. Robot” cast members Carly Chaikin, Christian Slater, Rami Malek, Portia Doubleday and Grace Gummer took to the stage to discuss the show, and their second season (which kicked off recently).
Although the presentation concluded with a showing of a scene from next week’s episode (it involved a game of chess), the panel itself remained mostly spoiler free. But despite being cursed with the often not-so-exciting task of presenting a panel at Comic-Con while in the middle of the season, the attendees didn’t mind. If the cheering from the audience was any indication, “Mr. Robot” has found fans at Comic-Con.
Doubleday discussed Angela’s evolution and her dangerous obsession with positive affirmations, while new cast member Gummer teased how her character Dom is a “complicated weirdo” with her own issues and that “what you see at first is not what you’re going to get.”
Malek revealed the closest thing to a spoiler, alluding to a “really cool hacking [scene] coming up.” You don’t say.
He also hyped the music for next week’s episode.
Through questions from the audience fans also learned that Slater plays “Pokemon Go” (to which Chaikin gave a very in-character warning about the information the app’s users are granting to the program). Plus we learned that many members of the “Mr. Robot” cast are watching “The Bachelorette” along with the bachelor nation. “She better choose Luke,” Slater warned (referring to the recent cliffhanger in the last episode with Jojo).
And finally, the last thing fans can look forward to in the new season? Dancing.
New ‘Luke Cage’ trailer comes out with our hero swinging a car door
Here it is: the first, good look at our new Marvel hero, Luke Cage. Watch as Luke uses a car door as a shield (and later a weapon) and as his impenetrable skin deflects bullets from his attackers. All to the piano plinking of “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.”
Also in the trailer? Mahershala Ali (“House of Cards”) as Cornell Stokes, a longtime comic book villain who may (or may not, depending on how showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker decides to adapt the “Luke Cage” series from the comics) have something to do with why Luke’s special powers.
MTV’s ‘Teen Wolf’ to end after Season 6, fans flip
“Something terrible is going to happen, something worse than death.”
These may be the first words uttered in the Season 6 teaser trailer for the popular MTV series “Teen Wolf,” but when the surprising news of the series’ imminent ending came, they took on a whole new meaning.
During the show’s panel at Comic-Con, it was announced that the upcoming season would be its last and that it would end on the 100-episode mark. This news not only rocked Comic-Con, but the Internet -- Twitter in particular.
But hey “Teen Wolf” fans, it is not all bad news. They did release sneak peek trailer of the final season for you to watch while you eat ice cream and cry over this news.
Here are some of the Internet’s best reactions:
Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ renewed for a third season
“Daredevil” fans rejoice! Marvel’s hit Netflix series will return for more vigilante action in its upcoming third season.
The news was announced Thursday during the panel for Netflix’s new superhero series “Marvel’s Luke Cage” at Comic-Con.
The other side of Hall H
Los Angeles Times film editor Marc Bernardin shares a unique view of Comic-Con’s famed Hall H before taking the stage to participate in the “Under the Radar” panel examining genre films from the festival circuit and beyond.
Batman takes on Superman at Comic-Con -- and it’s adorable!
John Whitt and Greg Carlson dress up as their favorite superheroes at Comic-Con 2016.
‘Voltron: Legendary Defender’ gets a second season on Netflix
“Voltron: Legendary Defender” made its debut at Comic-Con, but the panelists -- co-creators Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery, head writer Tim Hedrick and surprise guest Steven Yuen, the “Walking Dead” actor who voices Keith on the show -- are not new to the pageantry of San Diego.
Dos Santos, Montgomery and Hedrick hail from (most recently) Nickelodeon’s “The Legend of Korra,” a fan favorite, and Yuen’s “Dead” fans are probably as numerous and ravenous as the zombies that inhabit the show.
Netflix has picked up Season 2 of the show, a reboot of the original 1984 animated series, and it will launch this fall. That’s not too long for fans to wait for Keith (Yuen), Shiro (Josh Keaton), Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus), Hunk (Tyler Labine) and Lance (Jeremy Shada) to get back to piloting the lions and forming Voltron.
The story, as summed up by Time TV critic Robert Lloyd in his review, is “a ragtag team of space cadets (Yeun, Shada, Labine, Taylor-Klaus and Keaton) is called upon by an elf-eared extraterrestrial princess (Brooks) and her counselor (Darby) to find five giant robot lions that joined together will form the five-times-as-giant humanoid robot Voltron, the only defense against King Zarkon (Neil Kaplan) and an evil alien race set on galactic domination.” More or less.
“We’re paying homage to the original by staying close to its anime roots,” Dos Santos said.
What’s the difference between Moana and other Disney princesses? No love interest
Fans were treated to a sneak peek of Disney’s upcoming “Moana” on Thursday at a Comic-Con, where directors Ron Clements and John Musker showed clips from the animated film featuring an island princess and surprised the capacity crowd by sharing the first three minutes of the film.
“Moana” begins with the back story of Maui — the demi-god of the wind and the sea voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Panel attendees got to see the shape-shifter in action, seamlessly morphing between various forms, as well as wielding his fish hook against a demon of earth and fire.
A surprise appearance by actress Auli’i Cravalho, who voices Moana, preceded the sneak peek. The three minutes were light on Moana (she’s seen as a child hearing Maui’s story), but another clip that followed, involving Moana meeting Maui, showcased Cravalho’s voicework in action.
DreamWorks Animation makes a splash with its first Comic-Con panel
DreamWorks Animation had plenty of star power on hand for its first presentation at Comic-Con as Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick and surprise guest Alec Baldwin appeared to spotlight “Trolls” and “The Boss Baby.”
After a quick introduction by Chris Hardwick, the audience was treated to about 16 minutes of footage from “Trolls.”
In it, we were introduced to Poppy, voiced by Kendrick, and Branch, voiced by Timberlake. She’s eternally optimistic, he’s a big skeptic and an outcast because of it.
“Trolls” co-directors Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell, who also worked on “Shrek,” called Comic-Con a “rite of passage.” When asked about one of their favorite moments related to the making of the film, they replied that participating in the panel was among them, to the delight of fans. The crowd also enjoyed the other panelists, screaming loudly for “Pitch Perfect” franchise star Kendrick and splitting eardrums for Timberlake.
Comic-Con Cosplay goes old school with ‘Golden Girls’ and Goblins
Nickelodeon ready to sell your childhood back to you
Nickelodeon is ready to re-create your lost nostalgia buzz by selling you lots of “Rugrats” memorabilia.
Included in the network’s Comic-Con wares inspired by the 1990s animated series, about a bunch of imaginative babies, that spanned nine seasons and 172 episodes are a Reptar (a Godzilla-type figure from the series) figurine and a Cynthia (beloved toy of bossy character Angelica) doll.
Your childhood is back! Just bring your wallet.
See some of the best cosplay at Comic-Con
Skrillex, Rick Ross deliver an IMAX-size rap cut for ‘Suicide Squad’ soundtrack
“Purple Lamborghini,” a new cut from the “Suicide Squad” soundtrack, debuted Thursday on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show.
It ain’t no love song.
“Skrillex’s production knocks the doors in with brassy, synthetic rap horns,” says Los Angeles Times music writer August Brown, “and Ross is triumphantly jovial as he riffs on his classic topics — waving guns, selling coke, winning Grammys — with as many ‘Suicide Squad’ references as he can work in.”
Also on the soundtrack with “Lamborghini” are a new single from Eminem, a cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Panic! At the Disco and a collaboration between Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons with Ty Dolla $ign, Logic and X Ambassadors.
READ a review of ‘Purple Lamborghini’ and LISTEN to the full song>>
See this retro photo from Comic-Con’s first Masquerade Ball
Comic-Con held its first Masquerade Ball in 1974. It was emceed by legendary voice actress June Foray. Check out the “Captain Video” costume in the back.
The director of ‘The Fifth Element’ brings new scifi epic ‘Valerian’ to Comic-Con
Director Luc Besson came to this year’s Comic-Con hoping to drum up early buzz for his first sci-fi outing in over a decade, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.” After screening seven minutes of eye-popping footage from the film for the crowd in Hall H, it seems safe to say he accomplished just that.
An audacious, hugely ambitious $180-million passion project based on a long-running French comic book series that’s not well known outside of Europe, “Valerian” stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as a pair of interstellar secret agents. Part espionage adventure, part love story, it’s like “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” in space, with a considerable helping of wry comedy and lots of bizarre-looking aliens.
As gonzo as you’d expect from the director of “The Fifth Element,” the fast-paced footage showcased a variety of vivid, sometimes psychedelic sci-fi environments — a desert planet, a vast space station, an interstellar nightclub (with Rihanna as a singer and Ethan Hawke as evidently some kind of sleazy club promoter) — and a slew of the more than 200 bizarre alien species featured in the film. The centerpiece, a chase sequence involving one of those alien creatures, played like a cross between “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Star Wars.”
The crowd greeted the footage enthusiastically, with some members rising to their feet. But they’ll have quite awhile to wait to see more. “Valerian” doesn’t open until next July.
Tim Curry appears in a new ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ trailer
If there’s anything more delicious than Laverne Cox stepping into Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s stiletto heels for the TV reboot of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” it’s seeing that the actor who created the cross-dressing character (A Scientist!) back in 1975 has been invited back for Fox’s “special event.”
Yup, Tim Curry is helping us do the Time Warp. Again.
Curry, 70, has kept a low profile since suffering a major stroke in July 2012, and he now uses a wheelchair. He was 29 when “Rocky Horror” first hit British screens.
We’d tell you when in the trailer he shows up and who he plays, but that would ruin the antici ...
Oh, just watch the thing already.
Celebrate 75 years of Wonder Woman with a peek at her invisible jet
Wonder Woman made her debut in December 1941, making 2016 the 75th anniversary of the character. In celebration, Comic-Con displayed a replica of the character’s iconic invisible jet in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, near the festivities.
It took over 475 man hours to bring this iteration of the invisible jet to life, from the same material used to craft space blankets. To form the plastic into shape, the vacuum forming machine is set to 300 degrees. Once completed, the jet was placed on a backdrop weighing 800 pounds, roughly the weight of a vending machine.
Though stylish and featuring plenty of legroom, the invisible jet just doesn’t seem that much more comfortable than modern air travel.
New ‘Suicide Squad’ trailer focuses on Harley Quinn: ‘We’re bad guys. It’s what we do’
Perhaps one of the most hotly fan-anticipated characters in the DC cinematic universe is Warner Bros.’ adaptation of comic book baddie Harley Quinn. Here’s a new trailer that’s all about her:
“She’s definitely one of the more unpredictable members of the squad,” Margot Robbie said of her character earlier this year. “She also used to be a psychiatrist so she has an extensive knowledge of mental illnesses and how to manipulate people. I’m sorry, well, she has a lot of knowledge on how to profile people, pick their triggers, and as Harley Quinn, she kind of utilizes that to just manipulate people and mess with them. And she definitely does that with the squad. She’s always picking someone to be dissecting and playing off and messing with.”
Here’s a closer look at her costume and bat, which are insanely detailed.
Watch the ‘Snowden’ trailer: ‘What is it about this job that makes it more important than your life?’
Watch the creepy ‘Walking Dead’ display at Comic-Con
The 2016 Comic-Con began this week, and zombie favorite “The Walking Dead” is back with a creepy display.
Oliver Stone calls ‘Pokemon Go’ ‘surveillance capitalism’
A drama about Edward Snowden may seem an unlikely fit for a convention devoted to comic book heroes and sci-fi and fantasy spectacle. But making his first appearance at Comic-Con to promote “Snowden,” which opens in September, director Oliver Stone said the film is about issues of surveillance, technology and privacy that affect everyone – and he pointed to “Pokemon Go” as an example.
“It’s not funny,” Stone said, saying the game represents just the latest sign of an emerging phenomenon of “surveillance capitalism” in which citizens willingly surrender their privacy to corporations, which then profit off it. “You’ll see a new form of frankly a robot society,” Stone said. “It’s what they call totalitarianism.”
As part of the film’s promotional campaign at Comic-Con, attendees have been handed “Snowden” Band-Aids. While some were stumped by the connection between a bandage and a film about National Security Agency leaks, a slide at the panel showed how they can be used to cover the camera lens on your phone to foil attempted surveillance, just as previously suggested.
‘I really disagreed with it’: What changed John Cho’s mind about playing ‘Star Trek’s’ Sulu as gay
For 50 years, Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek” has taken to the cosmos to show how that future is possible only through diversity.
As has been made clear over the course of six television series and 12 movies — the 13th, “Star Trek Beyond,” hits theaters Thursday night — Starfleet and its captains (most notably James T. Kirk) would be nowhere without women and people of color leading the way. “Beyond” advances that inclusion further with the revelation that helmsman Lt. Hikaru Sulu — played by George Takei in the classic series and by John Cho in the new cycle of movies that began with J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film — is gay.
We sat down with Cho, Zoe Saldana (who plays Lt. Nyota Uhura) and director Justin Lin for a frank roundtable discussion about the legacy of “Star Trek,” representation and optimism. In this excerpt, Cho discusses how he overcame his initial reluctance about revealing Sulu’s sexual orientation and Lin talks about what happened when Takei first brought up the idea to Roddenberry years ago.
When did the conversations about revealing Sulu’s sexual orientation begin?
Lin: Simon [Pegg, actor and co-screenwriter, with Doug Jung] came up with the idea. Then we expanded it. We talked to John. John talked to George. I talked to George. It shouldn’t be a big deal — it’s not in this “Star Trek” world, and to me it’s not a big deal. It was something that I felt like, after talking and thinking about, was a no-brainer.
Cho: I first heard about it from Justin. I had concerns. I was concerned that George not feel like we were negating his value as an actor. He was a gay actor who played a straight character; we weren’t lifting from him. I also had concerns about how Asians would view it. I really disagreed with it; I was afraid it would be seen as some kind of feminization of Asian men. Lastly, I didn’t want it to seem like we were setting up sexual orientation as a choice — because it was the same genetic Sulu in two different timelines. But I think all those were concerns about how it would be perceived, not about the thing itself.
The thing itself I felt very confident about because it was true and honest, and it set up a great story. Now, because of the way it was handled, in this very nonchalant way, all my worries about the way it would be perceived have essentially been nullified.
Roddenberry said, ‘We just had an interracial kiss and got shut down in some stations in the South. There’s no way I can do that.’
— Justin Lin on Gene Roddenberry’s answer when George Takei asked to play Sulu as gay
John Cho discusses Star Trek character Sulu and his sexuality in “Star Trek Beyond.”
Lin: I had a lengthy conversation with George. A lot of it I’ll keep between me and him. One thing that he did say was that he approached Roddenberry and said, “I’d like to be able to play Sulu gay.” Roddenberry said, “We just had an interracial kiss and got shut down in some stations in the South. There’s no way I can do that. The show will go down.” I went back and watched all those episodes. It was interesting.
For me, as a kid watching George Takei portray Sulu, he was a human being. Whenever he was onscreen, I was like, “Oh, he’s someone. He’s a human being on the Enterprise.” That’s the best thing about the portrayal of Sulu. As an Asian American, especially, seeing him, that was a big moment in my life. At the end of the day, that’s the whole point. There’s a bunch of human beings together on this journey.
Inside the L.A. Times photo studio at Comic-Con with Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and more
This live-action ‘Futurama’ trailer is both mesmerizing and traumatizing
The animated series “Futurama,” created by “The Simpsons’” Matt Groening and developed by David X. Cohen, is set in the year 2999. In this new future, humans live among robots, cyclops folk and lobster people. A fun premise for an illustrated show, but slightly horrifying/awe-inspiring when brought to life. Which is exactly what happened here.
AMERICA! This is your Captain America Statue
Marvel unveiled its one-of-a-kind Captain America statue at Comic-Con.
Move over Balto, Captain America is getting big, beautiful and bronze tribute in New York. And the statue made it’s big debut at Comic-Con.
There is nothing more majestic than a colossal tribute to a fictional character. Steve Rogers is going to live in Brooklyn (Prospect Park to be precise) after his big San Diego reveal at the Marvel booth on the San Diego Convention Center.
It’s almost impossible to look upon this thing and not start cheering “USA, USA, USA!”
‘Snowden’ takes early lead for strangest Comic-Con swag
If nothing else, Comic-Con is a great opportunity for studios to spark anticipation for upcoming releases, be it through panels, secret screenings, or savvily-designed swag.
Taking an early lead in this year’s race for most inexplicable piece of Comic-Con swag is Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and distributed by Open Road Films which was handing out adhesive bandages to promote the film.
Though some just featured the film’s title, others featured 9.16.16, the film’s release date.
It’s impossible to say exactly what significance fans are supposed to take from black adhesive bandages. Maybe it’s for them to affix over their webcams to prevent the NSA from seeing their slack-jawed expression as they watch three hours of puppy videos on YouTube. Maybe it’s to represent the immensity of Edward Snowden’s information leak and a government powerless to stop it.
Maybe it’s just the most tortured metaphor of all time.
The film is paneling at 11:45 a.m. in Hall H Thursday morning with Stone, Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley and Zachary Quinto all scheduled to appear. Let’s hope the first audience question is about the bandages.
San Diego Police Department sniper monitors Comic-Con
The San Diego Police Department is taking no chances in the wake of recent violence worldwide, as seen in the photograph above.
San Diego Police Officer Tito Santos stands at the top of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront parking structure, surveying the surrounding area with binoculars, rifle at his side.
“With terrorism across the globe — France last year — and Dallas and Orlando, you have to make adjustments,” San Diego Police Department spokesman Lt. Paul Connelly told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.
Comic-Con creates a unique challenge in terms of security, with many fans attending in costumes replete with fake weaponry.
No “functional props or weapons” are allowed, according to the event’s website, though simulated and costume weapons are all right. There’s a costume props desk where cosplayers must go to have their gear inspected and tagged.
Read more about the particulars of keeping the convention safe here.
‘Star Trek Beyond’ premiere brings fireworks, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, and a ‘Star Trek’ jet to Comic-Con
By the numbers: San Diego Comic-Con International 2016
San Diego Comic-Con International is a massive undertaking every year -- here is a by-the-numbers look at 2016’s event, plus a few tidbits from the historical documents:
‘Hamilton’ is everywhere, even at Comic-Con
There is no escaping the Broadway musical “Hamilton”; it’s even at San Diego Comic-Con.
“The Backstagers” a comic series by James Tynion IV and Rian Sygh centered around the theater kids at an all-boys private school, has gone “Hamilton.”
The variant cover re-creation of the “Hamilton” playbill by artist Bridget Underwood was on display at the Boom! Studios booth. Truly there is nothing “Hamilton” cannot touch.
Follow the Times staff at Comic-Con!
Follow along with Hero Complex and the Times staff at Comic-Con for the latest news and behind-the-scenes fun:
Hero Complex: @LATHeroComplex
Marc Bernardin: @marcbernardin
Robert Gauthier: @rgaut999
Meredith Woerner: @MdellW
Josh Rottenberg: @joshrottenberg
Tracy Brown: @tracycbrown
Jay L. Clendenin: @jaylclendenin
Jevon Phillips: @Storiz
Kent Nishimura: @kentnish
Blame this guy for the long lines at Comic-Con
Comic-Con was the perfect convention to grow like it did. It had location. It had pros in the business fans wanted to meet. … It was the biggest tent in terms of fandom.
— Jeffrey Walker
In a galaxy known as New York, in a drab age before Trekkies and lightsabers, there lived a curious boy who liked comic books, time travel and Elvis. He read Isaac Asimov and tuned in to John Zacherle, this “Phantom of the Opera”-type guy with scraggly hair and a creepy laugh who introduced horror movies on Channel 9, which, if you were a kid at the time, was something close to splendid.
This boy, let’s call him Jeffrey Walker, who incidentally would later watch “2001: A Space Odyssey” 29 times, tended toward the imaginative. His mother was a beauty queen, his father a clothier. Walker grew up to be many things, including an actor who played poker with Jesus Christ, shot a nude scene with Al Pacino and was hugged by Natalie Wood. This is not that Walker story.
This tale is about the man who helped transform Comic-Con into the pop-culture bazaar it is today by bridging the gap between Hollywood and the world of science-fiction and comic book fandom. He was not alone, but Walker’s understanding of genre, marketing, music and film brought the movie business — and the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christian Bale — to the loyal and lucrative fantasy domains of nerds, geeks and all those who costume out as droids, Stormtroopers, aliens, hobbits, Jokers, Supergirls, Capt. Americas and steampunks.
How many Lego bricks and human hours does it take to build a life-size Death Trooper at Comic-Con?
The answer? A lot.
The Lego booth at Comic-Con on the floor of the San Diego Convention Center had three gigantic Lego creations for fans to enjoy. But how long does it take to build something this meticulous, and what sort of patience must a person have to create such a slow build? We asked, they answered.
First up is Wonder Woman, complete with her golden lasso and a sword.
Building the Lego Wonder Woman took 22,000 Lego bricks and roughly 317 hours to complete.
Straight out of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is this Death Squad Trooper.
And it took 27,000 bricks and roughly 350 hours to assemble this new addition to the “Star Wars” canon.
Whether he has a boyfriend or not, or is now a Hydra agent, Captain America always manages to look American with his perfect Lego posture and stance.
It took 26,000 bricks and over 400 hours to build the Avenger.
And in other important Lego news:
Every year of Comic-Con in one giant timeline
Comic-Con started as an intimate gathering in the basement of San Diego’s U.S. Grant Hotel in 1970. Since then, it has become an important showcase for Hollywood film and TV projects looking to gain buzz.
Here is a year-by-year look at the convention’s key moments, estimated attendance and more, with photos and video.
Winners of Star Wars Celebration fan film contest explain why they love to create in someone else’s world
In early April, longtime friends Jeffrey Henderson and Nick Finch went out to the sand dunes of Glamis, Calif. — a barren landscape that, three decades ago, stood in for the desert planet Tatooine in “Return of the Jedi” — to shoot a “Star Wars” fan film called “The Sable Corsair.”
With a crowdfunded budget of less than $10,000 for the short film — about a group of smugglers who crash-land on a desert planet while on the run from the Empire — creature comforts for the cast and crew of roughly 60 people were few. A day and a half out of the three-day shoot was lost to transportation snafus and a sandstorm.
But, as in every good “Star Wars” story, the heroes persevered. Finch and Henderson entered “The Sable Corsair” into Lucasfilm’s official “Star Wars” fan film contest, and on Sunday, they were awarded the Audience Choice prize at the Star Wars Celebration convention in London.
For years, studios have generally tolerated and even encouraged short fan films like “The Sable Corsair,” as long as they don’t attempt to capitalize financially on copyrighted material.
Recently, however, with the advent of crowdfunding and the spread of inexpensive tools to create digital effects, fan films have grown in sophistication — to the extent that the very definition of what a fan film is has started to blur.
Comic-Con’s ‘Star Trek Beyond’ premiere reveals that there is nothing Idris Elba cannot pull off
Xena the Warrior Princess, Princess
Get it? You get it.
Bernadette Bentley cosplays as Xena, but with a Disney twist.
New ‘Star Wars’ character revealed at Comic-Con
Brace yourselves, “Star Wars” fans. A new character has just been revealed.
Head over to the Lucasfilm Pavilion at Comic-Con (booth 2913) to meet “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’s” new character Edrio Two Tubes.
Although there are not a lot of details about this new character, the “Star Wars” Facebook page offered some insight to Edrio’s background.
“Edrio Two Tubes is a mercenary pilot who flies alongside his eggmate, Benthic. The two share the nickname derived from the breathing apparatus that allows their Tognath physiology to process oxygen atmospheres. Edrio’s home world Yar Togna was conquered and occupied by the Empire, forcing him to flee as a refugee. Desiring to strike back at the Empire, Edrio and Benthic have allied with Saw Gerrera.”
Inside Comic-Con 2016: Fandemonium and costumes galore!
Proof that Ben Mendelsohn’s cape is the biggest star in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’
Your last-minute Comic-Con checklist
San Diego Comic-Con is about to officially kick off, but are you ready? Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re not forgetting the essentials.
1. Printouts of all your confirmations. Your badge registration, hotel booking and train ticket are among those confirmations you’ll want to have hard copies of just in case.
2. Cell phone (and portable charger). Specifically a phone with a functioning camera. You’ll want to take photos of your day, of course, but it’ll be extra helpful to snap photos of your schedule, your hotel room number and any other information you’ll want to have quick access to. While we’re talking photos, here is a friendly reminder to ask for permission to photograph those awesome cosplayers you will stumble upon during the convention.
3. Hand sanitizer. Comic-Con has grown to attract over 130,000 attendees in recent years. How many people will have touched that guard rail you just leaned on, the hand you just shook or the door you just pushed open? It may not always be realistic to head to a washroom so it’s best to have some sort of cleanser on hand so you can kill those germs before you touch your face.
4. Sunscreen. Especially if your Comic-Con plans include trying to attend some panels in Hall H -- where the lines will stretch past any shade into the glaring San Diego sunlight. Even if you opt to skip that line, there is plenty to experience outside the convention center so make sure to protect yourself from those UV rays.
5. Water. Preferably a reusable water bottle that you can refill as you go.
6. Snacks. There will be food available to purchase in and around the convention center, of course, but it’s easy to find yourself committed to a line or panel that you can’t leave in order to procure these rations. Keeping a supply of snacks (and starting your day off with a real breakfast) will help you keep your energy up.
7. Cash. While most vendors will accept credit cards, why risk coming across a must-have print or item only to be foiled by a “cash only” sign with an ATM nowhere in sight?
8. A pen or permanent marker. Whether to jot down notes in your program or to get the autograph of an undercover celebrity, having an actual writing utensil handy may end up saving your day.
9. Comfortable shoes. Be prepared for long days of standing and walking.
10. A mobile hotspot. Since Comic-Con has announced that there will not be free Wi-Fi throughout the convention center this year, you’ll have to bring your own or be prepared to pay to use whatever is available.
11. Things to leave at home (or in your hotel room). Selfie sticks, rolling luggage, drones, hoverboards and pets.
A play-by-play of the ‘Star Trek Beyond’ premiere
Good idea or bad idea? Instead of mannequins Warner Bros. uses actors’ faces
Ditching the regular mannequins, DC comics and Warner Bros. Pictures instead opt for sculpted heads of the actors to go with the character’s costumes on display at booths.
Good idea or bad idea? You decide.
New ‘Wonder Woman’ costumes are full of amazing over-the-knee warrior boots
Wonder Woman’s got a brand new coat and a whole boot. In fact all of the Amazonians have amazing footwear. What better way to say godlike than with golden, gleaming booties.
The new “Wonder Woman” movies costumes are kicking around a lot of leather, metal and fierce foot power. But wait, there’s more!
The scene at the ‘Star Trek Beyond’ premiere
Stephen King is bringing ‘The Dark Tower’ to Comic-Con
A little bit of “The Dark Tower” is coming to Comic-Con. Author Stephen King tweeted a picture of “Charlie the Choo-Choo” from “The Dark Tower” book series. He warned to look for this literary Easter egg at the Simon & Schuster booth at Comic-Con, and maybe the fictional author (Beryl Evans) will be there as well.
Harley Quinn’s bat has ‘hush little baby’ lullaby lyrics on it, and other insane ‘Suicide Squad’ costume reveals
It’s kind of wonderful to see such ridiculously comic booky characters embrace the lunacy of who they are. And “Suicide Squad’s” Joker and and Harley Quinn got ridiculous in spades. Just look at what they’re wearing in their new movie.
The ultimate guide to geekery
Comic-Con is here! More than 100,000 genre entertainment enthusiasts, creators, cosplayers and more will descend on San Diego this week for the annual pop culture expo. But with the jam-packed streets of the Gaslamp Quarter, what panel or booth should be your priority? We’ve got a list of the best-of-the-best at this year’s Comic-Con.
Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures are among the Hollywood heavyweights scheduled to build hype for their upcoming releases with presentations in Hall H. The TV panels include those for “Game of Thrones,” “The Walking Dead,” “Supergirl” and more, including plenty of pilot premieres.
There are also plenty of comic book panels, including those for DC’s “Rebirth,” Marvel’s “Civil War II” and spotlights on various creators such as Kate Beaton, Matt Fraction and Emily Carroll.
Here is a breakdown of must-see panels from this year’s events. Don’t forget to schedule time to hit the Exhibit Hall!
The celebrities are coming: Ryan Reynolds and Margaret E. Atwood prepare for Comic-Con
Comic-Con begins in earnest Thursday and already celebrities of every stripe are tweeting about their travel plans for the 2016 convention.
Some, such as “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds, are getting plenty of work out of the way in preparation for the weekend.
Others, such as Ricky Whittle, the lead of the upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods” on Starz, are just anticipating the antics they’ll get up to once they arrive in San Diego.
But no matter what they’re looking forward to, everyone is eager to participate in the San Diego Convention Center festivities, whether they’re a professional wrestler or a literary giant.
Brace thyself for ‘Pokemon Go’
If catching more Pokemon is part of your Comic-Con plan, you’re in luck. A group of Reddit users have crowdsourced a map that reveals all the PokeStops and gyms you can hit while in San Diego. Zooming in around the Convention Center reveals plenty of locations where “Pokemon Go” players can set up lures when they have some downtime in between panels and signings.
Of course, Comic-Con is a bustling place, so use your best judgment on when, where and how you want to play and stay safe.
And if you had any doubt left that Comic-Con was going to be absolutely crawling with “Pokemon Go” players, let this be a sign. SDCC itself has adjusted its programming based on the game’s popularity. When the schedule was initially announced, the “Pokemon Go” panel with Niantic founder John Hanke was slated for Thursday in a room that could hold fewer than 500 people. It has since been rescheduled to a Sunday spot in Hall H.
I, for one, welcome our new Pokemon Go overlords.
The Comic-Con badge system is working out the bugs
Comic-Con’s newly updated badge system hopes to keep better tabs on those entering and exiting the convention. The new system, introduced at this year’s Wonder-Con requires folks to scan in and out upon entering the building.
My badge, had a little trouble. It needed to be deactivated and reassigned entirely. However our videographer pass Robert Meeks’ pass worked fine just fine. So whether or not this system will work when the doors open at preview night, remains to be scene.
However it seemed to navigate the flow of traffic alright at WonderCon, and a similar system was used at Coachella (only with wristbands). But we’ll have to wait and see how it works, tonight.
And the badges aren’t the only security concern for Comic-Con this year.
Southwest system failure stymies some Comic-Con travel plans
Comic-Con attendees flying to San Diego via Southwest faced a bit of a problem Wednesday as the airline suffered a “systems outage” resulting a nationwide grounding of flights.
Just before noon Pacific Time, Southwest tweeted about the issue, assuring customers that it was working hard on a fix.
Flight service was halted for two hours, beginning again at about 2:30 p.m., and as of 3 p.m. the airline’s website was back online.
However, losing two hours of flight service is surely going to delay the arrival of some fans anxious to begin their SDCC experience.
If nothing else, attendees flying Southwest can count this time as good practice for the hurry up and wait atmosphere awaiting them outside Hall H.
The calm before the Comic-Con
It’s the Wednesday before the official launch of Comic-Con, typically a day of quiet contemplation before the tired, poor, huddled masses, yearning to be breathe free descend upon San Diego in full force. Late Wednesday afternoon and evening offer a few programming choices, with preview night beginning at 6 p.m.
So peaceful! Almost as though 160,000 people aren’t about to jam themselves into the same place to celebrate geek culture.
But what’s that? There’s something else going on Wednesday night?
Oh, yes, an outdoor screening of “Star Trek Beyond” that people have already started lining up for.
This optimistic chap was pleased to only have 300 people in front of him at 10 a.m., before making a reference to a completely different series of sci-fi films.
It’s safe to say that the line was quite sizable just an hour later.
The schedule may read differently, but the savviest fans know Comic-Con truly begins when the first lines form, and boy are they.
If you’re headed to Comic-Con 2016, hurry. The festivities are starting without you.
For those skipping the lines this year, stay tuned for continuing live coverage from The Times.
ALERT: No free Wi-Fi at Comic-Con 2016
In a news release, Comic-Con dropped a pretty big announcement to the attendees:
“Please note, there will not be free wifi available through the convention center this year.”
There was no reason given as to why the convention suddenly decided to stop hosting free Wi-Fi for convention-goers, but many are speculating this is to detour fans from live-streaming the precious clips and trailers screened at the various panels.
Needless to say, the Internet is not taking the news well...
‘Gods’ and ‘Squads’ will fight for the attention of the masses at San Diego Comic-Con 2016
As Donald Trump whips up Republicans to a fever pitch in Cleveland, and the Democrats tee up for their rejoinder next week in Philadelphia, a very different, though no less impassioned, kind of convention is set to kick off in San Diego.
About 130,000 people of all ages will gather at the San Diego Convention Center starting Wednesday in the annual pop-culture pilgrimage that is Comic-Con International. Some will be clad in superhero tights, some will wear Stormtrooper costumes — and some, riding the latest craze, will undoubtedly be decked out as Pokémon characters. But whatever their particular flavor of fandom, Hollywood will be there to greet them with open arms.
The convention offers attendees the chance to be the first on their block to catch glimpses of some of the most hotly anticipated upcoming superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films, including possible glimpses of “Justice League,” “Doctor Strange” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” For the studios and TV networks, it’s an opportunity to stoke enthusiasm for their upcoming wares among a diehard crowd of true believers and potential influencers.