The HitFix editorial team is heading up to San Francisco tomorrow to cover the next best thing to Comic-Con, WonderCon. Yes, it’s another comic convention where Hollywood brings out its big guns hoping to generate some buzz among the genre crowd. While this year’s weekend won’t feature any expensive stunts from the Walt Disney Company or another “Chuck” lovefest, there are more than enough films and series debuting new footage and making their talent available to fans and media alike.
Look for exclusive interviews and direct reports from WonderCon beginning Friday, but in the meantime, here’s a rundown of panels movie and TV fans should be most excited about.
“Green Lantern”
Who: Ryan Reynolds and director Martin Campbell
When: 5:00-6:00 on Friday
Why: Warner Bros. has pretty much admitted the early marketing materials have been lackluster because so much CG work is needed. With only three months to release, this is the time for the studio and DC Entertainment to show what they’ve got.
“Priest”
Who: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet and Lily Collins
When: 3:00-4:00 on Saturday
Why: Screen Gems and Sony Pictures has a lot of money in this May release. Some genuine genre community excitement might not be such a bad idea.
“Immortals”
Who: Henry Cavill (Zach Snyder”s upcoming “Superman: Man of Steel”), Luke Evans (“Clash of the Titans”), Kellan Lutz (“The Twilight Saga”) Isabel Lucas (“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”), director Tarsem Singh (“The Cell,” “The Fall”)
When: 4:00 – 5:00 on Saturday
Why: First off, get ready for 300 “Superman” questions for Cavill. Second, Tarsem is one talented director who is going for the unexpected with “Immortals” and third? None other HitFix’s Drew McWeeny is moderating the panel. ‘Nuff said
“Super”
Who: Rain Wilson (“The Office”) and director James Gunn (“Slither”)
When: 12:30 – 1:30 on Saturday
Why: HitFix’s Drew McWeeny is already a fan of the indie which screened at Sundance earlier this year, but a Wilson and Gunn Q&A for a whole hour? Get ready to be entertained.
“Cowboys & Aliens”
Who: director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”)
When: 1-1:30 on Saturday
Why: There are very few filmmakers who know how to work a crowd like Favreau. Plus, if Comic-Con has shown us anything, Favreau always has a surprise or two up his sleeve. What will he thrill the WonderCon audience with?
“The Three Musketeers”
Who: Logan Lerman (“
When: 1:30-2:00 on Saturday
Why: Whoospie. Lerman is supposed to be a surprise…um. Well, we’re excited he’ll be there to show footage of Summit’s next potential franchise! Don’t blame us for it getting out!
“Falling Skies”
Who: Only producers Mark Verheiden, Melinda Hsu and co-star Drew Roy are currently listed.
When: 3:15 – 4:00 on Friday
Why: TNT has been teasing its new Steven Spielberg-produced post-invasion drama relentlessly, but with the whole series in the can, maybe this would be a good time to treat attendees to some extended scenes? Even if not, fans will get a free comic book!
“Terra Nova”
Who: Stars Jason O’Mara and Stephen Lang, plus producers Brannon Braga and Alex Graves.
When: 12:15 – 1:00 p.m. on Sunday
Why: FOX could use a burst of good publicity for this expensive, delayed fall series. What better way than by showing some actual, extended clips to astound the fanboys? Expect Lang to bask in “Avatar” love and wait to see if any “Star Trek” fans are going to physically assault Braga.
“V”
Who: Star Elizabeth Mitchell, showrunner Scott Rosenbaum and original star and newly added remake guest star Marc Singer.
When: 2:30 – 3:15 on Sunday
Why: The WonderCon schedule says the panelists will teast “what is to come” on their ABC drama, but everybody involved is actually going to try to make a case for why ABC should give another renewal to the low-rated bubble show. That should be entertaining. And if it’s not? Beastmaster!
“Thundercats”
Who: We have no idea. Supposedly, producers and creators of the show.
When: 1:00-1:45 on Sunday
Why: The movie may be dead, but Lion-O and his furry friends are back on the small screen in what appears to be a Manga-inspired take on the franchise. Cartoon Network promises more details about the series as well as footage. Our 80’s nostalgia has us more than curious.
Look for exclusive interviews and reports from the con Friday through Sunday on HitFix.