Luke Y. Thompson is contributing to Deadline’s Comic-Con coverage. This year’s event runs July 12-15.
With Sunday’s schedule at Comic-Con pretty much a dead zone in terms of movie news — Hollywood people tend to start bailing as early as Saturday afternoon, which is why nearly all parties are scheduled Thursday with a few on Friday — the final, comprehensive schedule’s release highlights who isn’t coming. Specifically, on Sunday, World War Z novelist author Max Brooks has a whole panel to
himself entitled “Zombie Survival 101,” which calls attention to the fact that Paramount is not coming and bringing anything World War Z-related (unless Brooks manages to sneak a clip, or drop some hints). The Marc Forster-directed Brad Pitt movie’s absence likely has to do with reshoots and rewriting by Damon Lindelof which pushed the movie out of December this year to midsummer 2013. Also, no Star Trek — similar to Disney’s skipping last year and instead screening Avengers footage at its own convention, D-23. Likewise, maybe Paramount is saving Star Trek stuff for a Trek convention, the biggest being in Las Vegas, August 9-12. While it was at Comic-Con that Zachary Quinto’s casting was announced for the first J.J. Abrams Trek, the following year no footage was shown, so this sort of maintains that tradition. Abrams first showed scenes publicly at a touring press event, which was great for media outlets (including Deadline) but less good for the regular fans who were not invited.
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It would seem Universal is sitting things out, possibly missing the chance to get fans fired up about The Bourne Legacy, 47 Ronin, Oblivion, Identity Thief, The Fast & The Furious 6, R.I.P.D. and Despicable Me 2. Some of those titles don’t need the push, but 47 Ronin, Oblivion, Identity Thief and R.I.P.D. are reasonably unknown quantities opening before the next Comic-Con that any little boost couldn’t hurt. (Incidentally, props to Universal that they have at least four big movies coming which aren’t sequels/reboots/remakes.)
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It might not make massive ripples, but for genre movie fans, the presentation on the new documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster is one worth seeking out, as it focuses on artist Drew Struzan, known for so many classic Lucas and Spielberg posters. Struzan will be there, along with actor Thomas Jane who kinda-sorta played a version of Struzan in The Mist, along with director Erik P. Sharkey and other crew. For attendees interested in Hollywood’s past as well as its future, this will be a must-see.
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Actually, Max Brooks has done the zombie survival panel the past few years, it has nothing to do with World War Z coming out next summer, although they may talk about it. But still, even if the movie hadn’t been made, the panel would be happening.
“but 47 Ronin, Oblivion, Identity Thief and R.I.P.D. are reasonably unknown quantities opening before the next Comic-Con that any little boost couldn’t hurt. (Incidentally, props to Universal that they have at least four big movies coming which aren’t sequels/reboots/remakes.)”
Actually, 47 Ronin is a remake of a japanese movie.
Actually, it’s a book about an actual event that happened at the turn of the 18th century in Japan.
No one has seen the movie and few people have read the book. I only know about because it was assigned reading in a college history class.
Yay–Love Max Brooks! Great writer, great onstage panelist. He did a panel with George Romero that was the best zombie event ever.
Max Brooks dies do the every year. But the fact that they are having all kind of issues will make that a little tougher to keep on track. It sounds like they strayed to far from the spirit of the source material and now they need the reshootz and rewrites. Loved the book , I hope the movie is respectful to the work MB did.
Damon Lindelof is rewriting WORLD WAR Z. That flick is doomed.
Comic-Con was cool until the year Paris Hilton crashed it. Seems as though even the studio stuff has gone down hill since that year…
I do recall summer of 2005 though… The Island was about to do a sneak and inside the main hall on the floor was a large semi-truck sitting over in the corner, a couple hot girls next to it and a banner with the Transformers logo… it said coming summer 2007. And NO ONE was interested in checking it out. That was funny.