San Diego Comicon 2007

For those who may not know, the San Diego Comicon has not only been the premier comic convention for the last thirty years - and thus home to most of the major announcements by comic companies for the year - but it has recently metamorphosed into a mass pop culture expo, with studios debuting footage from upcoming geek-oriented films and holding panels with major stars and directors. Such is the influence of Comicon in publicity terms – thanks to the disseminating power of the Internet – that even decidedly non-geek films are setting up shop there. Geeks are indeed taking over the world.

Granted, there’s only so much that one can experience vicariously about Comicon, but the news that comes out of it and the footage that often shows up online shortly after means that the weekend is an international hub for mainstream film news that substitutes adequately for not hearing it firsthand. This year in particular looks to be very interesting. Here’s some of the highlights that we can expect to hear about between this Friday and Monday (Australian time).

- The Watchmen panel with director Zack Snyder should at the very least reveal the cast, perhaps even in person, and hopefully some other choice morsels.

- The Dark Knight teaser debuts, and should be released online shortly thereafter.

- A Blade Runner panel with director Ridley Scott, Sean Young and other actors, and DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika! The full specs should undoubtedly be unveiled here, along with some other choice goodies. Designer Syd Mead will be holding his own panel about his work on the film, moderated by Paul M. Sammon, author of the indispensable Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner, which will be getting a most welcome second edition later this year to cover The Final Cut and new interviews Sammon has conducted with Ridley Scott and even Harrison Ford! I am so psyched for this DVD set that I can scarcely draw breath.

- Lauzirika will also appear at the annual Digital Bits DVD Producers panel, where he will also be showing some footage from the upcoming Twin Peaks: The Complete Series box set and hopefully reveal the specs and other info.

- The first Iron Man footage should be seen at a panel fronted by director Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. If the footage blows the roof off, don’t be surprised to see it surface online via the studio soon after, as happened with X-Men 2 in 2002.

- I’d be surprised if any Incredible Hulk footage is screened as filming has barely begun, but the panel will not only include director Louis Leterrier, but even stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, and William Hurt! With that star wattage I would be surprised if something wasn’t shown….

- Screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary will reveal the first footage seen anywhere of Robert Zemeckis’s motion-captured Beowulf, to be released in November. I’m stunned that there hasn’t been a trailer for this yet. Hell, the first two stills only came out today.

- Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will discuss the mind-bending third season finale of Lost for the first time since it aired and also talk up season four.

- The word is that Pixar will announce the long-awaited DVD of its short films at Comicon.

- A Battlestar Galactica panel with Ron Moore, David Eick, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, and Tricia Helfer. You know it’ll be good.

- Plus the usual delicious comics announcements and who knows what else. Left-field news is common at Comicon.

Looking through the schedule, I’m agog at how many spectacularly interesting panels there are on animation and the craft of comics and graphic novels, particularly on the recent explosion of interest in the bookstore market. I reckon my first trip to America, whenever it comes, would do well to occur in July….