Comicon 2007 Nerds-Eye Preview

Typical conventioneers, Such a boring thing to do, Comicon.

Of all the various events I cover for Zboneman.com, Comic-Con is probably my favorite. Why? Because it's an event created by fans for the fans. Now I'm not much of a comic book geek, and while that is Comic-Con's primary focus, the convention also prides itself on being a breathtaking hot spot for movie geeks to get an early look at a lot of the amazing genre films currently in production. And for those who haven't figured it out by now, I AM A MOVIE GEEK! Big time.

Through the years, Comic-Con has emerged as the premiere location for big time movie buzz, and what's so amazing about it, is attendees often get glimpses at film's good year before release. To some readers, that might not be that big of a deal, but for those of us who eat, sleep, and drink movies (particularly genre films), it means the world.

Not only does Comic-Con bring in film makers and movie stars to promote their upcoming films, but quite often, we're the first audiences anywhere, to see actual footage from movies that are still in production.

If all that isn't exciting enough, Comic-Con is also known for showcasing feature screenings of soon to be released movies. In the past, attendees have been fortunate enough to see flicks like The Fountain, Borat, Monster House, Accepted, The Descent, Shaun of the Dead, and Saw well before their scheduled release dates. What does this all mean? Well, if you're a movie geek, it means the buzz starts here.

Comic-Con 2007 takes place at the incredible San Diego Convention Center, July 26th-29th. For ticket prices and a schedule of events, log on to comic-con.org. In the meantime, here's a list of highlights film fan attendees can expect to see.

INDIANA JONES
The latest installment of the famed franchise will be well represented. As for what will be shown and who might show up, who the hell knows. By the time the con rolls around, Spielberg and crew will only be about five weeks into production, but if you ask me, that's plenty of time for Paramount to throw together a little taste of Indy goodness. I do suspect that the title of the film will be unveiled during the presentation. Back in July 2004, Lucasfilm revealed that the final Star Wars film would be called Revenge of the Sith and that was nearly a year before the film's release. I really think the same sort of thing will happen at the Indiana Jones presentation.

THE DARK KNIGHT
There was no mention of The Dark Knight in Comic-Con's early itenerary but you can bet Warner Brothers will be in town to generate buzz on their latest Batman film. This flick has been shooting for the past couple of months so I'm guessing some of the cast and crew will be on hand to show off a little footage. Maybe some shots of Heath Ledger in the Joker make-up or maybe a few glimpses of The Dark Knight hauling ass on that new motor vehicle of his. With any luck, director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale will be in attendance.

STAR TREK XI
J.J. Abrams is hard at work prepping the latest installment of the Star Trek franchise. It's been over five years since Nemesis stunk up the screen, and with a creative film maker like Abrams at the helm, I expect a nifty reboot. This film isn't slated to start shooting until later this year, but I'm thinking that Paramount might officially announce the cast.

SWEENEY TODD
Tim Burton is a huge comic book fan, so his new film is sure to be a major part of the convention. Sweeney Todd marks Burton's latest collaboration with Johnny Depp. The film also stars Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. I believe the movie is in the can, so I suspect we'll get to see some pretty cool stuff.

HELLBOY 2
Guilermo Del toro is a Comic-Con favorite, and rightfully so. Hearing this guy speak is just a joy. He's simply one of the most inspirational film makers working today. His panel on Pan's Labyrinth last year, was a convention highlight, and I'm sure the Hellboy 2 presentation will be spectacular. I suppose it helps if you liked the first film (which I did). If you're not a Hellboy fan, this is still a presentation you wont want to miss.

THE MIST
Frank Darabont once again tries his hand at Stephen King with an all star take on The Mist. I thought The Green Mile was a good movie, but Shawshank Redemption is arguably the greatest King adaptation ever, and that alone makes The Mist a film worthy of grand curiosity. The Mist just finished shooting, and positive buzz is already brewing.

AVATAR
No mention of James Cameron's latest on the Comic-Con web site, but I'd imagine that the Titanic director (who hasn't made a feature in over ten years) will be itching to unveil something from his new epic sci fi extravaganza. Maybe we'll even get a taste of footage in 3-D. At the very least, I'm hoping for a little teaser. Something to wet our appetite until the movie hits theaters in 2009.

Also on the Comic-Con 2007 movie presentation slate; The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Watchmen, Halloween, Saw IV, Alien Vs. Predator 2, 30 Days of Night, I Am Legend, 3:10 to Yuma, Bourne Ultimatum, Beowulf, The Golden Compass, and Speed Racer.

Watch for our Comic-Con 2007 coverage at the end of July.