Movies
San Diego Comic Con 2008 Panel Preview
THE big event every year is the San Diego Comic Con, which has become the pinnacle of Hollywood for the fanboy in us all. Every year the panels are packed to the brim with fans and press hoping to get their first glimpse at the following year’s films. The Comic Con is the place where major events happen like the unveiling of new STAR WARS titles or Sam Raimi giving us our first look at Venom. This year will no doubt be just as big and we’ll be there the entire time bringing you coverage. Today some of the studio panels were revealed, read on for an early look at what you’ll be able to check out this July.
Before I give you the list of films being promoted by each studio thus far, I’d like to invite you all to join the second annual “Masters of the Web” panel, which will take place Thursday at 10am. Joining me on stage for the hour-long event are websites (and friends) IESB.net, Dark Horizons, CHUD, Latino Review, Ain’t It Cool News, Movie Web, The Movie Blog, JoBlo and Cinematical. The panel will be moderated by directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (“Crank,” “Pathology”).
IESB.net has assembled this rundown of what’s cookin at this year’s con so far.
20th Century Fox
Footage and presentations for “City of Ember”, “Mirrors” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kiefer Sutherland, Amy Smart and Alexandre Aja rumored to attend.
Lionsgate
A large presentation for Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” with Miller, Jaime King, Eva Mendes, Gabriel Macht and Samuel L. Jackson all rumored to be attending. Some “Punisher: War Zone” footage may also be screened. There will be footage from “Saw V” and “Repo!” shown as well.
Paramount Pictures
There’ll be a full screening of “Tropic Thunder”. It’s expected there’ll be some presentations and footage from “G.I. Joe” and “Star Trek”
Sony Pictures
Horror flicks “Quarantine” and “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” with the likes of Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Jennifer Carpenter, Chris Brown and Jay Hernandez rumored. There’s also been rumors of something for “Quantum of Solace” (footage likely, slim chance of but a possible Daniel Craig appearance rumored).
Summit Entertainment
A large presentation for “Twilight” with Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Cam Gigandet, Rachelle LaFevre, Edi Gathegi, Taylor Lautner and author Stephenie Meyer confirmed.
Universal Pictures
Jason Statham, Paul W.S. Anderson, Rob Cohen, Brendan Fraser, Danny McBride, Will Ferrell all rumored to appear for presentations of “Death Race,” “Land of the Lost” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Zack Snyder and the cast of “Watchmen” looks to be the big panel of the entire con. Christian Bale and Jared Padalecki are also tipped to attend. Footage from the likes of “RocknRolla,” “Ninja Assassin,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins” and “Friday the 13th” could be screened.
The Weinstein Company
A panel for Kevin Smith’s “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” with Smith, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. Kyle Newman’s “Fanboys” will likely be screened in full during the Con.
A contemporary reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story Herbert West: Reanimator is on the way, and Deadline has unveiled the first look at the new Herbert West and the pathologist drawn to his orbit.
Adam Simon (The Haunting in Connecticut, “Salem”) and Tim Metcalfe (The Haunting in Connecticut, Kalifornia) penned the script. The original screenplay and storyline come from Jade Sandberg Wallace.
Michael Grossman (“The Originals”, “Pretty Little Liars”) directs.
The new images introduce star Joseph Morgan (“Vampire Diaries“), who plays “brilliant surgeon and scientist Herbert West, who is obsessed with creating a serum to reanimate the dead.” Katie Cassidy (Speed Demon) stars opposite as the pathologist with a troubled past who joins his efforts.
Together, they prove that conquering death may be the ultimate sin against life itself.
The film’s official synopsis: “As a child, Herbert West watches his father Peter reanimate his dead mother Judith in a secret basement lab — only for Judith to mortally wound Peter and nearly kill Herbert before Peter shoots her. The trauma leaves its mark on Herbert, but so does one final image: his mother’s finger, twitching after death. Thirty years later, Herbert West is a brilliant, secretive surgeon still chasing his father’s obsession.
“Pathologist Kate Locke arrives in town and is drawn into his orbit — first through a spark at a hospital fundraiser, then through his secret lab, where he reveals a serum capable of reanimating severed tissue. Kate, hiding a dark past of her own, is thrilled rather than horrified, and moves into West’s mansion to work alongside him. Their early experiments on a cadaver succeed only briefly. West concludes that dead tissue is the problem — they need something fresher.”
Supporting cast includes Scott Aiello, Ira J Amyx, Randall Newsome, Emma Reinagal, James D. Bryce, Kathryn A Bentley, Jack Lancaster, Amy Holland Pennell, John Pierson, Mindy Shaw, Eric Dean White, Tristan Wilder Hallet, Adrienne Lamping, Aaron Crippen, and Drew Patterson.
Makeup artist Jeff Lewis (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and cousin Roger Lewis are heading the production via their newly established Woodlake Entertainment.
Lovecraft’s short story, first serialized in Home Brew magazine in 1922, is the first among his works to mention the fictional Miskatonic University. It was most famously adapted into a 1985 horror movie from Stuart Gordon, starring Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West.
Herbert West: Reanimator is set in Alton, Illinois, where production is now underway.
Herbert West: Reanimator. Photo credit: Matt Lief Anderson
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