Results tagged “Comic Con” from Access Hollywood
Every year at Comic-Con, there's at least one panel that you don't wanna miss. These panels start the buzz for big-budget genre movies, and that buzz can make or break a film long before it makes it to the big screen. In 2006, "Spider-Man 3" started the ball rolling, and in 2007, it sure as hell worked big time for "Iron Man."[Pictured left: Actresses Carla Gugino, left, and Malin Akerman, right, pose for photographers after a panel discussion for the new movie "Watchmen" at the Comic-Con 2008 convention Friday, July 25, 2008 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)]
This year, it's "Watchmen." That name may not mean anything to the masses, but for the Comic-Con crowd, Watchmen is the Holy Grail. When it was first released as a 12-issue maxi-series starting in 1986 (and re-released later as a bounded graphic novel), it broke new ground because of its dark, violent, realistic and more mature depiction of flawed superheroes that weren't so super after all. Co-creators -- writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons -- took readers through an alternate 1980s reality where Richard Nixon was still president and the doomsday clock was ticking against the backdrop of New York.
In short, it was the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" of comics. And now, director Zack Snyder is directing a big screen version for release in March of 2009 (ironically, 2 years to the day after Snyder's stylish epic "300," also based on a comics graphic novel, broke new ground).
If the comics read like an R-rated movie, then Snyder confirms that the film version will follow suit -- it's violent, disturbing, graphic, bloody and very R-rated.
And contrary to many special effects-laden superhero movies these days, most of the film was shot using real sets and not using green-screen.
By Eugene MonzonDay two of our Comic-Con coverage and what a way to begin. We began with breakfast … I kid, I kid. We started with the red carpet interviews of the "Watchmen" cast and the huge surprise appearance of Dave Gibbons.
Those who read the miniseries recognize the name, but for those who don't, Dave is the artist of comic. If you could have seen "MovieMantz's" and "Mean Gene's" (that's me) faces when they offered to speak to him, you would have thought we won the lottery. With the entire running around with back-to-back interviews, it is the little things like meeting our comic book idols that makes the Con worthwhile.
By Eugene MonzonHey, true believers -- Another year, another Comic-Con. For the past six years I've had the fun honor to cover the biggest sci-fi, comic book and pop culture convention in the world for Access Hollywood and regardless of how tiring it is, at the end of 3 days of running around, it's moments like this that make it all worthwhile.
Stan Lee is a legend in the industry, both in comics or film, and as a huge comic book fan, I had the privilege to meet him. He is one of the nicest guys I've ever met while working here and I will never forget it.
OK, so, continuing with my first day at Comic-Con.... after hitting the convention floor, we went back upstairs to interview the cast of the movie "Push" with Dakota Fanning. Because of an accident on the 5 freeway from LA to San Diego, many of the celebrities were running late and Fanning told me it was a seven hour drive to get here. Ouch! It normally takes about two and a half hours. Little Dakota has certainly grown up since her breakout role seven years ago in "I Am Sam." Now 14, she has joined the teenage ranks alongside Miley Cyrus, wearing designer clothes and three-inch high heels. She's getting tall, too. I just hope she stays along the straight and narrow path! Then it was the moment I had been looking forward to all day... meeting the cast of "Twilight," the movie based on the best selling young adult book right now. If you haven't heard of "Twilight" (or its author, Stephanie Meyer) you are seriously behind on your pop culture. Meyer, a housewife from Arizona, has quickly become America's version of J.K. Rowling. Although, when I asked her about being compared to the "Harry Potter" author she coyly mused, "there is no one like J.K. Rowling.
"Twilight" is the story about Bella, a typical teenager who falls for Edward, who just happens to be a vampire. The casting of Edward was one of the most controversial maneuvers in film-dom this year. Fans of the book were extremely outspoken online about their hatred for Robert Pattinson, who played Cedric Diggory in the "Harry Potter" films. Of course, they had not seen a stitch of the movie. Last week, when the trailer came out online and in theaters, most fans completely changed their minds. It seems Robert is the perfect Edward. And yes, Robert told me today he was hurt by the initial fan reaction but said that he couldn't get caught up in all of the negativity. I'll talk more about this next week in my blog when I return. I'm sad to report that Kristen Stewart who plays Bella was stuck in traffic and I missed our interview.
The highlight of my day, however, was the surprise appearance of Hugh Jackman who flew in last minute to surprise fans with a first look at "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," a prequel and spin off of "X-Men." I'll admit right now that I have always had a huge crush on him so I shamelessly flirted with him during our interview. I introduced myself and the conversation went something like this:
By Scott MovieMantz
If Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez have indeed reached splitzville, as some tabloid rags recently "reported," you couldn't tell it from their P.D.A. at the San Diego Comic Con.
Both were in town to discuss their upcoming remake of "Red Sonja," the film about the red-haired heroine who first debuted in a Marvel comic.
McGowan leaves next week for five weeks of training to play the title role, and Rodriguez will direct. The movie opens in late 2009.
I love Hugh Jackman! (left: Guy Ritchie at Comic Con 2008)
More on that later,, but first let me tell you about what it's like coming to the Comic Con Convention. Imagine being in the middle of Times Square at 11:59 PM but instead of being surrounded by drunken fools you are surrounded by superhero costume wearing fanboys. I arrived to the San Diego Convention Center at 9:30 AM and the sidewalks were so packed on the way in that people were pouring out into the streets. The cops remarked to each other while marveling at the crowd size, "it's not even Ten o'clock!."
Most of the masses headed into the main floor of the convention center where booths upon booths were overflowing with everything from t-shirts emblazoned with superhero decals, to movie memorabilia, posters and, of course, comic books!
We, however, headed upstairs for what would be a long day of back-to-back-to-back celebrity interviews. First up, was Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly… here promoting their alien/disaster movie remake "The Day The Earth Stood Still." They may just be the two most low key individuals in Hollywood, so getting them excited about being here was a challenge, but they did seem really proud of the project and they were confident that fans here will love the finished product.
