Anne Marie here, sleep deprived and dazed after a night camping out to cover the big studio announcements for you. Folks, my group camped in line for fifteen hours to get into Hall H, and we still barely got into the back of the hall. Over 6,000 geeks camped out to see what Warner Bros, Legendary Pictures, and Marvel have to offer, so the studios are going to have to work hard to meet or exceed expectations. Here's what happened.
Cate Blanchett, Channing Tatum and more after the jump...
first image of Wonder Woman from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
WB wasted no time, starting its presentation with a 15 second teaser of the new Batman v Superman flick. It showed an armored Batman on a rainy Gotham rooftop turning on the Bat Signal to discover Superman in the light. Snyder, Affleck, Cavill, and Gal Gadot were here to wave and smile, but no panel. They released no further information. So all I have for you is a description of a teaser. Sorry.
Jupiter Ascending
The infamously behind-schedule film tried to salvage its image a bit with an extended trailer showing some truly spectacular special effects. The wait is paying off in terms of effects, and Jupiter Ascending blessedly looks different than most of the big budget FX films out there. But is different enough? Channing Tatum arrived to introduce the trailer, and moderator Chris Hardwicke suggested a costume for him that got cheers as loud as the film:
"Take your clothes off. It's like a Magic Mike cosplay!"
Mad Mad Fury Road was extensively storyboarded
Mad Max: Fury Road
Director George Miller (creator of the original Mad Max trilogy) was on hand to tallk about the film and show the world premier of the trailer. Miller stated that he thinks of Mad Max as a "Western on wheels," since this is an extended chase movie. He also said that instead of writing a screenplay, he created over 500 storyboards. That's probably why Fury Road has maintained the original sand-blasted punk aesthetic, even with a bigger budget and updated VFX. Fans of the originals are guaranteed to like this one as well. No more mullets, though.
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
At the end of a 20 year, 6 movie journey, The Hobbit was out to have some fun. Steven Colbert moderated the panel dressed as his cameo role in the third film. A blooper reel of all 6 movies screened along with some behind-the-scenes footage. (Sir Ian McKellan must be the best person to work with.) The panel was fan bait, including Peter Jackson, Phillipa Boyens, Benedict Cumberbatch & Cate Blanchett (who sat together but never met while filming), Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Andy Serkis, and more.
Overall, the tone was one of nostalgia. Jackson, looking typically bedraggled, talked about his first pitch to Miramax in 1995: one Hobbit movie and two for The Lord of the Rings. This series has completely changed the film landscape, proving audiences will watch connected franchises and tolerate (even celebrate) splitting stories into longer trilogies, so the idea of only 3 movies is a little mind-boggling. Andy Serkis talked about how playing Gollum created a calling in motion capture acting that allowed him to create totally new characters (and a company called the Imaginarium). Finally, the teaser reflected the general feeling, pitching the third Hobbit film as a movie that will wrap up not only this trilogy, but Jackson's entire saga, bringing together characters from all 6 movies. No matter how you feel about them, it's definitely the end of an era.
Did Cate Blanchett just say she didn't wear underwear under her elf costume? I think she did. #SDCC2014 #TheHobbit #Elvesdontweartrousers
— Anne Marie (@WeRecycleMovies) July 26, 2014
Benedict Cumberbatch answered a fan request to use his dragon voice and the hall exploded #TheHobbit #SDCC2014
— Anne Marie (@WeRecycleMovies) July 26, 2014
Are you following me on Twitter? I'm giving a play-by-play of everything in Hall H, including stories about Cate Banchett's underwear (she doesn't wear any under the elf costume) and more! You might want to start following me on Twitter. Up next: Legendary Pictures and Godzilla 2!