Comic-Con. Land of a thousand movies, panels, celebrities,
and square miles of cosplay, pop culture wares, and spontaneous geek arguments.
It can get a little overwhelming. But Rotten Tomatoes can help. At least, with
that first part about the movies. Below are all the major, upcoming theatrical
releases to be featured and discussed at Comic-Con from July 23-26, and what
talent will be around to speak of their greatness. For more on San Diego
Comic-Con, check out the
official convention site.
9
What: An animated post-apocalytpic tale where sapient rag people battle against
machines.
Attending: Voice actors Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly; director Shane Acker;
producers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov
2012
What: Disaster porn auteur Roland Emmerich directs John
Cusack in this amusing tale of the world ending as foretold by the Mayan
calendar.
Attending: Director Roland Emmerich
Alice in Wonderland
What: Tim Burton adapts the Lewis Carroll book to reliably absurd, trippy
effect.
Attending: Director Tim Burton
Astro Boy
What: A modern adaptation of the Osamu Tezuka classic.
Attending: Voice actors Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell; director David Bowers; and
producer Maryanne Grager
Avatar
What: James Cameron returns with his first narrative film since Titanic. Early
viewers of the 3D footage have been left awestruck.
Attending: Director James Cameron; producer Jon Landau
Black Dynamite
What: A parody of blaxploitation movies.
Attending: Actors Michael Jai White, Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson, Byron Minns, Salli
Richardson-Whitfield; writer/director Scott Sanders
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
What: The cult actioner gets it sequel, and Comic-Con gets the trailer premiere.
Attending: Actors Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Carlo
Berardinucci, Clifton Collins Jr., and Julie Benz; director Troy Duffy
The Box
What: Richard Kelly attempts a comeback after Southland Tales with this
adaptation of a Richard Matheson story, about a box that grants wealth but also
kills an unknown person.
Attending: Unconfirmed, or no guests
The Book of Eli
What: A post-apocalyptic film starring Denzel Washington. The first film from
the Hughes Brothers since 2001’s From Hell.
Attending: Unconfirmed, or no guests
A Couple of Dicks
What: Kevin Smith takes on a new genre with this action/comedy about two police
officers and their misadventures, including tracking down a stolen baseball
card.
Attending: Writer/director Kevin Smith
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
What: A 3D animated adaptation of the classic children’s picture book.
Attending: Voice actors Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, and Bobb’e J. Thompson,
directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord
Dead of Night
What: Supernatural detective Dylan Dog hunts down freaks and monsters in
Louisiana; an adaptation of the cult comic books.
Attending: Actors Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington, director Kevin Munroe
Disney’s A Christmas Carol
What: Another 3D animation hybrid from Robert Zemeckis, this time adapting the
classic Charles Dickens’ novel.
Attending: Director Robert Zemeckis
District 9
What: Peter Jackson protégé Neill Blomkamp’s directorial debut, about a nest of
aliens marooned on planet Earth.
Attending: Actress Sharlto Copley; director Neill Blomkamp
Extract
What: Director Mike Judge returns to the workplace with this comedy about a
factory owner who has to deal with ungrateful wife and employees.
Attending: Actors Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, writer/director Mike Judge
The Final Destination
What: The fourth installment of the tongue-in-cheek teenage kill-o-rama.
Attending: Producer Craig Perry
Gears of War
What: Based on the best-selling Xbox 360 games. An early glimpse will be
provided, though likely no footage is ready yet.
Attending: Director Len Wiseman; writer Joshua Ortega
Heavy Metal
What: The hardcore animated omnibus, this time with confirmed contributions from
James Cameron and David Fincher.
Attending: Artist Kevin Eastman
The Hole
What: Director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) returns to horror (and in 3D),
with this story about two brothers who find a hole that shows them their worst
fears.
Attending: Director Joe Dante, actress Haley Bennett
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
What: Another flight of insane fancy from Terry Gilliam, and Heath Ledger’s
final film.
Attending: Director Terry Gilliam
Iron Man 2
What: Sequel to the beloved adaptation of the Marvel icon.
Attending: Unconfirmed
Jonah Hex
What: An adaptation of the comic series, with John Brolin portraying the title
undead-killing Wild West bounty hunter.
Attending: Unconfirmed
Kick-Ass
What: An action/comedy about an average high school students quest to become a
superhero.
Attending: Actors Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse; director Matthew Vaughn;
comic co-creator John Romita Jr.; plus unconfirmed surprise guests
Legion
What: Angels, no longer amused with humanity antics, descend on Earth and, well,
all hell breaks loose.
Attending: Actors Paul Bettany, Adrianne Palicki, Tyrese Gibson, Doug Jones, director
Scott Stewart
A Nightmare on Elm Street
What: Remake of the Wes Craven horror classic, with Jackie Earle Haley as Kreddy
Krueger.
Attending: Unconfirmed
Pandorum
What: Deep space horror that takes place after ship members wake up with no
recollection of who they are or what they’re supposed to do.
Attending: Actors Ben Foster, Cung Le, and Antje Traue
Paper Heart
What: A mockumentary about comedian Charlyne Yi’s quest for true love, and
possibly finding it in Michael Cera.
Attending: Actors Charlyne Yi and Jake Johnson; director Nick Jasenovec
Ponyo
What: A warm-hearted film about a goldfish who wishes to be human. The 10th
film from animation legend Hayao Miyazaki.
Attending: Director Hayao Miyazaki; producer John Lasseter.
The Princess and the Frog
What: The triumphant return of 2D animation from the directors of Aladdin,
The Little Mermaid, and The Great Mouse Detective.
Attending: Directors Ron Clements and John Musker, producer John Lasseter
Sherlock Holmes
What: Guy Ritchie’s gritty, violent, adrenaline rushed adaptation of Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth.
Attending: Unconfirmed
Shorts
What: A family film about a group of young boys who discover a intergalactic
rock that grants wishes.
Attending: Director Robert Rodriguez
Sorority Row
What: A sorority prank goes fatally awry and someone begins to stalk the
surviving sisters.
Attending: Unconfirmed main cast
The Tetsuo Project
What: The film’s title will be revealed. This is the second sequel to
Tetsuo,
one of the most established films of extreme Japanese cinema.
Attending: Director Shinya Tsukamoto
Thirst
What: Oldboy director Park Chan-Wook makes a rare U.S. appearance to show off
his vampire melodrama, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year.
Attending: Director Park Chan-wook
Toy Story 3
What: The toys are back in town and Pixar will be showing off new footage.
Attending: Director Lee Unkrich, producer John Lasseter
Trick ‘r Treat
What: Long-delayed but soon approaching a release, Trick ‘r Treat is a
omnibus of chilling holiday tales.
Attending: Actors Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett, Brian Cox, director Michael Dougherty
Tron (sequel)
What: The long-awaited sequel to the cult, groundbreaking action movie.
Attending: Producer Steve Lisberger
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
What: The Twilight vampire melodrama continues with New Moon,
which introduces werewolves.
Attending: Surprise cast members
Where the Wild Things Are
What: Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the everlasting Maurice Sendak book.
Attending: Unconfirmed
Zombieland
What: The second entry in Jesse Eisenberg’s Land trilogy, found out what
happens to Adventureland after the sun sets. Hint: ZOMBIES.
Attending: Actors Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Emma Stone; director
Ruben Fleischer
