While movies stay a centerpiece, this year streaming and geradlinig TV will throw a larger shadow over the four-day convention that will officially begins July 21, reflecting both major-league bets made by streamers in the look for subscribers and the method the balance of power has subtly shifted in their direction because the film industry rebounds from the shutdown that hobbled theaters.
Movie studios will still be represented with Comic-Con, once a gathering — as the name would suggest — originally devoted to comic books, which has grown over time and seen individuals properties become the generating force in theatrical attendance.
Warner Bros., the proprietor of DC Comics (and like CNN, a device of Warner Bros. Discovery), will have a significant presentation devoted to “Black Adam, ” starring Dwayne Manley, and the sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods. ” In addition , Wonder will be making a display, though the particulars stay fuzzy, and it’s likely some major announcements will be held pertaining to parent company Disney’s D23 convention within September.
Still, Comic-Con’s many sizable venue — Hall H, which could accommodate more than six, 000 people — features at least as numerous panels this year devoted to television, topping by Amazon’s whopping expenditure in a series edition of “The Lord of the Rings, ” and “House of the Monster, ” the eagerly expected prequel to “Game of Thrones” premiering on HBO (and HBO Max) within August.
Not to be outdone, Netflix will weigh along with “The Sandman, ” a series version associated with Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed graphic novel, after years of speculation about when or when that concept would certainly ever reach the screen. And AMC — a major gamer thanks to “The Walking Dead” — will be back touting not just the final season of this show and an anthological spinoff, but a new series version of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire. ”
The underlying goal is usually building enthusiasm and word of mouth for these projects with these carefully curated previews, hoping to change their most passionate fans into advertising ambassadors to the world at large.
Several other major sections will have an acquainted ring to them, which includes “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Robbers, ” “Teen Wolf the Movie” — heading to Paramount+ — and “National Cherish: The Edge of History, ” a series based on the films heading to Disney+.
As usual, reminiscence and anniversaries will also be a major part of this year’s convention. Which includes celebratory panels devoted to the 100th birthday of Peanuts originator Charles M. Schulz; 100 years of the pulp-turned-comics-turned-movie character Conan the Barbarian; and 40-year anniversaries for the movie “The Rocketeer” and the debut of the “Masters of the Universe” gadget line.
In addition , William Shatner, the “Star Trek” star whose most recent role, at 90, included getting to play a real astronaut thanks to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, can look in a panel Thurs titled, simply sufficient, “Shatner on Shatner, ” moderated by director Kevin Cruz.
Planners called the decision in order to terminate Comic-Con “heartbreaking” when they do so in Apr 2020, the year following the event — which usually started as a smallish celebration in a single hotel that mushroomed in to what it is today — commemorated its own 50th anniversary.
For those headed to Hillcrest, a full schedule of events is available within the Comic-Con website . Plus yes, masks are required.