Comic-Con Goes Back to Basics
Dune already departed. What pivots are made with actors and writers striking together, first time in six decades.
When San Diego Comic-Con launched in 1970, it was niche convention for about 300 fans. In the ensuing decades, it has become a mandatory stop for the biggest franchises in Hollywood, from the universes of Marvel and DC to Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings.
But after years of movies and TV top actors taking center stage and propelling the event to new heights, 2023 will be the least star-packed edition in history.
This week, SAG-AFTRA announced that actors will be joining the writers guild on picket lines, as Hollywood faces yet another shutdown amid a historic double strike. Already, most Hollywood majors, including Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, Netflix and HBO, chose to sit out Comic-Con this year, due to prior strike uncertainty and financial stress on studio travel budgets.
With actors now confirmed to be out for the count, the convention’s lineup takes yet another hit with a slew of previously announced panels now canceled, including Legendary, which was secretly planning to bring Dune: Part Two. Also canceled: panels for TV shows such as Amazon’s Wheel of Time, Freevee’s Jury Duty and ABC’s Abbott Elementary.
This year also marks the first time since 2011 that at least one of the two biggest comic-to-film franchisees — Marvel and DC — won’t be holding court in the 6,500-capacity Hall H.
“This is obviously an unusual year,” says Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer. “But that hasn’t diminished the anticipation for Comic-Con.”
Indeed, badges sold out months ahead of the event as attendees vie for tickets long before panels are even announced. While Hall H stops from Marvel or DC have generated the biggest headlines, only a small portion of the estimated 150,000 attendees each year ever set foot in that space, which requires camping out in line overnight to get inside. In other words, plenty of the faithful go for smaller panels and a chance to show off their best cosplay.
Some presentations will continue on without actors, including Paramount Animation’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (July 20, 11:30 a.m.), which may have presentation from director Jeff Rowe.
After the Oscar-winning success of RRR, the big-budget Project K (July 20, 1 p.m.) hopes to build on that momentum by becoming the first Indian project to hit Hall H. Collider also will host a Hall H “Directors on Directing” panel (July 21, 11 a.m.) with such helmers as Deadpool 2‘s David Leitch, Haunted Mansion‘s Justin Simien and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s Gareth Edwards, who is expected to show footage from The Creator.
FX will promote the fifth season of What We Do in the Shadows (July 20, 4:30 p.m.), and Peacock will show its new Anthony Mackie action-comedy series Twisted Metal (July 20, 3:15 p.m.).
Despite canceling The Wheel of Time panel, Prime Video will still be promoting the Steven Yeun-starring series Invincible, with a panel (July 21, 5:45 p.m.) and season-two screening (July 21, 10 p.m.). Starz also plans to present its John Wick spinoff series, The Continental (July 21, 3 p.m.).
Months after co-creator and star Justin Roiland was fired from Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty and Hulu’s Solar Opposites, (July 21, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.), though Roiland is not expected.
These panels have gotten modest attention in the past, but now they have chance to break through this year, including films not made by companies party to SAG-AFTRA agreement.
