Some very exciting news has come out of San Diego Comic-Con 2012. For all your folks whose psychic powers weren’t in effect last year when we had the [very brief] opportunity to buy tickets, we’ve decided to outline the very juiciest tidbits out of SDCC. And so without further ado…
Godzilla
First up we have Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla remake. In case you missed it, Edwards was the visionary who famously made Monsters on a shoestring budget. One of the more thoughtful creature films of the last decade, his allegory-over-thrills approach to that movie will hopefully transfer over to one of the most iconic figures in cinema, giving the classic Godzilla tale the depth and emotion that modern a expect. [via /Film]
At Comic-Con, some quick proof-of-concept footage was shown, and a teaser poster was released:
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The behemoth that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a lot to show for itself at SDCC this year. From the launch of “Phase 2” of their superhero film lineup to more juicy details on the films we were already anticipating, fans around the world were in a tizzy by the time they finished their presentations.
The sequels to both Thor and Captain America have both officially been given subtitled sequel names:
Rumors are running rampant on the subject of what Thor: The Dark World will be about: everything from a dark elf plot to The Enchantress (as previously speculated) to the story of Hela, Loki’s daughter, has been suggested. For Captain America: Winter Soldier, there’s a bit more to go on. The Winter Soldier is a well-known adversary-turned-ally in the comics to the hero in stars and stripes. We’ve also now heard that Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, The Adjustment Bureau) is in talks to play the Falcon, so that’s exciting.
Marvel didn’t stop there, though, and proceeded to reveal two previously unannounced films to the public: Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, which the fine folks over on /Film said had a rather comedic but realistic vibe to it, and The Guardians of the Galaxy, a film which will lead into the Avengers 2 with its introduction of Thanos.
We even got this cool little piece of concept art for Guardians, showcasing Drax the Destroyer, Starlord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot.
Finally, the franchise that originally got the ball rolling for Marvel topped everything off. Iron Man 3 footage was shown and is reportedly every fan’s dream, probably in large part due to the official news that Ben Kingsley’s villain will be Iron Man’s archenemy The Mandarin. Funny how Shane Black, the director, denied this so heatedly in the past… [via io9]
Anyway, here’s a neat look at the new Iron Man armor (the Mark VIII):
Man of Steel
Not to be outdone, DC came out strong with a showing of Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, Man of Steel. In addition to an apparently tantalizing film reel showcasing Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, and Michael Shannon as a yet-unnamed villain, this elegantly simple teaser poster was released:
There were two interesting tidbits we gleaned from this panel. The first is while Snyder wouldn’t come out and say if Shannon’s villain was General Zod, he may have let it slip later when a fan asked a question relating Zod’s role in the film and he said nothing to deny the assertion. The other major piece of good news is that while Snyder has previously stated that no interconnectivity between Man of Steel and a Justice League movie was planned, he made a much more amenable statement about Superman’s importance in a superhero team-up movie and implied some sort of nod would likely be made Man of Steel.
For my own part, I have to assume if WB is at all serious about a Justice League of America film, they’re really going to have to get to work building up at least some of the cast of that film. And who doesn’t love those interfilm references anyway?
As you think about where Snyder can go with his big screen version of the man who leaps tall buildings and flies faster than a speeding bullet, be sure to read Tim’s retrospective on Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. We should also mention that a short teaser is purportedly attached to The Dark Knight Rises, so we all have that to look forward to. [via /Film]
The Hobbit
Decidedly not shown in 48 FPS or 3D, the actual content of Peter Jackson’s epic was allowed to rest on its own merit as a beautiful, fantasy-filled adventure that closely echoes the charm of its source material and the Lord of the Rings trilogy – see io9 for a detailed, in-depth (and spoiler-y) synopsis of what was shown. Perhaps more interesting than that, the film may be part of its own trilogy – GeekTyrant says Jackson may have enough footage to warrant a second round of shooting next year, yielding a third film after An Unexpected Journey and There and Back Again.
Having read The Hobbit, I can’t see how this is even remotely feasible, even with the additional information buried in the appendices, but embellishment on the original tale might just do the trick. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
On a side note, GeekTyrant also makes mention of the possibility of a film adaptation of The Silmarillion. Unfortunately, the Tolkien estate still has the rights and isn’t too happy with The Lord of the Rings films as they stand. It may be just as well, though, because the Wikipedia articles on The Silmarillion are more interesting than The Silmarillion itself. Sorry, Christopher Tolkien, but it had to be said. [via IGN)
Elysium
Neil Blomkamp’s second effort after District 9 stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster and appears to be a smart, well-written sci-fi film. Reports say that it capitalizes on its budget to expand ont the concepts explored in District 9. I won’t give any more away than that because the footage they showed seems to give a bunch of the story away, but search around the net if you’re interested in reading a play-by-play description. [via /Film]
Pacific Rim
Apparently it’s about huge robots that dwarf those seen in Bay’s Transformers series fighting huge monsters, and it’ll all be directed by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy). Yep. [via /Film]
And there you have it! 2012 has been a great year with a lot of cool surprises still to come, but even more cool stuff is just over the horizon, well into 2013, 2014, and beyond. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to leave your thoughts about all of these big reveals and sneak peaks below!
~ Søren
