Compiled panel info/rumors, plus some thoughts on my personal planning ;)
2:30-5:00 Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Preview Their Upcoming Lineups—
Legendary Pictures: Pacific Rim-From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim. When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes — a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) — who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse. Pacific Rim also stars Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Charlie Day.
Warner Bros. Pictures: Man Of Steel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey-From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Jackson returns to Middle-earth in an adventure that begins 60 years before the events depicted in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The first of two films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows titular Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who-along with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a band of 13 Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)-is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. The film’s ensemble cast includes Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, and Andy Serkis as Gollum.
Expected attendees for The Hobbit: Peter Jackson, producer and co-screenwriter Phillipa Boyens, actor and director Andy Serkis along with featured actors Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage (via theonering.net) (Note that lineups frequently change, due to delayed flights and actors getting stuck in traffic ;) )
Non-Hobbit-y WB/Legendary stuff: reliable word is there will be a surprise presentation on Godzilla (apparently very cool presentation). Legendary is also doing a special private screening (offsite) with a director of one of their upcoming films showing teaser footage; you must win “The Pass” via Legendary’s Twitter or Facebook clues, with additional via IGN and Nerdist (more here).
Even without The Hobbit I was already going for “Pacific Rim”. I will be spending all day Saturday in Hall H. Haven’t strategized yet exactly *how* early I’m going; having it not be the first panel of the day makes for kind of brutal planning. (Tarantino’s Django Unchained is first, followed by End of Watch/Silent Hill Revelations; and bracketed with those agonizing trailer park filler segments.) Especially since the following 6-7 panel is Marvel (officially Iron Man 3 but probably covering Avengers 2, Thor 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, and smart money on Ant-Man test reel). If you’re attending and you’ll like to be linecamp buds, let me know! It’s gonna be a LONG DAY
