The studios rolled out their big guns at Comic-Con over the weekend as panels from Warner Bros, Marvel Studios and Universal stirred up the crowd.
Zack Snyder and select cast members introduced footage from his upcoming action fantasy tale Sucker Punch starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens and Jon Hamm, among others.
The story of a girl who plans her escape from an institution by creating an imaginary world drew arguably the biggest reaction from the 6,500-seater Hall H during the four-day convention in San Diego, recalling the response to Disney’s Tron: Legacy panel on Thursday [22]. Warner Bros has scheduled a March 2011 North American release.
The studio also showed sneak footage from part one of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – due out around the world in November – and introduced an adoring crowd to Ryan Reynolds as The Green Lantern, scheduled for release in June 2011.
The Marvel Studios panel confirmed Mark Ruffalo’s new role as The Hulk after the studio parted ways with Ed Norton. Ruffalo walked onstage dressed as the green aberration and took his place on a star-laden panel to promote The Avengers.
Universal, riding high on the North American success of its animation Despicable Me, unveiled the graphic novel adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs The World starring Michael Cera. This was a Comic-Con highlight and the studio hosted several screenings of Edgar Wright’s adapation of Canadian writer Brian Lee O’Malley’s zany, cult episodic about young love. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick and Chris Evans also star.
Director Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige surrounded themselves with the talent who comprise the superhero team: Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury), and Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson).
The highlight of Friday’s Sony panel came courtesy of The Other Guys, the buddy comedy set to open in North American on August 6. Director Adam McKay confirmed he will next direct the comic book series The Boys. Creator Garth Ennis conceived the lead character Wee Hughie with Simon Pegg in mind, however the English star had not spoken of his involvement at time of writing.
McKay and The Other Guys stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and Eva Mendes entertained Hall H and the panel set the stage for another announcement. McKay and Ferrell have produced a documentary called The Virginity Hit that Sony will release in autumn. The film follows two youngsters as they prepare to have sex for the first time.
Sony also rolled out Seth Rogen to talk about The Green Hornet and brought on the cast of supernatural thriller Priest. Both are due to open in 2011.
Earlier on Friday, Summit Entertainment showed footage from the exploitation action film Drive Angry 3D. Stars Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard and William Fichtner and director Patrick Lussier attended an earnest session.
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