This one should be quick.

Shutter is a remake of an Asian horror film, complete with scary Asian chicks in dimly lit rooms. It’s rated PG-13. It stars Pacey Witter.

I’m not giving Shutter the benefit of the doubt, I know. And I’m okay with that. Stars Rachael Taylor (the other girl in Transformers) and James Kyson Lee (the other Asian in NBC’s Heroes) were at WonderCon to represent the film, but the panel never stood a chance of being interesting or appreciated. Not only was it placed immediately before the X-Files 2 presentation, but it was moderated by some poor sap from 20th Century Fox who felt the need to fill time with incredibly boring questions and comments regarding the history and practice of spirit photography… zzzz. The trailer was generic. The scenes previewed were mind-numbingly lackluster. The thirty minute presentation lasted exactly thirty minutes too long.

Shutter opens March 21st (and most likely closes by March 27th.)

The first Narnia movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was an impressive start to the series. The effects were top-notch, the battles were epic, and the Christian mythology was toned down enough to make it palatable. If I had to criticize anything about it (which per FSR rules I do have to do), it would be the overall feeling that this was purely a kid’s movie. Fun and entertaining to be sure, but light and harmless as well. For this reason, I’m happy to say my favorite quote from the Prince Caspian WonderCon preview this weekend is the following.

“Prince Caspian is darker and much more savage.”

The sole panel guest for the film was KNB effects wiz Howard Berger, and as he’s in charge of the prosthetic effects I think he’s in a good position to know the degree of savagery. Judging by the several minutes of footage premiered, as unfinished as some of it was, I have to say I can see a much stronger intensity in the battles and fights. The action definitely seemed more brutal and severe. The scope of the film seemed larger as well, if that’s possible. One clash in particular I’m looking forward to is a battle royale between stars Peter “Soulful Eyes” Dinklage and Warwick “Effin Ewok” Davis.

None of the young stars of Prince Caspian were present, which was fine as I wouldn’t have recognized any of them anyhow. The Q and A from the crowd was limited mostly to questions about inspiration and favorite characters… to be expected but still extremely boring. Surprisingly (or not), Berger announced that they’re already involved in pre-production on the third film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Prince Caspian opens May 16th.

Without a doubt, the biggest surprise for me at this year’s WonderCon was my reaction to Pixar’s new film Wall-E. Obviously I knew it existed, but honestly, I just didn’t care all that much. Unlike a lot of people who apparently believe the folks at Pixar walk on water and poop rainbows, I’m not exactly sold on their genius and infallibility. This is partly due to the fact that I work one block away from their Bay Area compound in Emeryville, and I see the schleps that come walking through their big iron gates, smiling and happy after a game of volleyball or a walk around their well-manicured lawns and ponds… so we’ll label that bitterness I suppose. But secondly, and more importantly, I just don’t agree that all of their films have been untouchable masterpieces. Finding Nemo is, but that’s it. The others run the gamut from really good (Toy Story) to obnoxious (Cars).

Writer/director Andrew Stanton crossed the bay to preview Wall-E and after seeing these four clips I have to say I’m sold. The first is a montage scene showing a day in the life of Wall-E, the last robot on Earth, still doing what he was programmed to do. He spends each day gathering and compacting trash into little cubes that he stacks into big organized piles. Over the years he’s also developed a personality and has been collecting items that intrigue him. A rubber ducky, a ring box (he tosses aside the engagement ring inside), and other odds and ends all end up in his cooler. Clip two shows the arrival of a new robot, EVE, and Wall-E’s efforts to impress “her” with his treasures. There are some nice gags involving bubble wrap, a Rubik’s Cube, and one of those stupid wall-mounted fish that move and sing when someone passes by. Clip three finds EVE back on her ship as it prepares to launch. Wall-E tries to reach her and hops a ride on the exterior of the ship as it takes off. This scene is incredibly beautiful as the ship exits the atmosphere and begins its journey through space. The visuals of the sun and moon, space particles and distant galaxies are incredible… even more so because after the scene Stanton actually apologized for the clip being unfinished and in need of more work! The final clip has EVE trying to send Wall-E back to Earth because he doesn’t belong on their ship. They both hide when a smaller robot whizzes past to deposit a potted plant, one stem rising from the dirt, into one of the pods. Wall-E enters the pod to retrieve the plant for EVE, but the doors close and the pod is launched as an automated self-destruct sequence starts on the console. EVE jettisons out to save him… and the pod explodes.

Across these four scenes, and with extremely limited (almost non-existent) dialogue, Wall-E pulled me in to the emotions of the story and the relationship completely. Wall-E’s personality is relayed so strongly from his actions, interests, and the movement of his “eyes” (Stanton was inspired at an Oakland A’s game while playing with a pair of binoculars). Surrounded by the trappings of science fiction, Stanton maintains this is a love story at its core. He denied the rumors that there’s zero dialogue in the film. He says there is dialogue, but you just don’t always understand what’s being said. Additionally, for those of you who were concerned… John Ratzenberger is in the movie. Should be easy to spot as he’s playing a character named John.

Wall-E opens June 27th.

Easily the most anticipated panel at WonderCon this year was for The X-Files 2. The crowd was at capacity for the first time this weekend, and they cheered loudly at even the smallest things. The girl that came out to place the name cards dragged the act out for a few minutes as each card drew a bigger response from the audience. By the third and fourth card (for Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny), the audience had become a writhing mass of sweat and sex juices. (In the interest of honesty, I myself am a huge fan of the show, particularly the Duchovny years, but I was able to keep my bodily fluids in check.)

The panel was preceded by a very slick-looking new trailer… the very one leaked to YouTube less than a day later. (And no, I am not the nefarious scoundrel responsible for said leakage.) The trailer showed off some great action pieces as well as some fresh faces including Amanda Peet and Billy Connolly. The crowd’s response was huge, but easily dwarfed by the screams and cheers once the guests actually came onstage. It’s apparently a big deal that Duchovny and Anderson appeared together as they never have at any convention prior. The reason for that was evident on their faces (on creator/writer/director Chris Carter’s face as well) as they absolutely did not want to there. It’s clear they appreciate the fans, but you can tell this is not their preferred scene. Yes they were tired from shooting the night before and flying in that morning, but they looked bored and put out for the first fifteen minutes or so.

They jumped right in with the Q and A (which culminated in the weekend’s second example of the crowd acting as moral arbiter… see my article on Get Smart for the first.) Fans seemed mixed on the idea of the sequel being less concerned with the X-Files mythology (ie. aliens, Cancer Man, and the black goo) and more of a ‘monster of the week’ movie. I for one am thrilled by the news, as I think the alien abduction storyline has been driven into the ground. Plus, a stand-alone film will have a wider audience, which means bigger box office, which means more sequels. Carter made two guarantees about the new film, first that “it will scare the pants off you” and second, that we’ll “see Mulder and Scully in a whole new way.”

Duchovny and Anderson were asked how difficult it was getting back into these characters. Anderson replied that she “sucked for the first two days of shooting… I kept telling myself no no, that’s a Scully mannerism, before realizing that yes, I was supposed to be Scully.” Duchovny agreed saying he was “woefully unprepared” to return to the role. When asked if any other familiar faces return in the new movie, Carter would only say that nobody’s ever really dead in the world of the X-Files.

Towards the end of the questions one fan reminded the panel why they hate coming to these conventions. “I love you guys. You mean more to me than anything else,” she said, with no trace of exaggeration. “My husband had a stroke last night and I’m here.” She was not joking. And after a few seconds of stunned silence, the room erupted with boos and hisses. She mumbled something then fell back into the crowd’s gaping maw.

On a more positive note, Duchovny thanked the crowd for proving to them and the studio that the X-Files still had an audience. Anderson also shared the news that “memorabilia, paraphernalia, and prophylactics” from The X-Files 2 movie set will be auctioned online to benefit various charities.

The X-Files 2 opens July 25th.

Jon Favreau is a funny guy. He comes on stage, shows a few incredible scenes from his new Iron Man movie, and then mentions a new ninety-second ad that will be airing during next week’s Lost. “I’m sorry,” he says, “I wasn’t able to bring the ad to show you today.” A pause. “But I did bring a new two and a half minute trailer…” Huge cheers.

The new trailer will be premiering in front of 10,000 B.C. and it is awesome. I’m not a comic book guy, and for every great comic book movie there seems to be at least five crappy ones. Iron Man looks to be one of the former with a perfectly executed combination of action, effects, and laughs. And of course Robert Downey Jr., perfectly cast as Tony Stark. Favreau even said it was the fans online who helped him finally convince the studios that Downey was right for the role.

Three full scenes were screened, all showing the progression of the Iron Man suit. First, Stark attempts a test run with the jet boots. He ‘s not looking to fly, just hover. Three, two, one… and he flies up and slams into a wall. The second scene shows a more successful test of the boots with Stark hovering throughout his lab/garage. He doesn’t have complete control however as the flames from his boots glide across the hoods of three very expensive looking cars. This scene also gives a good example of the humor with Stark interacting with his robots. The final scene shows Stark in the full armor preparing for a test flight outside. The movie looks spectacular, and it’ll probably be the one to beat this summer.

The suit is a combination of CGI and a physical suit created by Stan Winston’s studio. “I’m a Luddite,” Favreau said, “I’m not a fan of CGI.” That said, he admitted that Winston and ILM worked so well together that sometimes even he can’t distinguish in a scene if the suit is real or CGI. Favreau may have found a new niche in comic book films, especially if Iron Man does well. Personally I’ll be surprised if it isn’t one of the top five grossing movies of the year. Favreau’s already eyeing his next comic book adaptation. “If this movie makes a lot of money, I might get to direct the Avengers movie.” That would be very cool indeed.

Iron Man opens May 2nd.

The first Harold and Kumar film wasn’t a huge box office hit, but it’s had a fantastic shelf life on DVD. It was funny as hell, unpredictable, and had crazy Neil Patrick Harris in it to boot. The sequel looks to be more of the same on all three counts. It picks up with Harold and Kumar at the airport heading to Amsterdam before being mistaken for terrorists and chased across country. Writer/directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg joined star John Cho (he’s the Asian) on stage for the extremely well received and hysterical preview. (Cho said Kal Penn couldn’t be there because he’s in rehab for Quaaludes.)

Before I get to the four scenes that were shown, allow me to share what makes Hurwitz and Schlossberg my new favorite directors. “Everyone’s seen topless pool parties, we’ve wanted to see a bottom-less pool party since we were fourteen years old… We’re extremely proud that our movie has more female frontal nudity than an Hollywood movie we can think of.”

Unfortunately that scene wasn’t one of those previewed, but the crowd wasn’t disappointed. First came a scene of Harold and Kumar at the airport having a fun run-in with TSA. The second found the duo on the plane, with Kumar sharing his new invention, the smokeless bong… much to the chagrin of fellow passengers who believe it to be a bomb. Next was a longer cut of the interrogation scene from the trailer, ending with the pair dropped into Guantanamo Bay prison. Finally, the twosome wanders some woods only to come across a gathering of KKK members in a scene reminiscent of Blazing Saddles. It was all very funny stuff and seems to be another great mix of sex/drugs/racial comedy.

Fans tried to get some Star Trek info from Cho, who’s been cast as Sulu in the upcoming movie, but he wasn’t budging. (Although Hurwitz said that since he doesn’t know JJ Abrams, he could reveal a spoiler… “Sulu speaks with an Australian accent!” He seemed sincere.) Cho was also asked what it’s like to be the face of MILF (a reference to a line from his small role in American Pie) and he said it was a dubious distinction. Quite possibly the funniest movie of the year… and a bottom-less pool party? I’m in!

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay opens April 25th.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a fan of the original Get Smart series. To me it was basically Gilligan’s Island with spies. When I saw the first teaser for the upcoming movie my initial impression consisted of painful flashbacks to the recent movie versions of I Spy, Starsky and Hutch, and Bewitched. Basically I was not impressed.

Which is why I’m incredibly surprised that the WonderCon preview has turned me around 180 degrees. A new, longer trailer was premiered and it was less big-screen rehash and more comedy gold. Smart physical comedy coupled successfully with even smarter dialogue. Plus the action and stunts looked pretty impressive for a comedy. After three Adam Sandler crapfests in a row (including the absolute worst film I’ve seen in a theatre in the past decade, Anger Management) director Peter Segal may have finally found the magical combination between mass appeal and critical acclaim.

Stars Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway joined Segal onstage, and all three of them were in top form. The group played off each other perfectly which bodes well for onscreen chemistry. When asked about his relationship with Hathaway in the movie, Carell’s response was an immediate “Hot… really hot.” Questions from the enthusiastic audience were aimed mainly towards Carell, so when one young man got up and said “My question is for Anne Hathaway” the crowd cheered and Hathaway seemed pleased. “I feel so much better than I ever did in high school,” she said. The fan continued, “How was it working with Steve Carell?” Laughs filled the room and without missing a beat Anne said “And now I feel just like I did in high school.”

Regarding The Office, Carell said new episodes will be on in April, and that due to a recent stint of his own on jury duty he plans to write an episode that finds Michael Scott stuck with jury duty too. The only negative reaction of the presentation came when one fan prefaced his question by saying Carell should have played The Joker in the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. The crowd’s reaction was immediate and severe with boos and insults shouted at the poor shmuck regarding his insensitivity to Heath Ledger’s recent passing. The microphone’s kill switch was employed, and the incensed crowd swallowed up the idiot.

Get Smart opens on June 20th.

Emmerich’s newest film, 10,000 B.C. could go either way, but after the recent WonderCon preview I actually think it’ll be closer to The Patriot. The movie has looked amazing from the very first trailer, and the longer one they showed here continues that impression. This new footage made me even more interested as the spectacle was coupled with a stronger sense of story. The effects continue to impress, but we were given a glimpse of the love story at the film’s core. While I don’t think it’ll approach the emotional levels of The Patriot, it looks to have more heart than any of Emmerich’s other films.

Emmerich was joined onstage by the lovely and beguiling Camilla Belle and Steven Strait (who’s a guy so I don’t have any good adjectives for him.) When asked about a rumored connection to his previous Egyptian-themed film Stargate, Emmerich quickly shot it down. He said he’s very intrigued by Egyptian culture, but that the idea for this movie actually came from a Discovery Channel documentary on mammoths. “My detractors point to the visual fireworks,” Emmerich said, “but for me story is the priority.” He’ll have yet another chance to prove that when the movie opens next month.

10,000 B.C. opens March 7th.

Speaking of WonderCon, our own Rob Hunter is there on the convention floor bringing us all the details. Check out our WonderCon homepage for more. Oh, and it wasn’t Rob who recorded this, Fox. We promise.

Sound Off: What are your thoughts on the return of Mulder and Scully? Is this going to be a huge hit this summer, or will it get lost amongst the other big blockbusters?

Fraser was at WonderCon on Friday promoting the latter of those two films. I say promoting, but what he was really up to is anyone’s guess. Every question that got tossed his way (and a few he just jumped in on) resulted in a long, rambling “answer” about how 3D is going to revolutionize the film going experience or how bad the screenplay was when he first received it. I’m not kidding either.

“3D is the next step in cinematography, like when movies went from silent to talkies… 3D is going to return that feeling of what it means to go to the movies again.” Uh huh, and SmelloVision can’t be far behind…

“The screenplay was like a three day old smorgasbord… everyone’s had their hands in it… the script itself needed some work… I had to think what we can do to keep the audience interested.” Not let Fraser speak for starters…

Producer Charlotte Huggins and 3D expert Ed Marsh joined Fraser onstage, but they had little to add. I’m sure they’re very nice people though. New Line premiered some footage from the film, which also added very little. I know, it sounds like I’m being really harsh to this movie but nothing that was said or shown makes me even remotely interested in seeing the finished product. I’m not the target audience for one thing, as it seems to be aimed more towards the kiddies. For another thing, the footage just looked bad. The dialogue was painful (Fraser got that right), and the effects were humdrum. That said, the main hook of the movie is supposed to be its incredibly effective and awe-inspiring 3D technology… which couldn’t be shown in the screening due to technical restraints.

So I’ll wrap it up with some miscellaneous tidbits. Fraser took this opportunity to apologize for Monkeybone, an “$80 million art film.” When asked about Mummy 3 he said “it takes the genre to a new place.” (I don’t think he meant China.) James Cameron, who appeared in the making-of footage, is jokingly irked (read: pissed off) that this movie is the first to use his Cameron/Pace Fusion Camera system for true 3D brilliance. (He created it to use for his own film, Avatar, which should be released by 2018.)

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D opens July 11th.

Not all movies are meant to be believable. This includes the obvious genres of sci-fi and fantasy, but can often apply to action films as well. I know that, and I’m okay with it, but a part of me has to draw the line somewhere. That line is rarely crossed, and the only recent example I can think of is the kinetic shitball that was Shoot ‘Em Up. I’d call it a live-action cartoon, but that’s unfair to cartoons. It was a flurry of nothing, and I was not a fan.

Which brings me to the new film from director Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted. He made the visually stunning but ultimately disjointed Night Watch and Day Watch, and now he finds himself at the reins of a big-budget Hollywood summer film starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy. Having seen the previously released trailer I was mildly interested but wary of the Shoot ‘Em Up odor I detected. WonderCon previewed an entire action scene from Wanted today, and I think my initial impression was correct. It was accompanied by a video introduction from Bekmambetov stating that the effects were unfinished. For those interested, here’s a rundown of the scene.

Jolie and McAvoy are in a convenient store being shot at by another man. Jolie, looking tight and tattooed, whips out a wickedly hinged handgun that she flips side to side to shoot around corners. Even though she appears to have the bad guy dead to rights at one point, she instead shoots out the security mirrors as McAvoy runs from the store. Bad guy chases after him, eventually chasing him down in a delivery truck. Jolie comes skidding in driving a fancy sports car, McAvoy falls through the open passenger door into the car, and the chase is on. The delivery truck keeps up with the sports car. Lots of dodging and weaving through traffic. Some of those space-bending bullets from the earlier trailer. Jolie fires multiple rounds at the truck (but never at the tires) to no avail, even going so far as to shoot out her own front windshield so she can lay out on the hood on her back and shoot over the roof. Some nice suggestive shots of her spread legs sticking into the car, one foot with McAvoy and the other steering the car. She crawls back in, pulls the car into a skid, and flips the car sideways into the side of a bus. The bus falls over, and the sports car is now right side up and drives off the bus and down the road. Some of the effects did look in need of polishing, particularly the multiple CGI cars they whizzed past during the chase. And yes, the scene plays as ridiculously as it sounds. (Although somewhat less convoluted…)

James McAvoy came out after the clip, and as the sole guest on the panel he managed to be almost as entertaining and equally as engaging as the Forgetting Sarah Marshall cast that preceded him. He was fun, honest, and full of praise for Jolie’s intensity and professionalism. During the Q and A he was also extremely humble and self-deprecating, stating that he was happy to see them cast him in the action role instead of the typical tall, rugged, “built like a brick shithouse”, really good looking man. He’s proven himself in The Last King of Scotland and Starter for Ten to be an talented and interesting actor, and as such he may be a good enough reason to watch this movie.

Wanted opens June 27th.

For more photos from WonderCon 2008, head over to our Official Flickr Page where I will be posting new stuff all weekend.

I hate it when a movie blows its wad in the trailer. Just about all kinds of movies are guilty of it, but comedies seem to be the most egregious. When I saw the first trailer for Forgetting Sarah Marshall I laughed a few times, but I figured those were the best bits from the movie. Then the red band trailer was released and I laughed quite a bit more. Again though, I was convinced those had to be the funniest lines and scenes the movie had to offer.

Well I just came from the WonderCon preview panel for Forgetting Sarah Marshall where they showed six minutes of footage (a mix of old and new), and I’m still laughing. I’m cynical enough to say again that there can’t be anything funny left in the film, but at this point I wouldn’t bet on it. The movie looks laugh your ass off funny. Like Superbad funny. That isn’t really a surprise as it’s an Apatow and Friends production, but then again so was Walk Hard: A Dewey Cox Story…

On stage today for the WonderCon preview were director Nick Stoller, writer/star Jason Segal, regular stars Mila Kunis, Jack McBrayer, Russell Brand, Kristen Bell, and producer Shauna Robertson. Aside from Bell, who is as bland as an air-flavored rice cake, the cast is fun, witty, and entertaining in person. Segal is endearing in his first starring role. Kunis is lively and looking better than she ever appeared on That 70’s Show. McBrayer is playing the same character he does on 30 Rock (although the point was raised that he may be playing himself), which is fine because he’s still funny. The real surprise here is Brand. Already a star in England, if he’s half as hysterical in the movie as he is in person he won’t be a stranger here for long. And Bell? She bores all five of my senses. A skinny girl in a bikini is not automatically hot, and that same skinny girl in a Judd Apatow movie is not automatically funny.

The Q and A wasn’t very revealing, although one deranged fan did ask Bell about a possible Veronica Mars reunion. She responded that there have been “talks” about a possible movie, but that they’d have to hurry up before the cast gets too old. I think she’s lying. The others had nothing new to report on the movie front, although Segal did say his penis is available for film work, both professional and home movies.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall opens April 18th.

For more photos from WonderCon 2008, head over to our Official Flickr Page where I will be posting new stuff all weekend.

An Asian booth-babe in short shorts, mirrored sunglasses, and a blonde wig showed me dirty pictures on the floor of WonderCon today. And that was in the first five minutes. Sure she was shilling for Lionsgate, and I was just another mark to her, but damnit her exposed midriff spoke to me. Unfortunately it was begging me to go see Larry the Cable Guy in Witless Protection, so I had to turn away.

Lionsgate is one of a handful of studios presenting their wares at WonderCon 2008 this weekend in San Francisco. WonderCon, like its bigger (much bigger) brother ComicCon is ostensibly about comics. In recent years though Hollywood has gotten wise to the fact that comic book fans are a large part of their base for certain kinds of films. Whereas ComicCon is pretty evenly split now between comics and movies, WonderCon is still mostly comic book oriented. With more than 90% of the booths and guests focused on that world, the film pickings were slim indeed, and I found myself returning again and again to the Lionsgate display…

Aside from my new girlfriend and her taut tummy, Lionsgate was also pushing the upcoming Clive Barker adaptation, Midnight Meat Train. By pushing I mean they had some posters up on a wall. It’s a great poster, and the trailer for the film looks pretty cool, but more of an effort would have been nice. Equally as impressive (feel the sarcasm) was the Warner Independent Pictures booth advertising the upcoming remake of Funny Games. One nice touch, the high school graduates who were hired to work the booth were dressed all in white, including gloves, as a nod to the two young killers in the film. Having learned nothing from their redo of The Vanishing, Hollywood has the original film’s director remaking it (almost verbatim) in English. I asked why Michael Haneke felt compelled to tread such familiar ground, and was told he had remade it in English so its message could reach a wider audience. I’ve seen the original and don’t recall a message or moral other than don’t ever open your front door to strangers, so we’ll have to wait and see if maybe something was lost in the translation.

One movie booth that that did make an effort was for first-time director Bruce Dickson’s Red Velvet. They had props, posters, and a trailer playing, and were working hard trying to sell the movie, literally sell it in fact as they have yet to sign a distributor. “It’s gory, funny, and sexy! And it’s got some names in it… like… the kid from ET!” Henry “Penis Breath” Thomas I asked? One in the same they replied (after a pause), and then informed me that he was scheduled to appear for an autograph signing later today! The engaging hucksters continued as I took photos of the admittedly eye-catching posters. “It’s not torture-porn. We didn’t want to do that. This movie’s for everyone, kids, even Grandma would enjoy it!” I was about to remind them of their “gory, funny, and sexy” claim, but who am I to judge someone else’s family?

In general, day one was a very low-key convention floor experience. Some of the booths were still being set up and decorated. Aside from the seemingly millions of comic books for sale, you can also purchase miscellaneous movie-themed swords and knives from four separate dealers. Bootleg dvds and vhs abound, but nothing really worth paying for. One interesting exhibitor was Reynolds Advanced Materials. Sexy name I know, but they make rubber, plastic, and foam materials for film effects, and they had a couple display items of interest. Namely Angelina Jolie’s upper and lower lips. Okay, they were part of a whole-face mold, but I still touched them. The same fingers I’m using to type this report that you’re reading touched the rubber that came out of the mold that touched her face. Has to mean something in a Six Degrees of Angie’s Lips kind of way. A handful of folks walked around in costume, from the titular Hitman character to some equally titular anime-themed ladies. From the ubiquitous and convention-required Star Wars Storm troopers to some guy dressed as Lou Ferrigno from The Incredible Hulk. Oh wait, that is Lou Ferrigno. Alone at a booth, with no one in line for a picture or autograph. As the saddest piano music ever heard on television played in my head, I turned, hiked my backpack over my shoulder, and walked slowly away. Back to Lionsgate it is…

For more photos from WonderCon 2008, head over to our Official Flickr Page where I will be posting new stuff all weekend.

The above image comes to us from our friend Vic at Screenrant, who is on the floor at Wondercon 2008 in San Francisco. Our own Rob Hunter is there, but he is covering some other cool stuff — so there is no reason why we shouldn’t find a little help from our friends. The poster shows the evolution of Iron Man’s suit from Mark 1 to Mark 3 in the upcoming Paramount actioner Iron Man, which hits theaters on May 2. Iron Man is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes and Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts.

Just click the image to see the larger version of the poster, which could also make for a very cool desktop background.

On another Iron Man related note, if you haven’t seen the Super Bowl TV spot, we would highly recommend it.

Hat tip: /Film

The fine folks at WonderCon have announced their 2008 programming line-up and we couldn’t be more excited. As you will see below, they have a hell of a line-up, including some great looks at some of the summer’s hottest flicks. Previews of Iron Man, Wanted and even the third Starship Troopers film are planned. We are sending our own Rob Hunter out to San Francisco to cover the weekend’s action. Will you be there with him?

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

3:30-4:30 History of Superhero Movies— Comic books started out modestly 75 years ago, printed on pulp paper and appealing to a very young audience. Today, comics have become American mythology with a broad ranging readership, with legendary characters and stories that have transcended time and inspired generations of readers and artists in all different mediums. With movie companies now issuing bonds to finance the purchase of rights to characters, super-hero movies have become an international multi-billion dollar industry. Arie Kaplan and Eddy Friedfeld analyze the history of the comic book movie, from the innovative Fleischer animated Superman cartoons and the Columbia Batman and Superman serials of the 1940s to George Reeves and Christopher Reeve’s Men of Steel, to the modern collection of Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney and Bale Batmans, Superman Returns, the Spider-Man trilogy, Ghost Rider and the upcoming The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. Room 236/238

5:30-6:30 Universal: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Wanted— For anyone whose heart has been ripped out comes a hilarious look at relationships from the producers of Knocked Up: Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The romantic disaster comedy’s Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Jack McBrayer, director Nicholas Stoller and producer Shauna Robertson are scheduled to appear on the WonderCon stage. In Wanted, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie star in a fantasy-thriller with a hero for a new generation. Based upon Mark Millar’s graphic novel and directed by stunning visualist Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted uncovers one apathetic nobody’s transformation into an enforcer of justice. Star James McAvoy is scheduled to appear. Hall A

6:30-7:00 New Line Cinema: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D— Based on the classic Jules Verne novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, Journey 3D, the first live action digital 3D movie, is an exhilarating adventure staring Brendan Fraser as a science professor whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the academic community. On an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey deep beneath the Earth’s surface where they travel through never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures. Journey 3D is directed by Academy Award-winning visual effect veteran Eric Brevig. The film, which is a co-venture between New Line Cinema and Walden Media, is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2008. Star Brendan Fraser will be present to discuss the film. In addition, a special screening of never before seen footage in 3D will be shown at the Metreon later Friday evening! Attend this panel for a chance at a ticket for that limited-seating screening. Hall A

On the next page: Saturday and Sunday of WonderCon 2008