Movie News
WonderCon Announces 2008 Programming Line-Up
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 9, 2008
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
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