Once again, movie studios were back at the Anaheim Wondercon on Saturday, giving panels and presentations on the big summer releases. The convention attendance is growing by the year, but thankfully there was still enough room in the Arena to hold most who wanted to attend. While there were more people than ever, it was a lower key set of presentations that included more filmmakers than actors. The following is a brief summary of what was shown.
If there was a theme to the proceedings, it seems as if a lot of the studio material had an apocalyptic bent, with end of the world scenarios and mass destruction on full display.
Warner Bros. started the day off with Edge of Tomorrow (June 6th), the sci-fi action film from director Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise. The movie is set during an alien invasion of Earth, and it follows a soldier who must relive the same day over and over. Bill Paxton appeared to show an extended trailer that displayed the truly massive scope of the film – it does appear much bigger and more elaborate than the first trailers have suggested. Paxton graciously delivered a few lines from fan favorite films (including Weird Science and Aliens) answered a few questions about his new career renaissance. He joked that it is a thrill to be offered colorful parts and not have to show up on set every day like stars Cruise and Emily Blunt.
There was a lengthy trailer for Into the Storm (August 8th). When a schoolteacher loses track of his son as a series of tornadoes hit, he joins a group of storm-chasers to try and locate the boy. The director and cast (including The Hobbit co-star Richard Armitage) explained the concept and unveiled some footage that included tornadoes ripping through schools, car lots, and an airport, tossing planes across the runway. A tornado with fiery flames is even highlighted. The effects look impressive, though the lack of any character moments makes one wonder how successfully the pieces will come together.
Finally, Godzilla (May 16th) director Gareth Edwards and showed a sequence from the upcoming film. The clip starts with a tsunami hitting a populated city as a monster approaches land. Then the action moves to one of the main characters at an airport. The scene shows more of the title creature as well as a preying mantis-like foe. In all, it was a very effective tease. Edwards revealed that unlike the previous Americanized version, he worked closely with Toho on this project. He stated that he wanted the new monstrously mutated foes to be organic to the story and that Toho approved all of his team’s monster designs for the film. The director also joked that fans should stop “thanking him” for making the movie – according to him, creating and shooting a giant monster movie was a purely selfish decision.
20th Century Fox followed with the opening sequence from How to Train Your Dragon 2 (June 13th) . Director Dean DeBlois and actor Jay Baruchel revealed that the sequel is part of a planned trilogy which they hope to complete if this film is a success. The story follows Hiccup several years later as dragons have become a part of society. In addition to some coming-of-age trouble, the character must try to stop a villain who intends to start a devastating war between man and dragon.
The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (July 11th) panel featured director Matt Reeves and stars Keri Russell, Gary Oldman and Andy Serkis. The director explained how interesting it was creating a post apocalyptic world and suggested that we’d see how the apes are evolving into societies. The story, he continues, features no traditional heroes or villains. It deals with two separate cultures inhabiting the same planet and exploring if they can come to peaceful resolution. The scene from the movie featured an ape coming across two gun toting guards. It starts out humorously as the animal starts pantomiming for them, before behavior slowly turns aggressive. It is an incredibly tense couple of minutes that made the audience eager to see more.
Another young adult novel adaptation coming soon is The Maze Runner (September 19th), and a panel brought out the director, cast and the author of the book. In the movie, a young man awakens in a plain surrounded by a giant maze. He and the other residents attempt not only to figure out why they’re there, but also find a way out. The production design looks impressive, but the footage was focused on action. Hopefully the intent will be to appeal to a larger audience than the tweens for whom the book was written. For those familiar with the story, the author stated that there will be no telepathy featured in the film adaptation. He continued that the filmmakers found other ways for the characters to communicate without the use of cheesy voice-overs, that the new technique is a more effective filmic storytelling technique, and that he approved the change.
Attendees were also shown an extended trailer and portion of the opening scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23rd). The clip from the very beginning of the movie had previously surfaced online, but this version featured far more fatalities and destruction. In fact, there were some gasps from X-Men fans (one presumes). The villainous Sentinels are a deadly force and it looks like the still living mutant heroes of this film have good reason to attempt to alter time. In all, it displayed a great deal of dramatic conflict in a short period. Hopefully, the final product will have audience members on the edges of their seats.
The biggest surprise was a rough, unfinished scene and promo clip for The Secret Service (October 24th), a new movie based on the Mark Millar comic book. Despite the temp score and unfinished look, it arguably got the most enthusiastic response of the day from the crowd. Colin Firth stars as the well dressed, umbrella-toting head of an independent secret service organization determined to stop wrongdoers. In the clip, he heads to a pub to recruit his young nephew into the fold. The kid is unimpressed with the protagonist’s stiff and proper manner, but things change when a gang enters and a fracas starts. It’s a drolly funny scene with a fast and dynamic fight featuring some impressive camera maneuvers. While set in the modern day, Firth’s character felt like a nod to John Steed from The Avengers. Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson also appeared briefly in the promo footage.
Universal Pictures also impressed with a half hour panel for Lucy (August 8th), starring Scarlett Johannson. This action film from director Luc Besson is a throwback to his action films La Femme Nikita and Leon (The Professional). Johannson plays a woman caught in a drug deal gone wrong. When an illicit substance leaks out of a baggie stored within her body, the unused recesses of Lucy’s brain begin developing at an alarming rate. She uses her newfound skills to turn the tables on the dealers. Besson introduced some sequences featuring the star in a firefight with gangsters and speeding through Paris street against the flow of traffic. The visuals were eye-popping and the end result could be a lot of fun.
In addition, a separate panel gave some interesting tidbits about a noteworthy independent production. The Fifth Beatle is an Eisner nominated graphic novel about the life of Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles. Vivek J. Tiwarty (who is also a Broadway producer) wrote the comic and gave some news about a film adaptation. He explained that the movie and graphic novel were developed concurrently and that the independent film should begin shooting by the end of the year. The lead actor (a name that will be known to many) should be announced in the next couple of months. Surprisingly, he also announced that the 3 1/2 year struggle to acquire the music rights for use in the film has been approved, so viewers will find themselves inundated with the classic Beatles tunes they’ve come to love. It was suggested that Paul McCartney has approved of the project and helped them secure the licensing. Bruce Cohen (American Beauty, Silver Linings Playbook) will produce and Peyton Reed (Down with Love, Bring It On) has signed to direct. Those interested in the story should do a search on The Fifth Beatle and check out the graphic novel/film website.