Pop culture conventions.
Almost every major city has one for all fans of the genre to attend. It’s not just limited to movies but also television and anime. I’ve attended Awesome Con in Washington D.C. the last two years and have never been disappointed. But there is one convention that claims to title as the crown jewel of conventions.
San Diego Comic-Con. Every summer, major studio company converges on the city to present new footage about current work and upcoming projects that are currently being worked to the applause of fans. Every year has brought something new to hype up their fans and give media members something to fill the internet with as the news breaks.
Despite the lack of Marvel presence this year, the biggest day of all conventions did not disappoint.
Instead of making individual posts, I’ve decided to make this “super post” with all the trailers and my thoughts. So here we go!
Godzilla: King of the Monsters – May 31, 2019
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, and Ken Watanabe.
A sequel to 2014’s Godzilla and the third film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, this film finds a groups of crypto-zoological scientists from the agency, Monarch, battling against an array of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla. Godzilla collides with classic monsters from his mythology, including Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. The effects look amazing from this first look trailer (look at that Godzilla blaster breath!) as the humans look helpless while the monsters vie for supremacy of the planet. Think we’ll see a link to King Kong to set up the upcoming Godzilla vs Kong film? Let’s hope so.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – November 16, 2018
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogel, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz
The sequel of 2016’s prequel to the Harry Potter films opens up this wizarding era with a darker tone. Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) is facing trial after his capture, with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). When Grindelwald escapes custody and starts to gather followers to his cause of wizard domination over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore (Law) tasks his former student to help fight against the dark wizard. Looking at this trailer, Newt doesn’t know the dangers that lie ahead. Luckily, he has friends willing to help, including Tina (Waterson) and Jacob (Fogel), from his earlier adventure. We also have callbacks to the original Harry Potter films with a Hogwarts lesson, the Mirror of Erised, and alchemist Nicholas Flamel. I hope I’m not the only one ready to return to the Wizarding World.
Glass – January 18, 2019
Starring: Bruce Willis, James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson
When M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed 2000’s Unbreakable, we thought it would be a one-off “superhero” thriller. Who suspect, 19 years later, that we’d be here; after learning that Unbreakable and 2016’s Split are actually in the same universe thanks to an unexpected cameo by Bruce Willis at the end, all the players are in attendance for the third and final installment. After the end of Split, superstrong human David Dunn (Willis), multiple personality disorder “beast” Kevin Wendell Crumb (McAvoy), and the fragile Mr. Glass (Jackson) are treated by Sarah Paulson’s Dr. Ellie Staple. The battle between good and evil expand beyond the mental facility as Dunn and the Beast collide. But never forget the name in the shadows: First name: Mister. Last name: Glass.
Shazam! – April 5, 2019
Starring: Asher Angel, Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Djimon Hounsou.
I know this film has been on all comic book fans’ minds after set photos have leaked online but no official trailer has been released for the upcoming DC comics film Now we find out why. This origin story tells the story of 14 year old Billy Batson (Angel) who finds himself with a new foster family. One day, the troubled child is confronted by an ancient wizard who gives the boy the power to transform into an older, godlike superhero. Billy and his foster brother, Freddy, must learn how to use his new powers in order to stop the villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong). I will say that this movie looks goofy and a little cheesy but considering the hero is a man with a 14 year old’s mind, this lighter tone might be just what the DC universe needs. Let’s hope this will be worth the wait.
Aquaman – December 21, 2018
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman
Speaking of worth the wait, another DC hero is getting his chance to stand in the sun. Or at least rule the seas in his first ever solo film. Director James Wan tells the story of Arthur Curry (Momoa), the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, must accept his destiny and lead his people and accept the hero he is. Meanwhile, he must contend with his Atlantiean half-brother and current ruler, Orm (Wilson), who looks to lash out against the surface dwellers in an all-out war. From the trailer, this film seems to take elements from Wonder Woman with the color palette and beauty of a new world, getting away from the grey tone of the previous DC Universe films. James Wan’s horror experience seems to come out in certain scenes and the underwater sets look great. Maybe this will right the DC film universe ship.
I definitely need to make my way to San Diego for this event some day; hopefully next year! If trailers like this and other footage I’ve come across are showing up, I’ve got to go there! What did you all think? Leave a comment and check my Facebook page, where I share any new trailers and news that I might not be able to get to here! Until next time!
One Scene at A Time 