No one should have to follow Star Wars at San Diego Comic-Con. And yet, if ever there was a man for the job, it’s Kevin Smith. The comic-book icon and indie movie auteur typically takes the post-Marvel slot in Hall H, and maintains a chunk of the crowd as he regales them with filthy stories of his time in the Hollywood trenches. Well, not tonight.
That’s right. At the end of his panel on behalf of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, director J.J. Abrams invited EVERYONE in the Hall to come attend a free concert of Star Wars music. And everyone promptly got up and left. In an orderly fashion, mind you. But everyone left. 100% of the audience. Gone. So when Kevin Smith took the stage at Hall H – a place where he normally dominates – it looked like this:
Brutal. Seriously, that’s awful. And I feel really bad for Smith! He had no idea that J.J. Abrams was going to pull that stunt! They are friends! Didn’t J.J. think for a second that he had another panel behind him? Did he even know that it was Smith? The director, who planned to show footage from his upcoming comedy Yoga Hoser, almost bailed:
But he soldiered on, showed his trailer, held his court, and even shared this picture of his daughter – a star in the movie – presenting at the panel. Which had to be a very proud "Dad" moment for Kevin Smith… even if no one was really there to see it.
Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers is due to open in theaters later this year, though we don’t yet have a release date. Let’s hope J.J. Abrams doesn’t plan something Star Wars related the night before Smith tries to reach theaters.
