With each passing year the San Diego Comic Con becomes a stranger and stranger beast. Despite the fact that the convention has “Comic” in the name, movie studios are constantly bringing new films to the event that have absolutely nothing to do with superheroes, graphic novels or the like. Fortunately, however, we have the Saturday schedule. While other days of the week may be tainted with titles that make you whisper, “What the fuck?” Saturday is the day when the proper Comic Con films come out to play and that tradition continues in 2012.
The official San Diego Comic Con website has posted the Saturday schedule for this year’s convention and it’s filled to the brim with the movies that actually belong, including Marvel’s Iron Man 3, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, as well as upcoming epics like Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Like every year, it promises to be the biggest day of the event, and, also like every year, the Cinema Blend team will be down in San Diego covering every minute of it. Check out Saturday’s schedule below! (To see the rest of the Comic Con schedule, click HERE)
SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 After Earth— Enter the world of After Earth with an in-depth panel that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the universe of the upcoming film and comic book. With the film now in post-production and set to hit theaters next June, screenwriter Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) and director of photography Peter Suschitzky (The Empire Strikes Back) will discuss the making of the film. They will be joined by comic book artist Beni Lobel (Spanish horror comic anthology Cthulu; G.I. Joe comic books; Torchwood: Web of Lies motion comic), and writers Robert Greenberger (Iron Man, Batman, and Hellboy novels) and Michael Friedman (Star Trek and X-Men novels) -- the creators of the comic book After Earth: Innocence, which will introduce Kitai and Cypher Raige (played by Jaden and Will Smith in the After Earth film). Also joining the panel is Eisner Award winner Peter David (Star Trek novels and comic books; The Incredible Hulk), who is writing the After Earth prequel novel and also created the After Earth bible with Greenberger and Friedman.
In After Earth, one thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige (played by Will Smith) returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai (played by Jaden Smith). When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance. Room 6A
10:00-10:45 Warehouse 13— America's top-secret, artifact-finding agents have landed at Comic-Con. Stars Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen), and Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan), along with executive producer Jack Kenny, present a look inside the new season of Syfy's blockbuster series. Moderated by Damian Holbrook (TV Guide). Ballroom 20
10:30-11:30 Marvel Television Presents— Marvel's head of TV, Jeph Loeb, brings the scoop on season 2 of the hit animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, along with a never-before-seen episode...and a glimpse of the other heroes joining Marvel Universe on Disney XD! Plus, get the update on other hot Marvel Animation Studios projects, including Marvel Knights Animation, Marvel anime-and more surprises from Marvel Television. Room 6BCF
11:00-11:45 Once Upon a Time— Magic is coming! Moderator William Keck (TV Guide Magazine senior editor and columnist) takes you to Storybrooke, where a curse placed on its fairytale inhabitants by the Evil Queen has been broken and reality and myth have merged. It's a place where magic is about to be introduced, but with it comes its own set of consequences. Co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis (Lost, Tron: Legacy) and Adam Horowitz (Lost, Tron: Legacy), along with Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love), Jennifer Morrison (House), Lana Parrilla (24), Josh Dallas (Thor), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), and Meghan Ory (Vampire High) engage in a Q&A about their hit TV series. Ballroom 20
11:30-12:30 Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained— The Weinstein Company presents a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new film from acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino. Fans will get to see exclusive footage from Django Unchained and take part in a special discussion with Tarantino and the cast. You won't want to miss this! Hall H
12:00-12:45 Futurama— Futurama cannot be killed! Join the cast and crew of the Emmy-award-winning series for world premiere footage of the all-new season on Comedy Central. Plus: Wear your Futurama-themed costume for the chance to win slightly valuable prizes! Scheduled panelists include creator/executive producer Matt Groening, executive producer David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West (Fry, Zoidberg, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, Calculon, Morbo). Ballroom 20
12:45-1:30 The Simpsons— Now entering its 24th season, The Simpsons is a living animation legend. Join moderator David Mirkin, creator Matt Groening, executive producer Al Jean, supervising producer Mike Anderson, and the voice of Lisa Simpson, Yeardley Smith, for a lengthy look at the upcoming Treehouse of Horror, a sneak (2D) peek at Simpsons theatrical short The Longest Daycare, and much, much more (okay, 45 minutes' worth). Ballroom 20
12:30-1:30 Phineas and Ferb— Witty and imaginative stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb and their secret agent pet platypus Agent P are at it again! Creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, along with voice talent Vincent Martella (Everybody Hates Chris), Alyson Stoner (Camp Rock), and Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad), fill you in on the latest scoop on Disney Channel's Emmy Award-winning, music-filled, animated comedy series for kids, tweens, and families. See exclusive content, including a sneak peek at this summer's epic two-part cliffhanger episode "Where's Perry?" Room 6A
12:45-1:45 Open Road Films: End of Watch and Silent Hill: Revelations 3D— Global exclusive! Catch an early look at the highly anticipated action film End of Watch, with special guests Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña who play police officers patrolling the meanest streets of south central Los Angeles, and writer/director David Ayer (Training Day). Also, based on the groundbreaking video game franchise from Konami, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D is the sequel to the hit film Silent Hill. Experience the world premiere of 3D footage from an unparalleled horror experience with special guests Adelaide Clemens (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Kit Harington (HBO's Game of Thrones), director Michael J. Bassett, and producer Samuel Hadida. Hall H
1:45-2:30 Family Guy— Seth MacFarlane, Alex Bornstein, Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Book of Eli), Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Mike Henry, and showrunners Mark Hentemann and Steve Callaghan offer a sneak peek at Family Guy's funniest scenes from the upcoming new season, followed by a freakin' sweet Q&A with the audience. Ballroom 20
2:00-3:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Onto Season 5— The aftermath of season 4 has left the Star Wars galaxy a very dangerous place: Darth Maul is alive, Asajj Ventress is a bounty hunter, and the Mandalorian Death Watch is deadlier than ever. How will these threads continue in season 5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Find out in this behind-the-scenes panel, which will feature new clips, new insights, and more. Join the discussion with supervising director Dave Filoni and head writer Matt Michnovetz (who wrote season 4's powerful Umbara arc). Moderated by Star Wars author Pablo Hidalgo. Room 6DE
2:00-3:00 Alphas— Alphas are among us...especially at Comic-Con. A panel featuring the stars of Syfy's Alphas discuss the show's exciting new season. Moderated by Geoff Boucher (Los Angeles Times). Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
2:30-3:15 American Dad— An exclusive preview of next season's most hilarious moments, followed by a panel conversation with the cast and producers of American Dad featuring Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman. Ballroom 20
2:30-5:00 Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Preview Their Upcoming Lineups—
Legendary Pictures: Pacific Rim-From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim. When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes -- a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) -- who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse. Pacific Rim also stars Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Charlie Day.
Warner Bros. Pictures: Man Of Steel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey-From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Jackson returns to Middle-earth in an adventure that begins 60 years before the events depicted in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The first of two films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's enduringly popular masterpiece, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows titular Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who-along with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a band of 13 Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)-is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. The film's ensemble cast includes Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Hall H
3:00-4:00 Grimm Q&A/Season 2 Preview— Grimm, NBC's police procedural with a supernatural mythology, returns to Comic-Con to kick off its second season packed with chills and revelations. Be among the first to get a glimpse of season 2 and participate in a Q&A session with the cast and producers: David Giuntoli (Turn the Beat Around), Russell Hornsby (Lincoln Heights), Bitsie Tulloch (The Artist), Silas Weir Mitchell (Prison Break), Reggie Lee (The Dark Knight Rises), Sasha Roiz (Caprica), Bree Turner (The Ugly Truth), and executive producers/writers Jim Kouf (Angel) and David Greenwalt (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), executive producer/director Norberto Barba (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), and executive producers Sean Hayes (Hot in Cleveland) and Todd Milliner (Hot In Cleveland). Produced by Universal Television and Hazy Mills, Grimm returns late summer on NBC and Grimm Season One will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 7. Room 6A
3:00-4:00 Being Human— This panel is a beast. Stars Sam Witwer (Aidan), Meaghan Rath (Sally), and Sam Huntington (Josh) join executive producer Anna Fricke to discuss the forthcoming third season of Syfy's hit series about a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf-all just trying to be human. Moderated by Drusilla Moorhouse (Zap2It.com). Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
4:00-5:00 The Following Screening and Q&A— Don't miss an exclusive pilot screening of The Following, the terrifying new thriller from creator/executive producer Kevin Williamson (Scream) and executive producer Marcos Siega (The Vampire Diaries). Series stars Kevin Bacon (Mystic River) and James Purefoy (Rome) will join the producers for a Q&A after the screening. This fast-paced drama follows Bacon's character Ryan Hardy and the FBI as they are challenged with the ever-growing web of murder around them, masterminded by Purefoy's devious Joe Carroll, who dreams of writing a dark novel with Hardy as his protagonist. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television, The Following premieres midseason on FOX. Room 6BCF
4:00-5:00 Showtime: Shameless— The mischievous, unabashed Gallagher clan returns to Comic-Con for a completely shameless panel! Meet the cast and creative team behind one of the hottest Showtime original series, Shameless, moderated by one of the show's own consulting producers, Mike O'Malley (Glee). This scrappy, unique family is incredibly engaging, but being a Gallagher isn't always as easy as it looks. Cast and creators discuss how they capture some of their most shameless moments, plus be there when they reveal the top five fan-favorite moments from the past two seasons as voted on by you! Featured panelists include William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Justin Chatwin, Jeremy Allen White, and others. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
4:30-5:15 True Blood Panel and Q&A sessio— Mixing romance, suspense, mystery, and humor, the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated True Blood kicked off its 12-episode fifth season June 10 on HBO. The series follows the exploits of waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people's thoughts; vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer); and vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård). Oscar and Emmy Award winner Alan Ball created and serves as executive producer of the series, which is based on the bestselling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. The series and this panel also features Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse, Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton, Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds, Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby, Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pam Swynford De Beaufort, Joe Manganiello as Alcide Herveaux and Chris Meloni as Roman Zimojic. Moderated by Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly. Ballroom 20
5:00-6:00 Glee— The popular show returns for the fourth straight year, with a star-studded panel moderated by TVLine's Michael Ausiello. Embrace your inner Gleek and join co-creator/executive producer Brad Falchuk and stars Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson), Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez), Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams), and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang) as they discuss the past season, which ended in an emotional and shocking conclusion that will change everything for the students and graduates of McKinley High. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
5:15-6:00 Person of Interest Screening and Q&A— The smash hit Person of Interest returns to San Diego! Join series stars Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line), Michael Emerson (Lost), Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Kevin Chapman (Rescue Me), along with executive producers Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) and Greg Plageman (Cold Case), for a Q&A and special video presentation highlighting the most-watched new series of the 2011-12 television season-and a sneak peek at what's to come in season 2. Person of Interest is a crime thriller about a presumed dead former CIA agent, Reese (Caviezel), who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch (Emerson), to prevent violent crimes. Aided by "The Machine" -- and opposed by ruthless criminals, corrupt cops, and shadowy elements within the government -- the team works with NYPD detectives Carter (Henson) and Fusco (Chapman) to stop crimes before they happen. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Person of Interest airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS. Room 6BCF
6:00-7:00 Revolution Pilot Screening and Q&A— What would you do without it all? In this epic adventure thriller from Supernatural's Eric Kripke and J. J. Abrams's Bad Robot Productions and directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man films), a family struggles to reunite in a post-apocalyptic American landscape: a world of empty cities, local militias and heroic freedom fighters, where every piece of technology-computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights-has mysteriously blacked out...forever. After the screening, there will be a special Q&A with creator and executive producer Eric Kripke and series stars Billy Burke (Twilight films), Giancarlo Esposito (Once Upon a Time), and Tracy Spiridakos (Being Human). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions, Kripke Enterprises and Warner Bros. Television, Revolution will air Mondays at 10/9c on NBC this fall. Room 6BCF
6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Iron Man 3— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests provide an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hall H
7:15-8:15 MythBusters— A Comic-Con fan favorite, MythBusters is back with their traditional Saturday evening panel. Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman, Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara, and Kari Byron talk about their recent exploits and upcoming fall Mythbuster-y goodness! Room 6BCF
