Today on the TRON Facebook page, was a post that featured a Disney Channel Sneak Peek for TRON: Legacy. The video features TRON stars Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde giving a small introduction before the trailer. I’m not sure what is so “sneak peek” about this trailer/commercial but I can tell you that at about 1:02 – 1:05 is brand new footage! That’s 3 seconds of never before seen TRON! So what do you think? Are those 3 seconds enough to get you excited all over again?

Every year at San Diego Comic-Con certain retailers offer what are known as “exclusives”. These items can be purchased only to people who attend the con and come in many forms such as action figures, comic books, posters, shirts, etc. These highly sought after items are very limited in quantity and require vast amounts of patience and sometimes money to acquire. About three months ago pictures surfaced of a set of Green Lantern figures that would be offered at the con from Graphitti Designs. They were to coincide with the Blackest Night and feature Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) as a Green, Yellow, Blue, Orange and Red Lantern. With something this popular it was going to be a huge task to get a full set and the series had a very low production run. Find out how low after the jump.

I, as a huge GL fan, needed to have them all for my collection. The numbers were limited to 3000 Green and 1500 of each of the rest. On top of the severely limited supply, only one would be available a day. This meant huge demand with even bigger lines. Each day was filled with fear, anger, greed, hope and the will to get up early the next day to start over again. Below you will find a break down in my experiences of trying to get a figure for every day.

Day 1 Wednesday- Preview Night

On day one the figure that was available was Green. As the doors opened I, like many others, rushed to the Graphitti Designs booth in hopes of being the first 1500 to get a figure. Mind you every one person is able to purchase up to two figures. As I arrived there was a frantic mob surrounding the booth and no sign of a coherent line. Workers there had already cut off the line and were no longer letting anyone in. I spoke to one of the workers and he said that he had no idea it would be this crazy. It was like they were giving away free tickets to heaven but only 1500 were allowed in. They asked us to disperse and come back in an hour. So I came back to find an even bigger mass and the worker that I had spoke to before was just sitting there amazed that he had lost complete control of the situation. I joined the mob trying to get in and placed a phone call to friends asking them to get over here to try and pick up a figure for me.  I meet a nice couple in the group and we chatted about the fact that we may never get a figure. Finally, the booth started giving out raffle tickets at random. I got mine said my goodbyes to the nice couple and met with my friends. Turns out that two others in my group got tickets and only one had interest in buying a figure for themselves. So, being the good guy I am, I gave one ticket to the couple I had been speaking to and we all got green figures.

Day 2 Thursday

Day 1 was Preview Night, meaning that not all customers were allowed in, and that obtaining the Yellow figure would be even more difficult. The show floor opens up at 9:30am so I decided to get in line at 6:30am. I thought that this might be a bit excessive and was a little taken back when I arrived to find about 200 to 300 plus people were ahead of me. I hopped in line hoping to be one of the few there to purchase a yellow figure. Much to my distain at least the 50 or so people in my general area were talking about how they were here to buy the figure in question also. After my three hour wait I again rushed the booth and was happy to be the first person that day to buy a yellow Hal Jordan. As the day went on I walked by the Graphitti Designs booth to see, yet another mass of thousands of people trying to buy the toy of the day and I thought how happy I was to get mine earlier that day.

Day 3 Friday

It was so easy to rush up to the Graphitti Designs booth on Thursday that I thought  I would just do the same thing everyday and get my figure fast then get back to my enjoyment of the con. I woke up a bit later Friday and as I was walking to get in line I could see that it was significantly longer than the day prior. I began to get a little upset with myself and started to find the end. As I looked through the line, that had doubled in size since the day before, I noticed two pairs of hands waving at me from a good spot in line. It was the couple that I had given a ticket to get a green figure Wednesday night.  They told me that they had bought the yellow figure and asked me if I got mine, which I did, then asked me if I wanted to join them in line. This was great. I thought that I would easily get my toy being this far ahead in the line. They also told me of the rough time that they had to get their yellow figure. I shared my story on how easy it was for me and that if I got to the booth first I would hold a place in line for them. Shockingly, they said that mid-day the rules had changed and that raffle tickets were being given out in an entirely different part of the convention center. This was a classic case of karma. If I had not given them a ticket on the first night I would not have known about the change in rules. When we got up to the area where tickets were to be raffled off there was no organization. Another angry mob swarmed the area and there was no sign of any order. As we waited for two hours no one seemed to know what was going on. After many false alarms a Comic-Con official said abruptly that the give away would be done in the back. A mad rush happened and I was one of the few to get a ticket.

Day 4 Saturday

In anticipation for Saturdays give away I showed up just as early, meet up with the couple that I had been making friends with and we went on. The couple had also made a few more friends and we had all begun to help each other out.  If one of us didn’t get a ticket others would share the ability to buy two. It was nice to meet so many people willing to work together. There were a lot a people there who just bought figures to sell them at scalper prices.  Finally the con officials made a pen to keep us all organized. It was frustrating that everyday had been done so differently.  On this day there was a guy and his girlfriend who had lined up at 2:30am to get the chance to win a raffle ticket. They were a few places ahead of me. When the guy got up there he pulled a red ticket, which is bad, and started to walk away very wobbly. As he did his girlfriend pulled a red ticket next and she started bawling. The boyfriend saw this and actually passed out. They had to bring the paramedics in and cart him away. It had become that serious. I, on the other hand, pulled a green ticket and was on my way to getting a full set.

Day 5 Sunday

The last day of the con and I was only one figure away from completing the most sought after collectible in the entire convention. As before, I meet up with the group of people that I had been hanging out with. We got into line and my turn came up. I reached in the bag and pulled my first red ticket. It was awful. I didn’t pass out, but I had spent so much time trying to complete this set that I was just so disappointed. Right after me were two of my new friends and they pulled red. We had all split up to try and increase our chances. One by one we were all pulling red tickets. But finally some in our group started to pull greens and before you know it everyone in our group was able to purchase a figure. It was a great feeling.

Now, I know that this sounds so ridiculous to the average person, but this was a great experience in hind sight. I met some genuinely nice people who banded together and helped one another out. Comic-con can be an intimidating place, but with good people you can have the best experience in the world. My advice to virgin comic-con guests are to make friends and pay it forward.  Many thanks to Ryan, Jeff, Mikey, Elaina, Justin, Victor and his kids for making my con experience the best it could be.

Now that we are back home from all the insanity that is known as Comic-Con we have begun to reflect on the best (and unfortunately worst) parts the SDCC. Overall the trip was a success. We were able to cover pretty much everything that we had set out to see. Like most trips, ours hit a few speed bumps along the way, but it gave us knowledge for next year, so the 2010 Comic-Con will be even better than this year! Continue reading for our recap on the best and worst of the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con.

The Best:

James Cameron’s Avatar Panel

One of the most highly anticipated panels for this years convention featured Titanic director James Cameron who brought 24 minutes of his new film Avatar to share with all of Hall H. What made this one of the best parts of Comic-Con was that, until this point, nobody had seen any footage, and really had no idea what the movie was about. So to treat fans to an exclusive look (which was breathtaking) really made this one of the best panels at the convention.

Gary Oldman announcing Batman 3 would begin shooting next year

Actor Gary Oldman made this surprising annoucnement during the panel for his movie The Book of Eli. Oldman stated that director Christopher Nolan would be shooting the movie next year for a possible 2011 release. That is the definition of insider news at its best.

Johnny Depp Surprising Fans

During the 3D Disney panel director Tim Burton brought on stage “a special friend” who turned out to be none other than Johnny Depp. The actor made a surprise visit to promote him and Burton’s latest collaboration Alice in Wonderland.

Warner Brothers Presentation

Friday morning at the convention featured several different Warner Brothers movies. These included The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington, Nightmare on Elm Street, Jonah Hex, Where the Wild Things Are, The Box with Cameron Diaz, and Sherlock Holmes. The energy during these panels were amazing. You could tell the actors really wanted to be there and that they actually appreciated the fans. Most notably was Denzel Washington and Josh Brolin who kept the pace going by being humorous and witty. Another highlight from the WB panel was that everyone in attendance  (which was over 6000 people) received a ticket to go to the convention floor for a free goody bag. This bag consisted of a couple shirts, key chains, and other free swag that fans enjoyed. Kudos to the WB!

Tron 2 Viral Campaign

Tron 2, which is a sequel from the 1980′s movie Tron, invaded San Diego with a viral marketing campaign. Viral marketing is when the studios promote a movie through unique and unusual methods. The marketing is typically not a direct advertisement for the movie but instead a promotion for some aspect of it. You can read a more in-depth look at the viral marketing for Tron here. What made this marketing campaign so enjoyable was Flynn’s Arcade which was constructed in the middle of downtown San Diego. Flynn’s Arcade was the home of the Tron video game which was available to play as were many other 1980′s video games like Pac-Man and Gallaga. Every ten minutes or so the wall behind the Tron game would open, music would play, and fans could walk through a hall featuring cocept art and the motorcycle from the movie. As you left the arcade you received a commemorative t-shirt for free!

Robert Downey Jr.

The actor was in town for both Sherlock Holmes (great footage) and Iron Man 2 (we didn’t get into that panel so I am not talking about it.) RDJ is a master at engaging an audience. He is so charismatic and confident it is exciting to just hear him speak. I really enjoyed that after the Jonah Hex panel ended Downey Jr just walked on stage. He didn’t have (or need) a formal introduction, he just walked out with the house lights still up. It reminded me of a what U2 used to do during shows. The band would walk onto stage unsuspecting and begin playing with the lights up. Downey Jr is a total rock star so it worked perfectly.

San Diego Night Life

The Gaslamp district is where it is at. Every night convention goers would flock to this hot spot which housed the best in restaurants, bars, and shops. Be prepared to spend $10 on a beer but if you are looking for a spot to hang at night this is the place to be.

The Worst:

Lines, Lines, and even more Lines

This may be just stating the obvious but it is still a valid complaint. Everywhere you go you must stand in line. Want a cup of coffee? Get ready for the Starbucks line that flows out the doors and down the street. Need to use the bathroom? Even the men’s restroom has a wait. Trying to catch the elevator to your hotel floor? You could probably get there faster taking twelve flights of stairs instead. I understand that this is just part of the insanity, but it still is very frustrating.

Twilight Ruined Comic-Con

I read this on a sign somebody had written in disgust of the numerous Twilight fans which mobbed the convention to see Robert Pattinson and company Thursday afternoon. I do not believe Twilight ruined Comic-Con, however it sure did mess it up for many folks. Let me explain: On Thursday the mess known as the line for Hall H ( “H” stands for Hell, I believe) was already 1500 people deep by 6 am. The first panel that morning was for Disney. The second panel was for Summit Entertainment which featured Twilight: New Moon. Since Hall H is not cleared after each panel many of the Twilight fans filled the hall early making it impossible for other convention goers to check out the Disney panel.

The Convention Floor

This may be the hub for everything Comic-Con but with the shoulder to shoulder traffic and long lines it becomes absolutely overwhelming to stay on the floor for an extended amount of time. It is near impossible to enjoy the experience of walking around or just browsing the different booths. You have to have a plan of action. Know what you want or you may not make it out alive. Seriously.

Only in San Diego does water cost more than Soda

After standing in a long line (big surprise) for a concession stand I went to purchase a personal size pizza and a water. I was surprised to find that water would cost me more than a can of soda. You have to love capitalism. $2.75 for a can of Coke. $3.25 for a bottle of water. If you can spend less than $15 on a crappy lunch your doing good.

Q & A Sessions

Every panel features the opportunity for fans to stand at the microphone and ask their favorite celebrity a question pertaining to the panel or footage seen. This is a great chance to hear some questions answered by actors like Robert Downey Jr, Megan Fox, and Denzel Washington. However after sitting in Hall H all day we began to see the same people continue to take the mic and ask stupid questions. During the Jonah Hex panel every guy who asked a question all directed their questions to Megan Fox about how hot she was. Yes, Megan Fox is gorgeous. We all know that. She knows that. Ask something about the movie, not about the woman you will never have a chance with. Oddly enough it was the younger fans who asked the hard hitting questions. That and Firstshowing.net’s Bob $tencil repeatedly took the mic and entertained the audience which was a highlight in Hall H. Overall, the Q & A session became a forum for people to ask terrible questions and waste everyone’s time.

And that concludes my list of the Best and Worst from the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. If you were in attendance what would you add to this list? Leave your feedback below!

Our first year at the San Diego Comic-Con has come to a close and we are still standing. After five days of exciting panels, a crowded convention floor, and tons of parties, we are flying back home and the first thing to do upon our arrival: take a nap. As much fun as the SDCC was, it was also very exhausting. Early mornings, late nights, and a packed schedule in between don’t leave much time for rest. We managed to blog about all the panels we attended, we twittered about our celebrity sightings, and photographed our journey along the way. We have a few more recaps to share with you before we get back to the daily grind of movie news, reviews, and everything else that has made Fanboyz.net a success. Thank you for following all of our coverage and we will see you next year in San Diego!

My third and fourth days at Comic-Con 2009 were very busy and kept me moving around all day and night. Since many of you have been following me on Facebook and Twitter, I’ve decided not to go through what all I did and saw. Instead, I have come up with something that will be extremely vital for a pleasent Comic-Con trip for anyone who goes for the first time. Here are my 7 Rules for Rookies:

Rule #1 – Keep your camera on you at all times. So far here, I have seen Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno, Nestor Carbonell, Kevin Sorbo, and many other celebrities. A lot of famous people come to Comic-Con not only for their specific project, but many are here to see the other events and be with the fans. We saw some of them walking around downtown the past couple of nights, stopping for photos or shaking hands of fans who approach. Even sitting at the hotel bar writing articles I have seen famous people nonchalantly walking down the hallway. Morgan Spurlock, director of Super Size Me, ordered Starbucks right in front of me. You never know who you will see here at Comic-Con, so keep your eyes peeled.

Rule #2 -Get ready for more lines here then on Kate Moss’ pocket mirror. Anticipation is half of the fun at Comic-Con. Until that excitement wears off after standing outside in the San Diego sun for an hour and a half only to not get into the panel to catch Paramount’s Iron Man 2. Every morning Roman got up at 6 a.m. to get his Comic-Con exclusive figures, an experience he will be writing about shortly. Depending on the event, sometimes the lines would move quickly, other times they just went no where. Lines at the Starbucks, lines for the bathroom, even lines to get people into lines. Best bet is to get somewhere early, one or two events in the room you want, and stay there. I got into line around 8 a.m. and chatted with some other Lost fans and wept about how sad it is the show is ending after this next season. We got let in and I found fairly good seats (I like sitting near the screens in the hall that are for the back areas, rather then trying to get the coveted middle front seats. After the panel, Jeff, Roman and I met outside Hall H, since the next panel had a small amount of people in line and we would be able to get some lunch and get back before the event before Iron Man 2 let out and more people in line would get seated. Turns out, we were way wrong. Next to no one left the panels leading up to Iron Man 2, so even though we were pretty close to the front of the line, we did not get in. Defeated, but educated.

Rule #3 -Early bird gets the worm, or a really good seat. As previously stated, the trick with these lines is getting places early and then viciously defending them. T-Day, or the day Twilight: New Moon, taught us that. We knew all the fans of the series take their passion for the books and films more seriously then they take their middle school academics, it was no shock to us to see the tents that had been set up from the previous night just to get into the panel. They knew their stuff; all the New Moon fans left their Jonas Brothers shirts at home. They sat through the first panel, transcended human consciousness through meditation (screaming), then promptly left. Half the room was gone as the stars fled the stage. More then likely, most of the New Moon fans were already inside and would not mess up the chance to catch their favorite stars. So get in line as early as you can, plant yourself in your seat, then find the quickest route to your next event.

Rule #4 -Keep your friends close, and your hotel room closer. One of the advantages to having a hotel close to the convention center is being able to roll out of bed, hit the Starbucks in the lobby, then take a 4 minute walk to the line for Hall H. Hotels farther from the convention center will typically be less expensive, but convention travelers need to allot extra time for travel. The historic section, where most of the bars and restaurants are, can get jam packed with people because of the narrow streets and sidewalks. Get online and find the quickest way to your destination, and you’ll never be upset for the extra time you spent finding out that going in a straight line quite usually is the best way regardless.

Rule #5 -Pick your panels carefully. Remember in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Indy had to pick the cup of Christ after watching that Nazi age-out like in front of our eyes like Daniel Radcliffe from Harry Potter? That is what it is like to pick out which panels and events to go to sometimes. I love the TV show Psych but it conflicted with another panel I was also excited for. I would make the comparison of a dad not being able to pick which child they love more, but I could end up loving my first son more then the others. Decide what you want to do the most, map out where you need to be, and try to only be slightly disappointed with yourself when you realize something cooler happened at the event you skipped.

Rule #6 – Batteries are like circus bears; keep them full or they’ll kill you. More power was used to charge laptop computers at Comic-Con then the Hover Dam has generated since it’s completion. Outlets were being rented out by shady characters who seemed to be getting a kick-back from the power company. I dimmed my computer screen down so much I had to use my cell phone as a flashlight. Jeff smuggled in a kerosene powered generator so we could Twitter. Anyway, you get the picture. Power is hard to come by in the Ballrooms and especially Hall H, so save as much energy as you can before you get in and while you’re in there if you’ll be using your computer. Secondly, if you want access to the Internet, get a wireless network card. Yes, paying $50 a month for a network card is ridiculous when they offer free Wi-Fi, but it’s not worth losing signal every time someone walks by dressed up as Boba Fett (happens more then you’d think). Bite the bullet, buy a wireless network card, and post away.

Rule #7 – Free and good almost never describe something…except for free hugs. A lot of stuff is up for grabs for Con Artists (my name for people who know how to navigate the crazy of Comic-Con). Some of it is expensive, but a lot is free. However, when it comes to attempting to please the thousands of fans showing up to everything for 5 days, quality is skipped in lieu of quantity. Understandably, some stuff is pointless, but there are some gems here and there. If you are looking for a collectible or an exclusive, expect to pay up. I always take anything put in front of me (hence, my need for starting the Atkins Diet), so much of the stuff I ended up packing perplexed me. I need to have two Jonah Hex temporary tattoos, but four is just unnecessary. Either way, every year is different, so bring plenty of cash with you when you head out to San Diego.

One of the most original films hitting theaters this fall is Shane Acker’s 9. There has been a lot of buzz about the project, and from the information garnered at the panel, the buzz has been correctly given. The audience was presented with a relevant and insightful panel of the director Shane Acker, executive producers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, and stars Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connolly. With some exclusive footage, interesting discussions, and a deeper understanding into the back story of the film, I left the panel hardly able to wait till September 9th.

The story follows the creation of 9 rag dolls that have been given the spark of life. After mankind created intelligent and efficient robots, they turned on their creators and wiped out the human race. 9, the films protagonist, stumbles upon others living in the area and soon after watches helplessly as a friend is taken off by a machine. He convinces some others to join him in his hunt for the machine, but the curiosity 9 has been imbued with leads to him awakening something sinister. After a look at the trailer and a scene involving the rescue of one of the rag dolls, it is abundantly clear not only did this film have to be CG for it to realistically get these characters to look good on film, but also this is no children’s Disney film. As stated by Acker, the studio wanted a PG film, but instead he went with a Pg-13 cut in order to fully tell the story and not have to worry about how much the action and dark tones would effect the rating.

9 is one of those projects that has an excellent assembly of involved members, from cast to director to executive producers. Directed by Shane Acker, who is making his major directorial debut, was perfect to handle this project because he is the one who created it. He made the short film that was developed by himself and Pamela Pettier, after he was nominated and won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2005. To add their unique and stylistic vision to the project, Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov both contributed to the film. Tim, who is well rehearsed in dealing with dark tones and messages in film, gave enough of his artistic eye to show he had his hand in the project. Timur, who directed films such as Day Watch and Wanted, has shown he has the ability to make action sequences more then just shooting and explosions, but give them a sophisticated and creative depth that rarely is seen in film, especially in American projects. Lastly, the cast consisting of such heavyweights as Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connolly propel the story beyond the normal spectrum of animated film. When features are animated movies that are geared towards an older audience, we do not usually get a high quality of acting talent. But with co-stars including John C. Reilly, Christopher Glover, Martin Landau and Crispin Glover, there is depth in all aspects of this project. 9 is sure to continue to get buzz as we reach closer to September. Focus Features is heavily promoting this film, so keep your eyes out for specially tagged posters and advertisements that allow access to exclusive material online.

Following the Comic-Con panel, AMC debuted the first footage from the highly anticipated miniseries The Prisoner. The footage gives us the basic premise and promises a truly incredible adaptation of the classic series. It is rare that a miniseries or television event gets such star power, considering Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen have both done incredible work. The 9 minute long clip gives us an understanding of what to expect from the story, although with so much mystery woven into the plot, we know there is much more then what we think we know. The Prisoner begins November 2009.

As soon as the line for Lost‘s panel in Hall H was let in, Comic-Con workers handed out various items to fans. When I sat down I took a look at them: a pencil that says lostuniversity.org on it, a flyer with the same website but an awesome polar bear logo and information about Lost season 5 on Blu Ray, and a plain white poster that says, “Lost: The Final Season 2010″. I turned the flyer over and saw it had some written notes on the back including the name Professor Adam Nussdorf in need of a T.A and a phone number (818-824-6300). I called it and the message said to check back September 22.

Once the panel got started, we were treated to a commercial for Lost University. It showed parts of the website lostuniversity.org in which people will be able to connect and with other Lost fans in an online community. Head there now to sign up for enrollment. Next, we saw a recut version of the season finale, in order to refresh the minds of the fans. It had a lot of awesome action from the last two episodes and was edited with Knights of Cydonia by Muse. Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse came out and seemed sad that this would be the last Comic-Con for Lost. However, they did say they had a lot in store for fans, and thus began the panel.

First, fans were treated to some of their favorite fan-made Lost videos. We watched videos of fans who have hosted Lost parties, recut portions to make them humorous, and other various tributes to the show. The best ones were the Muppet Babies recut to Lost, with Jack asking Charlie if he is high on drugs. It was priceless to see Baby Fozzie say he wasn’t high on heroin. Then, Carlton and Damon addressed the rumors that have plagued them since the show’s inception, that the writers never have a plan for anything and just write one episode at a time, with no plan or storyline. They say they can prove the critics wrong by placing what they said was the final two pages of the series finale in a box and locked it up, so after the series ended they would go on Jimmy Kimmel and open the box and read what happened. More on that later.

Taking questions from the audience, things began to get more interesting. One person (who I believe was a plant), got up and told them he didn’t really have a question, but had been working on Lost based artwork. He showed a velvet painting of Carlton and Damon hugging a polar bear. Pretty funny whether or not it was real. Then, a large man walked up to the mic, and it was Jorge Garcia! He asked a few silly questions until Michael Emerson came up with a mic and started giving him a hard time. Later, Nestor Carbonell, who plays Richard Alpert, is shown putting on eyeliner backstage then was introduced to the panel, same with Josh Holloway, who plays Sawyer. Josh took the key from Lindelof and made Cuse open the box, and Michael started to read what turned out to be script portions from an upcoming episode of Heroes. Good call knowing your audience, almost everyone there knew what the joke was.

Overall, it was by far my favorite part of Comic-Con. I got to see some of my favorite actors from the show entertain as well as give some awesome discussion on the panel. I am sad that Lost will not be at Comic-Con anymore, but at least I saw it before it was done for good. Considering September is coming up, I will be staying on top of the viral marketing and posting all the news we get.

Disney is showing their commitment to progress the film going experience by releasing some of their recent popular films in 3D, as well as taking a page from the past in developing a new fairy tale musical. Also, acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki will have his upcoming film, Ponyo, distributed through Disney in America. We were treated to have Disney/Pixar’s John Lassiter moderate the panel which included directors of all the projects. It was one of the most anticipated panels this year, as Pixar always knows how to bring in the crowds with their award-winning films.

Lee Unkrich, director of Toy Story 3, gave the audience an update on the progress of the newest film. Voice work is done and almost half of the animation is complete, so things are looking on schedule so far for their June 18, 2010 release. In addition, we also learned that for this film, Andy (who owns all the toys from the movie) will be leaving for college and no longer playing with his toys, something Woody has already come to accept in the previous film but now we see how the toys feel when their kid is all grown up. With Pixar’s recent tear-jerking plots in Wall-E and Up, there is no doubt this film will also tug at the audiences heart.

One of the greatest fairy tales ever told is coming back to theaters this February. Beauty and the Beast will be re-released in theaters in 3D for an unspecified amount of time Valentine’s Day, 2010. Kirk Wise, director of the film, brought some footage to show the audience how the transition looks. And it looks incredible onscreen. There was a short bit of the ballroom dancing scene, which already is one of the most beautifully crafted set pieces in animation to date. Then, we saw the opening of the film, where Belle is walking through her little town singing. As the last few days have overloaded us with 3D films using live action and CG, it was refreshing to see a hand-drawn animated feature in 3D. Whereas CG typically makes things pop out at the screen continually, 2D has a more of an ability to draw out characters from the background into the foreground without the overwhelming sensation that everything is jumping out of the audience. No doubt more information about Beauty and the Beast will be trickling out as we grow nearer to next February.

Disney wrapped up their second large panel with discussing 3 more projects: Prep and Landing, The Princess and the Frog, and Ponyo. Prep and Landing is a Pixar project that will be a Christmas program on ABC this holiday season, telling the story of the secret elves who sneak into homes right before Santa gets there and gets them ready for the St. Nick. It looks very fun and entertaining, as the elves do theses CIA-style moves and techniques to knock out the dog (with Christmas sleeping gas), make sure the milk is the right temperature and the cookies have no nuts, even rolling out snowman gadgets that light up a runway on the roof for Kris Kringle’s sleigh, like he is landing on an aircraft carrier.

The Princess and the Frog is Disney’s return to 2D animation and musical, with a prince being cursed by a Voodoo man and falling for someone he thinks is a princess, which leads her to be transformed as well. Along their way to find a mysterious women in the bayou they meet a crazy cast of musical animals including a very classic looking crocodile named Louis. Looks very good, I’m glad to see Disney still has that charm and talent when it comes to hand drawn animation.

Lastly, Ponyo is a Japanese film made by Miyazaki that looks much like his other works that include Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I was least excited for this film, but it was awesome to see the amount of enthusiasm the audience had for it. When they announced there would be screening of the movie tonight and that Miyazaki would be in attendance, the room nearly cleared out to head for the line for tickets.

As a huge Toy Story fan, it was neat to see how the movies will look in 3D as well as hear news on how the new film will be. Beauty and the Beast will be a big hit in theaters and more information will be following in the announcements made today. Disney knows how to make a great story and make it look good, and this panel showed they have more up their sleeve then simply coming up with heart-warming stories. Look for more information on all these projects to follow up their announcements soon.

Friday was another awesome day at Comic-Con here in San Diego. We attended the Warner Brothers panel in Hall H which included appearances by Denzel Washington, Cameron Diaz, Gary Oldman, Megan Fox, Josh Brolin, and more! We took as  many photos as we could so we could show you everything that we are experiencing. We have been blogging the convention  live since Wednesday and it has been non-stop action all day, every day. Friday was yet another day filled with crowds, excitement, and more. Check out our photos after the jump.