San Diego Comic-Con 2011 was a huge undertaking to cover. Panels, the showroom floor, you name it, and people were there. We like to walk the convention floor and find unique items, decoration, and of course, the cosplay community. We wanted to give our readers a taste of what it’s like to see the convention floor up close and personal, and there’s some neat booths and amazing merchandise being showcased. At the end of the video, you’ll see legendary director Steven Spielberg accepting the Inkpot Award, as well as a surprise cameo joining him on-stage giving the audience a big smile. Check out the video and let us know what you liked most about our San Diego Comic Con 2011 coverage.

Every year at San Diego Comic-Con fans from all around flock to the city that holds their beloved pop culture phenomenon. Some, like myself, come to report on the con as well as enjoy the collectible aspect it has to offer. While others come to show off there labors of love in the form of Cosplay. Cosplay is basically a hybrid of the word “costume” and “play”. Some people spend their whole year between cons coming up with what they will wear and some just want to buy an outfit from the store and just walk around as Superman. At last years Comic-Con we showcased some of these amazing costumes and at Fanboyz.net I plan on making this a tradition. See what the con has to offer in the world of cosplay and let us know you think below.

Photos by Fanboy Dennis Wheeldon

I had been very interested in the idea of Snow White and the Huntsman since casting news was announced and when Universal promised a panel at this years Comic- Con I was very ready to find out what it had to offer. Well, I get here and they haven’t even started any sort of filming yet. So, I’m listening to these actors talk about this film that they haven’t been in and what was most intriguing was how they all spoke to one another. Charlize Theron (The Evil Queen ) was a lot of fun and picks on the cast in a playful way that made me feel like they were all old friends. Just seeing them interact with one another and the chemistry that they seemed to have just on the panel made me hopeful. The cast in attendance was made up of some familiar faces such as Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman, Sam Claflin as The Prince and Kristen Stewart as Snow White herself. Rupert Sanders makes his big screen directorial debut after being most known for commercials for video games such as Call of Duty: Blacks Ops and Halo 3 ODST. He seems very eager to make the movie, so much so that he shot what I would call a proof of concept style short to convey his vision of what he wants his film to be. It was a beautiful cut that was visually provoking with big scenes and dark toned colors, however it did remind me of a video game trailer which may be a bad thing.  Perhaps if they hadn’t shown us a little reel of his commercial work I would have not made that connection.

Sanders story will not be what Snow White has been in the past when you think of Disney’s cartoon. This will be a darker version of the tale and portrayed on a larger, more epic scale. Sanders vision is for the film is to be a war like film with grand battle scenes. The cast actually posed for some costume shots for the characters a few weeks ago and the images were not what I was expecting. The Prince is not shown on a white horse with crown, but in full battle armor. The Huntsman looks very much like a lumberjack that is ready to throw down and Snow White is also head to toe in Knight-style armor carrying a shield. Theron’s Evil Queen was the only character that looked similar to her animated counter part, though her looks were far more sleek and deadly. I must say that the part of the cast that was shown which peaked my interest most was the reveal of the eight dwarfs. I know that we are all accustomed to seven dwarfs and Sanders promises a great story that explains the addition.

From what I can gather we are definitely in store for Snow White to take us to a place that we haven’t been before. Just hearing Rupert Sanders speak and his passion for the project has become infectious. We will follow this film closely and keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Hilarity isn’t what you expect when two guys rob a bank, but when it’s 30 Minutes or Less, there’s a lot of things you wouldn’t expect. Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari, director Reuben Fleischer crafts a story about two friends, one of whom has a bomb strapped to his chest, as they need to rob a bank or the bomb goes off. The guys who set up the plot, Danny McBride and Nick Swardson, figure if they need money, they can get someone else to commit the crime. The panel had Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Michael Pena and director Reuben Fleischer. They made everyone laugh hard while promoting the movie.

We got to see a clip of the bank robbery scene, where Eisenberg and Ansari go into the bank to rob it. They argue about what their nicknames should be, if they should pretend to be Mexican, then storm in fake guns waiving. They have everyone get onto the ground, and when the guard slides the gun across the floor, the mom who it slides to throws it away from her child, and the gun fires off into an innocent man’s leg. After freaking out about someone being shot, the robbers get a woman to get them money in a bag and get out of the bank. A cop pulls up as they get out of bank, and when he pulls his gun out, Eisenberg opens his coat to show the bomb, and the cop drops the gun and runs away screaming.

Danny McBride sent along a message for the audience, and in true Danny McBride form, he ends up bragging about how awesome he is and the panel attendees are awful people. Unfortunately, Jesse Eisenberg was unable to attend the panel as he was shooting a film outside the country. McBride is shooting the third season of Eastbound & Down, but I’m glad he was able to get laughs for his video message. 30 Minutes or Less looks absolutely hilarious, and I’m sure will be pleasing audiences when it hits theaters August 12, 2011.

One of the most anticipated movies of the fall is the remake of the vampire movie Fright Night. There’s a few cool trailers out for the movie, and there was an atmosphere of anticipation before the panel began in Hall H. Following the Screen Gems panel, moderator Sean Phillips welcomed director Craig Gillespie came out to greet the audience. He brought out Colin Farrell, screenwriter Marti Noxon, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and original Fright Night star Chris Sarandon. Chris took over moderating responsibilities, and asked a few questions to the director and cast.

Marti Noxon talked about how difficult it had been to adapt Fright Night, espeically with the saturated market with vampires and monsters and movies. She had previously worked on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer TV show, so she did have experience writing monsters. The first clip we saw showed Ed (Chris Mintz-Plasse) trying to convince his friend Charlie (Anton Yelchin) that his neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Yelchin talked about how the complexity of the main character, a boy-who-cried-wolf who realizes he’s pretty much on his own, drew him to the project. A second clip showed Jerry showing up to Charlie’s house, asking to borrow something, and having a chat with Charlie about how there’s a “lot of danger” out there and sometimes the boy needs to grow up to protect those around them. He teases him, not explicitly threatening Charlie or his family or girlfriend, but giving off the impression that he’s keeping an eye on all of them.

We got a third clip of the reveal to Charlie’s mom and girlfriend learn that Jerry is a vampire and he attacks them. After his girlfriend confronts him about why he’s acting weird and the mom intently listens in, Jerry stops by and tries to get invited in. However, Jerry gets anxious and and pulls the gas line out of the house and sets the place ablaze. We also got a look at David Tennant‘s Peter Vincent character, a Criss Angel wannabe that Charlie goes to asking for help. They also announced a party and screening for fans. Everything we’ve seen for Fright Night looks great, and August 19, 2011, you’ll be able to check out the film for yourself.

The first panel for day two in Hall H of the 2011 Comic-Con was Paramount’s new film The Adventures of Tintin, which is directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson.

Before the start of the panel Comic-Con showed a film montage of the many fantastic films Spielberg created, and then presented him with the 2011 Ink Pod Award for his lifetime achievements in the film industry. This was his first appearance at Comic-Con, and Spielberg was very gracious. He thanked the fans for making his achievements possible and expressed that he wouldn’t be in the business without the commitment of dedicated fans.

During the start of the panel discussion, Spielberg was asked how he decided to film the movie between Performance Capture and Live Action. He explained that initially he couldn’t decide without first having a test screening of the performance capture technology. Peter Jackson took part in the screening that sold Spielberg on the option to use it for the film. Spielberg showed the test to the audience and after it ended the crowd went crazy with enthusiasm to witness the surprise visit of Peter Jackson for the panel discussion.

As the discussion continued, Jackson was thrilled to be collaborating with Spielberg on this project, of which Spielberg had the rights for since 1983. The story is tightly based on the books (same title) by Georges Prosper Remi. Tintin is a reporter that reports on various stories that are full of mystery and intrigue. Through his reporting, Tintin always ends up becoming a part of the story he’s reporting on. Spielberg stated that he first became interested in the books when a review was written comparing Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark to the Tintin books. The comparison involves how Indiana is an archeologist and how he injects himself into the legend of the artifact that he’s supposed to be objectively unearthing. The stories become about Indiana and Tintin rather than the original purpose of the mission they undertake.

Spielberg stated that the biggest challenge of making the film was creating a stylistic hybrid of live action and performance capture filming. They wanted to stick as close as possible to the animation of the books. Rather than find the closest looking actors to the characters, Spielberg wanted to make the actors look like the characters illustrated with the performance capture technology.

During the Q and A session, Spielberg was asked about the potential for a sequel to Jurassic Park 3. He broke the news that they have finally decided on the story of JP4 and that the time frame for the film to be released is about 2 years from now.

Spielberg also was asked about what his favorite film was to direct. He stated that E.T. was his favorite because of the sense of family he developed with the child actors in the film. Prior to the movie he had no desire to have children, and because of his involvement he decided to settle down and have a large family.

Towards the end, Jackson showed his appreciation for Jurassic Park and stated that his desire to pursue computerize special effects came from seeing that film. Had it not been for this Spielberg movie, Jackson would not have become an expert in this particular field.

Stay tuned to Fanboyz for more coverage of The Adventures of Tintin and the 2011 Comic-Con.

Two films getting serious hype this year are John Cusack’s thriller The Raven and director Steven Soderbergh‘s action film Haywire. The second day at Comic Con got off to a great start with Paramount’s Adventures of Tintin panel featuring director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson. Following the panel, Relativity Media presented two very different feature films.

The Raven has an interesting premise. Set during the life of famed poet Edgar Allen Poe, it’s a fictional murder thriller based on his writings. John Cusack brings a high level of acting talent to the role, and considering the amount of love Poe is given by fans for over 100 years, they had to make sure they did Poe right. The film takes place in the last 5 days of his life, as a serial killer is basing his murders off the works of Poe. Works like Pit and the Pendulum and The Tell Tale Heart leave a trail of clues and bodies trying to lead Poe to his distressed love. Director James McTeigue joined stars John Cusack, Luke Evans and Alice Eve to discuss the project. The film’s Gothic style looks incredible, and very reminiscent of V for Vendetta and Sherlock Holmes. The Raven lands in theaters March 9, 2012.

Haywire is a movie written around MMA star Gina Carano and looks very similar to the Bourne movie franchise. Double crossed agents, secret government plots and a beautiful, deadly spy trying to uncover why she was framed for murder. We got a look at the action packed trailer, which looks decent but nothing we haven’t seen before. However, we were shown a scene involving Gina and Michael Fassbender, and it was incredibly brutal. Fassbender’s assigned to kill Mallory (Carano) and frame her for a murder. Mallory scuffles with him throughout the room, thrown into walls and trading blows. Fassbender and Carano did all of their own stunts in the scene, and it looks really authentic. Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think about the style and look of Haywire,  shooting into theaters January 20, 2012.

The scenes we saw (which looked fully rendered, but not presented in 3D for us) looked absolutely amazing. We got glimpses of Idris Elba and Michael Fassbender, as well as a great look at the atmosphere the movie projects. The film does keep the basic look and design of the Alien movie, but with an adapted high tech look to it. Simply put, the outfits and rooms on the ships look almost identical to that of the classic Sigourney Weaver film, with the exception of the implementation of various technological devices. While the original film had old, outdated (by today’s standard) televisions to access computer terminals, the technology looks sleek and sophisticated. In relation to the the connection between Prometheus and the Alien universe, director Ridley Scott said that in the third act the audience will learn the connection between the films. From what he had stated in his dialogue in the footage mash-up, the protagonists discover the remnants of an advanced culture and species in uncharted space, but learn these mysterious architects were into some pretty barbaric things. From what I can gather, the “aliens” we know from the Alien franchise were either bred or created by this civilization, and the events of Prometheus link them to their discovery by Ripley’s associates in Alien.

I had very little knowledge about the project before the panel, and a lot of that was 20th Century Fox’s plan, but we’ve seen enough to get excited for this grand undertaking and Ridley Scott’s return to the franchise that made him a household name. Check back with us for more news on Prometheus as we get closer to its June 8, 2012 release date in 2D and 3D theaters.

Guy Pearce, Guillermo del Toro, Ron Perlman, Carey Mulligan, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Troy Nixey dawn the Hall H stage to 6,500 screaming fans. The purpose of the panel is to discuss two highly anticipated films.

The first film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is directed be Troy Nixey and written by Guillermo del Toro. The plot centers around the young daughter of Alex Hirst (Guy Pearce) who discovers a horrifying mystery involving terrifying creatures emanating from the basement of an ominous mansion. During the panel, the monitor (Quint from Ain’t It Cool News), presented the trailer for the upcoming film. The preview provides some interesting aspects about the story and characters. Guy Pearce plays the typical unbelieving character that remains doubtful throughout a large portion of the film, until the gravity of the situation slaps him in the face. The preview also implied that something very tragic and scary took place in the basement in order for these creatures to exist and be evil.

From what was shown it appears that the movie will be a physcological, horrifying thriller. Given the talent behind it, the movie is sure to please many horror genre fans.

The next film showcased was Drive. This crime drama stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman and is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Drive debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and received outstanding reviews. The movie is about a Hollywood stunt driver who is willing to take any driving job for anyone. Gosling’s character unfortunately joins in a heist that goes very wrong.  Again, the crowd was provided a trailer that was nothing short of awesome. We were also given the opportunity to see a very violent scene involving Gosling and Mulligan. If you love crime thriller/dramas than this is the movie to see.

During the Q and A session Nicolas Winding Refn mentioned his involvement with the Logan’s Run remake, Ron Perlman discussed how he would love to fight former Vice-President Dick Cheney, and Guillermo del Toro stated that he would autograph anything. Includng Quint’s (the moderator) private parts. Overall some exciting footage to see from two upcoming films!

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark hits theaters on August 26th, 2011 and Drive is set for a September 16th, 2011 release.

Getting ready for Fanboyz.net‘s third year covering the San Diego Comic Con, I think about all the planning and details that go into making the big trip out to Southern California. Despite some disappointment that the super big-name movies like Superman: Man of Steel and The Dark Knight Rises, there’s still a whole lot to be excited for. Big TV shows are getting their moment in the sun, like Game of Thrones and Glee, and smaller projects are being highlighted by their studios. However, like any big undertaking, there’s always a few bumps in the road. The night before Comic Con 2011, I’m reflecting on what made last year’s Comic Con so awesome, and what there is to look forward to at this year’s convention.

As you may remember, last year we got to see some amazing sights. Hilarious panels for The Other Guys and Green Hornet were a lot of fun to attend, and some like Resident Evil: Afterlife were simply boring. Getting the chance to see Harrison Ford show up to his first Con and see The Avengers assemble onstage felt like a dream come true. However, awesome panels are just a part of Comic Con.

One of last year’s biggest promoted events were for the Disney sequel Tron: Legacy. We had the chance to talk with some of the stars and filmmakers attached to the project, in a room designed to mirror The Grid from the film. Looking ahead to this year, there’s always a scramble to contact press managers and publicists to get into special events.

The nightlife in San Diego is almost as fun as the convention itself. After 8 p.m., people flock to the Gaslamp Quarter for dinner and drinks. Restaurants and bars offer specials for the red lanyard army marching down the streets looking for entertainment. Many offer deals for food and drinks, a few bucks off the menu bringing in loads of customers. This year, a map was created to highlight specials and deals specially made for getting convention attendees in and out quick with a bite to eat.

The convention floor is a giant room filled with booths, vendors, and loads of fans pushing and moving people around, trying to get their hands on all manner of goodies. On the end closest to Hall H, most of the video game companies set up shop, showcasing their latest and greatest games. Some have playable demos, others just have videos and booth babes. Around the edges of the floor line various artists, with their work on sale and signing their comics or books. The middle of the floor is strongly occupied with movie studios and toy companies. The movies showcased have, in the past, included an amazing Iron Man setup, with each of the suits from the movies lining the stage where people could get close and take pictures. The toys always have huge lines; toy manufactures give out exclusives at Comic Con; I’ve seen some sold a few days after the convention for 300%-400% of the retail price. A good way for people to help offset the cost of the trip I’d say.

Seeing the sights and sounds of Comic Con are something any fan of pop culture should experience. Video games, celebrities, people wearing awesome costumes and getting pictures of some of the neatest sights entertainment has to offer is well worth all the trouble it takes to plan it. Dealing with the horrific ordeal of getting a hotel through the Comic Con rate, all the airfare and travel arrangements, and of course, the lines, all can make for a stressful ordeal. But make no mistake: San Diego Comic Con is a blast for anyone looking to have fun and rub elbows with fellow fans.