2009 WonderCon Movie Event Schedule
Comic Con has announced the complete programing schedule for the 2009 WonderCon in San Francisco. I’ve included the tv/movie-related highlights after the jump.
Friday, February 27th 2009
1:00-2:00Sony Pictures Television, 20th Century Fox, and FOX:Sit Down, Shut Up—Get ready toSit Down, Shut Upwith the cast and producers of the newest animated comedy series to hit FOX on Sunday, April 19 at 8:30 pm. Here’s your chance to ask burning questions about the show’s origin and first season, interact with the voice talent, learn more about their characters, and catch an exclusive sneak peak at the series! Executive producersMitch Hurwitz(Arrested Development) andJosh Weinstein(The Simpsons) will be joined by voice talentWill Arnett(Arrested Development),Kenan Thompson(Saturday Night Live),Henry Winkler(Happy Days), andTom Kenny(SpongeBob SquarePants). Moderated byAnimation Magazineeditor Ramin Zahed.Room 103
2:30-3:30WaltDisneyAnimationStudios: The Art of 2D Visual Effects—Craig SostandMarlon Westtalk about the challenges that blending characters and EFX in a hand-drawn, 2D animation medium presents in creating drama. Featuring a key scene from Walt Disney Animation Studios' next releasePrincessandtheFrog,which the moderators will take apart to illustrate the magic of the production process.Room 2203:30-4:30The Once & FutureTrek!—Our regular panel of expert Treksperts reconvenes to hold court on the newStar Trekfilm from J. J. Abrams as well as share their candid and uncensored thoughts on the state of the franchise and the upcoming releases of the original classic feature films on Blu-Ray. Boldly go to Room 104 with such luminaries asRobert Meyer Burnett(Free Enterprise),Daren Dochterman(ST: TMP Special Edition,visual effects producer),Steve Melching(The Clone Wars), comedianMary Forest,andAnthony Pascale(Trek Movie, webmaster).Room1045:30-7:00Watch Horror Films, Keep America StrongDVD Premiere—For 14 years—1971 to 1984—Creature Featureswas one of the most popular TV shows in San Francisco/Bay Area television history. The late Bob Wilkins hosted the Saturday night series for eight years, followed by John Stanley for another six. Wilkins' wit and unusually droll personality and Stanley’s celebrity interviews and satiric mini-movies are all part ofWatch Horror Films, KeepAmerica Strong,a full-length documentary. The film features interviews with Wilkins, Stanley, and other key figures close to the show, as well as classic clips. This historic journey illuminates an era of television that should never be forgotten. The film will be introduced byJohn Stanley(host) andTom Wyrsch(producer).Room 2206:00-8:15Wonder WomanDVD Premiere + Exclusive Green Lantern Sneak Peek—Embark on a journey of untold beauty, grace and strength as Princess Diana uses her remarkable gifts and evolves into Wonder Woman, the world’s most renowned female superhero. Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video, DC Comics, and Warner Bros. Animation present the West Coast Premiere of the next entry in the DC Universe animated original movie series featuring the action-packed origin story of the Amazonian princess—from her mythological beginnings through her introduction to Steve Trevor, her travels to America, and a no-holds-barred battle with Ares, the God of War.WonderWoman’s stellar cast includes the voices of Keri Russell (Waitress), Nathan Fillion (Castle), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), and Rosario Dawson (Sin City). The screening will be followed by a panel discussion of the film by Emmy Award–winning animation legendBruce Timm,breakthrough directorLauren Montgomery(Superman Doomsday), screenwriterMichael Jelenic(Batman: Brave and the Bold), and, making her first appearance at WonderCon, Academy Award–nomineeVirginia Madsen(Sideways), the voice of Queen Hippolyta. DC Comics senior VP of creative affairsGregory Noveckwill moderate.Wonder Womanwill be available to the public on DVD on Tuesday, March 3. And don’t leave early, because the panel will close with a WonderCon exclusive—the first look at this summer’s highly anticipated DCU animated original movie starring Green Lantern!Esplanade6:00-7:00Resident Evil 5—Get a sneak peek at one of the most anticipated video game releases of 2009 and get a chance to see actual gameplay of Capcom’sResident Evil 5before it goes on sale in March. Some lucky audience members will get hands-on game time. Capcom’s product managers,Mike WebsterandMatt Dahlgrenand creative directorFrancis Mao,provide insider info on all the great new features on this first original Resident Evil game for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Plus see behind-the-scenes graphics, view all the Kijuju viral videos that are burning up the Internet, and learn everything you want to know about RE5 in the Q&A session!This panel is recommended for mature audiences. Room 103Saturday, February 28th 200911:30-12:30Warner Bros.:Watchmen—Warner Bros. and WonderCon present a panel devoted to the most eagerly awaited movie of 2009:Watchmen! Visionary director Zack Snyder brings the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons to vivid life on the big screen, opening March 6. JoinZack Snyderand members of the film’s cast LIVE on the WonderCon big stage for this exclusive panel presentation!Esplanade12:30-1:00Summit Entertainment—Summit Entertainment brings exclusive footage from its exciting 2009 lineup:
• Astro Boy—A thrilling tale of a true hero,Astro Boyis an all-new feature film full of action, adventure, humor and heart. Based on the beloved manga,Astro Boywill be brought to life on the big screen in breathtaking CGI animation.
•Knowing—From visionary director Alex Proyas (I, Robot; Dark City) comes a gripping action-thriller of global proportions, about a professor (Nicolas Cage) who stumbles onto terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true.
•The Hurt Locker—Kathryn Bigelow directs this acclaimed explosive thriller about an elite bomb squad engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse amidst the chaos of war.Esplanade
1:00-2:00Extending the Franchise:Wanted—Matt Hawkins(publisher, Top Cow)and J. G. Jones(artist/co-creator,Wanted) have seen theWantedcharacters come to life on the big screen with the film’s release in Summer 2008. Now with guidance fromPete Wanat(executive producer, Universal), the video gameWanted: Weapons of Fatewill continue theWantedmythology in March. Come find out how they’ve turned a comic book series into a multimedia blockbuster, as Hawkins, Jones, and Wanat talk about the future ofWanted!Room 104
1:00-1:30Overture:Pandorum— From the producers of theResident Evilfilm franchise comesPandorum,a terrifying thriller in which two crew members wake up on an abandoned spacecraft with no idea who they are, how long they’ve been asleep, or what their mission is. The two soon discover they’re actually not alone—and the reality of their situation is more horrifying than they could have imagined. Appearing in person: starsBen Foster(X-Men: The Last Stand),Antje Traue, andCung Le.Esplanade
1:30-2:00Alien Trespass— Directed by legendaryX-Filesveteran R. W. Goodwin, this recently discovered sci-fi film, circa 1957, is finally being released. If you love such vintage sci-fi epics asIt Came From Outer SpaceandThis Island Earth, you’ll want to learn more about this unseen tale of an interstellar lawman whose deadly prisoner, the grotesque Goata, escapes when their flying saucer crashes near a small desert town in 1950s California. Appearing in person:R. W. Goodwin,Robert Patrick(T-2, The Unit),Eric McCormack(Free Enterprise, Will & Grace, Trust Me),Dan Lauria(The Wonder Years, The Spirit), andJenni Baird(The 4400).Esplanade1:30-2:30Comic Books and Indie Movies—With the animated seriesXombie: Dead on Arrival,comic booksGodkillerandHow I Lost My Virginity,and indie moviesThreat, Gimme Skelter,andSlumber Party Slaughterhouse: The Game,Halo-8 has carved out a unique niche in alternative pop culture. Join Halo-8 presidentMatt Pizzolo(writer/director ofThreatand the upcomingGodkillerfilm adaptation) and other special guests from the Halo-8 roster for a Q&A session as well as a sneak peek at the newXombie: Dead on ArrivalDVD and an exclusive preview of the “illustrated film"Godkiller.Room 236/2382:00-2:45Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment:Star Trek—A vision by J. J. Abrams, featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no one has gone before. The film stars John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy. Be among the first to see exclusive sneak peak footage from this exciting adventure before its May 8 release. Plus a special guest you won’t want to miss, appearing live on the WonderCon stage. Esplanade2:00-3:00Dante’s Inferno:Adapting Literature for Games—Jonathan Knight(executive producer and creative director, Electronic Arts),Justin Lambros(senior producer) andJeff Adams(lead concept artist) present a panel discussion on the creation of EA’s new action/adventure video game property,Dante’s Inferno.Following a video of the latest visuals for the game, the presentation will focus on the historical significance of Dante’s masterpiece (TheDivine Comedy), and the process by which the creative team adapted the literature for the video game medium. The session will explore the task of integrating gameplay, story, and setting through the lens of the world’s great literature.Room 1043:30-4:30Disney•Pixar:UP—From Disney•Pixar comesUP, a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award-nominated director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.), Disney•Pixar’sUPinvites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. Join director Pete Docter as he presents a look atUP, which opens on May 29 and will be available in select theaters in Disney Digital 3D.Esplanade3:30-4:30It Came from 1979—Get ready to geek out as we party like it’s 1979. Re-appreciate the camp classics of 1979, includingThe Black Hole, Buck Rogersand, of course,Star Trek: The Motion Picture,among others. See some rare footage, reminisce and get insider insight on the films that didn’t change a nation. (We promise the panel will only be slightly longer than the Enterprise flyby in drydock.) StarringRobert Meyer Burnett(Enterprise,TheHillsRunRed),Steve Melching(TheCloneWars),Daren Dochterman(IronMan2, Riddick, conceptual artist), comedianMary Forest,andAshely E. Miller(Terminator:TheSarahConnorChronicles).Room 236/2384:30-5:30Warner Bros:Terminator Salvation—It’s a brand-new start for one of the most explosive movie franchises ever!Terminator Salvationintroduces the adult John Connor (played by Christian Bale) in the future, fighting to save humanity from Skynet and the machines. In theaters on May 22, here’s a special WonderCon panel with directorMcGand cast members LIVE on the big stage!EsplanadeSunday, March 1st 200912:00-1:00SuperCapers—Meet the legendaryAdam West, Justin Whalin(Jimmy Olsen ofLois and Clark),Samuel Lloyd(Ted Buckland ofScrubs),Danielle Harris(Halloween), and director/producer/writerRay Griggsas they talk about their upcoming feature filmSuper Capers,being released this spring. In this action adventure comedy from RG Entertainment, a good guy with no powers joins a superhero team with no clue against a bad guy with no shame. Moderated byJoe Sikoryak.Room 1041:00-2:00Emily the Strange—Fiends, strangers, and oddballs, lend Emily your ears! She’ll give them right back after this panel! Fans of underground iconEmily the Strangewon’t want to miss this fun and informativeDark Horse Comicspanel featuring Emily creatorRob Reger, artistBuzz Parker, writerJessica Gruner, and Dark Horse editorShawna Gore, as they discuss what the future holds for Emily. Get the scoop on the new Dark Horse comic series andThe Art of Emily! Steal a peek at the new series of Emily novels from HarperCollins! Plus movie news, prize giveaways, and more!Room 2201:15-2:00ChuckSpecial Presentation and Q&A—Chuckmakes its first appearance at WonderCon with a Q&A and special screening of an extended trailer. Co-creator/executive producerJosh Schwartz(Gossip Girl) and co-creator/executive producerChris Fedakwill be on hand to talk to fans about the second season of the popular action-comedy, which features all-new guest stars. Airing Mondays at 8:00 PM on NBC,Chuckis produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.Esplanade2:00-2:45Terminator: The Sarah Connor ChroniclesQ&A—Join executive producerJosh Friedman(War of the Worlds[2005]) as he previews the rest of this exciting season and answers questions from fans. Airing Fridays at 8:00 PM on FOX,Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chroniclesis produced by Bartleby Company and The Halcyon Company in association with Warner Bros. Television.Esplanade2:00-3:00IDW Summer Movie Preview:G.I. Joe, Star Trek,andTransformers—IDW editorDenton J. Tiptonhosts writersChris Mowry(Transformers Movie Prequel) andMike Johnson(Star Trek: Countdown), and artistAndrew Griffith(Transformers Movie Prequel) for a discussion about their books that lead in to this summer’s biggest blockbusters.Room 1042:45-4:00Harper’s Island—A 13-episode murder mystery event about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. They’ve come to laugh, to love—and, though they don’t know it—to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. Abby Mills, whose mother was killed on the island by a homicidal maniac’s rampage seven years ago, journeys home for the first time since the horrific event for the wedding of her best friend, Henry Dunn. Henry, the boy next door, is marrying the woman of his dreams, Trish Wellington, a beautiful and wealthy heiress. But as the wedding week begins, people start dying. Every episode, someone is killed. Wedding guests and island locals, every person is a suspect. No one is safe. No one can be trusted. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive. This panel features an exclusive premiere showing of the pilot episode and Q&A with executive producerJeffrey Bell(Angel, The X-Files), co-executive producersDan ShotzandKarim Zreik(Jericho), and actorsKatie Cassidy(Supernatural),Christopher Gorham(Jake 2.0, Ugly Betty), andElaine Cassidy(The Others).Harper’s IslandMurder Mystery Event begins April 9 and ends August 15, 2025, Thursdays at 10:00 PM on CBS.Esplanade
