The new cast of “Star Wars,” as presented by J.J. Abrams. Credit: Starwars.com
While San Diego Comic-Con was just as packed as ever with fans clamoring for news on their favorite genre properties, the line-up felt a bit slim this year. More noteworthy than what films and TV shows made splashy presentations this year were which ones sat it out all together. Here are some of the big 2015 releases that were conspicuously absent.
‘Star Wars: Episode VII’
While Disney let the upcoming “Star Was: Rebels” animated series do plenty of promoting, it kept the big title under wraps. That could be because, with a late 2015 release date, they’ve still got time to tease. Or it could be because Disney has its own convention, D23, so why would it waste it’s biggest new property on someone else’s party?
‘Tomorrowland’
Speaking of the House of Mouse, since there was no Disney film presence to speak of, fans didn’t get any more updates on this tantalizingly mysterious film, starring George Clooney and directed by Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”).
‘Jurassic World’
Movie studio Universal decided to sit out Comic-Con all together this year, which means no news on this highly anticipated sequel, due next summer. What does a guy have to do to see some Velociraptor action?
‘The Fantastic Four’
Film buffs crowded into Fox’s Hall H panel this year hoping that hidden within it’s presentations of “The Maze Runner,” “Hitman: Agent 47” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service” would be some news of this comic book reboot. But unless they actually had the Invisible Woman there on the panel, it was a Fantastic Four-free afternoon.
‘Terminator’
Paramount made waves by having Megan Fox, Dwayne Johnson, Matthew McConaughey and Christopher Nolan on its Hall H panel, but with a looming entry to the “Terminator” franchise — complete with Arnold himself — currently in production and set for a July 2015 release, it seemed criminal to leave it out.
‘Divergent: Insurgent’
With a release date before next year’s Wonder-Con and good buzz coming off the first film — and breakout star Shailene Woodley — why this property was left off the table is a head-scratcher.
‘Fast & Furious 7’
Again, chalk this one up to Universal just not doing anything at all at Comic-Con. Fans will just have to wait for the vroom-vroom and answers about how they’ll deal with Paul Walker’s passing.
Follow Ned Ehrbar on Twitter @nedrick
