While official attendance figures are not yet available, this year’s San Diego Comic-Con appears to be on track to top last year’s, selling out its four-day and daily tickets to more than 125,000 fans. And many of those fans flooded the San Diego Convention Center floor Wednesday evening for the three-hour Preview Night, sampling the countless booths from movie and television studios, toy manufacturers, video game companies and of course comic book publishers.
Outside of the Convention Center, fans had plenty of other chances to engage with upcoming movies, with nearby installations such as the “Ender’s Game” training simulator and the Godzilla Encounter, an experience that brings attendees into a simulated downtown Tokyo during a close-call with the famed giant monster and offers the first glimpse of his new design featured in the 2014 film reboot. From what we could tell, the new Godzilla appears to be a mix between the original version and the more dinosaur-like design from the much-derided 1998 film, though the trademark high-pitched roar is unmistakable.
As for nightlife, Hitfix reclaimed its spot as the only party in town worth attending on the night before Comic-Con’s kick-off after sharing Wednesday night with Summit Entertainment’s “Twilight” party last year. This time around Hitfix teamed with CBS Films’ raunchy female-driven sex comedy, “the To-Do List,” with stars Aubrey Plaza, Alia Shawkat and Scott Porter mingling with the reporters and bloggers set to cover the Con.
