Between the megasuccess of this spring’s “The Avengers” — with a worldwide take of more than $1 billion — and the anticipated arrival of “The Dark Knight Rises” later this month, it’s quite the year for comic book movies, making this week’s San Diego Comic-Con that much more exciting. Here’s some of the stuff we’re looking forward to most at the annual nerd-fest, and be sure to follow along on Twitter (@nedrick) for behind-the-scenes updates from the Con all weekend long.
Movies
“The Hobbit”: Peter Jackson completed principal photography on his two-film adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien classic just last week, so hopefully he’ll have something exciting — or at least something to get the taste of his disappointing display at CinemaCon out of viewers’ mouths.
“Iron Man 3”: While filming hasn’t started yet on the franchise juggernaut and “Avengers” follow-up, fans will be eager for whatever surprises Marvel superproducer Kevin Feige decides to unveil.
“Elysium”: Visionary filmmaker Neill Blomkamp is bringing in some big guns for his follow-up to 2009’s “District 9,” including stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster — not exactly a familiar Comic-Con face. We’re excited to hear about the class warfare sci-fi film, set for release next March.
“Django Unchained”:
Television
“The Walking Dead”: The popularity of the zombie drama’s first appearance at Comic-Con two years ago caught organizers off-guard, but by now they should be ready for the massive fan outpouring. And with the show’s third season debuting in October, we’re hoping to learn some juicy details.
“Community”: The cast of the quirky comedy with a passionate — if small — fan base returns to Comic-Con on the heels of series creator Dan Harmon’s newsmaking termination this spring. We’re curious to hear what direction the show will take with new bosses — and a reduced episode order — next season.
“Elementary”: The BBC’s modernized “Sherlock,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, has been a major success — so an American take was almost inevitable. This one finds a still-British Holmes (played by Jonny Lee Miller, who co-starred with Cumberbatch onstage in “Frankenstein” last year) fresh out of rehab and in New York, accompanied by a female Watson (Lucy Liu).
“Revolution”: A new mind-bending sci-fi series from “Lost” guru J.J. Abrams about the state of the world 15 years after all technology mysteriously stopped working? And the pilot episode was directed by “Iron Man” helmer Jon Favreau? Sign us up.
