EXCLUSIVE: Expect an announcement in the next days that Morgan Wandell, the SVP of drama development at ABC Studios, is going to run Brothers & Sisters and Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money producer Greg Berlanti's hot company under a new multi-million dollar and multi-year development deal there. But here's what won't be in the press release: that Wandell was supposed to get the job of ABC Studios EVP of development being vacated by Julia Franz. He didn't because ABC Entertainment topper Steve McPherson blocked it. 

McPherson has always had an issue with Wandell, I'm told, but it's more than a personality conflict. My sources say the two butted heads on shows. Then McPherson was royally pissed when he passed on Wandell's development of Criminal Minds and The Ghost Whisperer only to see Wandell sell the shows to CBS. Good for Wandell, but bad for McPherson's network. (Here's the pot calling the kettle black, because when McPherson was head of Touchstone TV, the predecessor to ABC Studios, he sold CSI to CBS when ABC passed.

Don't get me wrong: I like McPherson. I find his emotionalism endlessly amusing even if he's had difficulty growing hits behind ABC's top-rated series. (I loved it when he tore NBC's Ben Silverman a new asshole for betraying their mutual pal Kevin Reilly.) But let's face it, McPherson has had a bug up his ass about ABC Studios for some time, which is why in his recent contract negotiation he asked to run that entity as well or threatened to leave. But this was nixed by the big boss, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and prez of Disney-ABC Television Group Anne Sweeney, and McPherson stayed put and signed a new deal in May. Now McPherson and Mark Pedowitz uneasily co-exist. (Actually, they hate each other -- except when they're bonded in their mutual disdain for Sweeney, who's not fond of them either. Something along the lines of that old saying that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". This is why I so love Hollywood...)

Wandell's No. 2, Channing Dungey, is likely to replace him. As for Franz, who's married to ICM prez Chris Silbermann, exiting is her idea. She came back from maternity leave two weeks ago and is staying through the end of the year to ease the transition. Pedowitz, meanwhile, has begun meeting with lots of people. I hear he's already had face-to-faces with Peter Traugott, prez of TV production at Brillstein Entertainment Partners; Karey Burke, the former EVP of all development at NBC who now runs Ashton Kutcher's hot company; Gene Stein, who has an overall deal at ABC Studios and was formerly the head of comedy development at CBS; and Steve Stark, the former head of Kelsey Grammar's very successful Gramnet Productions.

It's not even August. And SAG is still in the middle of its contract negotiations with Big Media. But already actors are coming forward to run for office in the September 18th election. (Then again, there's never a SAG vote without controversy.) But no, it's not too early. Because the nominating period closes tomorrow! Then SAG releases the official list of candidates on August 5th once the Election Committees have confirmed candidate eligibility. So today I received a statement from 31 SAG members billing themselves as "Hollywood stars" (in the headline of the email they sent out) who say they're "alarmed by growing divisiveness" within their guild and declared themselves SAG Board candidates seeking leadership change on a "Unite For Strength" slate. (Many, if not all, were on board for the "Affected Member" attempt to limit SAG contract voting to just "working" actors which SAG's current board sent back to committee.) Here's the "Unite For Strength" statement:

Aiming to put the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) on a path toward greater unity with sister union the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), a group of 31 actors announced today that they will run in upcoming elections for seats on the SAG Board of Directors. Organized under the banner “Unite for Strength,” the group is seeking to win a majority of the national board seats allotted to Hollywood branch members. If successful, Unite for Strength would end control of the board by the “Membership First” faction, which has long maintained a hostile stance toward AFTRA.

“With the immense challenges actors face today, we need all the strength we can muster. And that means electing union leadership that is committed to uniting actors to fight for our common future,” said Ned Vaughn, a leader of the group. “We can no longer afford leaders who sow division.” 
  
“As our current predicament makes clear, actors lose out when we face off as separate, warring camps against the media conglomerates in contract negotiations,” said Adam Arkin. “I’m concerned for future negotiations if we don’t change the leadership that has brought us to this point.”

In announcing their campaign, Unite for Strength faulted current and past board members associated with Membership First for stoking the debilitating hostility between SAG and AFTRA by:

·       Threatening to terminate joint negation of the TV/Theatrical contract.  (They later rescinded a planned referendum after a storm of internal criticism that doing so would weaken SAG at the bargaining table.)
·       Waging a campaign of threats and insults against AFTRA.  This included one Membership First-affiliated board member calling AFTRA “a scumbag union.”
·       Waging a senseless, futile (and costly) campaign to defeat the contract AFTRA negotiated with the AMPTP.
·       Scuttling two separate attempts (1998 & 2003) to strengthen actors’ long-term position at the bargaining table by merging SAG and AFTRA.

“If we’re elected, we’ll end the senseless war against AFTRA and work to create a united front of actors to fight for more working opportunities and better jobs.  We believe that will ultimately require merging the two unions, and that’s a goal we’re all pledged to pursue,” said Vaughn.
 
The candidates running on the Unite for Strength slate are:
Adam Arkin
Michelle Allsopp
Edoardo Ballerini
Bob Bergen
Amy Brenneman
L. Scott Caldwell
Gabrielle Carteris
William Charlton
Assaf Cohen
Ashley Crow
Tim DeKay
Fred Fein
Googy Gress
Dulé Hill
Ken Howard
Clyde Kusatsu
Matt Letscher
John Carroll Lynch
Anthony Molinari
Pamela Reed
Doug Savant
Bill Smitrovich
Richard Speight, Jr.
Mandy Steckelberg
Keith Szarabajka
Steve Tom
Stacey Travis
Ned Vaughn
Tom Verica
Marcia Wallace
Kate Walsh

Another record for the Warner Bros mega-blockbuster, which earned $24.M Monday and $20.8M Tuesday to a domestic cumulative of $203.7M. Yikes.

Regular DHD readers know I don't do geek. But frequent LA Weekly film reviewer and comic book expert Luke Y Thompson does. He spends all year waiting for Comic-Con and this time he's covering it for me. Here's his preview:

SUNDAY, JULY 27th

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday... It always used to be the chill-out day when less people showed up and most of the panels were leftover stuff like "Christianity in Comics" panels. Nowadays, however, every day of the Con sells out, and some of the wealth gets spread. Though I am rather surprised to see a big panel for HAMLET 2, the Steve Coogan comedy from the director of THE CRAFT (that'd be Andrew Fleming) and the co-writer of many SOUTH PARK episodes, Pam Brady. Comedy at the Con is a risky bet. Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow are always welcome, because they make comedies about comic geeks and toy-collecting virgins. Jack Black's always welcome because Tenacious D do a rockin' cover of Queen's 1980 FLASH GORDON theme, plus, y'know, KING KONG. Coogan's definitely made geek movies of a sort – TRISTRAM SHANDY for literature geeks, and 24-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE for music geeks, but that's not quite the same crowd as this one. Still, he's brought along Elisabeth Shue, so any unanswered questions about the BACK TO THE FUTURE sequels or ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING can finally be asked. The movie itself will be screening over the weekend also, but will this audience be in the mood for a comedy about high school drama in Tucson? (Ballroom 20, 11:30 a.m.)
 
Following that, John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris will be appearing to promote the DVD release of HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY. Again, a risk for the comic-book crowd, but Harris was in STARSHIP TROOPERS. Will Casper Van Dien show up to beg him for a job? Probably not, but it'd be a good gag.
 
At 12:30 p.m. in room 2, guys looking to meet goth girls will have their second-best chance of the weekend, as we get a behind-the-scenes look at Dark Horse's popular comic "Emily the Strange" (if you've ever walked into a Hot Topic store – and I know that may not be a given – you've seen "Emily" merchandise aplenty). Supposedly there may be movie news.
 
Back in Ballroom 20 at 1 p.m., Jason Voorhees returns in the new remake of FRIDAY THE 13TH, a remake that pisses me off. Not because the original FRIDAY was so great – it wasn't – or because the new continuity has Jason as a hockey-masked killer from the getgo (Drew Barrymore died in SCREAM for not remembering that Jason's mother is the original killer; oh, and that mask didn't show up till Part 3). But seriously, arguing about FRIDAY continuity is stupid. I'm just mad that they were so close to making it to Part 13, which is where things should conclude. If you count FREDDY VERSUS JASON, there are eleven Jason Voorhees movies... only two more in the same continuity-line would have done it! But no, remake ahoy. Oh well, it'll probably be a better movie than most of the originals, if not all; the Friday/Jason franchise is known more for longevity, and negative portrayals of premarital sex, than quality.
 
Speaking of SCREAM, Wes Craven has to follow Jason with a look at his newest, 25/8 (which will hope is closer to RED EYE than CURSED). Following him will be David Goyer, beloved by genre fans for writing BATMAN BEGINS and DARK CITY, but somewhat disliked among those who sat through his dismal directorial efforts BLADE: TRINITY and THE INVISIBLE. His new one, THE UNBORN, stars Gary Oldman, though, so there may be hope for it.
 
Deepak Chopra at Comic-Con? Yes. He's working with...wait for it...Virgin Comics. And he's going to talk spirituality with acclaimed comic writer Grant Morrison? Might have to be seen to be believed. (Ballroom 20, 2:45 p.m.)
 
And no Comic-Con is complete without at least peeking in at the "Starship Smackdown" panel, which is hands-down the nerdiest thing ever, but hilariously so. A panel of geeks and comics actually hold a formal debate/tournament thing to decide who would win in various hypothetical space battles. The Enterprise versus a Star Destroyer! Dr. Who's TARDIS versus Carl Sagan's spaceship of the imagination! As my little brother used to constantly ask me: "If they fighted, who would win?" No matter how much of a geek you may think you are about this stuff, you'll feel better about yourself watching the real nit-pickers go at it. Usually hilarious, and usually the last panel of the day, but this year, it's a little earlier. (Room 7AB, 2 p.m.)
 
Time to wind down after all that. And while the rest of you are doing just that, I'll still be writing...about as much of the preceding stuff as I've managed to see, or hear about.
 
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Regular DHD readers know I don't do geek. But frequent LA Weekly film reviewer and comic book expert Luke Y Thompson does. He spends all year waiting for Comic-Con and this time he's covering it for me. Here's his preview:

SATURDAY, JULY 26th

More of the stuff I expect to like...

Today features the coming of age of the LOST panel. A series beloved by fans of sci-fi and comic books, LOST has been a perennial favorite at Comic-Con, yet for every previous year it has always been scheduled opposite some major movie-related panel in Hall H, the big room. This year, LOST finally moves into Hall H to take its rightful place as a main attraction. Last year, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse announced the return of Michael (Harold Perrinneau) to the show, so even though we expect them to be cryptic, you might hear a similarly significant announcement this year too (12 p.m.)
 
This will be followed at 1:15 p.m. by Warner Bros' presentation of a look at the fourth Terminator movie, currently entitled TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS. Fans weren't exactly clamoring for this one, especially with much-derided director McG at the helm, but the announcement of Christian Bale in the starring role as John Connor pleased a lot of people, as did the very recent announcement that the Austrian bodybuilder who starred in an Arnold Schwarzenegger TV biopic has been signed to play the original killer robot from the future. Even if it sucks, fans want to see an all-out futuristic war between man and machine, and the movie hints at delivering that much, at least.
 
After that, Disney and Pixar take the stage to promote their upcoming cartoons. BOLT, which you've likely seen the trailer for in front of WALL-E, looks awful, with John Travolta voicing a dog who thinks he has Matrix-like super powers – but it's in 3-D, which tends to make me forgive narrative flaws if the effects are good enough. Pixar's first 3-D movie is called UP, an adventure movie that little is known about, but I think it involves a journey in a hot air balloon. No new Narnia stuff? Damn. VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER has the potential to be a lot more visually interesting than its predecessors, based as it is on The Odyssey more than the Bible.
 
Universal is primarily focusing on the new MUMMY sequel and its DEATH RACE remake. The former has shown pretty much all we need to see prior to viewing, and the latter, few care about...but the small print in the program indicates that talent from Sam Raimi's upcoming return to horror DRAG ME TO HELL and the Krofft brothers big-screen update LAND OF THE LOST might also be on hand.
 
Did you know that STARSHIP TROOPERS 3 is coming out soon? Do you care? Sequels to Paul Verhoeven movies rarely do the originals justice, but original star Casper Van Dien has returned for this new one, along with STAR TREK ENTERPRISE Vulcan hottie Jolene Blalock, and both will be hyping up this direct-to-DVD release (Room 7AB, 5 p.m.).
 
Sick of prequels yet? How about one for UNDERWORLD, the franchise folks can barely muster up interest in? Kate Beckinsale and hubby director Len Wiseman have bailed, but at least this one still has the always-entertaining Bill Nighy, though Michael Sheen (Tony Blair in THE QUEEN), just doesn't strike fear in my heart as an up-and-coming werewolf. Also on the Sony panel: a look at the thriller QUARANTINE, which boasts no name actors; and PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, with Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Danny McBride, all of whom will be in attendance. I happen to find Danny McBride (THE FOOT FIST WAY, HOT ROD) to be one of the funniest guys on the planet right now, so say no more. Humor is subjective, but to me he's a goddamn genius. (Hall H, 5:30 p.m.)
 
Saturday night is usually highlighted by the masquerade ball, a costume contest which often features amazingly intricate robots and demons side-by-side with fat fanboys and girls dressed inappropriately as their favorite heroes. (I usually watch from the sails pavilion on the big-screen TV while noshing on free nachos and enjoying the one time per weekend that the convention center sells booze). This year, however, it isn't the only main attraction: A work-in-progress screening of THE MUTANT CHRONICLES, with stars Tom The Punisher Jane and Ron Hellboy Perlman in attendance is expected to draw big crowds, while midnight brings a special Gaslamp District screening of Clive Barker's MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, with the author himself presenting. Fans have been indignant about Lionsgate's limited theatrical release plans, so this may constitute a test of their commitment.
 
One more day to go, folks...

Regular DHD readers know I don't do geek. But frequent LA Weekly film reviewer and comic book expert Luke Y Thompson does. He spends all year waiting for Comic-Con and this time he's covering it for me. Here's his preview:

FRIDAY, JULY 25th

This is "Star Wars Day," apparently, which begs the question, does anybody care? Is that CLONE WARS computer-animated movie really exciting anyone? You already know how the story begins and ends, and the characters look like wooden dolls. Still, several panels throughout the day will attempt to "fire up the base." New books, comics, toys, and such, all based on CLONE WARS, will be promoted. I'm impressed by the new double-sized Millennium Falcon toy, but wouldn't have any place to put it. How much space and disposable income do kids have today, anyway?
 
That aside, Friday doesn't have a lot that stands out right away. You can talk to Marvel's Joe Quesada and Kevin Feige at 10 a.m. (Room 6A), and attend a Mattel/DC panel at 11:30 in room 8 to ask them why Heath Ledger Joker action figures are so hard to find (yes, because he died; but why isn't supply meeting demand?).
 
The first big-deal panel is at 11:55, when you get to watch Warner Bros' WATCHMEN in Hall H. No doubt you've seen the first trailer online already, or possibly running with THE DARK KNIGHT. Maybe you've never even read the original comic maxi-series, and were confused as hell by the giant blue guy and the owl guy and that hot chick in latex. Go read it. Often described as either the War and Peace or Citizen Kane of comics, WATCHMEN was a deconstruction of superhero tropes that dealt with the ramifications of how heroes and masked vigilantes would have changed America's history if they actually existed. In the '80s, this was a new way of looking at superheroes for many. Now that the superhero has become ubiquitous on the big screen, the movies may be ready to handle it. Director Zack Snyder and some of the key cast members showed up last year, but this time you'll be able to ask them more specific questions.
 
There's a new RESIDENT EVIL movie coming out, but it's not part of the Milla Jovovich live-action series; rather, it's all-CG, being made in Japan, and existing fully within the continuity of the video games. With zombies and flesh-eating mutants, this ain't Pixar, folks. Check out the brand-new trailer in Room 2 at 1 p.m.
 
Good news for geeks: There's a GHOSTBUSTERS sequel coming out. Less good news: It's a video game, not a movie. However, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson will be showing up to tell you more. It's guaranteed to be the best thing they've been involved with in quite a while. (1:45, Room 6B)
 
Makeup maestro Rick Baker will be onhand for Universal's WOLFMAN panel...but no Benicio Del Toro? He's the only reason to care about this remake, so here's hoping for a surprise appearance. (2 p.m., Hall H) It'll be followed by Lionsgate's panel for THE SPIRIT, once again featuring Samuel L. Jackson, as well as perennial attendee Eva Mendes, star Gabriel Macht, and director Frank Miller. Fans are already deriding the early trailers for the movie as being too much like SIN CITY and not enough like the original Spirit comics by Will Eisner, so he may be facing a semi-hostile crowd. Sam and Eva just might win 'em over, though.
 
Later, in the same hall, Miller will also be appearing, along with Snyder, on a panel with Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow, dubbed "Entertainment Weekly's The Visionaries: Filmmakers." I'm delighted to see EW finally figured out that Comic-Con is important; considering it's owned by Time-Warner, this is something they should have sussed out years ago. Are these really our most visionary filmmakers? Things could get interesting if Smith decides to unload some geek-level whoopass on Miller over THE SPIRIT...but it'll probably just be a lot self-congratulation, alas.
 
TROPIC THUNDER will be screening in the Gaslamp district Thursday night, while the highlight that evening back at the con will be Spike and Mike's The Gauntlet, at which contenders for the annual Sick and Twisted festival of animation get screened to rabid fans, whose cheers or boos determine what will and won't make the cut. (10:30 p.m., Room 6CDEF)

Regular DHD readers know I don't do geek. But frequent LA Weekly film reviewer and comic book expert Luke Y Thompson does. He spends all year waiting for Comic-Con and this time he's covering it for me. Here's his preview:

THURSDAY, JULY 24th 
 
Masters of the Web, 10 a.m., Room 32 AB
Webmasters from all those geek movie sites you read get together for a panel discussion moderated, oddly enough, by CRANK co-directors Neveldine and Taylor (They have first names, but no longer use them). See if talk-backers have the balls to talks crap to the likes of Brad Miska, Garth Franklin, "Quint," and Devin Faraci face to face! (Answer: Probably. These guys aren't all that intimidating. Now, if we could get Nikki on there, that'd be another story!).
 
Stan Lee and Grant Morrison, 10:45 a.m., Ballroom 20.
The founder of Marvel comics and one of today's most acclaimed writers – fans are sure to have lots of questions. Too bad these heavyweights are here mainly to pimp Virgin Comics, which nobody really cares about.
 
G.I. Joe, 11:30 a.m., Room 7AB
Since Paramount is giving the Con a miss altogether this year, it's up to Hasbro to promote the upcoming G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA movie as part of a panel that will also reveal new action figures and toys (most of which, if history is any indication, will be re-painted vehicles from the '80s). Hasbro's design team are the only advertised guests, but some surprise are expected, possibly including some of the movie cast. (I wouldn't expect Dennis Quaid, though.)
 
20th Century Fox, 11:30 a.m., Hall H
Curiously, nothing about the new live-action anime adaptation DRAGONBALL has been announced. But we will get panels for the sci-fi remake THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly; and the video-game adaptation MAX PAYNE, with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Ludacris in attendance. Neither one strikes me as particularly exciting, but hey, maybe there'll be surprises.
 
Doctor Who, 12 p.m., Ballroom 20.
Writers Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffatt show some exclusive clips and take fan questions about television's timeless Time Lord. Will the Doctor's new companion be a reprogrammed Cyberman? If you know what that even means, this is a panel not to be missed.
 
The Greatest American Hero, 12:30 p.m., Room 7AB
"Believe it or not, William Katt's still around, you never thought he could be still he-ee-ere..." Yep, TV's original subversive superhero is in the house, to promote a new line of comic books starring his hapless alter-ego.
 
Activision with Stan Lee, 1 p.m., Room 6A
Stan Lee again, this time talking video games. At least at this panel you don't have to pretend to be interested in Virgin Comics.
 
Torchwood, 1 p.m., Ballroom 20
A panel for the Doctor Who spin-off features Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffatt again, but for this one they'll also have some actual cast members with them.
 
Summit Pictures, 1:15 p.m., Hall H
Paul McGuigan's PUSH deals with a team of American psychics in Hong Kong trying to escape from a clandestine government agency. Blah, blah, blah, but Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans, and Djimon Hounsou will be there to try to sell us on it. Alex Proyas has a lot of goodwill with this crowd due to THE CROW and DARK CITY; I, ROBOT is a tad more iffy. But he'll be here to talk about his latest movie, KNOWING, about a time capsule that contains prophecies that either came true or are just about to. Lifelong comic fan Nicolas Cage stars, but he's not expected to show up. But the main event of the panel is TWILIGHT; if you're a teenage girl, no doubt you're already a fan of this series of vampire novels. I'm not, and am not...but guys, if you want to find your best shot at meeting single goth chicks, this is it. Director Catherine Hardwicke (THIRTEEN) will present, alongside stars Kristen Stewart (PANIC ROOM, ZATHURA) and a bunch of other young actors I've never heard of.
 
Red Sonja, 2 p.m., Room 6CDEF
It won't start filming till October, but Robert Rodriguez and main squeeze Rose McGowan are starting the promotion early (and indirectly shaming J.J. Abrams – tell us again how STAR TREK "isn't ready yet"?) by discussing their newest sword and sorcery project based on the writings of Conan creator Robert E. Howard. I was hoping they'd remake BARBARELLA first, but what the hell – remaking a Brigitte Nielsen vehicle can't possibly be a bad thing, can it? Rodriguez is only producing; HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME helmer Doug Aarniokoski is the director, which doesn't inspire confidence.
 
Anchor Bay, 2:15 p.m., Ballroom 20
The premiere horror DVD distributor promotes upcoming releases with the likes of HEATHERS/BATMAN RETURNS screenwriter Daniel Waters, Oscar-nominated A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE scribe Josh Olson, and horror icon Robert "Freddy" Englund.
 
Wizard's First Rule, 3 p.m., Room 6B
Hercules and Xena producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert present their latest fantasy series, based on the books by Terry Goodkind. Here's hoping the CGI has improved.
 
Race to Witch Mountain, 3 p.m., Hall H
Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino, faves with this crowd for winning WWE wrestling championships and getting naked in SIN CITY, respectively, will be onhand to tell us about Disney's latest big-budget remake. A warning: Johnson has a track record of attending highly entertaining Comic-Con panels for movies that turned out to be really "meh" – specifically DOOM and GET SMART, the former being one that even he now disowns.
 
Afro Samurai, 4:15 p.m., room 6B
There is a muthafuckin' afro on this muthafuckin' samurai! Samuel L. Jackson makes his first appearance of the week to offer a sneak peek at the new season of his superhero cartoon. Alongside Sam the Man will be composer The RZA, and original Afro Samurai creator Takahashi Okazaki. You'll also get a first look at the tie-in video game. Ever wanted to actually be Sam Jackson? Now you can, sort of.
 
Scream Like A Girl, 4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20
In the first of his many appearances this weekend, Kevin Smith moderates an otherwise all-female panel of actresses, producers, artists, and directors in the sci-fi, horror, and fantasy fields. No word of who these women actually are as of yet.
 
Dark Castle, 5:30 p.m., Hall H
Joel Silver's horror label that has mostly produced total crap (HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, GHOST SHIP, THE REAPING) presents its newest projects, with 300 star Gerard Butler and Brit-crime-spoof/ex-Mister Madonna director Guy Ritchie onhand to present their new crime thriller ROCKNROLLA. After that, Korean pop star and Stephen Colbert nemesis Rain will offer a first look at the Wachowski brothers-produced NINJA ASSASSIN, a martial arts epic directed by V FOR VENDETTA's James McTeigue. WHITEOUT, starring Kate Beckinsale, was already given a big rollout last year, but Joel Silver will likely remind you that it's still coming soon.
 
DC Nation, 6 p.m., Room 6A
Got a question for DC Comics president Dan Didio? Ask it here.
 
Bill Plympton, 6 p.m., Room 7 AB
The acclaimed animator will screen the first 20 minutes of his newest independent feature, IDIOTS AND ANGELS. As one of the few who saw his MUTANT ALIENS theatrically, I recommend paying attention.
 
Lionsgate, 8 p.m., Room 6B
In recent years, there have been more and more evening panels, but this may be the first time that a major movie panel has happened "after hours." First up is a look at the third cinematic adaptation of THE PUNISHER, this time starring ROME's Ray Stevenson, who succeeds Thomas Jane and Dolph Lundgren. Next, director David Hackl and star Tobin Bell will continue the tradition of previewing the latest SAW sequel. Finally, Darren Lynn Bousman will give a look at his oddball horror-musical REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA, with a possible appearance from costar Paris Hilton.
 
Lost Boys II: The Tribe, 10 p.m., Ballroom 20
It'll be coming out direct-to-DVD a few days later, but if you can't wait for the sequel to Joel Schumacher's youth-vampire cult hit, see it now. Both Coreys return as the vampire-hunting Frog brothers; Kiefer Sutherland's character may have died, but his brother Angus shows up in this one. Corey Feldman will be in attendance to take your questions.

Regular DHD readers know I don't do geek. But frequent LA Weekly film reviewer and comic book expert Luke Y Thompson does. He spends all year waiting for Comic-Con and this time he's covering it for me. Here's his preview:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23rd

I really should be working on my cardio right now: Comic-Con is as close to running a marathon as someone like me gets. It is absolutely impossible for one person to do absolutely everything that sounds interesting, but might as well try for as much as possible, right? The usual warnings apply: -- Arrive early. Like, before the show opens. If you're driving down from L.A., leave before the sun rises. This is not hyperbole. -- Pace yourself. Hydrate. Eat breakfast. Maybe even bring deodorant. Your fellow conventiongoers will thank you. -- Comic-Con treats pretty much everyone equally, so even if you're a VIP, be prepared to wait in line. -- Don't buy food or drink in the convention hall. It's way overpriced, and there's a Ralphs a couple blocks away. For booze, go to the hotel bar next door. --Remember to have fun! You'll be exhausted, but for folks like me, this is still the most wonderful time of the year. So what looks worth seeing? Glad you asked. Herewith, my picks for most interesting panels (but be sure to save some time for roaming the convention floor, too):

Wednesday is usually strictly for hall-roaming, but this year, there's also going to be a screening of the new J.J. Abrams pilot FRINGE, about a plane that lands full of dead bodies, and the mystery that unfolds as folks try to find out why. John Noble (Denethor from RETURN OF THE KING) stars as some kind of mad genius. Now might be as good a time as any to bitch about how J.J. Abrams isn't going to be showing anything from his new STAR TREK movie. My sources at Paramount say it's just too soon, despite the fact that they had a panel for it last year. Chud.com recently ran a piece that suggests J.J. is using the weak excuse that the special effects aren't done. They, like me, suspect that J.J. is doing his default routine of secrecy, when in this case he needs to be reassuring the fan-base who are very skeptical of recasting the original crew.
 
Here's why the "not finished yet" argument doesn't wash: Reason #1: J.J. showed footage to Harry Knowles already. I can't find Harry's "review" of the footage anywhere on the site, which I'll chalk up to their crappy search engine, but needless to say, as with any advance footage for something like this, Harry liked it. Reason #2: A couple of Cons ago, Peter Jackson showed the T-rex fight from KING KONG. It was very unfinished, featuring a lot of wire-frame animation. But it still looked cool as hell, and the crowd asked to watch it a second time. The finished sequence remains the best part of the way-too-long movie. Anyway, between now and next May, there won't be another opportunity to show STAR TREK footage to a crowd this big that's predisposed to like it. Blown opportunity, J.J. And makes me suspect somebody's running scared.
 
I'm also told that a special rail car full of props from Gil Kenan's upcoming live-action sci-fi movie CITY OF EMBER should be pulling into town on Wednesday. And rumor has it the owl-ship from WATCHMEN will be in the convention hall. But mostly, Wednesday is the night to buy as many exclusive toys as are available (and not all will be).

My LA Weekly colleague Steven Mikulan is covering the Christensen-Pellicano trial. Here is his first report:

“You have no idea how lucky you are out here – it’s torture!” Celebrity lawyer Robert Shapiro gave this assurance Tuesday to two U.S. Marshals sitting outside Judge Dale Fischer’s courtroom – where, inside, Anthony Pellicano was subjecting a witness to some verbal water-boarding. So far Pellicano II testimony has moved at a geological pace. This federal trial presents a kind of Odd Couple pairing (or is it The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant?), in which the bare-knuckled private eye Pellicano is a co-defendant with super-smooth litigation attorney Terry Christensen. The two men are accused of wiretapping and conspiracy in support of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s toxic child-custody fight with ex-wife Lisa Bonder in 2002.

Shapiro and other defense lawyers connected to Christensen or his actual law firm Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro seemed perplexed by what the rest of us – judge, prosecutors and media alike -- had come to take for granted during Pellicano’s first trial, which ended in May with Pellicano’s 76 guilty verdicts. Over and over Tuesday did Pellicano, acting again as his own attorney, split hairs and infinitives with government witness Jeffrey Edwards, a software engineer, during Pellicano’s cross-examination about the computer source code of his Telesleuth wiretapping program. Christensen attorneys Patty Glaser and Terree Bowers looked stunned as they became familiar with Pellicano’s Jesuitical interrogation techniques – Glaser’s eyes glazed, Bowers bowed and Christensen became Christlike in his martyr’s acceptance of Pellicano’s tedious questioning.

Although the trial’s first day brought in many local reporters as well as writers for New York papers and the wires, the media now have all but completely decamped this scene of deadening repetition. An exception is the Daily Journal’s Robert Iafolla, who is often the only media presence in court. One thing the first trial had going for it were its tawdry moments of unpredictable salaciousness. With Pellicano II, however, both sides seem dedicated to ironing out any excitement of the crime narrative. In some ways the current trial is like the same movie as shot by two different directors, as when Paul Schrader and Renny Harlin both made versions of The Exorcist a few years ago. But perhaps that’s giving this trial too much credit – Pellicano I and II are like “the two Darrins,” à la Bewitched.

Tomorrow things should perk up a bit with the appearance of Stephen Kolodny -- Lisa Bonder’s lawyer during her no-holds-barred fight with Kirk Kerkorian. And, if we’re lucky – or awake – we’ll also hear the first of the six and a half hours of phone conversations between Pellicano and Christensen, which allegedly were secretly recorded by Pellicano. During her opening trial statement, Patty Glaser, clearly familiar with those conversations, warned jurors of the salty badinage they’d be hearing once these recordings were played back. “You’re going to hear coarse language,” Glaser said, “that maybe you and I wouldn’t use.” This comment could be both trial’s most far-fetched declaration and its biggest understatement.
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“Bring me the father. Bring me the father’s head on a platter. Because there is like more than a hundred thousand in it for you, okay?” Thus spake über attorney Terry Christensen in 2002 as he hired super sleuth Anthony Pellicano to discover the true paternity of the daughter of Christensen’s client, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.

As Christensen and Pellicano began trial on two federal counts apiece of wiretapping and conspiracy, the men’s phone conversations, secretly recorded by Pellicano, were splashed across a courtroom screen. Already the trial is shaping up as a battle of transcripts and how to interpret them -- the above quote was offered by Christensen’s defense.

Pellicano was convicted in May of 76 felony counts involving wiretapping, conspiracy and racketeering. Last week, early in the morning on July 17th, he was brought from his downtown Los Angeles prison cell to be tried with Christensen in a case stemming from the down-and-dirty child-support battle involving Kirk Kerkorian, his daughter Kira and Kira’s mother, ex-tennis pro Lisa Bonder Kerkorian. In her opening statement, Christensen lawyer Patty Glaser immediately tossed Pellicano a lead lifesaver by announcing that Christensen – a partner in Glaser’s very own firm of Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil and Shapiro -- had never hired Pellicano to wiretap anyone and that throughout the pair’s business relationship Pellicano had conned her colleague on behalf of another client of Pellicano’s -- film and real estate mogul Steve Bing. (Although DNA eventually established that Bing was Kira Kerkorian’s father, his head never arrived on a platter or on anything else at the law firm's Century City offices.)

For 100 minutes Glaser quoted Christensen to show how clueless he was to Pellicano’s illegal wiretapping activities. If Christensen sounded rough, however, his words were no match for quotes Glaser provided from Lisa Bonder. “When that motherfucker calls,” Bonder was quoted on Glaser’s PowerPoint screen, “tell him I killed the fucking baby! The baby is dead!”

Some may put Bonder’s outburst down to postpartum depression, but later Glaser quoted her as calling a lawyer and telling the attorney she was on her way to Kerkorian’s home to kill him. “We will show that Lisa Bonder had threatened violence against Mr. Kerkorian and her own daughter,” Glaser told jurors. “And I mean violence-- the K Word. To kill.”

It was only 9:15 on the morning of the first day of a trial that promises to be one very bumpy ride -- and a lesson in what happens when too much money mixes with sex, megalomania and digital technology.

Either late on Wednesday or first thing Thursday morning, the U.S. Attorney's office will begin playing the tapes of Anthony Pellicano and Terry Christensen in the federal trial of the convicted Hollywood private investigator and the entertainment super-lawyer. Finally, the shit hits the fan. Thanks to The New York Times back in 2007, Hollywood has already heard some of the recordings that Pellicano secretly made of his own telephone conversations with two-time MGM/UA owner Kirk Kerkorian's attorney Christensen who repeatedly said he told the billionaire — then locked in a legal dispute with his ex-wife, Lisa Bonder Kerkorian — what the private detective was learning from the alleged wiretaps. “Tell me that the old man has a smile on his face,” Pellicano said to the lawyer in 2002. Replied Christensen: “He does, O.K.? He’s happy. Our jaw is still hanging down." The recordings also revealed how Kerkorian and his lawyer pushed the private dick to investigate movie producer Stephen Bing, whom Kerkorian suspected of being the biological father of his ex-wife’s daughter. Christensen has denied everything.

Pellicano Trial Starts For Christensen; His Law Partner Patty Glaser Defending Him