San Diego Comic Con SDCC 2015 Wrap Up Summary
San Diego Comic Con (SDCC 2015) has come and gone. Despite Marvel being absent from the event, there was quite a bit of news to be had. From Star Wars to The Walking Dead, San Diego still proved that it is a Mecca for pop culture news. Here is a summation of the highlights of the event!
Star Wars Coverage
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Comic Con Reel
This is a behind-the-scenes look at Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens and I have to admit it gives me chills. Seeing the original cast reunited and JJ Abrams moving towards a balance of practical effects and CGI just makes me smile. As Mark Hamill says in the reel, “Everything’s changed but nothing’s changed.”
Live Blog Updates: (Courtesy of StarWars.com)
A photo of stormtroopers with flamethrowers is shown!
A crashed TIE fighter!
Abrams says that with the first Omaze video, they showed a creature to prove they were doing practical. They bring him out on stage! His name is Bobbajo.
Fan question! How can they live up to fan expectation. Abrams: “When you’re directing a scene on the Millennium Falcon, that doesn’t make it good…it’s storytelling 101…You can’t be blinded by [your feelings about the original trilogy]. I can’t wait to show you the movie.”
Will each movie be a standalone or will there be an arc? Kennedy: “VIII and IX will be part of that saga.” But she adds production is beginning on the standalone movies.
Isaac says his character carries on the legacy of Han and Luke. “Poe was probably watching the medal ceremony saying, ‘I want to be a hero.’”
Will any Asian characters join the cast, a fan asks. Abrams: “There are Asians in this film. The truth is we didn’t write the character of Finn to be any color, we didn’t write Rey to be any color.” They just went for the right actors.
Gleeson: “I am evil. [My character’s] British.”
Christie says of her character: “I found it very exciting that underneath that armor is a woman. And it makes it more relevant than ever.”
Gleeson says he was told that the character was in charge in some way. Abrams confirms the character’s base is called “Starkiller.” Big cheers.
Hamill: “Without you guys [the fans] we’re nothing.”
Hamill says he’s very moved when he hears from fans — whether they named their son Luke or met their wife at the premiere of Return of the Jedi. He says you don’t often realize the impact you could have on someone’s life.
Is Harrison Ford okay? Let’s see for ourselves! Ford takes the stage!
“I’m fine,” he says. “I walked here.”
How did it feel to be back? “It felt great…the original Star Wars was the beginning of my working life…so it was great to be back. Thank you.”
Han and Leia still have that spark!
Ash vs Evil Dead
We’ve been anxiously awaiting Bruce Campbell’s return to the “Evil Dead” series and now we may have more than we bargained for. Outside of the trailer reveal for the upcoming series “Ash Vs. Evil Dead,” we received news from Sam Raimi regarding a new film. It seems that we could have both “Evil Dead” universes cross (new and old) if things work out to Raimi’s liking!
Descriptions of the series during the panel: “the craziest five-hour movie ever,” “no holds barred”, filled with “gore and laughs” and “like Full House with carnage and mayhem”.
Were there orgies on set? “Many. But not during filming,” said Campbell.
What has Ash been up to since Army of Darkness? According to Campbell: “Womanizing, living, drinking in a trailer park.”
So how has this shaped him as a hero? “Ash even in his prime would be the wrong guy to save the world. Now, 30 years later… I’m really worried about the world.”
As far as Easter eggs and series staples go, what can we expect from the show? “You’ve got to have the boom stick,” says Campbell. “It’s mandatory. He’s got to have a chainsaw on the end of his hand. It’s mandatory. What do you do with that? You cut the shit out of any deadite that gets near you.” And when asked if Ash’s mechanical arm will make an appearance, Raimi cryptically responded, “You won’t see that specific hand…”
Who is Lucy Lawless playing? A woman named Ruby Knoby, and Lawless says, “If you don’t know that name then you ain’t hardcore.”
So can we expect another movie in addition to the series? “Of course!” says Campbell.
And when asked what another movie would be like, Raimi gave perhaps the most satisfying answer possible, saying that he and Campbell loved the 2013 Evil Dead remake from Fede Alvarez so much they really want to do a shared universe movie with Ash and Mia, the reboot’s blood-bathed heroine.
