PostedJuly 19, 2022, 07:44
United StatesGeeks on a war footing for the return of Comic-Con
Fans have an appointment in San Diego for the great gathering of pop culture with, in particular, television series derived from “Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings”.
Cosplayers pose for a photo during Comic-Con International 2016 in San Diego.
AFP
The big Comic-Con party is back this week in San Diego where spin-off series from “Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings” will be presented to thousands of fans dressed as their favorite heroes. Disney and its host of Marvel superheroes will also be part of this annual celebration of pop culture, all the more eagerly awaited since it has not been able to be organized for three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think it will look like Comic-Con 2019,” said David Glanzer, the festival’s communications manager. With one difference: visitors will have to add a sanitary mask to their hobbit, princess or alien costume. “We weathered the storm. And now that we’re back, we might shed tears of joy… it’s very moving,” says Mr. Glanzer.
Hearty program
In addition to some 135,000 wild fans expected for this edition, the festival dedicated to comics, science fiction and fantasy in all its forms also traditionally attracts many Hollywood celebrities who come to promote their works. This year, two series that should cause a sensation in San Diego: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” from Amazon Prime and “House of the Dragon”, from the global success “Game of Thrones”.
Amazon in force
“The Rings of Power” is an ambitious project set in the universe created by JRR Tolkien, long before the events described by Peter Jackson in his trilogy. The series – slated for five seasons and premiering September 2 – is reported to have cost more than $1 billion. It would be a personal obsession of Jeff Bezos, the multi-billionaire founder of Amazon.
Much of this money has gone into buying the rights to Tolkien’s universe, but a sizable amount has also been set aside to run promotional events and other immersive experiences for fans, including those of the Comic-Con. Amazon should come in force Friday with hobbits, elves and dwarves in the cyclopean Hall H of the San Diego Convention Center where enthusiasts will queue for hours, if not days, to see the first exclusive details of this series.
Fantastic Rivalry?
Comic-Con will also see the dragons of the first Game of Thrones spin-off series, which premieres August 21 on HBO. The creator of this universe, George RR Martin, has refuted any idea of a rivalry between the two fantastic series. “I want both series to reach a discerning audience and give them a great TV moment,” he wrote on his blog. On the side of Disney and its subsidiary Marvel, the program is still confidential, but many rumors are circulating about the presentation of the second part of “Black Panther”, awaited with great impatience by fans.
(AFP)