Informed Art - Comic-Con Revealed

Carell Gets Smart and Laughs from Crowd

Friday got started quickly with a two hour Warner Bros. panel. Director Peter Segal started off showing the premiere trailer for the feature adaptation of Get Smart. Also on hand for the star studded panel were the new Maxwell Smart, Steve Carell, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ken Davitian (Borat), Nate Torrence and Maki Oka (Heroes). Carell was asked whether it felt more like working on a comedy or an action film. His reply was that it made him look athletic, coordinated, smart and sexy, which in reality he is none of the above. He went on to say that the film keeps true to the tone and feel of the TV series only deals with modern political issues.

Next Nicole Kidman presented a taped address from the set of Australia to encourage fans to see The Invasion, which she ensures is a new twist on the Body Snatcher tale. After the debut of the preview for the remake of Takasji Miike’s horror film, One Missed Call, stars Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight’s Tale) came out to field questions from the crowd. When asked if they paid homage to the Japanese original, Sossamon said director Eric Valette asked the actors to not watch the film so they would come in fresh to the production.

Warner Bros. next presented the first look at Roland Emmerich’s prehistoric epic, 10,000 B.C. This was followed with the premiere of the trailer for Whiteout, based on Greg Rucka’s graphic novel. It was the first time Rucka saw the footage as he joined the panel with producers Joel Silver and David Gambino and finally a late arriving Kate Beckinsale, who was stuck in traffic. She was asked about acting against greenscreen and said she hasn’t done it as much as one may think, but she added that it is hard to scream at a stick that is in the place of a CG creature. Silver fielded a question about Speed Racer assuring the fans that Emile Hirsch is Speed Racer and Christina Ricci is Trixie and the Wachowski Brothers take on it is original. He also said the Wachowski Brothers have a great respect for the property because it is the series that introduced them to anime. Rucka discussed the accuracy of the adaptation and said that the filmmakers focused on the good part, eliminated the weaker parts, combined some characters and expanded on the concept in a way that could have been done in the graphic novel. He said that the screenwriters came up with scenes that he originally wanted to do, but couldn’t even though he hadn’t told them of those ideas.

Following the debut of the trailer for the dark fairy tale infused horror film, Trick ‘r Treat, Zack Snyder came to the stage to discuss the highly anticipated Watchmen. Snyder assured the crowd that his adaptation will be faithful to the graphic novel as much as possible with the setting in 1985 and it being made as an R-rated film. He then announced the cast thus far, which was to be officially announced at Comic-Con, but was leaked on the Net last week. Billy Crudup will play Dr. Manhattan. Snyder did say Dr. Manhattan in his superhuman form would be a CG character. Patrick Wilson will play The Night Owl. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (TV’s Supernatural) is The Comedian. Stephen McHattie (300) is Hollis. Coming to the stage were Malin Akerman (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle), who will play Laurie, and Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), who will play Rorschach. The release date is March 6, 2009. Snyder stressed more than once that the film isn’t being made to be more easily marketed. As for Alan Moore’s approval of the project, Snyder hopes that he makes a film that Moore might one day watch on DVD and think that he didn’t “fuck it up too badly.”