Rueben's Ramblings

The fourth and final day of New York Comic Con 2018 got underway today with loads and loads of panels, focusing on upcoming movies; new, streaming and returning TV shows; special salutes to young adult novels and so much more.

Naturally, it’s impossible to focus on every single panel that took place today, but the following includes brief details, pictures and/or trailers for just some of the panels that were on the schedule; and some cool pictures of just some of the cosplayers.

Riverdale (The CW)

The new season of The CW series Riverdale will find Jughead’s mom and sister returning to town. It was announced during their panel that actress Gina Gershon will play his mom Gladys and newcomer Trinity Likins will play his sister Jellybean, nicknamed “JB.” They will debut in the December 12 episode.

Gladys is a “businesswoman” who runs the salvage yard, which doubles as a Serpent compound; she is a Serpent with a GED, who acts as Fagin to a crew of teenaged car parts thieves. Meanwhile, JB is wise beyond her years and is quite
the little con artist herself.

The cast members who were part of the panel included KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Luke Perry and Mädchen Amick as well as Executive Producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Jon Goldwater.

Riverdale returns for the start of its third season on The CW on Wednesday, October 10. (Deadline)

Riverdale Season 3 Trailer:

Gotham (FOX)

The 5th and final season of the drama will be making further strides toward turning the teenaged Bruce Wayne (series regular David Mazouz) into the world’s greatest detective. In fact, the series finale will jump forward 10 years, meaning the billionaire wunderkind will be donning cape and cowl for the first time.

Among the reveals made during this panel included the confirmation that Shane West (Nikita) will be playing Bane; that Bane will break Alfred’s (series regular Sean Pertwee) back and that several key villains will be coming back: Mr. Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan), Mad Hatter (Benedict Samuel), Scarecrow (David W. Thompson), and Hugo Strange (BD Wong).

An official airdate has yet to be announced, but it’s rumored that the premiere may air on March 15. (Superherohype.com and Deadline)

Gotham Trailer:

Cobra Kai (You Tube)

Cast members Ralph Macchio and William Zabka as well as screenwriters Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg discussed the first season of the series, while in the midst of shooting Season 2. A clip was shown during the panel that found the younger members of the cast giving a tour of the Miyagi Dojo, a major set piece for the second season. One of the most iconic props from the original Karate Kid movie will also factor into the storyline.

“[It] includes all the cars, including the wax on/wax off car,” Macchio said, referring to the infamous 1947 Ford Convertible that was an integral part of Daniel LaRusso’s earliest lessons.
“In the essence of our story, you learn that [Mr. Miyagi] was always a big part of LaRusso’s life, and keeping martial arts in the fabric every day,” Macchio said. “He’s the human Yoda of the Karate Kid universe.”

Macchio also promised some new characters, though any specifics were kept under wraps, as well as “some Easter eggs and some exciting fight sequences” to keep things interesting.

Cobra Kai will return to YouTube for Season 2 in Spring 2019. (Gamespot and Syfy Wire)

Midnight, Texas (NBC)

The panel featured a screening of the second season premiere and a Q&A with cast members François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Jason Lewis, Peter Mensah, Arielle Kebbel as well as author Charlaine Harris.

Some reveals that were made during the panel was that this season will feature a new pet and the last three episodes will be mythology-driven, partially centered on a mysterious disembodied head. Episode 8 of the new season was warned as the harbinger of death and doom, with intensity so high that it was hard for cast members to discuss the script.

Midnight, Texas returns on Oct. 26. (Syfy Wire)

Midnight, Texas Trailer:

Entertainment Weekly: Brave Warriors

The Gifted (FOX)

The audience got to see a sneak peak of the next episode of the show; then got to see cast members Emma Dumont, Amy Acker, Coby Bell, Jamie Chung, Sean Teale and Grace Byers as well as series creator Matt Nix take to the stage to talk about the new season.

Season 2 will deal with the emergence of X-Men staples The Morlocks, who dub themselves “the real underground,” and the anti-mutant hate group known as The Purifiers. “Traditionally, the world of the X-Men is something that reflects a lot of the issues going on in our own world,” shared Nix. “We’re not the news, but we really wanted to use the show as a widow into what’s going on in our world now.”

Nix also teased a number of new ways viewers will see the mutant world expand in Season 2, including looks at younger versions of Blink and the Frost sisters, and the “rise of the Purifiers,” seen, in part, through the eyes of Jace.

The Gifted will air its next new episode of Tuesday, October 9 on FOX. (Syfy Wire)

Entertainment Weekly: Breaking Big

Charmed (The CW)

During today’s moderated panel, a number of things became clear about the reboot of this popular series:

It’s proud of its political stance. Although the writers and executive producers originally considered turning the new series into a prequel of the original Halliwell Sisters story, the events of 2016 pushed the executive producers to turn it into a fully independent reboot so that it could take on issues of the current day.

It’s still a series for everyone. In spite of its clear political perspective, the actresses who play the new Charmed sisters hope that it will also be a series with cross-generational appeal.

This is not a dark, gritty, self-serious kind of reboot. The new Charmed is full of monsters, and its pilot episode makes clear that it will be dealing with intense emotional territory.

It has an all-female producing team, who you may know from another CW hit. Charmed is a co-production by Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin, who have all worked together in the past on Urman’s current CW series Jane the Virgin. Although Charmed will have a different vibe than Jane, much of its driving ethos will feel familiar to Jane viewers.

According to its three lead actresses – Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Sarah Jeffrey – who took part in the panel, the new series will replicate the original series’ tension between solving an ongoing mystery and introducing demon-of-the-week characters that need dispatching in each episode.

Charmed will air its debut on The CW on October 14. (Vulture)

Charmed Trailer:

Doctor Who (BBC America)

On the day of the global simulcast, the 13th Doctor – Jodie Whittaker – took to the stage along with new showrunner Chris Chibnall and executive producer Matt Strevens to talk about the much-anticipated new season.

There were no shortages of Doctor-inspired outfits or sonic screwdrivers in the audience. There were many 4’s, 10’s, 11’s, and 12’s… but more than anything else there were so many 13’s. Whittaker’s (soon-to-be-iconic) look was everywhere, and her new companions (Tosin Cole’s Ryan), Mandip Gill’s Yasmin, Bradley Walsh’s Graham) were also represented.

Representation and inclusivity surfaced during the panel with Chibnall saying that the topics were very much on his mind. “We’ll tell stories from perspectives that perhaps the show hasn’t before,” he said.

As the cast took questions from the audience, they remained mum on a few (would the Doctor’s Wife, River Song, ever return? No comment) and gamely answered others. That included one about Whittaker’s influences, which, as she cited, included “Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth; Mikey from The Goonies and Flight of the Navigator.” It wasn’t, she noted, “the heroics in the grownups, it was the heroics in the kids. That’s what I want to bring to the Doctor.”

Whittaker also touched on the misogynistic backlash following her casting, nothing that the angry voices “might be louder,” but not the majority at all. She added, “The reason I don’t let it get me down is because it’s daft.” One fan managed to say it best when stepping up to the mic with a message for Whittaker: “We have waited a long time for you, and we are so glad you are here.” (Syfy Wire)

COSPLAYERS GALORE

[Photo Credit: Gamespot]

[Photo Credit: IGN]

[Photo Credit: iOneDigital-HipHopWired]

[Additional Photo Credit: This Is Insider]

Until next year!

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The third full day of New York Comic Con 2018 got underway today with loads and loads of panels, focusing on upcoming movies; new, streaming and returning TV shows; special salutes to young adult novels and so much more.

Naturally, it’s impossible to focus on every single panel that took place today, but the following includes brief details, pictures and/or trailers for just some of the panels that were on the schedule; and some cool pictures of just some of the cosplayers.

Good Omens (Amazon)

An angel and a demon work together to save the world, what could possibly go wrong? David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex) star as the leads in the dark comedy based on the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett 1990 novel.

Gaiman, Tennant and Sheen were on-hand at the event, unveiling the trailer, with director Douglas Mackinnon and additional cast members Jon Hamm and Miranda Richardson.

“I am a big fan of the book. And life did what it did and pushed Neil in to my path,” shared Jon Hamm. “I got a chance to meet Neil in a social setting and we got to talking and professing our fan ship for one another. A few years passed and got an email from Neil while shooting a film in Atlanta. It said, ‘We are doing “Good Omens” and there is this part that is not really in the book. Would you consider?’ And I just wrote back, ‘Yes! I don’t care what the part is. I just know it will be awesome.’” (Variety)

Good Omens Trailer:

Legacies (The CW)

This is the first event that the whole cast – Danielle Rose Russell, Matthew Davis, Kaylee Bryant, Jenny Boyd, Quincy Fouse, Aria Shahghashemi and Peyton Alex Smith – have attended together, along with Executive Producers Julie Plec and Brett Matthews.

During the panel, Julie Plec confirmed viewers will find out what happened to Klaus and Elijah in the series finale of The Originals.

Legacies will debut on The CW on October 25 at 9 PM. (JustJaredJr.com)

Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)

A new teaser was unveiled during the show’s panel, focusing on the mysterious man (Wilson Bethel from Hart of Dixie) posing as Daredevil, who is called “Agent Dex,” a former FBI agent tired of being admonished for doing the same thing masked vigilantes like Daredevil do. But fans are more familiar with his other name: Bullseye.

Jeph Loeb confirmed that season 3 is an origin story for how Benjamin Poindexter becomes the villain Bullseye. “I think it’s safe to say that maybe the worst kept secret in the history of Marvel is that this season we would be telling an origin story for one of the more iconic characters and I think we all want to have the opportunity to be able to say his name, but I think Wilson has earned the right to tell people the story of who you’re going to become.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Video of Cast Q&A:

Meet Agent Poindexter Trailer:

Future Man (Hulu)

Future Man Panel Video:

Hellboy (Box Office Movie Reboot)

A first look at next year’s reboot – featuring exclusive footage only available to those at the con (SORRY!) – confirms that Hellboy is a monster movie.

According to star David Harbour (Stranger Things), “there are a lot of CGI elements but also a lot of practical stuff, like, crazy practical make-up.”

Asked to name some of the monsters that might be dropping by Hellboy for a cameo, Harbour made a long, pained explanation of how Lionsgate wouldn’t allow him to reveal such things, making a claw-like gesture through most of his refusal. At least one person in the crowd yelled, loudly, “Lobster Johnson!” Whoever might play Lobster Johnson – or whether the character even has pinched a scene in the upcoming film – neither that character nor the actor who might or might not play him were onstage today.

Hellboy is set to release in theaters on April 12, 2019. (Deadline)

Outlander (Starz)

Fans of the Starz drama in the audience for this panel got to see the new opening title sequence, introduced by Outlander franchise author Diana Gabaldon, who joined cast members Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin as well as executive producers Ronald Moore and Maril Davis on stage.

The opening – which you can see further below – offers glimpses of what Jamie and Claire’s new life in the Colonials looks like — from a log cabin to a Colonial mansion, deer, Native Americans, and Claire’s real-life brush with a slave.

The season four opener will bring forth darker tones for some characters, and although executive producer Ronald D. Moore said that they don’t intend to use the show “as a platform for political ideas,” sometimes they can’t help but be influenced by the world.

The love story between Jamie and Claire will always be front and center in the show, as evidenced by the titles’ final image — a distant shot of Jamie and Claire embracing and overlooking a new horizon. “This season there is such a contentment of the two of them being together. You see them have a life together. There are always going to be external forces. I don’t think there are cliffhangers anymore as to whether they should be together,” shared Balfe.

Outlander will air its season 4 premiere episode on Starz on November 4. (Deadline and Variety)

Watch the new title sequence below:

Starz Previews ‘Outlander’ Season 4 Opening Titles at New York Comic-Con (Watch)

Entertainment Weekly’s Conversation with Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones and Dark Phoenix)

The Game of Thrones actress shared during this panel that she’s “still processing” that playing Sansa Stark, the role she held for nearly a decade — is all over. “I still don’t accept that it’s done. It’s basically been the majority of my life. I’m still very much processing it.”

Turner also shared she was lucky on her last day on set that she was “surrounded by a lot of cast members. Great pains were taken to keep the final season a secret, she further shared.

As for Sansa, she “really comes into her own this season. It’s a whole new series for her. She’s been kind of lost. She doesn’t know who she wants to be or who (she) wants to surround herself with. This season, she is very self-assured.” (Entertainment Weekly)

The Passage (FOX)

When it came time to adapt Justin Cronin’s The Passage trilogy as a Fox television series, showrunner Liz Heldens chose to open up the time-spanning show by doing a deep dive into a central relationship: Brad (Mark-Paul Gosselaar from Pitch and Saved By the Bell), a transporter who brings humans — generally prisoners, who are dubbed cargo — to a secret government facility, and Amy (Saniyya Sidney from Fences and Hidden Figures), a young girl who has been flagged as key to potentially save humanity.

With the first season encompassing the first book of the series, the writers have room to expand the world, including the test experiments in the facility. “We get to take a deeper dive into the original 12 death row inmates,” Heldens said. “It’s like a bench of supervillains we have [to play with]. Some are sympathetic, but some are just bad.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

The Passage Trailer:

Roswell, New Mexico (The CW)

The reboot of The WB’s ‘Roswell’ made efforts at diversity in front of and behind the camera and will place itself very much in the contemporary world. “I wanted to make sure there was a reason to reboot it, and that it felt very grounded in 2018 and what we are dealing with presently,” creator and executive producer Carina Adly Mackenzie shared.

“There wasn’t a reason to update it unless we made it really current, and I think one of the important things I wanted to do was (to) take Liz Parker back to Liz Ortecho, and create a show with a Latina lead and a really diverse cast.” It should also be noted that Shiri Appleby, who starred as Liz Parker in the original series, will direct an episode of the series.

The panel followed the world premiere screening of the show’s atmospheric pilot.

The new show centers on Liz Ortecho (Jeanine Mason), who returns to her hometown of Roswell after more than a decade away. She reconnects with her high school crush Max Evans (Nathan Parsons), who has spent his entire life hiding the fact that he’s an alien with superhuman abilities. From the very first scene of the pilot, bigotry and anti-immigrant sentiment emerge as major themes.

While the show will be markedly different from the original, MacKenzie is aware that “we’re venturing into territory that means a lot to a lot of people, and I don’t take it lightly.” The first season will encompass some Easter eggs and references designed to please longtime fans.

Roswell, New Mexico is set for a midseason premiere on The CW. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Roswell, New Mexico Trailer:

Blindspot (NBC)

The audience for this panel were treated to a screening of the premiere episode followed by a moderated panel featuring lead stars Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton.

They detailed the fun and intrigue of this cat-and-mouse married couple game, while Alexander revealed her own work building up that character in her head. They both teased some of the action and twists that season 4 will bring, praising the writing team for finding their way out of potential plateaus and keeping things fun for the cast.

Alexander also teased that viewers will see Remi and Jane going up against one another, and “duke it out”. She promised it will be much crazier than a similar sequence seen in season 2.

Blindspot will air its season premiere on NBC on Friday, October 12. (ComicBook.com)

Deadly Class (Syfy)

Deadly Class follows a group of students enrolled at a San Francisco high school in the 1980s as they train to become assassins for a global coalition of crime families. It’s the kind of high-concept idea that has made Image Comics one of the standout publishers of original comics.

One of the surprise announcements made during the panel was that Henry Rollins and Ice-T will appear in undisclosed roles. Comic book writer Rick Remender revealed that the series was inspired by DIY punk rock ideology and Henry Rollins’ spoken word, along with how everyone’s life is curated by Instagram and Twitter.

Deadly Class will premiere on Syfy on January 16, 2019. (Syfy Wire)

Deadly Cast Trailer:

The 100 (The CW)

The season five finale of The 100 left viewers reeling with Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Bellamy (Bob Morley) discovering a new planet and traveling through time over 100 years into their future. Obviously, a lot will be changing in the show’s 6th season; and how will new character Russell (JR Bourne from Teen Wolf), a new faction leader, destined to become romantically entangled with Clarke, come into play?

A video previewing the old season and what fans should be prepared for in the new season was shown and then Taylor, Morley and executive producer Jason Rothenberg took to the stage. Taylor and Morley shared that the new planet brings “a new energy” to the series. “It’s fully realized, with a new culture the landing party will need to adapt to,” said Rothenberg, who added that “they are the aliens,” when referring to the show’s heroes.

The panel also teased that Morley’s performance in the season’s second episode will be unlike anything he’s done before, and will also be behind the camera as well. This inspired Taylor to petition to direct an episode of her own, saying that after being in front of the camera for 18 years that “it’s time” for her to sit in the director’s chair.

The 100 will return to The CW sometime next year. (Syfy Wire)

You can see more photos from The 100’s panel here.

Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

The panel unveiled a trailer for season two, introducing new cast member Anson Mount as Captain Pike and Ethan Peck as a bearded Spock, who says he’s been having visions of the “Red Angel” since he was young and only now does he know where it’s pointing him towards.

According to Mount, “the writers did a very good job of creating a new Captain Pike,” while exploring what we already know about him. “His greatest asset in his crew. He’s not afraid to admit that he’s stumped [which] makes for great bridge scenes.” He added that he wanted to make the performance his own from the very start, despite the fact that Christopher Pike’s been around since the ‘60s. Since fans don’t know too much about Pike and his backstory, he had an easier job than Peck, who’s got a little more baggage with Spock.

If you’re a fan of the character Saru (cast member Doug Jones), you’re in luck, because the alien character will be learning a shocking piece of information about himself that Jones could not spoil. Nevertheless, he could give up that we’ll be visiting the Kelpien homeworld of Kaminar and meet his sister in one episode. (Syfy Wire)

Star Trek: Discovery Trailer:

Project Blue Book (History Channel)

The series is inspired by the personal experiences of Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen from Game of Thrones), a brilliant college professor recruited by the Air Force to spearhead the titular clandestine operation that researched thousands of cases — more than 700 of which remain unsolved to this day. Each episode will draw from the actual case files blending UFO theories with authentic historical events from one of the most mysterious eras in U.S. history. Delving into such themes as trust, instinct, real news vs. fake news and government cover-up, the series straddles the world of science and the exploration of the unknown, History said.

The 10-episode series – focused on cased from 1952 to 1969 will also star Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries), Neal McDonough (Arrow), Ksenia Solo (Lost Girl and Turn) and Laura Mennell (Haven and The Man in the High Castle).

Project Blue Book will debut on the History Channel on January 8, 2019. (Deadline)

Project Blue Book Trailer:

WBTV Panel Block: Manifest (NBC)

The new NBC drama screened some new footage during this panel – that also focused on Blindspot and The 100 –giving fans another taste of the mystery.

The panel included creator Jeff Rake and lead stars Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas, who dished on the trajectory of its — still-limited — series order, stating: “This initial order of 13 [episodes] is building towards a really significant card turn.”

When asked when fans will get the meaty answers, Rake shared they’re just trying to get over the initial episode order from NBC, to get to a larger storyline. He teases that episodes 12-13 will be a “major car turn” where we begin to get some first real answers.

Rake also teased that “Shadow Man” or “The Smudge” from Cal’s drawing in episode 2 will get some more explanation in the very next episode. Roxburgh and Dallas teased that the big death that just went down will push Michaela and Ben into a stressed place. Ben will spiral into paranoia that there’s a conspiracy and they’re being watched; Michaela doesn’t want him playing cop, and has to try to keep him calmed down so Ben doesn’t actually become a target. Ben will have to meet his wife’s new man, and try to reconnect with his teen daughter.

Roxburgh teased that Michaela will have to deal with her own traumas, the betrayal in her romantic life – and teased that there are more deaths coming up in the next batch of episodes. Her traumatic car accident will get more explanation soon. We’ll also see Michaela’s world expand, with more characters, like Lourdes’ parents.

Manifest airs on NBC Monday nights at 10/9c. (Syfy Wire and ComicBook.com)

MORE COSPLAYERS

[Photo Credit: CNet]

[Photo Credit: Gamespot]

[Photo Credit: IGN]

Final convention coverage coming tomorrow…

Read Full Post »

The second full day of New York Comic Con 2018 got underway today with loads and loads of panels, focusing on upcoming movies; new, streaming and returning TV shows; special salutes to young adult novels and so much more.

Naturally, it’s impossible to focus on every single panel that took place today, but the following includes brief details, pictures and/or trailers for just some of the panels that were on the schedule; and some cool pictures of just some of the cosplayers.

The Magicians (Syfy)

Executive producers Sera Gamble and John McNamara and The Magicians author Lev Grossman hit the stage to talk about the show’s 4th season, which will premiere on Syfy on January 23.

After spending much of the previous season without magic, The Magicians finally return magic to the world, but Dean Fogg reroutes the flow of magic and gives the group (except Alice) new, magic-free identities, wiping away the memories of their magic life. An ancient, powerful and unkillable Monster finds a host in Eliot. When Season 4 opens, the Monster is seeking out the rest of the Magicians and something else. (Syfy Wire)

An exclusive sneak-peek clip was also featured, which you can see below:

Supernatural Panel with Mark Sheppard

Want to see Crowley (aka Mark Sheppard) in action? You can watch the full Supernatural panel video below:

Titans Panel (DC Universe)

The cast of the upcoming streaming series took to the stage to discuss the new superhero drama, as well as how they drew on their personal experiences to help flesh out their respective characters.

“Everybody did their research,” said cast member Teagan Croft, who plays the demon-possessed Raven. After being cast, she went straight to a comic shop and picked up the original Teen Titans run, as well as Raven’s stand-alone series, to help her prepare.

“I grew up with the Teen Titans,” said Ryan Potter, who plays Beast Boy. “When I moved from Japan to America, Teen Titans was the first animated series that I fell in love with. The animation style was similar to that of something I watched back home, and Beast Boy doesn’t fit into society. But his attempt, through pop culture, to assimilate with friends, I took that as a model to make friends when I did speak English.”

“What’s really fun is when we meet (my character) in the pilot, she doesn’t know anything about herself,” said Anna Diop, who plays Starfire. “She’s an alien, and that’s something I always related to. I come from a different country, I came here when I was young, and always felt out of place and always trying to find my way. I love that about Starfire, too.”

Titans debuts on DC Universe on October 12. (Syfy Wire)

Titans Trailer:

Mortal Engines (Box Office Movie)

Based on the Philip Reeve novels series, Mortal Engines takes place thousands of years after an apocalyptic event. Cities rise up, but they are mobile and the big ones consume the little ones for their resources.

The audience had the opportunity to see the first 25 minutes of the film, which will hit theaters on December 14. (Deadline)

Mortal Engines Trailer:

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman 25th Anniversary

Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher came together in New York to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ABC series, showering each other with compliments and filling the audience at the Javitz Center’s main stage.

Neither actor was shy about their love for the series and its enduring fandom, nor their hope to stay involved in comic book-related media. They talked about their appearances on The CW’s Supergirl, other intellectual properties that interested them, and even the faint dream of reprising their roles.

One prevailing theme of the panel was Hatcher and Cain’s love for the fans. They both talked about “honoring” their loyal audience, and said that that motivated their con appearances and TV cameos.

The panel also came with a couple of surprising tidbits about how Hatcher and Cain have evolved into fans themselves. Hatcher revealed that she herself was now a dedicated comic book reader, picking up both mainstream and indie books on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Cain surprisingly stoked the flames of the Marvel vs. DC debate, declaring his belief that Marvel makes superior movies.

Finally, both Cain and Hatcher made it very clear that they are interested in reprising their roles and revisiting Lois & Clark 25 years later. They both agreed that they’d like to return to the versions of the characters they played in the 1990s, and see how they had evolved since then. Cain postulated that Lois and Clark would likely have had kids by now, and he wanted to see how their relationship had evolved. (ComicBook.com)

The Boys (Amazon Prime)

Showrunner Eric Kripke (Supernatural and Timeless) and executive producer Evan Goldberg sat down with series stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Karen Fukuhara, Laz Alonso, Antony Star, Chace Crawford and Erin Moriarty to talk about the upcoming show and reveal a first look at the adaptation.

The Boys, based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, takes place in a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame. The story revolves around a group of vigilantes known informally as “the boys,” who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.

It was revealed that the plot of season one will begin before the comic, bringing together The Boys and the Seven over the first arc, culminating with the two being fully aware of each other and at odds.

Star Trek and Mission Impossible alum Simon Pegg later showed up on stage, announcing that he’d be playing one of the character’s dad, Dougie.

The Boys’ eight episodes hit Amazon in 2019. (Syfy Wire)

The Boys Trailer:

Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu)

Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb held a panel featuring cast members Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin and Allegra Acosta as well as co-showrunner Stephanie Savage.

The cast was asked what they thought their characters are going through as Season 2 begins right where Season 1 left off.

“He’s a boy in the first season…throughout the second season we’ll see him try to become a man,” Gregg Sulkin said of his character Chase. “Also he’s in a beautiful relationship with Gert (Ariela Barer). I think, once they live with each other, it’s great for the journey of the show, great for the journey of the characters.”

The audience got to see the entire season premiere, which will debut on Hulu on December 21. (Syfy Wire)

Marvel’s Runaways Trailer:

American Gods (Starz)

Cast members Mousa Kraish, Crispin Glover, Demore Barnes, Omid Abtahi, Orlando Jones, Yetide Badaki, Pablo Schreiber, Bruce Langley, Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning and author Neil Gaiman were on stage at the convention, bringing the audience to his feet after the second season trailer – which can be seen below – screened.

Gaiman shared some book-related elements right off the bat, noting that the second season won’t get to Lakeside, but it will visit the funeral parlor. The former town is under the protection of Hinzelmann, where Shadow (Ricky Whittle) hides out from the New Gods while Wednesday (Ian McShane) recruits the Old.

There was also the reveal that season two will by helmed by a directorial group that’s, on the majority, female.

A final tease for the new season came when Gaiman mentioned that mid-season would feature a segment from the past, which will shows different incarnations of the Technical Boy that evolved over time as technology evolved – like the Telephone and Telegraph Boy.

Season Two of American Gods will air on Starz in early 2019. (Syfy Wire)

American Gods Trailer:

Nightflyers (Syfy)

The first full episode of the new Syfy thriller, based on the novella by George R.R. Martin, was screened at the annual fete followed by a panel which featured cast members Eoin Macken, Gretchen Mol and David Ajala as well as showrunner Jeff Buhler and executive producers David Bartis and Gene Klein.

The cast reeled from the screening, as it was the first time they’d seen the full episode as well.

Nightflyers’ first five episodes will debut on December 2 through December 6 on Syfy. (Syfy Wire)

Nightflyers Trailer:

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

The cast and crew took to the stage to talk about their highly anticipated Netflix series with series star Kiernan Shipka sharing, “the excitement’s crazy…it’s not even out yet, and the amount of excitement we have from people, fans and cosplayers, it’s so gratifying.”

The series is based on the comic by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (who is also executive producer of The CW series Riverdale) also shared, “it’s a little bit more fun…we spend a little more time in the mortal world than we do in the comic. It’s definitely a horror show. There’s a little more romance, there’s a little more warmth in the Spellman house. The comic book’s pretty nihilistic, and the show has some optimism in it. It’s a nice balance.”

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will premiere on Netflix on October 26. (Syfy Wire)

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Trailer:

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

The cast of the Netflix horror series – Michiel Huisman (Steven Crain), Elizabeth Reaser (Shirley Crain), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Luke Crain), Kate Siegel (Theo Crain), Carla Gugino (Olivia Crain), and Henry Thomas (Young Hugh Crain) – talked about what it was like filming the scary series based on the iconic novel by Shirley Jackson and adapted by writer/director Mike Flanagan.

Michiel Huisman shared that reading the scripts was even more terrifying than filming the show. “That was the scariest part for me, reading it – now I can watch it because I know it’s coming.”

Oliver Jackson-Cohen agreed, saying “there’s this one scene in it where I knew it was coming, but I still jumped and I screamed and I was still scared, so I screamed again. The scares are terrifying. But I think what Mike (Flanagan) does is he builds this slow tension.

The Haunting of Hill House will debut on Netflix on October 12. (IGN)

The Haunting of Hill House Trailer:

Tell Me A Story (CBS All Access)

The panel featured a conversation with executive producer Kevin Williamson and cast members James Wolk (Jordan), Billy Magnussen (Nick), Dania Ramirez (Hannah), Danielle Campbell (Kayla) and Paul Wesley (Eddie).

Tell Me A Story Trailer:

Check out the official poster below:

A Discovery of Witches (Sundance Now)

The plot of A Discovery of Witches, based on the trilogy of books by Deborah Harkness, centers around the forbidden love of witch Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) and vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), set against escalating tensions within the supernatural community over ownership of a mysterious spell book.

The first episode of the new drama was screened during the panel with Deborah Harkness sharing at the conclusion that, “I think that TV’s ability to linger on stories, to develop characters, to give you that sense that you’re on a journey with them, it’s just is so much more feasible to tell a story of big, epic scope with a big cast of characters on a television series than it is on a 90-minute movie framework.”

The 8-episode first season of A Discovery of Witches has already started airing in Britain, and will make debut on January 17 on both Sundance Now and the horror-themed streaming service Shudder. (Syfy Wire)

A Discovery of Witches Trailer:

Netflix & Chills: The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

After the cast of the upcoming Netflix adaptation of The Umbrella Academy, which is based on the Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba acclaimed comic book, took to the main stage an exclusive look at the trailer was screened.

The series follows a group of super-powered individuals, who were all born at the same exact moment, all of them birthed from different mothers, who showed no signs of pregnancy. After being born, these kids are adopted by philanthropist/inventor/space alien Sir Reginald Hargreaves.

“This is such a unique property, there’s nothing else like it,” said Aidan Gallagher, who plays Number 5. “When you explain it to people that aren’t fans, they’ll be like ‘Oh, I get it.’ They don’t get it. I think we do a good job honoring the comics. We got some interesting stuff for you.”

One noteworthy change from the comic though appears to be that Spaceboy won’t have his alien gorilla body, and will simply be a character with superhuman strength. Also, the time-traveling assassins Hazel and Cha-Cha won’t always be hiding their faces behind those iconic masks.  Cameron Britton, who plays Hazel, said that he looked at the series as a natural extension of the comic series.

Mary J. Blige, who brings the role of Cha-Cha to life, and was making her first ever appearance at a comic con, was eager to take on such a uniquely challenging role. “I’ve never played anything close to this,” Blige began. “I’ve always wanted to be the superhero or supervillain or assassin, or something where you have to learn martial arts or shoot a gun. [This role] was perfect.”

The Umbrella Academy will debut on Netflix on February 15, 2019. (Syfy Wire)

Tardis Time with Alex Kingston, Matt Smith and David Tennant

The three Doctor Who alums delighted attendees with silliness, tomfoolery and even baked goods. They reminisced on their time on the show, took questions from the audience, offered pastries to those who asked particularly good questions, and brought audience members up to the stage for trivia games, impersonation contests and interviews.

They also expressed their excitement for seeing the new season of Doctor Who with Jodie Whittaker taking on the role. But of course, not before some playful ribbing. When asked if they were excited for Whittaker, Smith initially joked: “No. Jealous, maybe.” To which Tennant chimed in: “Bitter,” before going, “No, it’s very exciting. It’s JODIE!” (Whitaker and Tennant starred in the BBC series Broadchurch together, which was written by new Doctor who showrunner Chris Chibnall.) Smith and Kingston seconded and thirded Tennant’s excitement for Whittaker.

The new season of Doctor Who will premiere on October 7 on BBC America. (Syfy Wire)

Aquaman Extended Trailer:

Marvel’s Daredevil Trailer:

MORE COSPLAYERS

[Photo Credit: Bleeding Cool]

[Photo Credit: IGN]

[Photo Credit: Rodrigo Torrejon/Paul Wood/NorthJersey.com]

More convention coverage coming tomorrow…

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