In a blow to Comic-Con, several Hollywood studios will not be presenting sizzle reels, world premiere trailers and footage or A-list talent on upcoming tentpoles at next month’s genre jamboree due to the strike climate.
At time of writing Screen understood Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Netflix and possibly Lucasfilm will skip Hall H, the storied 8,000-capacity hangar at San Diego Convention Center that has hosted some of the biggest stars on the planet.
Studios are being cautious amid the ongoing Writers Guild Of America (WGA) strike, which is in its eighth week. WGA members stopped working and promotional activities in accordance with WGA strike rules.
The studios are also concerned about the possibility of a SAG/AFTRA strike if the actors’ guild fails to reach a new agreement before Directors Guild Of America membership is expected to ratify tonight a tentative agreement struck with AMPTP.
Marvel Studios has confirmed it will have a presence on the convention floor where companies sell merchandise.
At time of writing Paramount was scheduled to attend the Con with
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
The absence of Marvel, Sony, and Universal is a huge blow to Comic-Con. Marvel traditionally rules the roost, teasing its upcoming roster, announcing new titles, dates, and cast, with panels featuring talent and previously unseen footage.Universal’s 2023 release slate includes David Gordon Green’s
The Exorcist
sequel(October)and Andre Ovredal’s fantasy horror The Last Voyage of The Demeter (August 11). Sony executives, riding high on the box office heroics of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, would have wanted to talk up their adaptation of Kraven The Hunter starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, and Ariana DeBose (October).Production wraps in Costa Rica on supernatural drama ‘Bellyache’
