JAMES CAMERON - COMIC-CON "GOES HOLLYWOOD"

COMIC-CON "GOES HOLLYWOOD"

Comic-con, once the annual meeting in San Diego of comic-book fans, particularly those interested in science fiction and superheroes, is scheduled to open in San Diego today (Wednesday), with movies and TV shows being spotlighted. "It's been co-opted by Hollywood," director James Cameron ( Titanic ) told USA Today. Cameron is expected to preview scenes from his $240-million Avatar at the convention, some six months before the movie's scheduled release. He described the Comic-con screening as "mutual exploitation," explaining that fans "get the first look and get to lord over all their friends that they saw [it] before anyone else." The newspaper observed that there is a certain risk connected with such a move, noting that several films that previewed at last year's convention "failed to generate much fanboy blather at the convention" and tanked when they were released. On the other hand, director Jon Favreau credited the convention with triggering a groundswell of anticipation for Iron Man two years ago. "You can't underestimate how powerful this group is," Favreau told USA Today. "It's an unlimited press corps, all of them knowing how to communicate in a digital age. The geeks have inherited the Earth, and that's good news for us."

22/07/2009