San Diego Readies Itself for Hyper Reality

The big story around Comic-Con this year is not the hordes of fans expected to fill the San Diego Convention Center for the next four days, but rather the fact that, with theaters filled with super heroes this summer, a 120,000-strong geekfest might be just the place to corral and sell audiences for future projects. From the LA Times:

The biggest challenge for Hollywood used to be making the audience believe a man can fly. Now it's getting noticed in a crowded skyline. This summer, theaters have been visited by heroes such as Indiana Jones, Batman, Hulk, Hancock, Hellboy and Iron Man, and there are dozens more in the pipeline for upcoming seasons. On Tuesday, Favreau said Marvel Studios was considering opening its own studio lot because of the boom in business.

This year every major studio is at Comic-Con, and the movies they are bringing -- such as "Hamlet 2," a loopy, R-rated comedy -- go well beyond the men-in-tights fare. There will be film presentations all four days this year and international press coverage. Comic-Con is the Super Bowl of popcorn cinema. And that's not even mentioning the TV networks looking to introduce audiences to their upcoming programs.

In 2008, Comic-Con is expecting some 120,000 attendees. The 38th Comic-Con begins this evening with a preview, though the convention officially opens tomorrow and runs through Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center. But if you’re in the area: don’t bother rushing down there: the Comic-Con Web site tells us that registration is closed, closed, closed!