Actor Nicholas Hoult, director Dome Karukoski, and additional cast including Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, and Tom Glynne-Carney will present a sneak peek of Tolkien, the first film to take an in-depth look at the early life of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the legendary novel The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series. Like his books, it's a story about courage, adventure, love, and the deep unbreakable bond of lifelong friendship. Panel moderated by Cliff Broadway.
In many ways, horror is one of the most unique genres in film. People seem to either love it or are too scared to watch. But what makes a horror film a horror film? The creepy folks at HorrorBuzz are here to try to answer that question. Members of the HorrorBuzz Film Team, Eric Ryan and Amantha Ryan, bring together a panel of experts, including HorrorBuzz founder/editor Norm Gidney, Film Threat founder Chris Gore, Midsummer Scream creative director Rick West, Horrible Imaginings Film Festival founder/director Miguel Rodriguez, screenwriter/filmmaker Michael Varrati, actress/producer Sarah Nicklin, and filmmaker/editor-in-chief at HalloweenMovies.com Sean Decker, to share their opinions on just what qualifies a film to be included in this exclusive class. These panelists will also take a look at several films that are not often thought of as horror films but might just be after all.
UPDATED: Mon, Mar 18, 11:58AM
Friday March 29, 2019 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 207
Writer/director Chris Butler will share how LAIKA's 360 stop-motion animation has evolved throughout their history, culminating in their upcoming global adventure film Missing Link, featuring the voices of Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis. Joining Chris Butler are producer and head of production Arianne Sutner, production designer Nelson Lowry, and puppet fabrication supervisor JohnCraney for an exciting conversation with moderator Alicia Malone.
UPDATED: Wed, Mar 27, 02:28PM
Saturday March 30, 2019 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
North 200B
This panel features creatives from Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Cobra Kai, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, Tigtone, Pen15, My Dinner with Hervé, Strange Angel, The Man in the High Castle, and Devil May Cry 5. You don’t need superpowers to be a hero (although it’s a nice bonus!). Whether characters are born with them or they’re just ordinary people risking their lives for the greater good, superheroes come in all shapes and sizes. Get an inside look at how creatives shape zeros to heroes by building intricate sets, creating sleek costumes, scoring bombastic music, and editing the final cut. Are there differences in crafting characters that have powers versus our favorite everyday heroes? Come to this discussion to find out. Part 2 of 3 from Impact24’s “Behind-the-Camera Superblock” panel series. Panelists include Debbie Berman (Captain Marvel, Black Panther), Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (Cobra Kai), Derek Vanderhorst (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Hidden Figures), David Norland (My Dinner with Hervé), Casey Edwards (Devil May Cry 5), and Cory Jamieson of Barnstorm VFX (Strange Angel, The Man in the High Castle). Moderated by actors Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai) and Piotr Michael (Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny).
UPDATED: Tue, Mar 19, 10:28AM
Saturday March 30, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 300B
This panel features creatives from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, BoJack Horseman, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures, Big Mouth, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. Dive into the world of animation and comics with film and television’s leading creatives! Learn how animated and comic book films and television shows are adapted, designed, and composed in this behind-the-scenes look at the production and development process for your favorite projects. Part 3 of 3 from Impact24’s “Behind-the-Camera Superblock” panel series. Panelists include animator David Han (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), animation director Anna Hollingsworth (Unikitty!), supervising director Mike Hollingsworth (BoJack Horseman), supervising director Mike Mayfield (Big Mouth), and composers Brian H. Kim (Star vs. the Forces of Evil), Ryan Shore (Star Wars: Forces of Destiny). Moderated by voice actors Vanessa Marshall (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Young Justice) and Chris Villain (content creator).
UPDATED: Tue, Mar 26, 10:18AM
Saturday March 30, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Room 300B
From the production companies that brought you Transformers, Deadpool, LEGO movies, The Walking Dead, Mouse Guard, and Mission Impossible, women executives discuss how they are pushing for female representation in Hollywood while adapting comics and games to the big screen. Moderator Tiffany Smith (DC All Access), along with panelists Jeannette Francis (Bad Robot), Mette Norkjaer (BOOM! Studios), Nikki Baida (Genre Films), Grey Cusack (Hasbro/Allspark Pictures), Aubrey Davis Lee (Lord Miller), and Sam Crawley (Skybound) will partake in a Q&A.
UPDATED: Fri, Mar 22, 03:32PM
Saturday March 30, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 209
From the classic Universal Monsters to Kaiju to more modern horror icons, characters with long histories have been touched by many hands and been seen through many different lenses. David Precht (writer, Tethered), Scott "Fuzzy" Joseph (creator, Warren Hope) Nicolas Doan (writer, Monster Elementary), Cecil Castellucci (Star Wars Moving Targets, The Plain Janes) and Russell Nohelty (Wannabe Press) will discuss how monsters and the stories about them have evolved in popular media. Moderated by Michael Tanner (writer, Junior Braves of the Apocalypse).
UPDATED: Fri, Mar 22, 09:17AM
Saturday March 30, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 211
Storyboard and comic book artists Shannon Eric Denton (Deadpool, Batman), Roger Robinson (Batman, Halo), Mike Kunkel (Hero Bear, Spider-Man), Drew Johnson (Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy), and David Chlystek (X-O Manowar, Guardians of the Galaxy) explore the power and potential of visual storytelling across media. The panel will present examples of comics and storyboards used to impact readers and empower cinematography. The panelists will discuss incorporating a dynamic approach to storytelling in both comics and film while clearly defining the differences between the two mediums. Print, television, film, games, and other media all benefit from visual storytelling and now you can too.
UPDATED: Thu, Mar 28, 11:28AM
Saturday March 30, 2019 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Room 209
Entertainment industry professionals Mike Page CSA (director of casting TNT & TBS), Renee Jeske (Disney Music Group), Rick Montano and Vinnie Ingrao (writers, CW Roswell), Chris Riley (Male Cosplay Pinups), Ray Lancione (president of Qweerty, LGBT video gamer 501c3 org), and David Booher (comic book writer, IDW) discuss how to turn your favorite geeky fandoms into flourishing careers, the challenges and rewards of growing up gay, and how being a member of the LGBT community influenced their work. Moderated by Chandler Poling (White Bear PR).
UPDATED: Fri, Mar 29, 05:34PM
Saturday March 30, 2019 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 208
Forty years ago, Chestbursters and Xenomorphs terrified audiences around the world for the first time. To celebrate the anniversary of ground-breaking sci-fi horror film Alien, 20th Century Fox Film provided an opportunity for six emerging shorts creators to produce thrilling new tales set in the same world. Two of these shorts, Ore and Specimen, will premiere exclusively for WonderCon fans. Written and directed by women, these shorts pay homage to another significant moment in film history, when Alien introduced the original kick-ass female heroine, Ellen Ripley. Moderated by Tara Bennett (Syfy Wire) with the filmmakers, The Spear Sisters and Kelsey Taylor, will follow.
UPDATED: Thu, Mar 28, 03:57PM
Saturday March 30, 2019 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT
North 200B
Ironheart Sofia Wylie, Squirrel Girl Milana Vayntrub, Ms. Marvel Kathreen Khavari, and Patriot Kamil McFadden will be joined by Cort Lane (SVP, Animation and Family Entertainment) and Marsha Griffin (VP, Animation Current Series and Development) for an action-packed panel moderated by Kristin Cruz that will showcase the world premiere of the brand-new animated special Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron. Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron will introduce Riri Williams a.k.a. Ironheart to the Marvel Rising universe, voiced by Sofia Wylie ("Andi Mack"), in an epic adventure that sees Ironheart teaming up with the Secret Warriors to face-off against Hala the Accuser in their epic penultimate battle! Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron will premiere on Wednesday, April 3rd on Marvel HQ.
UPDATED: Wed, Mar 20, 12:58PM
Sunday March 31, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PDT
North 200A
The hosts of Ready Set Geek! are recording their Retro Review live at WonderCon, focusing on the 20th anniversary of The Matrix! Alix Catherine (host, Ready Set Geek!), Cole Garrison (host, Ready Set Geek!), and JPG (CEO, Geek Say What? Network) will be joined by Daniel Jerome (host, That Hashtag Show), Loryn Stone (PopLurker, Toy Wizards), and Jordan Rushing (photographer, Rushing Photography) to discuss cultural impact, emergent film technology, and how the film affected sci-fi that came after.
UPDATED: Mon, Mar 18, 12:00PM
Sunday March 31, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room 300B