Alien and Predator Return to the Spotlight

Comic-Con officially began on Thursday, and like every year, tens of thousands of pop culture fans from across the world have descended on San Diego to partake in one of the biggest nerd events on the planet. This year, though, attendees will have one particularly historic set of sci-fi icons to kick off the festivities.

George Lucas is attending Comic-Con for the very first time. Comic-Con and its media-drenched event weekends have long celebrated the stories and characters that Lucas has been a part of telling for decades, most notably Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but up until now, the filmmaker has never actually been in attendance.

“We’re thrilled to announce that George Lucas will be attending Comic-Con for the first time,” Comic-Con’s chief communications and strategy officer, David Glanzer, wrote in a statement. “Nearly 50 years ago, Star Wars made one of its first public appearances at our convention, with a booth that offered [comic book artist] Howard Chaykin’s now-legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional giveaway.”

Glanzer added, “This is a true full-circle moment, in honor of George and his influence on world-building, visual effects, and narrative through storytelling.” Lucas will be part of a Sunday panel on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, moderated by Queen Latifah. Lucas, Guillermo del Toro, and Doug Chiang (the Oscar-winning concept artist and designer who has worked on Star Wars properties for years) will also be on the panel to discuss the museum’s opening in LA next year.

Introduced by David Glanzer. Chat session with Kevin Smith and John Carls.

The Transformation of Storytelling: Panel moderated by Matt Groening with George Lucas and Edgar Wright

It all started small back in 1970 when a group of San Diego comic book aficionados got together to share and sell some of their favorite story-art prints. Forty years later, San Diego Comic-Con International is a major event with approximately 130,000 attendees.

Over the years, Comic-Con has grown into the premier pop-culture destination, providing an opportunity for fans to show off their costumes and collectibles, as well as a rare chance to see some of the most exclusive sneak peeks, panels, and world premieres from Hollywood’s hottest properties.

Alien: Earth and Predator: Badlands Make Their Premiers

The world premiere of Alien: Earth is one of the biggest events of the weekend. The series serves as a prequel to the 1979 Ridley Scott classic Alien, and dives deeper into the lore of the franchise, set just a few years before the film. The show, from showrunner Al MacDonald and directed by Noah Hawley, will premiere in Hall H tomorrow and be available to stream in August.

Also generating buzz at Comic-Con this year is the upcoming film Predator: Badlands. The film is the latest installment in the sci-fi series and, in what feels like a twist worthy of the long-running franchise, a Predator finds itself in the crosshairs this time around. The panel, featuring director Dan Trachtenberg and stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the alien Dek, will dive into what’s next for the new film.

Marvel to De-Panel, Sci-Fi Universe Steps Up to Fill the Gaps

Marvel Studios announced that it will be de-paneling for Comic-Con this year, which means the studio will forgo its annual Hall H spot due to the many variables involving the upcoming Avengers installment. The studio cited ongoing production in the UK and many logistical hurdles that have led to the studio stepping back from the event.

But while Marvel may not be present in Hall H this year, that hasn’t dampened spirits as other franchises have jumped at the opportunity to step in with packed programs and events to help keep the energy going strong all weekend.

Ryan Gosling, Peacemaker, A New Space Saga, and More

Another film that is looking to make a splash at Comic-Con is Project Hail Mary, which is based on the book of the same name by The Martian author Andy Weir. Set to hit theaters next year, the film follows the story of former school teacher turned astronaut, Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace, who finds himself awake alone on a spaceship and is tasked with saving humanity from certain extinction. Gosling will be on the Saturday panel alongside directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who are best known for their work on the Spider-Verse trilogy.

Fans of the DCU can also expect some major spoilers on the upcoming second season of Peacemaker. Showrunner and DC reboot lead James Gunn will be back on a panel alongside the show’s cast for a look at behind-the-scenes footage and a first look at what’s to come for the colorful collection of heroes and villains.

Fans will once again be coming to Comic-Con to dress up as their favorite characters (looking like princesses, bounty hunters, aliens, and heroes both near and far), congregate with their fandom friends, and share in a mutual love of comics and stories. The show will continue through Sunday, July 27.