Three Major Brands to Skip Out on Comic-Con
SAN DIEGO, June 19 (UPI) — High-profile production companies Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures, known for appealing directly to sci-fi and superhero fans worldwide, will be absent from this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego.
“It wasn’t a knock against Comic-Con,” a representative said according to Variety, which broke the story. “The film cycles just didn’t allow it.”
The convention, which bands comic fans from all walks of life together to celebrate and gather exclusive details about upcoming sci-fi, animated and superhero projects, happens at a time when Paramount and Sony simply don’t have sufficient material to promote. Marvel, on the other hand, exhausted its new material at an Avengers fan event in October.
Still, this year’s Comic-Con will feature enough new material from other production companies like Disney, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Lionsgate, with the final installment of the Hunger Games series. Conan O’brien will also attend the convention, becoming the first late-night host to broadcast from the event.
Screen Rant observes that Sony and Paramount actually do have relevant material that could’ve been presented at the convention. Paramount’s Star Trek 3 is due to hit theaters next year while Sony’s next James Bond film Spectre will come in November. But another spokesman noted that sending the films to Comic-Con put a strain on their budgets. “Why force the issue?” they said.
Variety mentions the rumored announcement for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment’sJustice League franchise is expected to be made at the event in July. Both Fantastic Four and “a few X-Men” are also expected this year.
San Diego’s 46th Annual Comic-Con International will be held July 9-12, 2015.
