Amazon Prime Video announced its lineup for the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International. It includes two panels featuring the creators and cast from some of Amazon’s most popular and anticipated series including Carlton Cuse, showrunner and Executive Producer of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan; Ben Edlund creator of The Tick; Sam Esmail director of Homecoming; Neil Gaiman creator, writer, and showrunner of Good Omens; Gale Anne Hurd Executive Producer of Lore; and Naren Shankar showrunner of The Expanse. In addition, a second panel with The Man in the High Castle Executive Producers Isa Dick Hackett and Daniel Percival will be held and cast from the series will be in attendance including Alexa Davalos, Rufus Sewell, Jason O’Mara, and Stephen Root.
Amazon will host an unforgettable experience for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan to the west of the convention center – starting at the corner of MLK & 1st and extending to the back adjacent parking lot. The entire area will be converted into a vast Jack Ryan immersive experience that plucks people from the streets of San Diego and transports them into the heart of the Middle East.
“We’re thrilled to bring such a diverse group of creators to SDCC and give fans an exclusive sneak peek at what’s to come for these highly-anticipated shows,” said Mike Benson, Head of Marketing, Amazon Studios. “Our activation for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is our most ambitious to date and will be one of the must-see events of Comic-Con.”
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Fan Experience
At the Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan fan experience, Comic-Con attendees will step into the world of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and be thrust into a dangerous field assignment that turns them into unexpected heroes. Visitors will complete the Jack Ryan Training Field by infiltrating, fighting and evading the enemy to gain full field clearance. They will then use that training to help Jack Ryan himself in Dark Ops, a groundbreaking escape room that recreates the pilot episode of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Attendees can also explore the Middle Eastern bazaar which has assignments to be completed at every turn, watch a live leaderboard and pick up some iconic Jack Ryan swag.
The Jack Ryan Training Field is a hyper-reality virtual reality spy experience where participants can prove they have what it takes to be a hero. Heroes in training will go through a series of thrilling true-to-life experiences including rappelling from a helicopter, traversing between dangerous high rise buildings, and zip-lining to ground level. Created with MediaMonks, the Jack RyanTraining Field stands over 30 feet tall and uses the latest Optitrack 4D and Oculus Rift technology to make visitors physically feel as if they were thrust into the action.
Dark Ops is a first of its kind escape room, created by AKQA and Unit 9, which lets participants live the first episode of Jack Ryan. Participants will be tasked with offering remote assistance to Jack Ryan in Dark Ops, where teams of rookie analysts will have to dig deep to uncover a plot of double-crossing, top secret information and an extremist plot set to be put in motion at any minute.
The Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan fan experience will take place Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22 at the park located at the corner of 1st street and Martin Luther King Promenade – directly across from the San Diego Convention Center. It will be open daily from 9 am to 7 pm Thursday through Saturday, and 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday.
San Diego Comic-Con Panels
In addition to the experience, creators and talent from some of Amazon’s biggest series will be attending panels to discuss their shows. Fans will be treated to never-before-seen clips, and for one series, Amazon will debut an entire episode exclusively to SDCC attendees. Below are the details for Prime Video panels during San Diego Comic-Con:
Friday, July 20 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm, Room: Ballroom 20
Prime Video brings together six exciting creators to share insights and behind-the-scenes looks into their highly-anticipated upcoming Prime Original series. Featured panelists include: Carlton Cuse (Lost), Executive Producer of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, premiering August 31; The Tick creator Ben Edlund (Gotham); Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) director of Homecoming; world-renowned author Neil Gaiman (American Gods), creator-writer-showrunner of Good Omens; Lore Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead); and Naren Shankar (Almost Human) showrunner of The Expanse.
Saturday, July 21 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm, Room: 6A
The Man in the High Castle returns to SDCC to preview its upcoming third season on Prime Video. This engaging panel will feature cast and creator discussion, exclusive sneak peeks, and audience Q&A. Panelists will include Alexa Davalos (Mob City), Rufus Sewell (Victoria), Jason O’Mara (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Stephen Root (Dallas & Robo) along with Executive Producers Isa Dick Hackett (Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams) and Dan Percival (Strike Back).
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Crunnchyroll presents ‘BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense’: You’re not twinking!
‘Knock at the Cabin’: Puttin on your boogie shoes!
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
An Askewed View Episode 7 Jay And Silent Bob Reboot
