Warner Bros. Home Entertainment storms Comic-Con International 2019 with an unparalleled ensemble of stellar offerings, including six World Premieres, a pair of monumental anniversary celebrations, two helpings of horror fun and fan activations spotlighting two 2019 hit films over the July 17-21 weekend in San Diego.
Among the 13 slated events are world premieres of Batman: Hush, Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans, LEGO DC: Batman – Family Matters, Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island, The Banana Splits Movie and an in-depth Shazam! documentary. The weekend also spotlights grand celebrations for Batman Beyond’s 20th Anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Scooby-Doo, as well as an inside look at two horror-centric upcoming releases: Critters Attack! & The Banana Splits Movie.
Immersive experiences adjacent to the Omni Hotel (across the tracks from the Convention Center) will offer fans a more personal experience with two of the top films of 2019 – Shazam! and Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Fans will have the opportunity to experience the magic of Ryme City in the immersive walkthrough pop-up based on the hit film Pokémon Detective Pikachu, complete with Instagrammable moments alongside the neon cityscape, Ryme City marketplace, film prop displays, an infinity room and multiple characters from the film including Detective Pikachu himself! And the Shazam! activation gives fans the chance to visit the Chilladelphia Winter Carnival (featured in the blockbuster film) in sunny San Diego to play games, win exclusive prizes, and pose for some fun photo opps. The activations open on Wednesday night.
The premieres/panels/activations (and confirmed talent thus far) hosted by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment include:
Batman Beyond 20th Anniversary
Thursday, July 18 – 12:15-1:15pm
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Batman Beyond won two Emmy Awards and three Annie Awards as it captured the imaginations of a new generation of Batman fans, setting new standards for super hero storytelling with innovative designs, outstanding voice acting and an intriguing approach to DC’s iconic characters and stories. The series also spawned an acclaimed animated film, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Come celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary with many members of the creative team behind the breakthrough production, including producers Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) and Glen Murakami (Teen Titans), eight-time Emmy Award-winning casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano (Justice League), director James Tucker (Batman: Hush), writers Bob Goodman (Elementary, Warehouse 13), and Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier), and the acting stars of the series—Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) and Will Friedle (Boy Meets World, Kim Possible), the voices of Batman and Terry McGinnis, respectively. Stay to the end for some exclusive prizes and cool announcements. Hall H
Horror Times Two: Critters Attack! and The Banana Splits Movie
Thursday, July 18 – 4:30-5:30pm
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings a double dip of upcoming horror films in Critters Attack! and The Banana Splits Movie (both produced by Blue Ribbon Content in conjunction with SYFY). Inspired by the film series from the ’80s and ’90s, Critters Attack! follows 20-year-old Drea (Tashiana Washington), who reluctantly takes a job babysitting for a professor of a college she hopes to attend. Struggling to entertain the professor’s children, along with her own little brother, Drea takes them on a hike, unaware that mysterious alien critters have crash-landed and started devouring every living thing they encounter. Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), who starred in the original Critters as Helen Brown and returns to the franchise in the mysterious role of Aunt Dee, and Tashiana Washington (Shaft, Gimme Shelter) will be on the panel alongside director Bobby Miller (The Cleanse), Critters puppeteer Keith Arbuthnot (Eureka, The Cabin in the Woods), voice of the Critters Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop) and Blue Ribbons’ Peter Girardi to discuss the new film. The Banana Splits Movie offers a new take on the classic characters from the late 1960s The Banana Splits Adventure Hour variety program. In the upcoming horror thriller, a boy named Harley and his family go to a taping of The Banana Splits TV show, which is supposed to be a fun-filled birthday for young Harley. But things take an unexpected turn—and the body count quickly rises. Can Harley, his mom, and their new pals safely escape? The Banana Splits Movie panelists include writers Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (Raven’s Home, My Super Psycho Sweet 16), actor Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Blue Ribbon’s Peter Girardi, and the voice of the Banana Splits, Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons). Critters Attack! lands on earth on July 23, 2019 on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital. The Banana Splits Movie comes to Digital on August 13, and Blu-ray and DVD on August 27. 6DE
Autograph Signing: Critters Attack! and The Banana Splits Movie
Thursday, July 18 – 3:30-4:00pm – Warner Bros./DC Booth
Join cast and crew members of the upcoming horror films Critters Attack! and The Banana Splits Movie (both produced by Blue Ribbon Content in conjunction with SYFY) for an autograph session on exclusive Comic-Con 2019 film-specific posters. Currently slated to sign are Critters Attacks! actors Dee Wallace, Tashiana Washington, Steve Blum, director Bobby Miller, puppeteer Keith Arbuthnot and Blue Ribbons’ Peter Girardi, and The Banana Splits Movie writers Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, actors Sara Canning and Eric Bauza and Blue Ribbon’s Peter Girardi.
World Premiere of SHAZAM! Documentary
Thursday, July 18 – 6:00-7:00pm
Discover the unbelievable history behind the iconic, magical, and influential superhero who is really just a kid at heart: SHAZAM! Introduced in person by one of the film’s stars – Asher Angel – this DC Spotlight (streaming later this summer on DC Universe) features interviews with the people who helped The World’s Mightiest Mortal evolve from comic book hero to pop culture icon. You’ll witness the enlightening perspectives of legendary DC writers and artists, including Geoff Johns, Jerry Ordway, Tom Mandrake, Jeff Smith, Gerry Conway, Jim Lee, and Dan DiDio; filmmaker/comic expert Kevin Smith; and the stars and makers of 2019’s hit film, SHAZAM!: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Cooper Andrews, director David F. Sandberg, and producer Peter Safran; and many more. Horton Grand Theatre
World Premiere of The Banana Splits Movie
Thursday, July 18 – 10:00-11:30pm
One banana, two bananas, three bananas . . . gore! Be among the first to witness the terrifying return of everyone’s favorite silly quartet as The Banana Splits Movie offers a new take on the classic characters, which were first introduced to audiences in 1968 with The Banana Splits Adventure Hour variety program. In the upcoming horror thriller, a boy named Harley and his family go to a taping of The Banana Splits TV show, which is supposed to be a fun-filled birthday for young Harley. But things take an unexpected turn—and the body count quickly rises. Can Harley, his mom, and their new pals safely escape? The film stars Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries) and Dani Kind (Wynonna Earp), and Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons, Woody Woodpecker, UniKitty!) supplies the voices of the Banana Splits. The movie is written by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (Raven’s Home, My Super Psycho Sweet 16) and directed by Danishka Esterhazy (Level 16). Produced by Blue Ribbon Content in association with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and SYFY, The Banana Splits Movie comes to Digital on August 13, and Blu-ray and DVD on August 27. Horton Grand Theatre
World Premiere of Batman: Hush
Friday, July 19 – 7:15-9:15pm
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, DC, and Warner Bros. Animation returns for their traditional Friday night Comic-Con World Premiere of the latest DC Universe movie, and this time it’s a doozy—the long-awaited Batman: Hush. An adaptation of the seminal DC classic tale, Batman: Hush centers on a shadowy new villain known only as Hush, who uses Gotham’s Rogues Gallery to destroy Batman’s crime-fighting career, as well as Bruce Wayne’s personal life—which has already been complicated by a relationship with Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman. Meet the filmmakers and voice cast behind this new classic for a post-screening panel that will include Jason O’Mara (The Man in the High Castle) and Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time) as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Catwoman/Selina Kyle, respectively; Geoffrey Arend (Madam Secretary) as the Riddler, Hynden Walch (Teen Titans Go!) as Harley Quinn, Bruce Thomas (Legally Blonde, Kyle XY) as Jim Gordon, director Justin Copeland (Reign of the Supermen), screenwriter Ernie Altbacker (Teen Titans: The Judas Contract), character designer Phil Bourassa (Young Justice), and executive producer James Tucker (Reign of the Supermen). Batman: Hush arrives on Digital starting July 20, 2019; on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack on August 6; and the DC Universe streaming service on August 13. Ballroom 20
Batman: Hush Encore Screening
Friday, July 19 – 9:30-11:00pm
Missed it the first time? Loved it so much, you must see it again. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is proud to offer a second helping of its all new DC Universe Movie—the much-anticipated Batman: Hush. An adaptation of the seminal DC classic tale, Batman: Hush centers on a shadowy new villain known only as Hush, who uses Gotham’s Rogues Gallery to destroy Batman’s crime-fighting career, as well as Bruce Wayne’s personal life—which has already been complicated by a relationship with Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman. Batman: Hush arrives on Digital starting July 20, 2019; on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack on August 6; and the DC Universe streaming service on August 13. Ballroom 20
Scooby-Doo’s 50th Birthday Bash
Saturday, July 20 – 12:30-1:30pm
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) salutes that lovable Great Dane, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang with a panel spotlighting half a century of crime-solving silliness. For 50 years, the Mystery Inc. gang has entertained Scooby-Doo fans with zany hijinks, action-packed adventures, and engaging mysteries that have captivated viewers of all ages. What started as a Saturday morning cartoon exploded into an enormously successful franchise encompassing multiple spin-off series, original animated and live action films, consumer products and much more. Included in the celebration will be several key showrunners, filmmakers, and stars of the franchise, including Grey Griffin (DC Super Hero Grils, The Loud House) and Kate Micucci (Garfunkel & Oates, Unikitty!), the voices of Daphne and Velma, respectively—and a glimpse of the upcoming Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Mystery Mansion box set from WBHE (available in stores on September 3, 2019). 6A
World Premiere of Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island
Sunday, July 21 – 10:15-11:45am
Pack your Scooby Snacks and join the Mystery Inc. gang as the teen sleuths embark on a wild and spooky vacation with zombies and cat people on Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island, an all-new, original film. Be among the first live audience to see this follow-up to the classic, best-selling Scooby-Doo! film, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, as this new animated adventure finds Scooby-Doo and his pals taking a much-deserved vacation to a tropical island. Instead of getting rest and relaxation, however, they find themselves wrapped up in one of their biggest mysteries yet! Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the film arrives this fall from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. 6BCF
World Premiere of Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans
Sunday, July 21 – 12:00-2:00pm
When the forces of evil unite from across time and dimensions, it’ll take the combined efforts of distinctly different, yet similar super hero teams to keep the universe secure in Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans. Come for the World Premiere of this blockbuster film, then stay for an incredibly entertaining panel discussion featuring the stars of the film—Greg Cipes (The Middle, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Beast Boy, Scott Menville (LEGO DC: Batman: Family Matters) as Robin, Khary Payton (The Walking Dead) as Cyborg, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, My Little Pony, Unikitty!) as Raven, Hynden Walch (Adventure Time, Groundhog Day) as Starfire, Grey Griffin (Scooby-Doo franchise, DC Super Hero Girls, The Fairly OddParents) as Mrs. Claus, and some surprise special guests . . . alongside producer/director Jeff Mednikow (Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, Teen Titans Go!), screenwriters Marly Halpern-Graser (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Jeremy Adams (LEGO DC: Batman: Family Matters). Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the feature-length animated film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment this fall on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital. 6BCF
World Premiere of LEGO DC: Batman: Family Matters
Sunday, July 21 – 2:15-4:15pm
Batman, Robin, and Batgirl must stick together even when Gotham’s most dangerous villains attempt to pull them apart in LEGO DC: Batman: Family Matters, the latest animated adventure in the LEGO DC series. Witness the World Premiere of this action-packed, brick-tastic adventure that will be followed by a star-studded panel of actors and filmmakers, including the voices of Batman, Batgirl, and Robin—Troy Baker (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: Arkham Origins), Alyson Stoner (Phineas and Ferb) and Scott Menville (Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!)—along with Jason Spisak (Young Justice) as Red Hood, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) as Batwoman, and Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop, Star Wars Rebels) as Scarecrow. Filmmakers include producer Rick Morales (LEGO Scooby-Doo!: Haunted Hollywood), director Matt Peters (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis), and screenwriter Jeremy Adams (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash). Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC, and the LEGO Group, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment later this summer on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital. 6BCF
Pokémon Detective Pikachu Fan Activation
Experience the magic of Ryme City in an immersive walkthrough pop-up based on the hit film Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Guests will be able to explore the city and capture Instagrammable moments including the neon cityscape, Ryme City marketplace, film prop displays, an infinity room and more. Fans can win prizes while having the opportunity to take photos with multiple characters from the film including Detective Pikachu himself!
Location: Outside The Omni Hotel
Days/Hours of Operation:
Wednesday – 5PM – 7PM
Thursday: 10AM – 7PM
Friday: 10AM – 7PM
Saturday: 10AM – 7PM
Sunday: 10AM – 4PM
Shazam! Fan Activation
Visit the Chilladelphia Winter Carnival in sunny San Diego! At the carnival from the blockbuster film Shazam! guests can play games to win exclusive prizes and pose for some fun photo opps.
Location: Outside The Omni Hotel
Days/Hours of Operation:
Wednesday – 5PM – 7PM
Thursday: 10AM – 8PM
Friday: 10AM – 8PM
Saturday: 10AM – 8PM
Sunday: 10AM – 4PM
Joy Ride is an extremely raunchy and hilarious comedy that takes the mantle of ensemble risky
comedies that at times, leave your mouth on the floor. Joy Ride focuses on two best friends
Audrey and Lolo (Ashley Sullivan and Sherry Cola) end up getting roped up into a trip to Asia,
they end up on gals pal cross-continent trek to find Audrey’s long lost birth mother so she
doesn’t lose a huge business deal.
The chemistry in this movie is superb. Every character has their moment to shine and there’s
rarely a scene where you don’t get a belly laugh. I was shocked at how crazy and bold this
movie got, continually pushing the line to get a laugh. The movie does a good job of getting to
the point and getting to the scenes that really make you chuckle. There are some editing choices where the story flies by some stuff, and it feels a little incomplete, but never at the expense of really enjoying being around for the journey.
I thought that this was a sleeper for this year and certainly a movie worth watching with your
friends some weekend. It’s great to throw on if you want a laugh and really just enjoy some
great actors riffing off each other. The focus on culture was a nice touch and really elevated the movie to another level. While I would say if you’re easily offended, this movie is not for you – if you’re looking for a no holds barred comedy, Joy Ride is a trip worth taking.
Hasbro has had their pulse app out for a while now. It allows for access to items to buy, preorder, and a look into future projects and releases. It also allows for a very cool thing most nerds (a group of which I am a proud card-carrying member) have always wanted, the ability to make yourself into an action figure. I’ve contemplated making one for a time but, I finally got my chance to get my hands on one at Comic-Con this year. Now, of course, I had to wait in line as it was a pretty sought-after item. Who doesn’t want to have themselves wear the ninja suit of Snake-Eyes or dressed like a Mandalorian? I was approached by one of the booth staff as I was showing my nephew all the cool ways we could get him his own MIles Morales action figure with his face (as he’s a massive fan) and invited to take a seat and scan our faces into the Hasbro Pulse app with the help of their awesome team and make this dream a reality. My wife was with us, so of course she got in on the fun too. We scanned our faces in and it was very simple and quick. Then we all selected our figures to add our heads to. We all chose Power Rangers(Me as the Black Ranger, my wife chose the pink ranger and the nephew got the red ranger). Then we were told that we needed to wait about 4-6 weeks and we’d have our custom action figure team in our hands. This was a major part of our Comic-Con adventure and definitely, a memory my wife and nephew won’t forget (as it was both of their first Con ever). Thank you to Hasbro for being so generous(also getting me brownie points that home) and I highly suggest checking out Hasbro Pulse and all the cool stuff it has to offer.
Adapted and written largely from the Captain’s Log chapter of Bram Stoker’s magnum opus Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the story of Dracula’s journey by ship from Carpathia to London, and what happened to her crew in the interim.
So here we are in Bulgaria, middle of 1897, and Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) of the Russian schooner Demeter is here to take on some strange cargo from some unknown client and transport it to Carfax Abbey in London. In need of some extra hands, the Captain sends out his capable Second Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) to scout for some, and initially the roving black doctor and aspiring philosopher Clemens (Corey Hawkins) is passed over in favor of more work-roughened men. The adorable cabin boy of the Demeter, Toby (Woody Norman), narrowly misses being crushed by the mysterious dragon-marked crates being loaded onto the ship, saved by Clemens himself and switched out with the superstitious sailors running from the Demeter like they had been poisoned by the sign of Dracul. And now, armed with some nine or so crewmen, Doc Clemens, and Captain Eliot himself, the twenty-four strange what looks like coffins adorned with dragon signs brought mostly safely aboard, the Demeter can make for open water and the Hell that awaits them there.
The duty of showing Clemens around the ship falls to a cheerful Toby, who proudly shows him the living areas, the Captain’s quarters, the very-large cargo hold, the galley and kitchen where the overly-devout Joseph (Jon Jon Briones) cooks the crews meals, the various above decks, even the sails, and the rigging are all at least touched on, and the livestock pens that Toby himself is in charge of, including the handsome good-boy doggy Huckleberry, or just Huck. We the audience get a very clear feeling of what it’s like to actually be aboard the Demeter, just how large she really is, and what living on a ship for months at sea is really like, the reality and practicality and the dangers of it.
Everyone more or less settles in for a hopefully uneventful voyage, taking mess around the common table and exchanging ideas or aspirations for when they arrive in London early thanks to the fair winds, and receive a handsome bonus for their troubles. But that involves being alive and making it to London to spend said bonus and pay, and the coffin crates spilling dark soil from the motherland and disgorging all sorts of other nasty secrets, have some serious plans to the contrary.
First, it’s the livestock, innocent and shrieking in their locked pens as a monster takes great furious bites out of their necks, and of course, the creature just straight up ruins poor doggy Huck. Then there’s the fully grown girl that gets dislodged from an open coffin-crate, covered in bite scars and as pale as death, she eventually starts interacting and talking after several blood transfusions from Doc Clemens, Toby learns her name is Anna (Aisling Franciosi). And then, as the weather turns foul and the winds begin to be a serious problem, the attacks turn toward the remaining humans onboard the Demeter.
Most people these days are familiar with Dracula, that gorgeous cunning vampire Elder who can supposedly transform into a bat or a wolf, seducing women to voluntarily offer up their veins like an unholy sacrament, a being at once beautiful and powerful, but also horrific and murderous if given half a heartbeat to smell your blood. This is not Dracula.
Instead, the creature that hunts the humans occupying the Demeter is an absolute monster, not a single human feature left to it, barely even recognizable as humanoid-shaped, instead boasting not just full-length bat wings but an entire exo-skin of bat membranes that can be used for feeding, a mouth full of needle-like teeth akin to a predator of the deepest darkest parts of the ocean, those yellowed Nosferatu eyes that will not tolerate light in any way, and of course giant pointy bat-ears. This is a thing, a grotesque straight from the depths of Hell, and no amount of glamor magic can make this Dracula (Javier Botet) seem like anything other than what he, is – a parasitic demon who only wants your blood. There is no reasoning with it, no trapping it, not even really any talking to it (kinda hard to talk when your throat has been ripped out), and, like the much more frightening Dracula stories of old, no amount of pure faith behind a symbol does anything other than give false hope.
Coming face to face with an actual abomination does different things to different people. The formerly delightfully foul-mouthed Abrams (Chris Walley) dissolves into a blubbering mess; poor Larsen (Martin Furulund) didn’t even get to see his own death coming; and it turns out Olgaren (Stefan Kapicic) wants to live so badly, he’ll suffer becoming a blank-eyed Renfield if that’s what it takes. All of Cook Joseph’s purported pure faith didn’t stop him from trying to take the coward’s way out and didn’t save him anyway when the sound of unnatural bat wings descended on him. I find that kind of irony delicious. Dear Anna, resigned to her fate to be eternal food for the horror that terrorized her village, nevertheless wants to try and save whoever is left of the Demeter with her own sacrifice, and there aren’t many. Wojchek of course wants to kill Dracula, but for all his logic and solid practical nature, has no experience whatsoever with this sort of thing, and sure doesn’t want to sacrifice the Demeter, the beloved ship he called home that was promised to him by Captain Eliot himself, in order to destroy that demon. Even poor sweet Toby isn’t safe from the creature’s clutches, and what happens to the cabin boy of the Demeter is what finally sends Captain Eliot over the blooming edge. And who could blame him? For this sort of thing to happen during the last voyage of such a proud, solid ship as the Demeter, is some serious bullsh*t.
To leave such a film open for a potential sequel, especially when called the last voyage of something, was a pretty hefty ask, and somehow the filmmakers managed it. I personally think a different version of Van Helsing, the infamous vampire hunter, teaming up with a certain black doctor who nurses a serious grudge against Dracula, could be a kickass sequel. Until then, experience the doomed final journey of the Demeter and her poor crew in all it’s bloodstained glory, in theaters now!
Joy Ride Is An Extremely Raunchy And Hilarious Comedy
Who Doesn’t Want To Wear The Ninja Suit Of Snake-Eyes Or Dress Like The Mandalorian?
The Last Voyage of the Demeter: Double-knock on wood!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Is A Dizzying Traversal Across A Multiverse
Cyberpunk Edge runners
Disney Legend Andreas Deja’s Hand-Drawn animated short MUSHKA premiere
Resetting Mortal Kombat A New Beginning with Mortal Kombat 1
William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill
The Les Files With John C McGinley
Batman The Doom That Came To Gotham Wonder Con 2023
