Fox Movie Studio Pulls Out of Comic-Con Main Event Over Piracy Fears (Exclusive)

Studio feels it cannot protect exclusive footage in their annual San Diego showcase, insider tells TheWrap

Fox Comic Con

20th Century Fox will not showcase its upcoming movie releases in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con this year.

The studio feels it cannot prevent the piracy of custom trailers and exclusive footage routinely screened for fans in attendance, an individual familiar with the decision told TheWrap. 

A representative for Fox declined to comment. SDCC was not immediately available for comment.

The studio will be accounted for in smaller events, like their DreamWorks Animation collaboration “Trolls,” a second individual close to the studio told TheWrap. That individual added that footage from other upcoming Fox films would be unfinished and far down the release schedule, like “Wolverine 3” and “Assassin’s Creed.”

Fox would likely have shown glimpses of “Assassins Creed,” the Michael Fassbender video game adaptation that wowed movie exhibitors at this year’s CinemaCon. An early first look at Hugh Jackman‘s “Wolverine 3” and the recently-delayed “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” were also possibilities.

The first individual added that Walt Disney was considering pulling out of their regular showcase inside the San Diego Convention Center’s grand hall as well, though a rep for Disney denied the claim. The studio would not disclose its Comic-Con plans.

Last year Fox screened footage from “Deadpool,” the Ryan Reynolds superhero film that would go on to gross $760 million worldwide. A trailer prepared especially for the 2015 convention was screened on a Saturday — and a pirated version was available online the following Monday.

The same went for “X-Men: Apocalypse” and Warner Bros’ hotly anticipated “Suicide Squad.” Footage for the latter was shown while shooting was still underway — 13 months prior to the DC Comics film’s forthcoming August 5 release.

“Clearly we are disappointed,” David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for Comic-Con International, said at the time. “This leak not only violates the trust of Comic-Con and the studios, but each of the attendees who respect the bond we have long held.”

Comments