Disney had a marvelous Comic-Con.
With a front-and-center “Tron: Legacy” glowing brightly, the fourth “Pirates” hoisting sail and a potential diamond mine of Marvel Studios tie-in franchises in its pocket, Disney has to be feeling pretty good about the future after what just happened in San Diego.
As Hollywood packs up its tentpoles and heads back up the 5, we look back on dozens of star-studded panels and parties, a hulking scoop, Han Solo, the unplanned pen-stabbing, and tons of cool previews and ask: Who got the Comic-Con 2010 epic win? And who got the FAIL?
EPIC WIN: DISNEY
Disney's Marvel Studios, along with their distribution partner Paramount, pulled an astounding feat by coordinating all of its characters from “The Avengers” on one stage – including newcomers Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) – providing the definitive climax of the five-day festival in San Diego.
“Thor” looked stronger than expected. “Captain America” teased only, but to great response. It’s beginning to look like in buying Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in late 2009, the Walt Disney Co. really bought a license to print money.
Sure, there are some big titles to share with Paramount for now, but as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige made clear this year, there are a lot more properties still to be mined, including “The Punisher,” which is back under Marvel’s control.
Disney also is helping Guillermo Del Toro stay busy after he left "The Hobbit," handing him the reins to “The Haunted Mansion” for a do-over; and Miramax debuted his look-through-your-fingers scare-fest “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” which also features a haunted mansion, just one you would never, ever take your kids to see.
The presumptive centerpiece of the show, “TRON: Legacy,” had a vibe that rippled through the San Diego Convention Center and beyond. And there’s another “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie on the way, but do those things ever make money?
EPIC WIN: “SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD”
Sure it’s quirky, and if you’re over 30 you might not get any of the references besides the “Seinfeld” joke (or pick up on the fact that “epic win” is from the film). “Scott Pilgrim” was a mini-phenomenon at Comic-Con this year. Hitting its target market at full force, “Scott Pilgrim” had panels, a world premiere, an interactive experience and a concert by Metric at Comic-con. Called an “epic of epic epicness,” Universal’s zany little film won’t challenge “Avatar” at the box office, but don’t be surprised if star Michael Cera and “Scott Pilgrim” have an impact at awards time.
WIN: FANS OF HARRISON FORD
You’d think the Han Solo AND Indiana Jones guy would be an old hand in San Diego, but it took Jon Favreau, “Cowboys & Aliens” and a pair of handcuffs to get Harrison
