Comic-Con 2018 Parties: Entertainment Weekly Bash to Feature ‘Westworld,’ ‘Game of Thrones’

The glamour gathering in San Diego gets cozy with Facebook for livestream video studio and Instagram activations

EW Comic-Con Party Float Hard Rock
The scene at Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con Bash at the Hard Rock Hotel. (Dave Mangels/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)

It looks like there will be a little “Westworld” and “Westeros” on the west coast this week after all: In partnership with HBO and Instagram, Entertainment Weekly will feature “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld” activations inside the magazine’s annual San Diego Comic-Con party, The Party Report has learned exclusively.

Much like Vanity Fair during Oscar week in Hollywood, Entertainment Weekly continues to swallow up Comic-Con week in San Diego, and so it goes this year. Editor-In-Chief Henry Goldblatt and team are printing an on-the-ground special issue of the magazine, relocating their Sirius XM studios to San Diego, and once again bringing their “Women Who Kick Ass” panel to Hall H during SDCC 2018.

For the industry though, EW’s annual Saturday night bash is the closest equivalent to Vanity Fair’s mythologized Oscar night gathering.

SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 24: (L-R) Actors Walton Goggins, Michael Chiklis and Danny McBride attend Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con Bash held at Float, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego on July 24, 2016 in San Diego, California sponsored by HBO. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)

Notably, the party will be the only appearance for “Westworld” and “Game of Thrones” this year in San Diego, per HBO’s announcement last month that there won’t otherwise be panels or activations.

“We’re beyond excited to be back at Comic-Con in a big way this year,” Goldblatt said in an emailed statement. “Our partnership with Facebook is a terrific opportunity to amplify EW’s video content to an even wider audience. Comic-Con focuses on all genres of entertainment – and so do we.”

attends Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con Bash held at Float, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California sponsored by HBO.
NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt and Goldblatt at the 2016 EW Bash. (EW)

Those coming from all genres of entertainment to make it past the rope and ascend to the roof of the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday night (July 21) include recent Comedy Central roastee Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulson, Ian Ziering, Vivica Fox, super producer Jason Blum, and Judah Friedlander.

Many of those same faces will be there by day, chatting up their projects at the EW Video Studio at the Hard Rock and broadcasting live over Facebook Watch, EW.com and EW’s Facebook page.

Hollywood’s go-to for star heavy dance floors, Michelle Pesce, returns to the DJ booth for the bash.

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