Kim Dickens takes Female Lead in 'The Walking Dead' Spinoff

An MVP in everything from Deadwood to Treme to David Fincher's Gone Girl, Kim Dickens has been waiting for her moment in the spotlight. Well, she's just about to get it. Dickens has landed the female lead in AMC's spinoff of The Walking Dead, joining Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam-Carey.

The series will be set in Los Angeles, far away from Rick Grimes' band of survivors, and center on a divorced teacher (Curtis), a guidance counselor (Dickens) and her two kids. Dickens' character will apparently have some kind of "dark side" springing from a troubled past that will come back to haunt her.

Dickens definitely has the good for this kind of role and her presence should convince those who are skeptical a companion series to The Walking Dead is necessary. Production begins in 2015 with Adam Davison directing the pilot.

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Cliff Curtis takes Lead Role in 'The Walking Dead' Spinoff Series

You may not know the name Cliff Curtis, but I bet you know his face. He's been a key part of some tremendous films, including Whale Rider, Sunshine, Live Free or Die Hard (okay, that one sucked), and was recently seen on FOX's cancelled TV series, Gang Related. Now he's taking on his most high-profile gig yet as the male lead in AMC's The Walking Dead companion series.

Working under the title of Cobalt, the series takes place at a different location during the same zombie apocalypse, but follows another group of people. Curtis will play a divorced teacher, who is joined by a female guidance counselor and her two kids, played by the recently-cast Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam Carey.  Adam Dividson will direct the series with Dave Erickson as showrunner.

For me this is the first really good reason to watch a show that probably doesn't need to exist.

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'The Walking Dead' Spinoff Casts Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam-Carey

With AMC scoring record ratings for The Walking Dead's midseason finale, attention is now turning to their upcoming companion series, which has Dave Erickson as showrunner. A few weeks ago Adam Davidson came aboard as director, and now the first two cast members have been named.

According to Deadline, Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam-Carey have come aboard the series, which is being referred to as "Cobalt". Dillane is best known for playing Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, while Debnam-Carey made her American debut in last summer's Into the Storm.

Details on the show remain slim but it will follow a different group from the one led by Rick Grimes, set in a different location and possible at a different point in the zombie apocalypse. The central focus will be on a male divorced teacher and a female guidance counselor. Dillane will play the woman's son who has faced past drug problems, while Debnam-Carey is her ambitious daughter.

The Walking Dead's creator Robert Kirkman will be on board to exec-produce and it will be interesting to see how he, Erickson, and Davidson plan to tell fresh stories on the same zombie nightmare.

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What’s Up with “The Walking Dead”: Recap of mid-season finale “Coda”

Well, that’s that, everyone. Another half-season of The Walking Dead is in the (or adapted from the, if you wanted to get technical) books; eight hours of television we alternately enjoyed and suffered through. There were some good times, right? That whole Daryl bowling ball zombie head thing! And some bad times, like finally axing Beth weeks – months, even – after unexpectedly letting her live.

I honestly gasped at that moment last night, because we’d been lulled into some false security, I think. Beth got to sing! She ran her underground hospital conspiracy! She pushed a man down an elevator shaft! This wasn’t like T-Dog, who had no personality and no subplots and no definable traits. This was Beth, who after all this time somehow wormed her stiched-up face into my heart. Or maybe I was just sad because of how sad Daryl was? Norman Reedus, you guys. He cannot be denied!

Aside from Beth’s death, what else happened in the mid-season finale, “Coda”? And what do those things mean for The Walking Deadwhen the show returns in February 2015? Let’s discuss!

+ “I can’t run anymore.” Oh, Father Gabriel! Finally you see the awful horror of the world around you, and finally you realize there’s no denying it anymore. Although he hasn’t had that much to do yet, I think Seth Gilliam – SGT. CARVER FOREVER – has been a strong addition to this cast – PROBABLY BECAUSE THE WIRE IS THE GREATEST SHOW OF ALL TIME – and I enjoy the emotionally wrought work he’s been doing here. It wasn’t very subtle in the scene when he found the Bible belonging to Gareth’s mom who Carol killed, and then came upon the Bob’s leg, which Gareth was killed for eating, but I thought the sentiment in that moment was effective. The old rules – organized religion, or anything organized at all – aren’t applicable. The chaos can’t be contained. And Father Gabriel’s “Let me live with it” and “It’s worth it” were important steps forward for his desire for survival, I think. (As was his quick thinking in herding Michonne, Judith, and Carl to his back office and through his escape hole when the zombies came crashing through the church. Sure, the problem started with that escape hole in the first place, but at least it saved them, too.)

+ “What happened to both of us – maybe it’s because we’re still the same.” How would you characterize what is going on between siblings Tyreese and Sasha? It’s not exactly a rift, I don’t think, but more of a moral separation. As brother and sister, there’s a natural comparison between the two of them, but The Walking Dead has been especially linking them together this season. As Tyreese admits to Sasha, he didn’t kill Gareth’s ally, Martin, when he and Carol came upon him in that cabin; Martin then went on to help Gareth in his kidnapping, crippling, and then eating of Bob, which eventually led to Bob’s death; which then inspired Sasha’s killing of Martin and her continued need for revenge since. It has made her reckless – why give her back to Lamson? – while it has made Tyreese wary (if you recall, the whole swapping prisoners idea was his, in comparison with Rick’s kill-them-all theory), and in this episode Sasha clearly lays out that she doesn’t want to be like Tyreese anymore. She doesn’t have it in her. How much further she’ll move away from her brother morally will be something to watch for when the season returns, I think.

+ “He was a good man.”Yes, yes, maybe Officer Bob Lamson was a good man, as practically everyone at the hospital kept telling Rick and Co. He was one of the good guys! He was one of the last remaining good cops! Well, in a nice nod to his former career, that didn’t stop Rick from mowing Lamson down in a police cruiser and then shooting him in the head. You lie to Rick and you try to kill one of his people, and that’s what happens to you.

Although, I honestly couldn’t figure out exactly what the writers were trying to do by constantly reiterating the idea that Lamson was a good person: Was it to show how poor the judgment was of all the cops under Dawn’s command? Was he such a capable liar that he had convinced other people of his goodness? Or had he really been a worthwhile person once, and just driven to do bad by his circumstances – like so many of the other characters we’ve met? I’m probably overthinking this, but I’m just surprised that actor Maximiliano Hernandez (so good on The Americans!) would be such a one-and-done character. I don’t get it. (And I hope we don’t have such confusing, repetitive writing for ancillary characters when the show returns in February.)

+ “He lied. He can’t stop it. Washington isn’t the end.” The admission of Eugene’s lie prompts Abraham and Co. to return to the church in their giant firetruck, taking out all the walkers trying to kill Carl, Michonne, Judith, and Father Gabriel, and reuniting them with Glenn, Maggie, Tara, etc. – and unfortunately giving Maggie the hope that her sister Beth was still alive. I’ve complained often in these recaps about how Maggie doesn’t seem to be mourning her sister at all, and how that has seemed like a major oversight for her character development over these past eight episodes, but I thought this hour finally made up for all that was lacking. Lauren Cohan’s facial expressions! First, the delirious, unbelievable joy when Michonne told her that Beth was alive, and then the overwhelming, traumatic collapse when she saw Daryl carrying out Beth’s body – both were nicely done. A little more concern during all the time Beth was missing would have been appreciated, but Cohan did admirably in “Coda.” And … with Carol back and the church destroyed … they’re going to go back on the road for D.C., right? I mean, why stay in or around Atlanta at this point? Might as well get moving.

+ “Nothing’s OK.”Oh, Beth! You lived far longer than any of us would have expected, and in this terrible hospital storyline with terrible Dawn (a monotonous, clichéd character and an awfully one-note performance from actress Christine Woods), you did the best you could. You killed a rapist and a senior-citizen abuser and then you tried to kill Dawn, and although that didn’t work out so well for you, at least you’ll be properly mourned by Maggie and Carol and Daryl, who clearly matters the most, not only because he’s the dreamiest but because he killed Dawn in retaliation for you. Isn’t that what real friends are for?

I never really bought the Daryl/Beth relationship as I do the Carol/Daryl one, but overall I liked how the show paired him with these two women who seemed weak in comparison but in some ways were far more formidable, clever, and resourceful than Daryl could be. And although Beth lingered too long as the young, doe-eyed, innocent one of the group, I think her loss will matter – I could see it compelling Rick et al. to think about leaving Atlanta, to consider whether compromise is really worth it when lives could be lost, and to reassess their strategies and methods. Maybe things would be different if they hadn’t gone with Tyreese’s plan?

(And just one final thought: Yes, it’s very clear that Dawn was set up as a parallel to Rick, what with being a leader who essentially took over the group from their former head honcho who was becoming unstable – ahem, Shane – and who had a background in law enforcement and people doubting her abilities and had made some poor choices. Some of her dialogue, like her speech about how she doesn’t need people to love her but to respect her, was also clearly along this vein. But the character was written so superficially that any layers of depth were indecipherable, and I ultimately find her more irritating than anything else.)

And some final thoughts before we part for six or so weeks:

+ This was an episode full of poorly written dialogue for Dawn and the hospital people, like her “You don’t get to threaten me” to O’Donnell; “You’re a cop killer” to Beth; and the HILARIOUSLY BAD TIME that other annoying officer told Beth to “Stay in your lane, bitch!” Because that is how police officers would talk.

+ As much as I grew to like Beth, there are a lot of eyeroll-worthy moments with her in “Coda,” since the writers often saddled her with obvious lines that were meant to be vaguely philosophical. The episode’s worst example was probably her “Everyone uses people to get what they want” to Dawn, which, OF COURSE THEY DO. IT IS THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT.

+ Did Dawn really need to whisper “I knew you’d be back” to Noah? Was that pathetic power trip that imperative to her stupid, small life? She really was the human embodiment of melted gum stuck on the bottom of my new overpriced dress shoes on a humid summer day – i.e., the fucking worst.

+ “You can stay.” Oh, thanks, terrible minion of Dawn’s, for letting us stay in this hospital of despair and murder! Fuck no, Rick and Co. are getting out of there. They have a zombie-infested church they would rather call home, thank you very much.

+ Morgan returns ... again! I guess he’s been wandering around the forest this whole time like a dumbass, because only when everyone leaves the school and church does he arrive at those two places, laugh hysterically at his own attempt to pray, and then spot the map Abraham left for Rick that includes their route to D.C. If Rick and his people do bail on Atlanta and decide to hit the road, perhaps we’ll finally get that reunion with Morgan – and affirmation that Noah is his nephew?

+ “Let’s blow this joint. Go save your sister.” Tara is so weird, but at least I finally remembered her name! And hopefully I don’t forget it by February 8. See you all then!

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What’s Up with “The Walking Dead”: Recap of episode “Crossed”

Hello! It’s been a while, my fellow Walking Dead watchers, and I apologize for keeping you hanging without a recap for the episode “Consumed” last week. What can I say? All of that emotion between Carol and Daryl had me in a tizzy! They are best friends, you guys, and I came into this week’s episode very concerned about the lengths to which Daryl would go to save Carol.

So that was a major question heading into this week’s “Crossed,” but The Walking Dead writers also answered a few more questions for us: What is going on with Abraham and Co.? What about Beth and her extremely boring adversary, Dawn? How is Sasha’s grieving of Bob going? And will Father Gabriel ever understand that zombies WILL EAT YOU if you don’t do anything to stop them? Important questions, all of which were answered … well, somewhat.

“Crossed” was clearly a setting-up-stakes episode before this upcoming Sunday’s mid-season finale, “Coda” (our last new episode until February!), but that’s ultimately fine. The narrative urgency of previous weeks was somewhat lost by checking in with everyone, and the various subplots’ timelines were confusing (hasn’t it only been a couple of hours for Abraham and his group, but days for Carol and Daryl?), but we’ve got clear problems to be solved for next week. Carol needs to be saved. Sasha needs to figure out her shit. Father Gabriel needs to get it together. And if Daryl somehow tops his zombie-head-as-a-bowling-ball-weapon gimmick (here, watch this gif!), that would be impressive and great!

Anyway, let’s cover the various things that happened in “Crossed.” Even though we all know it doesn’t get better than Daryl’s resourcefulness, honestly.

+ “We all owe Carol.” “I owe her more.” Oh, Rick. Always nice to see some humbleness from him, especially when it’s coupled with ruthlessness – notice the cold way he mentions cutting a guard’s throat to rescue Beth and Carol. His plan is questioned by Tyreese, and then eventually brought down by Daryl (who agrees that Tyreese’s idea of taking prisoners first and then trading for Beth and Carol instead of just going in there and killing people right away), but as we see how rapidly Rick’s people get overwhelmed (why would you turn your back to your hostage, Sasha?!), maybe they should have listened to the onetime officer Grimes. Their attempt to talk their way into getting Beth and Carol might work … maybe. But only because Dawn is so ineffectual, which leads to …

+ “I thought you were weak. You’ve proved me wrong.” What is Dawn’s endgame with Beth, exactly? First she accuses Beth of killing Carol by exclaiming her outrage at them taking her off the life support machines; then she gives Beth the medicine cabinet key to save her. What the what? My excitement over how rapidly The Walking Dead handled the Garth and Terminus storyline has been steadily tempered by how long we’re spending in this Atlanta hospital with Dawn, especially since she’s utterly unbelievable as a hardass leader. Maybe it’s the actress or maybe it’s just the shallowness of the character, but I find her not at all compelling. True, the hospital has given us some opportunities to see Beth’s adaptability – love her bribing that patient with strawberries as a way to get the attention off her while she raids the medicine cabinet for Carol – but still, why spend so much time on this subplot? We get it, people in authority positions turn into jerks. No surprise there, given what we saw happen all those seasons ago with Shane. Dawn hasn’t exemplified anything we haven’t seen before, so here’s hoping next week wraps up this hospital storyline for good.

+ “Get over yourself.”Maggie, showing some spine! You know, as much as Beth is holding her own in the hospital, Maggie is holding her own with Abraham; nice to see the separated sisters each being self-actualized this week. Since Abraham punched Eugene in the face and knocked him out, Maggie has stepped into being responsible for the fake scientist, while Abraham is doing some kneeling vigil thing by the side of the road, refusing water and contact with anyone. It’s when he threatens Rosita (is that any way to treat a woman who will have sex with you while your creepy mulleted friend watches, Abraham?!) that Maggie refuses to put up with his shit any longer (the delivery of “Sit down or I’ll put you down” was nicely ice cold), and I liked that they stayed together while Glenn, Tara, and Rosita went off to forage.

Of all the subplots, this might have been the most hopeful this week: Abraham finally drinks the water Maggie gives him; Eugene finally wakes up; we finally get some Rosita backstory (“He saw what I could do, and he wanted my help,” she says of meeting Abraham; it would be more touching if we actually saw what Rosita could do, though); Glenn’s resourcefulness returns (catching fish like a boss!); and Tara’s weirdness finally clicks, as she revels in finding a yo-yo and nicknames their group GREATM. I can finally remember her name because she finally has a personality, you guys!

+ “Are you going to take the cross, too?” “If we need it.” Father Gabriel continues his self-hatred parade this week, fucking up his fingers as he obsessively tries to clean the blood from Gareth and Co. off the floorboards; arguing with Michonne when she tries to persuade him that “the things that we do, they’re worth it”; and eventually cutting himself an escape hole through the floor of the boarded-up church where Carl, Michonne, and Judith are hiding out until Rick, Tyreese, Daryl, and Sasha return from the hospital, theoretically with Carol and Beth in tow. But since Father Gabriel is inherently useless, he lands on a nail and basically tracks zombies to him through his blood loss – and then he stops himself from killing one who attacks him because she is wearing a cross.

Dammit, Father Gabriel! Your Christianity is doing nothing for you! Just let it go! Otherwise you are not long for this post-apocalyptic world, my friend (and yet I want Seth Gilliam to continue being on this show, because Sgt. Carver forever).

+ “You’re still a cop.” “No, the real ones are all gone.” Did you recognize Officer Bob Lamson, the one who Noah identifies as a good guy, who chats with Rick, and who smashes Sasha’s head into the window? If so, then you don’t watch FX’s The Americans, and you should! That is actor Maximiliano Hernandez, and he is really good, and let’s hope he sticks around The Walking Dead a bit longer. We’ll see how that shakes out next week, I suppose.

And some final things I liked:

+ “It might work. This will work.” I appreciate Rick’s conviction when Tyreese suggests his less-violent plan, but it’s a sign of Rick’s open-mindedness that he goes for it. Nevertheless, his pragmatic ruthlessness is my favorite thing.

+ “They were liars and murderers.” “Just like us?” Oh, Father Gabriel, your existential babble does not work on Michonne! She will not stand for this! Just don’t argue with her and you’ll be fine.

+ “Do you want me to shoot you?” “Thought I did.” Welcome back, Abraham. May your facial hair continue to thrive in this post-Eugene-admission landscape.

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What’s Up with “The Walking Dead”: Recap of episode “Self-Help”

OK, so “Slabtown” kind of sucked. The Beth-entric episode from last week (which I didn’t recap because I’m the worst, I know) was generally pretty repetitively doomy and gloomy until the last-second Carol reveal, so I had higher hopes for this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, “Self-Help.” “Self-Help” was better, I think, but mainly because of that reveal: Of COURSE Eugene is a liar! Duh!

Solid step forward, Walking Dead; if this season has been doing anything right, it’s the pacing of these episodes, which are moving along pretty nicely. Gareth and his people—dead! Beth—hopefully about to get rescued by Carol and Daryl! And now we have Eugene, admitting that his entire story is bullshit. And we’re only five episodes into the season! I’m overcome with happiness, guys.

But, did Abraham’s back-story in “Self-Help” work? I’m not entirely convinced; I think there was a vagueness that was ineffective. Maybe I wasn’t paying full attention—totally a possibility—but in the comics (SPOILER ALERT) it’s very clear that Abraham had a wife, daughter, and son, all of whom were hiding out in the grocery store together. But his wife and daughter were raped while his son was forced to watch, and then when Abraham beat the perpetrators to death with canned goods, his wife and children run away from him (hence the note “Don’t try to find us), only to die a few steps outside of the grocery store. Traumatizing shit!

And I don’t think the flashbacks here fully conveyed all of that; we got the Abraham beating people to death and we got his family running away from him and then him finding their bodies, but without the precursor—without them being terrified of how he was protecting them—I don’t know if it had the same impact. Because the point here was that Abraham thinking he’s doing the right thing can very easily turn into the wrong thing, right? But that wasn’t so clear.

Anyway, let’s talk about some other things that happened in “Self-Help.” (Yes, we’ll get to the sex eventually, you perv.)

+ “I’m not a scientist! I don’t know how to stop it. I’m not a scientist. I know I’m smarter than most people. I know I’m a very good liar. And I know I needed to get to D.C.” For all of you that have been thinking, “Uh, that guy with the awful mullet and the hick accent cannot be our only hope,” good job, you were right. Which makes you smarter than practically everyone on this show! But when you’re desperate and when you’re looking for absolution, I guess you’ll go with anything. So after weeks of dragging Abraham and Rosita along with his scheme, and then involving Rick et al., and watching people die to protect him, Eugene finally comes clean.

Was it his burgeoning friendship with Tara that did it? Abraham’s increasing violence and determined craziness? A mixture of both? Regardless, Eugene is now revealed as being full of shit, which puts the group in an awful position. Do they continue on toward D.C., even though there is nothing actually for them there? Do they turn around and try to go back to Rick’s group? Do they stay put, hoping that Rick’s group will catch up with them in time? Is Maggie ever going to acknowledge that her sister Beth is still missing? Lots of questions to consider.

+ “I know it sucks and it’s scary, but it’s time to be brave.” I still can barely remember Tara’s name, but I liked her in this episode as a parallel to Eugene. She too once aligned with someone she thought could protect her (the Governor), only to realize that such an alliance didn’t entirely sap her of responsibility in this new world order; I think the show has done a nice job aligning her storyline with Eugene’s, someone who has also made poor choices to protect themselves. Granted, I thought it was strange that she would agree to keep his secret of blowing up the school bus since that almost got them all killed, but I like whatever weird burgeoning friendship the two of them have. It will undoubtedly get affected by Eugene’s telling the truth, but for now, I think it works as a way to develop both of them a bit further.

+ “I just need to know you’re good.” So I guess this season so far has been positioning Glenn as the cool-headed second-in-command for any leader that comes along? Because back when he was with Rick, he was consistently concerned about where Rick’s headspace was and how that would affect the group moving forward, and now he’s doing the same thing with Abraham—checking up on him as a way, perhaps, to ensure that he and Maggie won’t be in danger moving forward. But ultimately I think it’s a disappointing way to use Glenn as a character, since he used to be such a resourceful badass. His relationship with Maggie changed him in the comics, sure (especially because in them, Carol’s daughter Sophia is still alive, and when Carol dies, Maggie and Glenn basically adopt Sophia as their own child, which is clearly a storyline that has been scrapped for the show since Carol is so amazing now and Sophia is dead), but I don’t know if this particular use of Glenn is the best. He could be more of a take-charge guy, not the one who checks whether the real take-charge guy is actually going to take charge. Blergh.

+ “He’s harmless.”Um, how is Rosita so OK with Eugene watching her and Abraham have sex? Granted, this episode gave Rosita a lot more to do than ever before—She can speak! She isn’t afraid to argue with Abraham! She knows things about cars!—and now she finally has a more reasonable outfit. But I still shudder at the pathetic creepiness of Eugene watching them going at it. How could you stay in the mood? How many times has that happened before? THIS IS A TERRIBLE RABBIT HOLE OF GROSS QUESTIONS, I WILL STOP NOW.

+ “About time things started going our way.” Yeah, I would say Eugene using the pressurized water to essentially liquefy all those zombies is a pretty solid win for our group. Definitely one of the most solid examples of zombie-gore effects so far this season.

And finally, some odds and ends:

+ “Maybe I’ll let you shave me down all over.” Real sexy, Abraham.

+ “We’re friends. We have each other’s backs. That’s it, that’s how it works.” Tara is so optimistic; eventually it has to bite her in the ass.   

+ And here, have a bunch of Eugene’s interactions with other people, because they are great:

Tara, about Eugene’s mullet: “Is it your source of power?”

Eugene: “That’s classified.”

Glenn: “Why the hair?”

Eugene: “Because I like it.”

Eugene, discussing his mullet before he tells the truth: “T. Brooks Ellis, director of the The Human Genome Project, he told me my hair made me look, and I quote, ‘like a fun guy.’”

Eugene, discussing the mullet after he tells the truth: “I also lied about T. Brooks Ellis liking my hair!”

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What’s Up with “The Walking Dead”: Recap of episode “Four Walls and A Roof”

Color me impressed! The fifth season of The Walking Dead is turning out to be pretty solid, and by that I mean, no more wasting time with drawn-out subplots that go nowhere. Now the subplots go somewhere! We are moving through them at a rapid clip! I’m fairly impressed—even as I mourn a little bit for Bob/D’Angelo Barksdale/Lawrence Gilliard Jr. He is great, and if you need to remind yourself of that, just go back and watch his speech about The GreatGatsby from The Wire. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

But let’s turn back to this show and leave discussions of The Wire, the Greatest Show of All Time, for another day. So what went down in “Four Walls and a Roof,” besides Bob’s untimely, but well-handled, death? Let’s discuss!

+ “You idiots! I’ve been bitten, you stupid pricks! I’m tainted meat! Tainted meat! You ate tainted meat!” The opening sequence of this episode was, let me be clear, flat-out great. From how nauseating it was to juxtapose close-ups of the rotting zombie faces with the grease-covered ones of Gareth’s people gnawing on Bob’s flesh, to their shock and disgust once Bob, amid peals of maniacal laughter, showed them his bite—it was excellently done, totally impactful, impressively revolting.

“Join us or feed us,” Gareth said to Bob as they ate his leg, but once they realize what they’ve done, they immediately dump Bob back in front of the church. (Another plot point taken directly from the comics, whereas last week, I thought maybe the show would have Morgan save Bob. I was wrong!) And so Bob tells the group what happened to him—“They were eating my leg right in front of me, like it was nothing. All proud. Like they had it all figured out.”—setting in motion their attack on Gareth and a farewell between himself and Sasha. When Sasha hands the knife to Tyreese so he could finish off Bob? That was one of the more emotional scenes that has been on this show in a long time.

+ “I already made you a promise.” As we’ve discussed before, the primary question of The Walking Dead is whether humanity and mercy have a place in a society where survival is a paramount concern, and finally this season we’re seeing Rick realize that maybe they don’t. We saw that mentality once they left Terminus and he said they should go back and kill Gareth, and we see it this week when that plan comes to fruition, as Rick, Michonne, Sasha, and Abraham kill Gareth and his people, who are on their knees and begging for mercy, on the floors of Father Gabriel’s church. Because I am a terrible person, I had a grim smile on my face the entire time for this—because angry determined Rick is my favorite kind of Rick.

Here we are, then: the point of no return, when Rick and his people have gone from simply trying to protect themselves to now going on the offensive. That doesn’t seem to sit well with Glenn, Maggie, or Girl Whose Name I Can’t Remember, as they don’t partake in the killing and stick with their decision to leave for D.C. (Or with Tyreese, who watched from the door of Father Gabriel’s office, and was shocked by what his sister did.) But eventually everyone crumbles a little bit, right? Carl was once a kid; now he’s a killer. Father Gabriel was once a man of God; then he turned his own constituents away. This world will change you. So I guess the question now is, how will it change Glenn and Maggie, who up until now have been confident in their love and tried to live through compromise instead of combat? What will happen to them on their way to D.C.? I wonder.

+ “I locked the doors … Entire families calling my name as they were torn apart, begging me for mercy.” Oh yeah, speaking of Father Gabriel—yup, he refused to let people take refuge in the church, instead locking the doors and not opening them for anyone. That would cause a lot of guilt, I would imagine. Seth Gillam played the admission really well, I thought, and I like how in every episode, it seems like some member of Rick’s group is tearing away his faith, bit by bit. This episode, it came from Maggie, who coolly, almost resentfully told him “It’s just four walls and a roof” when Father Gabriel was shocked that Rick killed Gareth’s people in “the Lord’s house.”  

But—and yes, I’m going back to The Wire here—Gillam is a really good actor, and he can do a lot more than just guilty cowering in the back of a church office. Father Gabriel is kind of a minor character in the comics who flirts with insanity driven by his self-hatred for what he’s done, but I hope the TV show changes him a bit to give Gillam more to do. He is SO GOOD, you guys, and he deserves more. Just saying.

+ “He will make the dead die, and the living will have this world again.” OK, so I’m kind of cheating, and this quote from Abraham about Eugene was actually from last week’s episode. But the D.C. caravan of Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene gets two new additions after this week with Maggie and Glenn, who also decide to head to D.C.—they agree to go before Rick, Michonne, Sasha, and Abraham go HAM on Gareth and his remaining people, but it’s clear that Maggie and Glenn (who do not take part in the killing) are shocked by what Rick is capable of. So they and the Girl Whose Name I Can’t Remember (Tara? Lily? I KEEP FORGETTING) decide to head off to D.C., and leave a map behind so Rick will know their route. Maybe Rick et al. will follow them, but I think we all know that “maybe” here means “definitely.”

+ “Just look at her and tell me the world isn’t going to change.” Some of Bob’s final words to Rick are about Judith and the hope and optimism of youth, but I think his quote can go either way: the world can change for the better, sure, but it can also change for the worse. And given that we still don’t know what happened to Beth, and that Daryl’s return this week seems to be against his will (who is he motioning to come out of the woods?), I think we can safely assume things are going to get way shittier before they ever get better.

And some final thoughts:

+ So not only was Gareth awful, but he was also super sexist (or at least played that up to Bob), which I guess makes sense for a guy who looks like he would be a date rapist in another life: “The grey-haired queen bitch who killed my mom … can’t wait to try her. I like women better. Most of us do. … Sasha? I think pretty people taste better, too.” Shudder and ugh.

+ You have to love Rick for being so practically minded that when Bob tells him about how Gareth ate his leg, Rick’s first question is, “Did they have Daryl and Carol?” The hierarchy of the group is clear, and with Tyreese out of killing commission, Rick needs his top people—but even still, that seemed like a pretty heartless thing to say to Bob. Maybe work on your bedside manner, Rick.

+ “We need each other for this. … We can through all of it together.” So hopeful, Glenn! How long will that hope last?

+ “I should forgive them? For hurting him? For trying to kill us? What the hell is wrong with you?” I hadn’t really paid attention to Sasha as a character before (since she is original to the show, and hasn’t gotten as much character development as someone like Daryl) but I think actress Sonequa Martin-Green did a really solid job this episode, especially while sparring with her brother Tyreese as he encouraged her to move past Bob’s injury. Watch her face as she kills Gareth’s group—there’s rage there, but when everyone is dead, sadness and resignation and shock, too. Nicely played.

+ For everyone worrying about Michonne’s katana, yup, she has it back. And for as much as she told Rick last week that she doesn’t miss it, I think her face once she wields it in the final minutes of this episode suggests otherwise.

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What’s Up with “The Walking Dead”: Recap of episode “Strangers”

So … anyone else have trouble eating after last night’s The Walking Dead episode, “Strangers”? I must admit that it kept me from my usual late-night snack, even though the storyline pretty accurately mirrors what happens in the comics—so that’s great! Anyone who reads this weekly recap, or the one I also do for Game of Thrones, knows what a fanatic I can be when it comes to sticking with the source material. As in, the comics were popular because they were good, and that’s how you got a TV show, and maybe your writers should be better when adapting that original text. Just. Saying.

But so far, this fifth season has been pretty good, cannibalism and all! Let’s talk about the best things that happened in last night’s “Strangers,” and what they could mean for the season moving forward.

+ “Didn't start that way, eating people. It evolved into that. We evolved. We had to. And now, we’ve devolved into hunters. I told you, I said it—can’t go back, Bob. I just hope you understand that nothing happening to you now is personal. … We would have done this to anybody. We will. But at the end of the day, no matter how much we hate all this ugly business, a man’s gotta eat. … If it makes you feel any better, you taste much better than we thought you would.”

So, Gareth chewing on that hunk of meat—Bob’s flesh—RIGHT IN FRONT OF BOB is probably the best, grossest, most jarring thing The Walking Dead has ever done, and it’s clear that season five is finally getting into the fucked-up nitty-gritty of this apocalypse. The Governor being a rapist—the comics went there, the TV show didn’t. Terrible body-horror things happening to some of our favorite protagonists—the comics went there, the TV show didn’t. But now the show is building out the Hunters storyline from the comic books by adding in the location Terminus; swapping out the leader of the Hunters, Chris, for the leader of Terminus, Gareth; and swapping out Dale (who is already dead on the show), who was kidnapped by the Hunters and had his leg chopped off for food, with Bob, who was enjoying a nice little romance with Tyreese’s sister Sasha before he gets grabbed in the middle of the night.

Who is to blame for this? Well, clearly Gareth and Co., like the Governor, weren’t going to let Rick’s disruption of their idyllic society go. Sure, the Governor ruled with an iron fist and Gareth and his family were eating people, but everyone has their own version of paradise, right? And well, Rick’s group did pass on going back and killing Gareth, even though Rick wanted to. And Tyreese didn’t have the gumption to kill Gareth ally Martin, even though Carol wanted him to. And so every act of theoretical mercy that the group does comes back on them here, with the Hunters circling around them in search of meat.

Although, quick question: Bob clearly got bitten during that raid on the food bank, right? And so, Gareth and Co. are eating slowly-zombifying flesh, right? Because that is kind of great. TAKE THAT, CANNIBALS, YOU DICKS.

+ “Not so fast.”Lots of romantic stuff on display this week, as Maggie makes sure to grab some kisses with Glenn and make gooey eyes at him after he discovers three silencers during a supply run (a nice reminder that in the comics and in the early seasons of of this show, Glenn was depicted as the best procurer of resources), and Bob plays cutesy little games with Sasha as they walk around the forest and happily share some pecks.

But all that optimism from Bob—“This is a nightmare, and nightmares end”—clearly highlighted that shit was about to get real bad for him, and so by the end of the episode he’s possibly bitten by a zombie and definitely eaten by Gareth et al. Dammit, Bob! Maybe if you had been less happy, you wouldn’t be dinner for assholes!

+ “I don’t want to talk about it. I just need to forget.” What exactly is eating Carol? Daryl desperately wants to know, asking her about her weirdness and solitary mood numerous times during “Strangers.” She won’t open up, even when Rick asks to join her and acknowledges everything she’s done for them, and it even seems like she’s going to bail on the group by jumping into a car she and Daryl fixed up and leaving in the middle of the night.

But Daryl isn’t going to let his bestie/mother figure/crush/WHAT ARE THEY disappear like that (not when “Someone’s watching,” as he noted earlier, even though none of them knew it was Gareth’s people, hunting them). So when he sees a car zip by with a cross on the back—just like the one that took Beth—he encourages Carol to go with him to find her instead of bailing on the group. So off they race into the night, which will probably be the beginning of many weird fan-fictions for Carol and Daryl.

Will Carol eventually tell Daryl about the sisters who died on her and Tyreese’s watch? Maybe. It seems like Tyreese doesn’t want to—I mean, he literally says, “We don’t need to tell them about the girls; I don’t want to”—and is instead focusing on spending time with Judith as a way to make up for those two little girls. But at some point, even if the truth comes out, will it even matter? Those people died, and Rick and his people lived. It’s just that black and white.

+ “I keep to myself. Nowadays, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?”Welcome to The Walking Dead, Seth Gilliam! Now the third alumnus of The Wire to join this cast (Chad Coleman, who was Dennis “Cutty” Wise on The Wire, is Tyreese here, and Lawrence Gilliard Jr., who was D’Angelo Barksdale on The Wire, is Bob here), the onetime Sgt. Carver steps into the role of Father Gabriel Stokes, a man of the cloth with a weird sense of humor and a profound inability to protect himself.

After being saved by Rick and Carol and promptly failing Rick’s test for entry into the group, Father Gabriel lets them know about a nearby food bank, where slimy, rotting, water-logged zombies attack the group as they gather up canned food. It’s a nice tip—but do Father Gabriel’s claims of holing up in the church for the past year, alone, really hold up? Rick notices a bunch of empty, and hidden, canned food; Carol notices pages and pages of journal entries, obsessively repeating THOU SHALT NOT KILL; and on the outside of the church, Carl notices deep gauge marks, possibly from people trying to get in, and the words “YOU’LL BURN FOR THIS” carved into the side of the church.

You can figure out what Father Gabriel did, right, what he won’t tell Rick and Co. about? It’s pretty cowardly but it’s also pretty obvious, and all that talk about Father Gabriel only confessing his sins to God—well, he has a lot of confessing to do.

+ “We’re strong enough that we can still help people. … We’re strong enough that we don’t have to be afraid. And we don’t have to hide.” A nice little speech to Carl to his father Rick, but how long will that good-heartedness and open-handedness last once they find out what Gareth and his group did to Bob, and what they plan to do to everyone else in Rick’s group? Being carved up for someone else’s dinner would probably put an end to Carl’s willingness to help others, I would think. There’s no real bouncing back from that.

+ “Survivors … is that all you want to be?” Abraham continues advocating for Eugene somehow being a super-awesome scientist with a super-awesome way to save them all that is in super-awesome Washington, D.C., and while everyone is in a canned-food coma after their food-bank-supplied feast, he makes his stump speech for the Mullet. Full of salty, probably stale calories for the first time in what seems like weeks, everyone agrees that their goal will be the District.

But the suspicious behavior from Abraham and Rosita, possibly the least developed character on this show since T-Dog (guys, remember T-Dog?!), makes me think there is more to this Eugene-is-our-savior storyline from their group. I don’t know; I just feel like characters who are best identified by their mustache, hairstyle, and midriff probably shouldn’t be trusted.

And some other final thoughts:

+ I really enjoyed how badly Father Gabriel failed Rick’s test, so here it is, excerpted in its entire glory:

Father Gabriel: “The word of God is the only protection I need. I called for help; help came.”

Rick: “How many walkers have you killed?”

Father Gabriel: “Not any, actually.”

Rick: “How many people have you killed?”

Father Gabriel: “None.”

Rick: “Why?”

Father Gabriel: “Because the Lord abhors violence.”

Rick: “What have you done? We’ve all done something.”

Father Gabriel: I am a sinner. I sin almost every day. But those sins—I confess them to God, not strangers.”

+ Does Michonne miss her katana? Not so much. But she does miss Andrea and Herschel, which, no thanks, I’ll pass on those feelings.

+ Anyone figure out the deal with the signs carved into the trees? Morgan, after coming upon the NO SANCTUARY sign for Terminus, sees the other signs in the bark and goes deeper into the forest. But when Gareth’s group hits Bob on the head and drags him away from Father Gabriel’s church, that happened in front of a tree with another sign carved into it, like a flipped horizontal and upside down capital letter L. I’m not sure what they mean, but I’m also very bad at any kind of picture-related puzzle. (Oh, and Morgan is totally going to save Bob, right?) 

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What’s Up with “The Walking Dead”: Recap of season five premiere “No Sanctuary”

Welcome back to The Walking Dead, everyone! Here we are in October, starting a bit earlier than The Walking Dead normally does (seasonfour premiered on October 21, 2013, and ended a brief six months ago on March 31), but right back in the thick of it. I have been pretty honest about my growing resentment and dislike of The Walking Dead over the past few seasons (WHY DID THEY HAVE TO RUIN ANGELA?!), and I’ll be pretty honest now, too: “No Sanctuary” was not that bad! I mean, still overwrought as all hell. But Daryl and Carol, you guys! Daryl and Carol!

So let’s get right into it with the five things you need to know about “No Sanctuary.” Ready, set, go.

+ “You do that?”Yeah, Rick, Carol TOTALLY did that. Our favorite take-no-bullshit character handles all the business this week, capturing a Terminus ally, learning from him what Gareth and the rest of Terminus cronies plan to do with her friends, and then straight tearing up the place to free them. Blowing up a gas tank to cause a huge explosion that would ruin Terminus’s defenses, allowing the walker herd to spill through? Yes. Gathering up supplies from Terminus’s creepy room of plundered goods? Yes. Killing the crazy lady in the candle room and giving zero shits about her tragic backstory? Yes. And finally, sauntering out of Terminus and back into the woods to accept a very loving hug from Daryl and endless gratitude from Rick et al.? Yes, Carol. YES. If this show has shortchanged characters like Andrea and the Governor, then they have utterly revamped Carol, who in the comics was a put-upon housewife who eventually died pretty pathetically. This version of Carol is one of the best things the show has accomplished.

+ “They’re screwing with the wrong people” is still the worst line ever—come on, AMC, can’t you just say “fucking with”? You are a cable channel! But Rick redeems himself by going fully vicious with “They don’t get to live. It’s not over until they’re all dead,” when describing how they should go back to Terminus and slaughter Gareth et al. The idea seems to shock everyone, and no one wants to go back since they just managed to escape, but Rick’s ruthlessness is long overdue. This is not a forgiving world; it’s a kill-or-be-killed-and-eaten one. So if Rick continues down this path (which, it would make sense if he did) and it starts butting him up against other group alpha members like Michonne, Carol or Daryl, that could be interesting. Especially given how much Carol and Daryl are clearly an item, even if not romantically—they will always have each other’s backs, which will be an important dynamic moving forward, I think.

+ “I can’t. Not yet.”Is Tyreese finally recovered enough from mourning his girlfriend – Karen? Maybe? Was that her name? – to be useful again to the group? It seems like it, after he killed that Terminus guy to protect Judith, the cleanest baby to have ever lived during a zombie apocalypse. Interesting how he turns to Carol for approval when she returns to the cabin with everyone else, informing her that she shouldn’t go in there and see what he’s done. But this is the Tyreese the group needs, the Tyreese who can help keep them safe. What else is he going to use that football-player body for? (For real though, does anyone think Chad Coleman looks even brawnier this season than he has previously? As in, the literal definition of barrel-chested? Just a thought.)

+ “We can put the world back to how it was.” Oh, Bob. His hopes, even if they were only to sway Gareth and his men from butchering the group, must be for not. Sure, Eugene claims that he was part of a Human Genome Project research experiment to figure out the zombie epidemic and fight “fire with fire,” but I refuse to believe someone with such a rocking mullet could work for a biotech company. I just cannot. Nevertheless, it certainly seems like Washington, D.C., is the group’s next intended destination, even though Eugene clearly should not be trusted. Clearly. CLEARLY.

+ “I don’t have any friends. I mean, I know people.” This is an interesting idea from the Terminus guy that Tyreese beats to death when he threatens Judith—are Rick, Michonne, Carol, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie … would we consider them friends with each other? Daryl and Carol clearly love and care for each other; Glenn and Maggie are in a relationship; but, are these really friendships? Or are they alliances? Or camaraderie? I wonder if only because as the season continues and they start another long journey, shit will surely go down that threatens the infrastructure of the group and the hierarchy, especially if people don’t like the bloodthirsty road Rick may go down. Can a group of survivors with death threatening them at all times really be friends? Just a thought.

And finally, some other things of note:

+ So, the Terminus cannibals. I guess I’m confused by how this would actually work, because hasn’t it been explained that every person who dies becomes a zombie? And therefore everyone is actually carrying the infection or whatever? So how can the humans of Terminus be harvesting other humans for food, because wouldn’t they need to kill them first—as we saw them doing by slitting the men’s throats, hanging them up to dry, etc.—but then wouldn’t the killed people become zombies, and wouldn’t the Terminus people not want to eat zombie flesh? I am legitimately curious about the logistics of this.

+ Morgan is back! MORGAN IS BACK.

+ Are Gareth and his friends going to return to attack Rick and Co. at some point in the future? It looked like Rick ended up shooting Gareth in the left shoulder, and I don’t think we would have had the THEN flashbacks if not to make us sympathize with Gareth somewhat. Hmm.  

+ Next week brings the arrival of another alum from The Wire, Seth Gilliam, who will play Gabriel Stokes, a reverend who may not be the most sane guy around. The Walking Dead may do a lot of things that annoy me, but as long as it keeps casting people from the greatest TV show of all time, I'm good.

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Characters Revealed for 'The Walking Dead' Spinoff Series?

AMC isn't satisfied with The Walking Dead as one of their highest-rated shows, they want to take the zombie smash a bit farther. The network recently made official their plans for a spinoff series, ordering up a pilot that will feature characters separate from Rick and his crew. While much of it what the show will entail remains a mystery, TVLine has what they say are details on the six principle characters, which comprise two separate families and another "Andrea". Don't be surprised if these names get changed along the way...

- SEAN CABRERA | A Latino male in his early 40s, Sean is a good man trying to do right by everyone in his life.
 - CODY CABRERA | Sean's whip-smart and rebellious teenage son. Known as the angriest kid in town.
 - NANCY TOMPKINS | A thirtysomething single mom to two kids, Nancy looks like the girl next door, but there's an edge to her.
- NICK TOMPKINS | Nancy's screwed up teenage son. He's too old to stay home, too scared to flee.
- ASHLEY TOMPKINS | Nancy's mostly level-headed teenage daughter. Her ambition is in direct proportion to her older brother's failures. She loves her mom but it's time to get out of Dodge.
- ANDREA CHAPMAN | A somewhat wilted flower child, fortysomething Andrea -- yep, another Andrea! -- has retreated to the outskirts of the city to recover after a horrible marriage. 

Robert Kirkman and Gale Ann Hurd will be involved in the show, but it will be David Erickson (Sons of Anarchy) serving as co-writer and exec-producer. It's possible the series could be a prequel that takes place during the early days of the zombie outbreak, but it certainly won't be set in Georgia. Despite this, it's almost a certainty the two shows would crossover at some point because, y'know, ratings. But is this too much of a good thing? The Walking Dead spinoff pilot is expected to shoot later this year.

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Comic-Con: Posters for 'Jurassic World', 'The Walking Dead' Season 5, and Pixar's 'Toy Story that Time Forgot'

By now bags are being packed with Cosplay outfits and flights are being checked in to for this week's San Diego Comic-Con, the annual mecca for geekdom of every stripe. There will be no shortage of SDCC exclusive merchandise, most of it for sale at wildly exorbitant prices, but the studios are also nice enough to drop a few freebies out there in the form of movie posters, and here are just a few that will be on the show floor.

Paramount has released a cool one-sheet for Jurassic World, drawn by artist Mark Englert. He goes on to note that if attendees want to pick up the poster for themselves they should "Text JURASSIC to 834567", which I will be doing as soon as this post is up. Pretty sweet image that would look cool in my man cave.  Jurassic World opens June 12th 2015.

When last we left Rick Grimes and those who survived season four of The Walking Dead, they had been lured into a trap at Terminus, the place they all hoped would their salvation. How they get out of this jam will have to wait until season 5 kicks off in October, but AMC has teased fans with the release of the first poster. Only at Comic-Con do you need one-sheets for TV shows. It's a pretty basic image of the gang looking tough and defiant and except for the presence of Abraham it could probably go with any prior season. The Walking Dead panel will take place on Friday in Hall H and it's usually a pretty fun time if you can get in.

And finally, ABC has unveiled a poster for the new Pixar holiday special, Toy Story that Time Forgot. If the style looks familiar it's because Hellboy creator Mike Mignola drew the image, which features a bunch of dangerous dinosaur creatures. Taking place during a post-Christmas play date, the gang find themselves in uncharted territory when “the coolest set of action figures ever” turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's up to Trixie the triceratops(Kristen Schaal) to rescue her friends if they ever want to return to Bonnie's room. Tom Hank and Tim Allen will of course be back as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, with Kevin McKidd joining as Reptillus Maximus. The poster will be distributed to fans this Thursday.

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Comic-Con: Friday and Saturday Schedules Include 'Game of Thrones', Daniel Radcliffe, Marvel, and Lots More

The full Friday and Saturday schedules for San Diego Comic-Con have been released and as expected for the weekend they are jam packed. We've already mentioned 20th Century Fox's Friday July 25th panel which includes The Book of Life (which I just saw a preview of and it looks amazing), Hitman: Agent 47, and Kingsman: The Secret Service but no official mention of Fantastic Four. Also on that day fans who spent the night in line will get to see The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones panels, both are always Hall H highlight. The evening in Hall H ends with Kevin Smith's Tusk preview when he'll debut the first trailer. Outside of the Hall you've got a ton of TV panels taking place, including one for Marvel television that promises updates on Agents of SHIELD, and hopefully updates on the Daredevil Netflix series. Friday also sees Daniel Radcliffe making his Comic-Con debut to talk about his starring role in Horns.

Saturday in Hall H brings the anticipated Marvel panel which we know will have Ant-Man shown in some capacity, and likely there will be info (maybe some footage?) on Avengers: Age of Ultron. Warner Bros. will Peter Jackson'sThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Mad Max: Fury Road. Legendary Pictures will have a presentation, and so will Laika animation's The Boxtrolls and Robert Rodriguez's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. The Women Who Kick Ass panel returns, and the Hall H night ends with Warner Bros. TV occupying a three-hour block to show off their upcoming shows like Constantine, Arrow season 3, Gothm, and The Flash. Holy crap.

Check out the full schedules for July 25th and 26th below...

FRIDAY, JULY 25

Marvel: Spider-Verse
It's the most epic Spider-Man event of all time as every Spider-Man EVER come together to face a world-ending threat! Senior editor Nick Lowe, Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man) and Mark Waid (Daredevil) will be taking any and all questions from you, the fans! This is one panel no Spidey fan can miss!
Friday July 25, 2014 10:00am - 11:00am
Room 6DE

The Black Panel
This year's panelists feature media movers and shakers from film, television, comics, and music: Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow, MAD TV), Ne-Yo (actor, artist, writer, singer, etc.), J. August Richards (Angel, Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Kevin Grevioux (I, Frankenstein; Underworld), Cree Summer (Batman Beyond, Rugrats, A Different World), and Erika Alexander (Living Single, Concrete Park). The Black Panel is produced by Tatiana El Khouri and hosted by its founder, Michael Davis.
Friday July 25, 2014 10:00am - 11:30am
Room 5AB

Halo: The Master Chief Collection Panel
343 Industries's executive producer Dan Ayoub , senior producer Dennis Ries, and franchise director Frank O'Connor, along with Certain Affinity's president and original Halo 2 multiplayer designer, Max Hoberman, offer an in-depth conversation about Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Fans can hear about what to expect from the highly anticipated compilation and discuss the efforts being made to bring the story of the Master Chief and Halo's legendary multiplayer to a new generation.
Friday July 25, 2014 10:15am - 11:15am
Room 6BCF

Evangeline Lilly Discusses Her First Book The Squickerwonkers
Superstar Evangeline Lilly (The Hobbit, Lost) introduces her first illustrated children's book The Squickerwonkers (Titan Books)-a mischievous and uproarious tale about a clever and unruly child called Selma who meets the remarkable Squickerwonkers of the fabulous Squickershow, a band of traveling marionettes. Evangeline will discuss this enchanting and gorgeous project and her collaboration with illustrator Johnny Fraser Allan of WETA.
Friday July 25, 2014 10:30am - 11:30am
Room 6A

Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, and Edgar Rice Burroughs: What's New?
Jim Sullos (president, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Incorporated), Scott Tracy Griffin (Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration),Joe Rybandt (senior editor, Dynamite Entertainment), Diana Leto (The Cave Girl), and Ron Marz (Korak the Killer) discuss upcoming projects featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs's famous literary heroes, including online comic strips, the Warner Bros. big-screen Tarzan feature (planned for 2016), and Dynamite Comics's pending relaunch of John Carter: Warlord of Mars.
Friday July 25, 2014 10:30am - 11:30am
Room 8

Mattel: Mattypalooza 2014
Get the inside scoop on your favorite collectible toys from Mattel: Masters of the Universe, DC Comics, Ghostbusters, and more! Plus the latest news on the future of MOTU Classics. Get exclusive sneak peeks at 2015 product that will not be shown anywhere else! This panel will also include a Q&A with Mattel marketing manager Scott "Toy Guru" Neitlich, toy designer Brandon Sopinsky, digital content strategist Eve Orio, and special guests The Four Horsemen. It's the place to be for the world premiere of tons of new toys and collectibles!
Friday July 25, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm
Room 25ABC

Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy
For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present comprehensive storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy-the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi-as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes, in a new book from Abrams: Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy. Former ILM art director Joe Johnston will discuss the newest addition to the Abrams Star Wars Library and the singular experience of creating the iconic trilogy's storyboards with his stellar art department team. Johnston won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark and has directedHoney, I Shrunk the Kids, The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Moderated by Lucasfilm editor J. W. Rinzler.
Friday July 25, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm
Room 7AB

DC Comics: Champions of Justice
The New 52 return to San Diego for a star-studded, action-packed panel with David Finch (Forever Evil, upcoming Wonder Woman), Meredith Finch (upcoming Wonder Woman), Van Jensen (Green Lantern Corps), Geoff Johns (Justice League, Superman), Jeff Lemire (Futures End, Green Arrow, Justice League United), Charles Soule (Red Lanterns, Superman/Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing), Robert Venditti (The Flash, Green Lantern) and others. Join the creators of DC Comics's most powerful and influential heroes and heroines for a sneak peek at what is to come for these champions of justice!
Friday July 25, 2014 11:15am - 12:15pm
Room 6DE

Nickelodeon: Legend of Korra: Book 3
Executive producer and creator team Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino (Avatar: The Last Airbender) give a behind-the-scenes peek at how they create one of animation's most stunning television productions. Panelists include voice actors Janet Varney (Korra), David Faustino (Mako), P. J. Byrne (Bolin), Seychelle Gabriel (Asami), and Mindy Sterling (Lin Beifong). Including an exclusive sneak peek screening of a new episode for Book 3, "Change." Moderated by Megan Casey (VP of current series for Nickelodeon).
Friday July 25, 2014 11:15am - 12:15pm
Ballroom 20

iZombie Pilot Screening and Q&A
Olivia "Liv" Moore, a 25-year-old medical resident, is on the fast track to a perfect life...until she's turned into a zombie. Now stuck somewhere between half-alive and undead, Liv loses all traces of her former drive and ambition. She transfers her medical residency to the city morgue in order to reluctantly access the only real form of sustenance left available to her-and the only thing that allows her to maintain her humanity-human brains. But there are side effects to Liv's new diet: With each brain she consumes, Liv experiences "visions"-flashes of the corpse's memories-including, in some cases, clues as to how they were killed.iZombie makes its Comic-Con debut with a screening of the complete pilot episode, followed by a Q&A with series stars Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time), Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), Rahul Kohli (newcomer from the UK), and Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), as well as executive producers Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and Diane Ruggiero-Wright (Veronica Mars). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Spondoolie Productions and Warner Bros. Television and based on characters created by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, published by DC Entertainment's Vertigo imprint, iZombie premieres Midseason on The CW.
Friday July 25, 2014 11:30am - 12:30pm
Room 6BCF

Rocky and Bullwinkle Short U.S. Premiere & Panel
In celebration of the 55th anniversary of Rocky and Bullwinkle, join Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation for the U.S. premiere of a new Rocky and Bullwinkle short that will appear on the upcoming release of Mr. Peabody & Sherman on Blu-ray and DVD on October 14. Director Gary Trousdale (Beauty and the Beast) and executive producer and Bullwinkle Studios president Tiffany Ward (daughter of Jay Ward) discuss the film and the legacy of Rocky and Bullwinkle on animation, followed by a Q&A session moderated by film critic and animation expert Leonard Maltin (Of Mice and Magic).
Friday July 25, 2014 11:30am - 12:30pm
Room 8

Bandai Namco Games Fighting Panel
Katsuhiro Harada (director of the Tekken series, Bandai Namco Games Inc.) and a special guest discuss all things Tekken as well as Harada-san's newest title. In addition, producers from Rise of Incarnates, a game developed from the same DNA as the Tekken and Soulcaliber series, will be showing off this exciting new franchise from Bandai Namco Games. Moderated by Mark "Markman" Julio (Mad Catz).
Friday July 25, 2014 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Room 25ABC

Hasbro: Star Wars
Members of the Hasbro brand and design team including Jeff Labovitz (director, global brand marketing, Hasbro), Bill Rawley (design manager, Hasbro), and others discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will also get a sneak peek at upcoming, never-before-seen action figures from the highly anticipated Star Wars Rebels animated series.
Friday July 25, 2014 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Room 7AB

AMC's The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Chad Coleman, and Michael Cudlitz join executive producer and showrunner Scott Gimple, executive producer Robert Kirkman, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer Dave Alpert, and special effects makeup supervisor and executive producer Greg Nicotero in a panel moderated by Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist, Talking Dead) to discuss the shocking finale of season 4 of The Walking Dead and what to look forward to in season 5, debuting this fall on AMC. Join the panelists for a Q&A session and an official sneak preview of season 5.
Friday July 25, 2014 12:20pm - 1:20pm
Hall H

Batman in the '80s and '90s
2014 marks the 75th anniversary of Batman, but also several other anniversaries for the character. It's the 100th birthday of writer Bill Finger who wrote many of the character's adventures through the 1960s, and is responsible for many additions to the legend and some of the Dark Knight's most infamous villains. It's the 50th anniversary of the "New Look" Batman, which started in 1964 under editor Julius Schwartz and including artist Carmine Infantino's interpretation of the Caped Crusader, which saved Detective Comics from possible cancellation. And it's the 25th anniversary of Tim Burton's Batman movie, which brought the character back to a whole new audience, in a new-and much darker-form. Comic-Con special guest Denny O'Neill (writer/editor, Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) will moderate fellow Comic-Con special guests Chuck Dixon (writer, Batman, Airboy), Kelley Jones (artist, Batman, Deadman), Graham Nolan (artist, Detective Comics, The Phantom, Joe Frankenstein), and Brian Stelfreeze (artist, Shadow of the Bat, Daymen) in a discussion on how they kept the world's greatest detective going strong through the '80s and '90s.
Friday July 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 5AB

Bones
Fan-favorite actors David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel and executive producer Stephen Nathan share secrets from the set, upcoming twists and turns, and what's in store for Booth and Brennan as Bones enters its milestone tenth season.
Friday July 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Ballroom 20

Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor
Explore the realm of the Ring like never before when Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment presents an in-depth look at the groundbreaking Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor video game. Focus on the time between The Hobbit and LOTR and learn the secret history of the Rings of Power and their relationship to the Wraith-and maybe get some tips on how to dominate the Dark Lord Sauron's army and other enemies. Panelists Michael de Plater (director of design, Monolith Productions, Tom Clancy's EndWar, Rome: Total War), lead writer Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption), Phil Straub (art director, Monolith Productions, Utherworlds, D'artiste Digital Painting), the voice of Talion Troy Baker (The Last of Us , Batman: Arkham Origins, BioShock Infinite, Batman: Arkham City), and moderator Professor Janet Croft reveal new gameplay and story details and discuss the innovative approach to storytelling through the Nemesis System. Surprises, revelations and giveaways await you! Middle-Earth: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC Shadow of Mordor will be released on October 7 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Friday July 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 8

Resurrection
What if someone you lost...returned? For the first time ever, ABC brings hit-dramaResurrection to Comic-Con! Moderator Michael Schneider (TV Guide executive editor) and executive producers Michelle Fazekas (Marvel's Agent Carter), Tara Butters (Marvel's Agent Carter), and Aaron Zelman (The Killing), along with Omar Epps (House), Kurtwood Smith (That 70's Show), Frances Fisher (Titanic), and Devin Kelley (Chernobyl Diaries), explore the mysterious return of residents of Arcadia, MO. Get an exclusive first look into the new season and join in for a Q&A panel full of surprises.
Friday July 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 6DE

Marvel: The Avengers
Find out what's going on with your favorite Avengers titles in this can't-miss panel!
Friday July 25, 2014 12:45pm - 1:45pm
Room 6BCF

Gravity Falls
Creator and executive producer Alex Hirsch (Grunkle Stan) is joined by series stars Kristen Schaal (Mabel), Jason Ritter (Dipper), and Thurop Van Orman (L'il Gideon) to uncover the mysteries of Disney Channel's hit series Gravity Falls. Find out what's in store for television's spookiest town with exclusive clips from the show's exciting upcoming season and an audience Q&A. The panel will also feature sneak peeks of two new animated shows coming to Disney XD!
Friday July 25, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Room 6A

Spotlight on Veronica Roth
Comic-Con special guest Veronica Roth, author of FOUR: A Divergent Collection, joins authors Walter Jury, Leigh Bardugo and Laini Taylor as they divulge what led them on the road to writerdom. From books to movies to comics and more, what are these authors geeking out about? Hear about their literary muses, their author crushes, and all things awe-worthy that inspire them to write the books they write. Moderator Aaron Hartzler will coax the most titillating answers out of these panelists as they dish on their evolutions and revolutions.
Friday July 25, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Room 25ABC

Star Wars: Collectibles Update
Join eFX, Gentle Giant Studios, Kotobukiya, and Sideshow Collectibles for product development insights and exclusive previews of the latest in Star Wars collectibles. Moderated by Anita Castellar of Lucas Licensing.
Friday July 25, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Room 7AB

Wayward Pines World Premiere Screening of Episode One and Q&A with Cast Members and Executive Producers
Based on the bestselling novel Pines by Blake Crouch and brought to life by suspenseful storyteller M. Night Shyamalan, Wayward Pines is the intense new mind-bending 10-episode FOX event thriller evocative of the classic hit Twin Peaks. The episode is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and written by Chad Hodge. Scheduled to participate are cast members Matt Dillon (Crash), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Toby Jones (Harry Potter franchise), Carla Gugino (Watchmen), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Reed Diamond (24), Shannyn Sossamon (40 Days and 40 Nights), Tim Griffin (Prime Suspect), and Charlie Tahan (Charlie St. Cloud) and executive producers M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Donald De Line (The Italian Job), Chad Hodge (The Playboy Club) and Ashwin Rajan (After Earth). Moderated by Rob Moynihan (TV Guide).
Friday July 25, 2014 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Room 5AB

Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A
Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO's Game of Thrones concluded its 10-episode fourth season in June and will begin filming its fifth season this summer. The series, executive produced and written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, is an epic story of treachery and nobility, set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years. Featured cast include (in alphabetical order) Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Natalie Dormer as Margaery Baratheon, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Rose Leslie as Ygritte, Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane ("The Hound"), Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.
Friday July 25, 2014 1:40pm - 2:40pm
Hall H

DC Comics-Batman: The Eternal Dark Knight
Even after 75 years of stories, the Bat-family comics couldn't be any hotter! Join the talent behind the Dark Knight for an exclusive look at what's in store for the World's Greatest Detective. With Marc Andreyko (Batwoman), Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics), Greg Capullo (Batman), Pat Gleason (Batman and Robin), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman), Scott Snyder (Batman, Batman Eternal), Peter Tomasi (Batman and Robin) and others, there has never been a better time to walk the streets of Gotham City!
Friday July 25, 2014 1:45pm - 2:45pm
Room 6DE

Entertainment Weekly: Brave New Warriors
A discussion among several of today's buzziest actors heroes including Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel), Brenton Thwaites (The Giver) and others who will discuss the thrills and fears of taking on iconic characters, reveal how they broke into the business, and share their favorite stories from set.
Friday July 25, 2014 1:45pm - 2:45pm
Ballroom 20

Heads Will Roll! Assassin's Creed Unity Demo and Q&A
Learn about how the blockbuster Assassin's Creed franchise has been re-imagined for the next generation of gaming. Meet mysterious Arno, the new hero in Assassin's Creed Unity, learn more details about the game, and be the first to hear about new announcements for the Assassin's Creed franchise! Rob Zombie and Tony Moore (The Walking Dead co-creator) will be debut an animated short inspired by Assassin's Creed Unity. Meet and ask questions from the team behind Assassin's Creed Unity.
Friday July 25, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 6BCF

Star Wars: A New Dawn
The new era of Star Wars storytelling begins in September with Star Wars: A New Dawn. New York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller, Shelly Shapiro (editor, Del Rey), Frank Parisi (editor, Del Rey), Jennifer Heddle (senior editor, Lucasfilm), Pablo Hidalgo (Lucasfilm Story Group), Vanessa Marshall (Hera in Star Wars Rebels), and Dave Filoni (executive producer, Star Wars Rebels) discuss the planning and process of Star Wars: A New Dawn and present the list of upcoming Star Wars novels from Del Rey.
Friday July 25, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 7AB

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Action Figure Revue
Join Playmates Toys-the master toy licensee for TMNT since the 1980s -as members of the mutant marketing team prepare to "unleash shell" and discuss what's new and next for the articulated heroes on a half shell. Get sneak peeks at Turtle toys based on Nickelodeon's animated series, Paramount's blockbuster movie, and the original comic series. It's a great chance to ask questions of "team green" members who've worked on all incarnations of the Turtles since their debut three decades ago.
Friday July 25, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 23ABC

The Character of Music
Composer and executive producer teams discuss the dynamics of music in film and television. Paul Haslinger and Christopher C. Rogers (Halt & Catch Fire), Chris Bacon and Christopher Nelson (Bates Motel), and Danny Jacob with Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh (Phineas & Ferb) will discuss their working relationships, how music plays a character in their stories, and the intense process of scoring their projects. Moderated by BMI director of film & TV relations Anne Cecere. Attendees will receive fun giveaways.
Friday July 25, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 32AB

Outlander
Starz presents its highly anticipated new TV series Outlander with writer/executive producer Ronald D. Moore, author Diana Gabaldon, and cast members from the series, including Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Tobias Menzies, Graham McTavish, and Lotte Verbeek.
Friday July 25, 2014 2:15pm - 3:15pm
Room 6A

Battlefield Hardline: A Visceral World of Crime and Revenge
Taking lessons from their success on Dead Space, Steve Papoutsis (executive producer) and Ian Milham (creative director), discuss how they are moving the Battlefield series in a bold new direction with Battlefield Hardline. Learn how the team at Visceral Games is collaborating withBill Johnson (Justified), Kelly Hu (Arrow), Eugene Byrd (Bones), and Benito Martinez (House of Cards) to fuse the interactive medium of video games with the creative presentation of TV crime dramas to deliver a wholly new and unique experience to gamers. New footage of the engaging single player campaign will be on display showcasing the game's story about the war on crime in the gritty and glamorous streets of LA and Miami.
Friday July 25, 2014 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Room 5AB

Marvel Television Presents
Jeph Loeb (Marvel's head of television) returns with exciting news and fun surprises for fans! Join Jeph and the casts of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Marvel's Agent Carter in this can't-miss panel that will take you behind the scenes and into the future of Marvel's live-action television series.
Friday July 25, 2014 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Ballroom 20

RADiUS-TWC Previews Horns and Everly
First-time Comic-Con attendee and star of Horns Daniel Radcliffe joins co-star Juno Temple, director Alexandre Aja, and novelist Joe Hill to debut the world premiere of the Horns movie trailer, chat about the film, and hold an audience Q&A. In addition, Salma Hayek will be introducing new footage from her kick-ass film Everly. The panel will also reveal new scenes from upcoming RADiUS titles with some special surprises.
Friday July 25, 2014 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Hall H

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight
Ralph McQuarrie's art for the original Star Wars trilogy is introduced to a new generation of young readers in Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. New York Times bestselling author Tony DiTerlizzi a talks about the conceptualization of this project and the process, challenges, and privileges of writing to the works of a legend; along with Troy Alders (art director, Lucasfilm), J. W. Rinzler (executive editor, Lucasfilm), and Joanne Chan (children's book editor, Lucasfilm)
Friday July 25, 2014 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Room 7AB

[adult swim]: Robot Chicken
Co-creators/executive producers Seth Green and Matthew Senreich are joined by co-head writer Tom Root, writer/director Zeb Wells, and actor/writer Breckin Meyer to discuss the Emmy-winning series and fan-favorite character Bitch Pudding, who gets her time to shine in the all-new Bitch Pudding Special. Get a sneak peek at the upcoming special and get your questions answered about the current seventh season, airing Sundays at 11:30 pm on [adult swim].
Friday July 25, 2014 3:15pm - 4:00pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

The 100 Special Video Presentation and Q&A
As anticipation builds for the new season, join The 100 as they return to San Diego for their sophomore appearance at Comic-Con. After the stunning events in the season finale that found all of the survivors of the Ark attempting to return to the surface, and The 100 in an epic battle with the Grounders, be among the first to get the scoop on what's in store for season 2. Who are the mysterious Mountain Men? Who survived the battle with the Grounders? What's with that mysterious white room? See a special video presentation followed by a Q&A with series stars as well as executive producer Jason Rothenberg. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Alloy Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television, The 100 returns this fall with all-new episodes on Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW. The 100: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 23.
Friday July 25, 2014 3:15pm - 4:15pm
Room 6BCF

A&E Bates Motel
Bates Motel reopens in San Diego! Executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost, The Strain) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) will debut an exciting video with the cast of the highly acclaimed drama series, exclusively for Comic-Con attendees. The executive producers will be joined by the cast, including Vera Farmiga in her Emmy-nominated role as Norma Bates, Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Olivia Cooke (Emma), and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero) to discuss the hit series. Fans will hear firsthand details about what is to come in season 3 debuting in 2015 on A&E and will have a chance to ask the cast and creators questions during a Q&A. The panel will be moderated by Dan Snierson from Entertainment Weekly.
Friday July 25, 2014 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Room 6A

Digging E.T.: Behind the Scenes of the Xbox Originals Documentary, Atari: Game Over
Comic-Con fans will get the first glimpse at Atari: Game Over, the Xbox Originals documentary that chronicles the fall of the Atari Corporation through the lens of one of the biggest mysteries of all time, dubbed "The Great Video Game Burial of 1983." As the story goes, the Atari Corporation, faced with overwhelmingly negative response to the E.T. video game, disposed of hundreds of thousands of unsold game cartridges by burying them in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, original Atari video game designer Howard Scott Warshaw (E.T., Yar's Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark), two-time Academy Award-winning executive producer Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man and Man on Wire), Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jonathan Chinn (FX's 30 Days and PBS's American High), director Zak Penn (X-Men 3, Avengers, and Incident at Loch Ness), Fuel CEO Mike Burns, and more as they take fans behind the scenes and share an inside look into the making of this weird and wonderful film. Moderated by Larry Hyrb (Xbox's Major Nelson).
Friday July 25, 2014 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Room 5AB

Exclusive Sneak Peek Screening of the Showrunners Documentary Film
Be one of the first to see Showrunners, described by The Hollywood Reporter as "an intriguing behind-the-scenes expose of the men and women responsible for TV's recent revolution," at an exclusive sneak peek event. Showrunners is the first ever feature-length documentary to explore the fascinating world of U.S. television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. These people are responsible for creating, writing, and overseeing every element of production on one of the United State's biggest exports-television drama and comedy series. The film shows the huge amount of work that goes into making sure that favorite TV series airs on time, as well as the many challenges that showrunners have to overcome to ensure that a new series makes it onto the schedules at all! Featuring contributions from J. J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, Ronald D.Moore, Damon Lindelof, Bill Prady, Hart Hanson, Jane Espenson, Jonathan Nolan, and many more, this screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and guests.
Friday July 25, 2014 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Horton Grand Theatre

Bob's Burgers
You never know what to expect from the cast and producers of Bob's Burgers. Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Jim Dauterive, and the hilarious cast including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, and Larry Murphy will entertain with never-before-seen footage followed by a Q&A panel discussion.
Friday July 25, 2014 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

The Originals Special Video Presentation and Q&A
The Originals, The CW's top new series last season, will be returning for more sexy, supernatural intrigue, romance, alliances and bloodshed in New Orleans this fall. Join executive producer Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries) and co-executive producer Michael Narducci (The Vampire Diaries), along with series stars Joseph Morgan (The Vampire Diaries), Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries), Phoebe Tonkin (The Vampire Diaries), Charles Michael Davis (Grey's Anatomy), Leah Pipes (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and Danielle Campbell (Prison Break), for a special video presentation followed by a Q&A. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with My So-Called Company, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, The Originals will air in its new timeslot this fall-Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
Friday July 25, 2014 4:15pm - 5:15pm
Ballroom 20

20th Century FOX Presentation
Friday July 25, 2014 4:20pm - 6:20pm
Hall H

Falling Skies: Season 4 Panel
TNT's epic drama Falling Skies-from Amblin Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg-tells the extraordinary story about life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Stars and producers provide details on the series' upcoming season 4 premiere. In addition, fans will get to enjoy exclusive, never-before-seen footage from the upcoming season.
Friday July 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Room 6BCF

History: Vikings Blood Legacy
History's Vikings return to SDCC fresh from the set of season 3. Count on the Lothbrok clan -- Travis Fimmel (Ragnar), Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha), Clive Standen (Rollo), and Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn) -- along with Michael Hirst (writer/creator), and Julian Hobbs (History VP, scripted and nonfiction development and programming) to reveal an exclusive sneak peek at the new season. Find out what the gods have in store for season 3!
Friday July 25, 2014 4:45pm - 5:45pm
Room 6A

Archer Screening and Q&A
The popular animated comedy revolves around the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) and its employees who use every covert operation and global crisis as another excuse to undermine, sabotage and betray each other for personal gain. See an exclusive screening of an original short animation piece created specifically for SDCC, plus the upcoming never-before-seen season 6 premiere episode. Then join the voice cast of H. Jon Benjamin (Bob's Burgers), Aisha Tyler (The Talk), Chris Parnell (21 Jump Street), Judy Greer (Arrested Development), Amber Nash (Frisky Dingo), and Lucky Yates (Good Eats), plus creator Adam Reed (Sealab 2021) and co-executive producer Casey Willis as they discuss bringing this animated series to life.
Friday July 25, 2014 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Street Fighter!
Moderator Francis Mao (Capcom) and a panel of Capcom's Street Fighter experts share the latest news on the greatest fighting game franchise in the world! Find out about the latest updates for Ultra Street Fighter IV and how you can earn big money and everlasting fame by competing in the Capcom Pro Tour culminating in the Capcup Finals in December. Panelist Joey Ansah (writer/director/actor of the smash hit Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist web series on Machinima.com) makes an exclusive appearance to share behind-the-scenes details of making the film as well as answer questions. Ultra-special guest Yoshinori Ono (Street Fighter franchise producer), returns to SDCC for his trademark special appearance and who knows what kind of hijinks are in store? Hadoken!
Friday July 25, 2014 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Room 25ABC

Arrow Special Video Presentation and Q&A
With Oliver Queen's arch-nemesis Slade Wilson now behind bars, Team Arrow can breathe a long sigh of relief and shift their focus to recounting their most recent conquests with all their fans at Comic-Con 2014. However, they better act fast, as the threat of Malcolm Merlyn is once again looming over Starling City. Arrow series stars Stephen Amell (Private Practice), Katie Cassidy (Supernatural), David Ramsey (Dexter), Emily Bett Rickards (Flicka: Country Pride), Colton Haynes (Teen Wolf), Willa Holland (The O.C.), Paul Blackthorne (The River), and John Barrowman (Torchwood) -- with executive producers Greg Berlanti (The Flash), Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern ), and Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe) -- will take aim at San Diego with a special video presentation and panel discussion previewing the show's upcoming and highly anticipated third season. Arrow: The Complete Second Season will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, and UltraViolet on September 16. Based upon characters appearing in comic books and graphic novels published by DC Comics, Arrow is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The series returns this fall, airing Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
Friday July 25, 2014 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Ballroom 20

Brickleberry
Be treated to a live table read and never-before-seen episode of Comedy Central's hilarious Brickleberry! Join creators and executive producers Waco O'Guin and Roger Black along with David Herman (Futurama), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Jerry Minor (Eastbound & Down), and Natasha Leggero (Suburgatory, Burning Love) for a so-wrong-it's-right live reading and all new episode, as well as a Q&A with producers and stars.
Friday July 25, 2014 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Room 24ABC

Dominion
When angels wage war on humans, you can bet it'll make for one hell of a Comic-Con panel. Join series' stars and executive producer Vaun Wilmott as they initiate you into the world of Dominion, Syfy's all-new hit series. They'll also share details about what goes on behind the scenes in post-apocalyptic Vega.
Friday July 25, 2014 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Room 6DE

Sleepy Hollow
Executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Fringe, Spider Man 2), Len Wiseman (Underworld, Total Recall), Mark Goffman, and Heather Kadin return to Comic-Con with the breakout show of the year, featuring an exclusive look at the highly-anticipated second season followed by a fan Q&A featuring cast members Tom Mison, Nicole Beharie, John Noble, Orlando Jones, and Lyndie Greenwood!
Friday July 25, 2014 5:45pm - 6:45pm
Room 6BCF

Orphan Black
BBC America's award-winning original series Orphan Black returns to Comic-Con. Stars Tatiana Maslany (Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Rachel, Helena, and more) Jordan Gavaris (Felix), Dylan Bruce (Paul), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Mrs. S), Evelyne Brochu (Delphine) and Ari Millen (Mark) join co-creators Graeme Manson and John Fawcett in a panel moderated by Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross. The Clone Club gathers to discuss the second season of the conspiracy thriller, which just wrapped in June and is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and across all digital platforms to download.
Friday July 25, 2014 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Room 6A

Three Flavors of Zombie: Expanding the Universe of Dead Island
The multi-million blockbuster zombie franchise is expanding its universe! With three Dead Island games spanning three different genres concurrently in development, sit in on discussions with producers and developers from all games, moderated by Aubrey Norris (director of marketing & PR, Deep Silver). The panel will detail both newly announced games, Dead Island 2 and Escape Dead Island, as well as detail how all three games tell their own unique perspective on the larger Dead Island universe. Attendees can look forward to receiving exclusive swag, only given away during this panel presentation.
Friday July 25, 2014 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Room 25ABC

Making X-Men: Days of Future Past
Jeff Goldsmith (publisher of Backstory on the iPad) interviews screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) about what it took to write and produce the worldwide box office smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past. Kinberg will take you behind the scenes as to how he and the film's creative team evolved the longstanding film franchise to an all new high. From the standout Quicksilver sequence to managing the same comic characters at different points in time and beyond-he'll discuss how the film was made and take your questions.
Friday July 25, 2014 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Room 5AB

The Musk of Tusk: An Evening with Kevin Smith
After all the interesting and exciting movie panels are over, Hall H belongs to a middle-aged man who once worked with BatFleck! Ask ComiKev questions and get ready to say #WalrusYes as Kev premieres the trailer to his first film in three years: the twisted, transformative tale of Tusk! Wrap up a busy Friday with the Clown Prince of Comic-Con!
Friday July 25, 2014 6:35pm - 8:05pm
Hall H

World Premiere of Batman: Assault on Arkham
Be among the first to experience Batman: Assault on Arkham, the highly anticipated next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Original Movies. Produced by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Animation, the film is based on the bestselling Batman: Arkham video game series. We find Gotham in great danger when the government assembles a group of villains-code-named The Suicide Squad-and forces them to break into Arkham Asylum to retrieve top-secret information stolen by the Riddler. Things take a turn for the worse when Harley Quinn frees the Joker, who is intent on using a dirty bomb to blow up Arkham Asylum and Gotham City. Batman must use his superhero wits and strength to thwart the wicked plans of the Joker and the Suicide Squad. When the film ends, stay in your seat for a star-studded panel discussion featuring fan-favorite Batman voice Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series), as well as Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds), Troy Baker (The Last of Us), and John DiMaggio (Futurama), plus the filmmaking team of producer James Tucker (Son of Batman), director Jay Oliva (Justice League: War), dialogue director Andrea Romano (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), screenwriter Heath Corson (Justice League: War) and moderator Victor Lucas (Electric Playground). As usual, there will be special announcements, exclusive prizes for a few lucky fans, and a few potential surprises. Batman: Assault on Arkham will be available on Digital HD on July 29 and as a Blu-ray Combo Pack on August 12.
Friday July 25, 2014 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Ballroom 20

Banshee
After an explosive second season, Cinemax's Banshee is back at Comic-Con with a few of its heroes and badass villains. Banshee centers on an ex-con and master thief who assumes the identity of the sheriff of Banshee, PA, where he continues his criminal activities as he tries to maintain order in a chaotic and corrupt town. Writer/creator/executive producer Jonathan Tropper (This is Where I Leave You), and cast members Antony Starr (Rush, Wish You Were Here), Ivana Miličević (Casino Royale, Mind of the Married Man), Ulrich Thomsen (The Celebration), and Geno Segers (Pair of Kings), in a panel moderated by Andy Greenwald (staff writer at Grantland.com, host of Andy Greenwald podcast), will discuss the shocking moments from season 2. Join the panelists for an audience Q&A session as they share their experiences working in one of America's most crooked fictional small towns, with a sneak preview of exclusive footage from the upcoming third season.
Friday July 25, 2014 7:15pm - 8:15pm
Room 6A

Intruders
BBC America presents an exclusive first look at new original series Intruders, from writer and executive producer Glen Morgan (The X-Files) and based on Michael Marshall Smith's novel The Intruders. Celebrated British actor John Simm (Life on Mars, State of Play, Doctor Who), Oscar winner Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite, Norma Jean & Marilyn, Human Trafficking), director Eduardo Sanchez (Blair Witch Project, Exists), and executive producer Julie Gardner (Doctor Who, Torchwood), join Glen Morgan for a panel discussion. Intruders is a contemporary, chilling, paranormal tale set in the moody Pacific Northwest spinning a complex web of drama. As strange, apparently unrelated events start happening, multiple story lines-a missing wife, an assassin covering his crimes, a child on the run-begin to intertwine to reveal a conspiracy that will forever change our understanding of human nature. Intruders premieres Saturday, August 23, 10/9c on BBC America.
Friday July 25, 2014 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Room 7AB

Space Command: Bold Adventures in the Far Reaches of Space
Science fiction legends Marc Scott Zicree (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Iain McCaig (Star Wars VII), Geoff Mark (Battlestar Galactica), and Mike Philpot (Spider-Man), premiere footage from the highly anticipated epic adventure series spanning 200 years of Galactic History. Doug Jones (Hellboy), Bob Picardo (Star Trek Voyage), Mira Furlan (Babylon 5), composer David Raiklen, and worldwide talent search winners Ethan McDowell, Bryan McClure, Aaron Gaffey, and Sara Maraffino will discuss their roles. The visionary team gives you an early look at stunning scenes and spectacular new visual effects just shot this summer! Inspired by heroic science fiction of the '50s. This is a revolution in film funding and distribution, made by A-list creators for the fans. Free signed poster.
Friday July 25, 2014 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Room 25ABC

Showtime Presents the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
UPDATED: Fri, Jul 11, 09:59AM
The 26th annual Eisner Awards (the "Oscars" of the comics industry) honor comics creators and works in 30 categories. Presenters will include British talk show host/comics writer Jonathan Ross, actor/screenwriter/comedian Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury), actor/comedian Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow, The MAD Show), actor Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), nominee Reginald Hudlin (writer, Black Panther; producer, Django Unchained), Belgian graphic novelists Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten (Obscure Cities series), nominees Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Sex Criminals) and Kelly DeConnick (Pretty Deadly, Captain Marvel), Hall of Fame cartoonist Sergio Aragonés (Groo, MAD), writer/artist Bill Morrison (Bongo Comics), writer/artist nominee Terry Moore (Rachel Rising, Strangers in Paradise) and voice actors Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack, Justice League Unlimited, MADtv) and Vanessa Marshall (Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man), and David Herman (Office Space, Futurama), plus some special surprises! Other prestigious awards to be given out include the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comics Writing, and the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.
Friday July 25, 2014 8:00pm - 10:30pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Encore Presentation of Batman: Assault on Arkham
So good, we had to show it twice. Join Warner Bros. Home Entertainment for a late-night encore screening of Batman: Assault on Arkham, the highly anticipated next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Original Movies.
Friday July 25, 2014 9:30pm - 11:00pm
Ballroom 20

SATURDAY, JULY 26

The Simpsons
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Simpsons-no gifts please-with creator Matt Groening, executive producer Al Jean, supervising director MikeAnderson, and director for life David Silverman. Topics include the new Treehouse of Horror, Simpsorama, a visit from Homer Simpson and much, much more.
Saturday July 26, 2014 10:00am - 10:45am
Ballroom 20

Phineas and Ferb
"Mom! Phineas and Ferb are doing a Comic-Con panel again!" Show creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, along with voice talent Vincent Martella (The Walking Dead), Alyson Stoner (Step Up 3D), and the stars of the series present an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what's to come for Disney Channel's hit animated series, including a sneak peek at this summer's epic crossover event: Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars. The panel will also feature sneak peeks of two new animated shows coming to Disney XD!
Saturday July 26, 2014 10:00am - 11:00am
Room 6A

Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. returns to Hall H with a look at three upcoming movies:

Jupiter Ascending - The first original science fiction film from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski since their game-changing "Matrix" trilogy is an action adventure starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. The story will take audiences from the streets of Chicago to the furthest galaxies of space, as Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track down Jupiter Jones (Kunis), a young woman whose genetic signature marks her for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos. Written, directed and produced by the Wachowskis, with producer Grant Hill and many of their longstanding creative collaborators, the film also stars Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, and Tuppence Middleton.

Mad Max: Fury Road - Seminal director George Miller returns to the post-apocalyptic universe he created three decades ago with the cultural phenomenon Mad Max. Tom Hardy reinvents Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller's extraordinary new take on the legendary character for a new generation of fans. The film also stars Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Hugh Keays-Byrne, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies - This December, Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson will unleash the epic final film in The Hobbit Trilogy, based on the timeless masterpiece by J. R. R. Tolkien, from New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Bilbo's journey culminates in a desperate and dangerous choice as darkness converges on the Lonely Mountain, and the races of Dwarves, Elves, and Men must decide: unite or be destroyed. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The ensemble cast is led by Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Stott, and James Nesbitt, with Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Orlando Bloom.
Saturday July 26, 2014 10:00am - 12:00pm
Hall H

Marvel Animation Presents!
Jeph Loeb (Marvel's head of television; Hydra Agent) returns for what's become one of the most popular television panels at San Diego. Join Jeph, Stephen Wacker (VP -animation & writing panel blurbs), Cort Lane (huge nerd, VP), and Eric Radomski (giant dork, SVP) for the latest news on the House of Ideas' hit animated shows: Marvel's Avengers Assemble and Marvel's Hulk & The Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Plus: See the eye-popping world premiere of Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors' history-making epic: "Spider-Verse"! Double plus: A special exclusivesurprise for Marvel fans that you will all be talking about for the rest of the convention!
Saturday July 26, 2014 10:30am - 11:30am
Room 6BCF

Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time has Frozen over! As Elsa enters Storybrooke, she brings an icy new twist to the lives of the rest of the fairytale inhabitants. Co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis (Lost), and Adam Horowitz (Lost) along with Lana Parrilla (24), Josh Dallas (Thor), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), Colin O'Donoghue (The Rite), and Jared Gilmore (Mad Men) discuss the upcoming season of new characters, new adventures and new rivalries.
Saturday July 26, 2014 11:00am - 11:45am
Ballroom 20

Nickelodeon: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Booyakasha!
Revel in the mutation madness as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles nunchuk their way through bad guys, eat pizza, and kick Kraang butt! Executive producers Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman pull back the curtain to give an in-depth look at the creation of the current series and talk with the amazing voice talent behind NYC's most dangerous teenagers: Sean Astin (Raphael), Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Seth Green (Leonardo), Mae Whitman (April O'Neil), Josh Peck (Casey Jones), and Kelly Hu (Karai). Moderated by Rich Magallanes (SVP of current series animation for Nickelodeon).
Saturday July 26, 2014 11:15am - 12:15pm
Room 6A

DC Comics-Superman: The Man of Tomorrow
The Last Son of Krypton is one of the most recognized pop culture icons of all time, and this year Superman is set to soar to new heights! Come by for exclusive access on what makes The Man of Steel the hero that he is with people who bring him to life, including Geoff Johns (Superman), Aaron Kuder (Action Comics), John Romita Jr. (Superman), Charles Soule (Superman/Wonder Woman), and others.
Saturday July 26, 2014 11:15am - 12:30pm
Room 6DE

Mattel: Monster High 2014. We Are Monster High!
Don't stop rockin' your right to fright-we are Monster High! Rally with the coolest ghouls and mansters of Monster High to get a freak peek at exclusive scenes from the newest Monster High DVD, Freaky Fusion (this fall from Universal Studios Home Entertainment), a never-before-seen webisode, and more! Plus, a live performance from the freaky talented Monster High voice actors, including Erin Fitzgerald (voice of Abbey, Spectra, Scarah, and Rochelle), America Young (voice of Howleen & Toralei), Ogie Banks (voice of Clawd), Paula Rhodes (voice of Sirena & Iris), and Stephanie Sheh (voice of Jinafire and Boolittle). Moderated by Emmy Award-winning executive producer of Monster High, Audu Paden.
Saturday July 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:30pm
Room 5AB

Helix
Get top line security clearance for behind-the-scenes secrets from Syfy's hit show Helix. Kyra Zagorsky (Dr. Julia Walker), Mark Ghanime (Major Sergio Balleseros), Jordan Hayes (Dr. Sarah Jordan), Neil Napier (Dr. Peter Farragut), and executive producers Ronald D. Moore and Steven Maeda give you exclusive access to Arctic Biosystems and divulge details about what's in store for season 2 when the series returns. Moderated by journalist and author Geoff Boucher.
Saturday July 26, 2014 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures presents a panel featuring their upcoming slate of highly anticipated films.
Saturday July 26, 2014 12:25pm - 1:10pm
Hall H

Marvel Video Games
The Marvel Games team and some of the most talented developers in the industry cover nearly 15(!) awesome Marvel gaming experiences spanning all platforms-many of which feature the Guardians of the Galaxy! Whether it's exclusive announcements regarding one of the year's biggest console titles (Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes), updates to current favorites (Marvel Avengers Alliance, Marvel Avengers Alliance Tactics, Marvel Heroes, Marvel Puzzle Quest, Marvel: War of Heroes, X-Men: Battle of the Atom, Marvel Pinball), or entirely new game announcements, there's something here for every True Believer of the digital age. Also, a surprise special guest appearance-and the coolest giveaway this panel has ever handed out!
Saturday July 26, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 6A

Family Guy
The Griffins are back at Comic-Con with an exclusive sneak peek at the historicFamily Guy/The Simpsons crossover episode in which Peter and clan hit Springfield! Celebrate season 13 with Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Mike Henry (The Cleveland Show), and executive producers Rich Appel (The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show), Steve Callaghan (American Dad), Danny Smith, and co-executive producer Peter Shin, plus other surprise guests.
Saturday July 26, 2014 1:00pm - 1:45pm
Ballroom 20

Defiance
The explosive second season of Defiance has kicked into gear, and nothing is as it seems. Grant Bowler (Nolan), Julie Benz (Amanda Rosewater), Jaime Murray (Stahma Tarr), and the rest of the cast of Syfy's groundbreaking multi-platform series discuss the big changes-and huge chances-their characters have taken in this dark and daring chapter of the show. Moderated by entertainment journalist and professional nerd Aaron Sagers.
Saturday July 26, 2014 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Marvel's Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Superhero Science Analysis
S.H.I.E.L.D. science advisors Ricardo Gil da Costa (Neuroverse Inc.), Preston Dyches (JPL), Randii Wessen (JPL), Leonidas Moustakis (JPL), and Sebastian Alvarado (Thwacke) will brief participants on the case files of the superheroes who make up the Avengers Initiative. For the first time, S.H.I.E.L.D. divulges some of its most confidential scientific findings on what makes these superheroes unique. Moderated by Agent Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy), this training session is for S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents at Level 4 and above.
Saturday July 26, 2014 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Room 5AB

The Boxtrolls
Focus Features presents The Boxtrolls, a new family event movie from LAIKA, the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman, that introduces audiences to a new breed of family- The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright of Game of Thrones) in the amazing cavernous home they've built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town's villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, "into the light," where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs' family. Appearing in person are actors Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, and Elle Fanning; producer and lead animator, LAIKA president and CEO Travis Knight; and directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable.
Saturday July 26, 2014 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Hall H

The Blacklist
James Spader (The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Boston Legal) and executive producers Jon Bokenkamp (The Call, Taking Lives) and John Eisendrath (Alias, Beverly Hills, 90210) discuss the genesis of the NBC hit series. Join James and the executive producers for a compelling conversation moderated by Mike Schneider (executive editor, TV Guide magazine). The Blacklist returns to NBC September 22 at 10:00 following The Voice.
Saturday July 26, 2014 1:45pm - 2:45pm
Room 6A

American Dad
Get an exclusive look at the new season of American Dad- soon to be in all new episodes on TBS-as well as a Q&A with fans featuring Dee Bradley Baker (Phineas and Ferb, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and executive producers Matt Weitzman and Brian Boyle, and more.
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Ballroom 20

Charting a Course: Developing the Next Mass Effect
Mass Effect developers from the Edmonton and Montreal studios discuss what it's like to expand on a well-established and beloved video game franchise. Panelists Carl Boulay (lead animator), Fabrice Condominas (producer), Mike Gamble (producer), Noel Lukasewich (senior artist), and Jessica Merizan (community manager), share their experiences in shaping the next Mass Effect game with new possibilities while staying true to the critically acclaimed series. Moderated by Nerdist.com.
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 25ABC

DC Comics: New Places for Familiar Faces
DC Comics is proud to have Greg Capullo, David Finch, and John Romita Jr. working on the three greatest heroes of our generation: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. For the first time ever, these three all-star creators sit down and discuss what it is like to work on the Trinity and what is in store for everyone's favorite characters.
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 6DE

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30th Anniversary
In 1984, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird published the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The comic book was an overnight success, and three decades later, the Turtles are more popular than ever, starring in a hit Nickelodeon television series, an award-winning toy line, monthly comic books from IDW, and a new live-action movie later this summer. Join TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman for a 30th anniversary celebration featuring a who's who of talented people who have contributed to the Turtles' enduring history. Guests include Karl Aaronian (Playmates Toys), Townsend Coleman (voice of Michelangelo in the original TMNT animated series), Lloyd Goldfine (4kids TMNT, Turtles Forever), Ciro Nieli (executive producer, Nickelodeon TMNT), Ernie Reyes Jr. (Keno inTMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze), and Tom Waltz (writer, IDW TMNT comics), and panel moderator Andrew Farago (curator, Cartoon Art Museum; author of TMNT: The Ultimate Visual History).
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 23ABC

Marvel: Cup O' Joe
Join Marvel's chief creative officer Joe Quesada for this no-holds-barred exposé on everything Marvel. Got a question about a favorite hero? Want to hear groundbreaking news straight from the source? Need a rundown on breaking developments in Marvel comics, film, and T.V? This panel is for you! Featuring editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, talent scout C. B. Cebulski, senior editor Nick Lowe, editor Jordan D. White, writer Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man), and other Mighty Marvel guests!
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:45pm - 3:45pm
Room 6BCF

Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Dimension Films in association with Aldamisa Entertainment present exclusive footage from the highly anticipated sequel Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame To Kill For from acclaimed co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller. Fans will get to experience the Sin City universe and take part in a special discussion with Rodriguez, Miller, and cast.
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:50pm - 3:50pm
Hall H

Grimm Season 4
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a reception with an angry wesen village! Adalind with an empty baby carriage?! Nick's Grimm powers pillaged?! Captain Renard's blood spillage?! Season 3 left us screaming for answers! Join your fellow "Grimmsters" for a panel filled with wesen, season 4 themes, and of course, a Q&A session with the cast and producers: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz, Bree Turner, Claire Coffee, and executive producers/writers Jim Kouf, David Greenwalt, and Norberto Barba. Moderated by Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times.
Saturday July 26, 2014 3:00pm - 3:45pm
Ballroom 20

Robert Kirkman Presents Skybound Entertainment Featuring Norman Reedus
Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and his producing partner David Alpert (The Walking Dead) discuss Skybound's journey into television and film beyond The Walking Dead series. The panel will feature an exclusive, never-before-seen teaser of Skybound's first feature film, AIR starring Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), a co-production with Automatik Entertainment (Insidious franchise) that has been acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. Reedus will join the panel to discuss the making of AIR and what it was like to work with Kirkman and Alpert outside of The Walking Dead. Director Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption) will also be present. Skybound's newest division, Skybound Interactive, will also share their upcoming slate of games including news about the critically acclaimed game The Walking Dead by Telltale.
Saturday July 26, 2014 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Room 6A

The Vampire Diaries Special Video Presentation and Q&A
The cast and creative team behindThe Vampire Diaries return to San Diego for a sizzling sixth appearance! Series stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Roll Bounce), Ian Somerhalder (Lost), and Kat Graham (Honey 2) join executive producer/writer Julie Plec (The Originals, Kyle XY) for a video screening and Q&A session. The CW's #1 series returns for season 6 this fall with more of its hallmark twists and turns, a few familiar faces-and to answer the burning question: What the hell happened to Damon and Bonnie?! From Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment, and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, The Vampire Diaries airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW, and The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season will be released on Blu-ray combo pack, DVD and digital HD on September 9.
Saturday July 26, 2014 4:00pm - 4:45pm
Ballroom 20

DC Entertainment: Batman 75th Anniversary
Throughout his 75-year history, the Dark Knight has become one of the most popular and widely recognized superheroes in the world. From comics to TV to movies to video games, the World's Greatest Detective has permeated all entertainment mediums and beyond. Get a look at Batman's rich history and what the future holds for this pop culture icon with industry titans Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Ralph Garman, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Peter Girardi, and some surprise guests!
Saturday July 26, 2014 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Room 6BCF

Hasbro: Marvel
Adam Biehl (vice president, Global Marvel Line at Hasbro), Jesse Falcon (director of hardlines, Marvel), Dwight Stall (senior Marvel product design manager, Hasbro), Bobby Vala (Marvel product designer, Hasbro), and Laura Guilbault (senior manager, Global Marvel Line at Hasbro) discuss Hasbro's popular Marvel action figure lines. Attendees will also get a sneak peek at upcoming action figures. Adam, Jesse, Dwight, Bobby, and Laura will also host a Q&A for your burning Marvel action figure questions!
Saturday July 26, 2014 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Room 25ABC

Entertainment Weekly: Women Who Kick Ass
A discussion among Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), and other fierce, fearless, and flat-out fantastic female actors who open up about the power and privilege of playing women who redefine the rules and refuse to yield.
Saturday July 26, 2014 4:10pm - 5:10pm
Hall H

A Look at Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary
TwoMorrows Publishing and BrickJournal magazine present a behind the scenes look at a new LEGO documentary released at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. Moderated by Joe Meno (editor of LEGO fan magazine BrickJournal), this panel will include one of the film's directors, Oscar-nominated Kief Davidson, producer Brendan Kiernan, and stop-motion filmmaker Tommy Williamson (www.Bricknerd.com).
Saturday July 26, 2014 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Room 23ABC

True Blood Panel and Q&A
Mixing romance, suspense, mystery, and humor, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated True Blood kicked off its 10-episode seventh and final season June 22 on HBO. The series follows waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Oscar and Golden Globe Award winner Anna Paquin), who can hear people's thoughts, and vampires Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård). Brian Buckner serves as executive producer of the series, which also features Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse, Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton, Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette, Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby, Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pam; Joe Manganiello as Alcide, Carrie Preston as Arlene Bellefleur, and Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur, Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin and Nathan Parsons as James. Oscar and Emmy Award winner Alan Ball created and is also an executive producer on the series, which is based on the bestselling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. Moderated by Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly.
Saturday July 26, 2014 5:00pm - 6:15pm
Ballroom 20

Constantine Pilot Screening and Q&A
John Constantine is a man waging war against the forces of darkness-from both within himself and the outside world. An irreverent, working-class con man and occult expert, he's an experienced exorcist and demonologist with an extensive list of supernatural contacts, each with their own paranormal talents and abilities. Following the aftermath of a tragic incident, Constantine has voluntarily checked himself into an asylum and sworn off investigating matters of the supernatural, but when a cryptic message calls him out to reluctantly resume his old life, he finds himself saving the life of a young woman whom he's never met but is connected to in a very important way. With dark forces gathering power in the world, Constantine allies himself with Manny, a rogue warrior angel, and his giant childhood protector Chas-the only friend who's managed to stay alive. Based on characters published by DC Entertainment, Constantine reflects the lore of the fan-favorite comic, combining noirish storytelling with the evolving mythology of John Constantine, a morally challenged character who doesn't come down on the side of either good or evil...but ultimately might be the only thing defending us against the dark forces from beyond. Attendees will see a screening of the complete pilot, followed by a Q&A with series stars Matt Ryan (Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior), Harold Perrineau (Lost) and Charles Halford (True Detective) and executive producers Daniel Cerone (Dexter) and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, Constantine will air Fridays at 10/9c on NBC this fall, premiering October 24th.
Saturday July 26, 2014 5:15pm - 6:15pm
Room 6BCF

Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige and special guests provide an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Saturday July 26, 2014 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Hall H

Salem
The star-studded cast -- including Shane West (Nikita, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Janet Montgomery, Seth Gabel, Ashley Madekwe, Iddo Goldberg, and Elise Eberle -- along with executive producers Brannon Braga (Star Trek, Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey), Adam Simon, and Josh Barry look back at intriguing footage from the groundbreaking first season of the series, from WGN America and Fox 21. Set in the volatile world of 17th-century Massachusetts, Salem explores what really fueled the town's infamous witch trials and dares to uncover the dark, supernatural truth hiding behind the veil of this infamous period in American history. Followed by an audience Q&A.
Saturday July 26, 2014 5:45pm - 6:45pm
Room 6DE

Person of Interest Special Video Presentation and Q&A
The smash hit Person of Interest returns to San Diego for the fourth year. Executive producer Greg Plageman and series offer a special video presentation and Q&A. Join the discussion, as the science "fiction" of Person of Interest stays one step ahead of real-world events. The thrilling finale left us with a second machine-Samaritan-now online, making the elusive team targets themselves, hiding in plain sight. The only thing more frightening than the ruthless Decima organization calling the shots is leaving those decisions up to an untested Machine. Facing a dangerous tomorrow, the POI team must find a way to outsmart Samaritan, an all-seeing, all-powerful artificial intelligence that's self-governing, continually evolving, and growing stronger every day. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Person of Interest returns for its fourth season in the fall on Tuesdays at 10/9c on CBS. Person of Interest: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 2.
Saturday July 26, 2014 6:15pm - 7:00pm
Room 6BCF

American Horror Story: Coven
Who's the baddest witch in town? For the first time ever, the critically acclaimed miniseries visits Comic-Con with an exclusive look back at AHS: Coven followed by an all-star panel featuring AHS cast members Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Michael Chiklis, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, and executive producer Tim Minear. The panel will also treat fans to some exclusive secrets from the set of the next franchise instalment, AHS: Freak Show.
Saturday July 26, 2014 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Room 6DE

Phil Tippett: Analog and Digital Effects
Academy Award-winning stop-motion and CGI master Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, RoboCop) presents a talk spanning the history of his career in visual effects, including clips and insights on inspirations, experiences, and relationships that have inspired his creative perceptions and contributions to the world of film and animation. Joining Phil will be Corey Rosen (Lost World: Jurassic Park, The Host, Grindhouse), VP of creative development for Tippett Studio, showcasing Tippett's new mobile effects app, Efexio.
Saturday July 26, 2014 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Room 24ABC

Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: The Flash, Constantine, Arrow, and the World Premiere of Gotham with Special Appearances by Casts and Producers, Hosted by Arrow's Stephen Amell
DC fans-get ready for a superhero Saturday night, designed specifically for you! For the first time ever at Comic-Con, Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment will present a three-hour event in Hall H featuring some of DC Comics's greatest characters. Kicking off the exclusive evening is the world premiere public screening of the highly anticipated new drama seriesGotham, allowing fans their first trip into the dangerous and compelling world of the iconic city. This will be the only screening of Gotham at Comic-Con, and it will be followed by a screening of the complete pilot episode of new action-drama The Flash, as well as exclusive video presentations of returning hit Arrow and new thriller Constantine. Cast and producers from all four series will make special appearances on stage throughout the night, with the festivities to be hosted by Oliver Queen himself -- Arrow star Stephen Amell.

Gotham- Before there was Batman, there was Gotham. With a reputation synonymous with law and order, Commissioner James Gordon is one of the crime world's greatest foes. Everyone knows the name. But what is known of Gordon's rise from rookie detective to police commissioner? And what did it take to navigate the layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world's most iconic villains-the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker? Gotham is the origin story of the great DC Comics supervillains and vigilantes, revealing a new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (The Mentalist, Rome), this one-hour drama follows one cop's rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil and chronicles the genesis of one of the most popular superheroes of our time. The series stars Ben McKenzie (Southland, The O.C.), Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy, Vikings), Sean Pertwee (Elementary), Robin Lord Taylor (The Walking Dead), Erin Richards (Being Human), David Mazouz (Touch),Camren Bicondova, Zabryna Guevara (Burn Notice), Cory Michael Smith (Carol), Victoria Cartagena (The Good Wife), Andrew Stewart-Jones (Person of Interest), and Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix films), and is executive produced by Heller, Danny Cannon (Nikita), and John Stephens (Gossip Girl). From Warner Bros. Television, Gotham premieres this fall, Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.

The Flash- From the Arrow creative team of executive producers Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg and director David Nutter, The Flash is a fast-paced superhero drama that follows the high-speed adventures of the Fastest Man Alive. Written by Berlanti, Kreisberg, and DC Entertainment's chief creative officer Geoff Johns, the action drama follows Central City police scientist Barry Allen, an everyday guy with the heart of a hero and the genuine desire to help others. Standing still emotionally since the day his mother was murdered (and his father unjustly jailed for the crime), Barry was taken in as a child by the investigating Detective West and raised in a cop's home alongside West's super-smart daughter (and Barry's dream girl), Iris. But when an unexpected and devastating accident at the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator facility strikes Barry, he finds himself suddenly charged with the incredible power to move at super speeds. While Barry has always been a hero in his soul, his newfound powers have finally given him the ability to act like one. With a winning personality and a smile on his face, Barry Allen-aka The Flash-is finally moving forward in life...very, very fast! The series stars Grant Gustin (Arrow), Candice Patton (The Game), Rick Cosnett (The Vampire Diaries), Danielle Panabaker (Necessary Roughness), Carolos Valdes (on Broadway: Once), with Tom Cavanagh (Ed), and Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, The Flash premieres this fall on Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Constantine- John Constantine is a man waging war against the forces of darkness -from both within himself and the outside world. An irreverent, working-class con man and occult expert, he's an experienced exorcist and demonologist with an extensive list of supernatural contacts, each with their own paranormal talents and abilities. Following the aftermath of a tragic incident, Constantine has voluntarily checked himself into an asylum and sworn off investigating matters of the supernatural, but when a cryptic message calls him out to reluctantly resume his old life, he finds himself saving the life of a young woman whom he's never met but is connected to in a very important way. With dark forces gathering power in the world, Constantine allies himself with Manny, a rogue warrior angel, and his giant childhood protector, Chas-the only friend who's managed to stay alive. Based on characters published by DC Entertainment, Constantine reflects the lore of the fan-favorite comic, combining noirish storytelling with the evolving mythology of John Constantine, a morally challenged character who doesn't come down on the side of either good or evil...but ultimately might be the only thing defending us against the dark forces from beyond. The series stars Matt Ryan (Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior), Harold Perrineau (Lost), and Charles Halford (True Detective) and is executive produced by Daniel Cerone (Dexter) and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, Constantine will air Fridays at 10/9c on NBC, premiering October 24.

Arrow- Arrow series stars Stephen Amell (Private Practice), Katie Cassidy (Supernatural), David Ramsey (Dexter), Emily Bett Rickards (Flicka: Country Pride), Colton Haynes (Teen Wolf), Willa Holland (The O.C.), Paul Blackthorne (The River), and John Barrowman (Torchwood -- with executive producers Greg Berlanti (The Flash), Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern), and Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe) -- will take aim at San Diego with a special video presentation and discussion previewing the show's highly anticipated third season. Based upon characters appearing in comic books and graphic novels published by DC Comics, Arrow is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The series returns for a third season this fall, airing Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
Saturday July 26, 2014 8:00pm - 11:00pm
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