BFF-03,04 Warner Bros. superheroes swoop into Comic-Con

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Warner Bros. superheroes swoop into Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO, July 22, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Warner Bros. closed the final full day
of the Comic-Con International fanfest on Saturday as the belle of the ball,
bringing its roster of superheroes to take a bow in San Diego.

The studio took over the 6,500-seat main arena at the world’s largest
celebration of fan culture for two star-studded hours, serving up tantalizing
teasers for its DC Extended Universe series of comic-book movies.

With Disney-owned Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm both bowing out this year,
it was Warner’s chance to shine and the studio obliged with a line-up of the
world’s biggest stars, including Johnny Depp, Chris Pratt, Jude Law,
Elizabeth Banks and Eddie Redmayne.

One of the most eagerly-awaited presentations of the week, it was a chance
for WB to show it is back on track after poor reviews for its DC Extended
Universe movies “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Suicide Squad” and
“Justice League.”

The studio set out its stall with extensive looks at James Wan’s upcoming
“Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman: 1984,” a follow-up to 2017’s “Wonder Woman,” the
DCEU’s only unqualified success.

“The way we look at this is not a sequel, it’s a new chapter, it’s a new
story,” said Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who was shown as Wonder Woman saving
a young girl from gunmen in rough early footage.

Director Patty Jenkins described the era of the sequel — out in November
next year — as “mankind at its best and worst.”

– ‘Half-naked’ –

“We’re aware of things now that we weren’t in the 1980s,” she told the
crowd. “There were some incredible and beautiful things in the 80s but at the
same time… it’s us at our most extreme.”

The presentation also unveiled the first trailer for “Shazam!” — an
altogether more light-hearted entry in the DC universe starring Zachary Levi
that is due out in April next year.

But the undoubted star of the show was “Aquaman,” which raised the roof as
a shirtless Jason Momoa appeared onscreen in a new trailer as half-human,
half-Atlantean hero Arthur Curry.

“You’re in armor or you’re half-naked in tattoos and it was a bad choice
looking back to wear denim,” Momoa recalled of the production, which required
him to be wet most days.

“They look like leather pants, but they’re not.”

There was a second preview for the Christmas release that unveiled
Aquaman’s nemesis, Black Manta, as well as more underwater action, a rooftop
chase and a final view of the Momoa in his superhero threads.

Warner’s first exclusive of the session gave Harry Potter fans a look at
the legendary battle between Professor Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which hits theaters on
November 16.

MORE/SY/0819 hrs

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Troubled star Johnny Depp was a surprise appearance onstage, missing
“Aquaman” actress Amber Heard, his wife before last year’s acrimonious
divorce, by less than an hour.

– Loud gasps –

Depp plays Gellert Grindelwald, a casting that irked many since the actor
has been dogged by controversy in his private life, including allegations of
domestic abuse.

The mustachioed, platinum-haired A-lister didn’t take questions but came
onstage in costume after the Q&A to rapturous applause, alongside Redmayne
and newcomer Jude Law, making his Harry Potter debut as a young Albus
Dumbledore.

Up next was “Lego Movie 2” with sit-com support actor turned in-demand
megastar Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord in the “Guardians of the Galaxy”
movies.

The actor laughed that he first accepted the role of Lego construction
worker and planet-saver Emmet Brickowski in the 2014 original when he w as
still Andy on comedy series “Parks & Recreation.”

By the time he’d finished recording his voice part he was a Hollywood star
and a Marvel superhero. “It was one of those moments when I thought, ‘Oh, I’m
living in a computer simulation — this is the Matrix,” he joked.

If it’s not superheroes and wizards, it’s skyscraper-sized lizards, and a
trailer from “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” drew loud gasps from the Comic-
Conners.

Led by 14-year-old “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown, the footage
showed a city collapsing as Godzilla and fellow giants King Ghidora, a three-
headed dragon, the insect Mothra and the winged beast Rodan do battle.

Michael Dougherty’s movie is part of WB’s “MonsterVerse,” which launched
with Gareth Edwards’s 2014 “Godzilla” and last year’s “Kong: Skull Island.”

“I’m still a kid playing with Godzilla toys. They’re just bigger more
expensive Godzilla toys,” he said.

BSS/AFP/MSY/0819 hrs