Today, marks the launch of Comic-Con which has traditionally served as a place for Hollywood to showcace it’s latest superhero and genre films. However, this year is a little different. While these films will certainly be showing (”Watchmen”, “Punisher”, “The Spirit”), Comic-Con will also be used to build excitement for other more mainstream films such as “Tropic Thunder”, “Pineapple Express”, and “Land of the Lost”. This change is mostly due to filmmakers realizing the appeal of being able to reach the hardcore fans that fill the halls of Comic-Con. 

“They’re the first people to buy tickets, the first to buy the merchandise, the DVDs, the toys, the videogames,” says Jeff Walker, a longtime consultant to the studios when it comes to planning convention presentations. “They’re the hardcore fans everyone wants on their side.”

This year also marks a change in that TV shows such as “Battlestar Galactica”, “Lost”, and “Heroes” are moving to the more prestigious Hall H that has traditionally been for movies due to their increased draw.

However, Comic-Con has not forgotten it’s roots and while the panels for TV and film get the most coverage, they only consist of around 25% of Comic-Con. The rest of Comic-Con consists of a sea of comic book publishers, retailers, videogame and toy companies as well as educational sessions on getting into the business.

Source: Variety