The X-Men universe is about to take centre stage at Comic-Con.
Fox has kept silent about its 90-minute session here in Hall H, officially describing the event as just "TBA", but it's no small secret that it will feature both The Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
The former - due for release in just a few days' time - sees Logan (Hugh Jackman) travel to Japan for a battle with a feared crime boss, while Days of Future Past promises to be an Avengers-style epic. In the movie, both sets of cast (young and old) are united by a time travel twist to do battle in a world where the mutants are hunted and imprisoned.
Please note that all times in this live blog are Pacific, which is eight hours behind the UK and three hours behind the East Coast.
Welcome back to Hall H, where we've got a very exciting final few hours ahead of us.
We're just a few minutes away from getting started on the Fox panel, for which we will apparently require our 3D glasses.
If, as rumoured, the entire cast of Days of Future Past does come out on stage, they're probably going to need a bigger table.
Hopefully after all the hype, this really is an X-Men-centric panel. If it winds up being a 90-minute Percy Jackson spectacular there are going to be a lot of angry geeks in this room.
We're running about ten minutes late for this panel at present. The reason is that the previous panel, Women Who Kick Ass, ran over. Those women would not stop talking, never mind kicking ass.
For those who missed it earlier, the big story of the day from Hall H was confirmation that the next Superman film will also feature Batman.
"Go ahead and put your 3D glasses on," says the Comic-Con organiser. It's literally a three-second logo for Real 3D. Everyone laughs.
The panel moderator promises that in this panel, something will happen that's never happened before. OOOH.
"You're not going to believe what's going to happen," he adds. DOUBLE OOOH.
First out on stage is Matt Reeves, director of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which is out July 2014.
Reeves: "As a kid I was obsessed with Star Wars but before that, I was obsessed with Planet of the Apes. I wanted to be an ape. Then when I saw Rise, it made me feel like I was in it. To me that was the thing I wanted to carry forward. We wanted to do a Caesar-centric story, set in the world of the apes."
Out come a trio of cast members: Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Andy Serkis. Chant of "Caesar!"
Most exciting aspect of the film? Serkis: "In the last film, he grew from an infant ape to an evolutionary leader. Now I was given the task of becoming a leader with responsibility, to try to grow this society of 2000 apes. Now he's in a position where all apes together are strong. Not only is he ten years older, he's a mature older, he's a father with a teenage son. Into which, the humans are. Throughout the course of the movie we see Caesar learn how to communicate with words, with sign language, ape gestures and so on. It's a very rich and fertile ground for exploring not only the inner ape but also reflecting a lot about humanity."
Entry point to the film? Russell: "I'm here because of Matt Reeves. Really Matt's sensibility in taking the story on. He's created a world for these two communities to survive, each to protect their own families."
Clarke: "There's the great sexy Andy Serkis leading the way, then to Matt and Fox's credit, they've hired Cirque du Soleil guys. You're not just going to see CGI, you're seeing incredible athletes. It's incredible to watch these guys every day leap off tall buildings, run around you and drag you in the mud. We all just wanna find our inner ape."
Does knowing the ending help? Reeves: "To me it does. What's exciting to me is we know where this story goes, so it's how do we get there. It's about psychology. Without getting lofty about it, that's what's so cool about it - the movie's about character and psychology. Who are these characters and how do we get from A to Z?"
Reeves says they finished filming at 5am today and got straight on a plane to Comic-Con.
The group leave stage as a trailer for the new movie plays. APES2014.com.
Next up? The Wolverine! Straight out on stage is director James Mangold.
Mangold: "One of the things Hugh and I set out to do was have the space just to do a movie about Logan, inside him, his journey and what's to come ahead of him."
"I changed the tone a bit - both rachet up and down. The action is more intense, more physical. He can't pull a 747 down, change the atmosphere, but he can use his claws. He has an incredible spinal cord and skeleton and can heal."
"I think there have been some roles in history, Sean Connery as the first Bond, I think Hugh is in that strata. He encompasses both the physicality of the role and also the heart of the role. No matter who he's hurting, you can see in his eyes the man behind that."
3D trailer time. He's certainly angry alright. Best line: "Go fuck yourself, pretty boy."
Mangold orders the trailer to be shown again.
Jackman comes out and immediately thanks Hall H for giving him "one of the greatest joys" at Comic-Con.
"Everything Jim and I wanted to do with this movie, was something completely fresh for the fans. It emanates from one of the most prominent comic books. I remember reading it 13 years ago and saying 'we need to make this movie'. You finally get to see the beserker rage in full."
Mangold: "One of the things we wanted to explore in this film, is how do you go on living when everyone you know and live fades away? How does that feel? Logan's been present through history. What's that like? Falling in love and losing people you care about? It was our decision to begin this film when Logan's lost everybody."
Mangold: "Logan has always loved women." Thanks for the confirmation (over to you, Andrew Garfield)
Jackman says there are "four great female characters" in this film.
Mangold: "The blades in the comic book were more lethal from every direction. And in previous ways it looked like you could only get cut in one way. We wanted it to look like you could get two ways. Or three."
Apparently with the next X-Men, Wolverine will tie Superman with the number of films appeared in (behind only Batman). Jackman: "It's very difficult [to get my head around]. When X-Men 1 came out, no-one knew how popular it was going to be. I am forever greatful to you all, because that's the first film I ever did in America. I got the part 14 years ago."
"I was by no means the first to be cast as Wolverine, he couldn't unfortunately do it. Not only did I come off the reserve bench I was somewhere in the stands when it came to casting this movie."
Jackman introduces the director of "a small, independent movie I've got coming up". It's only Bryan Singer!
Singer: "It's great to be back with you. We're in Montreal making X Men: Days of Future Past. It's going very well. Because we're a year out, many of the visual effects are not complete… but we cut together a short piece of film."
It's a very emotional trailer, set to the backing of Hans Zimmerman's 'Time'. Lots of sweeping shots of all the characters and appropriate cheers from the audience.
It's a very emotional trailer, set to the backing of Hans Zimmerman's 'Time'. Lots of sweeping shots of all the characters and appropriate cheers from the audience.
"It's a big table," notes the moderator.
Out comes writer Simon Kinberg, producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Hutch Parker, then the cast: Omar Sy, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Anna Paquin, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage and Evan Peters.
Excuse my language, but fuck me wow.
Peters: "I play Quicksilver. He's really fast and a bit of a spaz."
McAvoy: "I'm really good. I can't be in a room with this many people without saying 'how you doing comic-con?' Eruption of cheering."
Singer: "[All this cast] is a scheduling nightmare, a logistical nightmare, but I love big ensemble films. The more the merrier. The blend of these two casts is extremely unique."
Jackman: "This is an embarrassment of riches. To work with the people I first worked with, the fact I'm with everybody here is something I'll never forget."
Huge cheers as Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen put their arms around each other.
McKellen: "I'd just like to say how lovely it is to be back in California. I feel safe here now you've got rid of Proposition 8. I'm looking for a husband. It's great to meet you Michael. No darling, I don't want Patrick to get jealous."
What is it about Storm? Berry: "What I love about her is she's like the earth mother of the group. That's part of my own personality and what resonates - the cool, calm voice of reason. She's kind of the mom of the group. What I hate about Storm is that she never gets any love. Is she like asexual and nobody's told me?"
Berry: "When I got called to come back and play storm again, it took me about half a second to say yes. I love this franchise. I couldn't think of a better way to spend time with people working on a movie than with this group of people."
Pacquin: "It's amazing. Obviously a lot has happened in the last 13 years but it's incredibly exciting to come back. I got cast in this movie when I was 17 so it's amazing to be back."
Ashmore: "As you grow as an actor, you get to return to this franchise with amazing people. I think there's going to be some really cool stuff people don't expect to see."
Page: "When I did the first one, I'd never been on a set remotely to that scale so it blew my mind. These people could not have been more welcoming."
Sy: "I play Bishop. He's a guy from the future. He fights for survival. Like all of us."
Parker: "For all of us, the most amazing opportunity it offers is, that I've never seen a better cast assembled in any thing at any time. It's matched by a story that I think is worthy of the cast."
Audience Q&As. Since the X-Men universe is expanding, is there anywhere for Dead Bull? Singer: "Not this particular movie, but anything's possible."
Robert Downey Jr mention. Jackman: "I don't want to be responsible for taking down Iron Man. But I'd love that, some kind of mash-up. I'm all for it. It's people way above me who have to decide that one."
Peters: "He's very fast. He's very fast. He's just fast, he talks quick, he moves quick. Everyone is very slow compared to him. He's always at the ATM waiting for the bastard in front of him to finish."
Jackman says he got dressed in his full Wolverine costume and had a wander around San Diego today. "One guy stopped me and said 'not bad'. Another said 'too tall'.
Which other character would they play? McKellen: "I would like to play any female character in any X-Men movie, because then I might stand a chance of winning an Academy Award."
Berry: "I'd like to give a run on Mystique. Pacquin: "Umm, Wolverine?"
Standing ovation from the crowd for the cast as the panel draws to a close. Wow, what a session. In a few minutes it gets even better - join me shortly for the Marvel panel!
Written by
Neil Wilkes
Neil Wilkes
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