After Saturday's "Green Lantern" panel, the cast and filmmakers behind the Warner Bros./DC pic met the press on the fourth floor of the Hilton Bayfront. 

"Personally I was relieved that they got rid of the white gloves, " star Ryan Reynolds said of the new Green Lantern costume. "Because, well, I don't think he's an opera singer."

 Also on hand for the event were director Martin Campbell, co-stars Blake Lively, Peter Saarsgard, Mark Strong and producer Donald De Line.

"Martin and I had never done a superhero movie," De Line said, "but as part of the testing, they always want to see the actor in the mask and Ryan looks really good in a mask."

Reynolds later revealed that the vfx guys had arbitrarily chose his head to mold the first Green Lantern mask when he first auditioned.

"I had no idea who else auditioned but when I showed up to set the mask fit my head perfectly, much better than it would have Regis Philbin or whoever else was up for the role."

"The Green Lantern" hits theaters in summer 2011.

Follow Stuart Oldham on Twitter. 

 "Let Me In" thesp Chloe Moretz was all smiles backstage at Comic-Con on Saturday.

"The weirder you are, the cooler you are," the 13 year-old actress said of the fanboy extravaganza.

Moretz, who stars in Overture's English-language remake of the vampire pic "Let the Right One In," said her parents have been relatively OK with her taking on such violent roles in films (she last played the foul-mouthed Hit Girl in Lionsgate's "Kick-Ass").

"My Mom and Dad know it's all fake," she said of the R-rated features. "'This movie (Let Me In) is violent but the blood is corn syrup so you never really feel scared or in danger on set."

As for starring Martin Scorsese's upcoming "Hugo Cabret" pic, Moretz said she "I'm a little nervous but can't wait!"

Follow Stuart Oldham on Twitter. 

 
By Marc Graser    

What a difference a day makes: Comic-Con was eerily quiet this morning, with Friday usually one of the fanboy fest's busiest day.

There was hardly a line at all to get into Hall H, the room that hosts Hollywood's studio panels and seats 6,000.

By 10 a.m. On Thursday, there were thousands of people waiting to get into the room that already was full.

Today, security was actually asking attendees if they would be interested in going inside. At 10:30 the hall was still more than half empty.

By 12:30 p.m., there still wasn't a line to get into Hall H.

That doesn't bode well for Summit, which kicked off the day's panels with a presentation for the Nicolas Cage actioner "Drive Angry" and Universal's thriller "Skyline," produced by Relativity Media, that follows. Both pics don't have but want the kind of buzz that "Tron: Legacy," has, however. The Disney pic and DreamWorks' "Megamind" launched the panel sessions Thursday.

But the rest of the show was also quieter than Thursday, with the show's exhibit floor far easier to navigate.

The TV panels showed more signs of life, though, with sessions packed for CBS' "Hawaii Five-O," "The Big Bang Theory" and AMC's "The Walking Dead."

Hall H should fill up throughout the day, however, especially by 4 p.m. when Sony presents its panel for "Green Hornet," "The Other Guys"
and "Priest."

More Comic-Con News and Photos

By Erin Maxwell

Warner Bros. and DC Comics have teamed with M.A.C. Cosmetics on a new line promoting the iconic superhero Wonder Woman.

Set for release in spring 2011, M.A.C. will feature a line of cosmetic colors inspired by the Golden Age Amazon princess. The set of nail polish, eye shadow and lipstick will range in price from $13.00 - $49.50.

The announcement of the merchandising tie-in with M.A.C. rides on the heels of Wonder Woman’s recently updated look, in which she traded in her skimpy one-piece for     less revealing biker ensemble.

There is no info on whether or not this will tie in with the long-awaited film version of the superhero.

By Peter Debruge

Bad Robot met Mutant Enemy at Entertainment Weekly's Visionaries panel at Comic-Con, a candid discussion between J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon.
 
Abrams, who is prepping "Super 8" with Steven Spielberg, explained how his first connection with the director was being enlisted to restore the Spielberg's 8mm home movies, "Escape to Nowhere" and "Firelight." The still-top-secret "Super 8" was inspired by both helmers' histories directing as teens.
 
Whedon confirmed rumors that he'll be directing Marvel's Avengers movie, but insisted the film is still in the early outline stage. His take on the pulp source material: "What I love is how counter-intuitive it is. These people should not be in the same room, much less the same team, and that to me is the very definition of family."
 
After struggling for years pitching square pegs to round-hole nets, both producers found room to explore their unique geek gifts on The WB. "We both benefited from the great square hole that was The WB, where they wanted whatever we were interested in," Whedon said. "What I learned was, know your audience, and your first audience are the people who are paying you to make the material."
 
Though blockbuster projects keep them busy, Abrams and Whedon love the potential that smaller web series offer. Abrams says Bad Robot is developing a few potential online properties, but noted, "Doing something like 'Star Trek,' you need the resources of a studio -- and also they own 'Star Trek.'"
 
Whedon already has an online track record with cult hit "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." He hoped to apply the same profitable model to Warren Ellis collaboration "Wasteland," but admitted that "The Avengers" currently takes precedence. Whedon also wants to do a "Dr. Horrible" sequel: "We've written a couple songs. If we have the time, we really know what the movie is."

More Comic-Con News and Photos

By Peter Debruge

Comic-Con fans come to Hall H to catch first-look footage of big flicks and breathe the same air as the stars, but why do the stars come?

For "Tron: Legacy" legend Jeff Bridges (the first of four Oscar winners for the day, followed by "Salt'"s Angelina Jolie, "RED's" Helen Mirren and "The Expendables'" Sylvester Stallone), the actor used his time on the stage to make a conspicuously non-Tron pitch. 

It's been 27 years since the original film, and yet, "We haven't developed any ethics or any real knowledge about the longterm aspects of our technology," Bridges said, taking a minute to explain how even helpful innovations, such as individually bottled water, have consequences. Bridges briefly referred the room of 6,500 to the environmental site PlasticPollutionCoalition.org. The goal? "Getting rid of these things," he said, holding up a plastic bottle on stage. "I know they're convenient, but they're no good."

 Flashbulbs were going off like crazy Thursday afternoon as Angelina Jolie made her Comic-Con debut at the "Salt" panel in Hall H.

The Oscar-winning thesp largely discussed her stunt work on Sony's action-thriller, which opens nationwide tomorrow.

Co-star Liev Schreiber and director Phillip Noyce were also in attendance.

See pics below:

 
 

DreamWorks Animation kicked off the activities in Hall H this morning with a "Megamind" panel featuring a blue-painted Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill and a cutout of Brad Pitt, who couldn't make the event. (Pitt is currently shooting "Moneyball" in L.A.)

Director Tom McGrath also attended the event.

See Pics Below:

  

 

(Photos by John Shearer/WireImage)

by Peter Debruge

Yawns for "Tron" (which looks plenty cool but isn't riveting enough conversation material to fill an hour-long Comic-Con panel, even with funny guy Patton Oswalt as M.C.), but big cheers for the two surprises Disney sprung on the crowd immediately after...

First, a special 3D message from Jack Sparrow himself, with Johnny Depp pretending to get sloshed as he describes his next mission: to find the Fountain of Youth. Evidently, we can expect zombie battles, mermaid seduction and another impossible-to-remember subtitle ("On Stranger Tides"). Oh, and Penelope Cruz.

As if that weren't enough, Disney saved big news of another theme-park remake for the Con, announcing a "Haunted Mansion" reboot overseen by Guillermo del Toro. "We are not returning Eddie Murphy's calls, " del Toro deadpanned. "And we are not making a comedy. If you take the children, they will scream. We want that to happen. It's a litmus test of character."

According to del Toro (who consciously had to tone down his usually expletive-laden language for the Disney crowd), the Haunted Mansion ride is "sacred ground." The director claimed to have visited the ride at least once a year since first discovering it as a kid and hopes to reclaim its appeal by making "the haunted house movie a generation loves and remembers."

The director plans to do the film in live-action 3D, resurrecting the short-lived "Hat Box Ghost" character as his entry point. "This is a dream come true," del Toro said, "and I hope to steal as many props as possible."

by Erin Maxwell

"I went to Comic-Con and all I got were 28 t-shirts, 15 posters, 45 key rings and a large duffle bag with Michael Cera's face on it." -- Anonymous geek

Between the panels, the autograph opportunities, the screenings, the shopping and enough swag to cause a small pack mule to collapse, navigating Comic-Con can be considered an extreme sport. Here are a few tips and tricks to surviving the wrath of Con:

Carry only the bare necessities.
This includes sunscreen for waiting outside of Hall H, water to hydrate, a badge, a ID, an iPhone/Droid, your camera, small snacks and cash. Ladies, bring a purse. Gents, invest in a man bag.
If you are dead set on bringing your entire collection of He-man collectibles to the autograph tables, make good use of the lockers offered near the main entrance.

  Plan your parking situation ahead of time.
Unless you wish to spend the morning cruising the Gaslamp District looking for $30 parking, scope out the parking situation before you arrive. Find out the lots that have decent parking, decent prices and offer shuttles. If you wait to the last minute. I suggest looking for parking around the J and K streets and walk or cab the distance. The time it takes to walk to the convention center is way better than the time you lose looking for parking.

Be sensible with your wardrobe.
Most of us are not going in costume (for those of you that are, rock on, especially you steam punks). For us everyday folks, remember: sneakers, good socks and a hoodie for Hall H, which can get a bit chilly.
If you plan on going to many panels and getting the full Con experience, you'll end up walking anywhere from five to ten miles of Convention Center. Wear good comfy shoes. And remember, your much-loved Chucks or flip-flops might let you down on days like this, so wear the Pumas instead.

Yes, there will be lines.
You are not the only one who wants to go to the "Tron" panel, and unless you are press, professionals or directed and/or starred in the film, you are going to be waiting in line. A. Lot. Of. Lines. Think SpaceMountain on July 4.
If you plan on lining up, get there early. Better yet, find out what unpopular panels are booked earlier in the same rooms and line up to attend.
For Hall H, give yourself a few hours to get into your panel. Luckily, the absence of a "Twilight" panel this year will guarantee no mother-daughter sleepovers on the grassy knoll area outside of the convention center. One less obstacle to avoid on your way to geeky bliss.

It's all about good timing.
There is no such thing as a quick jaunt at Comic-Con. If you have never gone to the Con before, let me tell you this: the San Diego Convention Center is hell of a lot bigger then you think it is.  However long you think it will take to get from one panel to the next, double that time. The upstairs hallways tend to bottleneck due to the "one-way only" rules of second floor rooms.

Feed me
Aside from the small cafeteria in the back of Hall C, you are limited to coffee carts, margarita stands and pretzels. But don't fret. There is food aplenty outside of the convention area. Give yourself time to grab a bite or bring your own. The Con is located in a ritzy part of San Diego, so finding cheap eats can be a challenge if you don't know where to go. Popular cheap eats outside of the convention center include Dick's Last Resort (345 4th Ave), Fred's Mexican Cafe (527 5th Ave), Gaslamp Dogs (5th Ave and Island St), not to mention the numerous sandwich shops and yogurt stands within the bar scene.

Where to stay
It's not unusual to see folks asleep in their cars or on the sidewalk in sleeping bags. Why? 'Cause hotel rates near or around the Gaslamp jump by 300% during Comic-Con. If you don't already have a place to crash, shoot for a hotel five miles or so away from the Convention Center or outside San Diego. Check to see if they offer shuttle service to the Convention Center. If so, grab a schedule and off you go.
If you are dead set on staying within walking distance, call around to a few hotels for last minute cancellations, but expect to pay a pretty penny for the digs.

Find your buddy
Comic-Con is much better in groups. Tag teaming friends to stay in line while others gather grub or swag will help you get the most of out of the experience.
If you decide to lone wolf the experience, make friends in line. You will be hanging out with those folks for the better part of the day while you wait to get into a panel, so it's better to be friendly, even if they are wearing a "Team Edward" shirt. You'll need them once you realize that the bathrooms are no where near the lines.

Party on
You are not getting into the industry parties if you didn't already RSVP or are a plus-one. Forget about it. Get it out of your head. Really. But if you want to partake in the Comic-Con night life, don't fret. There are a ton of parties you can get into. Go to your local comic-book stores or their Web sites for updates on the happenings. Also check message boards for Comic-Con and fan sites for more of the inside scoops. Many of the bashes will charge you a fee to get in, but usually that will also cover the price of a drink as well.
If you can't get into the bashes or are too lazy to look, they are a ton of bars in the area always willing offer tasty beverages to folks dressed as a Storm Trooper.
Also, check hotel lobbies (the Hilton is a good one). There are sometimes large impromptu gatherings in hotel lobbies that can be a lot of fun.