The “Countdown to Comic-Con” continues, with a mere four days until Preview Night! We can hardly believe it ourselves, and we can’t wait to be on that jumbo jet, San Diego bound.

The folks at Comic-Con International, organizers for the big show, can’t wait to see all of us either, and they’ve been unveiling news and schedules on a daily basis leading up to the con which have been making the wait to opening night just that much more unbearable. Thanks, CCI. We appreciate the tease!

The latest batch of updates contain things for fans and artists alike. For all the otaku attending, check out the all-night Anime screening schedule held annually in the Marriott Marquis & Marina. For cinema buffs and future filmmakers, be sure to drop in the Comic-Con Independent Film Festival, which is also in the Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel. For Family Day on Sunday, treat your kids to short films for all ages at the Comic-Con International Children’s Film Festival in room 9 of the convention center

For artists trying to break into the industry, make sure you sign up for a Portfolio Review and get your art critiqued by industry professionals and get answers to your questions on how to take it to the next level.

But the one thing that makes Comic-Con so cool is the accessibility of celebrities. Whether you catch them wandering the show floor, guesting at an exhibitor booth, or the personal touch of an autograph session, nothing makes attendees more excited than to exchange a few words of praise with their favorite stars of the page or screen.

That’s why the unveiling of  the autograph schedule for Sails Pavilion has most of us jumping up and down with anticipation for next week. You’re sure to find someone worth the wait in line, as the list of celebrities attending is pretty extensive. Check out the schedule and find out when and where you have to be in order to snag a Comic-Con moment to remember. A word: Many exhibitors are holding their own autograph schedules, such as Warner Bros. and Dark Horse. Check the individual exhibitor schedules for these autograph events.

It seems as if CCI is having trouble getting these new schedules added to the MySCHED app, so if you are using that to organize your weekend, be patient! They will update everyone via Twitter and Facebook, and of course we’ll retweet as soon as we see that it’s been fixed.

Hollywood Abandons Hall H.

That was the headline for many a week recently, as Dreamworks, Disney and Marvel all said they would not be following tradition and bringing their big movie reveals to Comic-Con’s fabled auditorium. And with that announcement, emotions among fans ranged from confused to disappointed to downright cheated. This is the place where 140,000 like-minded geeks go on an annual pilgrimage and immerse themselves in swag, celebrities and worldwide media attention. This is the place to where people travel thousands of miles, cross whole continents and into time zones on the other side of the world. This is the event for which fans save their vacation schedules and hard-earned spending cash.

This is San Diego Comic-Con.

If you understood any of that, then you no doubt could sympathize with people who felt the same thing. Maybe you were even one of those people. And if so, you have been asking yourself, “Why would Hollywood destroy the very thing they helped create?”

They haven’t.

They big news from that original headline was that Hollywood wasn’t seeing the returns on their marketing investment in the con. The articles singled out Disney, which shelled out three years worth of Comic-Con events for Tron:Legacy, including renovating a Gaslamp District building into Flynn’s Arcade, for a box office gross that was merely acceptable; and Universal for draping the Hilton Bayfront in Scott Pilgrim last year, hosting exclusive screenings for fans, but landing squarely in the red when it came to tallying the box office receipts.

But those articles were wrong. The arguments didn’t make sense. How could Hollywood walk away from all that media attention? Showing up for a panel and putting together a reel of dailies is cheap press and even cheaper when it comes to winning goodwill from the fans. And about those fans. 140,000 of them on the ground, millions following the blogs, watching highlights on their Xboxes and streaming to their PCs and iPads. The studios could spend a million on television ads and hope their target audience was tuned in that night, let alone wasn’t skipping commercials altogether. Or they could spend a fraction of that to hold a Q&A which would directly reach an attentive and eager mob.

Flash forward to this past week. When the official Comic-Con schedules were announced, everyone was breathing a sigh of relief that the articles might be wrong. For two solid days one would be hard pressed to find a big movie panel in Hall H that wasn’t worth the wait. Then Saturday came, and it was nearly the opposite, where there was barely one worth attending. And then after getting our hopes up that Hall H would be open on Sunday, Comic-Con fills it with television panels better suited for Ballroom 20. Could the warnings be right? Would Hollywood really pull out of Comic-Con and away from the fanbase who cheered and applauded them in years past?

It takes a second look at the schedule to start thinking something completely screwy is going on here. Why would organizers stack the deck the first two days and leave the schedule barren the last two, which are traditionally the most attended? Why is Kevin Smith’s annual “Evening With” spoken word panel ending early this year? And what reason would they keep Hall H open on Sunday only to close Ballroom 20, which was probably more appropriate for those panels anyway?

There’s likely two things happening here in concert. Yes, it’s probably true that Hollywood wasn’t getting the kind of return they would like for their investment into Comic-Con, so they’ve scaled back. This is because every studio this side of the Mississippi was competing for attendees’ mindshare, and likely people weren’t being reached throughout the noise of every offsite and buzzworthy event, of which there were several happening every hour of every day of the con. But Hollywood didn’t want to turn their back on a guaranteed audience, so what did they do? They decided to coordinate their efforts, not step on each other’s toes at the big dance. Why else would the con scale back their “official” offerings on what are traditionally the two busiest days of the show? Studios most likely worked directly with the show organizers to make their unofficial events an integrated part of the con and make sure they were well attended by the crowds.

There are reports that studios which were supposed to be sitting year’s show out are indeed planning big events.

• FirstShowing.net reported Marvel will bring some impressive set pieces from The Avengers to the show floor, and there is talk of some S.H.I.E.L.D.presence at the con. Could you imagine S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives targeting unsuspecting attendees as Skrull? They also reported there might be an Avengers cast signing at the Marvel booth, and an Avengers teaser trailer shown. It would make total sense that Marvel would use Joss Whedon and Chris Hemsworth, who will be at the con for other panels.
• THR reports Chris Evans is planning a military salute to the soldiers stationed in San Diego. NerdReactor reports there will be a special screening of Captain America with Evans and Hugo Weaving in attendance.
• There’s also a rumor Dreamwork’s upcoming Real Steel, which is on official Comic-Con banners throughout the city despite not having an official panel, would set up a World Robot Boxing ring, possibly on Sunday in the closed Ballroom 20.
• And we all know about the Cowboys & Aliens screening for 2000 lucky fans put on by Universal and director Jon Favreau.

Regardless of what it is that the studios have planned, it is evident show organizers worked around some pretty big surprises they and the studios would very much like everyone to attend. Keep checking for updates on these rumored events and other big news as its announced.

We feel like we’ve been stuck on an emotional rollercoaster these last few weeks. Would Hollywood show up for Comic-Con this year or won’t they? We’d heard conflicting reports on either side of the story. And we finally received some closure after seeing the schedules for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Most of our questions have been answered, but there are some still lingering about the offsite presence of Marvel and Dreamworks studios. And the answers we did get were pretty encouraging, at least for Thursday and Friday, that Hollywood would bring their “A” game to the con.

But then Saturday’s schedule was released, and it wasn’t nearly as strong as the prior two days. So the question on everyone’s mind is, would Comic-Con rebound on Sunday and end this year with a bang?

By looking solely at the panel schedule, this year’s con started out as a lion but might end like a lamb.

Now, before we begin with our analysis, let’s get out of the way that Sundays are traditionally slow days.The con sets aside Sundays as “Family Day”, and a lot of kid-oriented panels fill the schedule. Hall H has been traditionally closed on the last day of the con. So we’re already going into the last day with tempered expectations.

On the other hand, there was a big deal made that Hall H was going to be open on Sunday this year, when it traditionally is not. So that’s good news, right?

Well, not if they close Ballroom 20 because of it. That’s right, there are NO panels scheduled for Ballroom 20 on Sunday, and everything that would have normally been held there has been moved to Hall H. So that makes our analysis a little easier, if not also a bit light. It also raises questions about what super-secret event is being planned for Ballroom 20…

Hall H

Gleeks, there’s no bigger stage to host the panel for your favorite show, because Glee will start the day at 10AM. Expect a 3D presentation as they also have a sneak peak at the Glee 3D concert movie, as well as a look at the new season and what is sure to be an entertaining Q&A with the cast and crew.

At 11:15AM, bring on the great little show that just won’t quit, Supernatural, for a return panel. The series, which was supposed to end after season five, is now going into its seventh season and carried by a loyal fanbase that has supported it even after it moved to no-man’s-land on the television schedule. During that time it has steadily built up one of the best mythologies on television since Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Catch this one even if you’re a casual fan.

At 12:30PM, BBC is bringing fan-favorite Doctor Who to Comic-Con after skipping out last year due to filming. Guests include Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan as his companion Amy Pond, along with the writers and producers of the latest incarnation of the series, to talk about the remainder of season two and that one helluva mid-season ger.

FOX takes over the remainder of the Hall H schedule, with no interruptions between panels. The Cleveland Show starts off the FOX block at 1:45PM, followed by It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia at 2:45PM. Last year the cast of It’s Always Sunny showed the entire first episode of the upcoming season, but this year it’s only listed as a Q&A. Sons of Anarchy wind down the series panels at 3:30PM, and then to close out this year’s con is a sing-along screening of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer musical episode,  “Once More With Feeling” at 4PM.

Our advice? You’d probably do no wrong sitting in Hall H, as there’s enough quality programming to find something you like. How’s that for enthusiasm, eh?

Best of the Rest

Archaia Comics has been creating beautiful comics with the Jim Henson Company for years, and at 10AM in room 4 they’ll be talking about their fruitful relationship.They’ll be showing some archival footage of Jim Henson himself, as well as previewing their newest graphic novel in the partnership, based on an unproduced screenplay by Henson.

At 11:45AM in room 6BCF, Nathan Fillion and the cast of Castle will be on hand to discuss the upcoming season and hopefully give us a look at the graphic novel being created by Marvel. We have no idea why this panel is being called One-On-One with Castle Star Nathan Fillion, if they’re going to have the rest of the cast there as well. We guess the network finally figured out Fillion is the special sauce of the mystery/dramedy heading into its fourth (!) season.

If you have children, you’ve probably been forced to catch the latest Scooby-Doo series on Cartoon Network, Mystery Incorporated. And if you’re anything like us, you’ve probably come away from it thinking it was pretty darn entertaining. Well, Matthew Lillard and the gang are all back this year for a returning panel at 1PM in room 6A where they’ll be screening the series one finale and talk about what’s in store for season two. And we should all be glad there is going to be a season two, believe me.

Lastly, at 3PM check the Marvel/Disney Team-Up panel in room 24ABC to see how the two companies are going to come together to bring origin books of popular Marvel characters to young readers.

Our advice? We’d say this is your opportunity to catch up on the stuff you’ve been missing on the show floor. The only downside is that the show floor on the last day is absolutely madness, since everyone attending pretty much has the same idea. Take some chances on some panels you wouldn’t normally attend, now that you have that luxury. As long as the studios don’t have us flocking to some rumored surprises, that is.

And of course pack, because you’re going home.

And that’s that! The entire schedule has been announced. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Warner Bros. has announced their autograph schedule for this year’s Comic-Con, and as in years past it’s pretty massive. We applaud them for embracing the fans and giving them a chance to shake hands with their favorite stars of film and television.

Last year, the autograph schedule brought massive chaos in and around the WB booth on the show floor, causing entire walkways to be shut down and basically rendered an entire corner of the floor inaccessible. WB also used their Twitter account to announce when folks could start to line up at their booth, just for a chance to get an autograph at a particular session. In other words, it wasn’t a very good system.

Thankfully, we won’t have to worry about that again this year, because they have revamped the ticketing system. Gone are the impromptu announcements via Twitter, each session will now have a set time when people can start to line up for a chance. Also gone are the long lines at the booth for said tickets, because they’ve moved it to the much more accessible Sails Pavilion.

Click the jump to read more on when and where you need to be to meet your favorite stars.

WARNER BROS. BOOTH (#4545)

COMIC-CON 2011 TICKET DISTRIBUTION AND SIGNING TIMES

DISCLAIMER: Autograph session start times are subject to change.  For the most up-to-date signing information, please check for updates at the Warner Bros. Booth (#4545) or at www.thewb.com/comiccon.

Thursday, July 21

Batman: Arkham City

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 9:00 a.m.

Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 10:00 a.m.

Mortal Kombat

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 10:00 a.m.

Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545) 11:45 a.m.

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion): 11:00 a.m.

Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 4:30 p.m.

Friday, July 22

The Big Bang Theory

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 9:00 a.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 11:00 a.m.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion): 10:00 a.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 12:30 p.m.

ThunderCats

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 11:00 a.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 12:45 p.m.

Childrens Hospital

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 12:00 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 2:45 p.m.

True Blood (HBO)

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 1:00 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 3:30 p.m.

MAD

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 3:30 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 5:15 p.m.

Saturday, July 23

Chuck

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 9:00 a.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 12:15 p.m.

Batman: Year One

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 10:00 a.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 11:00 a.m.

The Vampire Diaries

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 11:00 a.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 1:00 p.m.

Alcatraz

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 12:00 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 2:30 p.m.

Person of Interest

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 1:00 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 3:15 p.m.

Nikita

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 2:00 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 3:30 p.m.

Fringe

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 3:00 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 5:15 p.m.

The Secret Circle

Ticket Distribution (Sails Pavilion #9): 3:45 p.m.

Autograph Signing (Warner Bros. Booth, #4545): 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 24

Signing times to be announced.

For additional information about Warner Bros. Television activities at Comic-Con, follow us on Twitter @TheWBdotcom (hashtag #WBSDCC) and visit www.thewb.com/comiccon.

Okay, we’re officially exhausted. This is good training, though; it gets our mind ready for the insanity that is San Diego Comic-Con. We’ve been officially blown away by the quality and quantity of the panels announced thus far, and we’re only half way through the weekend.

But today, Comic-Con announced their Saturday schedule, which officially pushes us over the mid-point. One more day to go of panel announcements – we think we can pace ourselves.

Although there are some great panels on Saturday, to us it is the weakest of the days thus far. Click through the jump to find out why.

Hall H

Where Thursday’s schedule had several can’t-miss panels, and on Friday there wasn’t a weak spot on the schedule, Saturday’s is a bit disappointing in comparison. We get Francis Ford Coppola’s TWIXT at 11:45AM, but it’s not the kind of movie that gets the Comic-Con crowd excited with anticipation. Judging from the description, there’s a bit of audience participation involved, but unless we’re getting a credit for crowd chants in TRON 3, we say it’s okay to skip this one.

At 1PM we get Tarsem Singh’s (The Cell) Immortals with the future Superman, Henry Cavill, but the director himself isn’t even showing up for this one. 2:15PM is The Knights of Badassdom starring Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn, Peter Dinklage and Summer Glau. This movie seems to take the LARPing scenes from Role Models and make them into their own movie. Clever, but Hall H material? We think not.

At 3:30PM, Thor will be in Hall H! Well, the actor who played Thor, Chris Hemsworth, as well as Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron, promoting Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsmen, the action-adventure reimagining of the classic fairy tale. This genre is all the rage, and if done right it could be a pretty entertaining fantasy film. But honestly, this seems better suited for the Syfy movie of the week. Skip.

At 4:30PM, the fairy tale reimagining continues with the first of many films based on The Wizard of Oz. But unfortunately, this isn’t the one we wanted to see. While Sam Raimi and James Franco prep for their Oz prequel, We get an exclusive look at an animated musical version, Dorthy of Oz. Oh joy. That’s sarcasm, by the way.

Closing out the day at 5:45PM is Kevin Smith’s annual Evening With Kevin Smith panel, where he reuses the same schtick from his countless podcasts and stories from years prior. Don’t get us wrong, we like Kevin Smith (Zack and Miri is one funny, funny movie), but  we’re a little tired of him. Give us Red State, for crying out loud?

And that’s it. Our advice? We’d just assume skip the entire day, unless you really wanted to see what Hall H looks like. There’s better stuff elsewhere in the smaller rooms on this day.

Ballroom 20

Ballroom 20 is where it’s at on Saturday, even if it too doesn’t match the awesomeness from previous days. At 10AM is the swan song for Chuck, which NBC said was its last season. Zach Levi is our kind of guy, but it seems he might be saving himself for his Nerd HQ counter-conference being held in the Gaslamp District over Comic-Con weekend. Skip unless you are a die-hard Chuck fan.

11AM we finally have our first pseudo-can’t-miss panel of the day, the premiere of FOX and Steven Spielberg’s Terra Nova. This series was supposed to have its first panel at Comic-Con last year, and has seen several delays. We thought we’d get to see the pilot episode, but the description indicates we might only get a few scenes of the Jurassic Park-meets-Avatar action series. Kind of a bummer, and bumps this down a bit from one of the most anticipated panels of the year.

Starting at 12:15PM and stretching all the way until 3:15, FOX will be showing off their animation series – Futurama and The Simpsons, followed by Family Guy and American Dad. We really can’t say anything bad about any of these – Futurama and The Simpsons are beloved by geeks galore, and Family Guy and American Dad have raked in the ratings for Seth MacFarlane and FOX, but this just isn’t something we’d want to park our butts at for hours on end.

Girls, get ready. At 3:30PM meet the sexiest vampires on television with Kevin Williamson’s The Vampire Diaries. We love this show and would recommend going to the panel for Ian Somerhalder alone, but if you’re expecting any insight be forewarned – the good-looking cast spends the majority of the time feeding the frenzied females with their good looks.

At 4:30PM, Fringe is back, and after attending last year’s panel we’d say for pure entertainment there’s little that can come close. With such a deep mythology surrounding the premise of the show, the cast and crew spend a lot of time talking about the motivations of their characters and the direction of the story. They also get along great together, and John Noble is fantastic. Unfortunately, Joshua Jackson isn’t listed as a guest – but this just might be a ruse considering how season three ended. If he really doesn’t show up to the panel, it might suffer as a result. FOX will try to capitalize on the loyal fanbase of Fringe by debuting the pilot of the mid-season series Alcatraz, also from J. J. Abrams. We say this would be interesting enough to catch if you aren’t caught up in any of the smaller rooms.

Our advice? Terra Nova might be intriguing if they show enough exclusive footage. Otherwise, stop by for Vampire Diaries and stay through Fringe/Alcatraz.

Best Of The Rest

If you ask us, the rest of the con is the best part. It’s the panels you wouldn’t normally attend but just happen to be there for a magic moment. We feel that Saturday is the day for this. Lots of great panels fill the day in the smaller rooms, and you’d be cheating yourself of the best experience of Comic-Con if you didn’t check them out.

Comic books and video games are like chocolate and peanut butter, and if you’re looking to satisfy your appetite look no further than two Marvel video game panels. First at 10AM, join Activision in room 5AB as they discuss the upcoming titles X-Men Destiny and Spider-Man: Edge of Time. Later at 12:30 PM in room 6A, “learn all about Spider-Man: Edge of Time, X-Men Destiny, Captain America: Super Soldier, Super Hero Squad Online, Super Hero Squad 3DS and uDraw, Marvel Pinball, and the Marvel Universe MMO“, as well as “some exciting new details about the future of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and other Marvel games via exclusive trailers, surprise reveals, and Q&A with the game creators from some of the industry’s top publishers.”

At 10:30AM, Jeph Loeb of Marvel Television will be talking about popular Disney XD series The Avengers: World’s Mightiest Heroes, the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, and a few “surprises” – could this be the Hulk series from Guillermo del Toro we’ve been waiting for?

At 12PM in room 25ABC, if you can sit through the Kick Buttowski presentation you’ll be treated to some Tron: Uprising sneak peeks. Then you can skip over to room 9 at 2PM to get a look at the upcoming Marvel toys from Hasbro.

At 3PM, surprise, surprise! Joss Whedon is in the house! Technically, he’ll be in the Hilton Bayfront talking about the Angel & Faith and Buffy Season 9 comics from Dark Horse. But still, at least we don’t have to go a whole year without Joss at the con! Expect a packed house for this one.

At 4:15PM, hustle back to room 6A for the world premiere of the upcoming TV series Grimm, produced by Buffy and Angel vet David Greenwalt. Here’s another example a fairy tale reboot, but unlike Snow White earlier, the small screen is probably a good home for this sort of thing. Watching a pilot before anyone else gives you bragging rights among your friends and around the water cooler when these premiere on the networks in the fall. Another one you can claim is The Secret Circle at 5:15PM in room 6BCF. Another supernatural series from Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries, Scream), gives subs good-looking vampires with good-looking witches. Williamson is a superb writer and could turn the phone book into a fine read, so we have high hopes for this one.

And at 7PM in room 6DE, treat yourself to a proper comic book discussion and attend the annual Fables panel, where Bill Willingham will discuss the upcoming graphic novel Fables: Wherewolves of the Heartland. And who knows, maybe he’ll talk about the chances the Fables TV will ever see the light of day.

What did you think about the Saturday schedule? Any other panels stand out that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments!

We’re starting to feel a little deja vu. The Friday SDCC event schedule has been announced, and after going through it we immediately realized we were double and/or triple booked almost the entire day.

Welcome to the SDCC weekend, people. Get used to it.

You’re going to have to make some tough choices, as mentioned in Part 1 of our Newbie guide, because it’s physically impossible to be in two places at once. So, as the good friends that we are, we’re going to go through the events of the day and let you know which ones are worth attending, which are worth skipping, and how to score a seat at your favorite panel.

Hall H

Okay. Let us drop some names on you. Steven Spielberg. Peter Jackson. Daniel Craig. Simon Pegg. Edgar Wright. Joe Cornish. Holy moley. We’re talking The Adventures of Tintin at 11AM in Hall H. Now, the big question is who will be there. It’s rumored that Spielberg will make his first Comic-Con appearance along side Jackson, and we think this is a safe bet given the necessary promotion to get folks who don’t know what Tintin is (read: us in the U.S.). If indeed the cast and crew show, it will be the panel of the con. Heck, if half of them show up, it’ll be one helluva star-studded panel. This is an absolute can’t miss.

We’d hate to be Relativity Films, trying to follow up such an act with Raven and Haywire at 12PM. But any other day, a panel with guests John Cusack and first-timer Stephen Soderbergh would make headlines on its own. Two Steves, both directors, both Oscar winners for Best Director. I think that would officially debunk the rumors that Hollywood is sitting this con out. If anything, it’s becoming more like Cannes…

Is your mind blown yet? Well, if anyone said a panel with Underworld 4 at 1:30PM would be a little, well, underwhelming, in comparison, you’d probably agree. Well, what if we said the UK import Attack The Block, a genre-bending urban alien bug-hunt in South London (think Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels meets War of the Worlds), would also be sharing the stage? Sold. The aforementioned Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish will both be on hand for this one, along with Kate Beckinsale and Len Weisman to represent Underworld. Based on Wright’s secret showings of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World last year, we would hope he’d have the same appetite at this year’s con, given Attack The Block’s limited release in the U.S. thus far. Could he also bring with him Basement Jaxx, who provided the film’s original and awesome score? We hope so.

After these, we could all use a breather, and we get one – sort of. Dreamworks will be bringing the Fright Night remake to the con at 2:45PM, and with it the awesome cast of Colin Farrell (The Way Back), Anton Yelchin (Star Trek), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), and screenwriter Marti Noxon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).The original Fright Night has lasted the test of time and is one of our favorite films of the ’80s, so we have a sweet spot and high hopes for this one.

Okay, hope you caught your breath, because Sony is bringing four films at 4PM – Ghost Rider-Spirit of Vengeance (’nuff said), 30 Minutes or Less (from the director of Zombieland and starring Jessie Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari), Total Recall (with Kate Beckinsale, Colin Farrell and director Len Weisman – sound familiar?), and the one everyone’s been waiting for, The Amazing Spider-Man. Let’s be honest here, we all want to see what the Spider-Man reboot is all about. The fact that there are three other movies included in this panel which also peak our interest is just gravy.

Closing out the schedule in Hall H at 6:45PM is At The Drive-In, showcasing two “offbeat genre films” – Grave Encounters, a mock-reality TV movie about ghost hunters in a lockdown-gone-bad, and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, a comedy starring everyone’s favorite actor, Alan Tudyk (Serenity), with  a plot that sounds like Texas Chainsaw Massacre in reverse. This panel sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to end such a stellar day of events in the big hall.

Our advice? Seriously, are you kidding? There’s no doubt about it, get your assess to Mars, erm, Hall H, and stay put.

Ballroom 20

We feel sorry for the folks who love the TV schedule on Friday, because it’s also really great. It’s just that they’ll have to miss such a stellar movie lineup in Hall H at the same time. Let alone the other great TV going on in the smaller rooms, which we’ll get to later.

The first is Torchwood: MIracle Day at 10AM. The show premiered on STARZ already – July 8 – and has already established a dedicated fanbase from its three seasons on BBC. Having STARZ pick up a big-budget version on U.S. soil with American actors Bill Pullman and Mekhi Phifer join an already great cast, along with Jane Espenson’s (Buffy, BSG, Warehouse 13) writing chops, it’s sure to be great TV and a fun panel.

Next is AMC’s The Walking Dead at 11:15AM, sure to be one of the biggest panels of the ballroom, let alone the entire show. We all loved the first season, and we’re dying, no pun intended, to find out more about season two. Will it fall victim to network budget cuts as previously reported? And how will it stand up to a full 13-episode run this season? Show runner Frank Darabont and the rest of the cast will be on hand to ease everyone’s nerves and give us a sneak peak of the upcoming season.

At 12:30PM, the cast and crew of The Big Bang Theory will be back with hopefully more surprises and undoubtedly more laughs for those in attendance. We don’t know if they can top the live performance of the theme song by Barenaked Ladies like last year, but they will be screening some season two footage. This is sure to be another highly-attended panel, so you’ll have to get there mighty early to get a seat.

For fans of the long-running ratings hit Bones at 1:45PM, you’re in for a treat. Not only will David Boreanez and Emily Deschanel be on hand, but so will the new cast of The Finder, the Bones spin-off which will be premiering in the fall. It was widely publicized that the original lead for The Finder, Saffron Burrows, would be leaving the cast even though she appeared in an episode during Bones‘ season six.

If there is a breather during the day’s schedule, it might be Syfy’s Eureka at 3PM. Not that it isn’t a good show, which it is, or it doesn’t have a loyal following, which it does, or it won’t be a fun panel, because it always is. So what’s our point? We just lost it. Next is another Syfy favorite, the network’s highest rated series ever, and one of our favorite shows on television, Warehouse 13 at 4:15PM. We don’t know what we love best about this show – the stellar writing, the likeable characters or the chemistry among the actors. All three will be present at the panel.

Closing out the day is the other vampire sensation, HBO’s True Blood at 5:30PM. As season four just debuted to stellar ratings, expect folks to be camped out for this one early.

Our advise? Honestly, there are just too many great panels during the day. Since cloning isn’t an option, try getting there at Torchwood or Eureka to catch your favs.

Best of the Rest

At 10:30AM, be sure to catch the Locke & Key pilot screening in room 8. If you miss it there’s an encore presentation of the pilot at 9:15PM in room 6DE. This might be the only time you’ll be able to see the acclaimed pilot based on the comic, because FOX did not pick up the show for a season run. Following the pilot screening at 11:30AM, join the cast of the pilot for a Q&A panel. If you’re a video game fan, check out the Halo Universe panel, also at 11:30AM, in room 6BCF.

At 12:45PM, also in room 6BCF, Legendary Pictures will be holding a panel for their upcoming films Pacific Rim, Seventh Son, Paradise Lost, and Mass Effect. Yes, we said Mass Effect. Participants include Jeff Bridges, Bradley Cooper, and Guillermo del Toro.

At the Hilton Bayfront, be sure to check out Adult Swim’s Childrens Hospital at 1:30PM, undoubtedly the funniest show on television. The stellar cast will be on hand to split your sides and hopefully stitch them back up again.

At 2:15PM, catch an exclusive screening of the pilot for ABC’s upcoming supernatural series The River with Q&A in room 6A.

At 3PM in room 7AB, join a technical discussion with director Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Animation on what it takes to bring Star Wars: The Clone Wars to the small screen on a weekly basis. At 3:15PM, check out Falling Skies in room 6BCF for panel as they return to Comic-Con for the second year to celebrate their great season one ratings, and hopefully give attendees a taste of what’s to come for the recently announced season two. At 3:30PM in room 6A, check out an exclusive screening of the ThunderCats reboot on Cartoon Network a week early from it’s network premiere.

At 8PM and again at 10:15PM in Ballroom 20, catch the premiere of Batman: Year One, an animated adaptation of the popular comic run.

Okay, we’re exhausted just writing this – we can’t imagine being there! Check out our take on the Saturday schedule after it’s announced later today.

What are you most excited about? What are your undiscovered gems on the schedule? What big decisions are you going to have to make? Let us know in the comments!

Well, this is it. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. All the speculation comes to an end, as Comic-Con officially unveils their 2011 schedule of events. Today saw the announcement of Wednesday’s preview night event, and Thursday’s schedule. Who will be in Hall H? Will Hollywood really be sitting out on this year’s con? And which events are the ones that have us most interested? Click through the jump to find out more.

Wednesday, July 20 (Preview Night)

Just like how Warner Bros. had Nikita on infinite loop during last year’s preview night, they are once again holding court on the Con’s Eve to debut several eagerly-awaited new shows and releases. From 6-9PM, stop by Ballroom 20 to see the premieres of J. J. Abrams’ Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle and Supernatural: The Anime Series. The bad news – you’ll need a ticket with Preview Night access to partake in the activities. Damn those early ticket buyers!

Thursday, July 21

Hall H

So let’s start with the big one that people have already started to camp out for, and the most controversial among the true con die-hards. You know this as Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1, which will be the first panel of the day in the big hall starting at 11:15 AM. We’d venture to guess that the Hall will clear out after that, so if you aren’t on Team Edward or Team Jacob, you’ll probably have a good chance at a great seat for the rest of the panels. And not to hold anything against the following panel, Animation Showcase at 12:45PM, but like last year’s Megamind, it’s probably not going to attract huge crowds. Two family films will be showcased during the Animation Showcase panel – Arthur Christmas from Aardman and Sony Pictures and The Pirates! Band of Misfits starring Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven.

The rest of the day, to us anyway, is filled with can’t-miss events. Next up is the FilmDistrict Studio Panel at 2PM, where host of awesome guests – Guillermo Del Toro, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks to be precise – will be on-hand to discuss and show exclusive footage from Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and Drive. The panel with the most buzz thus far is the 20th Century Fox film panel at 3:15PM, which had no mention of any specific films or guests. What could the mystery film(s) be? Our guess – we’ll find out more about the Fantastic Four and Daredevil reboots, both coming from the house of Murdoch.

Coming in at 4:45PM is Robert Rodriguez’s Quick Draw Productions, which will cover its “new slate featuring special guest collaborators” as well as “also show exclusive material from his latest top-secret project” [read: Spy Kids 4 - ed.] And last but not least, Entertainment Weekly’s annual Visionaries panel at 6PM will this year feature an interview with con-faves Jon Favreau and Guillermo del Toro.

Our advice? Skip the Twilight panel (sorry, Twi-hards), hit the show floor and grab some lunch, then get in line during the Animation Showcase. And get comfy, because you’ll be there for the rest of the day.

Ballroom 20

If you’re a TV fan, there’s no better place to be than Ballroom 20 during the con. And if you’re both a TV and a movie fan, you’re going to have to make some tough decisions. Judging from just the Thursday schedule, this will be a welcome problem to have. Starting at 10AM is a bit of a disappointment as it’s a Burn Notice panel, but again sans the regular cast besides Bruce Campbell and creator Matt Nix. And it’s not technically a Burn Notice panel, because they’re calling it The Fall of Sam Axe, which debuted on USA a couple of months back. Bruce and Matt put on a good show last year, but when are we going to get that proper panel with the complete cast of regulars? The USA Network continues to parade their schedule at 11:15 AM, with Covert Affairs, and then at 12:30 PM with the return of Psych.

At 1:45 PM, Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to Comic-Con with her new fall show, Ringer. Following at 3PM is HBO’s Game of Thrones, moderated by author George R. R. Martin. Undoubtedly these two will be the day’s most popular in the Ballroom.

At 4:15 PM is TV Guide’s Annual Fan Favorites panel with an all-star guest list – Nestor Carbonell (Ringer), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory),  Jorge Garcia (Alcatraz), Leslie Hope (The River), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Julie Plec (Vampire Diaries), Matt Smith (Doctor Who ), Kevin Williamson (Vampire Diaries), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), and others. Kinda like Circus of the Stars, only with more stars and less cheese. Then from 5:30PM – 7:30PM is Showtime’s panel entitled Tired of Ordinary Television? with Dexter, Shameless and an exclusive look at their new series, Homeland. After hours, the Ballroom will host the Star Wars Fan Movie Awards at 8:30PM

Our advice? Skip the Burn Notice and Covert Affairs panels, get in line for the always-entertaining Psych panel, and stay there through the Showtime panel. Grab some dinner and squeeze back into the Ballroom for the Star Wars Fan Awards for some entertaining evening programming.

Shall We Play A Game?

If this is the year Hollywood skips the con, it might also very well be the year video games move in. Day 1 has an unprecedented 13 video gaming panels. Starting right at 10AM, you’ll have to decide whether you want to learn more about Jenova Chen’s (Flower) new PSN game Journey, or LucasArts’ new Star Wars game for the Xbox Kinect. At 11AM, you can catch a behind-the-scenes look at G4′s X-Play or find out more about the writing behind the upcoming Deus Ex: Human Revolution. At 12PM, Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios will follow-up their 2010 unveiling of Kingdom of Amalur RPG from Todd McFlarlane and R. A. Salvatore with a look at how the game’s development has progressed a year later. If RPGs aren’t your thing, skip on over to The Darkness panel with the comic’s creator Marc Silvestri for a look at the FPS sequel.

At 1PM, Blizzard will break their long-standing exclusive to BlizzCon and hold the World of Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft Swag Show. Legendary Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono will join Katsuhiro Harada of Tekken for the Street Fighter X Tekken panel at 2:15PM. Slotted at 4:30PM is a look at the future of NCSoft’s City of Heroes MMO, and maybe here’s where you can score a ticket to their Meet & Greet at the Hard Rock, too. 4:45PM is host to another MMO, but this one is the long-awaited Star Wars: The Old Republic from BioWare. At 5PM take your choice of attending the Batman: Arkham City panel with Mark Hamill, Jim Lee and Paul Dini, or check out Sony’s Resistance 3. An easy choice? We think so. Then at 6PM, check out Cliff Blezinski’s Gears of War 3 moderated by G4′s Adam Sessler, or run over to the Hilton Bayfront to see what Voltron games THQ has in store.

Our take? You’ll win any which way you look at it if you’re a gaming fan. Most of these should be playable on the show floor as well, so if you miss out on the panels, you’ll still be able to go hands on with them if you want.

Best Of The Rest

Which panels should you still try to catch? Well, there’s the 10AM TheOneRing.Net Hobbit Talk panel, which guarantees “the street-level latest (authorized and unauthorized) as well as spy reports, rumors, and even informed opinions. Surprise guests are a possibility; audio and visuals are a given with a Q&A and all sorts of fun.” Sounds like a great way to go back to Middle Earth.

At 1PM, the Marvel Digital Media Group will be on hand to talk about “Marvel digital comics, casual games, original streaming video productions, social media outreach, and the future of Marvel’s ever-expanding digital endeavors”, which definitely sounds interesting to us. And heck, it’s about comics, so it gives us some street cred. It’s Comic-Con, after all! If you’re a DC fan, check out DC Comics: The New 52 at 2PM about their new line of “number one” issues coming in September.

If you’re a fan of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network, catch a sneak peak of season four with supervising director Dave Filoni at 4:45PM. At the complete opposite of the spectrum, the fellow-animated classic comedy Beavis & Butthead will be making a return to television, and MTV is bringing creator Mike Judge and new footage to share at 5PM, while FX’s oddball comedy Wilfred starring Elijah Wood will be on-hand for a Q&A at 6:15PM.

Comic-Con will be releasing a schedule each day – tomorrow be on the lookout for the Friday schedule!

Are there any panels you are most excited to see? Any we missed? Let us know in the forums below.

A handful more TV shows were recently confirmed for the con so I thought I’d run them down and give my thoughts.

First on the MTV and Syfy side we have:

• Beavis & Butthead – Very cool. First con panel and I expect it’ll be well received.
• Good Vibes – Writer/director David Gordon Green is behind this upcoming animated MTV show but what it looks like and what it’ll be about is still totally a mystery. Nothing has really been written about it for over a year (here’s the last known bit of news) and I guess MTV will use the con to essentially premiere it. I’m intrigued by the mystery but doubtful based on how long it’s been out of the public eye.
• Teen Wolf – I have no idea why this is coming. The panel they had last year bombed and I have to expect it’ll be even less attended this year now that people know how terrible it is. It just kinda feels like a waste of time, space, and effort.
• Eureka and Warehouse 13 - It’s good to know that Syfy is bringing back its fan favorites and I expect them to put as much effort into making the panels fun and interesting as they have in the past.
• Grimm – I’m still doubtful about how well it’ll work as a show (based on the trailer) but I’m happy to see NBC has enough confidence to bring it to the con. Hopefully the buzz coming out of the panel will be good enough to convince people like me to check it out.

FX announced their entire slate which includes Archer, Wilfred, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Sons of Anarchy. Nice to see some variety and though none of the shows are perfect con fits, all are likely to garner a crowd and a couple have had success in the past. The full details are below but the most interesting thing is that Always Sunny and SoA are both in Hall H on Sunday. I doubt either will fill it up but it’s good for the fans since it means less waiting and most likely a guaranteed seat (even if it’s not a great one).

Thursday, July 21

Archer
Talent Attending Stars H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash; Creator/Executive Producer Adam Reed
1:15pm – 2:30pm FOX Booth Signing
4:00pm – 5:00pm Screening & Panel, Room: Indigo (1700 seats)

Wilfred
Talent Attending Stars Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelman, Dorian Brown; Executive Producer David Zuckerman, Co-Executive Producer/Director Randall Einhorn
3:30pm – 4:45pm FOX Booth Signing
6:15pm – 7:30pm Panel, Room: 6A (1000 seats)

Sunday, July 24
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Talent Attending Stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito
10:30am – 11:15am FOX Booth Signing
2:45pm – 3:30pm Panel & Screening, Room: Hall H (5000 seats)

Sons of Anarchy
Talent Attending Stars Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal; Creator/Executive Producer Kurt Sutter.
11:15am – noon FOX Booth Signing
3:30pm – 4:00pm Panel, Room: Hall H (5000 seats)

The people putting on the panel are actually IDW Publishing, who puts out the comic, and this is a pretty big deal. No show has ever had a con panel with the knowledge it’ll never have a second episode and most fans expected the pilot to disappear forever. I think this is true con greatness as not only are you getting to see something first, you’re seeing something that’s likely to be locked away in a vault for a very long time. Though Ballroom 20 and Hall H might have the bigger sepctacle, this is definitely high on my list for must-see panels.

The weird thing though, is that because of crazy packed SDCC scheduling, the screening will be in Room 8 and the panel in Room 9. I guess they will just shift the entire audience over (neither is that huge a room) but I’ve never heard of it being done before. Deadline had the scoop.

Will you make this a priority?

UPDATE: After scanning the list more carefully it also reveals TV will stick to Ballroom 20 as its largest room on Thursday through Saturday but will be taking over Hall H on Sunday (with at least Buffy Musical and Supernatural).

Wow. WBTV just announced they’re bringing 16 shows to the con! After the big lack-of-movies freak out, it’s good to see that TV might be having its biggest con ever. In addition to listing the times and locations for each panel, WB also provided the tentative list of talent for each and it’s pretty impressive. That and some details about their always amazing booth lie below.

RETURNING FAVORITES

“The Big Bang Theory”: Stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch join creators/executive producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, and executive producer Steven Molaro

“Chuck”: Stars Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky with Sarah Lancaster and Adam Baldwin join co-creator/executive producer Chris Fedak for a panel to discuss the fan-favorite spy series’ final season

“Fringe”: Stars Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole and John Noble join executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman

“Nikita”: Stars Maggie Q, Shane West and Lyndsy Fonseca join executive producer Craig Silverstein

“Supernatural”: Series stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles will topline the panel, held this year for the first time ever in Hall H. Additional cast members and executive producers to be announced.

“The Vampire Diaries”: Stars Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Candice Accola and Joseph Morgan join executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec

“Childrens Hospital”: Star/executive producer Rob Corddry and executive producers Jonathan Stern join stars Malin Akerman, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel and Megan Mullally

NEW SERIES

“Alcatraz”: Stars Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia join executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff

“Person of Interest”: Stars Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson and Taraji P. Henson join executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman

“The Secret Circle”: Stars Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Phoebe Tonkin and Natasha Henstridge join executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson, Andrew Miller and Richard Hatem

WARNER BROS. ANIMATION

“Green Lantern: The Animated Series”: Executive producer Bruce Timm will join producer Giancarlo Volpe and producer/story editor Jim Krieg for a panel moderated by executive producer/Warner Bros. Animation’s Sam Register

“The Looney Tunes Show”: Supervising producers Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone, story editor Hugh Davidson and writer Rachel Ramras

“MAD”: “MAD” television show producers Kevin Shinick and Mark Marek, along with MAD magazine editor John Ficarra, art director Sam Viviano and “Spy vs. Spy” artist Peter Kuper

“Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”: Supervising producers Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone and producer Mitch Watson

“ThunderCats”: Producers Michael Jelenic and Ethan Spaulding, and art director Dan Norton

“Young Justice”: Producers Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman, and lead character designer Phil Bourassa

THE BOOTH

And it wouldn’t be Comic-Con without a visit to the Warner Bros. booth. The Studio will once again have a can’t-miss, nearly 3,000-square-foot destination on the convention floor, at space #4545. Anchored by the iconic Warner Bros. Water Tower, the booth is a must-visit location for autograph signings, multiple interactive kiosks for fans to play video games from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and much, much more. Stay tuned to @TheWBdotcom on Twitter or www.thewb.com/comiccon in the coming weeks for more details about activities at the booth.

SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK PILOT SCREENINGS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 • 6–9 PM • BALLROOM 20

WBTVG continues its Comic-Con tradition of hosting a special sneak peek premiere event on preview night. This year, the Studio is offering fans the opportunity to see some of the most anticipated new premieres of the year.

“Alcatraz”: Executive producers J.J. Abrams and Elizabeth Sarnoff deliver a chilling new midseason drama for FOX revolving around America’s most infamous prison, the one-time home to the nation’s worst murderers, rapists, kidnappers, thieves and arsonists.

“The Secret Circle”: The ordinary becomes extraordinary in this romantic drama about a coven of young witches, from “The Vampire Diaries” executive producer Kevin Williamson, based upon the book series by L.J. Smith (“The Vampire Diaries”).

“Person of Interest”: From J.J. Abrams and “The Dark Knight” co-writer Jonathan Nolan comes an action-packed hour for CBS about an ex-CIA operative and a mysterious billionaire who team up to stop violent crimes before they happen in New York City.

“Supernatural: The Anime Series”: The popular series “Supernatural” makes history this summer as the first-ever live-action show to be re-imagined in Japanese anime style. Renowned animation studio Madhouse — working with the full approval of series creator Eric Kripke — produced the anime series, which mirrors the story arc of “Supernatural’s” first two seasons, providing supplemental stories ranging from prequels and spin-offs to untold tales that fit within the “Supernatural” mythology.

THE TV SERIES SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JULY 22

“MAD”: 10:00–11:00 a.m., Room 25ABC

“The Big Bang Theory”: 12:30–1:30 p.m., Ballroom 20

“Childrens Hospital”: 1:30–2:20 p.m., Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

“Green Lantern: The Animated Series”: 2:00–3:00 p.m., Room 6BCF

“ThunderCats”: 3:30–4:30 p.m., Room 6A

SATURDAY, JULY 23

“Chuck”: 10:00–10:45 a.m., Ballroom 20

“The Vampire Diaries”: 3:30–4:15 p.m., Ballroom 20

“Fringe”: 4:15–5:00 p.m., Ballroom 20

“Alcatraz”: 5:00–6:00 p.m., Ballroom 20

“The Secret Circle”: 5:10–6:00 p.m., Room 6BCF

“Nikita”: 6:00–6:45 p.m., Room 6BCF

“Person of Interest”: 6:45–7:30 p.m., Room 6BCF

SUNDAY, JULY 24

“Young Justice”: 10:00–11:00 a.m., Room 7AB

“Supernatural”: 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Hall H

“Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”: 1:00–2:00 p.m., Room 6A

“The Looney Tunes Show”: 2:15–3:15 p.m., Room 6A