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Comic-Con 2010 is finally over, and we've got the blisters, sore throats and random swag to prove it. But Comic-Con is all about news and surprises, of course, and this year's convention had plenty in store. From the reveal of the 'Avengers' cast to the announcement of Linda Hamilton as Chuck's mom on 'Chuck,' here are the 10 biggest stories -- five from movies and five from TV -- that had fans buzzing.


The 5 Biggest Movies Stories at Comic-Con

1. The 'Marvel' panel lives up to the hype.
By far the most anticipated panel of Comic-Con was that of Marvel Studios, which promoted a lineup of 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Thor,' though it was widely expected that there would also be a "secret" presentation at the end announcing the cast of 2012's 'The Avengers.'

The first two panels alone were enough to make fanboys froth at the mouth: After a teaser trailer depicting Captain America (Chris Evans) in his suit hurling his shield toward the camera, director Joe Johnston showed a scene featuring Hugo Weaving as Red Skull -- despite the fact that the movie's only been shooting for a week. (The footage was so rough, it still had time codes at the bottom.) The 'Thor' trailer was longer, with a fantasy/historical/action feel, a strong romantic storyline between Thor and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and ... Hemsworth shirtless.

Then the big reveal. The screen went black, Samuel Jackson's voice narrated a trailer tease for 'The Avengers' as the title treatment appeared, and the cast came out on stage: Jackson (Nick Fury), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), and the three previously missing pieces of the puzzle in Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo "reprising" (or more accurately, replacing Edward Norton in) the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk, and Joss Whedon as the movie's director. Those people lucky enough to be in the room had never felt prouder to call themselves geeks.

2. 'Scott Pilgrim' screening wows the fans.
There'd been a lot of buzz around Edgar Wright's adaptation of the comic-book series 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,' and Universal had a huge presence at Comic-Con, including a Scott Pilgrim Experience which allowed fans to customize t-shirts or make flip books of themselves and their friends. (Note: We made a flip book ourselves, and we think it's hilarious.) The movie, which stars Michael Cera as a guy who has to defeat seven evil exes to win the girl of his dreams (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), had its premiere on Thursday night, and it proved to be quirky, unusual and fun, with highly stylized effects that mimic aspects of video games and comics. While it remains to be seen how the movie will fare with general audiences, the fans went crazy for it, and certainly there was no better place to see the movie than in a packed theater at Comic-Con. Fans who stuck around were treated to a special performance by the indie band Metric.

3. Han Solo and James Bond, together at last.
Jon Favreau, with two 'Iron Man' films under his belt, already has plenty of cred at Comic-Con; so when he came out to present the panel for his sci-fi Western 'Cowboys and Aliens,' there were enthusiastic cheers for him alone. Then he brought out the cast: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell ... and, making his surprise Comic-Con debut, Harrison Ford, who was escorted by police officers and handcuffed in apparent reference to the man who, at a previous panel, had stabbed someone in the eye with a ballpoint pen (though it was later reported that the Ford stunt had actually been planned earlier, as a joke that he was being forced to appear against his will). The crowd exploded. Han Solo and James Bond -- plus Indiana Jones -- on a panel together? Madness!

4. 'Tron' footage and party takes fans back to the future.
Comic-Con has been a major showcase for 'Tron: Legacy' ever since the first trailer debuted there three years ago. As expected, the film, which opens in theaters this December, was highlighted both in a packed panel -- where eight minutes of footage was shown, including a scene in which Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is taken into the game and has his outfit put on him by four "Tron girls" -- and a buzzed-about party at Flynn's Arcade, which had been done up to look like an abandoned arcade and a futuristic nightclub, complete with people in skin-tight costumes who wandered through the crowds with vacant looks on their faces. (In attendance at the party were stars Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain and director Joe Kosinski.)

5. Warner Bros. panel shows new 'Harry Potter' footage, but 'Sucker Punch' gets the buzz.
Although 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is one of the biggest movies of the fall, there wasn't much hype surrounding that panel, with only one cast member (Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy) in attendance. But the terrific extended footage from Part 1 of the film went over big -- the scenes, which showed a heightened intensity as the series draws to a close, included Harry and Ron fighting in the tent, a shot of Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour, a glimpse of the seven Harrys, and Hermione firing her wand -- and there's hope that at next year's Comic-Con, the full cast will appear to promote the final film.

Next came the 'Green Lantern' panel, and if fans were disappointed that the footage didn't show Green Lantern in his suit, Ryan Reynolds' charm more than made up for it. In what must have been the most endearing moment of this year's Comic-Con, the actor responded to a young fan's question about the oath by reciting it from memory ("In brightest day, in blackest night ..."), then growling out the end, "Beware my power ... Green Lantern's light!" while holding up the Green Lantern ring on his finger. He also signed a comic book for the fan, whose day, presumably, had just been made.

But the biggest buzz coming out of the Warner Bros. panel was for Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch,' a fantasy-action film with an all-female cast that includes Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung and Jena Malone. The footage from the movie, which is about a young woman (Browning) who attempts to escape from an insane asylum before she is lobotomized, looked stylish and explosive; but we can't describe it better than our friends at Cinematical, who tweeted, "OMG Sucker Punch is Tarantino meets Final Fantasy meets your most erotic fetish dream."

The 5 Biggest TV Stories at Comic-Con

1. Linda Hamilton is Mama Bartowski on 'Chuck.'
'Chuck' fans, you have your mother. Yep, after months of speculation the cast and crew revealed Hamilton's role on 'Chuck' and more about the upcoming season and its various guest stars -- the Old Spice guy (!) -- at their Comic-Con panel. Turns out Linda Hamilton called up series creator Josh Schwartz about the coveted role. Cool, huh?

2. 'Supernatural' stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki spill details on season 6.
One of The CW's most popular shows is sticking around past its original five-year plan and we sat down with the stars and creators to find out what's up with Sam and Dean.

3. 'The Walking Dead' have risen.
AMC's new zombie series has been generating a ton of buzz both at Comic-Con and in the overall TV world. At the convention zombies roamed around to the delight of the audience. We've got news in a roundup here and even more panel coverage here. The show is based on a Robert Kirkman-penned comic book series based in Los Angeles, but the series was filmed in Atlanta ... leaving one fan at the panel very angry.

4. 'Glee' tackles 'Rocky Horror.'
You may have heard of this little show called 'Glee.' Well, it's back for a second season, tackling Britney Spears episode centered on the scene-stealing cheerleader, Brittany. Plus, the kids are going to do 'Rocky Horror'! For more tidbits, including new romantic pairings, check out our panel coverage.

5. 'Dexter' debuts a killer season 5 trailer.
'Dexter' always seems to make quite the impression on everybody, not just the anti-hero's victims. This year, fans were treated to a very memorable season 5 trailer. We have the trailer and are so excited! What do you think, 'Dexter' fans?

Source: Moviefone

 

After eight months of swordfighting on the set of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," star Andy Whitfield had a real battle to fight, with Stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

So of course, when Zap2it caught up with Whitfield at Comic-Con in San Diego, our first question was about how he's feeling now that he's cancer-free.

"Amazing," he says immediately. "I feel better than ever, like, seriously, I feel like I'm 10 years younger. I had a good rest."

Whitfield is back in training for Season 2 of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which will begin shooting three months from now. Since he only had one month to prepare for Season 1, he's not concerned, despite the fact that he does 90% of his own stunts.

Move over Tru Blood! Jones Soda presents the official drink of Sunnydale's vampire slayers.

This just in! If you're one of the thousands of thirsty Comic-Con attendees heading to the convention center tomorrow and you happen to be a Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan, listen up! Jones Soda, purveryors of fine fantasy-themed beverages, such as Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering sodas (ahh! The taste of carbonated red mana!) have got a new vampiric brew on tap for you here at San Diego Comic-Con.

Starting tomorrow morning, look for Jones Soda trucks driving around the Gaslamp district, dispensing Buffy The Vampire Slayer soda! We've got a preview of two of the flavors, "Dawn's a Centaur! Root Beer" and "Giles' Grape Potion." For more info on these beverages straight out of the Sunnydale High cafeteria vending machine, head to Jones Soda's official site. We'll surely be downing these tomorrow on our way into the Whedon/Abrams panel!

As A Designer With A Unisex Line!




Are you going to scoop up one of her creations?

While most people in their 80’s like to spend their days relaxing, Betty White is busy with her bustling career! In fact, according to WWD the star even added a new title to her resume — fashion designer. Betty has teamed up with Jerry Leigh Apparel to create unisex tees and hoodies that feature a black and white image of Betty and her name. Available in August, the creations will range from $28-$48 and the hoodies feature washable ear buds and a jack to plug into iPods and MP3 players. A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Morris Animal Foundation where Betty is a trustee. As if you needed a reason to proudly sport Betty on your chest!

A tank top and jeans? What would Chuck Bass say?

Gossip Girl hunk Ed Westwick welcomed the Marlon Brando comparisons when he was spotted wearing a Brando tank top while walking around Paris earlier this week. While we all adore Brando we are a wee bit more excited to catch a glimpse of Ed's muscular arms and many tattoos in the revealing tank top. Get us two tickets to the gun show!

The 23-year-old British actor sported dark denim jeans, a red rosary necklace, and dark brown loafers as he walked to the Gossip Girl's Parisian set to film some smooch scenes with French actress Clemence Poesy.

HBO just released the official loglines for True Blood‘s five August episodes and, as per usual, they’re pretty damn spoilery.



Episode #31: ”Hitting the Ground”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 1
“Imperiled by Lorena (Mariana Klaveno), Sookie (Anna Paquin) goes to extremes in her attempt to save Bill (Stephen Moyer)—with unforeseen consequences. Sam (Sam Trammell) infiltrates a dogfighting ring to extricate Tommy (Marshall Allman) from his parents’ (J. Smith Cameron, Cooper Huckabee) greedy influence. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) heads to jail to uncover the truth about Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher); Summer (Melissa Rauch) makes a home-cooked play for Hoyt’s (Jim Parrack) affections; Debbie (Brit Morgan) vows revenge on Alcide (Joe Manganiello); Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) uses Hadley (Lindsey Haun) as bait to get information from Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood); Russell (Denis O’Hare) turns his back on the Authority, and on the Magister (Zeljko Ivanek).”

Episode #32: ”Night on the Sun”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“Shaken and disillusioned, Sookie rethinks her relationship with Bill. Sophie-Anne takes up a new residence as Russell plots his next move. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Bill reconcile; Jason throws down the gauntlet in hopes of saving Crystal; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) gets a surprise visit from his mom, Ruby Jean (Alfre Woodard); Sam tries to keep Tommy in check; Merlotte’s gets a new waitress; Eric proves the depth of his allegiance to Russell. Sookie finds herself in a vulnerable position when Alcide needs to deal with a family emergency.”

Episode #33: “Everything Is Broken”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 15 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“With the ratification of the Vampire Rights Amendment at hand, Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck) detours to Fangtasia to confront Eric about the Magister’s disappearance. A grief-stricken Russell vows revenge against his foes, vampire and human. Awaking from a slumber, Bill uncovers the truth about Sookie’s true identity. Jason gets unexpected help as he goes up against Felton (James Harvey Ward) and Calvin (Gregory Sporleder). Sam is distressed by Tommy’s attitude; Tara (Rutina Wesley) encounters a new ally and an old tormentor; Hadley introduces Sookie to a new family member; Arlene (Carrie Preston) despairs about her future; Hoyt confronts his true feelings.”

Episode #34: ”I Smell a Rat”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face. Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V. Sam’s recent fit of rage triggers dark memories. Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly (Lauren Bowles) for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt. After communing with Talbot (Theo Alexander), Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.”

Episode #35: ”Fresh Blood”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“Bill tries to earn back Sookie’s trust, but ends up bringing her face-to-face with fresh dangers. Knowing he’s no physical match for the King, Eric tempts Russell with the “ultimate vampire dream.” Jason tries to wrap his head around Crystal’s revelation. Sam embraces his dark side, alienating everyone except Tara. Hoyt and Jessica take their romance to the next level; with Holly’s help, Arlene puts her future in the hands of a goddess; post V-trip, Lafayette struggles with new demons.”

Production starts today (Monday 12 July) on the 2010 Doctor Who BBC One Christmas Special in which the thrilling adventures of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and newlyweds Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) will continue in a fun-filled and heartfelt festive story.

In the grand tradition of Doctor Who Christmas specials, this year the show has once again attracted stellar guest stars as veteran actor Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, The Singing Detective) and opera diva Katherine Jenkins, in her first acting role, join the Time Lord for what might be his most Christmassy adventure yet!

Arriving on set for her first day of filming, Katherine Jenkins said: "I'm over the moon to be involved in the Doctor Who Christmas Special – I can't quite believe it as it's a part of the family tradition at the Jenkins household. I heard the news that I got the role on my 30th birthday and it was the best birthday present ever!"

About the series, lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat, commented: "Oh, we're going for broke with this one. It's all your favourite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters and the Doctor and a honeymoon and – oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbours loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically."

The Christmas special follows on from Matt Smith's first series as The Doctor, which attracted huge critical acclaim for Smith, his companion, Gillan, and lead writer Moffat, from press and legions of fans alike.

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, said: "Matt Smith and Karen Gillan captivated audiences in their debut series and Doctor Who's clever twist on the much loved A Christmas Carol will thrill BBC One viewers this year with special guest stars Sir Michael Gambon and singing sensation Katherine Jenkins joining Amy and the Doctor for an unforgettable present!"

The series was co-commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning for BBC One, and Jay Hunt, Controller of BBC One. Steven Moffat is lead writer and executive producer with Piers Wenger and Beth Willis also executive producing.

Filming on the Christmas special will continue until August 2010.

BBC Press Office