Warner Brothers Introduces Upcoming Films At Comic-Con

The Warner Brothers panel early Friday morning was full to capacity at San Diego’s 2009 Comic-Con. The first film to be introduced was Where The Wild Things Are, where new star Max Record enchanted the audience with his warm, natural presence and impromptu speech. Standing there in front of several thousand enthusiastic people must have been overwhelming for the young Max, but he handled himself well and was able to recover as we watched a clip from the movie.

The film’s style was intriguing and the puppet-like characters reminded me of Sid and Marty Kroft’s creations from long ago. They are life-size, yet capable of showing personality and emotion. I wasn’t very excited about this film when originally announced, but now I’m curious enough that I really want to go. Artistically this film is a real challenge and I liked what I saw. I’m really rooting for this film and hope they nailed it.

The next film to be introduced was The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. This film was presented to us by showing an animated short, which was moving and powerful. The animated clip gives us some back-story on Gary Oldman’s character, Carnegie, and how he may have grown up with an extreme prejudice to anything religious. The filmmakers and the star were very vague about giving us more details, but Gary Oldman let it slip that the book of Eli may be about a super hero with the initials J.C. I’ll be watching for more info. The subsequent live-action clip showed a badass Denzel Washington in a post-apocalyptic world. The Hughes brothers have created a very stylish film.

The Third film to be presented was a re-make of Nightmare On Elm Street with Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger. I heard a lot of grumbling around me on this one. Although no one had a problem with Jackie Earle Haley taking on the role, some people had a problem with the film being remade at all. Why mess with a classic? The filmmakers justified their decision by stating that they are introducing the franchise to a whole new generation. They also promised that the new Nightmare would be even scarier. I’ll take their word on that one.

The Box was shown to us next. This film is a psychological thriller based on a what-if premise. What if a man showed up on your doorstep and offered you a million dollars to push a button, knowing that if you do, someone you didn’t know would die. This Twilight Zone type of story stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as the couple who must face this moral dilemma. Frank Langella plays the mysterious, creepy, man who holds the box and a suitcase full of money. I like my horror films to be more cerebral, so I’ll probably enjoy this one.

Out of all the films that were introduced to us, the one I’m the most excited about is Jonah Hex. I was completely unfamiliar with this comic-book character going in to this panel, but I love the premise. Set in the Civil War era, Jonah Hex is a Western Bounty Hunter who roams the country taking out bad guys. He is a scarred, flawed, anti-hero with many personal demons, and I loved the look that Josh Brolin brings to the character. I really like Westerns so I’m looking forward to this film. The movie looks very cool with a touch of magic and mysticism.

The final film in the Warner Brothers panel was Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The filmmakers have promised that they have gone back to the source material and have taken great pains to give us a more authentic Holmes. I’m a little skeptical; the film clips were focused on a lot of action. But, I’ll reserve my judgment until I’ve seen the film. Holmes is a favorite character of mine and I’ve read all of the short stories. Although I like both Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, my concern is that they may have gone too modern, or have tried too hard to make Holmes relevant for today’s kids. In my opinion Holmes is a classic character and is as relevant today as he ever was. I’m open to another go, just don’t mess it up. You don’t want to alienate your older fans in trying to serve the younger.