Johnny Depp scolded Comic-Con International attendees in character as Ebenezer Scrooge as the nation’s largest pop culture convention opened Thursday, emerging from a snow-covered fake downtown San Diego store marked with a “Scrooge and Marley” sign.According to the Associated Press, the actor, dressed in a coat and top hat, called out to the assembled crowd: “Do you have a job? You look like you have so much free time. Why are you here?” As onlookers recorded on their mobile phones and shouted “Merry Christmas!”, Depp replied gruffly: “All I can say is that you are very, very strange people. before heading back into the building.
Johnny Depp’s “Ebenezer” marks the accomplished star’s first studio film in eight years
‘Ebenezer’, which will be released on November 13, represents the return of the actor to a major film production after a long absence from the screen. Its appearance on the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter—outside of any official panels—reflects a more guerrilla marketing approach that some studios have taken to the expo in recent years.
The actor greeted his characters at San Diego Comic-Con, marking one of his biggest public promotional appearances in recent years. Image Credit (Instagram)
More than 120,000 people are expected at the four-day convention, which began in 1970 with a gathering of several hundred sci-fi and comic book fans. Since then, the event has become an important platform for entertainment industry announcements and fan engagement.
Comic-Con will remain in San Diego until 2030
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced Wednesday that the convention will remain in the city until 2030, addressing earlier concerns that the city’s event and hotel space might not be enough to contain growing crowds. Organizers had previously floated moving to Los Angeles or another big city. Gloria said the announcement “reflects our shared commitment to the fans, creators, companies and workers who make Comic-Con unlike anything else in the world.“PJ Richardson, 44, drove cross-country from Orlando, Fla., with his family for his first Comic-Con International experience. “It’s Mecca. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so we had to come. This was a thousand times over,” he said, marveling at the magnitude of the toys and collectibles on display in the bayfront exhibit.
ENHYPEN Meets ‘Twilight’ Cast at Comic-Con’s Vampire Storytelling Panel
K-pop group ENHYPEN joined Catherine Hardwicke, director of the first ‘Twilight’ film, and franchise actors Peter Facinelli and Ashley Greene for a Thursday panel on vampire storytelling. The moment exemplified the pop culture exchanges that define the convention experience.
Hall H panels and major superhero announcements dominate the Comic-Con lineup
The superhero franchise is using the convention to build hype for the December release of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, with the set set to return to Hall H on Saturday, the most anticipated time of the four-day event. The presentation aims to chart a path forward as public interest in superhero movies has waned.
Horror comedy “Widow’s Bay” and “Spaceballs: The New One” highlight prestige content
The cast of the comedy-horror series “Widow’s Bay” is expected to visit the Bayside Convention Center on Saturday to celebrate the production’s success and connect with fans.Comedy fans will get updates on ‘Spaceballs: The New One’ at a panel on Friday, with the film set for release next year with Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman and 100-year-old Mel Brooks reprising their roles from Brooks’ 1987 spoof, demonstrating Comic-Con’s continued role as a launchpad for important and generational genres.