San Diego Comic Con 2009 - Horrifying Wednesday and Thursday Schedules

Undoubtedly, the best is yet to come from this year's San Diego Comic-Con, but we've got the scoop on all the horrific delights you can look forward to during Preview Night and the first full day of the event.

Wednesday – July 22

6:00-9:00 PM: Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings - Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly present exclusive pilot premiere screenings of some of the most buzzed-about new TV series of the 2009–2010 season—Human Target, V, and The Vampire Diaries—as well as an exclusive preview trailer for additional upcoming shows.

The Vampire Diaries
Writer/producer Kevin Williamson (the Scream movies) is back with The Vampire Diaries, an edgy and romantic new drama in which two vampire brothers—one good, one evil—are at war for the soul of one girl. Based on the best-selling book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, the show stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Everwood), Ian Somerhalder (Lost), Steven R. McQueen (Everwood), Katerina Graham (17 Again), Sara Canning (Smallville), Candice Accola (Supernatural), Zach Roerig (Friday Night Lights), Kayla Ewell (Entourage), and Michael Trevino (The Riches). Williamson, Leslie Morgenstein (Gossip Girl), and Bob Levy (Gossip Girl) are the executive producers for Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment, and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The Vampire Diaries will air Thursdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT this fall on The CW, premiering September 10. – Ballroom 20

Thursday – July 23

10:00-11:00 - Masters of the Web - For the third year in a row the most popular genre and movie websites are coming together to discuss how new media have affected moviemaking, what it takes to run a popular site, and much more in a panel discussion and Q&A session. Participants include Robert Sanchez (IESB.net), Ryan Rotten (Shocktilyoudrop.com), Mike Sampson (Joblo.com), Jeremy Smith (Aintitcoolnews.com), Brad Miska (Bloody-Disgusting.com), Drew McWeeny (Hitfix.com), Devin Faraci (CHUD.com), Paul Christensen (Movieweb.com), Wilson Morales (Blackfilm.com/AOL Black Voices), Vic Holtreman (Screenrant.com), and George Roush (Latinoreview.com). Director Kevin Munroe (TMNT, Dead of Night) moderates, with Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington on hand to preview an exclusive sneak peek of their new film Dead of Night, based on the Dylan Dog comic books. Room 32AB

11:00-12:30 - Disney: 3D Panel - Walt Disney Pictures presents key filmmakers, select cast members and previously unseen footage from its upcoming slate, including Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Alice In Wonderland and Tron. Special guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger, and moderator Patton Oswalt. Hall H

12:30-1:30 - Dante's Inferno - Jonathan Knight (executive producer, EA), Ash Huang (art director), Brandon Auman (writer), Christos Gage (writer), and Diego Latorre (artist) talk about the adaptation of this literary classic into pop culture. They will discuss how they translated the various aspects of The Divine Comedy into a video game, an animated feature, and a comic series, where they were faithful and where they invented, and how each of the mediums differs. Also get a peak at EA's game in development, and also watch the world premiere trailer for the animated feature Dante's Inferno co-produced by EA and Starz Media. Room 8

12:30-1:30 - Crime: Usual and Unusual — The heart of crime fiction is a crime committed against people or institutions—but the range of subgenres is diverse and fascinating. Panelists: Max Allan Collins (The Goliath Bone), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (Cold Black Hearts), Alexander Irvine (Buyout), Gregg Hurwitz (Trust No One), Thomas Greanias (The Atlantis Revelation), and Kat Richardson (Vanished) cover traditional mysteries, espionage, paranormal mystery, and more. Moderator: Maryelizabeth Hart, Mysterious Galaxy. Room 3

12:45-1:30 - 3D Showcase: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, The Hole, The Final Destination - Get a first look at 3 brand new films in stunning 3D! First up, it's Columbia Pictures and Sony Animation's Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, inspired by the classic children's book, the film focuses on a town where food begins to fall from the sky like rain. See an extended 3D clip from this eagerly awaited animated film!

Next up, legendary director Joe Dante (Gremlins 1 & 2, Innerspace, Explorers, The Howling) makes his return to the genre he knows best with the 3D thriller The Hole. Three kids come face to face with their darkest fears after they unlock a bottomless hole in the basement that makes their nightmares come to life. Join Dante—along with actress Haley Bennett (The Haunting of Molly Hartley)—as he discusses his return to thrillers, working in 3D, and The Hole.

And finally, it's The Final Destination, the new film in the popular series from Warner Bros. See an exclusive clip in 3D, from the upcoming film. Hall H

1:00-2:00 - Tetsuo for the 21st Century - The maverick filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo), will have a premiere talk on his secret plans for the movie tentatively called Tetsuo Project. Tsukamoto will reveal the details of this first English language installment of Tetsuo, the third legendary cyberpunk action thriller from Tokyo. Be among the first to witness the official title announcement as well as an exclusive sneak peek at the movie—only for the Comic-Con audience! Room 32AB

1:45-2:45 - Summit Entertainment — Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage of some of its upcoming major film releases! Hall H

Sorority Row — When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret. Join the cast of Sorority Row as they debut footage from the film exclusive to Comic-Con 2009.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon — Summit Entertainment is proud to present the panel for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the highly anticipated sequel to last year's box office smash Twilight. Surprise members of the cast will answer your questions about the second film in the series and debut never-before-seen footage from the new film.

2:00-3:00 - A Darker Shade of Ink: Crime and Noir in Comics — Crime comics are back with a bang! Darwyn Cooke (Parker: The Hunter), Greg Rucka (Gotham Central), and Steve Lieber (Whiteout) join moderator/noted mystery and comics writer Max Allan Collins (The Road to Perdition) to talk about the new incarnations of crime and noir in comics. Room 5AB

3:00-4:15 - 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar — In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H

5:00-6:00 - Showtime: Dexter — Calling all Dexter fans! If you're a Dexter fanatic and can't wait for the new season, you don't want to miss this killer panel! Moderator Ralph Garman (KROQ Entertainment Reporter) presides over a revealing interview and Q&A session with the stars and executive producers of Dexter. Plus, get an exclusive first look at clips from the new season! Featured panelists include series star/executive producer Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Julie Benz (Rita), Jennifer Carpenter (Deb), and executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips, and Melissa Rosenberg. The new season premieres September 27 at 9:00 PM EST/PST only on Showtime! Ballroom 20

5:15-5:45 - Overture Films: Pandorum — Don't fear the end of the world. Fear what happens next. From the producers of the Resident Evil film franchise comes a terrifying thriller in which two crewmembers wake up on an abandoned spacecraft with no idea who they are, how long they've been asleep, or what their mission is. The two soon discover they're actually not alone—and the reality of their situation is more horrifying than they could have imagined. Appearing in person to give you a taste of Pandorum are stars Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand, 3:10 to Yuma, 30 Days of Night), Cung Le (The Ultimate Fighter), and Antje Traue. Pandorum is in theaters September 18. Hall H

6:00-7:00 - Vertigo New Ongoing Series/Crime Line — It's a new beginning for Vertigo with the launch of such ongoing titles as The Unwritten, Greek Street, and Sweet Tooth. In addition to these titles DC will be launching the highly anticipated Vertigo Crime Line with some of the top talents in the industry. Moderated by senior VP/executive editor, Vertigo, Karen Berger and senior editor Will Dennis, this panel is not to be missed, especially considering the talent present: Peter Gross (Unwritten), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody), Jason Starr, Chris Gage, Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon, and others! Room 5AB

6:30-7:00 - Focus Features: Thirst — Focus Features and Comic-Con present a rare U.S. appearance by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, whose "scandalous vampire melodrama" Thirst just won the Prix du Jury (Jury Prize) at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival. Sang-hyun (played by top Korean star Song Kang-ho, of The Host) is a priest who cherishes life; so much so, that he selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project meant to eradicate a deadly virus. But the virus takes the priest, and a blood transfusion is urgently ordered for him. The blood he receives is infected, so he lives—but now exists as a vampire. Sang-hyun soon plunges into a world of sensual pleasures, finding himself on intimate terms with the Seven Deadly Sins. Park will show clips from the movie— which opens in select cities on July 31—and discuss his career. Hall H

9:30-12:00 - Halloween Comes Early: Trick 'r Treat Screening — Be among the first to see writer/director Michael Dougherty's (Superman Returns, X2) creepy, darkly comic celebration of the scariest night of the year. Trick 'r Treat takes the Creepshow/Tales from the Crypt approach to nefarious new depths with four interwoven tales set on Halloween night: a high school principal who moonlights as a vicious serial killer; a young virgin whose quest for that special someone takes a gruesome turn; a group of teens who carry out a cruel prank with disastrous consequences; and a cantankerous old man who battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon. Prior to the screening, Ain't It Cool News mogul Harry Knowles will moderate a panel featuring Michael Dougherty and members of the cast, including Anna Paquin (True Blood, X-Men), Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse), and Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity, X2). A collection of creepy stories that mixes fun with fear, candy with poison, and laughter with screams, the critically acclaimed Trick 'r Treat will be released on Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD and On Demand by Warner Home Video in October. Ballroom 20

Be sure to check the official SDCC 09 site for the rest of the schedule, and keep it here as we bring you other horror highlights as soon as they're available.

- MattFini