With Comic-Con just a couple of days away, July 12-15, the anticipation grows intense for all the collectibles, toys, T-shirts and posters available on the floor at the San Diego Convention Center, and directors Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro and Sam Raimi have released peeks at the lush look of their upcoming films.
Jackson previewed a poster for The Hobbit on his Facebook page this weekend, featuring Gandalf walking along a bucolic path in Hobbiton. Ian McKellan plays the wizard as he did in Lord of the Rings.
"Hi everyone. Here's an exclusive Comic-Con poster," Jackson wrote on Facebook Saturday. "Be sure to get your copy in San Diego and let me know what you think of it! Cheers, Peter J."
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due in theaters December 14, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again will come next year. Martin Freeman (Sherlock) stars as Bilbo Baggins, and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, the upcoming Star Trek sequel) portrays the Necromancer and Smaug via motion capture and voicework.
{{/usCountry}}The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is due in theaters December 14, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again will come next year. Martin Freeman (Sherlock) stars as Bilbo Baggins, and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, the upcoming Star Trek sequel) portrays the Necromancer and Smaug via motion capture and voicework.
{{/usCountry}}Film production on the two-part epic films ended after 266 days. Jackson will be attending Comic-Con to make a presentation on July 14 with an excerpt and visuals for fans at the event.
Also released in advance of his Comic-Con presentation is the poster for Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro's upcoming sci-fi action story about an alien attack and giant warrior robots that go to battle. Starring Idris Elba (Prometheus) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy), the film hits theaters July 11-12, 2013.
The poster for Oz the Great and Powerful has been released with an evocative scene with elements of the Frank Baum Wizard of Oz books -- the yellow brick road, the wizard's hot air balloon, tornadoes whirling and the Emerald City shining in the distance.
The film stars Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and James Franco as Oz and is directed by Sam Raimi, who will be at the convention for a Q&A on July 12. The film will debut March 8, 2013.
Other poster artwork for upcoming films and highly coveted collectables will be available on the Comic-Con floor for patient fans willing to wait in lines.