Next week is the beginning of the four days of nerdgasm-inducing madness that will be 2014 International Comic-Con in San Diego, California. Two years ago at the 'Con, Legendary brought along an original intellectual property directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) to show the folk in Hall H - only for a new installment in a long-running franchise (Godzilla) to steal the thunder, with its "surprise" appearance.
Will history repeat itself at the 2014 'Con? Well it very well might in a manner of speaking, seeing how Legendary has confirmed plans to present del Toro's upcoming horror film Crimson Peak at the event; though, if The Wrap's insiders are to be believed, the studio also intends to partly reveal its plans for Godzilla 2, despite the film not being officially part of Legendary's 'Con slate this year. (Then again, as mentioned before, Gareth Edwards' first installment wasn't confirmed ahead of time for the 2012 'Con either, so...)
The Wrap is reporting that, for certain, Legendary will present del Toro's new film, along with As Above/So Below to the 2014 International 'Con. The latter is a found-footage horror/thriller written/directed by Drew and John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine, The Poughkeepsie Tapes); expectations are low based on the generally unenthused trailer impressions and the film's late August theatrical release date, so this Legendary project stands to benefit the most from a solid showing at Comic-Con.
Crimson Peak, by comparison, has already begun generating excitement among the members of del Toro's fanbase, based on the cast - one that includes Mia Wasikowska, Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain, and Tom Hiddleston - and del Toro's promise that it will be a gorgeous, brutal, and shocking haunted house throwback more on par with his acclaimed Spanish-language movies from the past (see: Pan's Labyrinth) than his recent Hollywood efforts. As he did with Pacific Rim, del Toro will attend the 'Con to promote his newest horror offering.
If Godzilla 2 does have a presence at Legendary's 'Con panel, however, it'll likely be in the form of a conceptual teaser; such was the case with Edwards' reboot back in 2012, before Legendary repeated the strategy in, 2013, when it screened a Warcraft teaser composed of test footage, for Hall H attendees. Indeed, as a general rule of thumb, the 'Con "surprises" make the biggest headlines, so it wouldn't surprise us if a Godzilla 2 appearance managed as much this year (especially if it involves a teaser for the Destroy All Monsters-esque sequel that Edwards has been wanting to make).
Having said all that, it also ought to be mentioned that Edwards is going to direct a Star Wars movie before he makes Godzilla 2, so it might be too early to expect something Comic-Con related for the King of Monsters' sequel. Then again, Warcraft began its 'Con run properly in 2013 and won't arrive in theaters until 2016 (same for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice), so if Legendary and Edwards are cooking up something special for the next Godzilla movie, maybe it'll get a similar head start...
The Legendary Pictures panel at the 2014 International Comic-Con will take place on Saturday, July 26th from 12:25 - 1:10 p.m. in Hall H. Those attending the 'Con this year will want to peruse through the full schedule of events ahead of time
Source: The Wrap