San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) presents amazing reveals and exclusive looks at all things geek every year from TV to movies, comics, collectibles, gaming, and more—horror movies and TV were no exception. Despite having to present the entire convention digitally due to safety concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Comic Con @ Home made sure not to disappoint, with a full array of panels, shops, games, and merchandise.
For genre fans especially, SDCC is one of the biggest events of the year to find out what’s new in horror. From new horror TV shows and seasons of existing favorites to the release of brand new figures and collectibles from beloved franchises, there’s a lot to love about Comic-Con, even for fans who aren’t necessarily into comic books.
While 2020's Comic-Con @ Home events were certainly different than usual, there was a lot for horror fans to get excited about, and 2020 still has a lot of scares in store, despite theatre closures and many delays of highly-anticipated 2020 movies. Here’s the breakdown of all the best reveals in horror that were presented this year.
Antlers
Director Scott Cooper and producer Guillermo del Toro virtually joined fans at SDCC to discuss their upcoming horror film, Antlers. The two discussed the Native American-inspired wendigo monster, including some never-before-seen footage from the film, and an explanation of their inspiration for the creature.
Del Toro explains, “All this rage [in the world]…is like an invocation to the creature”. Cooper then continued, “The film looks at the horrors of what it means to be an individual, to be an American today, and all the crises that we’re facing…climate crisis, drug-addicted populace, our treatment of Native Americans, abject poverty…all of those things without being a message film, wrapped into a monster film”.
In addition to the message of the film, Cooper also paid special attention to the lore of the creature, bringing in Native American consultants to make sure they got the details of the Wendigo mythology right. Cooper and del Toro wanted the creature to be very much a god, not just a monster. The Wendigo is otherworldly, ancient, and powerful, but also one with nature, and created with a blend of practical effects and digital enhancements.
Helstrom
The new horror series from Marvel Studios, Helstrom, was debuted in a panel at the 2020 SDCC. Prior to this panel, not much was known about the series, but fans were able to discover the first teaser trailer as well as a significant amount of backstory on the show during the 40 minute panel. Tom Austen and Sydney Lemmon star as Daimon and Ana Helstrom, the children of a powerful serial killer who hunt the worst of humanity.
The ten episode horror series is an adaptation of the Son Of Satan Marvel comics, and will be the last MCU TV offering to be seen outside of Disney+. Instead, Helstrom will be premiering on Hulu in October of 2020. Helstrom was originally intended to be the first in the “Adventure Into Fear” collection for Marvel TV horror, which included a Ghost Rider series. However, amidst the Marvel TV and Marvel Studios merger, all of these series were cancelled. While no official cancellation has been announced for Helstrom, most assume that the series will only last for one season thanks to the merger.
Lovecraft Country
The much-anticipated horror series from HBO, Lovecraft Country, has been on everyone’s radar for a while, but in a recent SDCC panel, the cast sat down to discuss the narrative complexities of the story and premiered a brand new extended trailer with a clip from one of the first episodes. Exploring Lovecraftian horrors alongside the real-world horrors of racism, the available clips only make audiences that much more excited to finally experience the full show. Thankfully, the panel also took the opportunity to confirm Lovecraft Country’s premiere on August 16.
NOS4A2
NOS4A2, a horror series based on a novel of the same name by Joe Hill kicked off its second season in June. A brand new trailer teasing the second half of season 2 premiered at SDCC in a panel with Joe Hill himself plus executive producer Jami O'Brien and star Zachary Quinto.
Season 2 delves more deeply into Charlie Manx’s (Quinto) backstory, which Quinto explained is somewhat inspired by Joe Hill’s graphic novel, Wraith. All three agreed that as bad as things look now on the show, they can only get worse. Teasers for the second half of the season indicated fans should get ready for a big showdown between Charlie Manx and NOS4A2's protagonist, Vic McQueen.
The Order
Netflix series The Order, from Dennis Heaton and Shelley Eriksen blends secret societies, magic, and supernatural creatures. It has officially finished season 1, and been renewed for a second. While season 2 doesn’t begin filming until later in 2020, fans got a first look at the new season’s story with a table read from the cast at SDCC.
A death is being investigated, one perpetrated perhaps by a rogue agent described as a magical tourist doing a murder spell. Then, The Order is back in action at the school handing out blue roses, and the werewolves tear someone apart. From the table read, it seems like season 2 is bringing just as much violence and intrigue as season 1.
Truth Seekers
Truth Seekers is a comedy-horror series by Shaun of the Dead co-writers Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; it's set to debut in the fall of 2020. Following a group of amateur, ghost-hunting Youtubers who install broadband as their day jobs, Truth Seekers seems poised to deliver laughs and scares in equal measure. The very first trailer for Truth Seekers was released during the SDCC panel with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well as co-writers/co-creators James Serafinowicz and Nat Saunders.
The panel was the first time audiences got to learn very much about the series, as the group revealed the trailer along with a discussion of their vision behind Truth Seekers and some basic story details. The initial eight-episode series will follow its main character, Gus (Nick Frost), as he gradually unravels a terrifying conspiracy.
Van Helsing
Syfy’s Van Helsing follows the titular character, Vanessa Van Helsing, as she hunts vampires in modern times. Now finished with season 3, Van Helsing stars Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Christopher Heyerdahl, Neal McDonough, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Tricia Helfer, Aleks Paunovic, Keeya King, and Nicole Munoz. Executive producers Chad Oakes and Michael Frislev, along with showrunner Jonathan Walker, appeared in a SDCC panel to reveal teasers for season 4.
The panel offered a sneak peak of the season premiere along with details about the show's upcoming 13 new episodes. Helfer was already been known to be playing Dracula in the new season, but in the panel it was revealed that Nicole Munoz will be playing Jack, while Keeya King is playing the role of Violet, the daughter of Neal McDonough's Boss. The season 4 trailer was full of bites, horns, explosions, and rituals, which all boasted an exciting new season of Van Helsing, which is set to debut in fall 2020.
San Diego Comic-Con may not have been as big as usual in 2020, but there were still tons of amazing panels for fans of all kinds to enjoy throughout the convention weekend. For horror fans especially, it looks like the fall of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 is going to have a lot in store.