(photo by Michael Tran/Filmmagic.com)

The former “Veronica Mars” actress Kristen Bell talks with Entertainment Weekly about her upcoming role in “Heroes,” Judd Apatow’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Star Wars cinematic love letter Fanboys.

So tell us about Fanboys.
These Star Wars nerds drive cross-country to break into George Lucas’ ranch and steal a print of [The Phantom Menace] so that their friend with a terminal illness can see it before it comes out.

You sort of have fanboys of your own. Are you happy about that?
I’m really flattered. I love nerds. Comic-Con junkies are the tastemakers of tomorrow. Isn’t that funny? The tables have turned. They’re a fiercely intelligent audience, which makes filmmakers want to please them. But I’m looking for the fangirl to come out of her shell a little, to be more accepted.

All right, you’ve held out long enough: What’s up with “Heroes?”
I’m on a sugar high, to be totally honest. For me, starting a new project is kind of like switching high schools — that feeling of excitement and nerves. And because everyone is so nice and I know so many people involved, I feel like I’m switching high schools — but one that a lot of my friends have already transferred to.

Read the entire interview here in Entertainment Weekly:
Kristen Bell: Life After ‘Mars’

It’s no surprise that many fans of the Star Wars movies have also come to admire another seminal film in the science fiction-fantasy genre: Blade Runner. After all, both feature Harrison Ford as a lead character, include dazzling special effects, and are considered important and influential works of cinema. What’s more, both have aged amazingly well.

Like Star Wars, Blade Runner is celebrating an anniversary of its own this year – its 25th – and Warner Bros. Home Video is marking the occasion with an unprecedented DVD release that will include no less than five versions of Blade Runner as it’s evolved through the years, including director Ridley Scott’s definitive “Final Cut”.

Director Scott shared the stage of Hall H Friday with several people from Blade Runner’s cast and crew to discuss this monumental DVD release (on December 18) and theatrical re-release (LA, NY October 5), along with some factoids dropped by DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika. Scott also hinted at the possibility of a Blade Runner sequel – read on for some edited highlights…

The DVD Release

DVD Producer Charles de Lauzirika (CdL): This has been a long time coming. We actually started working on the DVD in the year 2000. It’s been a long meticulous process to get this thing ship-shape and top-notch. It started with a really full-blown restoration process for the film itself allowing Ridley to create this final cut of Blade Runner. As you know, there are multiple versions of the film, and Ridley wanted to give it a final polish and make it the film he always wanted it to be.

In addition to that, we’ve put together an amazing DVD box set of five discs with five versions of the movie [including the actual workprint], a three-and-a-half hour documentary called “Dangerous Days”, and 47 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes – things you’ve never seen before.

For “Dangerous Days”, we interviewed about 80 people for this one film. I went through about 977 boxes of 35mm and 70mm film cans and basically saw every printed take. What you’ll see in the documentary is, rather than cuts and clips from the film, we cut these alternate takes and different angles of scenes [together to produce] a really different experience than what you’re used to seeing in a regular documentary.

There’s going to be three different versions [of the DVD set] available simultaneously on standard-def and also on High-Definition and Blu-ray with the same content. There will be a two disc set which is the final cut on one disc and then “Dangerous Days” on the second disc. The four-disc set has everything but the workprint. Then the big Deckard briefcase which is five discs including the workprint has all kinds of goodies. There’s a really sweet little Spinner replica that has opening doors and everything – it’s really nice. Warner Bros. really just did a hell of a job on this project and really pulled out all the stops.

What’s New?

CdL: We did a tiny re-shoot for a scene in which Zhora, Joanna Cassidy’s character, runs through panes of glass — which was a dangerous stunt so she wasn’t allowed to do it — and we went in to kind of tweak a couple shots that were clearly a stunt double. So after a lot of discussion, and I know Joanna really wanted to do it, she actually came back [to re-shoot head-replacement shots]. (Editor’s note: These shots were shown to the audience, and they are absolutely flawless).

Revisiting Blade Runner

Director Ridley Scott (RS): When you make a movie and you finally put it to bed, from a director’s point of view, you rarely [get the chance] to visit it again. I kept looking at Blade Runner on my shelf thinking, should I take a look? I did this for almost 15 years until the idea of doing it like this, with the possibility of a [theatrical] re-release as well as a digital release became a reality. I said the first thing I want to do is see the movie. So Warner Bros. ran the film for me and I went in there with a pad and a microphone to make a lot of comments during the screening. At the end of the screening, there was no writing on the page. So I was surprised, and kind of really pleased.

Blade Runner Sequel?

RS: I think there could be a sequel to [Blade Runner]. There is clearly a story in the sequel. It probably keys off with Edward James Olmos’ line when he says ‘It’s a pity she won’t live. But then who does.’ And of course I think they’re both [Deckard and Rachael] replicants, so that’s a pretty good starting block for us. I’m not going to tell you anything else, otherwise you might steal it [laughs].

Check out a trailer for the Final Cut DVD release here.

As shown during the Lucasfilm presentation today hosted by Steve Sansweet, the exclusive sneak peek prepared by Steven Spielberg for the Comic-Con audience is now on the Official Indiana Jones website.

5:11 John Williams’ Star Wars score blasts through Hall H, met now by the customary hoots and hollars of the Comic-Con crowd.

5:13 Lights dim… retrospective video begins, a combination of footage from Episode IV, and footage celebrating its original release in 1977. Fans attending the Mann’s Chinese theater footprints ceremony. Footage than jumps forward to the prequel trilogy. Rose Parade footage and Celebration IV and all the latest developments in the saga, from The Force Unleashed, to starwars.com, Robot Chicken, Clone Wars and more. The montage ends the now familiar message, Star Wars is Forever.

5:15 Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm’s head of Fan Relations takes the stage. He thanks the fans, particularly the worldwide 501st, “Attracted 32,000 people in London. This year has been one big party, planned by fans, run by fans, and I’m very happy to say overrun by fans!”

5:17 Highlight reel of Celebration IV, including news clips from national media.. shots of fans on the floor, and some of the showcase programming like the Vader Project and One Man Star Wars.

5:20 Sansweet then takes a moment to talk about how Star Wars has insinuated itself into popular culture, with some of the funniest moments of Star Wars parody and humor in the last three decades, including Robot Chicken, Saturday Night Live, Hardware Wars, Chad Vader, The Muppet Show, Back to the Future, Conan O’Brien, Friends, The Colbert Report, South Park, Gnarls Barkley’s performance at the MTV Movie Awards in full Star Wars regalia, and The Simpsons.

5:25 Sansweet then brings Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy creator, to the stage.

Sansweet: So, Seth… you are both a creation of and a keen observer of pop culture. How does Star Wars fit into that mix?

MacFarlane: Star Wars and pop culture are sort of synonymous. Everyone from my generation knows that film backwards and forward. Everyone in our writing staff can quote that movie. If you don’t know Star Wars, god, you might as well jump off a cliff.

Sansweet: What do you think it was about Star Wars that grabbed the popular culture?

MacFarlane: First and foremost no one had every seen anything like it. I remember reading a review of the movie that said, ‘movies are back!’

Sansweet: How did the idea of a Star Wars show come about?

MacFarlane: We were doing so many of them [Star Wars references], Fox said you better check with [Lucasfilm] before you do more of these, because we’re gonna be sued. To our surprise — because we have dealt with so many companies that are very stodgy and don’t let us play — here’s Lucasfilm, that doesn’t really need our meddling publicity, and they were so unbelievably gracious in letting us do this episode…. It’s very much, in some ways, an Airplane! take on the movie and at the same time an homage that is very special to our staff.

5:31 – Sansweet and MacFarlane then run a pair of extended clips from the Star Wars Family Guy episode, the season opener airing this fall.

5:37 — MacFarlane leaves the stage. Sansweet continues. “There’s a lot of things exciting going on at Lucasfilm,” he begins, giving a shout-out to ILM’s latest efforts on Transformers, and the latest developments at LucasArts. Sansweet then brings Haden Blackman, project lead on The Force Unleashed to the stage.

Blackman runs through some of the upcoming titles from LucasArts, starting with Thrillville: Off the Rails, with a screening of the trailer of the game. The next game Blackman showcases is Star Wars: Battlefront Renegade Squadron for the PSP system. Next up is LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which allows to play the whole saga, including gameplay on the Wii.

Moving onto 2008, Blackman introduces Fracture, a futuristic epic with its brand new terrain deformation technology. But the big game on LucasArts’ horizon is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. “This is truly the next chapter of the Star Wars saga,” says Blackman. “You’ll have at your disposal Force powers that are amped up and totally out of control.” The Force Unleashed trailer plays much better on a big screen with megawatt sound than anything that can be experienced on a website.

5:51 — Sansweet changes to the subject of Star Wars on television. “First out of the gate, likely in the Fall of 2008, will be an amazing new series from Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” There are 25 different episodes are in varying stages of production. “I’ve had the chance to see four episodes and have been truly blown away by their cinematic sweep, the storytelling, their visual effects and everything!” says Sansweet. He then screens The Clone Wars trailer.

5:55 — The Raiders march begins. “Of course, how many of you are looking forward to the fourth installment of Indiana Jones? Yes, next May 22, we will see Indiana Jones and the… sorry. I don’t know it either. In fact, there are only two guys who know the exact title, and they promise to share it in the future.” Sansweet reveals that LucasArts and TT Games will be producing a LEGO: Indiana Jones game for Summer 2008. “For the first time anywhere, we are going to show you a trailer for LEGO: Indiana Jones.”

5:58 — Sansweet recaps the big announcement from yesterday that Karen Allen is joining the cast of the fourth Indiana Jones movie. “Steven has been good enough to share some video on indianajones.com. And now, he has sent us another brief video to share with you.” Sansweet then screens the Indy footage — going back to Marshall College, and to the forests of some exotic jungle where we see Indy at home in his element.

The program guide may say Star Wars day, but the man with the hat is making a big splash at Comic-Con. As part of today’s Hasbro presentation. Created by the same team responsible for the Star Wars line of toys and figures, Hasbro’s Indiana Jones toyline will celebrate all four Indy movies. On display at their booth was just a taste of the classic assortments, with 3 3/4″ figures and the “Galactic Heroes”-style cutesified pairs for fans of all ages.

Two packs of the Adventure Heroes collection include Indy and the German Mechanic, Indy and the Cairo Swordsman, Belloq and the spirit of the Ark (God’s wrath has never been sooooo cute!) and Sallah and a Mummy. On display at the Hasbro booth is a market place Marion with monkey sidekick. Of the 3 3/4″ collection, Hasbro’s floor display showcases Indy, Belloq and Sallah, while some of images shown during the presentation also included the Cairo Swordsman, the Monkeyman, and marketplace Marion Ravenwood complete with frying pan. Each figure comes with an ‘artifact’ (like the headpiece to the staff of Ra or the golden fertility idol of the Chachapoyan warriors) as an extra collectibel. Look for them in 2008.

Publishing Horizon
Keith Clayton began with a quick tour of the publishing horizon from Del Rey. The Legacy of the Force series continues with the sixth installment, Inferno in September, with Fury following up in December. The last two books in the series come out in Spring and Summer of 2008. “It’s going to be a strong, powerful finish with Invincible,” said Clayton.

In October, the Death Star novel by Steve Perry and Michael Reaves tells “the ongoing politics of its creation, and everything leading up to its destruction.” In November, Karen Traviss’ third Republic Commando, True Colors comes out, with a fourth one — yet untitled — in the summer of 2008.

In March, 2008, The Force Unleashed tie-in novel comes out, and Sean Williams is writing it directly with Haden Blackman, the author of the game. The summer of 2008 also sees Coruscant Nights: Jedi Twilight by Michael Reaves, “about a rogue Jedi living in the underworld of Coruscant doing P.I. work. Sort of Dashiell Hamett meets Star Wars,” says Clayton.

In terms of non-fiction, Mad About Star Wars comes out in October, Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham comes out in November, illustrated by Chris Trevas and Tommy Lee Edwards. In June ‘08 is The Star Wars Atlas by Jason Fry and Daniel Wallace. Coming Fall of 2008 is a new edition of The Star Wars Encyclopedia by Steve Sansweet with Pablo Hidalgo. And December sees Darth Bane: Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn, which chronicles how Bane and his apprentice go about building a new Sith order.

Steve Sansweet on The Star Wars Vault
Author Sansweet described the forthcoming The Star Wars Vault from Harper-Collins, as half-book, and half-collectible. “The toughest thing about the book that Pete Vilmur and I put together was just conceptualizing it and getting an idea of what we wanted to put in it and how we wanted to put it together,” says Sansweet.

A much expanded follow-up to the Star Wars Scrapbook from a few years back, The Star Wars Vault is a much more ambitious project. It will be available in six languages (English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese and German) and delves through the personal collection of authors Sansweet and Vilmur, as well as the trove of materials from the Lucasfilm archives.

Sansweet had the opportunity to visit George Lucas’ executive offices. “I asked to see whatever they had in the way of handwritten scripts. George still writes his scripts on lined legal pads and write in pencil. He has very decent handwriting that you can actually read. One of George’s assistants brought out an open cardboard box and in it where all of the handwritten scripts for Episodes I-VI, a lot of the story treatments, a lot of the notes.” Sansweet ended up picking Lucas’s handwritten story treatment of The Empire Strikes Back. Of the 19 page treatment, There was some discussion about Photoshopping George’s spelling errors borne of quick writing, but they’ve kept it intact.

The book contains many legendary items that have often been spoken of but never photographed. “Pete Vilmur said wouldn’t it be cool if we can show how R2-D2 got his name?” As the legend goes, the name came from the editing of American Graffiti, when Lucas and Walter Murch were editing the film and a request came for “Reel 2 Dialogue 2″… that is, “R2-D2.” “We wondered if that reel still exists,” says Sansweet. “So we asked our film archivist, and sure enough, it existed but someone had walked away with it. We did some detective work and found it, so now it’s safe-and-sound and for the very first time, photographed.”

The book includes two CDs with great audio treasures, from old radio ads and, yes, Carrie Fisher singing the Life Day from the Holiday Special. “It’s a combination book and karaoke,” said Sansweet. The book includes the script from Leia’s ill-advised song. “You can sing along with Carrie Fisher!”

The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler
Rinzler described the genesis of the book, but the centerpiece of his portion of the panel was showing a few items that couldn’t get into the book, due t clearance issues, as well as other rarities discovered in the vaults.

• The cover of the making of book was apparently a tough sell. “An executive described it as looking like two hobos standing outside the bar.”
• Rinzler couldn’t get posters of Sleeper and Silent Running in the book, though the book mentions that both movies were strong influences on C-3PO (a robot butler) or R2-D2 (non-anthropomorphic helper units).
• A possible source of inspiration for the Dia Noga was the Id creature from Forbidden Planet.
• Photos by Edward S. Curtis of native women with ‘bun’ like hairdo signifying their status as unmarried influenced Leia’s design, as did a similar hairstyle worn by Pancho Villa’s female rebel fighters.
• Rinzler found the original letter of agreement between James Earl Jones’ representatives and Lucasfilm to voice Darth Vader for the sum of $7,500 (of which the agent pocketed $500) with Jones’ management imploring that his name not be associated with the role.

Rinzler also took the opportunity to describe the forthcoming Indiana Jones publishing programming
The movie novelization will be a Del Rey novel written by “a big famous New York Times best selling author” (described Clayton)

• A junior novelization will be written by James Luceno
• There will be a middle grade-age focused trilogy
• DK books will have an Ultimate Indiana Jones by James Luceno
• Quirk Books will present a How to be Indy book
• John Jackson Miller will write the new Indiana Jones adaptation comic for Dark Horse
• Beckett and Meyer is packaging together The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones, to be published by Simon & Shuster
• And there will be a Complete Making of Indiana Jones covering all four films by J.W.Rinzler

Jonathan Bresman and MAD About Star Wars
Jonathan Bresman is the senior editor at MAD Magazine, but used to work at Lucasfilm, pitching in during the animatic and videomatic production of Episode I by playing a stand-in Jar Jar long before any footage of Ahmed Best was ever shot. “Star Wars is MAD Magazine’s most favorite punching bag… and fortunately George Lucas happens to be a life-long MAD magazine fan.” The forthcoming MAD About Star Wars book has 30 years of parodies from MAD, including a number of prescient gags like R2-D2 as a mailbox. “We have yet to recieve any royalties for this idea,” says Bresman.

Bresman described the fallout from the Mort Drucker Yoda cover that came out in 1980. Publisher Bill Gaines got a letter from George Lucas, praising the Yoda-as-Alfred E. Neuman art. Shortly thereafter, he got a cease-and-desist letter from Lucas’ lawyers. Weighing both letters, Gaines photocopied Lucas’ letter, wrote ‘Take It Up With Your Boss’ and sent it back to Lucas’ legal team.

It’s not often we’ll report on swag, but it’s been so long since free exclusive Indy merchandise has made its way to fans, we figured it was worth a mention.

Available at the Paramount booth are two cool items, an Indy poster with various depictions by artist Drew Struzan and a nice Marshall College Department of Archaeology t-shirt that’s printed right on the spot! The poster is a quick pick – the shirt you’ll have to wait in line for.

Those who attended Paramount’s panel Thursday afternoon also received a great large foldout booklet with more artwork by Struzan and the promise that Indy returns Memorial Day, 2008! Gotta love that Comic-Con swag!

UPDATE: In addition to the above, there was a second poster handed out featuring the new indianajones.com homepage graphic and a Hasbro exclusive gold coin!

Comic-Con attendees filled the jam-packed Hall H today in San Diego for a glimpse at a few new productions on deck for release in the coming years, including Iron Man, Star Trek, Spiderwick Chronicles, and yes, the new Indiana Jones! Some of the cast and crew from the Indy set made a live appearance via satellite, and even introduced a new cast member familiar to all Indy fans – click below for a brief transcript of the presentation:

Steven Spielberg (SS): Comic-Con, how is everybody over there?! I’m here on the set of Indiana Jones and the [strategic bleeping] and I’m just extraordinarily pleased to be able to tell you that after 18 years, we actually have completed 25 days of shooting. I never thought this day would come, when I can actually sit here and say we’re finally making another Indiana Jones movie. It’s thrilling and we’re having a great time and for the last ten or twelve or thirteen years I’ve made a lot of different kinds of movies, many of them films that I really passionately needed to make for myself. But this picture, I promise you, I’m making for you guys and girls – I’m doing it for all the fans of the series.

And we’re back and we’re all in good form – I think we’re all in good form – I’m in good form – [camera swings to Harrison Ford] – Indiana Jones ladies and gentlemen!

Harrison Ford (HF): It’s a great pleasure to be back with Steven, back in the sweaty dirty clothes that Indy always wears, and glad to be making a dynamite movie. I’m so happy about this movie and the people we have in it – I want to introduce my sidekick, the venerable, veritable, Ray Winstone, who is my sidekick in this film and I’m glad to have the comfort of his companionship [laughs].

SS: He also plays Beowulf in Bob Zemeckis’ film…

Ray Winstone: I play the good looking one, the romantic interest…

HF: He thinks he’s playing the good looking one in this film too…that’s the good looking one – that’s my other sidekick [motions to Shia LaBeouf]

Shia LaBeouf (SL): Hi Comic-Con, I’m Shia, and I don’t know what I’m doing in this movie – it’s happenstance. I’m sitting here with all of you…this is insane.

SS: You have a modicum of talent young man – and a huge hit movie called Transformers. Although we cast him before it was a hit – we took a big chance on this kid [laughs]. We’re all here and there are a lot of other cast members working today so this is who you get. There’s just one more thing, if I could…you guys just fill in [moves off camera].

SL: So this is where we fill in…

[Spielberg places a chair marked “Marion Ravenwood” in the center of the group]

SS: Ladies and gentlemen, Marion Ravenwood!

Karen Allen (KA): It’s great to be here on the set of this new Indiana Jones adventure and great to be back in the boots of Marion Ravenwood and I’m just thrilled to be working with Steven and Harrison and Shia and Ray…

SS: …and Cate Blanchett…

KA: …so Comic-Con is getting the first peek at us all together as a family.

SS: A reborn family, a little older and a lot wiser…and a little richer [laughs].

We’re really happy to be here and like I said before, this is for all of you and we’re making this picture with every single one of you in mind. For every single shot, I’m always thinking, how are you going to respond, what’s the audience going to think? So thank you very, very much!

UPDATE: Indianajones.com has now posted this video short — click here and navigate through the “Video” section to view it.

In order of presentation…

Hot Rod (Coming August 3, 2007).On stage, the Lonely Island trio of Andy Samburg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. “It’s like an SNL Digital Long,” compared director Schaffer, citing their well known SNL shorts when asked about the filmmaking process. “There were many things that are different, but we were surprised by how often it was the same as three dudes in their apartment with a video camera.” For fans of their online shorts, a final chapter of “The Bu” may someday see the light of day. “We’re thinking maybe when we’re 50, we’ll do an old version of us completing the Bu,” says Samburg.

The Clip: Samburg, as Rod Kimble, blows off steam in the woods with an impassioned gymnastics/dance routine that puts Kevin Bacon to shame. Until he stumbles and falls down what appears to be the world’s longest hill. Funny stuff.

Stardust (Coming August10, 2007).

On stage, writer Neil Gaiman and screenplay writer Jane Goldman. How much of the book has translated to the screen. “Eighty percent,” Gaiman reluctantly estimates, before clarifying. “If you’ve read the book, you’ll feel very much at home in the movie, but there is some stuff that we simply couldn’t do. I describe the film and the book as the Earth 1 and Earth 2 versions of this story, which is a reference that I can only ever really make here.”

The Clip: Witches, shape-shifting goats, unicorns, and Michelle Pfieffer offers to give Claire Danes a massage. Get out of our dreams, Gaiman!

Beowulf (Coming November 17, 2007)

On stage, Neil Gaiman (again!) and Roger Avery, screenwriters. The oldest story in the English language gets told with the most modern moviemaking techniques available. Avery described some of the development hell that the script languished in for ages, until Director Robert Zemeckis’ passion for the unshackled creativity offered by all-digital storytelling drove the movie to become a (virtual) reality. Gaiman described the exercise of BS casting (“Come on, you all do it.”) of sitting around a pub, assembling a dream cast. Anthony Hopkins as King Hrothgar, Crispin Glover as Grendel, John Malkovich as Unferth. “Well, we got our BS cast!” said Gaiman.

The Clip: The recently unveiled trailer for Beowulf. Uncanny “magic reality” representation of the human form. Glad to know that Angelina’s geometry is forever preserved for the ages.

Sweeney Todd (Coming out January 11, 2008)

On stage… no one. No clip either, but reveal of the poster (available to everyone who attended, thanks to a chit in their goody bags). Johnny Depp and Tim Burton reuinite.

“Untitled J.J. Abrams Project” (Coming out January 18, 2008)

On stage, Producer J.J. Abrams. “I want a monster movie. I wanted a great monster movie for so long. I was in Japan over a year ago with my son, who is 8. All he wanted to do was go to toy stores — so I know he’s my son. There were still all these Godzillas everywhere, and I thought, ‘we need our own monster.’ We need a monster movie! Not like King Kong. I love King Kong. King Kong is adorable. And Godzilla is a charming monster. But I wanted something that’s just insane and intense.” Production is almost done shooting, but Abrams did not yet reveal a title.

The Clip: that sweet, sweet trailer. As a bonus, the unveiling of one of a series of four teaser posters, of a decapitated Lady Liberty overlooking (can she be said to overlook sans noggin?) a smoldering Manhattan.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Coming February 18, 2008)

On stage, original team behind the books, Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi, and VFX legend Phil Tippett. Tippett ran through an effects development slideshow, showing how DiTerlizzi’s illustrations turned into realistic creatures by Tippett Studios and ILM. These aren’t candy-coated faerie folk. They’d gobble up Tinkerbill and spit out her bones. Director Mark Waters described how the books felt real, like something that could be happening down the block. It’s a magical story that’s not set in Britain, or medieval times, or Middle Earth, but rather suburbia, echoing such ’80s touchstones as Gremlins.

The Clip: Aside from VFX breakdowns, the teaser trailer.

Drillbit Taylor (Coming March 21, 2008).

On stage… no one. But Director Steven Brill and Producer Judd Apatow introduced the trailer. For it to play better in front of the Comic-Con crowd, Brill described the movie full of elves, magic, ninjas and an estimated budget $280 million with Michael Bay shooting second unit.
The Clip: The world debut of the trailer — kids hire a bum (Owen Wilson) who claims to be a Navy SEAL as a bodyguard.

Iron Man (Coming May 2, 2008).

On stage, Director Jon Favreau. First Favraeu throws a curveball by appearing on video and showing scenes from the ’60s animated Iron Man instead, but he delivers the goods in the form of an extended clip. And yeah, it was scored by Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.”

The Clip: The origin story is distilled into some really action-packed clips, as Anthony Stark turns from a jerk in an expensive suit to a jerk in an even more expensive robotic suit. Robert Downey Jr. captures Stark’s billionaire playboy persona perfectly. And if there’s anything more awe-inspiring than Iron Man flying in formation with a pair of Y-22 Raptor jets, we don’t want to know it. Favreau adds that the majority of the footage in the clip is of the practical effects — there’s still plenty more “WOW” factor being added by ILM and smaller FX houses.

Indiana Jones (Coming May 22, 2008)

On stage, no one… but live via satellite from the set Director Steven Spielberg, and in costume, Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Ray Winstone (who Harrison describes as his “sidekick”) and Shia LaBeouf (another sidekick… who we couldn’t help but notice was wearing a leather jacket that said ‘Mutt’ on it). A transcript of this video is to follow, but before Spielberg wraps it up, he brings out one more director’s chair with the name “Marion Ravenwood” on it — Karen Allen, her smile as bright as it’s ever been, appears on the satellite feed, confirming her role in the next movie. She said, “Comic-Con is your first chance to see us all together as a …” “Family,” finished Harrison.

Star Trek (Coming December, 2008)

On stage, Director J.J. Abrams, Producer Damon Lindelof, Executive Producers Bryan Burk and Stratton Leopold, Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman… and some special guests. Abrams couched the panel with the fact that there’s still a year and a half to go (and a whole ‘nother Comic-Con in between), but did share what he could. He described the screenplay as being so good, that he’d be too jealous to allow anyone else to direct it. It is set during the classic era of Star Trek, and they’ve yet to find a Kirk (Abrams solicited for any submissions), but they did announce the actors who will be playing Spock.

Yep, Zachary Quinto (from “Heroes”) is playing the young Spock, but who else better than to play a more familiar, aged Spock than Leonard Nimoy, who surprised all by appearing on stage. “We have a great director, and a wonderful director playing Spock. The answer is, it was logical,” said Nimoy of his choice.

Before preview night on Wednesday, there was already plenty to see Star Wars-wise (and a bit Indy-wise) as the pavilion was being constructed and licensees prepped their booths. Check out the short video below for a Star Wars warm-up of things to come at this year’s Comic-Con International.