As Donald Trump whips up Republicans to a fever pitch in Cleveland, and the Democrats tee up for their rejoinder next week in Philadelphia, a very different, though no less impassioned, kind of convention is kicking off in San Diego.
Starting Wednesday, about 130,000 people of all ages will gather at the San Diego Convention Center in the annual pop-culture pilgrimage that is Comic-Con International. Some will be clad in superhero tights, some will wear Stormtrooper costumes, and some, riding the latest craze, will undoubtedly be decked out as Pokemon characters. But whatever their particular flavor of fandom, Hollywood will be there to greet them with open arms.
The convention offers attendees the chance to be the first on their block to catch glimpses of some of the most hotly anticipated upcoming superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films, including possible glimpses of "Justice League," "Doctor Strange" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." For the studios and TV networks, it's an opportunity to stoke enthusiasm for their upcoming wares among a diehard crowd of true believers and potential influencers.
As with last year, a few big players will be missing in action: 20th Century Fox _ which brought 6,000-odd fans in the convention's fabled Hall H to their feet last year with its early look at "Deadpool" _ is sitting this year out, reportedly over concerns about piracy. Ditto Universal Pictures.
Paramount and Sony won't be putting on major panels either, though the former will be hosting the premiere of its new film "Star Trek Beyond" and the latter will offer a screening of its R-rated animated comedy "Sausage Party." And, barring any surprises, Lucasfilm _ the 800-pound gorilla at last year's convention _ will keep its "Star Wars" franchise powder dry this year following last week's Star Wars Celebration convention in London.
That will leave the two behemoths of the comic-book world, DC and Marvel, to slug it out in the battle for buzz while also providing a chance for films that may otherwise have become lost in the shuffle _ like Luc Bes-son's sci-fi epic "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" and Oliver Stone's "Snowden" _ to grab a piece of the spotlight.
In its two-hour panel Saturday morning, Warner Bros. will try to move past the disappointment of this spring's critically bashed "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and stir up excitement for its future slate of DC superhero films, including "Suicide Squad" and possibly debut footage from "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League."
"Suicide Squad" director David Ayers, who earned a raucous reception at last year's convention when he unveiled an early look from the edgy supervillain team-up film, is well aware that the expectations have been raised for the movie, which opens Aug. 5.
"The film was sort of the redheaded stepchild of the DC universe _ it was always supposed to be like the cooler little brother to your Batmans and your other shows," said Ayer, who will be on hand with the film's stars, including Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie. "Suddenly it became a lot more prominent than I think any of us expected initially."
Warner Bros. will also offer sneak peeks at non-comic-book fare, including "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," a spinoff from the Harry Potter franchise set to hit theaters in December.
For "Fantastic Beasts" director David Yates, who helmed the last four Potter films, Comic-Con will offer the chance to pull the curtain back more on the new J.K. Rowling-scripted film, about which little has yet been revealed beyond a teaser trailer.
"This is a very different part of the Potter universe _ it's new characters and brand-new stories," Yates said. "It's like going to a restaurant that you absolutely love, but it's a different meal."
On Saturday afternoon, Marvel Studios _ which skipped Comic-Con last year in favor of Disney's D23 convention in Anaheim _ will pull out its own big guns in Hall H. While there has been no official word about what will be showcased or who the panel's "special guests" may be, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is expected to show off "Doctor Strange" starring Benedict Cumberbatch, while director James Gunn has teased that he may unveil an early look at "Guardians of the Galaxy 2."
Though big-screen tentpole fare hogs much of the spotlight, Comic-Con is about more than comic-book movies and sci-fi epics. TV has a push into the convention in recent years, and 2016 will be no exception. Fan favorites like "The Walking Dead," "Supergirl" and "Game of Thrones" will be on hand, as will newer small-screen fare like "Marvel's Luke Cage," which hits Netflix in September.
Writer and producer Bryan Fuller, who has a new "Star Trek" series in the works, will join "Trek" veterans like William Shatner, Scott Bakula and Michael Dorn in a panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of the space-adventure franchise. Fuller will also be unveiling the Starz fantasy drama series "American Gods," which he co-created and which is based on a bestselling novel by fan favorite Neil Gaiman, who will also be on hand.
"I'm excited to be in a room full of Neil Gaiman fans," Fuller said. "It's always fascinating because Comic-Con is just like being shot out of a cannon. You don't quite know when your feet are touching the ground."
And for those who can't make it to San Diego this year, the official convention streaming service, Comic-Con HQ, launches this year with a new video initiative.
Classic Comic-Con experiences such as the Eisner Awards (hosted by John Barrowman), the Masquerade and the Her Universe fashion show will all be live-streamed from Comic-Con HQ.
And a select number of panels, such as "Game of Thrones" and "Silicon Val-ley," will be available for streaming at some point after they wrap up.
Still, for longtime Comic-Con veterans like actor Bruce Campbell, who will be touting the upcoming second season of his Starz comedy-horror series, "Ash vs Evil Dead," there is nothing quite like being there.
"Ten or 15 years ago, nobody cared about these conventions _ they were for actors who weren't working anymore," Campbell said. "Finally, the studios realized the depth of the fandom that's out there, the intensity that it is. I laugh at all the big actors who come to Comic-Con now. Now, you'll get Harrison Ford. I go, 'Where were you 10 years ago?'"
