'Hunger
Games,' 'Divergent' pushed aside for new Comic Con fare
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[July 25, 2014]
By Piya Sinha-Roy
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Young adult
film franchises have dominated the conversation at San Diego's
annual Comic Con gathering in recent years, but as the buzz-building
convention kicked off on Thursday, the absence of established
blockbusters has allowed studios to push new fare targeting a
similar audience.
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Without the star-studded film panels promoting November's
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1," the next installment in
the series starring Jennifer Lawrence, or next year's
"Insurgent," the sequel to this year's "Divergent" film,
convention-goers will fill up on a new crop of dystopian
thrillers.
"It does feel strange that there's no big young adult panel at
Comic Con this year, but what's interesting is that there are
some young adult-orientated panels that are going to pick up the
slack," said Dave Karger, chief correspondent of Fandango.
The "Twilight" series, "Hunger Games" and "Divergent" have all
been highlights at Comic Con's main Hall H, where audiences are
shown exclusive footage and studios organize promotional panels
with stars and filmmakers.
The Weinstein Co kicked off the first new film in the dystopian
young adult genre this year with a panel on forthcoming sci-fi
drama "The Giver," in a bid to draw "Hunger Games" and
"Divergent" fans.
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"We'd be honored for the fans and fan base of those properties
be excited about our film," said Stephen Bruno, president of
marketing at The Weinstein Co.
"The Giver," based on Lois Lowry's 1993 book of the same name
and out in U.S. theaters on Aug. 15, is about a boy, Jonas, who
lives in a seemingly utopian society that is devoid of pain.
When Jonas meets the Giver, the keeper of memories played by
Jeff Bridges, and inherits his role, he finds his understanding
of the world turned upside down.
"The (Comic Con) audience is correct for the film and the book
is a huge beloved entity," Bruno added. "Many have said it's the
originator of the young adult dystopian story."
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At the panel, audiences were shown an extended trailer featuring key
scenes that transitions from black-and-white to color as Jonas
begins to better understand the world around him.
"The Giver" comes ahead of the Friday panel for 20th Century Fox's
young adult film "The Maze Runner" starring Dylan O'Brien, and
"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe is also expected to draw an
avid young crowd for dark fantasy "Horns."
Although there are no panels for "Hunger Games" and "Divergent,"
fans will still get surprises such as a trailer for "Mockingjay" to
be released at a Comic Con event on Friday, and appearances by
"Divergent" stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James over the weekend.
But the absence of the blockbuster series also harkens to Comic
Con's roots as a welcome home to creative content with fringe and
cult audiences.
"Thanks to 'Twilight' and 'Hunger Games,' Comic Con had become in
the last six or seven years, a haven for these young adult
franchises," Karger said. "But this year is a return to the Comic
Con of years ago."
(Editing by Eric Kelsey)
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