To an outsider, one who exercises regularly and enjoys a healthy sex life, Comic-Con is a baffling and terrifying phenomenon — the giant, money-soaked extrapolation of the inside of a perpetual 13-year-old-boy's head. But that mystique may wear off when "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock's "Comic-Con Episode IV – A Fan's Hope" (even the title has us rolling our eyes) comes out next year. It was announced today that LA-based production and distribution company Wrekin Hill and NECA, a movie merchandising company that puts out "Gremlins" action figures, have teamed to release the film in the spring of 2012.
The film, which made festival appearances last year, was produced by a holy trinity of nerd overlords: "Spider-Man" co-creator Stan Lee, Ain't It Cool News founder Harry Knowles, and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon. Whoa boy!
In a press release (via Deadline), Wrekin Hill president Chris Ball said of the project, "I have been a Morgan Spurlock fan ever since 'Super Size Me,' and this film – which wowed audiences at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival – should win over additional fans for Spurlock’s fascinating look at what has become the Superbowl of fanboy events.”
Spurlock, who recently skewered product placement in his film "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," said, "As a young kid growing up in West Virginia, I was obsessed with comic books and horror films so the first time I ever attended Comic-Con in the summer of 2009 was a dream come true for me. I was blown away by the passion and the creativity there — the panels, parades, costumes, crowds and camaraderie that makes Comic-Con one of the largest cultural events in America."
Joel Weinshanker, President and CEO of NECA (and presumably the guy who decides which "Gremlins" get their own action figures), described the roll-out of "Comic-Con Episode IV – A Fan's Hope" as one that would include large gatherings (in "small arenas"), Q&As, contests, give-aways, and "special cultural presentations." In other words, the release will include little Comic-Cons springing up wherever they show the film, which is kind of a cool idea – giving the large scale Comic-Con experience on a very personal level. We would be very surprised if the release didn't include some kind of VOD/On Demand option, but as of now all we know is that it will be coming out in the spring of 2012…Right before all the superhero movies invade the summer box office ("The Avengers," "The Dark Knight Rises," etc). Could be an interesting peek behind the scenes at a world full of monsters and superheroes, especially for those who have never attended a Comic-Con. Wrekin Hill and NECA are probably hoping people will assemble! for this thing too.
