June 24, 2023
A number of major studios are reportedly declining to present their upcoming tentpole releases at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International. The list of no-shows, according to a report in Variety, thus far includes Disney, HBO, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and Netflix.
The primary reason for their absence seems to stem from a turbulent political atmosphere in Hollywood. With the Writers Guild of America on strike since May 2, showrunners and screenwriters would not be available to help promote upcoming content at the convention, as doing so would be crossing the picket line.
In addition, if SAG-AFTRA, the union representing nearly 160,000 actors, performers and other artists, joins a mega-strike when its contract ends at the end of June, and the deadline is not extended, then studios would have hardly anyone of note to present at promotional panels.
A presence at Comic-Con is not limited to panels, of course, as studios could still set up elaborate fan activations and promotional events on the show floor or in the adjacent Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego.
For Disney, upcoming titles include the new Haunted Mansion movie, Marvel Studios’ The Marvels and season two of “Loki,” and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars” properties such as “Ahsoka.” HBO has “House of the Dragon” season two and “True Detective” season four in production. Sony Pictures will have video game adaptation Gran Turismo and Spider-Man spinoff Kraven the Hunter in theaters later this year. Universal’s slate includes the Dracula movie Last Voyage of the Demeter, Strays and a relaunch of The Exorcist.
Netflix recently held its Tudum fan event, where it promoted a number of its genre offerings.
The list of no-shows could still grow depending on how labor negotiations unfold in the next few weeks, according to the report.
While HBO might not attend, parent Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service does intend to promote some animation titles. And the Warner Bros. studio might not be able to afford to skip the event out of a desperate need to energize fan interest in upcoming DC superhero movies Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in the wake of the lackluster box office results for Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash.
Paramount Pictures is planning a panel for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem animated movie, but streaming service Paramount+ has yet to announce plans, such as if its “Star Trek” shows will have a robust presence as they did last year.
NBC is reportedly considering panels only if there is no actors strike.
Amazon plans also have yet to be finalized, though it is expected to be on hand to promote the fall premieres of “The Boys: Gen V” and the second season of “The Wheel of Time.”
This year’s Comic-Con runs July 20-23 at the San Diego Convention Center and surrounding areas, with a sneak preview night July 19.