Comic-Con International, the four-day pop-culture celebration that takes over the San Diego Convention Center each summer, runs Thursday to Sunday. Here’s a look at some of the hottest films, TV shows and video games expected at the sold-out 43rd annual convention:
MOVIES
• “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2”: The first “Twilight” film made a Beatlemania-style splash at Comic-Con four years ago, with thousands of fans camping out since the weekend for a chance to see future heartthrobs Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart in person. The now-megastars are expected again in San Diego, along with fellow cast members Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene and Mackenzie Foy.
• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”: “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson — who is a god at Comic-Con — takes J.R.R. Tolkien fans back to Middle Earth with his take on “The Hobbit.” Stars Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage are expected.
• “Django Unchained”: Quentin Tarantino presents footage from his anticipated Western starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington and Christoph Waltz.
• “Elysium”: “District 9” writer-director Neill Blomkamp returns to the big screen — and to Comic-Con — with “Elysium.” The film stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, who are both expected in San Diego.
• “The Expendables 2 – Real American Heroes”: The world’s toughest movie cast — Sylvester Stallone, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger — are set to present the “Expendables” sequel.
• Other anticipated films include: Tim Burton’s animated “Frankenweenie”; Sam Raimi’s “Oz the Great and Powerful”; Walt Disney Animation’s “Wreck-It Ralph”; Marvel’s “Iron Man 3”; the 3-D stop-motion animation thriller “ParaNorman” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim.”
TELEVISION
• “The Walking Dead”: The producers and cast of AMC’s adaptation of the award-winning comic book series return to Comic-Con with a sneak peek at the show’s upcoming third season.
• “Game of Thrones”: Stars and producers of this HBO fantasy hit will discuss the just-wrapped second season, and what’s to come for its cast of kings, knights and renegades.
• “Dexter”: Fans of Showtime’s friendly neighborhood serial killer can be the first to see footage from next season’s premiere episode. Producers and stars Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter are expected.
• “Fringe”: The Fox show says farewell to its fans with a star-studded panel presentation and exclusive clips. Anna Torv, Josh Jackson and Lance Reddick are expected.
• “Glee”: The musical dramedy makes its fourth consecutive appearance at Comic-Con, bringing its stars (including Lea Michele and Cory Monteith) and executive producer to discuss the graduation episode and what’s next for the students of fictional McKinley High.
• Other TV shows making a Comic-Con splash include: CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”; AMC’s “Breaking Bad”; HBO’s “True Blood”; ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”; Starz’s “Spartacus: War of the Damned; Fox’s “The Following”; NBC’s “Community.”
GAMES
• “Assassin’s Creed III”: The creative director of this popular game unveils its latest installment with a live demonstration.
• “Halo 4”: The producers of the latest edition in this blockbuster franchise talk about taking “Halo 4” in new directions.
• “Resident Evil”: Fans get a sneak peek at the latest installment in this franchise, which hits stores in the fall.
• “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two”: Producers offer a preview of this new game, due in November.
• Other games getting attention include: the Blizzard Entertainment showcase, including titles such as “Diablo III” and “World of Warcraft”; Activision’s “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron”; Capcom’s “Lost Planet 3”; Ubisoft’s “Avengers: Battle for Earth.”
