Walkers, Westeros, and Warriors Land in Hall H – Friday – SDCC

Friday kicked everything off for the Nerd Fu boys at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC)….and what a kickoff! We got to see The Walking Dead, which was followed by the spin-off Fear the Walking Dead panel, then Game of Thrones, and capped off by a guy of guys panel of Brave New Warriors. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to start our Con of Panels since we’re hardcore fans of the both long-standing/upcoming shows and upcoming movies that were discussed. Let’s dig in shall we?

Oh yeah….spoilers may be ahead. Maybe.

The Walking Dead

Ohhhh the feels. True fanboy (in the epic sense of the word) Chris Hardwick came out to moderate the SDCC panel for AMC’s The Walking Dead. <insert cheers>. Fans – including himself – were super hyped about the panel because each season the show just keeps getting better and better, and we’re especially jazzed about the way this last season left off. Spoilers? Like Hardwick says “you need to watch TV faster”. Chris brought everyone out to the stage: showrunners Scott M. Kimble, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd, and Greg Nicotero. Sadly, Robert Kirkman wasn’t in attendance due to personal reasons be the creative minds that were there made sure he was there in spirit – by having Kirkman “faces on sticks” to hold up! Not only that, the cast all had Kirkman shirts on supporting their good friend…..which brings us to the guys and gals we all love: Andrew Lincoln, Steven, Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride (who brought out a plate of cookies), Danai Gurira, Michael Cudlitz, Sonequa Martin-Green, Lennie James (his FIRST time at Comic-Con), and Norman Reedus (who sounded like he got more cheers than anybody). As he should right? Right.

We learned some interesting tidbits about the upcoming season. One being that it’s going to be the largest to date and that it’ll be a 90 minute premiere! Oh happy day! Of course AMC will be airing seasons 1 through 5 of The Walking Dead right before the new season starts.  Some other facts we learned:

• We’ll see more of the more of “The Wolves” in season 6.
• We will see more character flashbacks but for who is still a mystery.
• ANDREW LINCOLN (on his shaving his beard) – “That was a weird day of shooting…my wife doesn’t miss it. I miss it, and I will be growing it back Scott Gimple.”
• STEVEN YEUN (on why he didn’t kill Nicholas) –“Well, Glenn is a better person than me. I’ve said before ‘why didn’t you kill him’? But Glenn sees what it means to cross that that threshold. At that time, he sees that it serves no function other than just serving himself. He knows that Nicholas could’ve easily been him if things had gone different. He [Glenn] is just a better person. Glenn saw that by not killing him, he could try and save some of the humanity of the old world.”
• LENNIE JAMES (on his place on the show now compared to the first season) – “I think it’s important because Rick is the last person that knows Morgan [from before all it started]….it’ll be interesting now that he’s found Rick after all this time but now under the circumstance of the ending of the last season.”
• NORMAN REEDUS (on preparing his character Daryl) – “Uhhh…a lot of Motorhead, lots of coffee, and I play a lot of Candy Crush.”
• NORMAN REEDUS (on his favorite emoji) – “Umm…the red balloon. Love it. >>pauses<< Are these my f**king questions right now? >>the crowd erupts with laughter<< Everyone else gets these really deep questions and I get these!”  >>he laughs<<

 

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD

Chris Hardwick returned to stage once the cast of TWD left and brought on the spin-off show – Fear the Walking Dead. While fans have been debating whether or not it would be worth watching…I get the feeling that those not on the fence were won over by what we saw. Hardwick brought out the creative minds behind the show – Dave Erickson, Gale Anne Hurd, and Greg Nicotero, followed by cast members Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Lorenzo James-Henrie, Mercedes Mason, and Ruben Blades!

As expected, not a lot was given in terms of details for Fear the Walking Dead but here’s a few bits and pieces:

• DAVE ERICKSON (on whether TWD people will ever meet the FTWD people) – “No plans for them to ever meet up…”
• KIM DICKENS (on her taking the role) – “When they asked me if I wanted to audition, I wasn’t sure I was going to fit in. But after reading the script, I thought Madison was just the most amazing character!”

 

GAME OF THRONES

Satirical genius Seth Meyers took the SDCC stage for new hosting duties this time and welcomed the world of Westeros to Hall H. The Game of Thrones panel was incredible and had tons of laughs! Joining Meyers on stage was a very large cast (as usual because how do you have small GoT panel?): Director David Nutter, Executive Producer Carolyn Strauss, Gwendoline Christie, Maisie Williams, Liam Cunningham, Carice van Houten, Sophie Turner, John Bradley, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Natalie Dormer, and Hannah Murray!

There was no exception to the witty comments made by host Meyers and the cast. Some bits and pieces were:

• GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE (on the “candle” incident) – “I didn’t blow the candle, I didn’t mean that, um,” >>laughs from the crowd<<“What can I say? I had to stand for three months watching a window to wait for a candle. Give me a break.”
• MAISIE WILLIAMS (on Arya’s blindness next season) – “One, I can’t see and two, they’re extremely uncomfortable. I’m excited to see what they write in because it takes them three seconds to be like, ‘Arya fights blind,’ but it takes me a long time to master that.”
• GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE (on the relationship dynamic between Jaime and Brienne) – “I found it very interesting when I read the books and then obviously the script, about the basis of that relationship. How in a mainstream TV show we got to see this very unique, very unconventional woman enduring abuse from a man, and then the power lay in the fact that that got turned on its head and turned into a kind of begrudging respect for each other that’s intense and close and doesn’t have its roots in sexuality. I was thrilled to see that…..it was a very powerful modern representation of a woman.” >>lots of cheers from the audience<<
• A FAN ASKS ABOUT WHO’S MISSING KIT HARINGTON >> CONLETH HILL – “His hairdresser……Kit, who?” >> MAISIE WILLIAMS – “We couldn’t wait for him to be gone, to be honest……That hair is so annoying.” >>audience laughter<<

EW’s BRAVE NEW WARRIORS

After Winter left, the season changed and it was time for the men’s club. Six of the newest stars on TV (and in some cases – film) walked across the SDCC stage in full swagger mode: Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead), Zachary Levi (Heroes Reborn), Sam Heughan (Outlander), Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black), Kevin Durand (The Strain) and Rob Kazinsky (The Frankenstein Code). When EW senior writer Lynette Rice proceeded with the questions, the boys were in full effect and took turns shedding light on current and upcoming projects, their love for accents (male ones), and what it is to be ‘Warrior’.

• ON IF THE GUYS ALL KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE  >> ZACH LEVI – “I mean we all play poker together…” >> ROB KAZINSKY – “It’s kinda like we’re a boyband…and we’re getting the band back together!”
• ON HOW THE GUYS PACK FOR COMIC-CON >> KEVIN DURAND – “Luckily, my wife dresses me. Thanks to all the wives out there for taking care of us!”
• ON THEIR FIRST BADASS MOMENT >> KD – “I remember when I was like 6’3″….in junior kindergarten. All the kids piled on me and they thought I was the Hulk. >> RK – ” I was trying to think of when I was warrior….but then I remember crying at ASPCA  ads with Sarah McLachlan and seeing The Lion King like 30 times and going “noooooo”! >> ZACH LEVI – “I remember being a spaz, and reading a lot comic books, playing a lot of video games……and wanting to be Gambit instead of Wolverine like all my other friends.
• MICHAEL CUDLITZ (on a something to apologize for) – “I did a movie a while back called Live Virgin where I played a gay porn star – to which they [the powers that be] insist we go and do research. So they called up adult film star Ron Jeremy and he called us over to watch “people work” so we went. And watched. And watched….these guys work.”