Comic-Con: Screen Gems Panel Live Blog

Screen Gems is holding a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time, but the studio has been very secretive about what it is presenting, saying only that the panel will feature a special surprise appearance and a Q&A. Follow along with our live blog below!

You can read the archived version of our live blog below:

11:23

ComingSoon.net: Welcome to our live blog of the Screen Gems panel at the San Diego Comic-Con. The panel should start soon, stay tuned.

11:28

Comment From BadWolf

chance of a new Underworld?

11:28

Comment From bobnap

is Resident Evil The final chapter going to be announce? ask them whats the release and filming dates!

11:28

ComingSoon.net: Either Underworld or Resident Evil would be our guess.

11:30

Comment From Guest

I think it’s going to be The Last of Us movie

11:30

ComingSoon.net: Oh right, could be!

11:34

EDouglasCS: Hey everyone! Ed Douglas here and we’ll be joined by Josh Starnes shortly

11:34

EDouglasCS: No one has any idea what Screen Gems might be showing or announcing today but we have a lot of theories.

11:37

EDouglasCS: Okay, I just went up to the podium at the front of Hall H and the two guests for the panel are…. (drumroll)

11:37

EDouglasCS: Sam Raimi!!!!!!

11:37

EDouglasCS: And Neil Druckman

11:37

Joshua Starnes: maybe it’s an Evil Dead video game.

11:37

Comment From Griffin

With the new Hitman movie having a spot at the Con this year, and Uncharted just getting a release date, my money is on The Last of Us

11:37

EDouglasCS: Neil is a video game developer but this is for Screen Gems who generally does movies.

11:38

EDouglasCS: Griffin, if this is to announce a Last of Us movie, this place is going to EXPLODE!

11:38

ComingSoon.net: Neil Druckmann is from Naughty Dog!

11:38

EDouglasCS: They’re showing a clip

11:39

Joshua Starnes: it is last of us!!!

11:40

Joshua Starnes: soon to be a major motion pictuure!!!

11:40

EDouglasCS: It is The Last of Us! They just showed some footage from the game with the title “The Last of Us Remastered”

11:40

EDouglasCS: “Soon to be a major motion picture

11:40

EDouglasCS: EW’s Dalton Ross is moderating

11:40

Joshua Starnes: I’m guessing Raimi might be connected to that movie

11:40

ComingSoon.net: That’s not really news though.

11:40

ComingSoon.net: https://www.comingsoon.net/n…

11:40

EDouglasCS: CS: But Sam Raimi directing and/or producing?

11:40

ComingSoon.net: Maybe!

11:40

EDouglasCS: Oh I see… Last of Us: Remastered is a game coming out Tuesday

11:41

EDouglasCS: They asked if anyone is an Evil Dead fan… for those who didn’t already see Sam Raimi’s placard

11:41

Comment From Alex

So they’ve only shown footage from the game?

11:41

EDouglasCS: Yes, Alex, just game footage

11:41

Joshua Starnes: Yep

11:42

Joshua Starnes: Sounds like Raimi is just producing Last of Us film.

11:42

Joshua Starnes: Raimi wearing the suit and tie, as always.

11:42

EDouglasCS: Sam Raimi is really at home in Hall H having brought most of the Spider-Man movies here

11:43

EDouglasCS: Neil Druckman said they got two pitches. .one from Clint Culpepper at Screen Gems and one from Sam Raimi

11:43

Joshua Starnes: Even when the Naught Dog guys met Raimi their first response was ‘Don’t geek out, don’t geek out …’

11:43

EDouglasCS: Neil said that when he met with Sam he “really got it”

11:44

Joshua Starnes: And they got greenlight from Screen Gems to be able to write the film themselves.

11:44

EDouglasCS: Sam says that if the movie was going to be in the right hands, it would be in Neil’s hands.

11:45

EDouglasCS: No word when this will come out but Raimi mentions that it won’t come out for years but they wanted to make an announcement here

11:45

EDouglasCS: Neil’s writing the script for the movie

11:45

Joshua Starnes: They expect it to be very true to the game.

11:46

EDouglasCS: They had to make changes to shorten what ends up being a 15 hour game…

11:46

Joshua Starnes: They talked about a different ending among the various changes.

11:46

Comment From Readman

who is Clint Culpepper

11:46

EDouglasCS: Clint is the head of Screen Gems.

11:46

Joshua Starnes: Raimi talked them out of some larger changes, pushing them back towards the story of the game.

11:47

EDouglasCS: Neil said that Sam said that he was worried about protecting the property from financiers and producers but ended up thinking he’d have to save it from Neil

11:47

Joshua Starnes: It will be laser focused on the relationship between Joe and Ellie

11:47

EDouglasCS: Moderator is asking whether the Left Behind expansion might be included in movie

11:47

EDouglasCS: He said that they possibly might use elements

11:48

Joshua Starnes: They’re talking about potential casting for the leads

11:48

Joshua Starnes: They’ve talked to Macy Williams for Ellie

11:48

Joshua Starnes: The crowd likes it.

11:49

EDouglasCS: Dalton asks if there’s a room for Bruce Campbell in the film

11:49

EDouglasCS: Sam says he’s his favorite actor … Dalton suggested him for David

11:49

EDouglasCS: Oddly, Maisie Williams may be in Hall H soon for Game of Thrones

11:49

Joshua Starnes: Maybe someone will ask her about the meeting during that Q&A.

11:50

EDouglasCS: Josh, I think you should ask… 🙂

11:50

Comment From João Paulo – BR

Would be great if he direct the movie.

11:50

EDouglasCS: I agree Joao.

11:50

Joshua Starnes: Only if I got to wear your Dr. Doom mask and call myself Ed Doom

11:50

Joshua Starnes: Neil suggests Bruce Campbell himself would make a good Joel

11:51

Joshua Starnes: Sam seems non-plussed about the idea, but they will find some place for Bruce.

11:51

EDouglasCS: Neil thinks the truck ambush would make a great fit for the movie

11:52

Joshua Starnes: They’re creating new scenes to glue some of their favorite game scenes together

11:52

Joshua Starnes: creating a new flow for the film.

11:52

EDouglasCS: Neil is being asked about the next Uncharted (the video game)

11:52

Joshua Starnes: He says it will be awesome, but avoids specifics.

11:53

Joshua Starnes: Here comes the obligatory will there be more Evil Dead question

11:53

EDouglasCS: “I always love working on that… my brother and i are working on the TV show”

11:53

EDouglasCS: “with Bruce Campbell”

11:53

EDouglasCS: They’re going to questions soon

11:54

EDouglasCS: People at the panel are able to redeem their coupons for an exclusive Last of Us poster

11:54

Joshua Starnes: Here comes the Q&A

11:54

EDouglasCS: Guy asking about whether it will be a new Joel or a rendition of the video game Joel

11:54

EDouglasCS: Neil thinks it’s good to have strong actors who bring their own interpretation to the characters

11:55

EDouglasCS: He doesn’t want the movie to be a poor imitation of the game.

11:55

EDouglasCS: There’s a woman asking a question who has WAY too much flair

11:55

EDouglasCS: (Office Space joke)

11:55

Joshua Starnes: And she’s a big Ted Raimi fan, apparently

11:55

EDouglasCS: Sam says he won’t be directing

11:55

EDouglasCS: Neil will be in charge of selecting director

11:55

Joshua Starnes: Sounds like they haven’t picked a director yet

11:56

EDouglasCS: Sam being asked how he found Last of Us

11:56

EDouglasCS: He says he’s a gamer who plays a lot of games

11:56

EDouglasCS: He likes Halo and shooter games too

11:56

Joshua Starnes: Drops the Age of Empires reference, oh yeah.

11:57

Comment From bobnap

ask them about the resident evil the final chapter movie release dates and filming dates!

11:57

EDouglasCS: Sorry I’m not in line to ask a question.. and I think the focus of this panel is The Last of Us

11:57

Joshua Starnes: Doesn’t seem like there are any execs from Screen Gems here.

11:57

EDouglasCS: It’s funny cause Sam said he rented The Last of Us… you’d think he could afford to BUY it.

11:57

EDouglasCS: Neil just corrected that they’re “infected” not “zombies”

11:58

Joshua Starnes: Then calls them zombies himself.

11:58

Comment From Guest

What about City of Ashes? Think they will announce that?

11:58

EDouglasCS: Probably not… I think that would be saved for the video game company to announce.

11:58

EDouglasCS: Neil being asked about a sequel to Last of Us… Sam thinks it’s a good idea

11:58

Joshua Starnes: Audience likes it

11:59

Joshua Starnes: What would they call it . . . More of Us?

11:59

EDouglasCS: Neil asks Sam if he should have Joel or Ellie in it…. and Sam wants to see more of them

11:59

EDouglasCS: Josh: Good one!

11:59

EDouglasCS: Someone is asking about an Uncharted movie…. I guess they don’t read ComingSoon.net

11:59

Spencer Perry-SHH: Shame on them

11:59

EDouglasCS: Neil says he’s heard things about casting for the movie but he can’t say

11:59

Comment From Jesse Gendelman

What are the movies of sony screen gems?

12:00

EDouglasCS: Jesse, they’ve done Underworld and Resident Evil and more

12:00

Joshua Starnes: Here comes the Ellen Paige casting question.

12:00

EDouglasCS: Someone in the chat room asked about that, too

12:00

EDouglasCS: The reaction to Ellen Page wasn’t that overwhelming…

12:00

Joshua Starnes: Audience is firmly in the Macy Williams camp

12:01

EDouglasCS: Draco Malfoy is now asking a question and he spoiled part of the plot!!! 🙂

12:01

Comment From Guest

Wasn’t Ellen Page torqued that they used her likeness for the game? Or did I dream that?

12:01

EDouglasCS: I seem to remember her being flattered…

12:01

EDouglasCS: But this isn’t the game where they had a nude likeness of Ellen Page, is it? That was creepy

12:01

Spencer Perry-SHH: That would be Beyond: Two Souls

12:01

Joshua Starnes: Raimi encouraged Neil to keep the opening of the film very similar to the opening of the game.

12:02

EDouglasCS: Thanks Spencer!

12:02

EDouglasCS: Are all video game programmers obsessed with Ellen Page? 🙂

12:02

Comment From Irvin

What did Draco Malfoy ask?

12:02

Joshua Starnes: They’re talking about ways to get some of the actors from the motion capture into the film, somehow.

12:02

EDouglasCS: He asked about a character who dies in the opening of the game

12:03

EDouglasCS: Sam doesn’t think that Ellen could play the part because Ellie is a younger girl

12:03

EDouglasCS: Sam was asked about a trilogy

12:03

EDouglasCS: And he gave the diplomatic answer that they want to make one great movie first

12:04

EDouglasCS: I should say “possible trilogy”

12:04

Joshua Starnes: All amid a very good bald sight gag using the Hall H screen

12:04

EDouglasCS: Sam is asked if it’s too soon for a movie after the release of the video game

12:04

EDouglasCS: Sam says again that he wanted to come to Comic-COn early to talk about the movie but he doesn’t feel that it’s too early for a movie

12:04

EDouglasCS: “I want to tell people it’s coming. I think it’s a great project.”

12:05

Joshua Starnes: Naughty Dog’s goal is to make the first great video game/film adaptation

12:05

Joshua Starnes: They are aware it has traditionally not been done well.

12:06

EDouglasCS: EVERYONE says that…. and has there been even one good video game adaptation yet?

12:06

Spencer Perry-SHH: Way to trash the Resident Evil movies at Screen Gems panel 😉

12:06

Comment From MattyDC

Silent Hill is the best film adaptation to date

12:06

Joshua Starnes: Super Mario Brothers 🙂

12:06

EDouglasCS: Yeah, that first Silent Hill wasn’t that bad. That was also Screen Gems, by the way

12:06

EDouglasCS: BTW, Josh is close enough I can hit him if anyone asks me to 🙂

12:06

Joshua Starnes: I can take it. Ed’s arms are really skinny.

12:06

Comment From Roku

Some video game films are fun. I enjoyed the first tomb raider and mortal kombat

12:07

EDouglasCS: We interrupt this liveblog to say that they have just announced an actor in talks for Doctor Strange!!! 🙂

12:07

Comment From Thrall

Surely Sam Raimi would think Warcraft would be if he wanted to direct it

12:08

Comment From oggie

what tv show is Sam talking about that he is working on with his brother and bruce campbell?

12:08

Spencer Perry-SHH: Evil Dead

12:08

Joshua Starnes: Some sort of event planned for the panelists

12:08

EDouglasCS: There is already a Warcraft movie being directed by Duncan Jones of Moon… I’m hoping they’ll show something at the Legendary panel tomorrow

12:08

EDouglasCS: I think they’re going to present an award to Sam Raimi

12:08

Joshua Starnes: sounds like it

12:08

EDouglasCS: Eddie Ibrahim just came back out

12:09

Joshua Starnes: They’re giving an Inkpot Award to Sam Raimi

12:09

EDouglasCS: This was a surprise and wasn’t announced beforehand. Well deserved!

12:09

EDouglasCS: https://www.comingsoon.net/n…

12:10

EDouglasCS: Re: Dr. Strange

12:10

EDouglasCS: Panel is over! Next up is The Walking Dead! I’m going to let Josh fly solo on that as I have to go do other things for a while

12:11

ComingSoon.net: Thanks guys!

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