San Diego Comic-Con 2018 took place Wednesday, July 18 through Sunday, July 22. We had arrived at SDCC 2018 on Wednesday evening, at which time we walked the Exhibit Hall floor and attended the Game of Bloggers party (click here if you missed our Preview Night recap). Our Thursday morning kicked off in Hall H with The Predator and Doctor Who panels.
We had been able to just walk right up and acquire a C wristband at 11:30pm the night before on the way back to our hotel. The rule was that if you had gotten a wristband, you needed to return to the Hall H line by 7:30am the next morning. Even though our hotel, Marriott Marquis, was right next to the convention center, I had to wake up a bit earlier — around 6:20am. That’s because I had to get ready with my 13th Doctor cosplay that I had made a last minute decision to buy at the Her Universe booth in the Exhibit Hall the night before!
I hurried and got ready, with makeup and wig, and we made it to the back of the Hall H line with less than 10 minutes to spare — and they were still giving out C wristbands! However, once it reached 7:30am, they stopped handing out wristbands. Our friends @Cyberaug and Pablo (aka @elmachas) arrived shortly after the cutoff time, so were unable to join us in line since they didn’t have a wristband, and instead had to stay further back in line. While waiting in line, someone from the San Diego Union-Tribune spotted me and asked me a few questions about my thoughts on the 13th Doctor. Click here to read that article!
At the front of the Hall H tents, right before attendees entered the chutes, there were metal detectors set up. But attendees just walked right through them, without having bags checked or anything. I presume they must have had them on a lower setting.
As we entered the lobby area, both before and after scanning our badges, we had to hold up our wristbands so that staff could see them. Upon entering Hall H, we were given some Predator swag — which actually included some useful stuff! There was a drawstring backpack with a seat cushion, poster, hand sanitizer, and portable battery charger!
Then we went to our normal spot — the back right corner of the room, near the men’s restrooms. Cyberaug and Pablo eventually made their way in and found us, but they took a little longer than expected. Apparently there was a miscommunication, and people who had wristbands but who hadn’t made it back to the line by 7:30am, and were lined up behind them, were allowed to go in front of them!
The Predator
By the time The Predator panel started, there were still a good number of seats available around us. The Predator panel was the first Hall H panel of SDCC 2018, starting things off at 10:30am. As usual, Eddie Ibrahim, the Director of Programming, came out first to welcome everyone and give his spiel about not recording anything shown on screen.
Grae Drake of Rotten Tomatoes was the moderator of The Predator panel, which featured Director Shane Black and cast members Sterling K. Brown, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes, Augusto Aguilera, and Jake Busey.
The panel began with a behind the scenes video of various cast members debating who would win in a fight: Predator or [insert pop culture superhero/villain here]. After the video, Grae asked the cast members her own scenarios, including Sarah Connor, Ash from Evil Dead, Indiana Jones (with the whip), Han Solo, just plain Harrison Ford, Yoda, Captain Kirk, and Elsa from Frozen. Some funny debates ensued.
Cast member Boyd Holbrook was unable to make it to the panel, but we watched a special video of him saying hello to Comic-Con and introducing a clip. The clip lasted a few minutes, and highlighted the humorous dynamic between the cast members, as Olivia Munn’s character, a biologist, wakes up in a motel room, and it seems that the others, soldiers, have bets on how she will react and what she will do upon waking up.
Shane Black commented on the clip saying that they took the approach of a “Dirty Half Dozen,” with a group of misfits coming together. It was a chance to bounce people off of each other, since these are such great character actors.
Keegan-Michael Key talked about how people would watch movies in his trailer, such as Black exploitation movies and The Room. There was one pointing move that they sneakily tried to get into the movie, but Key wasn’t sure if it actually made it in. Basically there were a lot of hijinks and shenanigans on set!
Jake Busey remembered when his father, Gary Busey, was in the 1990 Predator 2 movie. He pointed out that he’s the same age in this movie that his dad was in Predator 2!
Sterling K. Brown is also known for his roles in This is Us and Black Panther. He clarified that he doesn’t want to be put into a box, and thanked Shane Black for giving him this opportunity to do something different.
Shane Black talked about the concept of The Predator, saying that there’s a faction of Predators that have been “roiding.” However, he said that they still had to maintain the overall look of the original Predators, as well as what makes them what they are — they strike and retreat. As a result, they were given an R rating, which he seemed happy about. Then we watched a clip where a Predator is after the group. But then a much bigger Predator comes along and attacks the smaller Predator, ripping its head off.
After the clip, Black pointed out that the shot was not finished yet, and there was actually going to be more Predator blood, running down in rivulets.
The panel was opened up for audience Q&A.
A couple audience members gave some Predator vs. scenarios: Deadpool, Thanos, Kilgrave from Iron Man 3 (which Shane Black directed), and Ripley.
Keegan-Michael Key jokingly revealed that there were aspects of his Key & Peele characters in his Predator character.
The question came up of how many takes it took for the motel scene that we saw earlier, which consisted of a lot of clever comedic timing. The answer: just one. However, they don’t count rehearsals as takes.
Olivia Munn commented on her character’s use of a gun in the movie, saying that in most movies, guys just know how to use a gun when they pick it up, but girls don’t. She didn’t necessarily want her character to be proficient, but at least have the general idea of how to use it, and Shane agreed with her.
One funny fact came up: Thomas Jane does not wear shoes. Not even in Vancouver in the middle of Winter. He even showed us that he was not wearing shoes right now! “I like to touch things with my feet,” he explained.
Another audience member asked about the connection with Xenomorphs, but Shane Black clarified that this movie does not have the tie in with what was suggested in Alien: Covenant, and that this is a sequel, not a reboot.
The panel ended with the cast taking a selfie together with the Hall H crowd in the background. The Predator will be released in theaters on September 14, 2018.
You can view more of our photos from The Predator panel below.
Doctor Who
The Doctor Who panel kicked off at 11:45am with an intro video of Jodie Whittaker which began in Cardiff. She was running late to get to Comic-Con, so she tried to hop in the TARDIS — but there was a sign that said “Not for personal use”! So she had to take a plane instead. Then we see her on the pedestrian bridge by Hilton Bayfront, where she runs into a stunned 13th Doctor cosplayer, whom she asks how to get to Hall H! You can watch the video below:
Then Jodie Whittaker came out on stage wearing a hooded shirt, reminiscent of the hooded jacket she was wearing during the big reveal when we first discovered the identity of the 13th Doctor — and the fact that the Doctor would be a female for the first time ever. She was then joined on stage by Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, who play the Doctor’s companions Ryan and Yasmin, as well as showrunner Chris Chibnall and Executive Producer Matt Strevens. There is one more companion, Graham, played by Bradley Walsh, who was unable to make it to the panel.
Jodie spoke about the difficulty of keeping it secret from her friends and family that she would be the 13th Doctor.
There was also a video featuring fans watching live as the big reveal of the 13th Doctor occurred and their reactions, as well as welcoming Jodie to the role.
Chris Chibnall talked about casting Jodie as the Doctor. He had written 3 special scenes, but “She just walked in the room and she was the Doctor,” adding that as a showrunner, it’s exciting when you get an audition and instantly want to start writing for that person. However, even though she nailed the first scene, he still had her do the two other scenes, so he wouldn’t be accused of not doing his due diligence. For her audition, Jodie made her own prop: she got a box and filled it with iPhone cables, then “diffused a bomb.” But don’t count on ever seeing that audition video — she made sure it was deleted.
As for casting the companions, Chibnall was looking for people that have incredible range, as well as emotional truth. Chibnall also commented that the chemistry between them is amazing. Tosin Cole admitted that when he came in to audition for his role, he didn’t know that Jodie was the Doctor! He also confessed that he told everyone right away that he got the role. The others have since learned not to tell Tosin anything!
Jodie talked a bit about filming that final scene in Twice Upon a Time, when we first see the 13th Doctor. It was a bit odd for her wearing someone else’s clothes, but the crew made her feel like she was at home. Chibnall commented about what a magical moment that scene was, and that he and others got very emotional, crying, as they realized she’s the Doctor now.
Mandip Gill had to be careful about what she revealed about her character, Yasmin, but she did tell us that Yas is a 19-year-old girl from Sheffield who asks for more — and gets more, as she is whisked away on an amazing adventure. Gill also commented that the relationship that develops between the three companions is “beautiful” and that each of the three of them bring something completely different to the show. She added that Bradley Walsh is the funniest man she’s ever had the pleasure of working with. Jodie agreed, further elaborating that although he’s a grown man, he’s more like a child, and very naughty. As for what his character Graham is like on the show, he’s the most cautious of the three companions.
Since Bradley Walsh was unable to attend, he sent us a video instead — where he is playfully invading Jodie Whittaker’s trailer while she’s away!
Speaking of trailer, we were then shown the world premiere of the Doctor Who Season 11 trailer! The trailer was then released online. You can watch it below:
The trailer didn’t really reveal much about what to expect this season. Chibnall told us that we could expect a lot of new things, such as new worlds, new characters, and new guest characters. He also addressed the secrecy, saying that there are a lot of things that we won’t want to be spoiled for us, and it’s better as a communal experience so that we’re all talking about it at the same time. Strevens added that they don’t think the audience actually wants to see these things before they’re ready to show it.
Then the new sonic screwdriver was revealed as Jodie held it up for all to see! The moderator also announced that these were now available for purchase at the BBC American booth on the Exhibit Hall floor. Chibnall teased that the new sonic screwdriver is made out of some interesting components that we’ll find out about in Episode 1 of the new season, and that there’s an interesting story behind how the Doctor comes by it.
Audience members were given an opportunity for Q&A as well.
Jodie revealed that she’s never actually had anyone on set refer to her as a “he” but that she is most often just referred to as “Doctor.” She also admitted that when she was reading her lines, she thought to herself, “He says this line…” but then had to correct her way of thinking.
A funny story came up about David Tennant. The day before the 13th Doctor announcement, he had been told to keep an eye on his phone within the next 10 minutes or so, because the person that was going to be announced was very nervous and had some questions. So when he saw Jodie’s name pop up on his phone he answered it, “Whhhhaaaat??? Why are you calling me?!” Jodie excitedly said things to him and asked a million questions that she doesn’t really remember. She also was able to talk to Peter Capaldi and Matt Smith beforehand. The only thing she remembers out of it all is that David Tennant told her that this is the most amazing thing that can happen to you, and there’s only a few people who know how it feels.
Regarding the legacy of the Doctor, Jodie spoke about how the show is a huge part of British culture, even if you’ve never actually sat down and watched the show. She acknowledged that she knew that being the first female there would be extra responsibility thrown in, but that it’s felt like a big “Whovian family that you want to be a part of because it’s so supportive and inclusive and fun.”
A little girl named Amelia who had been waiting for a female Doctor for a “really long time” asked if there would be any new girl-specific things for this Doctor. However, Jodie answered that with this role, gender is irrelevant — which was “completely liberating” for her. But she did reveal that sometimes in episodes, people’s responses are different because they’re speaking to a woman.
As for what are the core tenets for being the Doctor, Jodie answered that for her, the Doctor is a “pillar of hope” always striving for brightness and inclusion. Chibnall agreed with that assessment, and commented that Jodie’s Doctor is the Doctor we’ve all known and loved, but with a fresh take.
When asked what 13’s personality is like, the panelists seemed to agree that this Doctor is very energetic and has a joy for life. Some other words the panelists used to describe her were bubbly, humorous, witty, effervescent, and kick-ass.
A question came up about the monsters, and Gill talked about how she had been wanting to be chased by a monster — any monster. However, they’re never actually chased by monsters. Instead, it’s usually tennis balls taped to tripods! Either that, or lasers held by the cameraman. Jodie mentioned one time they filmed some scenes out of order, so afterward they realized what had actually happened and realized that they gave the wrong reaction! They should have had a more shocked reaction than the more subdued reaction that they gave.
Jodie also praised the extraordinary prosthetics. Chris Chibnall revealed that there are a lot of new monsters and villains this season, and said that they have a new special effects company this season. Matt Strevens talked about balancing digital effects with visceral aspects.
Jodie spoke about when she had to break the news that she is afraid of fire. However, she has gotten a lot braver. She gets afraid for other people too, though.
When asked about the return of any Doctor Who or Torchwood villains or monsters, Chibnall reiterated that all the monsters, villains, and characters are new this year. We also learned that there would be 10 varied, exciting, stand-alone stories. Chibnall said that this season would be the perfect jumping on point for anyone who hasn’t watched Doctor Who before. He did admit there would be little things from the past that we could spot, but it’s less about old stuff returning and more about “new treats.”
As for whether any classic monsters would be returning next season, Chibnall said that he hadn’t really thought about it, but that he would never rule it out. The moderator then asked what were the chances we would see any Daleks this season, and Chibnall answered that there were only two weeks left of shooting, and they hadn’t seen any yet.
The panel wrapped up with the panelists going down the line each talking about what it means to them to be in Doctor Who. At this point, we learned that Chibnall’s first memories of being alive were of watching Doctor Who! Jodie said that growing up, she didn’t want to be on the side clapping, she wanted to be a part of things, and she hopes that young kids can look up to them and feel encouraged that they can be a part of it too, saying “We want you all on our journey, with us.”
The panel ended with us watching the trailer one more time.
With that, we headed over to the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront for YouTube’s Origin panel, followed by Anything Goes with John Barrowman! I think a lot of other Whovians had the same idea… Click here to continue to our recap and photos of those panels!
Here are some more of our photos from the Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018:
