Quite frankly, the Paramount presentation in the cavernous Hall H of Comic Con today seemed like, at least superficially, it wouldn’t offer much in the way of thrills. This turned out to not be the case, with a debut of the “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” trailer, some footage from “SpongeBob SquarePants 2” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and a surprise appearance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (who bellowed “Finally! The Rock has come back to Comic Con!” and then invited everybody to see “Hercules” tonight at three San Diego-area theaters).
But the biggest, brashest, splashiest moment happened when Matthew McConaughey and Christopher Nolan, both making their Comic Con debuts, took the stage to talk about their upcoming science-fiction epic “Interstellar” (out this fall). They chatted about the film and then showed a brand new trailer for the movie, and everything from here on out should be double-underlined and highlighted — we’re entering spoiler territory. It’s nothing too revelatory, but still: if you don’t want to know anything, turn back now. We can say that it looks awesome though. And come November, you won’t be disappointed.
1. They Land on Another Planet This was something that the initial teasers left purposefully ambiguous, and led to much speculation: would the entire movie about the voyage itself, or would they actually touch down. As this new trailer shows you: they do.
2. Jessica Chastain Almost Certainly Plays McConaughey’s Grown Daughter This is something else that everyone was scratching their heads about — who does Jessica Chastain play, exactly, when it’s pretty clear that she’s not part of the exploratory space mission. This trailer seems to confirm the fact that she plays McConaughey’s grown daughter. Hey, this is a movie about a group of people who travel through space and time.
3. Nolan Wants This Thing to Be BIG And we’re not talking about in box office dollars (although we’re fairly certain he wants that too), but just in terms of size and scale. He referenced “2001” a number of times and stated how important the IMAX photography was to capturing the story’s largeness. So yes, “large format” is probably the way to go on this one.
4. McConaughey Plays a Pilot The trailers make it seem like he’s simply a farmer, recruited for some kind of experimental mission. But the first thing McConaughey said to describe his character was “He’s a pilot.” He said that his dream to fly knocks on his door but he’s put in a tough position because it will mean leaving his two children (he’s a widower).
5. The Visuals Are Stunning This movie really looks like nothing else — a science fiction epic that is both cold and technological and utterly warm and human. Some of the trippier elements of the space travel are also present in the trailer, offering a nicely kaleidoscopic element to the entire thing.
6. It’s Ambitious McConaughey described it as “by far the most ambitious film that Christopher Nolan has ever directed,” and considering he made a white knuckle caper movie that took place inside of the human mind and is responsible for the most grandiose superhero trilogy in the history of the medium, this certainly means something.
7. Time (and Technique) Are a Flat Circle In the same way that the movie plays with time (past and present) and temperature (cold and warm), it also plays with techniques both old and new, real and imagined. While Nolan begrudgingly admitted to the movie featuring some innovations, he also said that the movies visuals were created using a combination of practical and computer-generated effects. He said he always wanted the actors to be reacting to something, when at all possible.
8. It’s Looking to Recapture a Very Specific Sensation Nolan told a story about his dad taking him to a re-release screening of “2001: A Space Odyssey” in London that only happened because of the success of “Star Wars.” It was a specific sensation that Nolan looked to recapture in “Interstellar,” and judging by the giant, jaw-dropping visuals, he seems to have achieved it handily.
9. It’s All About Character Not only do you get to see a few more of the characters that populate “Interstellar’s” vast galactic field, but you also see more of the characters that have been introduced in the previous trailers. Particularly we get to see more of Anne Hathaway’s character, who seems to be a scientist and potential love interest for McConaughey’s Cooper. She seems to be a reminder of what he could have on Earth, but maybe has found in the stars. Nolan says this is intentional, as the further you push into the space, the more you realize that it’s about the humans, and not the technology or the fantasy of the scenario, that is really important.
10. You’re Probably Going to Cry The trailer was highly emotional. The combination of twinkly music and jaw-dropping visuals made us well up, especially when McConaughey, in honey-dipped narration, talks about his family and what his mission means to him on a personal level. When he said “We’ll find a way. We always have” at the end of the trailer, we nearly wept. In front of someone dressed as an anime character.
Gallery | Comic-Con 2014 Photos
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Bersain Gutierrez, dressed as Superman, carries an American flag during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
APTOPIX 2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
A fan high-fives another fan dressed as Star Wars’ Darth Vader during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
April Del Rosario and Lester Del Rosario pose with their son during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Chris Keyes poses for photographers outside the convention center during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
A Comic-Con fan wears goggles as he sits in the X-Men Cerebral Experience during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Costumed characters walk in front of the convention center during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Star Wars fans pose for a photo during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Robert Herzberg poses for a photo during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
A fan takes a selife with a Guardians of the
Galaxy Rocket Racoon figurine during preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Dressed as Wonder Woman, Lindsay Stanley, walks in front of the convention center before waiting in line for credentials on preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Preview Night
Costumed characters walk in front of the convention center before waiting in line for credentials on preview night at the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Wednesday, July 23, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
San Diego Prepares For 2014 Comic-Con – Comic-Con International 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: A general view of the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con on July 23, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Annual Comic-Con Convention Draws Costumed Crowds To San Diego
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 24: Christopher Petrone, of San Diego, CA, towering over attendees in his handmade, to-scale Chewbacca costume, gives a roar to fans during the 45th annual San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, 2014 in San Diego, California. An estimated 130,000 attendees are expected at this year’s convention, which will celebrate the 75th anniversary of both Marvel Comics and the first Batman comic book. (Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images)
Nintendo Lounge On The TV Guide Magazine Yacht At Comic-Con #TVGMYacht – Day 1
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 24: Writer/producers Chris McKenna (L) and Dan Harmon attend the Nintendo Lounge on the TV Guide Magazine Yacht during Comic-Con International 2014 #TVGMYacht on July 24, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for TV Guide Magazine)
Saban’s Power Rangers At San Diego Comic-Con
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 24: The Super Megaforce Red Ranger checks out the Legendary Ranger Keys at the Bandai America booth during Comic-Con International 2014 on July 24, 2014 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images)
2014 Comic-Con – Atmosphere
Guests sit on the convention floor on Day 1 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 24, 2014, in San Diego. (Photo by Tonya Wise/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Atmosphere
Kevin Alpert, dressed as Superman, takes a photos of a Wonder Woman (not shown) on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Thursday, July 24, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Atmosphere
A fan dressed as Spiderman practices his moves outside of the convention center on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Thursday, July 24, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Atmosphere
Matt Rogers, dressed as Captain America, rides the escalator up on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Thursday, July 24, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Atmosphere
Costumed characters walk outside of the convention center on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Thursday, July 24, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
2014 Comic-Con – Atmosphere
A fan dressed as Wolverine from the X-Men waits at a crosswalk on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held Thursday, July 24, 2014 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP)
Quite frankly, the Paramount presentation in the cavernous Hall H of Comic Con today seemed like, at least superficially, it wouldn’t offer much in the way of thrills. This turned out to not be the case, with a debut of the “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” trailer, some footage from “SpongeBob SquarePants 2” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and a surprise appearance by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (who bellowed “Finally! The Rock has come back to Comic Con!” and then invited everybody to see “Hercules” tonight at three San Diego-area theaters).
