Day Two of Comic Con 2026 Brings Rings and Zombies

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The second day of San Diego Comic-Con International has the lines full and longer to get into Hall H today, and for the Marvel panel tomorrow. The sun held off long enough to get in the doors, but the cooling down has to wait until everyone settles. That's difficult when six thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine people are finding a seat – yes, that would make me number seven thousand. It is time to rekindle friendships that come together once a year but feel like we were together just yesterday. It's also a chance to see more costumes all in one place, and they, as always, are amazing and creative.

The morning begins with two of Prime's upcoming slates, starting with BLADE RUNNER 2099. Premiering on November 25th on Prime Video, the eight-episode series (streaming all at once) is a 2017 sequel to BLADE RUNNER 2049. The panel includes Executive Producers Silka Luisa, Andrew Kosove, and Broderick Johnson, as well as Michelle Yeoh as Olwen and Hunter Schafer as Cora. The future world has made humans second-class citizens. The replicants won the past war, and the reborn Los Angeles is being run by non-humans. Cora is a human who has been running and changing identities and takes on the identity as a Blade Runner. Partnering up with Olwen, they have no time to waste as she is fading. Hall H is treated to an exclusive scene from the series. A messed-up Cora is being dragged into an interrogation room, and Olwen enters. After seeing Cora, she wonders if she has what it takes!

Yeoh says of her role, "Blade Runner is iconic, visionary, and one character that always stayed with me was Roy Batty. So when I was offered to play a replicant, I was like, yes! I really want to explore the character that I would never gotten the opportunity, who was not human. What is being human after all, at the end of the day." Schafer also speaks on her role, "So Cora has been grinding and trying to survive under the sort of new order of the world. And that's sort of where we meet her. She has to endure quite a lot to come out of it on the other side.

The next panel, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: The Rings of Power brings moderator Benjamin Walker and cast members Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Miriel, Daniel Weyman as The Stranger, Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir, Charlie Vickers as Sauron/Halbrand, Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad and Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV. Speaking about becoming part of the cast, Bower says, "It came forward, and I just jumped at the opportunity. I got the phone call in my car, and I burst into tears and Facetimed my brother and, yeah, and it's felt like that ever since. It really has. I have felt so grateful to be here, and you guys have done an amazing thing. It's a privilege, it really is, so thank you." Cordova follows that emotional moment up with, "Can I add something here real quick because there are a lot of Jamie-fans out here. He is one of the best things that has happened to us, I think, having Jamie join us on the cast. He is one of the most special people, folded right in, the biggest heart, the greatest actor, and we are just incredibly grateful to have you, really." You could hear hearts melting through the whole room, especially when the two actors give a warm bro-hug.

The premiere date is set for November 11th on Prime Video (November is a big month then!). The teaser shown in Hall H finally shows the forging of the One Ring at Mount Doom and the outbreak of the War of the Elves and Sauron. Ringwraiths are not just on screen but stand on the Hall H stage as Sauron corrupts the Nazgnagol! There are reunions that get interrupted, open war in Middle-Earth, the Elven kingdom, and a weird Orc alliance that I want to see play out. Now, with a five-year time jump since Eregion has fallen, include (omg!) Simon Pegg as The Balrog, Eddie Marsan as Thrain, Andrew Richardson as Anarion, Zubin Varlar as Khamul the Easterling, Adam Young as Marnukh, and Daniel Weyman as the one and only Gandalf the Grey. LOTR: The Rings of Power will be released in three parts: four episodes on November 11th, two episodes on November 18th, and two on November 25th.

AMC grabs the next two panels beginning with THE WALKING DEAD: Dead City. Moderator Dalton Ross from Entertainment Weekly, also Executive Producers Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, and Lauren Cohan as Maggie. Other cast members on stage are Aimee Garcia as Renata and Raul Castillo as Omar. So much has been brought up about the third season, and a few are that the fourth and final season of THE WALKING DEAD: Daryl Dixon with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride will come in 2027. Gimple surprised the audience with the announcement that Emily Kinney will return as Beth during Season 3. Let's see how that plays out. Aimee Garcia also gives her video diary on set along with a first look at Season 3. Of course, the few lucky ticket holders will be at The Loft later tonight to see the premiere of the show and have a little fun while they are at it.

This season, Maggie and Negan want to start a community in Manhattan, but that's hard to do when there is always someone around the corner who wants to take what you have. Hopefully, the characters of Maggie and Negan have finally calmed down a little and gotten to the point of survival. Hoffman is the showrunner, and he seems to be guiding the ship in a good direction. Having been around the franchise for years, his writing has led to some stellar episodes. Morgan says there is an underlying shift in the new season and that Negan moves away from conflict into a more "multidimensional" person. "We are making the show we have wanted to do three years ago," says Morgan. Also, his new bestie is none other than Jimmi Simpson as Dillard; check out the bar trailer for that juicy (literally) bit of info.

Conrad also talks about the reunion with sister Beth for an alternate-reality episode. She stresses that it is "incredibly deep and moving," telling the audience they will need tissue. I always love a tissue warning. She also talks about the change in Maggie, and it is in part to Aimee Garcia's character Renata, who helped her get through garbage "buried under years of hurt and resentment." (Let's hope that applies to Negan!) I'd like to see a calmer Maggie that's for sure. I'll find out soon since the wait is almost over as THE WALKING DEAD: Dead City premieres July 26th on AMC and AMC+.

The next panel from AMC is the smash hit LESTAT, moderated by Jacqueline Coley. Also on stage are Executive Producers and Showrunners Hannah Mascovitch, Mark Johnson, and Rolin Jones, along with Jacob Anderson as Louis, Assad Zaman as Armand, Eric Bogsian as Daniel, Sheila Atim as Akasha. So where is Lestat himself, Sam Reid? Well, he is in Australia doing the stage production of Doubt. Before diving deeper into the panel, there are some incredible announcements that must be shared. First, (hold your breath) the series will officially be returning for a fourth season, but (wait for it), it will return as ANNE RICE'S QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (yes, you can scream now!). It will be taken from her third book, The Vampire Chronicles. "We cannot wait to continue the journey with QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, one of the most iconic stories in Anne Rice's mythology. Watch our established and beloved characters confront Akasha with their world, and ours, very much hanging in the balance," says AMC's Dan McDermott.

Save a little scream because there is a sizzle reel of Sam Reid's performing at a New York concert with The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE. The exclusive trailer shows Atim as Akasha calling upon the women of the world to basically get rid of men completely. If you have read any of Anne Rice's books, you know why she is the way she is. She makes her stance fairly clear with, "And I say this to you now, do not let them shape you into the size of their cage. Women, get up out of the ditches where they have thrown you, and come with me now to where the men are gathered, and do what you have long longed to do, kill them all." Atta girl!! I mean, that's what happens when you touch things that shouldn't be touched, Lestat!

HBO's LANTERNS is the next panel set to premiere on August 16th in an eight-episode season and air weekly (also on Max). Josh Horowitz is the host of the panel that includes executive producer Damon Lindelof, co-creators Chris Mundy and Tom King, along with cast Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Garret Dillahunt, and Poorna Jagannathan. Chandler plays Hal Jordan, and Aaron Pierre is John Stewart, and they are partners in an investigation into terrestrial murder. This happens Earth-based but across two distinct timelines, 2016 and 2026 (wouldn't Loki and the TVA love that!). Dillahunt and Jagannathan are William and Zoe Macon who cross paths with Hal and John. Other cast include Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro and, as the audience lost its mind about, Nat Fillion as Guy Gardner. If that wasn't enough, Fillion dropped by, sending the audience into a frenzy as he reminded us all that he had an obligation to be in Hall H. "So sorry, somebody left my email off the invite list to this event. I don't know if you know this, but I'm kind of a big deal. There is a building outside with my face on it legally; I'm required to be here. I brought my rig."

Finally, to close off Day Two of Hall H, it's just something so amazing and spectacular; I'm just a kiddie gal. The whole place is in an uproar for SPACEBALLS: The Comic Con Panel. The cast is on stage, but first, the audience has to be combed to find Rick Moranis, and the audience could not get enough of him chanting "Rick! Rick! Rick"; it was amazing! Back on stage, Mel Brooks sent his greetings via video message, but hey, the guy just turned 100; give him a break. In his message, he said the sequel could not be called The Search for More Money because he actually found the money. "It was in my basement. So, we don't need any more money at this point." He signed off his message with "May the Schwartz be with you." I laughed and cried at the same time. Besides, Mr. Moranis, Bill Pullman, son Lewis Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Josh Gad, and director Josh Greenbaum all take a seat. A bit of footage has debuted, and even though the film is still several months away, I'll take what I can get. The story? Well, it seems Lone Starr and Barf are missing as Princess Vespa needs a new group to go find them before Dark Helmet gets his little, tiny, black-gloved hands on them. Of course, Dark Helmet still wants the Schwartz, but who wouldn't, right?

I love that Bill Pullman's son is playing the son of Lone Starr. I've become a big fan of Lewis Pullman since his film opposite Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is on Netflix (definitely check that out). Lewis talked about how "incredibly bizarre and special it was to act alongside my father." Pullman says of returning to the film four decades later that "the experience is amazing but now requires more naps and coffee." He also made a point of saying how special it was to watch Lewis step into the Winnebago. SPACEBALLS: The New One will be in theatres April 23, 2027, marking exactly 40 years from the 1987 iconic and classic film. Mark your calendars for this one!

That's it for me on a full Day Two of San Diego Comic Con. It was a day full of surprises, trailers, announcements, and fans having the best time. Tomorrow is going to be insane, as the line outside Hall H can attest to. The line for the Marvel panel is long and getting longer, but always worth the wait.

See you then!