Comic-Con News Round-Up: Hannibal, Her Universe & Course of the Force, and The Casting Society

We are just a few weeks away from San Diego Comic-Con 2013, and the press releases are pouring in. Check out the latest convention news after the break for NBC’s Hannibal, Her Universe & Course of the Force, and a casting panel.

GAUMONT INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION

TO ATTEND COMIC CON IN SAN DIEGO

WITH “HANNIBAL” PANEL SET FOR THURSDAY, JULY 18TH

Focus of panel, which includes Bryan Fuller, David Slade, Martha De Laurentiis and Hugh Dancy, is recently announced

2nd season of Hannibal on NBC

LOS ANGELES, CA – June 25, 2013 – With the 2nd season of Hannibal having just been picked-up by NBC, Katie O’Connell, CEO of Gaumont International Television, announced today that the company will be attending the upcoming Comic Con Convention in San Diego, CA and will be hosting a Hannibal-themed panel on Thursday, July 18th from 6:45pm – 7:45pm in Room 6A.

The panel, entitled Hannibal: Feed Your Fear, will feature Emmy-Award-winning executive producer Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), director David Slade (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Martha De Laurentiis (Red Dragon), and star Hugh Dancy (playing Agent Will Graham) as they discuss key behind the scenes moments from the first season of the ground-breaking NBC drama. The panel will also discuss the future for Hannibal and reveal a few Season Two elements.

“The core audience of HANNIBAL, some of whom call themselves FANNIBALS, have been incredibly passionate and enthusiastic about the show and we are honored to join those FANNIBALS attending San Diego Comic Con, where passion and enthusiasm are always on the menu,” commented Fuller.

“We are thrilled to be attending Comic Con and supporting our amazing who have been so loyal every step of the way,” commented O’Connell. “Hannibal’s’ success is definitely due to the dedicated supporters we have around the world and we can’t wait to participate Comic Con – the best event for fans everywhere.”

Hannibal is a one-hour drama series for NBC exploring the unique and riveting early relationship of Thomas Harris’s classic character renowned psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler named Will Graham who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers. Well-known showrunner Bryan Fuller is executive producing.

Additionally, Hannibal, which is from Gaumont International Television in association with Sony Pictures Television Networks, has also performed strongly internationally and will return for a second season to Sony Pictures Television’s AXN channels.

Ashley Eckstein’s Her Universe Teams Up with Course of
the Force as Official Apparel Merchandise Partner

NEW YORK, NY – June 26th, 2013 – Star Wars™ fans are preparing for yet another epic journey this year as the 2nd annual Course of the Force lightsaber relay prepares for its launch July 9th through the 16th. This time, Her Universe™, a leader in female genre merchandise, and founded by actress and voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ashley Eckstein, will be the apparel merchandise partner for the event. Her Universe will be selling this brand new merchandise for both men and women at the COTF “conival” events in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach and Oceanside Pier as well as at the Her Universe booth at San Diego Comic-Con International where the relay concludes. $5.00 from the sale of each shirt and $10.00 from the sale of each hoodie will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Course of the Force is an Olympic torch-style relay that all aspiring Jedi Knights can take part in. The week long journey, which begins in San Francisco and ends in San Diego, benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundations of California. Renowned artist Russell Walks designed the 2013 look for Course of the Force that is featured on the merchandise.

“Since I began working as an artist with Lucasfilm, a lot of my childhood wishes have come true,” said Walks. “Designing the key art for the Course of the Force relay allowed me, in a very small way, to help some kids realize THEIR dreams, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and I consider myself very lucky to have been asked to help.”

In addition to providing the apparel for this year’s Course of the Force, Eckstein is also returning, for the 2nd year in a row, as co-host with The Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick and other talent for the exclusive coverage of the relay.

“It’s an honor to return as a co-host and merchandise partner for Course of the Force,” said Eckstein. “This is truly a magical and Force-filled event. It was also a pleasure to work with Russell Walks. We are so lucky that he donated his time and talent to create this amazing design!”

You can still sign up for Course of the Force, the lightsaber relay from Skywalker Ranch to Comic-Con International in San Diego July 9-16, 2013 benefiting the Make-a-Wish Foundation, by clicking here.

For the first time ever, Comic-Con, in association with the Casting Society of America, will host a casting panel.

Friday, July 19, 2013
2:20pm – 3:20pm
Marriott Hall 2

The Casting Society of America Presents: The Casting Directors
Moderated by Lora Kennedy (Warner Brothers, EVP, Features Casting. CD, Man of Steel).
Panelists: Roger Mussenden (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Sharon Bialy (The Walking Dead), David Rapaport (Arrow) and
Randi Hiller (Walt Disney Studios, VP Casting. CD, The Avengers).

Stay tuned for lots more news about this year’s biggest pop culture convention.