Every summer, fans of supernatural, fantastic, and otherworldly tales descend on downtown San Diego for the biggest comic convention on the planet. SDCC is the perfect place to witness high-end cosplay, horseless jousting (while sipping a latte), industry panels (with long lines), and nerds galore. It’s also where some of the year’s most anticipated movie trailers drop.
And this year was no exception. Fans are buzzing after trailers for several high-profile projects premiered last weekend, some of which shocked audiences to their very core. Now you can skip the lines and fast forward straight to our top 10 picks from this year’s Comic-Con and see for yourself what all the buzz is about.
Cover Photo: Paramount Pictures
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Ranked Trailers SDCC 2019
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10. 'Snowpiercer'
TBS doesn’t seem like an obvious choice for a last-of-humanity, sci-fi thriller, but with the recent success of the genre, it seems they couldn’t resist. Unfortunately, the new trailer repeats much of what we saw in the 2013 film. Snowpiercer may veer off into a rugged survival series a la The Walking Dead (without the zombies), which heats our should-we-care thermometer to lukewarm at best.
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9. 'It: Chapter 2'
Are people still afraid of clowns? Judging from the first It becoming the highest-grossing horror film of all time, we’d say, yes. Twenty-seven years after the events of It, everyone's favorite demon clown is back to finish what he started. Coming-of-age nostalgia film or pure, vomit-in-your-straw murder flick? You decide.
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8. 'Terminator: Dark Fate'
The original Terminator brought a futuristic vision of terror to the big screen (on a B-movie budget). The sequel went bigger, badder, and more explosive. Now, almost 30 years later, Terminator: Dark Fate continues where we left off, bypassing all the other flimsy branches of the franchise that have dogged the brand since 1992. We’re not getting our hopes up too high, but with the original cast in tow, it’s shaping up to be a return to form.
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7. 'Top Gun: Maverick'
Promises of high-flying action (and glamour shots of Tom Cruise on a motorcycle) are made in the new Top Gun: Maverick trailer. The rest is a mystery. New sidekick? New baddies? Plot? With the era of drone warfare having already taken over the last decade, TPM might just be a swan song to ace pilots. Still, we'll probably tag along for the ride.
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6. 'Star Trek: Picard'
Hollywood loves to redux, rehash, repurpose, and repeat successful stories that have had their day in the sun. And much like Top Gun: Maverick, the new Star Trek: Picard focuses on its captain of yesteryear. Though the show appears on CBS, the star quality of Patrick Stewart (and special guests) combined with the upped budget, make the trailer for STP look more like a big-screen adventure. Hopefully the series delivers with an updated style that doesn’t stray too far into the wrong galaxy.
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5. 'The Witcher'
Here comes Netflix’s titanic dust bunny for the Game of Thrones vacuum. We’ve all wondered what a musclebound Henry Cavill would look like as an elf, and now we get our chance as the beloved book series (that turned into a beloved game series) becomes a (beloved?) TV series. Netflix's production/distribution machine could be the magic spell that takes The Witcher all the way to overnight cult status. On the other hand, it could sink faster than a wished-upon penny.
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4. 'His Dark Materials'
Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t wow us as Jack the lamplighter in Mary Poppins Returns, but this time he’s brought a giant armored bear (and James McAvoy). Phillip Pullman’s incredible books have been waiting for a worthy adaptation. And with GoT all wrapped up, HBO is doubling down on its roster of fantasy shows, hoping His Dark Materials can be the perfect dosage for fantasy fanatics who need a good fix. The gorgeous-looking trailer delivers a beautifully conceived world, but the characters and pacing feel off. HBO may need a golden compass to find its way with this one, and by George, we hope they do.
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3. 'Westworld: Season 3'
Aaron Paul joins the cast for season three of Westworld, as Dolores finally breaks free of the program, and human-like robots find themselves flung into a WWII replay. While the stunts look a bit telegraphed, the tone of the show still feels impeccable. Returning fans will be delighted.
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2. '21 Bridges'
Who doesn’t like a good New York cop story? Especially a cat and mouse tale where the cat becomes the mouse. With the onscreen might of Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman, and the directing team of the Russo Brothers, 21 Bridges looks like a heart-pounding thriller that’ll burn more calories than a CrossFit class.
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1. 'A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood'
Even though it didn’t technically premiere at SDCC 2019, the new trailer has landed with a punch straight to the heart. In the era of superhero movies, escapism from heartbreaking daily news, and a society grappling with its own self-loathing, this might be the movie everyone needs to let their guard down and remind ourselves we’re all just fun-loving neighbors hanging out on this block party called Earth.
