Pop culture fans of all ages will gather at New York Comic Con, which kicks off on Thursday at the Javits Center. A fresh lineup of guest speakers, merchandise and surprise drops await attendees and cosplayers looking to snap photos with celebrities and immerse themselves in their favorite comics, TV shows, anime and movies.
Event organizer ReedPop’s Brien McDonald, vice president of content, recently gave CNET a preview of what to expect and some of the most exciting reveals to look forward to. As someone who’s deeply involved on the TV and film side of things for NYCC (and a fan himself), McDonald notes that studios like Netflix and Paramount have big things planned.
McDonald is personally excited about The Simpsons and Apple TV Plus appearing at the event for the first time. “Apple TV has staked out a really cool spot in the streaming space where they’re bringing prestige, high-quality TV series, and it’s not genre. But I think something like Shrinking, or Elsbeth or even something like Ghosts — it’s cool that studios and producers are bringing this to New York Comic Con because it shows that this event is deep into the pop culture now.” He also acknowledged that panels for genre programming such as Dune: Prophecy and The Penguin “will blow people’s minds.”
If you can’t attend in person, you can still catch the panels on the event’s Main and Empire stages. Viewers at home can livestream for free via ReedPop’s YouTube channel and NYCC’s social media accounts.
So, what exactly should TV and movie buffs check out? Be on the lookout for everything from animation to celebrations to guest panels and hot new trailers this year. Count on Max, Blumhouse, SpongeBob, Sony, Netflix and a ton of anime.
Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt and Ke Huy Quan in Netflix’s The Electric State.
You’ll also want to see the Sony panel featuring sneak peeks and talent from Venom: The Last Dance, Karate Kid: Legends and Kraven the Hunter. Could that mean appearances from Tom Hardy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe or Jackie Chan? Don’t miss the event on Friday at 7 p.m. on the Empire stage.
“If you’re brave enough and like the scary, Blumhouse is really bringing it,” McDonald said. “I know what’s in there. It’s big, it’s scary, it’s big names. That one’s going to be a lot of fun.” Jason Blum will be on deck to reveal what’s new and to celebrate 15 years of horror for BlumFest. Stream the panel on Friday at 2:30 p.m. from the Empire stage.
5 things fans don’t want to miss
I asked McDonald if there are five things he’d recommend for superfans to see, and he narrowed down some of the biggest highlights to put on your schedule:
- Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Friday at 11 a.m., Main stage) — “I’m expecting that one to knock everybody’s socks off,” said McDonald.
- BlumFest NYCC (Friday, 2:30 p.m., Empire stage)
- The Simpsons (Saturday, 11:30 a.m. Main stage)
- Star Trek Universe panel (Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Empire stage)
- Outlander season 7, part 2 preview (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. on Empire stage)
Advice for first-time attendees
If you’re going to the convention in person as a first-timer, McDonald offered up a few tips. “The deal is — you have to plan, you have to make your panel reservations, even sketch out where you want to be and the time it takes to get there.” He adds, “Don’t show up willy-nilly,” trying to wing it. Keep these things in mind:
CNET will be attending NYCC 2024, so be sure to follow our latest coverage on the site and on all of our socials to get an insider’s look at some of the biggest exhibits and reveals.