Comic-Con is back, masks and all, as fantasy streaming projects take center stage
CNN
After virtual and scaled-back events due to the pandemic, Comic-Con -- a convention where masks were popular before they served any practical purpose -- is back at near-full-force this year, with well over 100,000 people expected to attend the celebration of all things pop culture in San Diego.
While movies remain a centerpiece, this year streaming and linear TV will cast a larger shadow over the four-day convention that officially begins July 21, reflecting both the major-league bets made by streamers in the hunt for subscribers and the way the balance of power has subtly shifted in their direction as the film industry rebounds from the shutdown that hobbled theaters.
Movie studios will still be represented at Comic-Con, once a gathering -- as the name would suggest -- originally devoted to comic books, which has grown through the years and seen those properties become the driving force in theatrical attendance.