Legendary Entertainment Taking Pacific Rim, Paradise Lost, Seventh Son, And Mass Effect To The SDCC

This year's 2011 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) may be lacking the participation of some of the major movie studios that have helped to boost the convention's popularity in recent years with their star-studded Hall H movie panels and presentations — just weeks away, it's still not entirely clear which studios will be attending and which won't be.

However, the absence of some of the regulars has simply left a gap that other studios are eager to fill. Case in point: Legendary Entertainment. Despite being the co-producer of such comic book adaptations as Superman Returns, Watchmen, Batman Begins,The Dark Knight, and the currently in production The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR), Legendary has never held its own standalone panel at SDCC, but it will host one this year. Legendary sent out a press release yesterday announcing the panel and listing the four movies that it plans to promote: Pacific Rim, Seventh Son, Paradise Lost, andMass Effect.

Legendary's SDCC press release not only reveals the line-up for the panel, but it offers up some intriguing movie news, like the fact that Academy Award–winner Jeff Bridgeshas signed on to Seventh Son and confirmation that Bradley Cooper will be starring inParadise Lost, which until now had only been a rumor. It also gives fans hope that theMass Effect movie, a planned adaptation of the award-winning Electronic Arts, Inc. video game franchise that was first announced over a year ago, has not fallen by the wayside as many believed. Here's an excerpt from Legendary's press release:

For the first time ever, Legendary Entertainment will hold a standalone panel to provide the Comic-Con® International audience with an early look at some of the films from Legendary’s upcoming slate. On Friday, July 22nd, audience participants will have the opportunity to attend an engaging panel consisting of cast and filmmakers from upcoming Legendary films including PACIFIC RIM,SEVENTH SON and PARADISE LOST, all to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, as well as MASS EFFECT.

Fans can expect to witness on-stage camaraderie between and Q&As with:

PACIFIC RIM

Acclaimed writer, producer, and director, Guillermo del Toro alongside cast members including Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, and Rinko Kikuchi as well as screenwriter, Travis Beacham.

SEVENTH SON

Academy Award® winner, Jeff Bridges and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIAstar, Ben Barnes, alongside Alicia Vikander and director, Sergei Bodrov.

PARADISE LOST

Bradley Cooper and KNOWING director, Alex Proyas.

MASS EFFECT

Game creator, Casey Hudson and screenwriter adapting the game to film, Mark Protosevich.

Legendary’s Chairman and CEO, Thomas Tull as well as Chief Creative Officer, Jon Jashni, will also be in attendance to answer fan questions and to speak directly with cast and filmmakers about this exciting slate of upcoming films.

Legendary's announcement also opens the possibility, however slight, that TDKRand/or Man of Steel might have some sort of presence at SDCC after all — both of the movies are being co-produced by Legendary and TDKR's Tom Hardy (Bane) and Man of Steel's Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman) are already confirmed to attend for other movies.