Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis ready for first Comic-Con appearances

Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland."

Credit: Walt Disney Studios

San Diego Comic-Con news will be coming fast and furious over the next few weeks and HitFix is prepping for wall-to-wall coverage.  Making news today? Walt Disney announced that legendary filmmakers Tim Burton and Robert Zemeckis will be making their first Comic-Con appearances.

The duo will join "Tron" producers Sean Bailey and Steve Lisberger for a special 3D panel on Thursday, July 23 at 11 AM in Hall H.  As rumored, this will be the first time 3D footage will be shown at Comic-Con.  Zemeckis will be discussing his upcoming holiday release "A Christmas Carol" and Burton will be introducing the first publicly seen footage from "Alice in Wonderland."  Additionally, this should be the first time any footage from the "Tron" sequel will be shown to the public.  Disney sneaked a test of "Tron" footage last year, but that was before the film was cast or the picture was even greenlit.

Friday will also be a historical day at the convention as Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter appear on the Comic-Con stage for the first time to discuss their upcoming animated films.  Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki will be discussing the American release of his critically-acclaimed "Ponyo" and Lasseter will be on hand to discuss Pixar's upcoming slate of "Toy Story 3," the "Toy Story" re-releases, Walt Disney Animation Studios "Beauty and the Beast" (in 3D), "The Princess and the Frog" and a new half-hour holiday TV special "Ponyo."  This event will take place on Friday, July 24 at 12:45 PM in Hall H.

Comedian and "Big Fan" star Patton Oswalt will moderate both Q&A panels.

Look for more Comic-Con updates on HitFix.

Gregory Ellwood
Editor-in-Chief, Co-Founder

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With over a decade of experience in the movie industry, Ellwood survived working for two major studios and has written for Variety, MSN and the LA Times. A co-founder of HitFix, Ellwood spends his time relaxing hitting 3’s on the basketball court and following his beloved Clippers.