Is the Lack of an ‘Insurgent’ Panel This Year a Good Thing to Comic-Con Purists?

“Divergent” Panel – Comic-Con International 2013

According to a recent article by Reuters,  the absence of YA blockbusters like ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Divergent’ in Hall H this year, has allowed Comic-Con to go back to its roots and welcome different types of genres and content such as it has done in the past.

Without the star-studded film panels promoting November’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” the next installment in the series starring Jennifer Lawrence, or next year’s “Insurgent,” the sequel to this year’s “Divergent” film, convention-goers will fill up on a new crop of dystopian thrillers.

“It does feel strange that there’s no big young adult panel at Comic Con this year, but what’s interesting is that there are some young adult-orientated panels that are going to pick up the slack,” said Dave Karger, chief correspondent of Fandango.

While that is all good and I agree that Comic-Con should never lose its edge, it is also not a secret that the recent success of YA novels in Hollywood has been of great significance to Comic-Con. It has brought in a number of fans that may have not necessarily seen the need to attend the conference unless their favorite book series (and their actors) were featured, as well as paved the way for future franchises.

The Weinstein Co kicked off the first new film in the dystopian young adult genre this year with a panel on forthcoming sci-fi drama “The Giver,” in a bid to draw “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” fans.

“We’d be honored for the fans and fan base of those properties be excited about our film,” said Stephen Bruno, president of marketing at The Weinstein Co. “The (Comic Con) audience is correct for the film and the book is a huge beloved entity,” Bruno added. “Many have said it’s the originator of the young adult dystopian story.”

Luckily for us Divergent and YA fans, we have not been left in the dark this year. I’d be lying though if I said that I didn’t wish there was more of a ‘Divergent’ presence in Hall H. Let’s hope that next year we get an Allegiant panel like we did for Divergent :

Although there are no panels for “Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” fans will still get surprises such as a trailer for “Mockingjay” to be released at a Comic Con event on Friday, and appearances by “Divergent” stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James over the weekend.