Summer isn’t over yet; theme parks are still drawing crowds, and San Diego Comic-Con 2023 is arriving later this week. Despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the annual event still has plenty of pop-culture activations scheduled for fans, many of which don’t require a convention badge to attend.
And it may be scorching hot outside, but spooky season’s shadow has begun to creep in, with Midsummer Scream and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights announcements. Here’s the latest on cinematic experiences, Disney Parks, Universal Studios, and vacations at other fan-tastical destinations!
This event roundup, which includes activations for major studio projects, was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of writers and actors currently on strike, the films and TV covered here wouldn’t exist.
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“The Lodge: A Paramount+ Experience” is bringing an immersive experience inspired by Good Burger, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and more to Comic-Con.
Here are the 10 activations you’ll be able to visit within this one attraction:
Dates: July 19 - 23
Location: Happy Does, 340 5th Ave, San Diego
Time: Wednesday: 6-10:00 pm; Thursday-Saturday: noon-10 pm; Sunday: 10:00 am-7:00 pm
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The BoxLunch X EW Treat Truck at San Diego Comic-Con will roll into town on Thursday, July 20 (noon-6:00 pm) and Friday July 21-Saturday, July 22 (11:00 am-5:00 pm). Fans with and without Comic-Con badges can participate; there will be summertime treats and every fan that stops by and shares their fandom using #BoxLunchXEW will receive a surprise merchandise item from BoxLunch. For every post on socials featuring #BoxLunchXEW, BoxLunch will donate a meal to their charitable partner Feeding America.
The BoxLunch x EW Treats Truck will be located at 4th and K in downtown San Diego. Follow @BoxLunchGifts and @EW socials for updates and surprises throughout the convention.
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Step through the gates of Jurassic Park for a unique interactive experience inspired by iconic moments from the film. Tickets are available online at www.jurassicpark.com/JP30 for the activation but it will also be open to the public for free a reservations are recommended but not required. We love a standby line and are happy to report there will be one to accommodate walk-ups. There will be giveaways, Jurassic-themed food offerings from John Soules and more.
Dates and time: July 21-22, 10:00 am-8:00 pm
Location: Luce Cielo, 325 15th St, San Diego
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SEGA and Sonic will be on hand for this diner’s celebration of the video game world, which will feature “Sonic’s Classic Chili Dog” and a Knuckles Sandwich, among other themed items.
Dates and times: Now open through August 20; during Comic-Con (July 19-23), it’s open 11:00 am-midnight
Location: 910 J St Space 2, San Diego
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Get tickets to the Anne Rice Immortal Universe Experience and Activation, “The Street of Immortality,” online while you can. Inspired by the streets of New Orleans in AMC’s Interview with the Vampire, this pop-up is a walkthrough that will be open Thursday, July 20, Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22 from 11:00 am-7:00 pm. It’s an all-ages free event where you can collect exclusive souvenirs and limited-edition surprises, including “The Elixir of Immortality,” a mocktail made of POM Wonderful and more. What, like they’re gonna feed you blood?
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For one night you can experience the world of Good Omens at the official SDCC party. To RSVP click here.
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Jump into the universes of Shōgun, A Murder at the End of the World, American Horror Story, and What We Do in the Shadows
The four #FXSDCC large-scale immersive installations include:
Location: San Diego’s Hilton Bayfront Lawn (1 Park Blvd.)
Dates and times: Thursday, July 20: 10:00 am-6:00 pm; Friday, July 21, 11:00 am-6:00 pm; 8:00 pm-10:00 pm; Saturday, July 22, 11:00 am-6:00 pm; 8:00 pm-10:00 pm; Sunday, July 23, 11:00 am-4:00 pm
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Hulu Animayhem, Hulu’s Adult Animation and Anime platform, will host its characters at San Diego Comic-Con. The immersive Hulu Animayhem activation will be taking over the Hilton Bayfront Parking Lot at SDCC with experiences from July 20-23.
Here’s the slate:
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Stranger Things is officially returning to Halloween Horror Nights beginning Friday, September 1 at Universal Orlando Resort and Thursday, September 7 at Universal Studios Hollywood. This year’s house will feature season four encounters from the Netflix series with Vecna and Eddie Munson.
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Meow Wolf’s fourth immersive art exhibition, The Real Unreal, has officially opened. It’s a collaboration between 150 Meow Wolf artists and fabricators, and 40 artists from Texas. The collective describes its newest location as “nestled inside Grapevine Mills, a mall in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, guests will enter through the Delaney family home and explore its everyday ephemera which hint at a mysterious disappearance. In signature Meow Wolf fashion, what happens next is a swift freefall down a narrative rabbit hole. Guests will revel in spectacle after spectacle which materialize into a gleaming triumph of multisensory art.”
Tickets for The Real Unreal are $50 for general admission and $45 for children and can be booked in advance online.
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Check out what your local Drafthouse is brewing for its Barbie screenings! We covet the pink lunchbox.
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Get your tickets for the annual summer horror convention Midsummer Scream, taking place July 28-30 in Long Beach, CA, and set to feature panels from Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights and Disney’s upcoming The Haunted Mansion.
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Source: Gizmodo