The competitive spirit between indie film darlings A24 and Neon was palpable at this year's Comic-Con, where the two studios held concurrent panels on Thursday. Neon showcased its critically acclaimed alien survival film "Hope," while A24 presented its horror-thriller "Onslaught."
Neon's panel for "Hope," directed by Na Hong-jin, featured a more subdued atmosphere, likely influenced by the film's strong reception at the Cannes Film Festival. Director Na discussed the movie, which stars Michael Fassbender and Jung Ho-yeon. Clips shown to the audience included extraterrestrial creatures, a car chase, and extensive gunfire. During the Q&A, Na shared anecdotes about his collaboration with Fassbender.
In contrast, A24 opted for a more energetic presentation for "Onslaught." The panel was moderated by "Clerks" actor Kevin Smith and included cast members Adria Arjona, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, and director Adam Wingard. Smith highlighted the film's originality, noting its status as an independent production not based on existing intellectual property.
During the "Onslaught" panel, a question arose regarding A24's recent $75 million investment from Google to utilize its AI tool, Deep Mind, for storyboarding. When asked about his thoughts on this decision, director Adam Wingard responded, "Next question!"
"Onslaught" features Adria Arjona as a character attempting to thwart an "unstoppable killing machine" that has escaped from a science laboratory. "Hope" is described as an alien survival flick.
