Scare Diego unleashes terror as Comic-Con kicks off

 

SAN DIEGO: Early arrivals at San Diego Comic-Con were treated to a preview night scream-fest Wednesday as New Line Cinema unleashed exclusive footage of its most hotly anticipated horror movies.

The Warner Bros-owned studio kicked off the evening at a packed downtown theatre with an exclusive first look at "It: Chapter Two" and its terrifying antagonist, Pennywise.

There was also world-first footage from the upcoming "Conjuring" spin-off "The Nun" and a look at "The Curse of La Llorona," a terrifying childhood myth from Hispanic folklore.

The two-part feature adaptation of "It," Stephen King’s 1986 novel, follows seven smalltown children who are terrorized by a killer clown.

While last year’s "It" was totally a homage to Rob Reiner’s 1986 film "Stand by Me" — another King coming-of-age story — the second instalment looks scary as hell.

"It: Chapter Two" is set 27 years after the first film, and the Losers Club have grown up and moved away — but a devastating phone call brings them back together.

The sneak peak gave the audience their first glimpse at the grown-up cast, which includes Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, in a reunion at a Chinese restaurant.

Director Andy Muschietti, who made the first film, promised the sequel, due for release on September 6, would be an altogether more terrifying prospect.

"It’s going to be scarier, it’s going to be more intense, so bring your adult diapers," he joked after the climatic jump scare provoked a cacophony of shrieks.

The Comic-Con fan convention brings 130,000 visitors a year to San Diego, where they spend four days catching up on the latest movies and TV panels, collecting comics and dressing up as their favourite pop culture characters.