Geek Heaven: The Sights and Star Power at Comic-Con 2005

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'The Chronicles of Narnia'

What We Saw: A behind-the-scenes piece, introduced via satellite by director Andrew Adamson, that included a first glimpse of the White Witch's Castle and at Mr. Tumnus. Click here to watch the video. Creature creator Howard Berger later revealed that Tumnus was the most complex character by far, requiring actor James McAvoy to sit in makeup for more than four hours a day. We also got to see a slideshow of meticulously detailed weapons and set pieces designed WETA, the company behind 'The Lord of the Rings.' The film will have more than 1,300 visual effects and an unprecedented 60 species of creatures.

Fan Reaction: Excitement for the film runs deep -- one man thanked Adamson for bringing the story he's been waiting for all his life to the big screen.

Star Wattage: Ladies, if you don't know the name William Moseley right now, come December you will. One flash of his perfect teeth could melt the eternal winter in 'Narnia.'

'Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire'

What We Saw: A specially cut Comic-Con trailer introduced by director Mike Newell. The trailer gave a sneak peek at the Tri-Wizard's tournament, Durmstrung's aquatic appearance, a perfectly creepy Mad Eye Moody, and best of all, even the tiniest glimpse of He Who Shall Not Be Named. The footage looks dark and fantastic, a shame it'll only be shown once (in this incarnation, anyway).

Fan Reaction: All the smart Potter fans (who pre-ordered the sixth book and were able to attend instead of waiting in line at their local bookstore) couldn't keep from cheering in excitement.

Star Wattage: What stood out most about the footage was how quickly the young stars are growing up. Newell wasn't kidding when he quipped the biggest fear Harry may have to conquer is girls!

'Pirates of the Caribbean 2'

What We Saw: A woefully short behind-the-scenes piece, yet we did extract some interesting tidbits. There will be a second ship, called the Flying Dutchman, and a plot centering around a promise Jack Sparrow made to villain Davey Jones, who appeared briefly in the piece. Sparrow's dear ole dad will be played by none other than Keith Richards (of course). And looks like Johnny Depp will be taken captive by some fierce, red-faced cannibals. Yo ho, yo ho!

Fan Reaction: As a testament to star Orlando Bloom's babe status, his brief appearance in the clip elicited screams and faints from female fans. And oh yeah, everyone was pretty excited about Johnny too.

Star Wattage: Sadly for the women (and some men) present, none.

'Tim Burton's Corpse Bride'

What We Saw: Two scenes from the film that evoke Tim Burton's trademark black humor. In the first deliciously dark scene, future groom Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp) sneaks off to the woods to practice his vows after botching them at his wedding rehearsal. His speech falls on dead ears and he is shocked when a skeleton in bridal couture makes a grand entrance and declares him her husband. Cut to the local ghost bar where skeleton "Bones" Jangles, voiced by another Burton regular, Danny Elfman, leads a rousing, psychedelic musical number explaining the tragedy of the Corpse Bride. But don't expect a song-fest a la 'Nightmare Before Christmas' -- there are only four musical numbers in the film.

Fan Reaction: Aficionados of 'Nightmare Before Christmas' rejoice -- the film appears to live up to its predecessor. Tech-savvy fans should also note that in a watershed advancement, the film's crew employed "armatronned rigs," which allow the camera to move around the subject three-dimensionally. This advent, along with the use of digital still cameras, means this 'Bride' is much fresher than 'Nightmare.'

Star Wattage: None. (What? You think Johnny would bail out on 'Pirates' and then dig himself up for 'Corpse'?)

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