SAN DIEGO -- If you need any more evidence that science fiction and fantasy now dominate pop culture, look no further than the "Hunger Games" franchise.
An event devoted to the latest film based on the dystopian book trilogy was the hot ticket during Day 1 of San Diego Comic-Con 2015. The 45-year-old annual comics confab draws tens of thousands of people to the San Diego bay front each year and makes a splash in the media as well.
On Thursday, a special panel convened at the infamous Hall H here, the 6,500-capacity convention-center venue that fans wait in line for hours -- and often overnight -- to gain entry to. Those who managed to get in were treated to an all-new trailer for "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2," which comes out November 20 and brings to a close one of the most successful young-adult book-to-film adaptations in years. The trailer won't be released for some time, director Francis Lawrence said.
Attendees also got to participate in a question-and-answer session with the film's cast, including stars Jennifer Lawrence, Willow Shields, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
Young-adult fiction -- while nowhere near as genre-defining and ubiquitous as Comic-Con favorites like the "Star Wars" films or titles from comic book juggernauts Marvel and DC -- has become a powerful force at the pop culture convention over the last decade. The "Hunger Games" franchise, which has come to Comic-Con with cast members and exclusive first looks every year since 2012, has built its presence here thanks in part to momentum generated by cultural powerhouses like the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" books and films.
While fans not in attendance here at Comic-Con won't be able to see the new "Mockingjay" trailer, producer Lionsgate did release a propaganda-filled clip that encapsulates the obsession shared by the film and book series when it comes to the function of messaging, the media and public perception in times of war.
Check it out below, and tune in for more Comic-Con coverage here at CNET over the next four days.
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