Interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Kevin P. Sullivan

San Diego Comic Con 2017 is finally here! We’re kicking off our weekend of convention coverage with Kevin P. Sullivan. Kevin is an Entertainment Weekly staff editor and we were lucky enough to chat with him about all the fun things that are happening this weekend!
Entertainment Weekly special issues are consistently fan favorites year after year. What is the key to a great cover story?
Since we know exactly who our readers will be for the special issue—Comic-Con attendees—there is an aspect of making this issue that’s a little easier. We can go really in-depth and be our geeky selves because we know people just like us will be reading. But in other ways it’s harder since people at Comic-Con really know their stuff, and we have to deliver the kind of detail and insight that will impress the most hardcore of fans.
What are you looking forward to seeing at Comic Con? What will be the biggest highlights this year?
Game of Thrones is always a must-see panel, but with the show bigger than ever and coming off hot after the premiere, Hall H might blow up like the Sept of Baelor. In movies world, Steven Spielberg bringing Ready Player One seems like the perfect fit for Comic-Con. Same goes forBlade Runner 2049. And after the success of Wonder Woman, I’m guessing that DC will come to the party with a little swagger in their step.
As a movies editor, you must watch many films. What movies have you enjoyed so far this year? What movies are you looking forward to seeing?
I was lucky enough to write a big interview with Christopher Nolan for our Comic-Con Preview issue, so I’ve just been eating, sleeping, and breathing Dunkirk. It’s really incredible, especially in 70mm IMAX. I’m still in love with Get Out from earlier this year, and I’m really looking forward to Logan Lucky since I love a Soderbergh heist movie.
The media perpetuates this idea that women need men to protect and guide them. Do you think that having more women in creative roles might help to change that?
Absolutely! Those ideas and tropes have come out of one perspective weighing in too heavily in the creative conversation for too long. In culture, we’re always looking for new visions, something totally different that surprises us in a way we didn’t think possible. An easy way to hack that is to give a voice to marginalized groups of all kinds and artists who haven’t had the chance to tell their unique story. When a diverse group of creatives work together, old ideas get questioned, and fresh stories inevitably emerge.
Lastly, our site is called Talk Nerdy With Us, what is something that you nerd out about?
I know way too much about the James Bond series, and my wife can tell you that I really enjoy blathering about how The Last Jedi of the title is more a philosophical ending to the order than a literal one. (I’m doing it again.)