I’ll be the first to admit that I have a weakness for documentaries that look at subcultures in a quirky or humourous light, but there’s a fine line between presenting a playful character study and mocking your subject(s). Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of filmmakers try to capture various facets of fandom on film, but more and more these types of movies are becoming redundant and predictable. There has to be a story or a new angle in order to pique my interest, so when I hear that Morgan Spurlock, shock doc director extraordinaire, is in the process of putting together a documentary about the San Diego Comic-Con, I can’t help but assume the worst.

E! Online recently learned that Spurlock is teaming up with king geek Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) to shoot a film that would follow a number of superfans “for about three months leading up to this year’s Comic-Con”, and then, of course, at the convention itself. Spurlock was filming at Comic-Con last year for The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special, which may have been where he first got the idea. It’s unclear if the doc is about the phenomenon of Comic-Con itself, or just the idea of fandom, but I question the intentions behind it. With Whedon’s involvement, geeks will be attracted to this like a moth to a flame. Is it all a ploy to lure them in, or is this going to be an insightful and loving portrait of humanity? I certainly hope I’m proven wrong on this one.