'Cowboys and Aliens' Premiere: Out of This World

Jon Favreau knows how to connect with his fans. He delivered the premiere of Cowboys and Aliens to his faithful followers at the Civic Theater in San Diego as part of Comic-Con, the annual pop-culture convention, which came to a close Sunday.   

Over a three-day scavenger hunt in the Gaslamp, fans could win tickets by following a series of clues via text messages that led to studio employees handing out gold brick boxes.

I was part of the unique red carpet event in San Diego. Yours truly won a pair of tickets after 10, yes, T-E-N tries!

The Iron Man director also invited a few of his closest friends to join him on the red carpet: Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, along with the film's stars, Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde, and the entire cast and crew, including hair and make-up artists.

Favreau gave a heartfelt speech thanking Comic-Con and the hundreds of fans filling the art center for making his films a success over the years. The filmmakers and cast members also lined up on stage  before the opening credits to take a bow.

"Now you get to open the present," Favreau told the excited audience after admitting everyone there was going to have the first look at the film at the same time as he was. The stars then walked off the stage to take their seats among the fans, not in cordoned-off sections.

During his pre-film presentation, the Cowboys director also told fans inside the theater – some who had waited over five hours in holding rooms – that everyone there was invited to an after-party to end the event on a high note.

Food, beverages, lights, movie props and music were all brought in to transform the red carpet area into a Hollywood style party.

Did Favreau join the throngs of fans outside post-picture? Of course.  Favreau signed badges, magazines, photos and also posed for a few shots on his way to another party.

And, as you might expect, both the movie and the after-party were out of this world!