San Diego Comic-Con 2010: HBO's <i>True Blood</i> Panel

HBO's panel for True Blood is always a highlight of the Comic-Con schedule and yesterday's offering of vampiric delights did not fail to disappoint, particularly as the pay cabler opted to introduce the panel by screening a teaser reel of footage from the back half of the third season... and it looked smoking hot. (We'll put the trailer up as soon as it becomes available but it gave away LOADS of upcoming plot twists, so watch at your own peril.)

While Alexander Skarsgard and Ryan Kwanten weren't free (both are shooting films at the moment), nearly the entire rest of the cast joined showrunner Alan Ball and novelist Charlaine Harris on stage to celebrate True Blood, field questions from moderator Tim Stack, and attempt to not give anything away when asked some rather piercing questions from fans.

While we already knew that Howlin' Joe Manganiello had been promoted to series regular on True Blood, there was a real sense of electricity in the air as he officially announced it to 2000 fans in Ballroom 20 yesterday but that was only one of many memorable moments. (A few of the others? Anna and Stephen loving caressing a cardboard cutout of Alexander Skarsgard; Anna doing her Bill Compton impression; anything involving Kristin Bauer van Straten.)

A few of those moments and reveals can be found below, as well as a video I shot during the panel in which Stephen Moyer discusses the "twist heard round the world" from a few weeks back. I've put the video at the top and then below that the highlights. But there are SPOILERS lurking below, so be warned!

"There's still more to come," said Moyer re: Bill's journey.
Anna is looking forward to kicking someone's ass in an upcoming ep and said it's a fair fight. You can guess who. (From the teaser, it certainly looks like Debbie Pelt.)
Joe says his happiest moment was three says ago when they finalized the deal for him to become a series regular.
How long can the series run for? "I would love this show to continue for as long as possible," said Alan Ball, "but I don't want to get to point where we have to explain how vampires age."
Tara: "There will be a brief break for her at the end of the season but it won't last," said Ball about Rutina Wesley's Tara.
Lovers in the Night: "I do believe Bill and Sookie are soulmates," said Alan Ball. "I do believe that their love is genuine and true."
Franklin:"He does care in his own twisted way," said Ball of Franklin's feelings for Tara. "Unfortunately, he is a psychopath."
Which is more difficult: shooting the sex scenes or shooting the violent bits? "I prefer to get naked earlier in the day, and kill people later in the day," said Anna Paquin.
On working with animals:"Skarsgaard isn't so bad when you get used to him," said Kristin Bauer van Straten
Super-Alcide? Joe said he'd be up for playing Superman.
Charlaine Harris on what she's looking forward to most: "Meeting Sookie's great-grandfather."
Kristin Bauer van Straten referred to Pam as "Auntie Pam" when it comes to Jessica.
Asked about Jessica and Hoyt's future as a couple, Deborah Ann Woll said, "You have to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else."
Kristin Bauer van Straten says that Elizabeth Taylor loves True Blood. Charlaine said that Anne Rice loves the show.
Rutina Wesley says Tara is "a little unstable right now but is hoping for some stability in the near future."

Season Three of True Blood airs Sunday nights at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.