A&E brought Norman Bates’ basement to the Comic-Con convention floor—an exact replica, from the taxidermy on the walls to the cobwebs. Attendees took pics with the stuffed bird featured in Season 2 press images and could share it digitally. But the digital image added another element—the bird’s wings twitched, upping the creepy factor. Thousands waited to attend the live Bates Motel panel. And then there was the party. Partnering with Playboy, A&E converted a parking lot into a blue-glowing Bates Motel for the shindig. Guests could wear special glasses and peer into the motel’s windows to see what was happening within the room. Buzzfeed dubbed the party “one of the weekend’s hottest tickets,” Facebook impressions hit 7.7mln, Twitter had more than 40K mentions and Instagram gained 2.6K new followers during Comic-Con weekend.

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Tuesday–December 23

CFX Review: The Five Industry Stories that Defined 2025

Sometimes, to look forward, you’ve got to look back. As we head into 2026, the CFX editors reflect on the year that was, recapping what they believe were the five biggest stories of the past 12 months.

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