Comic-Con Roundup: Guillermo del Toro Wants to Direct Frankenstein; True Blood Uses Merkins

There's lots of news coming out of San Diego, where Alan Ball, Joss Whedon, reporters, and fanboys have gathered to celebrate the industry and chat about merkins and Michael Cera. All of that, below:

• At the True Blood panel, werewolf Joe Manganiello howled at "the appreciative crowd ... before it was revealed that he would have a 'revealing' episode this week, getting a roar from the audience. Manganiello will soon be a regular cast member, so 'Alcide' is here to stay." The hard-hitting question asked by the audience: "Do Bill and Sookie belong together?" Alan Ball would only say there's a "real personality change" on the horizon, and "a new person in Sookie's life." [The Hobbit] movies get made ... and I hope Peter Jackson directs them. They’re beautiful and they’re needed in the world.” In his two years of writing and producing the Hobbit films, he said, he and his team "completely designed 98 percent of the first movie" and nearly half of the second one. [PopWatch/EW]

• Nikki Finke reports that "the ink is drying" on a deal for Mark Ruffalo to play The Hulk in The Avengers, and it might go public at Comic-Con tonight during Joss Whedon's appearance. [Deadline]

• The upcoming Michael Cera movie, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, has been screening all over town to relative acclaim. [Deadline]

• Alan Ball says being naked was never a big deal for the True Blood actors, and they have used merkins! Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin missed each other when they didn't film together. And (spoiler?) nobody will be in the last shot of the season finale. And in case it hasn't been clear, all three True Blood seasons have actually only clocked about six weeks in Sooki's life. [Ausiello Files/EW]

• Saw 3D will be the final film in the Saw series. [Deadline]

• Del Toro also said he'll soon announce a horror film he's directing, and wants to do his version of Frankenstein "as soon as possible.” [PopWatch/EW]