While Fan Expo looked a little different this year, fans still were able to enjoy the three day event safely amidst our current climate. The three-day event took place this weekend at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, bringing together fans of Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming together under one roof with a chance for them to meet some of their idols. The event was modified to a Limited Edition version this year, working around safety guidelines and restrictions/caps. It normally draws hundreds of thousands of people every year when at full capacity.
While there were several guest cancellations this year due to uncertainty and changes in scheduling, fans still were able to feast on an exciting array of programming and stars including the likes of Kit Young, GeorgeTakei, Robert Patrick, Melanie Scrofano, Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, James Marsters, Italia Ricci, Trailer Park Boys (including a fun #Swearnet backdrop seen above for fans to pose at), Christopher Eccleston… and of course the legend himself William Shatner, fresh off his successful mission to space, giving him the distinction of being the oldest person ever to visit it.
George Kozera from Team Mr. Will and I were able to check-out some of the thrills and sit-on (literally on the floor) on some of the exciting Q&As with the talent. George even got to ask Shatner a question!
Some highlights and quotes:
This former Supergirl star, hailing from Richmond Hill, Ontario is connected to a few superheroes, being married to Robbie Amell (The Flash) who is a cousin of Stephen Amell (Arrow) – the latter married to Cassandra Jean, also who has starred in Arrow. When asked about her family being like a mini Comic-Con, she says “Well, none of us got the keep the costumes. Maybe Stephen, I don’t know. But yeah, it’s been fun. Supergirl shoots in Vancouver, but when I shot season one, it was on the Warner Bros. lot. But I had a lot of fun and didn’t think they would kill me. I thought ‘I’m coming back for sure!'”. Ricci also filmed Designated Survivor here in Toronto and when asked about McDonald’s vs. Pizza, she says she takes her son almost daily to McDonald’s right now, although she admittedly still hasn’t found amazing Pizza in the City just yet. Her hunt continues.
The most fascinating tidbit revealed during the Q&A session with Marsters (Spike on TV’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) was that the Producers of the Show were unhappy with the success of the Angel character and that the audience attention was drawn-away from Buffy. Originally hired for a five to ten episode storyline (it stretched to 97 episodes), Marsters said ” I would have fired myself to keep the integrity of Buffy intact.”.
At 90 years young, the iconic, natural-born raconteur William Shatner greeted the crowd with “Hello, fellow Canadians” where he quickly added, “I haven’t been able to say that in a long time” and entertained the rapt and adoring crowd with stories of his childhood growing up in Montreal, living in Toronto on Sherbourne Street as a struggling Actor trying to find work and living on his one inexpensive meal at the Sherbourne Hotel. When I asked him about his experience working in JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG he replied, in part, “Imagine being a youngActor, sitting on a bench and watching icons like Judy Garland and Spencer Tracy perform”. He promoted his new album “Bill“, then spoke at length of his recent space flight on Jeff Bezos‘s rocket and likened the darkness he saw to death itself. There was only a very brief mention of STAR TREK (while never mentioning the title), none of BOSTON LEGAL (for which he won his only Emmy,) but it didn’t matter; Shatner owned the room!
Watching Christopher Eccleston at his Q&A was revelatory. He was self-effacing (“I am the worst Marvel villain ever” and “My dad said to me:you finally get a job in Hollywood and you play the invisible man?”), brutal honest (he spoke of his one season as DOCTOR WHO as contentious and hated the direction that the BBC wanted to Series to proceed. However, he also mentioned two episodes that contained some of his best work ever due to the exceptional Script and, in hindsight, would have liked to have done one more year to correct the acting mistakes he felt he made). Highly complimentary of other Actor’s work (“I don’t envy the next Actor who steps into the shoes of James Bond after what Daniel Craig has done in the past 15 years” but didn’t think he’ll ever get a chance to play the character “not with these ears!”) and comparing Toronto lovingly with his hometown of Manchester.
These Toronto born first cousins admitted they were not very close growing up (Stephen: “I was 13 years old. He was 6. He had little in common”), but eventually bonded when they discovered their mutual love of acting. Whereas Stephen was saddened when ARROW ended its TV run, he was excited about exploring new opportunities and then the pandemic hit and “nothing!!!” though he is thrilled with his new HBO show HEELS. Robbie was thrilled to report that the second season of CODE 8: PART ll is back in production and is currently being filmed in Toronto. The chemistry between the Amell boys was infectious and giddy to watch!
Some more Snaps from the event:
Some exciting Cosplay at Fan Expo Limited Edition 2021!
To learn more about FAN EXPO, visit here. This was fun, and thrilled to days ahead when it returns to its regular capacity!
(Photo/video credit: George Kozera/Mr. Will Wong)
We’re thrilled that FAN EXPO returns finally to Toronto once again! Of course, safety measures and regulations will be in effect to make this as safe and fun as possible for all of us! For one, Photo Ops this year will be done with plexiglass dividers.
FAN EXPO Limited Edition will take place at Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 22–24, 2021. Confirmed are an exciting slate of stars including:
Robbie Amell (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) and Stephen Amell (Arrow); Star Trek alums George Takei and William Shatner; Schitt’s Creek’s resident heartthrob, Tim Rozon; Wynnona Earp star Melanie Scrofano; the Ninth Doctor himself, Christopher Eccleston; Pokémon voice actress Veronica Taylor; ‘MythBuster’ extraordinaire Adam Savage; Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s ‘Spike’, James Marsters; and more!
And don’t forget the many Cosplayers, Comic Creators, Voice Actors and more!
Limited tickets are available now here.
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait till October when Fan Expo Canada returns to Toronto finally! So far, confirmed for the three day genre extravaganza October 22-24, 2021 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, are Michael Rooker, Ray Fisher, Adam Savage, William Shatner, George Takei and more!
Above this, Fan Expo HQ have just announced a partnership with Hololive Production, Japan’s premier VTuber (virtual YouTuber) agency, to bring us the Hololive EN English North American Tour. The likes of Watson Amelia, Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope, Ninomae Ina’nis, and Takanashi Kiara will be appearing in a first of its kind virtual presentation.
The tour includes the following stops:
The tour includes:
MEGACON Orlando – August 12-15, 2021
Watson Amelia, Takanashi Kiara
FAN EXPO Boston – September 3-5, 2021
Watson Amelia, Ninomae Ina’nis, Takanashi Kiara
Calgary Expo – September 10-12, 2021
Watson Amelia, Mori Calliope, Takanashi Kiara
FAN EXPO Dallas – September 17-19, 2021
Watson Amelia, Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope
FAN EXPO Canada – October 22-24, 2021
Watson Amelia, Gawr Gura, Ninomae Ina’nis
An updated schedule of events are available here.
FAN EXPO Canada usually marks the end of Summer here in Toronto for many, however with COVID-19, the event has been forced to go a modified route. The August event now has been cancelled this year. In its place LIMITED EDITION event will run from November 6-8, 2020. Instead of its usual capacity, a reduction to a cap of 25,000 tickets will be sold to ensure adherence to proper safety and social distancing guidelines.
Admission tickets purchased already for August’s event have been transferred to the new November event and refunds are to be requested before July 31, 2020.
Special events are to be refunded as well.
Photo and Autograph Ops purchased via Epic Photo Ops can be refunded.
Reservations at official hotels of Fan Expo also will be cancelled.
For more info, visit here.
(Photo credit: Fan Expo Canada)
By Amanda Gilmore, George Kozera + Mr. Will Wong
Signalling the end of Summer, Fan Expo Canada returned to Metro Convention Centre once again this past weekend, converging the worlds of Sci-Fi, Anime, Horror, Gaming, Comics and Cosplay together into one giant celebration. Fan Expo Canada celebrated its 25th year anniversary and they did it bigger and better than ever with several notable guests in attendance including John Travolta, Jeff Goldblum, Zachary Levi, Karl Urban, Peter Capaldi, Brendan Fraser and more!
Highly-touted Cast reunions highlighted the affair including that of Saved by the Bell, Smallville, Blade Runner, The Goonies and more. The likes of Pamela Anderson, David Harbour, Kristen Kreuk, Jason Momoa also were slated but had other commitments preventing them from making it.
Fans found themselves with many events, panels, photo ops, autograph signings, screenings, panels and even LGBTQ+-inclusive matchmaking events to attend all the way through Fan Expo Sunday wherein previous years, Saturday normally is the busiest day.
The event brought-in an estimated 129,000+ people from around the world.
Some Highlights from Fan Expo Canada 2019:
COSPLAY
RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT EXHIBIT
In addition to rate pieces from Star Wars, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones and more, a huge draw at the Exhibit was a travelling, growing ball made from the hair of 600+ people around the world!
SAVED BY THE BELL Panel with Elizabeth Berkley, Mark-Paul Gosselaar x Mario Lopez
Stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley talk about their time on the 90s morning TV staple. They reveal while Berkley was filming a certain “Las Vegas movie”, the Cast were watching the O.J. Simpson chase while filming their own Vegas movie. Berkley and Lopez admitted they were nice to Dustin Diamond, Gosselaar not so much! Berkley says she had the most fun filming the Series’s fantasy sequences.
So awesome hearing them do the Show’s signature Bayside cheer!
JEFF GOLDBLUM
The screen veteran known for his work in the Jurassic Park franchise, returns to the City he filmed The Fly! He reveals he spent seven hours in makeup a day, that his wife, Olympian Emilie Livingston is from here too! His new Disney+ series The World According to Jeff Goldblum, premieres November.
And he reveals his new Album on Decca will feature surprise vocalists! He even had the room singing “O Canada“! 🇨🇦
TEEN TITANS GO Panel with Tara Strong x Greg Cipes
The two Voice Actors joked around and Cipes brought his dog Wingman with him to the Panel and the dog stole the show, drinking out of Strong‘s water cup.
When asked what their advice is for their young fans, Strong said to “Choose kindness.”. Cipes said “Never give up on everything you ever wanted.”.
Strong advises also it is important for voice actors to have an acting background and admits she is very “physical” behind the mic.
Cipes cites Robin Williams as his biggest influence.
BLADE RUNNER – Sean Young x Edward James Olmos
Young made some candid revelations from her experience in Hollywood, telling the audience “Never make a Director feel bad for hitting on you”.
On recent reboot Blade Runner 2041, she admits “At 2 hours and 51 minutes, I thought it was much weaker than the original.”.
On working with Sir Ridley Scott, she says “He made me smoke cigarettes to lower my voice. He was very manipulative towards the ladies.”.
Olmos admits, “At the time he (Harrison Ford) was first announced, I thought he was miscast. All I thought was Han Solo.”.
ZACHARY LEVI
Levi, unlike others, didn’t require a Moderator and Morgan Hoffman obliged kindly. He stood-up his entire Panel even, fielding fan questions directly.
One fan got to do a magic trick, one got to sing a song from Disney‘s Tangled with him even!
He imparted a bit of inspiration, telling fans, “We all are worthy of occupying space in this world.”.
On Toronto-made Box Office and critical hit Shazam!, he admits the most fun thing for him was getting to act like a 14-year-old. He says also, “The weather was cold but the costume did not keep me warm.”.
JOHN TRAVOLTA
The screen icon talked about his new film THE FANATIC and how much he loves when fans talk to him. He two also reveals that two fans broke into his house with the intention of only meeting him. There was no ill will.
He admits he never thought Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction would ever become as popular as they had. He always believed Grease was going to be huge and said he was the one that only wanted Olivia Newton-John as Sandy.
THE GOONIES Panel – Sean Astin, Corey Feldman x Ke Huy Quan
Feldman tells fans about his affinity for our country, “I love Canadians so much, I married one!”. He is referring to wife, model Courtney Anne Mitchell.
On the famous water slide seen in the Film, he states “We only got to go down the water slide twice. It was the stunt doubles who did the rest!”.
BRENDAN FRASER
The star of Encino Man and The Mummy arrived straight from Johannesburg where he is filming currently. He asks the audience if they want another Mummy movie and they gave him a resounding cheer!
He advises Universal Pictures that the key ingredient is fun when making these movies. He currently can be seen in popular series DOOM PATROL.
Other notables:
Jack Quaid, star of Amazon Prime‘s THE BOYS
For more on FAN EXPO CANADA, visit here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/George Kozera/Amanda Gilmore)
By David Baldwin and Mr. Will Wong
Now in its 19th year Toronto Comicon takes place at Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend bringing together fans of Sci-Fi, Anime, Cosplayers, Gaming, Comics and more in one extravaganza. Toronto Comicon year after year has given fans a chance to connect with their favourite idols with Panels, Autograph Signings and Photo Ops. Known as one of the most exciting events each spring in Toronto, the event this year was headlined by several stars including Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Jaleel White (Family Matters), Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy), Jonathan Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings), Corbin Bernsen (The Punisher) and several more!
Funko Pop! vinyl collectibles, rare editions of comic books and the opportunity to get one-of-a-kind commissioned pieces by Artists, continue to be a huge draw at the three-day affair. Truly Toronto Comicon is a mecca of all things adored.
Our David Baldwin had the opportunity to sit-in on a couple high-profile Panels for Ron Perlman and Dan Fogler.
PERLMAN
Golden Globe Award winner Ron Perlman has had a celebrated career in Film and Television, including unforgettable performances on Television Series Beauty and the Beast and originating the titular role in a soon-to-be rebooted Hellboy. He delighted fans on Saturday afternoon with a lively Q&A session. He set the tone for the nearly hour-long discussion by taking the stage and immediately greeting the audience with “Sup motherfuckers?” He later apologized to everyone who brought their children with them, but did not change his casual demeanour. He says that “99% of the roles I’ve played, I’ve really loved” and likens that passion for his roles to his mantra of “Don’t say yes unless you really love the person you’re playing.”.
While he enjoyed talking about his popular roles (“Sons of Anarchy was larger than life”) and his close relationship with honourary Torontonian and Oscar-winning Director, Guillermo del Toro (going so far as to praise Pan’s Labyrinth as a “masterpiece” and calling it the “quintessential del Toro movie”), Perlman did not hesitate to get very candid with the audience. Upon hearing an audience question about his time on the ill-fated 1996 remake of The Island of Dr. Moreau, he flat-out said “We should have never made that movie,” and said that acclaimed Director Jean-Jacques Annaud saved his life and career more than once when he was “going to quit acting”. He also let the audience in on a very telling secret: “I’m not a big fan of watching my own stuff. I just do it and move on to the next thing.”.
Perlman next year can be seen in Paul W.S. Anderson‘s eagerly-awaited Monster Hunter.
FOGLER
Despite landing a breakout role in 2016’s blockbuster Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first of a few slated Films in the Franchise, Dan Fogler long has been honing his craft. Fashionably-late for his own Panel today, he was exactly as animated and wild a personality as you might expect: “I like acting in front of people.” In his discussion, he detailed how much joy it brings him to get to play roles in the likes of Fanboys, the Fantastic Beasts series and The Walking Dead saying the roles “speak to the little nerd in me.” He even went so far as to say that his work on Fanboys specifically gave him the “invitation to act like a kid again.”.
Fogler went the extra mile during the Q&A portion, handing-out comic books and memorabilia to each audience member who asked a question (and in a rather wonderful touch, personally delivered memorabilia and hugged an audience member in a wheelchair). He riffed on his time working with Christopher Walken on Balls of Fury (telling the audience Walken’s method of dialogue delivery: “It’s all about slow, medium, fast”) and reminisced about his inspirations, saying that after discovering that Voice Actor Mel Blanc was playing and creating voices for multiple Looney Tunes characters, “I want to do that!”. Fogler even tried his hand at Sign Language, poorly attempting to sign-out “Say hello to my little friend” to his on-stage interpreter.
The Brooklyn native currently can be seen on AMC’s The Walking Dead as Luke.
Check-out some more sights of 2019 Toronto Comicon:
Ron Perlman
Dan Fogler
Jaleel White
Jonathan Rhys-Davies
Tommy Flanagan
Corbin Bernsen
John De Lancie
Cosplay
Cool, rare stuff
Also, CAPTIVE STATE is in theatres this weekend. Don’t forget to check-out this need little installation where you can star in your own Poster for the Film!
You still have one more day left to check-out 2019 Toronto Comicon as it wraps Sunday, March 17, 2019!
More here.
Missed it? Don’t worry, Fan Expo Canada is coming this Summer. More details here.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/David Baldwin)
By David Baldwin, Siobhán Rich x Mr. Will Wong
Now in its 24th year, FAN EXPO CANADA has stamped itself as the premier celebration of fandom in Toronto year after year uniting connoisseurs of Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime and Gaming together for a four-day extravaganza. Once again taking over Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the event was highlighted by a reunion of BACK TO THE FUTURE stars Canadian Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd and Tom Wilson. For the first time ever also, FAN EXPO CANADA hosted WWE® Night with stars of the sport: Triple H®, A.J. Styles™, The Miz® and Charlotte Flair®. Others appearing at the affair were favourites William Shatner, Steven Ogg, Evangline Lilly, Lucy Lawless, Robin Lord Taylor, Jason Momoa, Rob Schneider, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Karen Gillan, Cary Elwes, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Billy Zane, Emma Dumont and many more!
Purveyor of Pop Culture vinyl collectibles, FUNKO caused quite a stir this year with a pop-up at the Festival giving some lucky fans timed session tickets and a chance to purchase some exclusive goods. Harry Potter and Doctor Who-themed Escape Rooms, the Dragonball North America Tour 2018, a Degrassi Reunion, plus a Photo Op with the Jurassic Park Jeep were big draws also this weekend.
Funko Pop-Up
Dragonball North American Tour 2018
Our Team had the pleasure of attending FAN EXPO CANADA and sitting-in on some of the hottest ticket panels! More on that below:
AN EVENING WITH THE CAST OF “BACK TO THE FUTURE”
The weekend is just starting, but Fan Expo staged one of the biggest highlights of this year’s convention tonight — An Evening with the Cast of Back to the Future. On hand were Tom Wilson, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd and Canada’s own Michael J. Fox. The ticketed event had fans lining up for over two hours to attend the packed panel. While there was no audience Q&A portion of the 40-minute event, the audience was not left disappointed.
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE)
Disney fans at Fan Expo Toronto were treated to some behind the scenes and early clips of the upcoming Ralph Breaks the Internet. Hosted by Richard Crouse and the Film’s producer, Clark Spencer, the crowd was shown behind the scenes animated LOLCats and also told about new character Yesss, voiced by Taraji P. Henson. We were then walked through clips that introduced the basic plot including the important role Gal Gadot will be playing as race car driver, Shank.
Perhaps the most anticipated and well received scene was an extended look of the all the Disney Princesses meeting our favourite glitch, Vanelope (Sarah Silverman).
The Movie centers around the friendship between Vanelope and Ralph (John C. Reilly). As the Movie opens, Vanelope‘s future is in jeopardy after her video game is damaged and the owner of Litwak’s Arcade isn’t sure he can afford to fix it. The best friends decide to take maters into their own hands and head into the Internet in search of eBay.
The much anticipated sequel looks fantastic. Ralph Breaks the Internet hits theatre on Friday, November 21, 2018 via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada.
EVANGELINE LILLY & RODRIGO BASTOS DIDIER ON “THE SQUICKERWONKERS“
Evangeline Lilly (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Lost) took the stage at Fan Expo Canada today to discuss her Book Series, The Squickerwonkers. She started writing the planned eight-part Series as a way to create new content to read to her son, as she felt reading the same books over and over again “sucks”. The self-proclaimed “intense perfectionist” has written two of the Books so far, telling the audience that she “did a panic edit before bringing the new book to the cons.” She was also proud to note about the series that “If we start with a female protagonist, that’s a great place to start today.”
We also learned about The Squickerwonkers‘ Illustrator, Rodrigo Bastos Didier. Lilly first noticed the artist after he posted artwork on her Facebook page, and the two got into contact after meeting at a Brazilian comic convention. Didier‘s connections helped Lilly get her first publishing deal, after she struggled with self-publishing. “He had such a soft and loving energy. I just wanted to work with him,” she says.
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY PANEL
And if that was not exciting enough, Space Channel brought the crew of the USS Discovery to discuss the much anticipated Second Season of Star Trek: Discovery. On hand for the panel were Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Shazad Latif (Voq/Ash Tyler) and Anson Mount (Christopher Pike). The group spoke at length about their excitement with the thrilling first season and the fan reactions they have experienced since.
Martin-Green says that she was delighted and in awe of the fans of the show, saying they had “so much love and respect in welcoming us” into the Star Trek family. “There’s nothing to prepare you in life for someone who dresses up as you,” Wiseman says with a laugh. “I don’t know why she resonates with people. Tilly is me, and her enthusiasm is unrivaled,” she says. Jones tells the audience that he initially had difficulty deciding how to play his alien character Saru, noting that after 32 years of playing costumed creatures, “How do you make this one different? The makeup you wear helps you to inform the character.” But what Jones is really thrilled about is how the fans he has spoken to have told him how important that character is to them, saying Saru is “Inspiring people to get over their own fears” as his characters works through his.
LUCY LAWLESS x RENÉE O’CONNOR PANEL
Amid jokes of a new comedic show which would unite all the key members of the Cast of XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (including Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi) and trips down memory lane regarding late cast member Kevin Smith (Ares), the famously-friendly pair discussed craft services, the #MeToo movement, and the dangers of being Renée O’Connor‘s stunt double.
The two Actress were asked, whether a remake would turn the Xena/Gabrielle relationship from subtext into text?
Lucy: “Absolutely”.
Renée: “People say they loved the relationship – the friendship – that it was so deep.”.
Lucy also was asked about her first impression of Renée:
Lucy: “She was exactly like Gabrielle that first episode.”
Renée: “I was fascinated by her.”
The duo were asked about Gabrielle‘s evolution on the Series.
Lucy: “They saw what Renée could do and said, ‘Let’s write to that!'”.
See some Snaps from the weekend. Hover cursor or click left and right to navigate slideshow on each album:
Team Mr. Will and our Photo Ops:
Missed all the fun? Start planning now for next year! More here on tickets, guests and events.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Siobhán Rich/David Baldwin)
Canada’s largest Sci-Fi and Gaming Convention is back! FAN EXPO CANADA returns in Toronto to Metro Toronto Convention Centre right before fall and the names are bigger than ever! It is set to run August 30 – September 2, 2018.
Highlighted by a reunion of the BACK TO THE FUTURE Cast, Fan Expo Canada boasts a star-studded lineup of talent you won’t want to miss including:
MICHAEL J. FOX, CHRISTOPHER LLOYD, LEA THOMPSON, TOM WILSON (Back to the Future films)
CARY ELWES, CHRIS SARANDON, WALLACE SHAWN (The Princess Bride)
JEFF GOLDBLUM (Jurassic Park)
WILLIAM SHATNER (Star Trek)
JASON MOMOA (Game of Thrones, Justice League)
ROB SCHNEIDER (Saturday Night Live)
BILLY DEE WILLIAMS (Star Wars films)
PETER MAYHEW (Star Wars films)
KAREN GILLAN (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy)
EVANGELINE LILLY (Lost, Ant-Man and the Wasp)
LUCY LAWLESS, RENEE O’CONNOR (Xena: Warrior Princess)
RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON (MacGyver, Stargate SG-1)
JOE KEERY (Stranger Things)
PAUL REUBENS (Pee-wee’s Playhouse)
ROBIN LORD TAYLOR (Gotham)
AUSTIN AMELIO (The Walking Dead)
TOM PAYNE (The Walking Dead)
MARK SHEPPARD (Supernatural)
JENNIFER MORRISON (Once Upon A Time)
EMMA DUMONT (The Gifted)
GREGG SULKIN (Runaways)
Guest availability is subject to change. Get your tickets and learn more about it at www.fanexpocanada.com.
(Photo credit: Fan Expo Canada)
By Mr. Will Wong, Siobhán Rich and Justin Waldman
Now in its 23rd year, FAN EXPO returned once again to Toronto this weekend at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre celebrating fandom and bringing fans close to their idols of past and future. The extravaganza continues to pull-in upwards of 129,000 people from around the world with panels, exhibits, signings and photo ops galore. There’s even Speed-Dating for the geek-minded.
Cosplayers were out in full festive force with several paying tribute to the likes of The Joker, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman and Doctor Who.
A major highlight this year was the reunion of the original ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Cast including a seldom-seen Tim Curry, who was available for photo ops and also pre-signed memorabilia. His Castmates Meat Loaf, Nell Campbell, Barry Bostwick and Patricia Quinn also made their way to Fan Expo.
A hot ticket item this weekend, selling-out, was photo ops for the Cast of STRANGER THINGS including Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo. The former also appeared with his fellow Castmates from another production in which he stars, hotly-anticipated Stephen King Remake IT, out next week.
This year, Fan Expo‘s Guest List was heavy on talent filming in the City including Cast members from STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, which sees a premiere on CBS this September including Sonequa Martin-Green, Anthony Rapp and Doug Jones.
Meanwhile, returning favourites Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), John Barrowman (Arrow), Nathan Fillion (Castle), Stephen Amell (Arrow), Anthony Daniels (Star Wars) and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) also proved popular.
THOR: RAGNAROK EXHIBIT
Among the several dazzling displays and exhibits at Fan Expo Canada this year was an exhibit for eagerly-awaited THOR: RAGNAROK from Marvel, giving fans get an exclusive first look at the costumes and pieces seen in the Movie.
In this third Thor Movie, our hero faces his toughest villain yet, Hela played by Cate Blanchett, and her costume makes the villain even more daunting. A black and green costume with a 3D printed headpiece that resembles something similar to a creature from nightmares it truly is a sight to behold. As well the headpiece was never actually worn in the film but rather carried afterwards in very careful placement to fit the Film.
Next is Karl Urban’s Skurge and without giving away too much information about the character he seems to be a forced to be reckoned with as well. A double-sided axe that is truly remarkable accompanies his costume. As well his costume is made of actual steel and fabric, making it one of the more impressive costumes.
Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) costume takes its final form in this third Film. There are little tidbits of goodies in the costume as well, if we remember the first Avengers Film, the necklace Loki wears has a small piece in his costume this time around as an ode to that other appearance.
Next we have hotly-anticipated Jeff Goldblum’s The Grandmaster whose fabric costume is so much more impressive in person that anyone could have ever imagined. The layers of fabric and costume it self really stands out and boasts the character.
Two really cool props from Ragnarok are from the Hulk Vs Thor scenes where we get a first up close look at Hulk’s sword and hammer that he uses in the fight. These props are massive and certainly a dream come true for fans to be able to see these props up close and personal.
One of the most impressive pieces at Fan Expo’s exhibit this year was Thor’s costume itself, as it is a mish-mash of different pieces. While he is away from Asgard and fighting, he acquires different pieces of his costume and writing on his costume that shows his journey. However the most interesting piece for fans would be Thor’s helmet, which many fans have dreamed of seeing since the first Movie came out.
Photos from the THOR: RAGNAROK Exhibit. Hover cursor left and right below to navigate.
This gorgeous star of X-Men, Taken, The Wolverine, The Blacklist, How to Get Away with Murder, The Blacklist and Hemlock Grove, the latter filmed right in our City, returns to Toronto again once again. She tells her fans at her panel about her experience working with Hugh Jackman who would go on to be in the widely-acclaimed LOGAN. “It’s impossible to envision anyone else playing that role”, she says about her Co-Star. “I’m grateful to have worked with him.”.
On Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner playing a role she helped shape in upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix, she says “I think she’s amazing. She reached out to me when she got cast as Jean Grey and asked what pointers I had for her and I told her she’s amazing and to just follow your gut and that’s what she did.”.
TIM CURRY
You know you’re iconic when your Films are remade and your roles are reprised. This iconic star of Rocky Horror Picture Show and the original Pennywise in Stephen King’s IT, which is projected to make a huge splash next weekend at the Box Office, made a rare appearance at this year’s Fan Expo treating fans to an intimate panel.
On which of his projects he considers his favourites, Curry says “Well, I guess one of them is Clue where my part was as big as the Bible. I also love Muppet Treasure Island.“.
On his phenomenal voicework in Animation, he says “I love it. I’ve never been a contortionist. The day is young and one day I hope to be.”.
While he is the idol of many who attended his panel, he cites Alec Guinness as being someone he looks up to.
JOHN BARROWMAN
This star of Doctor Who, Desperate Housewives, Torchwood, Legends of Tomorrow and of course Arrow is loved by many a fan. He reflects on the fun he has had on the latter. “A lot of things happened and part of what I like to do is making people crack-up by doing something from across of them. Stephen (Amell) is really easy to crack-up”.
In what will be the most talked-about moment of Fan Expo Canada 2017, Barrowman was asked by a fan at his panel whom his best on-screen kiss was with. A fan who went by the name Montana then rushed the stage to the shock of the crowd and Barrowman, and the two embraced in a kiss which had the fan going shirtless. The crowd went ecstatic. David Tennant, his Doctor Who Co-Star was his favourite kiss, by the way!
The best kind of audience participation at @JohnBarrowman‘s @FANEXPOCANADA panel. #FXC17 pic.twitter.com/Ls81n9x934
— MsTypo (@Typo_eh) September 1, 2017
KATHLEEN TURNER
Those of us who grew-up in the ’80s have fond memories of Turner‘s work in classics like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile. Turner reflected on her beginnings as an actress with her fans. She claims “I didn’t see many films. I always felt like Film happened to me.”. “Most of my imagination was satisfied by reading. This is how I always thought I wanted to be an actor”, she says. “This is my 40th year in my profession and it is still absolutely thrilling to be doing it. I am now entering my fourth profession and I will be doing Cabaret. I can sing.”.
MATT SMITH
In addition to its presence being felt largely this year with several fans dressed as Dr. Who, Matt Smith returned to Fan Expo once again this year. On his eventual exit from the beloved Series, Smith says “Yeah, I always knew I was going to stay for another year. Maybe I would’ve stayed on for another year. But then I thought I couldn’t get too comfortable. It’s a difficult show to leave because it’s such a brilliant character but as an actor you have to continue to do things that frighten you and make you uncomfortable.”.
Smith currently can be seen in Netflix‘s acclaimed The Crown as Philip.
See some Snaps from Fan Expo Canada 2017. Navigate by hovering cursor over left and right of gallery.
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Missed it this year? Learn more about FAN EXPO CANADA right here and come next year!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Siobhán Rich/Justin Waldman)
Hot off its unveiling at San Diego Comic Con, comes this fresh new Trailer for season two of STRANGER THINGS! In case you haven’t heard, some of its stars will be appearing at Fan Expo in Toronto this September!
Synopsis:
The first trailer for Stranger Things 2 is here. It’s 1984 and the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana are still reeling from the horrors of the demogorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down but a bigger, sinister entity still threatens those who survived.
See the Trailer:
STRANGER THINGS Season Two streams on Netflix Canada Friday, October 27, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
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