For fans of wizards and aliens and intergalactic adventures, Montreal Comiccon is pulling out all the stops this weekend.
Now in its eighth year, the annual pop culture festival will play host to a star-studded line-up when it kicks off on Friday. The guest list includes “Star Trek” icons William Shatner, Kate Mulgrew and Brent Spiner, who will look back at the franchise’s 50-year history in a special panel discussion.
Other celebrity guests include Tom Felton, who played Harry Potter’s arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy in the film series; Alfonso Ribeiro, who played the fine-footed Carlton Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”; and "Firefly" and "Serenity" star Summer Glau.
Montreal Comiccon will celebrate the worlds of fantasy, science fiction, comic books and horror, but its true appeal is the way it breaks down walls between fans and celebrities, according to film critic Chris Bumbray.
“The great thing about Comiccon is you can buy autograph sessions, you can get photos taken, and it’s very accessible to the fans. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to meet Willian Shatner?” Bumbray, who writes for joblo.com, told CTV News Channel on Thursday.
An estimated 60,000 fans are expected to attend the three-day event, which will be held at Montreal’s Palais des congress and will include panels, workshops and improv events.
The event has become popular among cosplayers – people who build costumes, often based on comic books, movies or video games – and this year is no exception. Celebrity cosplayers attending Montreal Comiccon include Jessica Nigri, Kamui Cosplay and Yaya Han.
For the complete line-up of celebrity guests, click here.
