I recently attended the Belfast Film & Comic Con convention at the SSE Arena, last Sunday, November 1st. This is my report on the event.
The first Belfast Film & Comic Con took place last year. Compared to other Showmasters events I’ve attend which were manic and not very relaxed, I did really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the event and it was the same for this year. This is one of the things that makes me appreciate the smaller conventions over the big ones, but naturally the big conventions have the draws that you can’t back away from. Not sure why, but Belfast Film & Comic Con felt eerily like CollectorMania Glasgow which I attended last year. I think it was similar in terms of the relaxed atmosphere and the way the arena was used.
I only met two guests at the convention- Dave Prowse (Darth Vader in Star Wars) and Samuel Anderson (Danny Pink in Doctor Who). Both were very nice and enjoyable to meet. Prowse is someone I’ve wanted to meet for a long time but I kept putting off (usually at fan shows where he charges more for autographs) but like Peter Mayhew and Kenny recently, I was delighted to finally meet a Star Wars actor I had been meaning to meet for a long time. Even though his character got some criticism from certain Doctor Who fans, I really enjoyed Samuel Anderson’s Danny Pink and I really enjoyed meeting him too. Unfortunately, due to a bit of carelessness on my part I lost a £1 coin (long story for another time) and that left me with not enough to get his autograph, but after seeing how chilled back he looked with fans I thought I’d ask him for an interview anyway, which he happily obliged to. Really interesting guy with some great stories that I can’t wait for all of you to hear.
On the subject of guests, while I believe that last year’s guest list was slightly better (I met three guests instead of the two this year), I was very happy that both Dave Prowse and Samuel Anderson were allowing pictures at their table. All three of the guests I met last year at this convention (who I won’t name for obvious reasons) weren’t allowing table photos. I understand and respect that it’s their/their management’s decision and Showmasters can’t do anything about it, but it felt awful coming away with no pictures with any of the guests I met.
Overall on the guest front, it was great to finally add Prowse’s autograph to my collection. Hopefully I can make amends and add Anderson to my collection at another convention.
As far as cosplayers are concerned, I thought there were a lot of great cosplayers at the event (including costumes organisations like the 501st Ireland Garrison and the Emerald Garrison). I was very impressed with the variety of franchises represented. Even when attending general (multi-franchise) conventions in the past I’ve sometimes felt that more films or TV shows are represented over others, but this event had a great variety. Some of my favourites included The Wolverine, Optimus Prime, Kylo Ren, Sabine Wren and The Silent, but all of the cosplayers I saw were excellent.
There were also a lot of great stalls at the convention. Aside from getting Dave Prowse’s autograph, I also bought four posters from a stall selling big posters in a 4 for £10 deal. How could I pass up on that? The posters I bought included two from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (including the recently revealed official poster), a Star Wars: Rebels and a Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D poster.
If I had one criticism about the convention, I believe that (in my honest opinion) it does have the potential to be larger. I know that Showmasters can put on much bigger conventions (London Film & Comic Con and CollectorMania Milton Keynes being the biggest) and while I don’t think the Belfast show ever become as big as those two, I think it could become one of Ireland’s (including both Northern and the Republic) biggest conventions. Considering the size of the SSE Arena, I think they could also have more going on at the event.
In summary, I had another great time at Belfast Film & Comic Con. Both guests I met were really nice, and I got a great interview with Samuel Anderson. The four posters I got were great as well, and I once again really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of this convention. However, I also left feeling that the convention has a lot more potential. We’ll see how it improves in its third year.
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
Here are the behind-the-scenes pictures we shared on our Facebook and Twitter pages today.
1. Cast member Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) recording lines for Star Wars: Rebels.
2. Cast member Dave Bautista (Mr. Hinx) filming a scene for the James Bond film Spectre.
3. Director Christopher Nolan giving instructions to cast member Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman) behind-the-scenes on The Dark Knight.
4. Cast members Peter Capaldi (The 12th Doctor) and Neil Fingleton (The Fisher King) filming a scene for Doctor Who.
5. Cast members David Morrissey (Philip Blake/The Governor) and Danai Gurira (Michonne) preparing to film a scene for The Walking Dead.
6. Cast members Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) on location for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
7. Cast member Elizabeth Henstridge (Agent Jemma Simmons) filming a scene for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
8. Producer Gary Kurtz giving instructions to cast members Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) on the set of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
By Ruari Williamson
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will see the return of iconic and supporting characters alike from the previous Star Wars films, but a new rumour has suggested that a deceased character could make an appearance as well.
The rumour suggests that Yoda will have a scene in The Force Awakens. Yoda’s scene (if the rumour is true) could likely be as a force ghost, but if you watched the Yoda arc in the last season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (“The Lost Missions”), you’ll know that Yoda learned a few things for when he would die (avoiding spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the episodes).
Thoughts on this rumour?
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will be released on December 17th in the UK/Ireland.
Source
By Ruari Williamson
Actress and singer Becky Gomez (Empire) has been cast as the Yellow Ranger in the upcoming Power Rangers film, completing the main cast for the new film, which is due out in 2017.
Like the previous casting announcements, Gomez’s casting was announced on the official Power Rangers Instagram account.
The other core cast members include: RJ Cyler (Blue Ranger), Ludi Lin (Black Ranger), Dacre Montgomery (Red Ranger) and Naomi Scott (Pink Ranger).
The new Power Rangers film is scheduled for release on January 13th, 2017.
Thoughts on this casting?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
Comic fans are very excited for Fox’s Deadpool film to be released in February, and now a new update has been released on the film.
As expected with many films, the Deadpool film is now doing reshoots. The reshoots are taking place in Vancouver (where the film was mostly shot).
Ryan Reynolds, who stars as Wade Wilson/Deadpool in the film, is said to be with crew visiting every site they filmed at in Vancouver (aside from one compound that was sold and torn down after the original filming).
“Armed with accelerated healing powers and a twisted sense of humor, former mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) goes in search of the man who nearly destroyed his life.”
Deadpool is scheduled to be released on February 12th, 2016.
Thoughts on this report?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
Rumours have been flying around for months that Warner Bros. are so happy with Ben Affleck as Batman that they want to give his Batman a series of solo films, but none have officially been announced yet.
However, a new rumour has suggested some of the key characters that could appear in the first solo film (should any solo films featuring Affleck’s Batman get released), as well as the potential plot.
If you don’t want any spoilers on a possible Batman solo film this is your SPOILER alert warning.
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The plot would follow the story of Red Hood and his return to Gotham City (the Red Hood in question being Jason Todd). The film would see his return and pretence that he’s Batman to make his former master look like a criminal.
The final confrontation would feature Batman, Red Hood and The Joker (similar to the “Under the Red Hood” story-line).
Dick Grayson/Nightwing would also play a supporting role in the film (after getting a mention in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice).
Thoughts on this rumour?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
Kristen Hager (Being Human, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, Wanted) has been cast as Nora Fries, the love interest of Victor Fries (otherwise known as Mr. Freeze) in Gotham.
A description of the character in the series can be read below:
“Thanks to her smarts, sincerity and a lighthearted sensibility, she’s the only person who’s managed to connect with the otherwise emotionally cold cryogenicist. As her condition worsens and her husband becomes more desperate to save her life, Nora must make the ultimate choice: play the willing participant in Victor’s mad plan or sacrifice herself to stop the monster inside of him.”
Nora was originally created for Batman: The Animated Series.
Thoughts on this casting?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
In what seems like a customary announcement at this point, AMC have renewed The Walking Dead for another season.
Season 7 will begin airing in the second-half of 2016. AMC also renewed The Talking Dead, the live after-show hosted by Chris Hardwick.
The following is the press release from AMC to go with the announcement:
“The October 25th episode of “The Walking Dead” delivered 18.2 million viewers, 12 million adults 18-49 and 11.5 million adults 25-54 in live+3 ratings, which include three days of time-shifted viewing – each growing compared to last season’s corresponding episode #503. Last Sunday’s “Talking Dead” was its highest-rated episode ever that was not a premiere or a finale, delivering 7.3 million viewers, 4.6 million adults 18-49 and 4.7 million adults 25-54 in live+3.
“Thank goodness someone had a Magic 8-Ball with them in our many long internal meetings about these renewals. When, on the third shake, ‘without a doubt’ filled the murky blue screen, we knew we had to proceed with new seasons of ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Talking Dead,’” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “All joking aside, we are so proud to share these shows with fans who have been so passionate, communicative and engaged. We are grateful for and continually impressed by the talent, effort and excellence on continuous display by Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, Chris Hardwick and the many people with whom we partner to make these unique shows possible. The result: More Walking and Talking. Hooray.”
Key Nielsen Highlights for October 25th Episode #603 of “The Walking Dead” (Live+3)
18.2 million viewers, up 39% from live/same day (an increase of 5.1 million viewers)
12.0 million adults 18-49 (national rating of 9.5), up 42% from live/same day (an increase of 3.5 million adults 18-49)
11.5 million adults 25-54, up 41% from live/same day (an increase of 3.3 million adults 25-54)
Key Nielsen Highlights for October 25th Episode of “Talking Dead” (Live+3)
7.3 million viewers, up 18% from live/same day (an increase of 1.1 million viewers)
4.6 million adults 18-49 (national rating of 3.6), up 17% from live/same day (an increase of 673,000 adults 18-49)
4.7 million adults 25-54, up 18% from live/same day (an increase of 699,000 adults 25-54)
Following a free premiere event with 13,500 screaming fans at Madison Square Garden, “The Walking Dead” has kicked off its sixth season with impressive social activity, drawing nearly 20 million social engagements between premiere week and episode 3 and ranking as the #1 most engaging drama. Since last year’s premiere, “The Walking Dead” has gained 5.5 million new fans across social media, now tracking with an audience of nearly 40 million. Instagram has surfaced as “The Walking Dead’s” fastest-growing social platform, with the show capturing more than 8% of the industry’s engagement so far this season, up 25% from last year. Meanwhile, the series’ audience size has more than tripled on Instagram, while total engagements have jumped 325% from this point last year, with 8 million total engagements for the season to date.
For season seven, Scott M. Gimple will return as the series’ showrunner and executive producer, along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse.
Around the world, season seven of “The Walking Dead” will again be “First on FOX,” with FOX International Channels (FIC) bringing the show to audiences globally in all of its 125+ markets as part of FIC’s continued commitment to broadcast the series day-and-date internationally. Following the U.S. trend, “The Walking Dead” continues to break records overseas and has more than tripled its numbers on FOX since its launch.”
Thoughts on this announcement?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
B.D. Wong (Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) has been cast as Professor Hugo Strange in Gotham.
A description of Strange’s appearance in the show reveals the following:
“Hugo Strange will be hired to run Gotham’s Arkham Asylum. The psychiatrist “appears altruistic, but he harbors a dark secret” that eventually makes him ‘Gotham’s greatest threat’. He’ll start innocently enough, seemingly working to rehabilitate the villains of Gotham City, before being revealed as the man behind Indian Hill.”
We’ve already seen Indian Hill in the second season, but it sounds like we can expect to see more of it later in the season.
Thoughts on this casting?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
Marvel’s Daredevil series (which premiered on Netflix earlier this year) was a huge success for both Marvel and Netflix, but attention has now turned to the next Marvel series coming on Netflix- Jessica Jones.
While it was confirmed that some Daredevil characters will appear in Jessica Jones, only Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple has currently been confirmed to be appearing. However, a new rumour has stated that Daredevil himself may show up in Jessica Jones (although only as Matt Murdock and not in his superhero outfit).
It’s believed that Murdock could act as a lawyer for Jones at some point.
Jessica Jones will be released on November 20th on Netflix.
Thoughts on this rumour?
Source
By Ruari Williamson
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