Malaga Comic-Con: Characters like Mario Bros, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Pirates of the Caribbean were spotted waiting outside San Diego Comic-Con Málaga before the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos (Fycma) opened on the convention’s first day, Thursday, 25 September.

Malaga Comic-Con: Fans and Iconic Characters Line Up for San Diego Comic-Con 

Africa's biggest pop culture and gaming festival draws tens of thousands of fans for anime, comics, cosplay, and celebrity meet-and-greets.

Comic-Con Africa draws thousands of fans and cosplayers to Johannesburg 

Undercover officers posing as sex buyers at last week's Comic-Con event in California rescued human trafficking victims, including a 16-year-old girl, and made multiple arrests, prosecutors said Wednesday.

A task force involving local San Diego police, federal officers and naval intelligence arrested 14 people who were attempting to buy sex at the giant pop culture gathering.

Ten victims were rescued, nine of them adults, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

"Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit," said Bonta, in a statement.

San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world's largest pop culture events.&nbsp;

Around 135,000 people were expected to attend the convention, which lasted from Thursday to Sunday.

"Obviously we find this very disturbing and, while we were not made aware of this operation, it is our understanding that the arrests were made outside of the event," a spokesperson for Comic-Con said in a statement to AFP.

"We work closely with a variety of law enforcement entities throughout the year and stand ready to assist in any way we can."

Originally a grassroots event for comic books fans to meet, Comic-Con has grown exponentially and is today used by giant Hollywood studios and A-list stars to launch their latest blockbuster movies and TV shows.

Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, said "highly attended events" like Comic-Con are often seen by criminals as "an opportunity to prey upon minors."

"Working together, teams identified and arrested more than a dozen individuals participating in these illegal acts in our city over the weekend," said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.

Law enforcement personnel placed undercover advertisements soliciting sex in order to arrest sex buyers.

Undercover officers posing as sex buyers at last week's Comic-Con event in California rescued human trafficking victims, including a 16-year-old girl, and made multiple arrests, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Undercover officers posing as sex buyers at last week's Comic-Con event in California rescued human trafficking victims, including a 16-year-old girl, and made multiple arrests, prosecutors said Wednesday. A task force involving local San Diego police, federal officers and naval intelligence arrested 14 people who were attempting to buy sex at the giant pop culture gathering. Ten victims were rescued, nine of them adults, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. "Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit," said Bonta, in a statement. San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world's largest pop culture events. Around 135,000 people were expected to attend the convention, which lasted from Thursday to Sunday. "Obviously we find this very disturbing and, while we were not made aware of this operation, it is our understanding that the arrests were made outside of the event," a spokesperson for Comic-Con said in a statement to AFP. "We work closely with a variety of law enforcement entities throughout the year and stand ready to assist in any way we can." Originally a grassroots event for comic books fans to meet, Comic-Con has grown exponentially and is today used by giant Hollywood studios and A-list stars to launch their latest blockbuster movies and TV shows. Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, said "highly attended events" like Comic-Con are often seen by criminals as "an opportunity to prey upon minors." "Working together, teams identified and arrested more than a dozen individuals participating in these illegal acts in our city over the weekend," said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. Law enforcement personnel placed undercover advertisements soliciting sex in order to arrest sex buyers.

Sex trafficking victims rescued by undercover agents at Comic-Con

A prequel of the Prime Video (AMZN.O), opens a new tab series The Boys, called Vought Rising, was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday and will star Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash. The Boys&nbsp;series executive producer Paul Grellong will be both executive producer and showrunner for Vought Rising.

Ackles also said he will return as his character Soldier Boy for Season 5 of The Boys. Superhero show The Boys&nbsp;follows a team of misfit vigilantes who fight corrupt super-powered people called “Supes.” The show's panel had a lively start with a comedic live musical performance of songs from the show, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan throwing up his middle finger on stage, and a teaser trailer for Season 2 of the spin-off Gen V&nbsp;at the annual pop culture convention.

Jessie T. Usher, who plays the speedster named A-Train, joined performers briefly on stage to perform a rap. Clips were projected on screen while performers sang, including the Season 4 song Let's Put the Christ Back in Christmas&nbsp;from The Boys'&nbsp;parody of Disney on Ice.

"In case you didn't know these guys, (they are) world-class Broadway performers," said Morgan, who moderated the panel and stars as CIA analyst Joe Kessler in Season 4. He playfully honoured the musical composer with a middle-finger gesture, echoing the show's crude humour.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/shinning-return-celine-dion-gives-a-powerful-performance-at-paris-olympics-744646">Shinning Return! Celine Dion gives a powerful performance at Paris Olympics</a>

The Season 4 main cast took the stage, including Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, the petty leader of the “Supes,” Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Usher and Karen Fukuhara.

The show's creator Eric Kripke was also on the panel. Season 5, which premieres in 2026, will be the series' last season as part of show director Kripke's vision for the comic-book adaptation. The popular series also spawned the animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical.

Stars have returned to the San Diego Comic-Con after the 2023 writers and actors strikes led to a subdued event last year, with no A-list celebrities or Hall H panels, which are known for delivering some of the biggest industry news.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

A prequel of the Prime Video (AMZN.O), opens a new tab series The Boys, called Vought Rising, was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday and will star Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash.

A prequel of the Prime Video (AMZN.O), opens a new tab series The Boys, called Vought Rising, was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday and will star Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash. The Boys series executive producer Paul Grellong will be both executive producer and showrunner for Vought Rising. Ackles also said he will return as his character Soldier Boy for Season 5 of The Boys. Superhero show The Boys follows a team of misfit vigilantes who fight corrupt super-powered people called “Supes.” The show's panel had a lively start with a comedic live musical performance of songs from the show, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan throwing up his middle finger on stage, and a teaser trailer for Season 2 of the spin-off Gen V at the annual pop culture convention. Jessie T. Usher, who plays the speedster named A-Train, joined performers briefly on stage to perform a rap. Clips were projected on screen while performers sang, including the Season 4 song Let's Put the Christ Back in Christmas from The Boys' parody of Disney on Ice. "In case you didn't know these guys, (they are) world-class Broadway performers," said Morgan, who moderated the panel and stars as CIA analyst Joe Kessler in Season 4. He playfully honoured the musical composer with a middle-finger gesture, echoing the show's crude humour. Also read: Shinning Return! Celine Dion gives a powerful performance at Paris Olympics The Season 4 main cast took the stage, including Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, the petty leader of the “Supes,” Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Usher and Karen Fukuhara. The show's creator Eric Kripke was also on the panel. Season 5, which premieres in 2026, will be the series' last season as part of show director Kripke's vision for the comic-book adaptation. The popular series also spawned the animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical. Stars have returned to the San Diego Comic-Con after the 2023 writers and actors strikes led to a subdued event last year, with no A-list celebrities or Hall H panels, which are known for delivering some of the biggest industry news. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The Boys prequel Vought Rising announced at Comic-Con

This week marked the opening of Africa's greatest pop culture event, which focused on local superheroes including a warrior modeled after the legendary Zulu ruler Shaka and a black knight battling South Africa's frequent power outages.

Comic-Con South Africa: Top culture festival showcases homegrown superheroes

"Pandora's Box is open" when it comes to artificial intelligence, voice actors behind some of the world's most popular animations and video games warned at this week's Comic-Con event.

North America's largest pop culture gathering is taking place during a major Hollywood strike, partly driven by actors' and writers' concerns about the encroachment of AI into art.

Voice actors are on the frontlines of the debate, with technology now readily available allowing users to clone somebody's voice and have it read new dialogue -- often without their permission or payment.

Tim Friedlander, founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, shared a recent example of a voice actor who had worked for a company for three years but abruptly lost their work.

"They said, 'We have three years of your voice -- we're just going to create an AI synthetic voice out what we already have,'" Friedlander told the press ahead of Saturday's panel.

The danger does not just come from studios. The last few years have seen a sharp rise in fans using AI "deep fake mods" to clone famous voices and have them read new material, often pornographic in nature.

"I have children. There are things I don't want my voice to say and have my children hear and question if that is something that I have actually said," said Cissy Jones, of the animated TV series The Owl House.

Zeke Alton, whose voice recently appeared in the video game The Calisto Protocol, said voice actors were not trying to ban AI altogether.

"Let's be clear -- Pandora's box is open," he said. "If you're going to replicate me or any other performer, we should consent to that, and then we should be compensated for the use of what makes us money."

- 'Digital replica' -

Artificial intelligence is a key sticking point in stalled talks between Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), which this month joined writers on strike.

Actors have accused studios of failing to take seriously concerns that would leave them "vulnerable to having most of their work replaced by digital replicas."

The studios said Friday they had offered to establish informed consent and fair compensation when a "digital replica" is made of a performer or their voice, and that the union did not respond.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, told journalists at Comic-Con that studios want to "bury" AI consent clauses "in some sentence in the middle of a 12-page contract."

Voice actors are "at the forefront" of the AI debate, he warned, with changes "happening more quickly with voice acting than it is in any other field."

For instance, studios are exploring AI to dub dialogue into foreign languages, which would strip voice actors around the world of valuable work for their local markets.

Another concern is that studios could use "synthesized" voices that merge multiple human voices, and not pay any of the original actors.

- 'Not protected' -

Despite the furore, not all voice-acting work is currently affected by the strike, as some are negotiated under separate union contracts.

Voicing characters in animation, announcing trailers or adding dialogue for background actors in film or television scenes -- a very common practice known as "looping" or ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) -- is banned.

But voicework for video games comes under a separate union contract for "interactive" media, for which talks are still ongoing, and therefore can still be performed without breaking the strike.

Still, Alton warned, "What happens in this strike is going to impact not only the acting profession but every profession."

"An actor is an actor is an actor. So if we are not protected at the end of this strike in this contract, we're not protected in any contract."

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"Pandora's Box is open" when it comes to artificial intelligence, voice actors behind some of the world's most popular animations and video games warned at this week's Comic-Con event.

"Pandora's Box is open" when it comes to artificial intelligence, voice actors behind some of the world's most popular animations and video games warned at this week's Comic-Con event. North America's largest pop culture gathering is taking place during a major Hollywood strike, partly driven by actors' and writers' concerns about the encroachment of AI into art. Voice actors are on the frontlines of the debate, with technology now readily available allowing users to clone somebody's voice and have it read new dialogue -- often without their permission or payment. Tim Friedlander, founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, shared a recent example of a voice actor who had worked for a company for three years but abruptly lost their work. "They said, 'We have three years of your voice -- we're just going to create an AI synthetic voice out what we already have,'" Friedlander told the press ahead of Saturday's panel. The danger does not just come from studios. The last few years have seen a sharp rise in fans using AI "deep fake mods" to clone famous voices and have them read new material, often pornographic in nature. "I have children. There are things I don't want my voice to say and have my children hear and question if that is something that I have actually said," said Cissy Jones, of the animated TV series The Owl House. Zeke Alton, whose voice recently appeared in the video game The Calisto Protocol, said voice actors were not trying to ban AI altogether. "Let's be clear -- Pandora's box is open," he said. "If you're going to replicate me or any other performer, we should consent to that, and then we should be compensated for the use of what makes us money." - 'Digital replica' - Artificial intelligence is a key sticking point in stalled talks between Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), which this month joined writers on strike. Actors have accused studios of failing to take seriously concerns that would leave them "vulnerable to having most of their work replaced by digital replicas." The studios said Friday they had offered to establish informed consent and fair compensation when a "digital replica" is made of a performer or their voice, and that the union did not respond. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, told journalists at Comic-Con that studios want to "bury" AI consent clauses "in some sentence in the middle of a 12-page contract." Voice actors are "at the forefront" of the AI debate, he warned, with changes "happening more quickly with voice acting than it is in any other field." For instance, studios are exploring AI to dub dialogue into foreign languages, which would strip voice actors around the world of valuable work for their local markets. Another concern is that studios could use "synthesized" voices that merge multiple human voices, and not pay any of the original actors. - 'Not protected' - Despite the furore, not all voice-acting work is currently affected by the strike, as some are negotiated under separate union contracts. Voicing characters in animation, announcing trailers or adding dialogue for background actors in film or television scenes -- a very common practice known as "looping" or ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) -- is banned. But voicework for video games comes under a separate union contract for "interactive" media, for which talks are still ongoing, and therefore can still be performed without breaking the strike. Still, Alton warned, "What happens in this strike is going to impact not only the acting profession but every profession." "An actor is an actor is an actor. So if we are not protected at the end of this strike in this contract, we're not protected in any contract." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Voice actors warn Comic-Con over rampant AI threat

Major Marvel announcements from Comic-Con 2022: Black Panther trailer, Phase 6 & much more!

The first official look of `Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania` was recently unveiled during Marvel Studios` huge panel at San Diego Comic-Con, showcasing action inside the quantum realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
 
According to Variety, director Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Kathryn Newton appeared onstage to help unveil the footage, with Rudd teasing where his hero, Scott Lang, is at after the seismic events of 2019`s 'Avengers: Endgame.'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/its-dwayne-johnson-vs-justice-society-in-the-new-black-adam-comic-con-teaser-500258" hreflang="en">It's Dwayne Johnson vs Justice Society in the new Black Adam comic con teaser</a>

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1ST look at ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA! Poster I illustrated for <a href="https://twitter.com/MarvelStudios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarvelStudios</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Comic_Con?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Comic_Con</a> Honored to work again w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/MrPeytonReed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrPeytonReed</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PaulRudd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PaulRudd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EvangelineLilly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EvangelineLilly</a> &amp; 1st time Cassie <a href="https://twitter.com/kathrynnewton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kathrynnewton</a> &amp; KANG <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JonathanMajors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JonathanMajors</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/antmanandthewaspquantumania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#antmanandthewaspquantumania</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quantumania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quantumania</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/antmanwasp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#antmanwasp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kang?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kang</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mf8tL3wg6w">pic.twitter.com/Mf8tL3wg6w</a>
— Andy Park SDCC 4604 (@andyparkart) <a href="https://twitter.com/andyparkart/status/1550975742963437568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Rudd told the cheering crowd, "Scott is pretty pleased with himself in his role with saving the universe. Scott`s been busy at work-ish. With a little book. And I don`t know what else I`m supposed to say!"The Comic Con exclusive footage was then unveiled featuring first looks of Bill Murray`s character in the film, Jonathan Majors` villain Kang the Conquerer and the briefest shot of MODOK, the big-headed cybernetic villain from Marvel Comics, making his live-action MCU debut.MODOK did not speak in the teaser, giving fans barely any hint as to who could be playing the mutagenic monster, as per Variety. 
 
Rudd is returning for his third `Ant-Man` movie alongside Lilly as Hope van Dyne, a.k.a. the Wasp. Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer also return as inventor Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne who was rescued from the quantum realm in 2018`s `Ant-Man and the Wasp`.`Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania` hits theatres on February 17, 2023.

The first official look of `Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania` was recently unveiled during Marvel Studios` huge panel at San Diego Comic-Con, showcasing action inside the quantum realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The first official look of `Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania` was recently unveiled during Marvel Studios` huge panel at San Diego Comic-Con, showcasing action inside the quantum realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Variety, director Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Kathryn Newton appeared onstage to help unveil the footage, with Rudd teasing where his hero, Scott Lang, is at after the seismic events of 2019`s 'Avengers: Endgame.' It's Dwayne Johnson vs Justice Society in the new Black Adam comic con teaser 1ST look at ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA! Poster I illustrated for @MarvelStudios @Comic_Con Honored to work again w/ @MrPeytonReed #PaulRudd @EvangelineLilly & 1st time Cassie @kathrynnewton & KANG #JonathanMajors #antmanandthewaspquantumania #Quantumania #antmanwasp #kang pic.twitter.com/Mf8tL3wg6w — Andy Park SDCC 4604 (@andyparkart) July 23, 2022 × Rudd told the cheering crowd, "Scott is pretty pleased with himself in his role with saving the universe. Scott`s been busy at work-ish. With a little book. And I don`t know what else I`m supposed to say!"The Comic Con exclusive footage was then unveiled featuring first looks of Bill Murray`s character in the film, Jonathan Majors` villain Kang the Conquerer and the briefest shot of MODOK, the big-headed cybernetic villain from Marvel Comics, making his live-action MCU debut.MODOK did not speak in the teaser, giving fans barely any hint as to who could be playing the mutagenic monster, as per Variety. Rudd is returning for his third `Ant-Man` movie alongside Lilly as Hope van Dyne, a.k.a. the Wasp. Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer also return as inventor Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne who was rescued from the quantum realm in 2018`s `Ant-Man and the Wasp`.`Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania` hits theatres on February 17, 2023.

'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' first look unveiled at Comic-Con

Marvel's all-conquering superheroes ripped through Comic-Con Saturday as the next batch of blockbuster movies were revealed to a hysterical crowd and Disney declared the wait for "Avengers: Endgame" to break the global box office record over. &nbsp;

Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Rachel Weisz will join the most lucrative franchise in film history, it was revealed in an announcement prompting a collective fan meltdown and ending frenzied speculation over the films' future.&nbsp;

They appeared on stage in San Diego alongside Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/natalie-portman-to-play-first-female-thor-in-thor-love-and-thunder-237371">Natalie Portman</a> and others who will return in the upcoming -- and sure to be multi-billion-grossing -- movies.

"I can spend 90 minutes talking about what we've done or I can spend some time talking about what we're about to do," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told the world's largest pop-culture fan convention.

Giant screens in Hall H revealed a timeline of films and television shows scheduled for the next two years including new outings for popular characters Thor, Black Widow, Doctor Strange and Loki.

Feige also confirmed sequels to "Black Panther," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Captain Marvel" without providing details.&nbsp;

He finished the show -- the most anticipated of the four-day event -- by announcing that Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali will front a "Blade" reboot.&nbsp;

Record wait over?

The Marvel films have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/marvels-avengers-endgame-to-set-all-time-box-office-record-237374">collectively grossed over $22 billion</a> at the global box office.

Jolie and Hayek will front ensemble film "The Eternals" in November 2020. It will be followed in February 2021 by "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," the first Marvel superhero film to be led by an Asian actor.&nbsp;

Mega-budget shows to air on Disney+, the new streaming service from Marvel's parent company, include "Wandavision" starring Elizabeth Olsen, and Tom Hiddleston's "Loki." &nbsp;

Marvel's next round of new films kick off with Johansson's "Black Widow" in May.&nbsp;

Disney simultaneously announced that the series' most successful film, Endgame, will become the highest-grossing movie of all time this weekend.

It was just $500,000 behind the $2,789.7 million records set by James Cameron's "Avatar," and "will close this gap by tomorrow," it said.

"You have to shout out to James Cameron who held that title for a long time," said Feige. "But for right now today in Hall H, thanks to you, Avengers: Endgame is the biggest film of all time."

Both films are owned by Disney following its takeover of 21st Century Fox, and had their box office figures revised upwards due to new receipts data, it said.

'Tripping out'

Earlier, an emotional Patrick Stewart said he was "deliriously happy" to be returning to "Star Trek" a generation later, declaring that "you cannot have too many franchises in a career."

British actor Stewart, 79, will reprise his fan-favourite role as Jean-Luc Picard in CBS's "Star Trek: Picard" after almost two decades.&nbsp;

His voice choking, Stewart said he had felt reluctant to return to the multi-billion-dollar sci-fi franchise until meeting a writing team including Pulitzer-winning author -- and now showrunner -- Michael Chabon.

"As soon as we began talking in the writers' room, that powerful emotion came surging back," he said.

The trailer revealed the surprise return of other popular characters including Data (Brent Spiner) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan).

Unseen footage showed an age-worn, soul-searching Picard struggling to adjust to life back on Earth.

Elsewhere, producers of The CW's "Batwoman" screened a pilot of the first superhero TV show led by an openly lesbian character.

The pioneering show has stirred controversy in some of the internet's darker depths.

Star Ruby Rose missed the event due to ongoing filming, but executive Caroline Dries told a panel event that the studio was proud to promote diversity and representation.

HBO revealed a trailer for season three of smash futuristic sci-fi Westworld, where the action has shifted from a Wild West-inspired theme park to one set under Nazi occupation.

New cast member Aaron Paul said joining the show had been an "out of body" experience.

"I'm tripping out right now, I'm such a psychotic fan of Westworld," said the "Breaking Bad" actor, who plays a construction worker.

TBS unveiled thriller "Snowpiercer," in which survivors circle a post-apocalyptic frozen Earth in a continuously rolling train.

Based on a 2013 film and starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly, the TV show depicts the conflict between the train's starkly divided classes.

Released in spring 2020, it has already been renewed for a second season.

Marvel's all-conquering superheroes ripped through Comic-Con Saturday as the next batch of blockbuster movies were revealed to a hysterical crowd and Disney declared the wait for "Avengers: Endgame" to break the global box office record over.

Marvel's all-conquering superheroes ripped through Comic-Con Saturday as the next batch of blockbuster movies were revealed to a hysterical crowd and Disney declared the wait for "Avengers: Endgame" to break the global box office record over. Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Rachel Weisz will join the most lucrative franchise in film history, it was revealed in an announcement prompting a collective fan meltdown and ending frenzied speculation over the films' future. They appeared on stage in San Diego alongside Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and others who will return in the upcoming -- and sure to be multi-billion-grossing -- movies. "I can spend 90 minutes talking about what we've done or I can spend some time talking about what we're about to do," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told the world's largest pop-culture fan convention. Giant screens in Hall H revealed a timeline of films and television shows scheduled for the next two years including new outings for popular characters Thor, Black Widow, Doctor Strange and Loki. Feige also confirmed sequels to "Black Panther," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Captain Marvel" without providing details. He finished the show -- the most anticipated of the four-day event -- by announcing that Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali will front a "Blade" reboot. Record wait over? The Marvel films have collectively grossed over $22 billion at the global box office. Jolie and Hayek will front ensemble film "The Eternals" in November 2020. It will be followed in February 2021 by "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," the first Marvel superhero film to be led by an Asian actor. Mega-budget shows to air on Disney+, the new streaming service from Marvel's parent company, include "Wandavision" starring Elizabeth Olsen, and Tom Hiddleston's "Loki." Marvel's next round of new films kick off with Johansson's "Black Widow" in May. Disney simultaneously announced that the series' most successful film, Endgame, will become the highest-grossing movie of all time this weekend. It was just $500,000 behind the $2,789.7 million records set by James Cameron's "Avatar," and "will close this gap by tomorrow," it said. "You have to shout out to James Cameron who held that title for a long time," said Feige. "But for right now today in Hall H, thanks to you, Avengers: Endgame is the biggest film of all time." Both films are owned by Disney following its takeover of 21st Century Fox, and had their box office figures revised upwards due to new receipts data, it said. 'Tripping out' Earlier, an emotional Patrick Stewart said he was "deliriously happy" to be returning to "Star Trek" a generation later, declaring that "you cannot have too many franchises in a career." British actor Stewart, 79, will reprise his fan-favourite role as Jean-Luc Picard in CBS's "Star Trek: Picard" after almost two decades. His voice choking, Stewart said he had felt reluctant to return to the multi-billion-dollar sci-fi franchise until meeting a writing team including Pulitzer-winning author -- and now showrunner -- Michael Chabon. "As soon as we began talking in the writers' room, that powerful emotion came surging back," he said. The trailer revealed the surprise return of other popular characters including Data (Brent Spiner) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Unseen footage showed an age-worn, soul-searching Picard struggling to adjust to life back on Earth. Elsewhere, producers of The CW's "Batwoman" screened a pilot of the first superhero TV show led by an openly lesbian character. The pioneering show has stirred controversy in some of the internet's darker depths. Star Ruby Rose missed the event due to ongoing filming, but executive Caroline Dries told a panel event that the studio was proud to promote diversity and representation. HBO revealed a trailer for season three of smash futuristic sci-fi Westworld, where the action has shifted from a Wild West-inspired theme park to one set under Nazi occupation. New cast member Aaron Paul said joining the show had been an "out of body" experience. "I'm tripping out right now, I'm such a psychotic fan of Westworld," said the "Breaking Bad" actor, who plays a construction worker. TBS unveiled thriller "Snowpiercer," in which survivors circle a post-apocalyptic frozen Earth in a continuously rolling train. Based on a 2013 film and starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly, the TV show depicts the conflict between the train's starkly divided classes. Released in spring 2020, it has already been renewed for a second season.

Star-studded Marvel films storm Comic-Con as 'Endgame' claims record

Amid fog and lasers on Saturday, Marvel gave frenzied fans at Comic-Con their first look at a new Black Panther movie cast, the mysterious Doctor Strange, a Spider-Man teen movie and an Oscar-winning actress as the new Captain Marvel. 
 
The 6,500-plus audience, many of whom had queued overnight at San Diego&#39;s annual film and pop culture event, were introduced to the lead cast of the &quot;Black Panther&quot; movie, directed by &quot;Creed&quot; filmmaker Ryan Coogler. 
 
Chadwick Boseman plays the titular hero while Michael B Jordan is his arch nemesis, Erik Killmonger, and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong&#39;o plays the warrior Nakia. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to kicking some ass,&quot; Nyong&#39;o said. 
 
Walt Disney Co-owned Marvel showcased diverse casts for its upcoming films after facing criticism in recent years for a superhero franchise dominated by white male actors. 
 
Oscar-winning &quot;Room&quot; actress Brie Larson was revealed as &quot;Captain Marvel,&quot; but no details were given on the 2018 movie. 
 
Benedict Cumberbatch entered amid a cloud of fog to show a scene from &quot;Doctor Strange,&quot; out in November, in which neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, who lost the use of his hands in an accident, meets the Ancient One to harness the mysterious world of magic and alternate dimensions. 
 
Director Scott Derrickson said &quot;Doctor Strange&quot; comics brought &quot;a whole new voice&quot; to the Marvel universe. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s very, very different and the scale is something else,&quot; Cumberbatch said. 
 
The casting of Tilda Swinton as a Celtic &quot;Ancient One&quot; caused an uproar among some fans, as the character is of Asian origin in the comics. 
 
&quot;Any of us can be the Ancient One, that&#39;s what&#39;s amazing about what&#39;s in the comics, who knows who will be the Ancient One. It&#39;s a title, and all the things the Ancient One knows and passes on, anyone can do,&quot; Swinton said. 
 
&quot;Spider-Man: Homecoming,&quot; starring Tom Holland, will be a teen comedy, following 15-year-old Peter Parker hiding his superhero alter-ego as he gets through the struggles of homework, girls and puberty. 
 
Finally, the cast of 2017&#39;s &quot;Guardians of the Galaxy 2&quot; entered amid cheers, as new footage revealed Sylvester Stallone in the film, and Kurt Russell playing Star Lord&#39;s father Ego. 
 
Lead actor Chris Pratt said the film will pick up a couple of months after the events of the first film, as the rogue, cheeky heroes face a bigger enemy. 
 
Disney also announced a new &quot;Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout&quot; ride, opening at California Adventures in the summer of 2017. 
 
(Reuters)

Chadwick Boseman plays the titular hero while Michael B Jordan is his arch nemesis, and Lupita Nyong'o plays the warrior Nakia

Amid fog and lasers on Saturday, Marvel gave frenzied fans at Comic-Con their first look at a new Black Panther movie cast, the mysterious Doctor Strange, a Spider-Man teen movie and an Oscar-winning actress as the new Captain Marvel. The 6,500-plus audience, many of whom had queued overnight at San Diego's annual film and pop culture event, were introduced to the lead cast of the "Black Panther" movie, directed by "Creed" filmmaker Ryan Coogler. Chadwick Boseman plays the titular hero while Michael B Jordan is his arch nemesis, Erik Killmonger, and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o plays the warrior Nakia. "I'm looking forward to kicking some ass," Nyong'o said. Walt Disney Co-owned Marvel showcased diverse casts for its upcoming films after facing criticism in recent years for a superhero franchise dominated by white male actors. Oscar-winning "Room" actress Brie Larson was revealed as "Captain Marvel," but no details were given on the 2018 movie. Benedict Cumberbatch entered amid a cloud of fog to show a scene from "Doctor Strange," out in November, in which neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, who lost the use of his hands in an accident, meets the Ancient One to harness the mysterious world of magic and alternate dimensions. Director Scott Derrickson said "Doctor Strange" comics brought "a whole new voice" to the Marvel universe. "It's very, very different and the scale is something else," Cumberbatch said. The casting of Tilda Swinton as a Celtic "Ancient One" caused an uproar among some fans, as the character is of Asian origin in the comics. "Any of us can be the Ancient One, that's what's amazing about what's in the comics, who knows who will be the Ancient One. It's a title, and all the things the Ancient One knows and passes on, anyone can do," Swinton said. "Spider-Man: Homecoming," starring Tom Holland, will be a teen comedy, following 15-year-old Peter Parker hiding his superhero alter-ego as he gets through the struggles of homework, girls and puberty. Finally, the cast of 2017's "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" entered amid cheers, as new footage revealed Sylvester Stallone in the film, and Kurt Russell playing Star Lord's father Ego. Lead actor Chris Pratt said the film will pick up a couple of months after the events of the first film, as the rogue, cheeky heroes face a bigger enemy. Disney also announced a new "Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout" ride, opening at California Adventures in the summer of 2017. (Reuters)

Marvel unveils Black Panther cast at Comic-con

It was the largest data leak in United States history, fueling a firestorm over the issue of mass surveillance that resonated with Americans and ignited around the world. 
 
Oliver Stone&#39;s hotly-anticipated &quot;Snowden&quot; tells the story of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in dramatic form for the first time, but the movie almost never made it to theatres. 
 
&quot;Frankly, it was turned down by every major studio. The script was good, the budget was good, the cast was good. It was definitely... self-censorship,&quot; Stone, 69, told San Diego fan convention Comic-Con International on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t believe there was an enemy such as the NSA lurking in the background. But definitely self-censorship is a huge issue in this industry, and it blocks so much of the truth from coming out.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Every studio, every corporate board that runs the studio, more than the studio people, said no.&quot; 
 
Snowden was charged by US authorities with espionage and theft of state secrets after releasing thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill in 2013. 
 
Considered a traitor by some and a hero by others, the 33-year-old fled to Hong Kong and was given political asylum in Russia after the US revoked his passport. He now leads a reclusive life there.&nbsp; 
 
The documents he leaked revealed the extent of surveillance programmes run by the NSA and started a debate about privacy and the role of state security agencies which still rages today. 
 
Stone was joined on stage at Comic-Con by cast members Zachary Quinto, Shailene Woodley and Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- who plays Snowden and accompanied the director to Moscow to meet the exiled security contractor. 
 
Gordon-Levitt describes Snowden as &quot;very polite... almost an old-fashioned gentleman&quot; who came across as warm and optimistic about how technology can strengthen democracy. 
 
&quot;We sat and talked for hours. It was interesting because I think most people that sit down and talk with him are approaching him from the position of politics,&quot; the actor said. 
 
&quot;I was trying to get to know him on a different level because I can read about his politics. I wanted to understand who he was. We got to sit down and have a meal. I think you can tell a lot about a person by how they are when you sit and eat with them.&quot; 
 
Stone, a trenchant critic of the American political establishment, bought the movie rights to &quot;The Snowden Files,&quot; a chronicle of the affair by Luke Harding of Britain&#39;s Guardian newspaper. 
 
He also based his screenplay on political thriller &quot;The Time of the Octopus&quot; penned by Snowden&#39;s Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena. 
 
The Moscow-based attorney told AFP in 2014 he had written the novel. which Stone likens to George Orwell&#39;s 1984, because he could not remain indifferent to his client&#39;s ethical dilemma. 
 
&quot;I have become a witness to the moral paradox, so to speak. I have become imbued with his emotional state, he transported me into his world,&quot; said Kucherena. 
 
Gordon-Levitt believes comparisons of the NSA scandal with the totalitarianism Orwell wrote&nbsp;about might be missing a &quot;more complicated and subtle&quot; issue thrown up by the Snowden case.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;To me, the question is not about whether you need privacy or whether you don&#39;t need privacy,&quot; the 35-year-old Californian told the Comic-Con panel. 
 
&quot;The question is that we are promised privacy in the constitution and if the government is going to change those rules, then they have to be open about that. 
 
&quot;That to me is actually even more important than the questions of privacy and mass surveillance in the Snowden story -- the question of government transparency.&quot; 
 
Gordon-Levitt says he would welcome an open, public debate about whether mass surveillance of the population is a good idea, or even an affective bulwark against security threats. 
 
&quot;The problem was that decision wasn&#39;t made out in the open. The rules were broken in secret, and then lied about,&quot; he added. 
 
Independent production company Open Road, which picked up a best film Oscar for &quot;Spotlight&quot; in February, agreed to distribute the movie in the United States, with its release scheduled for September 16. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Independent production company Open Road has agreed to distribute the movie in the US, with its release scheduled for September 16

It was the largest data leak in United States history, fueling a firestorm over the issue of mass surveillance that resonated with Americans and ignited around the world. Oliver Stone's hotly-anticipated "Snowden" tells the story of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in dramatic form for the first time, but the movie almost never made it to theatres. "Frankly, it was turned down by every major studio. The script was good, the budget was good, the cast was good. It was definitely... self-censorship," Stone, 69, told San Diego fan convention Comic-Con International on Thursday. "I don't believe there was an enemy such as the NSA lurking in the background. But definitely self-censorship is a huge issue in this industry, and it blocks so much of the truth from coming out. "Every studio, every corporate board that runs the studio, more than the studio people, said no." Snowden was charged by US authorities with espionage and theft of state secrets after releasing thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill in 2013. Considered a traitor by some and a hero by others, the 33-year-old fled to Hong Kong and was given political asylum in Russia after the US revoked his passport. He now leads a reclusive life there. The documents he leaked revealed the extent of surveillance programmes run by the NSA and started a debate about privacy and the role of state security agencies which still rages today. Stone was joined on stage at Comic-Con by cast members Zachary Quinto, Shailene Woodley and Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- who plays Snowden and accompanied the director to Moscow to meet the exiled security contractor. Gordon-Levitt describes Snowden as "very polite... almost an old-fashioned gentleman" who came across as warm and optimistic about how technology can strengthen democracy. "We sat and talked for hours. It was interesting because I think most people that sit down and talk with him are approaching him from the position of politics," the actor said. "I was trying to get to know him on a different level because I can read about his politics. I wanted to understand who he was. We got to sit down and have a meal. I think you can tell a lot about a person by how they are when you sit and eat with them." Stone, a trenchant critic of the American political establishment, bought the movie rights to "The Snowden Files," a chronicle of the affair by Luke Harding of Britain's Guardian newspaper. He also based his screenplay on political thriller "The Time of the Octopus" penned by Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena. The Moscow-based attorney told AFP in 2014 he had written the novel. which Stone likens to George Orwell's 1984, because he could not remain indifferent to his client's ethical dilemma. "I have become a witness to the moral paradox, so to speak. I have become imbued with his emotional state, he transported me into his world," said Kucherena. Gordon-Levitt believes comparisons of the NSA scandal with the totalitarianism Orwell wrote about might be missing a "more complicated and subtle" issue thrown up by the Snowden case. "To me, the question is not about whether you need privacy or whether you don't need privacy," the 35-year-old Californian told the Comic-Con panel. "The question is that we are promised privacy in the constitution and if the government is going to change those rules, then they have to be open about that. "That to me is actually even more important than the questions of privacy and mass surveillance in the Snowden story -- the question of government transparency." Gordon-Levitt says he would welcome an open, public debate about whether mass surveillance of the population is a good idea, or even an affective bulwark against security threats. "The problem was that decision wasn't made out in the open. The rules were broken in secret, and then lied about," he added. Independent production company Open Road, which picked up a best film Oscar for "Spotlight" in February, agreed to distribute the movie in the United States, with its release scheduled for September 16. (AFP)

Snowden movie 'almost killed' by self-censorship

There is no shortage of gruesome, tragic deaths in HBO&#39;s hit medieval fantasy series &quot;Game of Thrones,&quot; but the demise of the show&#39;s friendly giant Hodor last season still affected the crowd at a Comic-Con panel on July 22.&nbsp;Actor Kristian Nairn received the loudest welcome as he entered the panel at the annual San Diego pop culture event, as fans chanted &quot;Hodor&quot; over and over again. 
 
&quot;The reaction has been overwhelming,&quot; Nairn told the 6,500-plus audience as his voice quivered with emotion.&quot;I apologise for making you cry,&quot; he added.&nbsp;Show creator Dan Weiss said the name Hodor, a truncated version of &quot;Hold The Door,&quot; had become a joke, as it was the only word that Nairn&#39;s character could say, but became tragic once it was revealed to be the fate that leads to his death. 
 
Fans of the show have paid homage to Hodor by sticking photographs of his face on &#39;hold the door&#39; buttons in elevators and doorstops.&nbsp;Nairn and Weiss joined cast members, including Sophie Turner, Isaac Hempstead-Wright and co-creator David Benioff to discuss the explosive sixth season of &quot;Game of Thrones&quot; that concluded last month. 
 
Notably absent were lead actors, including Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister). 
 
&quot;Game of Thrones,&quot; based on George RR Martin&#39;s &quot;A Song of Ice and Fire&quot; books, follows the epic fantasy of a multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne reigning the Seven Kingdoms. It got 23 nominations at this year&#39;s Emmy Awards.&nbsp;The next season will be delayed as winter has finally come to the fictional realm of Westeros, and producers have to wait till colder weather to shoot the show. 
 
Benioff and Weiss revealed no plot details but showed a clip of behind-the-scenes footage showing sets, props and costumes being made for next season, as the voiceover said &quot;Welcome home, my queen&quot;. 
 
The female actresses discussed finally taking charge in the sixth season that became defined by its empowered women.&nbsp;Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, said her character can be taken in many directions after joining forces with half-brother Jon Snow. 
 
&quot;She thinks they should be King and Queen of the North,&quot; Turner said. &quot;I&#39;m not sure if she believes that Jon is capable of running Winterfell in the North; she thinks he doesn&#39;t have the intellect, knowledge or experience that she has.&quot; 
 
Fans who weren&#39;t able to attend the exclusive panel could participate in the world of Westeros by having their face included in the Hall of Faces, a key location in the journey of the young orphaned Arya Stark in the series.&nbsp;They could also sit on the much argued over Iron Throne and could even look into the fires of the Red Witch Melisandre. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Game of Thrones creators Benioff and Weiss revealed no plot details, but showed a clip of behind-the-scenes footage from next season

There is no shortage of gruesome, tragic deaths in HBO's hit medieval fantasy series "Game of Thrones," but the demise of the show's friendly giant Hodor last season still affected the crowd at a Comic-Con panel on July 22. Actor Kristian Nairn received the loudest welcome as he entered the panel at the annual San Diego pop culture event, as fans chanted "Hodor" over and over again. "The reaction has been overwhelming," Nairn told the 6,500-plus audience as his voice quivered with emotion."I apologise for making you cry," he added. Show creator Dan Weiss said the name Hodor, a truncated version of "Hold The Door," had become a joke, as it was the only word that Nairn's character could say, but became tragic once it was revealed to be the fate that leads to his death. Fans of the show have paid homage to Hodor by sticking photographs of his face on 'hold the door' buttons in elevators and doorstops. Nairn and Weiss joined cast members, including Sophie Turner, Isaac Hempstead-Wright and co-creator David Benioff to discuss the explosive sixth season of "Game of Thrones" that concluded last month. Notably absent were lead actors, including Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister). "Game of Thrones," based on George RR Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books, follows the epic fantasy of a multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne reigning the Seven Kingdoms. It got 23 nominations at this year's Emmy Awards. The next season will be delayed as winter has finally come to the fictional realm of Westeros, and producers have to wait till colder weather to shoot the show. Benioff and Weiss revealed no plot details but showed a clip of behind-the-scenes footage showing sets, props and costumes being made for next season, as the voiceover said "Welcome home, my queen". The female actresses discussed finally taking charge in the sixth season that became defined by its empowered women. Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, said her character can be taken in many directions after joining forces with half-brother Jon Snow. "She thinks they should be King and Queen of the North," Turner said. "I'm not sure if she believes that Jon is capable of running Winterfell in the North; she thinks he doesn't have the intellect, knowledge or experience that she has." Fans who weren't able to attend the exclusive panel could participate in the world of Westeros by having their face included in the Hall of Faces, a key location in the journey of the young orphaned Arya Stark in the series. They could also sit on the much argued over Iron Throne and could even look into the fires of the Red Witch Melisandre. (Reuters)

Hodor gets the loudest cheer as Westeros invades San Diego comic-con

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