Tag: Jon Heder

WALTZING WITH BRANDO – Review

Sure, the sun is still making temperatures rise, but it’s the big late-in-the-year awards season for the studios (with just a few days before the official start of Fall). So what’s a favorite subject for the somber, serious flicks vying for the gold? Of course, they turn to the “biopics’, with actors portraying real people (OPPENHEIMER being a most recent example). This weekend’s new “limited” release “straddles” two “sub-sets” of that genre. First, it’s a story of a well-known show-biz personality, some might say the greatest, most influental actor of his generation. But, it doesn’t cover his entire life, “cradle to the grave”. Rather, this film is set during a five or six year segment of his storied career. Oh, and it’s told from a “non-celeb” (often called a “civilian”). Most recently this was done with ME AND ORSON WELLES and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. Now, don’t be fooled by the title, WALTZING WITH BRANDO is not a ” toe-tapping” musical (though Marlon plays a “mean” bongo).

After a brief bit of archival footage “wizardry” of the “real” Dick Cavett chatting with Marlon Brando (Billy Zane), we’re whisked into the world of a hard-working young family man, Bernard Judge (Jon Heder), toiling as an “up and coming” architect for a Los Angeles design firm in 1969. His boss introduces him to hotel magnate Jack Bellin (Rob Cordry), who plans to build a state-of-the-art resort in Tahiti. They want Bernard to travel there and scope out the proposed locale. Oh, and he’ll need to make an offer to the owner of this spot, a twelve-island atoll called Tetiaroa. After a long plane ride, Bernard arrives and charters a boat to said spot. The captain won’t go ashore due to the jagged coral reef surrounding it. No problem, Bernard will swim in since he’s a great water athlete. Naturally, he’s battered by the rocks and is washed ashore. Luckily, a local family brings him in and tends to his wounds. At their compound/home, Bernard meets the “big papa” and owner of the islands, none other than the Oscar-winning Mr. Brando. Though he’s reluctant at first, the superstar warms to Bernard and tells him of his plans to turn one of the islands into his permanent home, far away from Hollywood, a village (including that resort) that will not harm the local environment. Over the next few years, Bernard devotes all his energy (and time away from his own family in LA) to making Marlon’s dream happen, while he keeps the “river of cash” needed for the project by taking several high-profile and high-paying roles in several iconic 1970s films, including that (his words) “gangster movie”.


Even though his name isn’t in the title, the film’s focus is indeed the hapless “audience surrogate” everyman Bernard played with an uptight, bewildered demeanor by Heder (forever NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE, though being a comic icon is “sweet”). Much like the comedy heroes of the silent era (Harold Lloyd comes to mind), he enthusiastically plunges headfirst into the unknown, AKA island life. Mainly, Heder plays a sincere “straight man” to the many exotic eccentrics, so he comes off rather bland and not especially compelling. On the other hand, the “leader of the loonies” is played with considerable energy and offbeat charm by Zane, who really seems to be channeling (even becoming an eerie doppleganger) for the world-famous thespian. It’s very entertaining to see him recreate those flicks (yes, even Don Vito), but his greatest role may be “the merry prankster” who delights in shocking and confusing all in his path. Zane has charisma to spare, though his take makes the star an affable, enigmatic mystery. An actual Oscar-winner joins in this action, none other than Richard Dreyfuss pops in for a couple of scenes late in the story, as Marlon’s long-suffering “money manager” Seymour Kraft, who serves primarily as a roadblock to Bernard’s island obsession. Ditto for Tia Carrera’s loopy, leering Madame Leroy in a goofy seduction sequence. She’s a temptation for Bernard, much like the breezy German bombshell Michelle, a stewardess with lots of free time played by Camille Razat. And the always reliable Cordry puts his comic timing to good use as the bombastic lodging tycoon, an unlikely partner for Marlon in his “planned paradise”.


Director Bill Fishman helms his own screenplay adaptation of Bernard’s memoir, and makes a gorgeous “travelogue” of the exotic Tahiti (quite “vacation fodder”). It’s an interesting chapter in the actor’s life (perhaps a “second act’ after his breakthrough in the previous decade), but the plot just seems to lurch and stumble from one big “event” to another, bouncing around through those five or so years with an off-kilter momentum (long after the opening Cavett sequence we reverse to see Brando with Johnny Carson, to illustrate his stance on the civil rights movement). And way too much time is spent on wacky hijinks involving the locals and their slapstick building efforts (submerged tractors and possible angry ghosts). Zane’s superb impersonation is the main selling point in the marketing, even though the forced melodrama involving Bernard and his family simply doesn’t pay off. Neither does the odd decision for Heder to break the fourth wall in order to provide the “back story” for Brando and the future of the islands. Plus, there’s a rather dull final act that’s not livened up by another bit of whimsy from the title subject before the inevitable pre-credit update captions. And that’s a stumble that doesn’t make WALTZING WITH BRAND) a graceful gaze at old Hollywood.

2 Out of 4

WALTZING WITH BRANDO is now playing in select theatres

WIZARD WORLD Comic Con St. Louis Adds Anime Voice Actors Bryce Papenbrook, Austin Tindle, and Jad Saxton – February 2nd – 4th

Three popular anime voice actors have been added to Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis, February 2-4 at America’s Center, as Bryce Papenbrook, Austin Tindle and Jad Saxton will appear at the Anime Arena on the show floor. The three will be available for photos, autographs and voice recordings.

In addition, RightStufAnime.com is partnering with Wizard World to bring something awesome to the Anime Arena. They will be sponsoring a 20×40 space which will be free to all attendees. The Arena will include PS4’s playing the new DragonBallz fighter game, a 500+ manga library, board games, and even some free swag for attendees. Popular character stand-ups will be waiting to take photos will fans (Naruto, Bleach, Yu-Gi-Oh). All items can be rented with some form of ID.

Wizard World attendees can meet them as part of their standard admission, or get an enhanced Anime Gold VIP package with curated anime items, dedicated VIP check in and more at https://wizardworld.com/vip-package/anime-gold-vip-package-5-2-1.

Papenbrook (appearing Saturday and Sunday), is well known as the voice of Kirito from Sword Art Online, Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan, and Meliodas from The Seven Deadly Sins, and will be making his first ever Wizard World appearance. He has been a professional voice over artist since the age of eight. He was introduced to the voice acting scene by his father, Bob Papenbrook, and has continued the trade in his footsteps. Bryce has performed in numerous video games, cartoons, and television shows. Some other recent roles include Rin Okumura in Blue Exorcist, Shirou Emiya in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works and Wol in Mobius Final Fantasy. Fans You can follow Bryce on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ActorBrycePapenbrook, @BrycePapenbrook on Twitter, and @BrycePapenbrook on Instagram! IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745310/.

Tindle (appearing all three days) has worked on several of our favorite Animes including Attack on Titan, Assassination Classroom, Is This a Zombie, and even voices Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul. The Dallas resident attended the University of Texas at Dallas on an academic scholarship, where he almost became an electrical engineer. At 19, he was cast as Romeo and changed majors the same day. He has spent over a decade performing professionally on stage in Dallas, Texas, but he’s probably most well-known for his work with Funimation Studios, where he has voiced many characters including: Marco Bodt (Attack on Titan), Karma Akabane (Assassination Classroom), Avilio Bruno (91 Days) and many others. Fans can currently hear him voicing the role of Kaneki every Saturday at 1 a.m. on Cartoon Network.

Saxton, appearing all three days, has over 150 roles including some of our favorites: Kanna from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Carla from Fairy Tail, and Akatsuki from Log Horizon. She is also known for her roles as Yuki in Wolf Children, Young Nico Robin in One Piece, Koneko in High School DxD, Hatchin in Michiko & Hachin (Toonami), Faris in Steins; Gate, Haruna in Is This a Zombie?, Sena Kashiwazaki in Hagani, Adèlie in Space Dandy (Toonami), Mira in Dimension W (Toonami) and Nona in Death Parade. For a full list of her work, please visit www.animenewsnetwork.com.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The second event scheduled on the 2018 Wizard World calendar, St. Louis show hours are Friday, February 2, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, February 3, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, February 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

The other guests at this year’s Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis are:

SEBASTIAN STAN

Sebastian Stan is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought after young actors.  Stan was last seen on USA Network’s buzzed about mini-series Political Animals. Stan also appeared on ABC’s hit fantasy series Once Upon A Time with for a seven-episode arc. On the big screen, Stan is best known for his role as Bucky Barnes in Marvel’s box office smash Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Other film credits include Summit Entertainment’s Gone, Darren Aranofsky’s Black Swan, Rachel Getting Married, Spread, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Education of Charlie Banks, The Architect and The Covenant.

SEAN BEAN

Sean Bean is an English actor with a long and varied career.  After graduating from RADA he made his professional debut in a theatre production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 and after leading roles at the royal Shakespeare company, he found his first mainstream success for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the ITV series Sharpe.    He has since garnered further recognition for his performances as Ned Stark in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones, as well as roles in the BBC anthology series Accused and the award winning BBC drama BROKEN.  Perhaps his most prominent film roles is Boromir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.   He has starred in such films as GoldenEye, Troy, Patriot Games, Ronin, National Treasure, North Country  and many more.

BILLY BOYD

When he was 17 he left school and went to work in a book-binding workshop. Ironically, during the years he worked at the book-binders, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was printed and bound there, many copies bound by his hands. Billy planned on going to America for a year, but before he went he called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and asked about applying for when he got back. But it so happened that they still had space for this year and they asked him if he wanted to apply and he did. He was at the drama school in a 3-year course for his bachelor of arts degree, meanwhile studying everything from Shakespeare to puppet-making. During this time Billy had a few small roles in TV series such as Down Amongst The Boys and Taggart. After graduating he performed in many plays like The Slab Boys, The Diary of Adrian Mole etc. at The St. Andrews theatre which were his first paying roles. He then received a call from his agent about the Lord of the Rings movies and if he would like to audition for them. He went along not expecting much, but within a few months Peter Jackson came out to Scotland to meet him and to audition him personally. While rehearsing for a show he received a call from his agent who said that the part of Pippin had been offered to him – if he wanted it.

SEAN ASTIN

Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of Rudy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24 and currently voices Raphael in the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.

MICHAEL ROSENBAUM

Michael Rosenbaum has worked with everyone from Bradley Cooper and Kevin Spacey to Christopher Walken and Clint Eastwood. The diverse actor has worked in over twenty films, such as Hit and Run, Urban Legend, Sweet November, Bringing Down The House, Pool Hall Junkies and Sorority Boys. He portrayed Lex Luthor on the smash hit Smallville for seven years and voiced The Flash on the hit animated series The Justice League. Currently, Rosenbaum is starring as the lead actor and Executive Producer in the second season of the dark comedy series IMPASTOR for TVLAND that is a hit with critics and recently finished filming the feature film The LAST DAYS OF SUMMER with Bill Fichtenor.

LUCY DAVIS

Lucy’s first job as an actress was at the age of 20, when she played Maria Lucas in the BBC/A&E adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  A few years later, she starred in the Golden Globe winning BBC comedy THE OFFICE, playing DAWN TINSLEY. Shortly after this she played DIANNE in Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s zombie movie SHAUN OF THE DEAD.She is also part of Pamela Adlon and Louis CK’s comedy drama BETTER THINGS on FX. And more recently, she can be seen in the new DC movie WONDER WOMAN, where she plays Wonder Woman’s friend and Steve Trevor’s secretary – ETTA CANDY.

JOHN BARROWMAN

John Barrowman is an Entertainer with a capital E. He sings, he dances, he acts, he presents, he judges – he is a unique talent in the entertainment industry on both sides of the Atlantic. John can currently be seen in the regular role of Malcolm Merlyn (aka The Dark Archer) in the hit American drama series Arrow, based on the Green Arrow comic books. The show has been a huge success all over the world, and is aired in the UK on Sky 1 and on the CW network in the USA. He has appeared in all four series of the show. He subsequently guested as Malcolm Merlyn in The Flash, and has also guested on the CW’s hit historical drama Reign. Having guested on the hit American political drama Scandal for the ABC network, he hosted a major new entertainment series for the network, Sing Your Face Off. In the UK on Channel 4 he hosted Superstar Dogs (a game show for dogs) and The Small Animal Hospital with John Barrowman, which followed the work of Glasgow University Veterinary Hospital. He hosted two series of the BBC1 game show Pressure Pad and has hosted The National Lottery Awards on BBC1 three times.

DAN FOGLER

Forging an exceptional transition from theater to film & television, Tony award-winning actor DAN FOGLER recently starred in Warner Bros. highly anticipated FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. Written by JK Rowling, Dan helped launch the five-film franchise series alongside Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston in 2016. He just wrapped production on the sequel FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, coming to theaters everywhere Thanksgiving 2018. His credits include a starring role in Ang Lee’s TAKING WOODSTOCK, Relativity’s TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, and LOVE HAPPENS opposite Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. Dan is also well known for the cult classicsBALLS OF FURY for Focus and FANBOYS for Weinstein. On the TV side, Dan’s been featured in ABC’s SECRETS & LIES opposite Ryan Phillippe; and had recurring roles on both THE GOLDBERGS and HANNIBAL. In 2005, Dan won a Tony Award for his performance as ‘William Barfee’ in the Broadway production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Bee”.

BONNIE WRIGHT

Wright’s interest in directing springs from her experiences as an actor. From 2001 to 2011, she played Ginny Weasley in all eight films in the Harry Potter series and had the good fortune to work with Christopher Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and David Yates. Subsequent acting roles include The Sea (2013) with Charlotte Rampling, After the Dark (2015) with James D’Arcy and most recently,The Highway is for Gamblers (2015), directed by Alexandra McGuinness.

NICHELLE NICHOLS

Nichelle Nichols began her professional singing and dancing career in her home town, Chicago, at the tender age of 14. As a teenager she was discovered by the great Duke Ellington, who hired her to choreograph and perform a ballet for one of his musical suites, and finished the tour as his lead singer. When Nichelle was cast by Gene Roddenberry to create Chief Communications Officer Lt. Uhura, fourth in command of the Starship Enterprise, in his legendary TV series Star Trek – in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King – “The first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a black woman in television history.”

JAMES FRAIN

James Frain is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and respected actors who has a reputation for bold, intelligent performances in a diverse body of work in which he’s collaborated with some of the finest actors and directors working today. He has appeared as character actor and leading man in 28 feature films, and in 47 TV shows, including: True Blood, The Tudors, 24, and The White Queen.

JON HEDER

Jonathan Joseph “Jon” Heder (born October 26, 1977) is an American actor and producer. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite. He has also acted in the films Ghost Team, Walt Before Mickey as Roy Disney, The Benchwarmers, School for Scoundrels, Blades of Glory, Mama’s Boy, and When in Rome, and provided voice talents in the animated films Monster House, and Surf’s Up, as well as Pickle and Peanut,  Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and the Napoleon Dynamite animated series.

 

JAMES MARSTERS

AMERICAN actor, singer and songwriter James Marsters first found international fame playing punk-goth Brit vampire Spike in the critically acclaimed American TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the equally popular spin-off Angel. Film roles include live action film Dragon Ball, romantic love story P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler and Kathy Bates, USA Original true-crime film Cool Money, independent thriller Shadow Puppets, Winding Roads, The House On Haunted Hill and Chance with Buffy co-star Amber Benson.

HOLLY MARIE COMBS

Holly Marie Combs is an American actress and television producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series Picket Fences, Piper Halliwell in The WB series Charmed, and Ella Montgomery in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars.

THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS

Thomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year, Walt Disney in Walt Before Mickey and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series.

And there are many many more guests! Check back here at We Are Movie Geeks for more coverage of this year’s Wizard World!

 

STAN LEE Joins the Guest List for Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis


Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. St. Louis show hours are Friday, February 2nd, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, February 3rd, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday,February 4th, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Stan Lee , the legendary comic book writer, editor, actor, producer and publisher, announced that he will attend Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis, February 3-4, The iconic Lee, a member of both the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, will greet fans, pose for photo ops, sign autographs and conduct interactive Q&A sessions in Saturday and Sunday.

Known to millions as the man whose superheroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry, Stan’s co-creations include Spider-Man™, The Incredible Hulk™, X-Men™, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and hundreds of others. He introduced Spider-Man™ as a newspaper strip which became the most successful of all syndicated adventure strips having appeared in more than 500 newspapers worldwide. Stan currently remains Chairman Emeritus of Marvel, as well as a member of the Editorial Board of Marvel Comics.

“There is no bigger name in the comics world than Stan Lee, and we couldn’t be happier to have him back at two of our upcoming shows,” said John D. Maatta, Wizard World CEO. “It is truly an experience for fans to meet this legend who has made everything in the industry possible.”

Wizard World Comic Con is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.

For more on the 2018 Wizard World St. Louis, visit http://wizd.me/StLouisPR

Stan Lee will be joining these other great guests in St. Louis:

SEBASTIAN STAN

Sebastian Stan is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought after young actors.  Stan was last seen on USA Network’s buzzed about mini-series Political Animals. Stan also appeared on ABC’s hit fantasy series Once Upon A Time with for a seven-episode arc. On the big screen, Stan is best known for his role as Bucky Barnes in Marvel’s box office smash Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Other film credits include Summit Entertainment’s Gone, Darren Aranofsky’s Black Swan, Rachel Getting Married, Spread, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Education of Charlie Banks, The Architect and The Covenant.

SEAN BEAN

Sean Bean is an English actor with a long and varied career.  After graduating from RADA he made his professional debut in a theatre production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 and after leading roles at the royal Shakespeare company, he found his first mainstream success for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the ITV series Sharpe.    He has since garnered further recognition for his performances as Ned Stark in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones, as well as roles in the BBC anthology series Accused and the award winning BBC drama BROKEN.  Perhaps his most prominent film roles is Boromir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.   He has starred in such films as GoldenEye, Troy, Patriot Games, Ronin, National Treasure, North Country  and many more.

BILLY BOYD

When he was 17 he left school and went to work in a book-binding workshop. Ironically, during the years he worked at the book-binders, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was printed and bound there, many copies bound by his hands. Billy planned on going to America for a year, but before he went he called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and asked about applying for when he got back. But it so happened that they still had space for this year and they asked him if he wanted to apply and he did. He was at the drama school in a 3-year course for his bachelor of arts degree, meanwhile studying everything from Shakespeare to puppet-making. During this time Billy had a few small roles in TV series such as Down Amongst The Boys and Taggart. After graduating he performed in many plays like The Slab Boys, The Diary of Adrian Mole etc. at The St. Andrews theatre which were his first paying roles. He then received a call from his agent about the Lord of the Rings movies and if he would like to audition for them. He went along not expecting much, but within a few months Peter Jackson came out to Scotland to meet him and to audition him personally. While rehearsing for a show he received a call from his agent who said that the part of Pippin had been offered to him – if he wanted it.

SEAN ASTIN

Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of Rudy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24 and currently voices Raphael in the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.

MICHAEL ROSENBAUM

Michael Rosenbaum has worked with everyone from Bradley Cooper and Kevin Spacey to Christopher Walken and Clint Eastwood. The diverse actor has worked in over twenty films, such as Hit and Run, Urban Legend, Sweet November, Bringing Down The House, Pool Hall Junkies and Sorority Boys. He portrayed Lex Luthor on the smash hit Smallville for seven years and voiced The Flash on the hit animated series The Justice League. Currently, Rosenbaum is starring as the lead actor and Executive Producer in the second season of the dark comedy series IMPASTOR for TVLAND that is a hit with critics and recently finished filming the feature film The LAST DAYS OF SUMMER with Bill Fichtenor.

LUCY DAVIS

Lucy’s first job as an actress was at the age of 20, when she played Maria Lucas in the BBC/A&E adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  A few years later, she starred in the Golden Globe winning BBC comedy THE OFFICE, playing DAWN TINSLEY. Shortly after this she played DIANNE in Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s zombie movie SHAUN OF THE DEAD.She is also part of Pamela Adlon and Louis CK’s comedy drama BETTER THINGS on FX. And more recently, she can be seen in the new DC movie WONDER WOMAN, where she plays Wonder Woman’s friend and Steve Trevor’s secretary – ETTA CANDY.

JOHN BARROWMAN

John Barrowman is an Entertainer with a capital E. He sings, he dances, he acts, he presents, he judges – he is a unique talent in the entertainment industry on both sides of the Atlantic. John can currently be seen in the regular role of Malcolm Merlyn (aka The Dark Archer) in the hit American drama series Arrow, based on the Green Arrow comic books. The show has been a huge success all over the world, and is aired in the UK on Sky 1 and on the CW network in the USA. He has appeared in all four series of the show. He subsequently guested as Malcolm Merlyn in The Flash, and has also guested on the CW’s hit historical drama Reign. Having guested on the hit American political drama Scandal for the ABC network, he hosted a major new entertainment series for the network, Sing Your Face Off. In the UK on Channel 4 he hosted Superstar Dogs (a game show for dogs) and The Small Animal Hospital with John Barrowman, which followed the work of Glasgow University Veterinary Hospital. He hosted two series of the BBC1 game show Pressure Pad and has hosted The National Lottery Awards on BBC1 three times.

DAN FOGLER

Forging an exceptional transition from theater to film & television, Tony award-winning actor DAN FOGLER recently starred in Warner Bros. highly anticipated FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. Written by JK Rowling, Dan helped launch the five-film franchise series alongside Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston in 2016. He just wrapped production on the sequel FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, coming to theaters everywhere Thanksgiving 2018. His credits include a starring role in Ang Lee’s TAKING WOODSTOCK, Relativity’s TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, and LOVE HAPPENS opposite Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. Dan is also well known for the cult classicsBALLS OF FURY for Focus and FANBOYS for Weinstein. On the TV side, Dan’s been featured in ABC’s SECRETS & LIES opposite Ryan Phillippe; and had recurring roles on both THE GOLDBERGS and HANNIBAL. In 2005, Dan won a Tony Award for his performance as ‘William Barfee’ in the Broadway production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Bee”.

BONNIE WRIGHT

Wright’s interest in directing springs from her experiences as an actor. From 2001 to 2011, she played Ginny Weasley in all eight films in the Harry Potter series and had the good fortune to work with Christopher Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and David Yates. Subsequent acting roles include The Sea (2013) with Charlotte Rampling, After the Dark (2015) with James D’Arcy and most recently,The Highway is for Gamblers (2015), directed by Alexandra McGuinness.

NICHELLE NICHOLS

Nichelle Nichols began her professional singing and dancing career in her home town, Chicago, at the tender age of 14. As a teenager she was discovered by the great Duke Ellington, who hired her to choreograph and perform a ballet for one of his musical suites, and finished the tour as his lead singer. When Nichelle was cast by Gene Roddenberry to create Chief Communications Officer Lt. Uhura, fourth in command of the Starship Enterprise, in his legendary TV series Star Trek – in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King – “The first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a black woman in television history.”

JAMES FRAIN

James Frain is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and respected actors who has a reputation for bold, intelligent performances in a diverse body of work in which he’s collaborated with some of the finest actors and directors working today. He has appeared as character actor and leading man in 28 feature films, and in 47 TV shows, including: True Blood, The Tudors, 24, and The White Queen.

JON HEDER

Jonathan Joseph “Jon” Heder (born October 26, 1977) is an American actor and producer. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite. He has also acted in the films Ghost Team, Walt Before Mickey as Roy Disney, The Benchwarmers, School for Scoundrels, Blades of Glory, Mama’s Boy, and When in Rome, and provided voice talents in the animated films Monster House, and Surf’s Up, as well as Pickle and Peanut,  Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and the Napoleon Dynamite animated series.

 

JAMES MARSTERS

AMERICAN actor, singer and songwriter James Marsters first found international fame playing punk-goth Brit vampire Spike in the critically acclaimed American TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the equally popular spin-off Angel. Film roles include live action film Dragon Ball, romantic love story P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler and Kathy Bates, USA Original true-crime film Cool Money, independent thriller Shadow Puppets, Winding Roads, The House On Haunted Hill and Chance with Buffy co-star Amber Benson.

HOLLY MARIE COMBS

Holly Marie Combs is an American actress and television producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series Picket Fences, Piper Halliwell in The WB series Charmed, and Ella Montgomery in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars.

THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS

Thomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year, Walt Disney in Walt Before Mickey and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series.

And there are many many more guests! Check back here at We Are Movie Geeks for more coverage of this year’s Wizard World!

 

Wizard World COMIC CON St. Louis February 2nd – 4th – Great Line-Up of Guests!

Pop culture comes to life in St. Louis next month! It’s the Wizard World COMIC CON February 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at America’s Center downtown (701 Convention Plaza – St. Louis, MO 63101), and boy oh boy, do they have an amazing line-up of guests!

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. St. Louis show hours are Friday, February 2nd, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, February 3rd, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday,February 4th, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday night.

Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more.

For more on the 2018 Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis, visit https://wizardworld.com/comiccon/st-louis

And check out these guests you can meet in St. Louis that weekend!:

SEBASTIAN STAN

Sebastian Stan is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought after young actors.  Stan was last seen on USA Network’s buzzed about mini-series Political Animals. Stan also appeared on ABC’s hit fantasy series Once Upon A Time with for a seven-episode arc. On the big screen, Stan is best known for his role as Bucky Barnes in Marvel’s box office smash Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Other film credits include Summit Entertainment’s Gone, Darren Aranofsky’s Black Swan, Rachel Getting Married, Spread, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Education of Charlie Banks, The Architect and The Covenant.

SEAN BEAN

Sean Bean is an English actor with a long and varied career.  After graduating from RADA he made his professional debut in a theatre production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 and after leading roles at the royal Shakespeare company, he found his first mainstream success for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the ITV series Sharpe.    He has since garnered further recognition for his performances as Ned Stark in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones, as well as roles in the BBC anthology series Accused and the award winning BBC drama BROKEN.  Perhaps his most prominent film roles is Boromir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.   He has starred in such films as GoldenEye, Troy, Patriot Games, Ronin, National Treasure, North Country  and many more.

BILLY BOYD

When he was 17 he left school and went to work in a book-binding workshop. Ironically, during the years he worked at the book-binders, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was printed and bound there, many copies bound by his hands. Billy planned on going to America for a year, but before he went he called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and asked about applying for when he got back. But it so happened that they still had space for this year and they asked him if he wanted to apply and he did. He was at the drama school in a 3-year course for his bachelor of arts degree, meanwhile studying everything from Shakespeare to puppet-making. During this time Billy had a few small roles in TV series such as Down Amongst The Boys and Taggart. After graduating he performed in many plays like The Slab Boys, The Diary of Adrian Mole etc. at The St. Andrews theatre which were his first paying roles. He then received a call from his agent about the Lord of the Rings movies and if he would like to audition for them. He went along not expecting much, but within a few months Peter Jackson came out to Scotland to meet him and to audition him personally. While rehearsing for a show he received a call from his agent who said that the part of Pippin had been offered to him – if he wanted it.

SEAN ASTIN

Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, and the title character of Rudy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24 and currently voices Raphael in the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.

MICHAEL ROSENBAUM

Michael Rosenbaum has worked with everyone from Bradley Cooper and Kevin Spacey to Christopher Walken and Clint Eastwood. The diverse actor has worked in over twenty films, such as Hit and Run, Urban Legend, Sweet November, Bringing Down The House, Pool Hall Junkies and Sorority Boys. He portrayed Lex Luthor on the smash hit Smallville for seven years and voiced The Flash on the hit animated series The Justice League. Currently, Rosenbaum is starring as the lead actor and Executive Producer in the second season of the dark comedy series IMPASTOR for TVLAND that is a hit with critics and recently finished filming the feature film The LAST DAYS OF SUMMER with Bill Fichtenor.

LUCY DAVIS

Lucy’s first job as an actress was at the age of 20, when she played Maria Lucas in the BBC/A&E adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  A few years later, she starred in the Golden Globe winning BBC comedy THE OFFICE, playing DAWN TINSLEY. Shortly after this she played DIANNE in Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s zombie movie SHAUN OF THE DEAD.She is also part of Pamela Adlon and Louis CK’s comedy drama BETTER THINGS on FX. And more recently, she can be seen in the new DC movie WONDER WOMAN, where she plays Wonder Woman’s friend and Steve Trevor’s secretary – ETTA CANDY.

JOHN BARROWMAN

John Barrowman is an Entertainer with a capital E. He sings, he dances, he acts, he presents, he judges – he is a unique talent in the entertainment industry on both sides of the Atlantic. John can currently be seen in the regular role of Malcolm Merlyn (aka The Dark Archer) in the hit American drama series Arrow, based on the Green Arrow comic books. The show has been a huge success all over the world, and is aired in the UK on Sky 1 and on the CW network in the USA. He has appeared in all four series of the show. He subsequently guested as Malcolm Merlyn in The Flash, and has also guested on the CW’s hit historical drama Reign. Having guested on the hit American political drama Scandal for the ABC network, he hosted a major new entertainment series for the network, Sing Your Face Off. In the UK on Channel 4 he hosted Superstar Dogs (a game show for dogs) and The Small Animal Hospital with John Barrowman, which followed the work of Glasgow University Veterinary Hospital. He hosted two series of the BBC1 game show Pressure Pad and has hosted The National Lottery Awards on BBC1 three times.

DAN FOGLER

Forging an exceptional transition from theater to film & television, Tony award-winning actor DAN FOGLER recently starred in Warner Bros. highly anticipated FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. Written by JK Rowling, Dan helped launch the five-film franchise series alongside Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston in 2016. He just wrapped production on the sequel FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, coming to theaters everywhere Thanksgiving 2018. His credits include a starring role in Ang Lee’s TAKING WOODSTOCK, Relativity’s TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, and LOVE HAPPENS opposite Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. Dan is also well known for the cult classicsBALLS OF FURY for Focus and FANBOYS for Weinstein. On the TV side, Dan’s been featured in ABC’s SECRETS & LIES opposite Ryan Phillippe; and had recurring roles on both THE GOLDBERGS and HANNIBAL. In 2005, Dan won a Tony Award for his performance as ‘William Barfee’ in the Broadway production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Bee”.

BONNIE WRIGHT

Wright’s interest in directing springs from her experiences as an actor. From 2001 to 2011, she played Ginny Weasley in all eight films in the Harry Potter series and had the good fortune to work with Christopher Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and David Yates. Subsequent acting roles include The Sea (2013) with Charlotte Rampling, After the Dark (2015) with James D’Arcy and most recently,The Highway is for Gamblers (2015), directed by Alexandra McGuinness.

NICHELLE NICHOLS

Nichelle Nichols began her professional singing and dancing career in her home town, Chicago, at the tender age of 14. As a teenager she was discovered by the great Duke Ellington, who hired her to choreograph and perform a ballet for one of his musical suites, and finished the tour as his lead singer. When Nichelle was cast by Gene Roddenberry to create Chief Communications Officer Lt. Uhura, fourth in command of the Starship Enterprise, in his legendary TV series Star Trek – in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King – “The first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a black woman in television history.”

JAMES FRAIN

James Frain is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and respected actors who has a reputation for bold, intelligent performances in a diverse body of work in which he’s collaborated with some of the finest actors and directors working today. He has appeared as character actor and leading man in 28 feature films, and in 47 TV shows, including: True Blood, The Tudors, 24, and The White Queen.

JON HEDER

Jonathan Joseph “Jon” Heder (born October 26, 1977) is an American actor and producer. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite. He has also acted in the films Ghost Team, Walt Before Mickey as Roy Disney, The Benchwarmers, School for Scoundrels, Blades of Glory, Mama’s Boy, and When in Rome, and provided voice talents in the animated films Monster House, and Surf’s Up, as well as Pickle and Peanut,  Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and the Napoleon Dynamite animated series.

 

JAMES MARSTERS

AMERICAN actor, singer and songwriter James Marsters first found international fame playing punk-goth Brit vampire Spike in the critically acclaimed American TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the equally popular spin-off Angel. Film roles include live action film Dragon Ball, romantic love story P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler and Kathy Bates, USA Original true-crime film Cool Money, independent thriller Shadow Puppets, Winding Roads, The House On Haunted Hill and Chance with Buffy co-star Amber Benson.

HOLLY MARIE COMBS

Holly Marie Combs is an American actress and television producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series Picket Fences, Piper Halliwell in The WB series Charmed, and Ella Montgomery in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars.

THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS

Thomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year, Walt Disney in Walt Before Mickey and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series.

And there are many many more guests! Check back here at We Are Movie Geeks for more coverage of this year’s Wizard World!