Hollywood will roll out the red carpet for 130,000+ fans this week at the 47 Comic-Con International (July 21-24, 2016) in San Diego, California, where five anniversaries will be spotlighted, including: Star Trek 50, Wonder Woman 75, Captain America 75, Beauty and the Beast 25, and Aliens 30. To take you there, here’s why and where you can find these anniversary celebrations:
1. Star Trek 50
Star Trek began as a TV show in 1966, and their 50 milestone will be the most celebrated anniversary at Comic-Con 2016. You can bet thousands of fans will be dressed in trekkie gear (Star Trek costumes can be found on Amazon). A cast that has dreamed of “what is possible” for decades will be featured everywhere, including:
Wed, 7/20, 5pm - In sync with the new “Star Trek Beyond” theatrical release (Friday, July 22), there will be an outdoor premiere on Wednesday at Comic-Con hosted by Paramount Pictures at the Embarcadero Marina Park South. Stars expected to attend include Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Lieutenant Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty) and more.
Sat, 7/23, 2-3pm (Hall H) - Legendary cast members will reunite for a reunion panel moderated by New Series Executive Producer Bryan Fuller on Saturday during Hall H’s biggest movie day. Die-hard fans will line up for a chance to see William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Scott Bakula (“Star Trek: Enterprise”), Michael Dorn (“Star Trek : The Next Generation”), Jeri Ryan (“Star Trek Voyager”) and Brent Spiner (“Star Trek : The Next Generation”) on this 50 Anniversary Panel.
2. Wonder Woman 75
Wed, 7/20 - To celebrate Wonder Woman 75, DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers will co-host “Wonder Woman Wednesday” in sync with Comic-Con’s Preview Night. As part of this anniversary celebration, DC Booth #1915 will display the official costumes and props from the new feature film “Wonder Woman” (2017), along with the original costume worn by Lynda Carter in the 1970s television show.
Sat, 7/23, 11:30am (Hall H) – “Wonder Woman” (2017) star Gal Gadot (“Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”) will take center stage with co-stars Chris Pine and Connie Nielsen and director Patty Jenkins as part of the Warner Brothers panels in Hall H. These WB panels start at 11:30 am, and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
3. Captain America 75
Wed, 7/20 (Marvel Booth 2329) - Marvel will unveil a 13-foot-tall bronze statue of Captain America on Wednesday before it travels to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park August 10. From Captain America’s first comic book to the “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) starring Chris Evans, Steve Rogers has entertained loyal followers for 75 years.
Thurs, 7/21, 5-6pm (Room 9) - Cartoonists for this legendary superhero will be speaking at a special Captain America 75 Panel. Moderator Mark Evanier (author, “Kirby: King of Comics”) will interview Jim Simon (Son of creator Joe Simon) and Allen Bellman (artist, Captain America).
4. Beauty and the Beast 25
Fri, 7/22, 4:30-5:30pm (Room 5AB) - Oscar-nominated producer Don Hahn, directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and filmmakers will discuss the making of the original Disney “Beauty and the Beast” (1981). This classic was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Disney will also be releasing a 25 Anniversary Blu-ray DVD September 20, and look for the new live-action film starring Emma Watson (“Harry Potter”), Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”) and Luke Evans (“Dracula Untold”) in 2017.
5. Aliens 30
Sat, 7/23, 3:15-4:15pm (Hall H) - To celebrate the July 18, 1986, film release, fans can attend an Aliens 30 Anniversary Panel on Saturday. Writer/director James Cameron (“Avatar”), producer Gale Anne Hurd (“The Walking Dead”) and cast members Sigourney Weaver (“Avatar”), Bill Paxton (“True Lies”), Lance Henriksen (“Millennium”), Michael Biehn (“The Terminator”), and Paul Reiser (“Red Oaks”) will be there to celebrate this sci-fi movie history.
During Comic-Con, fans line up literally for hours and miles in costume for autograph signings, sneak previews of exclusive content, and these anniversary celebrations. The Hall H line can wrap around the San Diego Convention Center and across the street to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The best approach is to focus, find a cool costume, wear comfortable shoes, pack sunscreen, and get in line hours in advance for your favorite events. And take with you the Vulcan salute and Leonard Nimoy’s (Spock) famous quote, “live long and prosper.”
