Dragon Con has attracted no shortage of “Star Trek” stars over the years and this fall, the organizers of the huge Labor Day sci-fi spectacle are bringing back George Takei, one of the few remaining survivors of the original series.
Takei, who played Sulu in the late 1960s and in subsequent movies, has been to Dragon Con numerous times, most recently 2019.
UPDATE: On August 17, the convention added “Lord of the Rings” stars Elijah Wood and Sean Astin to the line up. Nathan Fillion had to drop out.
Other celebrity guests scheduled to appear include Gina Torres (“Firefly,” “9-1-1: Lone Star”), Bruce Boxleitner (”Bablyon 5″), Paul Bettany (“WandaVision”), Adrianne Palecki (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), D.B. Woodside (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “24,” “Lucifer”), Ian Anderson (“Game of Thrones”) and Tom Cavanagh (”Ed,” “The Flash”), to name a few.
Lee Majors (”Six Million Dollar Man”) and Lindsay Wagner (”The Bionic Woman”) will provide attendees a serous dose of 1970s déja vu.
It is likely the actors strike will still be happening when Labor Day weekend rolls around. If that is the case, none of the actors will be able to speak about their past or current scripted TV or film projects during panels as part of a deal made with the union SAG-AFTRA. (They can talk about other topics such as family, hobbies and any work not related to scripted TV and film.)
They will also be able to still meet and greet with fans, sign autographs and take pictures.
Another nostalgia kick will come courtesy of Marty Krofft, half of the Sid & Marty Krofft television and theme park duo who created campy children’s television shows including “H.R. Pufnstuf, “Sigmund & The Sea Monsters” and “Land of the Lost” plus primetime variety shows featuring Donny & Marie, the Brady Bunch, and the Mandrells.
And stop-motion capture buffs will get to meet Andy Serkis, an actor who played Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy along with Cesar in the “Planet of the Apes” trilogy.
“Mythbusters” star Adam Savage, a special effects designer and fabricator, will also be at the convention.
Of the 400 or so celebrities set to appear, about a quarter are actors. Others are are authors, artists, scientists, engineers, roboticists, podcast hosts, video game designers and other experts who will talk with fans and lead discussions.
Organizers anticipate about 65,000 people to attend over Labor Day weekend Aug. 31 through Sept. 4 with events at AmericasMart and five host hotels: Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand (formerly Sheraton Atlanta).
One-day tickets start at $35 with weekend passes starting at $175 at dragon.org.
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