San Diego Comic-Con has returned with a notably slimmed-down schedule owing to the ongoing Hollywood actors' and writers' strike.
The walkout by the Screen Actors Guild, also known as Sag-Aftra, has stopped many productions while the union negotiates better pay, royalties and protection for actors and writers.
With the strike in place, actors taking part in Hollywood’s largest film and television productions are prevented from attending the comic book convention in a promotional capacity.
The annual event typically features panels and appearances from some of the biggest film stars – with Dwayne Johnson, Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry notable recent guests – but fans will now have to navigate a sparse schedule.
For the first time since 2011, no stars from the Marvel or DC universes will join a panel in the convention’s famed Hall H.
Some of the year’s biggest upcoming sci-fi and fantasy releases, including Dune: Part Two and Netflix’s One Piece, have had panels cancelled.
Other production companies, including Disney and HBO, are expected to miss the convention due to the strikes, leaving upcoming releases without promotion.
However, HBO’s streaming service Max, Paramount Pictures, NBC and Amazon will participate.
The San Diego Comic-Con started in 1970 with 300 visitors and has grown to become one of the biggest on the calendar, attracting more than 130,000 annually.
The strike and subsequent sparsity of presentations could be good news for some visitors, specifically comic book fans, as it does not affect artists, meaning shorter lines and ample opportunity to purchase merchandise.
Lego has set up a large booth at the convention modelled after the once mighty video rental shop Blockbuster. The booth is named Brickbuster Video and features some of the company's newest releases.
Speaking to CNBC, Robert Thompson, a professor at Syracuse University and a pop culture expert, said: “The show can still go on in San Diego. Comic-Con is so big that it’s even bigger than the biggest stars.”
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
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A4 35 TFSI
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Torque: 270Nm
Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)
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A4 S4 TDI
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Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 350bhp
Torque: 700Nm
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
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Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
