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.”
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Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
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Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
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British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
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British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
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British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
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Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
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Celeste
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