Latest news with #DarthVader


CTV News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Atlantic Entertainment Expo draws large crowds in first event for Saint John, N.B.
Sculptor Brian Muir, who created the mask Darth Vader wears in the Star Wars franchise, is pictured talking to a fan during Atlantic Entertainment Expo in Saint John, N.B., on July 20, 2025. (Avery MacRae, CTV Atlantic) Thousands of maritime pop-culture fans made there way to Saint John, N.B., this weekend for the 2025 Atlantic Entertainment Expo (AEX). The family focused experience was held at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre, marking the first time the event has made its way to the port city. Over the two-day event visitors, many of whom cosplayed as their favourite characters from various games and shows, were treated to gaming displays, panels, and hundreds of unique vendor tables. This year's AEX was highlighted by special guest Brian Muir, who is best known for creating the original Darth Vader helmet. His sculpting work has been featured in Indiana Jones, James Bond, the Harry Potter series and dozens of other films. Lead organizer Alex Maine said a pop-culture event of this size and style hasn't been tried in Saint John since 2017. 'Saint John's a great city, and there's a great community vibe here,' he said. 'Pop culture is something everyone can appreciate so it's great to see all of the fans.' Proto Monkey Creations A selection of Proto Monkey Creations handcrafted leather goods are pictured at a vendor's table during the Atlantic Entertainment Expo in Saint John, N.B., July 20, 2025. (Avery MacRae, CTV Atlantic) Jennifer Carignan was one of the vendors at the event during the weekend with her Proto Monkey Creations table. She handcrafts leather goods in Nova Scotia, including masks, wallets and suits of armour for a variety of series. 'This has been awesome,' Carignan said. 'It's been impressive the people coming out and supporting the event, the cosplayers, it's been amazing.' The sentiment is shared by Chris Craig, who was joined by his 501st Atlantic Garrison Star Wars Legion. He and his team spent much of the weekend in iconic Star Wars costumes much to the delight of fans. He said the success of the event doesn't surprise him. 'Everybody comes together, and they have a sense of camaraderie,' Craig said. 'They can get together, and they can see some of the other vendors – see all the different products that are selling or making or whatever. They can do something that they love and hang out with like-minded people.' Atlantic Entertainment Expo Vendors and guests are pictured at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre during the Atlantic Entertainment Expo on July 20, 2025. (Avery MacRae, CTV Atlantic) That sense of belonging inspired Allie Coburn to try cosplay for the first time. She dressed up as the character Dante from the video game Limbus Company for the event. 'It's really cool to see just how many people with these similar and wide range of interests are here in the area,' Coburn said. 'When there's events like this where it's celebrated, it feels like people can kind of really show off what they love and their niche hobbies and niche interests and be themselves in a way around other people who are similar to them.' 'I find it great to look at all the creative outlooks,' said cosplayer Amadna Reinhart. She came dressed as Barbie with Joe Hatfield who came as Ken. 'To just to see other people's face light up when you're cosplaying their favorite character, and they want to run up to you and greet you and have a picture, it's just amazing.' Maine said what makes the event a success is the passionate fans that attend each year. He said everyone enjoys the celebration for a different reason. 'It's very easy to be anxious or intimidated by an event like this,' said Maine. 'But you'll actually very quickly find out that this event is for all ages and for everyone.' Star Wars helmets A storm trooper's naks is displayed next to Darth Vader's helmet. (Avery MacRae, CTV Atlantic) For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.


Scottish Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
You have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot the animal in huge new maze in 10 seconds
The hedges currently stand around five feet high but they're expected to reach eight feet by the end of the summer GIANT PUZZLE You have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot the animal in huge new maze in 10 seconds Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) YOU have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot the animal in this huge maze in ten seconds. The massive installation, in Fife, spans the length of three football pitches. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A 'mega maze' spanning the length of three football pitches is in the shape of a dog Credit: SWNS The sprawling labyrinth stretches over six acres at Cairnie Fruit Farm near Cupar. The hedges currently stand around five feet high. But they're expected to reach eight feet by the end of the summer. The elaborate maze has been created in the shape of a dog. Each year, the local attraction is altered and grown into a different shape. Planting begins each May, with gardeners using GPS trackers to create the striking design. Previous designs have included sea turtles, hedgehogs, Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader and Roald Dahl's BFG. This year, the Laird family - who run the farm - held a competition to choose the next design. And the winning entry was a canine, in homage to their family pup Koda. The lucky winner will be offered a free day out at the farm. They will be allowed to bring their own dog to try out the maze. The maze will remain standing until late October, when the farm's gardeners will harvest the hedges to prepare to start the process all over again next year. Cairnie Farm is one of Scotland's top fruit farms and is an ideal day out for families. It has a cafe, children's play area and a farm shop.


Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Spaceballs star Rick Moranis, 72, does not look like this anymore
Rick Moranis hasn't been seen on screen in a theatrical feature film in nearly three decades. So it was quite the shock for fans of the 72-year-old actor and comedian when it was announced last week that he will be making his long-awaited return to movies. Director Mel Brooks, 99, was in fine spirits as he shared the news that Moranis would be back in action for a sequel to his sci-fi parody Spaceballs (1987). The Canadian comedy legend appeared in the original film — which was beset by middling reviews before being adopted as a cult classic — as Dark Helmet, a parody of Star Wars ' Darth Vader. Since his comedy heyday in films of the 1980s and '90s, Moranis has been on a decades-long Hollywood hiatus to allow him to focus on raising his children as a single parent. Now, nearly 30 years after he stepped back from the silver screen, takes a look at what Moranis looks like today. The comic star was nearly unrecognizable when he was spotted this week on a busy day running errands in New York City. Moranis was on the move in a casual but sporty outfit with a pale yellow ribbed polo shirt, blue athletic shorts and a white baseball cap. He stuck with simple black trainers and carried a reusable back to take care of some shopping while he was out. The actor has stayed impressively trim over the last few decades, but his appearance was considerably different after losing the baby-faced looks that helped him get laughs early on. Moranis soundtracked his walk with earbuds, and he was seen marching back with two full bags after finishing his shopping. The Ghostbusters star's gradual retreat from Hollywood began following the tragic death of his wife Ann Belsky in 1991 after a battle with cancer. In a 2005 interview with USA Today, Moranis clarified that his family was his main motivation for holding off on more time-consuming film shoots. 'I'm a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break,' he explained. 'And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn't miss it.' Moranis' final on-screen appearance in a theatrical feature was for the 1996 comedy Big Bully, which he starred in opposite Tom Arnold. However, the following year he played a lead role in the straight-to-video sequel Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Moranis was more willing to focus on voice acting in subsequent years, as recording sessions take far less time than on-camera appearances. He voiced characters in multiple children's cartoons, as well as his final theatrical film, the 2003 Disney animated feature Brother Bear. He continued with voice acting throughout the 2000s, and he made a rare live-action return for the TV Movie Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary, a sequel to the 1983 cult classic comedy film Strange Brew that costarred Canadian comedy legend Dave Thomas. Aside from that, Moranis' only roles in recent years were a brief voice appearance as his Spaceballs character Dark Helmet in a 2018 episode of The Goldbergs and a 2020 Mint Mobile commercial that he starred in with Ryan Reynolds. Despite mostly eschewing the spotlight, Moranis has clarified that he doesn't consider himself officially retired. After it was reported that he turned down a cameo offer in the woman-led 2016 version of Ghostbusters — which original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver all appeared in — Moranis explained prior to the film's release that he has only been on a 'hiatus,' and now that his children — Rachel and Mitchell — are grown up he is no longer opposed to acting. In 2015, he clarified that he didn't consider himself retired, but rather on hiatus, after he turned down a cameo in the 2016 woman-led Ghostbusters sequel He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 that he was simply much more selective about what roles he was willing to take on this far into his career. 'I took a break, which turned into a longer break,' he said. 'But I'm interested in anything that I would find interesting. I still get the occasional query about a film or television role and as soon as one comes along that piques my interest.' 'I wish them well,' he added. 'I hope it's terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?' The film would have been a legacy sequel starring Josh Gad as the son of Moranis' reckless inventor, with the older star reprising his original role. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the production to be put on hold. Gad shared his desire to push forward with the project in subsequent years, and he said he had been collaborating with Moranis on the film as recently as 2022. However, Gad admitted in 2023 that the sequel is now dead in the water, though it could potentially be revived at a future date. Despite Shrunk's misfortune, Moranis will still be making his long-awaited return to movies with the Spaceballs sequel, which is slated for a 2027 release. The returning stars include Brooks, who will be playing his Yoda-like character Yogurt, along with Bill Pullman as Lone Starr and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa. The film has also gotten some new blood, as Pullman's real-life son Lewis Pullman will be joining the cast to play his character's son Starburst, while Keke Palmer will be playing a character named Destiny and Josh Gad will be appearing in an undisclosed role. Brooks co-wrote and directed the original Spaceballs, but Josh Greenbaum is now taking over directing duties, while Gad, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit are collaborating on the screenplay.


Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
New ‘mega maze' the size of three football pitches in Scotland revealed – and it's the perfect day out for families
The hedges currently stand around five feet high but they're expected to reach eight feet by the end of the summer GIANT PUZZLE New 'mega maze' the size of three football pitches in Scotland revealed – and it's the perfect day out for families A MASSIVE MAZE spanning the length of three football pitches has been created in Fife. The sprawling labyrinth stretches over six acres at Cairnie Fruit Farm near Cupar. Advertisement 1 A giant maze the size of three football pitches has been created in Fife Credit: SWNS The hedges currently stand around five feet high but they're expected to reach eight feet by the end of the summer. The elaborate maze has been created in the shape of a dog. Each year, the local attraction is altered and grown into a different shape. Planting begins each May, with gardeners using GPS trackers to create the striking design. Advertisement Previous designs have included sea turtles, hedgehogs, Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader and Roald Dahl's BFG. This year, the Laird family - who run the farm - held a competition to choose the next design. And the winning entry was a canine, in homage to their family pup Koda. The lucky winner will be offered a free day out at the farm. Advertisement they will be allowed to bring their own dog to try out the maze. The maze will remain standing until late October, when the farm's gardeners will harvest the hedges to prepare to start the process all over again next year. Major card chain with 163 shops launches closing down sales ahead of shutting its doors for good Cairnie Farm is one of Scotland's top fruit farms and is an ideal day out for families. It has a cafe, children's play area and a farm shop.

Hypebeast
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Darth Vader's Lightsaber from Original 'Star Wars' Trilogy Could Be Yours
Summary A screen-usedDarth Vaderlightsaber prop, wielded in pivotal lightsaber duels fromThe Empire Strikes Back(1980) andReturn of the Jedi(1983), is going up forauctionfor the first time, expected to fetch as much as $3,000,000 USD. Crafted from a vintage British press camera flash handle and modified with plastic grips, wires and a circuit board with calculator-style magnifying bubbles, the saber was used in scenes where Darth Vader clashes with Luke Skywalker. The prop matches production stills fromEmpireand shows screen-matched damage consistent withReturn of the Jedi, confirming its use in both films. Considered one of the most significantStar Warsartifacts ever offered to the public, this is believed to be the only verified 'hero' dueling lightsaber from the original trilogy to reach auction. Long held in a private collection and rarely seen outside the films, its debut marks a unique opportunity for collectors and fans of the franchise.