By LINDSAY TRAVES
I know I mentioned the season change last year, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that PSL Return Day was also the first day of Fan Expo Canada. Not ready at all to say goodbye to summer, I made my way south to this year’s “four days of fun-filled fan culture” (which took place from August 22 through 25, 2024) with my iced-venti-one-third-sweet-oat-milk-pumpkin-spice-latte-with-whip (a real metaphor for straddling seasons).
I’d been braced for somewhat of a vibe shift for the fest, seeing first-hand the side effects of changes in studio ownership and movie-marketing strategies. If you wanted to see the Star Trek gear, that meant checking out Paramount+’s “The Lodge,” and if you wanted to see the Star Wars stuff, too bad because Disney went all in on Agatha All Along (Though, those in the know, know that the 501 Garrison is the group always bringing the Star Wars heat). So I moved through the notorious South Building quickly, taking my time only to explore “The Witches’ Road” along with Agatha Harkness. Purple-tinted temporary walls wrapped around a block of floor space, framing a gorgeously decorated path, perfect for any would-be witch to trot through. I quickly peeked behind the curtain before stepping into this mini-world of Agatha and her coven to gaze at the black-lit foliage and a few costumes from the series. With a vibe akin to Marvel’s answer to Hocus Pocus, walking this road became yet another metaphor for entering the Halloween season.
Disney pulled out all the stops for “AGATHA ALL ALONG” at this year’s Fan Expo.
EVIL DEAD’s Ash teams up with Spock for the time-travel buddy road movie of the century. Coming soon to Lindsay’s living room floor.
After grabbing my Lego Minifigure and checking out the signing schedules at Artist Alley, I made the annual pilgrimage to the convention’s market of curiosities. While Artist Alley is sometimes a window into prevailing fandoms, there was no Pearl character for 2024, just a lot of crocheted figures from Super Mario. Nevertheless, one from Jelly Squid Crafts caught my eye – a tiny, squishy, Ash Williams, complete with a chainsaw hand. The purveyor let me know it was the last one, so I couldn’t resist picking him up (and of course, one of Spock, too). Afterward, I bought some spiced skull candles from Pathulu Creations that came with a bundle of crystals, which really supported this year’s witchy theme.
While the North Building’s horror section was still missing, the genre didn’t start and end in the south. The bridge between buildings was adorned with signs confirming that Longlegs is now on digital and The Crow is now in theaters. Hidden within the rooms of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre were panels about Canadian horror, ghost stories and horror writing workshops. Also, there were appearances by Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel and some of the cast of (you guessed it) Agatha All Along.
At their panel, Siegel and Flanagan answered questions about their past collaborations such as The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. Siegel gave attendees a look into her process for creating Theodora Crane and how she worked with McKenna Grace (who plays the younger version of the character), despite never sharing any scenes. Along with trading gloves back and forth, the two shared a journal in which they wrote down their thoughts and feelings about the character — a practice Siegel said allowed her to check in on Grace, having felt a sense of wanting her to be safe.
Flanagan shared a bit about his upcoming The Life of Chuck and how it’s a different world from the other Stephen King adaptations he’s worked on before. Then, referring to his mountain of a project in The Exorcist, the filmmaker considered how audiences change, and the original film plays differently for modern ones. Describing his stress about taking the helm on something so precious, Flanagan noted that his goal is to “make the scariest movie I’ve ever made.”
Elsewhere, Kathryn Hahn, Jac Schaeffer, and Joe Locke surprised a screaming audience with all things Agatha All Along. While the panel seemed coy about Locke’s character, Teen (cheeky), they shared the few details seemingly approved by Marvel brass. Schaeffer confirmed that the concept of “The Witches’ Road” is from the comics but that it’s been adapted to a “trial trip” for the show — like something from The Wizard of Oz. She also shared that, like WandaVision, “It is a puzzle box show; It has a lot of mystery, a lot of unfolding, a lot of left turns.” Showing reverence for her cast, Schaeffer discussed how each member of the coven is a different kind of modern witch (one even being a “wellness guru”).
Returning home from a day of breathing in the scents of ink, candles and con-floor stench makes for an often invigorating evening of reviewing your haul and taking a long shower. For me, it meant gazing at the candles and crystals I acquired and being thankful that my powers are still intact… And I didn’t need to trek down any haunted road to receive them.
For more on Fan Expo Canada, check out https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpocanada/.
