TV, movie favorites descend on Providence for Rhode Island Comic Con

PROVIDENCE — With three Academy Award winners, several iconic stars, cast reunions of cult and classic films and beloved TV shows galore, this year’s Rhode Island Comic Con has the makings of being the best one yet.

Here are some of the celebrity highlights in store at this year’s big shebang, which is happening this weekend, Nov. 7 to 9, at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Amica Mutual Pavilion (formerly the Dunkin’ Donuts Center) in Providence

I don’t remember ever feeling this awake.

What do you get when you bring together Brundlefly’s girlfriend from “The Fly” with “Dammit Janet” Weiss from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for a road trip? Answer: the best, pro-feminist buddy/road film of all times (and I don ‘ t say pro-feminist in a bad way either). While Academy Award winners Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon are much beloved movie icons in a league of their own (and one, Davis, starred in “A League of Their Own,” one can get absolutely giddy wondering if the magic chemistry they had in “Thelma & Louise” will be revved up and ready to go off a cliff in Rhode Island.

Join the Mobile Infantry and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?

What is arguably the coolest reunion this year, Rhode Island Comic Con welcomes “Rico Roughnecks!” from “Starship Troopers.” Directed by visionary director Paul Verhoeven and based of Robert A. Heinlein’s masterful novel, “Starship Troopers” is one coolest sci-fi/action movies of the last 30 years and one of the best satires on fascism and authoritarian government ever released in the multiplexes. Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico), Dina Meyer (Dizzy Flores), Denise Richards (Carmen Ibanez), Jake Busey (Ace Levy), Seth Gilliam (Sugar Watkins), Patrick Muldoon (Zander Barcalow) and Michael Ironside (Jean Rasczak) will all be locked and loaded for Rhode Island. The only thing that would have been cooler if “Starship Troopers” stars Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, a few Arachnids and the cranium-sucking Brain Bug crashed the party.

Isn’t she pretty in pink?

John Hughe’s alert. Rhode Island Comic Con is reuniting the three principal players of “Pretty in Pink,” including ‘80s Brat Pack on-screen couple Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy, as well as Duckie himself, Jon Cryer, who should have ended up with Ringwald in the end rather than Charlie Sheen on “Two and a Half Men.”

What is a ‘Yute’?

Academy Award-winner actress Marisa Tomei — best known as Mona Lisa Vito in “My Cousin Vinny” and Aunt May to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — will give sworn testimony on the correct ignition timing on a 1955 Bel Air Chevrolet, with a 327 cubic-inch engine and a four-barrel carburetor and share other memories with fans.

Men and women without fear?

If you’re a fan of the live-action “Daredevil” series, you’re going to be in comic con heaven in Rhode Island this weekend. Following the red spandex heels of Rex Smith and Ben Affleck, Charlie Cox has carved a niche as the definitive Matt Murdock/Daredevil, while Vincent D’Onofrio is absolute dream-casting as the menacing Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, the crime lord of New York City. And what better way to hobnob with “Hell’s Kitchen’s” favorite horned defender than with some of his damaged friends, including Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye, as well as White Tiger and the villain Muse.

Friends (and enemies) of the fastest man alive.

Fans of The CWs “The Flash” have plenty of reasons to run as fast as they can to the Rhode Island Comic Con. Seven stars from the superheroes series _ including Candice Patton (Iris West-Allen), Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost/Frost/ Khione), Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon/Vibe/Mecha-Vibe), Tom Cavanagh (Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash), Jesse L. Martin (Joe West), Danielle Nicolet (Cecile Horton/Virtue) and Kayla Compton (Allegra Garcia) _ will keep the convention moving.

Chocolate covered pretzel alert

Although Kevin Smith cancelled his appearance at Rhode Island Comic Con this year, a “Mallrats” reunion will still go on without him with several of the movie stars including, Jason Lee, Michael Rooker, Jason Mewes, Jeremy London, Joey Lauren Adams and Brian O’Halloran. Also, King Mustafa Obafemi, who starred in “Chasing Amy,” will be there.

If “My Name Is Earl” is more of your thing, you have Earl himself (Jason Lee), plus Eddie Steeples, Ethan Suplee and Jaime Pressley.

The Winchester brothers ride again in spirit, sort of.

If you are fans of Sam and Dean Winchester of “Supernatural” fame, you’re going want to hobnob with some of their most trusted and torturous associates in the shows incredible 15-season run, including Misha Collins, Kathryn Newton, Kurt Filler, Richard Speightur, Rob Benedict and Timothy Omundson.

Opie Taylor’s offspring

For fanatical fandom, Bryce Dallas Howard is the first to play Peter Parker’s ill-fated girlfriend Gwen Stacy in “Spider-Man 3,” a movie that shot more blanks than wove webs of intrigue. Bryce also played Kate Connor, wife of future leader of the resistance against the Terminators John Connor in “Terminator Salvation” and a catlike vampire in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” And she had directed standout episodes of “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.” But she’s best known for the role as Dinosaur Protection Group founder and leader Claire Dearing in the “Jurassic World” trilogy.

I am no Jedi

New York-born Rosario Dawson’s colorful résumé includes “Kids” (her 1995 debut), “Josie and the Pussycats,” , “Clerks II and 3,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” and the Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller collaboration “Sin City” and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” But it’s her role of former Jedi apprentice to Anakin Skywalker (aka the future Darth Vader) Ahsoka Tano (in “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett” and, “Ahsoka”) that will be making would-be padawan with battery-operated light sabers buzzing in anticipation for her arrival.

Don’t have a cow man.

If we could only pick one panel to attend at Rhode Island Comic Con, it would be Hank Azaria, the man who has been giving voice to a cavalcade of colorful characters on “The Simpson” for 35 years. His Who’s Who of fictitious Springfield includes Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, Comic Book Guy, Professor Frink, Apu, Lou and Carl Carlson. And, not only is he a talented voiceover actor, he’s also a really funny guy.

They don’t make them like that anymore

Whether or not RICC attendees and organizers realize it, the most iconic and biggest groundbreaking star at Rhode Island Comic Con this year is Pam Grier. Hands down. Arguably the first big female action star, Grier proved to be a real powerhouse in blaxpoitation flicks “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown,” which came out more than 20 years before Quentin Tarantino cast her as the lead in the more mainstream “Jackie Brown.”

Hello Wisconsin

With two iconic TV roles that are as different as night and day, Laura Prepon is expected to be a big draw this weekend in Rhode Island for playing Eric’s delightful girlfriend Donna on “That 70s Show” and Piper ‘s street-smart prison wife Alex on “Orange Is The New Black.” You can’t get much cooler than this.

Always the Padawan, never the Jedi

Long before he landed his scene-stealing role as Dunder Mifflin salesman Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” Rainn Wilson made his film debut as Lahnk, a Thermian, in the best “Star Trek” movie was not actually a “Star Trek” movie, aka “Galaxy Quest.” And, after “The Office” closed its doors for good, Wilson finally made his proper “Star Trek” debut on “Discovery, ” playing cosmic flimflam man Harry Mudd. When it comes to Wilson, you get the best of both worlds.

Whistling ‘Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah’

Funnyman Chevy Chase of “National Lampoon’s Vacation”/ “Christmas Vacation” and “Fletch” fame, will be joined with several actors from both franchise, including on the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” side, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid and Juliette Lewis (although we are more excited about the work she did in “Cape Fear,” “From Dusk to Dawn,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Strang Days,” “Yellowjackets” and “Kalifornia”), while “Fletch” is represented with Geena Davis, Dana Wheeler and Tim Matheson.

The lovers, the dreamers, and me

Paul Williams — whose film credits include “Battle for the Planet of the Apes,” Brian De Palma’s camp classic “Phantom of the Paradise,” and the Burt Reynolds vehicle “Smokey and the Bandit” —is also the Grammy-winning lyricist behind the beloved Kermit the Frog signature “Rainbow Connection” from the 1979 film “The Muppet Movie.”

The lords of Kobol meets the Power of the Force

Going from Colonial Viper pilot Starbuck in “Battlestar Galactica” to armored Death Watch member Bo-Katan Kryze in “The Mandalorian,” Katee Sackhoff has two beloved universes to rev comic con attendees’ rockets. In addition to Dawson and Sackhoff, the “Star Wars” universe is well represented at Rhode Island Comic Con with Brendan Wanye (“The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka”), Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles in the original “Star Wars” trilogy), Diana Lee Inosanto (“The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka”), Eman Esfandi (“Ahsoka”) and Taylor Gray (“Star Wars: Rebels”).

Other fandoms well represented include, “Baldur’s Gate III” (Aliona Baranova, Jennifer English, Neil Newbon, Maggie Robertson and Devora Wilde), “Cobra Kai” (Dallas Dupree Young, Oona O’Brien, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Brandon H. Lee and Patrick Luwis), “iCarly” (Ryan Ochoa and Nathan Kress), “Grandma’ s Boy” (Allen Covert, Joel David Moore and Nick Swardson); “A League of Their Own” (Lori Petty, Bitty Schram and Megan Cavanagh); “Once Upon a Time” (Lana Parrilla, Rebecca Mader and Sean Maguire), “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” (Daniel Curtis, Devon Werkheiser and Lindsay Shaw); “Degrassi The Next Generation” (Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, Shane Kippel, Mike Lobel and Melissa McIntyre); “Psych” (Corbin Bernsen and Maggie Lawson); and “The Land of the Lost” (Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman and creator Sid Kroft).

Other celebrities include Bill Allen (“RAD”), Bill Diamond (“Terrifier 3”), Christopher Serrone (“Goodfellas”), Seth Gabel (“Fringe”), Mark Dacascos (“John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum”); Jeff Ward (“One Piece”); Jesse Posey (“Teen Wolf: The Movie”); Vernon Wells (“Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and “Commando”); Shaun Weiss (“The Mighty Ducks”), Mike O’Malley (“Yes Dear”); Nadji Jeter (“The Last of Us”); Keith Coogan (“Adventures in Babysitting”), Khary Payton (“The Walking Dead”); Raymond Ochoa (“The Good Dinosaur”), Soleil Moon Frye (“Punky Brewster”), Shaun Weiss (“The Mighty Ducks”); Steven John Ward (“One Piece”); Cherie Johnson (“Family Matters”) and Thora Birch (“American Beauty” and “The Walking Dead”).

Professional wrestlers Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Sting, Billy Gun, Rob Van Dam, Eric Bischoff, Killer Kross, Tommy Dreamer, Barbie Blank, Kayla Compto and Scarlett Bordeaux will also be hitting the convention mat. Or if basketball is more of your thing, you have one of the most colorful players to ever hit the hardwood, Dennis Rodman, also slated for RICC.