ATLANTA — The actors strike is raising questions about its potential impact on DragonCon, the Atlanta event that celebrates sci-fi and TV and movies.
Dragon Con is still scheduled to take place Labor Day weekend. But this year's event could be rather different from Dragon Cons from the last couple of decades.
The costumes, the crowds, the streetscapes in downtown Atlanta at Dragon Con are likely to be as eye-popping as ever this year.
However, inside hotel ballrooms, the event typically promotes a long roster of film and TV stars hosting panels. According to longtime Dragon Con fan Darrell C. Hazelrig, those panels are definitely a draw, adding visitors "love the show panels. Love to hear the actors and filmmakers talk about their journeys."
This year, DragonCon may conflict with a labor strike that has all but shut down movie and TV production. The strike is the result of a disagreement with studios.
The unions are telling striking workers they also can’t do publicity and conventions that promotes the product of the studios.
In San Diego, an event called Comic Con starts Thursday. It too has scheduled panels of actors and show creators – but the event is bracing for cancelations.
If the strike shuts down Comic Con’s panels from show creators, Dragon Con could see the same thing happen five weeks later if the strike continues to drag on.
"I know a lot of people, that’s (the panels) their whole thing," said Hazelrig, who estimates he's attended 20 Dragon Cons.
Yet he said he’ll still attend, and predicts most Dragon Con fans will do the same. "That’s only one part of the whole experience. You could still go to a Dragon Con without that element and still have a great time."
Dragon Con did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the SAG/AFTRA strike office.
The best case is the strike gets settled by Labor Day weekend. But industry insiders aren’t holding their breath that’s going to happen.