Langford’s Island FanCon has scored a star guest whose towering presence may blow the minds of Game of Thrones fans attending the Comic-Con-like event.
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson will appear on both days of the April 13 to 14 convention at City Centre Park, where he’ll meet with fans, sign autographs and speak at a panel.
The 6’9” Icelandic strongman is best known for his portrayal of Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones, where he grabbed the eyes of viewers while starring in major scenes alongside stars like Pedro Pascal.
“We wanted our first guest announcement to be big,” Island FanCon founder Lonnie Eckardt said in a news release. “It doesn’t get much bigger than Hafþor Julius Bjornsson.”
A fan-favourite during Game of Thrones’ run – contingent on which Westeros house viewers cheered for – Bjornsson rose to fame thanks to his performances as a professional strongman.
He’s the 2018 World’s Strongest Man, a two-time Arnold Strongman Classic winner and a multiple world record holder.
In 2015, the Nordic native also beat a record that’s said to be 1,000 years old when he carried a 10-metre, 1,430-pound log for five steps at the World’s Strongest Viking competition.
Those Viking roots also overlap with the Langford event sponsor who picked Bjornsson from a list of options.
“Viking Sales is thrilled to bring a real-life Nordic Viking to the Westshore,” the sponsor said in the release. “We definitely delivered for the inaugural year of Island Fancon!”
Organizers say the convention will be an unforgettable experience for all ages and more guest announcements are still to come.
Attendees will be able to cosplay as their favourite characters, visit various workshops and immerse themselves in the world of fantasy and adventure at the event hosted at City Centre Park from April 13 to 14.
Island FanCon is the brainchild of Lonnie Eckardt after he participated in Prince George’s Northern FanCon.
“This isn’t just your typical event. It is an opportunity to galvanize culture and opportunities for the City of Langford,” said Eckardt.
“As a Westshore resident, it is profound to me to be able to bring that magic back to where I am raising my family.”
The convention will look very similar to the one that has taken place in Prince George for over a decade. That event has seen celebrities such as Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, Trica Helfer, Kevin Smith and William Shatner.
Northern FanCon has also fostered a working relationship with the film industry. As a result, feature films, two television series pilots, countless short films and several music videos were filmed in the area.
Tickets for Island FanCon went on sale Feb. 9. More information and updates about celebrities, events and tickets is available at the .
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