Tokyo Comic-Con 2022 Opens! One of the world's largest pop culture events is held for the first real time in three years! Messages of joy from international celebrities!

Tokyo Comic Con 2022 has finally kicked off, taking place at Makuhari Messe (Mihama-ku, Chiba City) from November 25 (Fri.) to 27 (Sun.), 2022.

Tokyo Comic-Con, while based on American style, is a celebration of technology and pop culture, and is differentiated from existing events such as comic books, movies, animation, and game shows by creating a space where innovation and fun are shared. It is an event that stimulates intellectual curiosity and can be enjoyed by all generations, from families to the elderly.

In 2020, the event will be held online (TOKYO COMIC CON WORLD) for the first time, marking a new evolution, and this year will be the first time in three years that the event will be held in real life.

This year will be the first time in three years that the event will be held for the first time in real life.

Official Report

★11:00 - Grand opening ceremony!

This year's Tokyo Comic-Con 2022 will be the first time in three years since 2019 that the event will be held for real, and as many as 12 gorgeous celebrities, including Hayden Christensen and James McAvoy, will be visiting Japan! In addition, the opening of Tokyo Comic-Con 2022 was enlivened by the presence of AKIRA of EXILE as ambassador, Tokai On Air as PR ambassador, and Hitoshi Yonemoto and Maria Theresa Gow as main MCs!
Today, the first day of the event finally arrived, and a grand opening ceremony was held. First, the main MCs, Hitoshi Yonegaku and Maria Theresa Gow, took the stage and called out the Tokyo Comic-Con PR ambassadors, Tokai On Air. Tokai On Air usually wear colorful costumes, but today they were all dressed in "black" and expressed their joy at being appointed PR ambassadors, and also said, "I can't wait to go around the venue in private time with exhibits, sales, artist arrays, etc.," and "I hope they film Spiderman in Okazaki so we can be in the crowd that runs away from the show! I want to be in the crowd, even if it's a crowd of people running away! I want to tour the venue in private time. The ceremony finally began with Misako Sakai, chairperson of the Tokyo Comic-Con Executive Committee, saying, "It has been difficult to connect with you all over the past three years, but today, Tokyo Comic-Con has finally become a real event. The theme of this year's event is "Connect," which is about new relationships and restoring the bonds that have been formed in the past. I look forward to working with you all." He then addressed the audience. Next, Tokyo Comic-Con Honorary Special Advisor Shintaro Ito, a member of the House of Representatives, took the stage. Then, Tokyo Comic-Con 2022 Ambassador AKIRA, who also participated in last night's press conference, took the stage and said, "To put it bluntly, I am very excited! I am back to my boyhood. Not only will gorgeous superstars gather here, but this year's theme "Connect" will also lead to new discoveries and encounters, so we will have a grand time hoping for the complete revival of Tokyo Comic Con! I attended the press conference last night and it was a dream come true. I attended the press conference last night and it was a dream space. He expressed his enthusiasm as an ambassador and his own excitement for the event.

Finally, the gorgeous celebrities came to the stage, and each time one of them took the stage, the audience gave a big round of applause. The following are comments from the visiting celebrities.

Michael Pare: "Hello Tokyo Comic-Con! This is probably the most exciting thing I've ever worked with, thank you!"
Mr. Vernon Wells: "Thank you for inviting me. It will be one of the highlights of my career!"
Daniel Logan: "I'm very happy to be here at Tokyo Comic Con for the first time in a long time.
Mr. Joseph Quinn: "Amazing!
Jamie Campbell Bauer: "Great to see everyone, thanks!
Andy Serkis: "It's been 10 years since I've been to Japan.
Karen Gillan: "Hello, thank you!

Mr. Anthony Daniels: "Hello everyone. I am so happy to be here. Of course we will be with you!"
Mr. Hayden Christensen: "Happy to be back in Tokyo! We are happy!"
Mr. Ian McDermid: "Hello from the dark side!
James McAvoy: "Thanks for the invitation! I hope to see a lot of you there!
Mr. Christopher Lloyd: "I'm so happy and honored to be here!

After the speeches by the celebrities, Mr. Shintaro Ito, a member of the House of Representatives and Honorary Advisor to Tokyo Comic-Con, made the "Opening Declaration". Mr. Ito stated, "I am pleased to announce the opening of Tokyo Comic-Con 2022, the real event that we have been waiting for three years! The audience burst into applause.
The opening ceremony of Tokyo Comic-Con was followed by the traditional Kagami-wari (breaking open the sake barrel), but Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski made a surprise appearance on the stage! You Love MARVEL, MARVEL love Japan! Enjoy this weekend! He wowed the audience with his fluent greeting in Japanese.

After that, all the speakers held the six barrels lined up on the stage in unison, shouting "Yososho, yososho, yososho! and all the speakers broke open the barrels in unison.

MC Yonemoto concluded the opening ceremony by saying, "Tokyo Comic-Con 2022 has a lot to offer, so please enjoy every minute of it! The opening ceremony ended with a comment from MC Yonemoto, "Tokyo Comic-Con 2022 has a lot to offer, so please enjoy it all!

13:50 - Celebrity Stage: Andy Serkis

In the afternoon, Andy Serkis, famous for his roles as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" series and Ulysses Crow in "Black Panther," took the stage. Andy Serkis found a "Lord of the Rings" T-shirt worn by a staff member as soon as he took the stage and suddenly performed the voice of Gollum live! The audience was very excited. The audience was very excited. Then he moved on to the talk session, where he told us the following valuable episodes.

The episode about his role as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings":
At first I thought I was only going to do the voice, but Peter Jackson, the director, decided to try out a new technology, so I was going to do motion capture as well. I started acting in 1999, and Peter Jackson filmed my performance, and the animators drew pictures based on my movements. Later on, motion capture evolved and now every film uses motion capture, such as "King Kong.

The difference between a normal actor and a motion-capture actor

The process is the same, but with motion capture, the actor becomes more emotionally involved in the character.

Advice to the actors in his film "Venom: Let There Be Carnage
I gave Tom Hardy, who plays Venom, the advice to not act with Venom somewhere on the set, but to let his imagination grow inside of him. For Woody Harrelson, who plays Carnage, I advised him on the mental aspect of how to express Venom's voice."

What is it about MARVEL, "Star Wars," and DC that attracts you to each?

I'm very lucky to have been involved in so many films and stories. DC has a darker, more emotional side. As for "Star Wars," I'm lucky enough to play two characters. MARVEL has always had a sense of humor."

I've played two roles in the "Star Wars" series, so I'd like to see you play two roles in MARVEL as well (fan question).
Ulysses Crowe in "Black Panther" is my favorite role. It's a mythological story, so I think it's not impossible that she will appear again somewhere..."

On Japanese culture
I love Japanese manga and anime, and I also like Japanese modern art. I think Japanese people are good at creating new stories. This will be my fourth visit to Japan, but each time I stay only for a short time.

About Japanese fans
I would like to take a ride on the Shinkansen if I can come to Japan for a longer period of time. They are quiet when I talk to them, but Japanese fans are warm. They really pay attention to my stories. We had lunch with the 12 of us who are in Japan this time and we talked about that.

On the difference between his approach to acting in dramas and films
There is no difference for me. There is no difference for me, whether it is stage, film, TV show, or motion capture. It's about finding your inner feelings, finding the similarities between you and the character you are playing, and that's why actors need to learn all the time."

Finally, when Andy was informed that many fans are encouraged by the line "One Way Out!" of Kino Roy, played by Andy in "Cassian Ando," he demonstrated the line "One Way Out! Andy demonstrated the line "One Way Out!" in a powerful voice. "In closing, I would like to say that I am very lucky to be a part of so many stories that are loved by so many people. He closed the stage with the message, "I want you to remember that even though many things change, some people, like you, do not change what is inside.

★15:30 - Premium Talk to Commemorate the Completion of the Film "End of Royalty

Featuring Michael Pare, who played the main character in "Streets of Fire," which still has many fans, and Vernon Wells, known for his roles as Wes in "Mad Max 2" and Bennett in "Commando-" and as an artist, who has worked on "Alien vs. Predator" and " Yuji Katagiri, who was involved in "Mandalorian" and made his directorial debut with "GEHENNA: The Place Where Death Lives," welcomed these three artists to a premium talk show to celebrate the completion of his latest action film, "End of Royalty. The talk show was filled with various stories as well as the movie, and when Michael Pare took the stage and immediately jokingly said, "My face is not on the poster," Director Katagiri quickly followed up by saying, "That's because this poster only shows the villain. The talk began in a friendly atmosphere.

Director Katagiri: "The film was made on a budget:
Director Katagiri: "I wanted to use only physical action without using too many special effects such as CG because of the budget, but if I just did that, I would not be able to compete with films with larger budgets, so I incorporated various elements to make this action film a little unique. As for casting, when I saw the list of actors I could contact, I found Michael Pare's name and since I love "Streets of Fire," I didn't hesitate to offer it to him. Vernon Wells also inspired me a lot with his role as the antagonist in "Commando," so I offered him the role as well.

What can you tell us about your role in the film?
Michael Pare: "The director contacted me and we had coffee at Starbucks and discussed a lot about the movie. This time I played the role of a heart-warming old man who doesn't do much action, so I played the role with about 75% of my usual intensity, and it went well. The script written by the director is very interesting and portrays loyalty in a very unique way."

Vernon Wells: "I had an initial online meeting with the director, and the first time I met him in person was on the set. I was fascinated by the fact that the character I played was not just a fighter, but a man with a solid foundation deep down inside.

What do you think of the appeal of action films?
Michael Pare: "Action movies are popular all over the world because everyone wants to be a hero. And action movies are easy to relate to."
Vernon Wells: "Michael is always the hero and I'm always the villain, but I think people want to see the hero get beat up by the villain. My wife says of me, 'You're diabolical driving down the highway' (laughs), but after years of playing villains, sometimes I get scared that I have a really bad character inside me that will one day come to the surface."

Director Katagiri: "In my mind, action movies end with Jackie Chan, "Mad Max 2," and "Streets of Fire. So I think this film also oozes a bit of 80's taste. Both Michael and Vernon are veteran actors who do what I want them to do without me having to say a word, and I've always been a fan of theirs, so it was hard for me as a director to inspire myself to give them direction.

About Japan:
Vernon Wells: "I love Japan and the Japanese people. Everyone is friendly and Japan is a very safe country. And Tokyo Comic-Con is truly Amazing! Your continued love of film is what makes it possible for us to keep making films, and I hope it continues.
Michael Pare: "I visited Kyoto 38 years ago when I came to Japan for "Streets of Fire" and was impressed by the kindness of the people and their love of peace. I also went to a temple that has been there for over 1,000 years, and it was great to feel the atmosphere of the Japanese people, who I am sure have been visiting and worshipping here for a long time."

Tomorrow, the advance screening will finally take place (tickets on sale now!). Please stay tuned for "End of Royalty."

★18:10 - Celebrity Stage: Christopher Lloyd

In the evening, Christopher Lloyd, well-known for his role as Doc in "Back to the Future," will take the stage.
Mr. Christopher Lloyd appeared with his arms outstretched and a big smile on his face at the beginning of the talk, and although he was sitting on a chair at first, he soon stood up and remained standing until the end of the talk.

He talked about his favorite scene in "Back to the Future:
There are so many, so it's difficult to choose, but the scene in "part 3" where he chases the train on the horse is still very impressive. Also, in "part 1," we started out filming with a different actor as Marty, but one day after 6 weeks, Spielberg surprised everyone by gathering everyone together at 1 am and saying, "From now on, the role of Marty will be played by Michael J. Fox. But it created a great chemistry.

What about the Japanese fans?
About Japanese fans: "I am always happy to see their enthusiasm and sympathy. The Japanese are sincere and love not only Doc and Marty, but the entire cast of Back to the Future. They continue to love the trilogy over and over again, and I appreciate their love of the movies."

On Michael J. Fox, whom he also met and hugged at New York Comic-Con:
About Michael J. Fox, whom I met and hugged at New York Comic-Con: "We still hang out a lot at Back to the Future events, and I really love Michael. We have a personal relationship, and I think it's great that he continues to bring smiles to people's faces with his humor and bravery in the face of serious illness."

What era would you like to ride in the DeLorean?
In the future, 500 years from now. I would like to see how our current actions affect the environment, politics, etc. in the future, and then go back to the present and tell everyone about it. In the past, I would like to go to the age of the dinosaurs and see how civilization was built.

What can you tell us about "The Mandalorian," which is rumored to be in the works?
What are you talking about? (Laughs). (Laughs.) Actually, I had a very nice shooting experience. That's a lie (laughs). Ah, I'm getting confused! It's a fun film whether I'm in it or not (laughs)."
Christopher Lloyd answered with humor on a topic that fans were anxious to hear about.

Finally, "Tokyo Comic-Con 2022," the first real event in three years, opened today! Please look forward to the remaining two days of the event!

Event Information
Tokyo Comic Con 2022
Name: Tokyo Comic Con 2022 (Tokyo Comic Con 2022)
Date: Friday, November 25, 2022 10:00 - 20:00
Saturday, November 26, 10:00 - 20:00
Sunday, November 27, 10:00 - 18:00
Venue: Makuhari Messe (2-1 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261-0023) Hall 4 - 8
Tokyo Comic Convention, Inc. and Tokyo Comic Convention Executive Committee
Event Contents: ・Disclosure of the latest information on movies and comics from Japan and abroad
Corporate exhibits (limited and advance product sales, merchandise displays, etc.)
Exhibit of props actually used in movies and rare goods
Experience a variety of contents using the latest technology
・Interaction with international celebrity actors
Live streaming of live performances on stage
Cosplayers' exchange and contests
Exhibit and sale of works by cartoonists and animators, "Artist Alley