Wristbands for the Halloween Cosplay Ball, FREE for 3-Day Multipass and Saturday badge holders and featuring a performance by Black Eyed Peas and Friends, will be distributed at 2pm in the Concourse Hallway.
Line up will begin at 1pm in the doorways leading from the South Hall into the Concourse Hall, in front of the vending machines. Look for the sign that says Wristband Queue Starts Here.
No one will be allowed to line up prior to 1pm. You may not linger or camp out in the hallway, other than in areas designated for seating, before 1pm.
TWO lines will be formed – one for Multipass badge holders, and one for Saturday badge holders.
You MUST have a badge to be in line. Only ONE wristband per person.
At 2pm, distribution of wristbands will start with the Multipass badge holder line, and will continue until either the line is emptied or there are no more wristbands, whichever comes first.
If there are still wristbands left once the Multipass line has been emptied, then wristband distribution will begin for Saturday badge holders, and will last until either the line is emptied or there are no more wristbands, whichever comes first.
Once we begin distributing wristbands to the Saturday badge holders, and Multipass badge holders must queue up at the back of the SATURDAY badge holders line. We will not be running a second Multipass line, and we will not be “fastpassing” Multipass badge holders.
If there are still wristbands remaining after both lines have been emptied, then wristbands will be handed out on-site at Club Novo on a first-come, first-served basis; you still must have a Multipass or Saturday badge.
If you have an Ultimate VIP badge or Black Eyed Peas Masters of the Sun Halloween Cosplay Ball badge, you do not need to wait in the wristband line; your badge will grant you access to the VIP lounge, and you will receive your wristband once at the venue. However, if you want to be on the main floor and not in the VIP section, then you MUST wait in line for a regular wristband. You will not be able to bring non-VIP pass holders with you to the VIP area; they will not be granted access.
Exhibitors, Guests, Press, Professionals, Panelists or any other unpaid badge will NOT be given a wristband unless there are any left over after both Multipass and Saturday badge holder lines have been emptied; they may be collected at Club Novo on a first come, first serve basis.
GETTING A WRISTBAND DOES NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY TO CLUB NOVO. There is a maximum capacity at the venue at which point anyone with a wristband will need to wait to be let in as others leave, on a one-to-one basis.
Doors for the Halloween Cosplay Ball are at 7pm.
Enjoy the Halloween Cosplay Ball!

Movie
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters

If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Events
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023


Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm