'The Lion King' Director Rob Minkoff To Appear At Wizard World Comic Con Portland, Feb. 18-19

PORTLAND, Ore. - Feb. 2, 2017 - PRLog -- Tens of millions have watched his movies, from The Lion King to Stuart Little to The Forbidden Kingdom and Mr. Peabody & Sherman and now fans in the Pacific Northwest will have the opportunity to see and meet legendary director Rob Minkoff when he attends Wizard World Comic Con Portland, February 18 and 19 at the Oregon Convention Center. Minkoff, who will be making his first Wizard World appearance, will participate in Q&A panels on both days.

The Palo Alto, Calif., native did animation work for Walt Disney Animation Studios beginning in the early 1980s, serving as supervising animator for The Great Mouse Detective in 1985 and character designer for The Brave Little Toaster two years later. Minkoff put his talents to use on hits The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast before directing The Lion King alongside Roger Allers, before moving to live action films Stuart Little, Stuart Little 2, The Haunted Mansion, The Forbidden Kingdom and Flypaper between 1999-2011. In December, The Lion King was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The aggregate box office on his films is near $2 billion.

"Rob Minkoff's body of work is extraordinary! The Lion King is a defining movie for filmgoers of all ages; Forbidden Kingdom, starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li, is a work that has propelled Rob to mega-stardom internationally," said John D. Maatta, Wizard World President & CEO. "We are excited that our fans will have the opportunity to interact with Rob and learn more about his craft and career as part of the ultimate entertainment experience in Portland." Maatta continued: "Wizard World is not an 'autograph convention'—it is an evernt that is at the hub of pop culture where celebrities and Icons interact directly with fans nationwide. With the appearance of Rob Minkoff we are launching the 'Wizard World Director Series' where world-class directors will appear to discuss their works. We are thrilled to have Rob with us as we inaugurate this new initiative."

Wizard World Comic Con Portland will feature John Barrowman ("Arrow," "Torchwood"), Tatiana Maslany ("Orphan Black"), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter franchise), Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," God's Not Dead), Nichelle Nichols ("Star Trek"), Tasya Teles ("The 100"), Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox ("ChiPs"), Theo Rossi ("Luke Cage," "Sons of Anarchy"), Josh McDermitt ("The Walking Dead," "Retired at 35"), Alan Tudyk ("Firefly," Wreck-It Ralph), Cerina Vincent (Not Another Teen Movie, Cabin Fever) and Lou Ferrigno ("The Incredible Hulk") among the all-star cast of celebrities scheduled to appear, February 17-19. The event marks Wizard World's fifth annual show in Portland and the second on its 2017 calendar of 16 scheduled events.

Additionally, Wizard World will host SocialCon (www.socialcon.com) at Portland on Saturday, February 18, with major social influencers including notables Kristen Hancher, Crawford Collins, Justin Blake, featured musical performer Zach Clayton, Nick Bean, Jackson Krecioch, Bryce Hall and special musical guest Johnny Orlando as well as many others, whose combined follower reach exceeds 50 million. SocialCon will feature meet-and-greets, live performances, Q&A panels, autographs, photo ops and more.

Portland will also feature an exciting array of activities, including non-stop live entertainment throughout extended evening hours, Kick off the Con and After Parties, gaming, exclusive Q&A sessions with top celebrities, movie screenings hosted by stars and directors and more. Details to follow soon.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Portland show hours are Friday, February 17, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, February 18, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday, February 19, 10 a.m. -4 p.m.

Wizard World is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character—and some never before dreamed—will roam the convention floor. The famed Wizard World Comic Con Portland Costume Contest will take place on Saturday night.

For more on the 2017 Wizard World Comic Con Portland, visit http://wizardworld.com/comiccon/portland.

About Wizard World (OTCBB:WIZD)

Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming and entertainment takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched ComicConBox™ (www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service, SocialCon™ (www.socialcon.com) and Wizard World Touring. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The Wizard World 2017 schedule is available at: http://www.wizardworld.com.