A TRAILBLAZING new event promising to share the secrets of Hollywood is coming to Bolton.

Movie Con is a celebration of cinema which has been developed for big screen fans and movie buffs.

Fans of "cosplay" or costume play — where people dress up as their favourite comic or movie characters — will also have plenty to do at the show.

Game of Thrones' Ser Barristan Selmy, protector of Denaerys Targarian, the Mother of Dragons, otherwise known as Irish actor Ian McElhinney, will also be appearing alongside well known TV faces like Primeval star Andrew Lee Potts and sitcom actor John Challis, best known as Only Fools and Horses' Boycie.

The new concept event, which mixes elements of comic conventions, workshops and live shows, is being premiered at Bolton's Macron Stadium on November 8.

While similar conventions have been premiered in the likes of London and San Fransisco, MCUK's senior events manager Richard Stephens has a particular reason for choosing Bolton as his starting point.

"I'm originally from Bolton so this has to be in my home town," he said.

"This will be the launch of the first of this kind of event which is a step away from fan conventions.

"It's going to be the event of the year for the North West.

"We started working on this in December, a team of four working seven days a week, we've given it our all."

The 39-year-old, who now lives in Sheffield, was inspired to create the MCUK event from his time working as crew and as an onscreen extra work in Los Angeles between 1999 and 2006.

While classic comic conventions focus on merchandise stalls and guest autograph signings, the Movie Con is hoping to offer much more.

The MCUK team has joined forces with Bolton University which will be hosting interactive workshops looking at the secrets behind movie prosthetics and special effects.

There will also be live action shows with a special effects laden live action show of Back to the Future featuring a screen-replica De Lorean to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary.

Frozen, Star Wars and Superman will also be getting the live action treatment.

There will also be a "cosplay showdown" and MCUK has teamed up with retail store GAME to host a multiplayer tournament of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops III video game.

Any convention would not be complete without celebrity guests and MCUK has a wide variety of names on its list.

Among them are Mark Lester who became a childhood film icon starring as Oliver Twist in the 1968 box office sensation Oliver!

To find out more about the November event visit www.moviecon.co.uk