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Shatner, Mulgrew, Cromwell among 'Star Trek' guests beaming into McCormick Place this weekend

The “Star Trek” franchise is cruising at Warp Nine toward its 56th anniversary in September, powering the Paramount+ streaming platform with four TV series and another on the way: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” chronicling the early days of the Enterprise with Anson Mount as Capt. Christopher Pike, premieres May 5.

Before Mount heads off into the final frontier, he'll be among the guests at Star Trek: Mission Chicago, a three-day convention running next weekend at McCormick Place. Tickets are available online at startrekmissions.com.

Mount and co-stars Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck and Celia Rose Gooding will present a special look at the new series for convention attendees at 4 p.m. Saturday alongside executive producers Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman, an Oscar winner for “A Beautiful Mind.”

For an added fee, fans in attendance can get autograph and photo sessions with Mount and other actors representing nearly every corner of the “Star Trek” galaxy: William Shatner (appearing Sunday) and George Takei (Friday-Saturday) from the original crew, Kate Mulgrew (Saturday-Sunday) from “Voyager,” Nana Visitor (all days) and Alexander Siddig (Friday-Saturday) from “Deep Space Nine,” Michelle Hurd and Isa Briones (both Friday-Saturday) from “Star Trek: Picard,” just to name a few.

Also making a rare convention appearance next Saturday and Sunday will be Oscar-nominated actor James Cromwell (“Babe”), whose performance as Zefram Cochrane in 1996's “Star Trek: First Contact” helped make him one of the most beloved character actors of the last three decades. He'll be signing and snapping photos, and will share his remembrances of working alongside Jonathan Frakes and the “Next Generation” crew at noon Saturday in a panel open to all guests.

William Shatner, seen here at the Rosemont Theatre in 2018, will return to the area for Star Trek: Mission Chicago at McCormick Place. Associated Press

Other programming highlights:

A screening of the new 4K restoration of 1979's “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a Q&A session with producer David C. Fein about the restoration and enhancement of the “Director's Edition” of Robert Wise's epic-scaled film. (The new version also beams this Tuesday to Paramount+, followed by a physical media release in September.)

A chat with “RuPaul's Drag Race” star (and “Trek” fan) Jackie Cox at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.

A panel discussion with cast members from “Star Trek: Enterprise” at 1 p.m. Friday; scheduled to appear are Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery and Connor Trinneer.

Two “spotlight sessions” with original “Trek” legends on Sunday: William Shatner at 12:30 p.m. and Walter Koenig at 2 p.m.

"Voyager," "Prodigy" and "Orange is the New Black" star Kate Mulgrew will appear at Star Trek: Mission Chicago. Associated Press

A Q&A with Kate Mulgrew about “Voyager” and the new animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy,” followed by a reading from her memoir, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Mulgrew will be selling and signing copies of her book afterward.

The convention offerings also include merchandise vendors, cosplay contests, escape rooms and an on-site “tattoo quadrant” featuring Marc Draven's Ink Fusion Tattoo Empire, just in case you want to indulge your need to get the Starfleet insignia on your calf.

Essential mission information: All attendees of Star Trek: Mission Chicago age 5 and up must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test (antigen or PCR) to enter. Face coverings are recommended but not required, unless requested by specific celebrity guests during interactions.

All celebrity appearances are subject to change; for the latest information, follow @startrekmission on Twitter.

Star Trek: Mission Chicago

When: Friday, April 8, to Sunday, April 10

Where: West Building at McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive, Chicago

Single-day tickets: $65 adults, $35 under 12

Three-day tickets: $155

Website: startrekmissions.com

Parking: Lot A, 2301 S. Prairie Ave.; $25 for up to 16 hours

Public transportation: Take CTA Green Line to Cermak-McCormick Place station, two blocks from venue

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