‘Obsession’ Star Michael Johnston Set to Appear at FAN EXPO Chicago

FAN EXPO Chicago, Chicago’s longest-running comic and pop culture convention, today added actor and breakout horror star Michael Johnston to its slate of more than 80 celebrity guests meeting and greeting fans at this year’s convention, running August 14 – 16, 2026 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

Michael Johnston stars as Baron “Bear” Bailey in ‘Obsession’, writer-director Curry Barker‘s supernatural horror debut from Focus Features and Blumhouse, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before opening worldwide on May 15 and going on to gross more than $450 million against a $750,000 budget, making it one of the year’s most improbable box office stories and Focus’s highest-grossing release ever. Johnston’s turn as Bear, a young man whose wish to be loved curdles into something monstrous, has drawn wide critical praise and sparked no shortage of online debate about who the film’s real villain is. His path to the screen ran through Chicago, where he trained at The Second City. He is known to television audiences as Corey Bryant on MTV’s ‘Teen Wolf’, and his film credits include the SXSW-premiering indie ‘Slash’ and Lionsgate’s ‘Endangered Species’. He made his stage debut in ‘Let The Right One In’ at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and as a voice actor has led the BAFTA-winning game ‘The Artful Escape’ and appeared in numerous animated series and video games.

Johnston joins an all-star roster of celebrity guests, including superstar Kurt Russell in his first-ever convention appearance; ‘Lord of the Rings’ stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, John Noble, and John Rhys-Davies; ‘The Goonies’ castmates Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Joe Pantoliano, and Kerri Green; ‘Star Trek’ William Shatner, Walter Koenig, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner; filmmakers Sam Raimi and John Carpenter; iconic actor Danny Glover; ‘Smallville’ cast members Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, and Erica Durance; ‘Supernatural’ star Jared Padalecki; THE BOYS stars Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, Valorie Curry, Tomer Capone, and Colbie Minifie; and Chicago’s own Mr. T and Rob Colletti.

FAN EXPO Chicago runs August 14 – 16, 2026 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Show hours are Friday 4 – 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets start at $41 during the advanced pricing window through July 30, 2026, and go to regular price from July 31 through the end of the show; 3-day passes and VIP packages also available at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/buy-tickets/. More information and updates can be found at fanexpochicago.com. 

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