Pedro Pascal is moved to tears on his second visit to CCXP Mexico pop culture convention

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Pedro Pascal could not contain his excitement and was moved to tears when visiting the CCXP Mexico pop culture convention for the second time to present his upcoming film “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

The Chilean-American actor arrived accompanied by the cute Grogu and director, cowriter and producer Jon Favreau, who received a huge ovation from the 2,500 attendees on the Thunder Stage when they exclusively presented a preview of the film Sunday night.

“We’ve been working in secret for years, but we wanted to show it to you and for us it’s a big treat too, it’s the first time we get to share this with the fans,” said Favreau.

A year ago, Pascal visited the convention to present “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and now he said he was excited to be part of the Star Wars legacy and make the leap to the big screen after the television series “The Mandalorian," released in 2019.

“I always had a dream in my heart that would be on a big screen. Because that’s how I developed as a child. I went to the movie theater so much with my family. And I saw the Star Wars movies on the big screen,” said Pascal, who attributed the urge to cry to the fact that “I’m old, it happens very easily.”

“They are films ... that really fostered all my dreams,” he said. “So now to be a part of that and share it with you who see it on a big screen. ... It’s a dream I never imagined.”

Filmed in IMAX, the movie starring Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White, opens on May 21 and is one of the most anticipated summer releases of 2026. It’s the first Star Wars film in seven years since “The Rise of Skywalker,” and Favreau highlighted the opportunity to attract new fans.

“We wanted to introduce these characters to a new audience,” the director said. “But for the fans who’ve been there forever, like these people, we wanted to evolve the relationship. So it’s no longer about the Mandalorian rescuing Grogu. Now Grogu has leveled up. He’s a Mandalorian apprentice.”

Favreau also shared his own experience as a Star Wars fan to an audience full of Grogu’s green ears and lightsabers.

“When I was in high school, I was a usher in the movie theater when ‘Empire Strikes Back’ went out. Then ‘Return of the Jedi’ came out, so I’ve been a fan since I was young, but never did I think I’d get to make Star Wars.”

The director took the opportunity to highlight that the film had a more in-depth treatment than the series, since they had a lot of pre-production time.

“We had three years to do this. The choreography, the creatures, the stop motion, the CGI, all of it,” said the director. “It’s just been a tremendous ride. I’m so super grateful that the fans are trusting me with Star Wars.”

Pascal, who was wearing a green Mexican national soccer team jersey in preparation for the World Cup to be held in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, noted that in the film the relationship between legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and Grogu has evolved.

“They’ve always been like a very powerful team, but everyone sees that the Mandalorian is protecting a baby. And now, in this movie, they’re more like a couple, on the same level,” he said.

Pedro Pascal poses for photos at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

A man carries a Grogu plush toy on his shoulder at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

Jon Favreau, left, and Pedro Pascal pose for photos at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

A woman touches Grogu's head at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

Jon Favreau, left, and Pedro Pascal pose for photos at CCXP Mexico in Mexico City, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

ATLANTA (AP) — A former defensive tackle at the University of Alabama pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding investors of millions of dollars in part by putting on makeup and wigs to impersonate NFL players.

Luther Davis, 37, entered guilty pleas in federal court in Atlanta to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. CJ Evins, 29, who was accused of executing the scheme with Davis, also pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Both men left court without commenting. U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg scheduled sentencing for Davis in October and Evins in August. The men each face up to seven years in prison, though prosecutors agreed to recommend a lower sentence as part of plea deals.

In court Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington said the men used fake bank and email accounts to help convince lenders they were either acting on behalf of particular athletes or were the athletes themselves. They later sought to impersonate higher-profile players with bigger contracts, he said.

Security for a players' union learned that fraudulent player contracts had been used as collateral, he said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta filed a criminal complaint against Davis and Evins last month.

Davis wore disguises on multiple video calls with investors in 2024, pretending to be three different NFL players. He wore makeup and a wig once, a wig a second time and a do-rag-style head covering on a third call, according to prosecutors, who identified the players only by initials.

None of the NFL players had authorized Davis and Evins to obtain loans. In addition to wearing disguises, prosecutors say Davis used fake driver’s licenses with photos of the players that could be found online.

The scheme brought in nearly $20 million from numerous fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used in part to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the criminal complaint.

Davis was a national champion with the Crimson Tide in 2010.

FILE - Alabama's Luther Davis (96) reacts after their 32-13 win over Florida in the SEC championship NCAA college football game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Dec. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)