By Katie Richards

Once a year, science fiction and fantasy fiends flock to San Diego for Comic-Con, a four-day convention that showcases upcoming films, television shows and of course comics. Each year, cast members from some of television’s hit fantasy and sci-fi shows attend the convention to dish out details about the upcoming season. This convention gives fans an inside look at hit shows as well as previews of new, up and coming shows. Here is some of the hottest TV gossip and news straight from San Diego.

The Game of Thrones panel, which met on Friday July 13, revealed some exciting news to audience members and fans everywhere. The big announcement from this cast was that 14 (yes, 14!) new actors are joining the already humongous cast for the next season, which will kick off March 31, 2013. New cast members include Dianna Rigg, who stared in the 1960s TV show The Avengers, and Mackenzie Crook, known for his role in the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

ABC’s latest hit Once Upon a Time also dished out some secrets on Saturday. The show, which is teeming with storybook characters like Snow White, Prince Charming, Pinocchio and Red Riding Hood, announced the arrival of the show’s latest villain, Captain Hook. Even though the curse that plagued the characters in season one was finally broken, it seems that all is not well in the town of Storybrooke. What other fantasy characters do you think will join Captain Hook this season?

The smoldering cast of The Vampire Diaries sat down at Comic Con to discuss what to expect for the show’s fourth season. At the end of season three Elena and Matt were in a terrible car accident that landed them trapped in a car, underwater. Sadly, Elena gestures for Stefan to save Matt and leave her to die, but turns out Elena was given vampire blood earlier that day…uh-oh! The cast discussed the new role that Nina Dobrev (Elena) would have to play and how that role would change the dynamic of the Elena, Damon and Stefan love triangle.

Finally, the buzzed about AMC zombie show The Walking Dead devoured Comic-Con with a packed auditorium. Audience members were finally told that season three kicks off on October 14. Further, in the trailer that was screened, viewers got to see the cast kicking butt in a zombie-infested prison. Andrea and Michonne are taken to Woodberry, where a large group of survivors reside. Aside from the trailer, the cast did not reveal many secrets or spoilers. So, fans will just have to wait a few more months to find out what will happen next.

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