SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 30th July (EUROPA PRESS) –
The upcoming eighth edition of the Canary Islands Fantastic Film Festival Ciudad de La Laguna Isla Calavera has revealed its first star guest for this year’s event, scheduled to take place from 8th to 17th November in Tenerife. The festival will feature the American actor and bodybuilding legend Lou Ferrigno, renowned for his iconic role in the television series ‘The Incredible Hulk’. Ferrigno, who remains active in the industry, will be honoured with the Isla Calavera Legend of the Fantastic Award at the Leal Theatre in La Laguna. Moreover, he will participate in a special event at Multicines Tenerife, the official screening venue of the festival.
Born in New York to a family of Italian heritage, Ferrigno achieved success in various bodybuilding competitions in the early 1970s, earning titles such as Mr. America and Mr. Universe. He notably clinched the Mr. Universe title consecutively in 1973 and 1974, becoming the youngest athlete to achieve this feat. Ferrigno also gained recognition for his appearance alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the critically acclaimed documentary ‘Pumping Iron’, which documented the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition.
His television career took off with the series ‘The Incredible Hulk’ (1978-1982), marking the first on-screen adaptation of the Marvel Comics superhero character. Portraying the Hulk, Ferrigno shared an unforgettable on-screen dynamic with co-star Bill Bixby. He later revisited the role in the television films ‘The Return of the Incredible Hulk’ (1988), ‘The Trial of the Incredible Hulk’ (1989), and ‘The Death of the Hulk’ (1990). Additionally, he portrayed the son of Zeus in ‘The Challenge of Hercules’ (1983) and its sequel ‘The Fury of the Colossus’ (1985) by Italian director Luigi Cozzi. Ferrigno also appeared in ‘Sinbad, King of the Seas’ (1983), adapted from the character of ‘The Thousand and One Nights’, co-directed by Cozzi and Enzo G. Castellari, recipient of the 2018 Isla Calavera de Honor Award.
He lent his voice to the emerald giant in the animated series ‘The Incredible Hulk’ in the 1990s and surprised audiences with a cameo as a security guard in Ang Lee’s film ‘Hulk’ (2003). Ferrigno later reprised his role in Louis Leterrier’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’ (2008). His recent projects include the acclaimed television series ‘The Offer’, where he portrays professional wrestler and actor Lenny Montana, known for his portrayal of Luca Brasi in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Godfather’. Furthermore, Ferrigno is set to appear in the upcoming horror feature film ‘The Hermit’, where he takes on the titular role. Notably, in the previous edition of the Isla Calavera Festival, the Legend of the Fantastic Award was presented to actor Sam J. Jones, who rose to fame with the 1980 classic ‘Flash Gordon’, inspired by the comic book character created by Alex Raymond.
