#BOXOFFICE: “DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE” DOMINANT IN THIRD FRAME

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE completely dominate their third frame, taking $55 million from 4,230 theatres this weekend for DIsney/Marvel edging real close to the $500 million-mark in North America.

In second is IT ENDS WITH US with $49 million from 3,611 theatres, giving real-life Hollywood power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively a rare one-two punch! Despite getting 57% on the Tomatometer, audiences are hungry for female-led stories and fans of the book on which this is based by Colleen Hoover, came out in droves.

Third is TWISTERS with $15.4 million for Universal Pictures, taking it to $222 million domestically.

DESPICABLE ME 4 takes fourth with $10 million, also for Universal Pictures, bringing its tally to $322 million.

Debuting in fifth is BORDERLANDS with $9 million for Cineplex Pictures/Lionsgate. This latest from Eli Roth gets 10% on the Tomatometer from Critics.

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW”

Attendees of the studio showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event were excited to see the first trailer for “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”. Fans welcomed star Jude Law to the stage and heard new details about the coming-of-age series that begins streaming on Disney+ Monday, December 2, 2024 the first two episodes arriving at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST

Check out the new trailer now.

“Skeleton Crew” follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy, crossing paths with the likes of Jod Na Nawood, the mysterious character played by Law. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

Starring Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon and Nick Frost, episodes of the original live-action series are directed by Jon Watts, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lee Isaac Chung. The executive producers are Christopher Ford, Jon Watts, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: “AGATHA ALL ALONG” NEW TRAILER

Excited attendees of the studio showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event were the first to see the decidedly dark and mysterious new trailer and poster for Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along”—cast members Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp and Patti LuPone joined together on stage to sing the Sacred Chant version of the series’ theme song “The Ballad of the Witches Road” by Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who, along with cast member Aubrey Plaza, joined Kevin Feige on stage. Now available to download and share, the new trailer gave fans some insight into the upcoming series, which streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning September 18, 2024 with the first two episodes.

In Marvel Studios’ “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer, who is also the head writer and directed three episodes. Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Monteiro each direct three episodes of the original live-action series.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada/Marvel Studios Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TEASER FOR DISNEY’S “SNOW WHITE”

Fans attending the studio showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event just got a look at the teaser trailer and poster for “Disney’s Snow White,” which opens exclusively in theatres March 21, 2025. Stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, who portray Snow White and the Evil Queen, respectively, were on hand to give fans exclusive details about the production and share a first look at the Whistle While You Work scene.

“Disney’s Snow White” is a live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film. The magical music adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. “Disney’s Snow White” is directed by Marc Webb and produced by Marc Platt and Jared LeBoff, with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer, and features all-new original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR DISNEY’S “MUFASA: THE LION KING”

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” director Barry Jenkins and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with cast members Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins and Anika Noni Rose, shared an exciting new trailer and poster with fans attending the studio showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. The film capped the studio’s presentation tonight with a show-stopping performance of the classic “Nants’ Ingonyama” and new song “Ngomso” by Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music, alongside a full choir. “Mufasa: The Lion King” releases only in theatres Dec. 20, 2024.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

In addition to the cast attending D23 this year, the film also features John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Keith David, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, the all-new feature film is produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: HIGHLIGHTS FROM DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT SHOWCASE AT D23 2024

The world-class storytelling engines of The Walt Disney Company took center stage at the Honda Center during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa®. Surprise celebrity appearances, new film and series titles, and major musical performances enthralled the audience of Disney fans from around the world, demonstrating the unmatched strength of the company’s creative studios, as well as the unique connection that generations of passionate fans of all ages have forged with its stories and characters over the past century.

Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger kicked off the evening to thank fans for their enduring passion, and to highlight what sets Disney apart as a global leader in creative storytelling and innovation. “Our deep bond with fans, forged over a century of storytelling, is stronger today than ever before,” he said, “driven by the unmatched strength of our creative studios, the wide appeal of our brands and franchises, and the innovative ways that we bring our stories to life in our theme parks and experiences.”

Hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown, the event featured a number of Disney’s outstanding creative leaders, including Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, Pixar Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee, and Marvel Studios’ President and producer Kevin Feige were on stage to introduce the stars and storytellers behind new and beloved titles.

Major Moments & Announcements from Tonight’s Showcase

The Walt Disney Studios had a lot to celebrate—and a lot to look forward to.

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS welcomes back to the big screen fan-favourite characters in a trio of all-new feature films coming to theatres beginning this fall.

Disney Animation’s “Moana 2” kicked off the showcase with a crowd-pleasing performance by the phenomenal voice of Moana herself, Auli‘i Cravalho, alongside dancers and drummers from Nonosina Polynesia. Fans were among the first ever to hear “We’re Back,” an all-new song written by Grammy®-winning songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear—one of several new songs to be featured in the film that reunites Moana and Maui for an expansive new voyage. Following the performance, Dwayne Johnson, the inimitable voice of demigod Maui, hit the stage to greet fans and drum up excitement, revealing for the first time a new trailer and poster, which are now available. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, the new film opens only in theatres on Nov. 27, 2024.

Fans went wild for the studio’s highly anticipated follow-up to “Zootopia,” 2016’s Oscar®-winning feature film. In “Zootopia 2,” which hits theatres in November 2025, detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. Ginnifer Goodwin, who returns to voice clever bunny Judy, greeted fans at D23, sharing a special look at the film that features a fugitive snake called Gary. Jason Bateman returns as the voice of wise-cracking fox Nick Wilde, Ke Huy Quan was announced tonight as the voice of Gary, and Fortune Feimster ventures into the world as a beaver named Nibbles. Jared Bush is directing and writing; Yvett Merino produces. The film logo and concept art are now available.

Disney Animation’s Jennifer Lee, who wrote and directed 2013’s Oscar-winning “Frozen” and its 2019 follow-up, shared a brief tease and concept art for “Frozen 3,” which comes exclusively to movie theatres in 2027.

AVATAR continues to enchant and excite global audiences, and franchise creator James Cameron was on site to share details about the next chapter.

The excited crowd offered a warm D23 welcome to Cameron, who will become an official Disney Legend this weekend. Joined by “Avatar” stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, Cameron revealed for the first time the title of the third film in the remarkably successful “Avatar” franchise: “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Saldaña) and the Sully family. Directed by Cameron, the new film from 20th Century Studios and Lightstorm Entertainment also stars Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin, Jack Champion, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss and Bailey Bass. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” opens exclusively in theatres nationwide December 19, 2025.

PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS’ Pete Docter invited fans inside his own mind where his Emotions were both grateful—“Inside Out 2” recently became the number-one animated film of all time—and excited about what’s next from the studio.

Docter revealed the official launch date of Pixar’s first original series “Win or Lose,” which begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ on Dec. 6, 2024. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced by David Lally, the new series reveals what it feels like to be in the shoes of eight different characters—the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire—as they prepare for a championship softball game. Will Forte lends his voice to the coach. Some fans will get to see the first two episodes at D23 Backlot stage tomorrow. A sneak peek and teaser poster are now available.

Coming to Disney+ in 2025 is “Dream Productions,” a just-announced series from the world of “Inside Out” about the studio inside Riley’s mind where dreams really do come true thanks to acclaimed dream director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell). Written and directed by Mike Jones and produced by Jaclyn Simon, the four-episode series also features the voices of Richard Ayoade, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Alli Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith. Logo and concept art are now available. The D23 audience was cosmically chosen to learn more about Pixar’s upcoming feature film “Elio.” Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, the new adventure follows Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, who gets beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization that mistakes him for Earth’s leader. Greeting fans were the voice of Elio himself, Yonas Kibreab, and Zoe Saldaña, who lends her voice to Elio’s Aunt Olga. Produced by Mary Alice Drumm, the movie also features the voices of Brad Garrett and Jameela Jamil. “Elio” releases in theatres on June 13, 2025. New concept art is now available.

Coming to theatres in 2026 is “Hoppers,” an all-new film from Pixar that introduces Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic animal: an adorable beaver. Directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, “Hoppers” features the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm. A film logo and concept art are now available.

It’s been almost 30 years since audiences first met Buzz and Woody and what a journey they’ve had! The D23 crowd was elated to hear about Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” when Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, who’s worked on every “Toy Story” film and helms the new movie, greeted fans and offered a few clues about the new story. This time around, it’s Toy meets Tech when Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder as they go head to head with this all-new threat to playtime. Co-directed by McKenna Harris and produced by Jessica Choi, “Toy Story 5” opens only in theatres on June 19, 2026. The film logo and concept art are now available.

Docter had one final announcement before he bid adieu. Fans’ favourite Super-family is heading back to the big screen—“Incredibles 3” is officially in the works at Pixar Animation Studios with Oscar®-winning filmmaker Brad Bird currently developing the film. The I3 badge is now available.

DISNEY ON BROADWAY celebrated its 30th anniversary with a thrilling medley of performances and exclusive announcements from its hit stage musicals. Highlights included “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “Hercules,” which will open in London’s West End in summer 2025. The event also featured news about “The Greatest Showman,” currently in development for a stage musical adaptation, and “Frozen,” which was filmed on stage and will premiere on Disney+ in 2025. Samantha Barks, who will star as Elsa, dazzled the audience with a powerful rendition of “Let It Go.”

The stage adaptation of “The Greatest Showman,” featuring the Academy Award®-nominated songs of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, will announce production timetable, creative team and cast at a later date.

LUCASFILM’s upcoming theatrical and streaming titles continue the studio’s penchant for adventure that’s out of this world.

Star Jude Law hit the stage to offer insight on a brand-new Star Wars series launching on Disney+ on Dec. 3, 2024, with the first two episodes. Told through the perspective of four kids, Lucasfilm’s “Skeleton Crew” follows them as they make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy, crossing paths with the likes of Jod Na Nawood, a mysterious character that Law portrays. The coming-of-age series also stars Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon and Nick Frost. Episodes of the original live-action series are directed by Watts, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lee Isaac Chung. Executive producers are Christopher Ford, Jon Watts, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. The first-ever teaser trailer, shared with fans tonight, is now available.

Season two of “Andor” is on the horizon and star Diego Luna joined fans at D23 to build excitement for the follow-up to the critically acclaimed, Emmy®-nominated first season of the Lucasfilm series. “Andor” Season 2 will continue to follow Cassian Andor over the period of four years as he grows into the rebel hero we see fulfill his destiny in “Rogue One.” The second season will launch on Disney+ in 2025.
Director Jon Favreau and producer Dave Filoni offered a special sneak peek of Lucasfilm’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” the upcoming Star Wars feature film that will open in theatres on May 22, 2026. Starring Pedro Pascal, directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Favreau, Filoni and Ian Bryce, this exciting new adventure in the Mandalorian and Grogu’s journey is currently in production.

MARVEL STUDIOS’ Kevin Feige joined fans inside the Honda Center, offering appreciation and excitement for the phenomenal success of Marvel Studios’ recent release, “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Feige discussed next month’s launch of Marvel Television’s new series “Agatha All Along” in which the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Fans were the first to see a brand-new, decidedly dark and mysterious trailer—a tone that continued when series stars Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn and Debra Jo Rupp performed a magical new song, “The Ballad of the Witches Road.” Written by Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez—who joined the singers and Feige on stage—the song is featured in the Disney+ series that begins streaming Sept. 18, 2024. Episodes are directed by Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg and Gandja Montiero. Executive producers are Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Schaeffer, who is also head writer.
Feige welcomed “Captain America: Brave New World” star Anthony Mackie, who makes his big-screen debut as Cap on Feb. 14, 2025. Mackie talked about the film and shared footage with the D23 audience. Julius Onah directs the feature film in which Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross. “Captain America: Brave New World” also stars Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson and Harrison Ford. Feige and Nate Moore produce; Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth executive produce.

Launching on Disney+ in March 2025, Marvel Television’s “Daredevil: Born Again” catches up with Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, and his nemesis, Wilson Fisk, who’s pursuing his own political endeavors in New York. The crowd erupted when Feige invited stars Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Jon Bernthal to the stage to talk a little about the upcoming show before sharing footage with D23 attendees. Dario Scardapane is head writer and showrunner; episodes are directed by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff and David Boyd.

Fans were excited to learn—and see—a little more about Marvel’s First Family and the retro-futuristic vibe the new movie is embracing. Starring Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which just began production in the UK, features Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). Directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige and featuring music by Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” hits theatres on July 25, 2025.

Fans welcomed Ryan Coogler to the stage—Coogler and his team at Proximity are producing the upcoming Disney+ series “Ironheart” with Marvel Television. Stars Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, Regan Aliyah and Alden Ehrenreich offered insight and a look at some footage of the new series that launches on the streamer in 2025. Set after the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Marvel Television’s “Ironheart” pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne)—a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world—returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos). The series also stars Lyric Ross, Manny Montana, Matthew Elam and Anji White. Chinaka Hodge is head writer and EP; episodes are directed by Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes.

DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION’S Disney+ Original series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series co-creator Rick Riordan and stars Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) revealed an exclusive start of production tease from the upcoming second season. From Disney Branded Television and 20th Television, production on the epic adventure series is currently underway in Vancouver for a 2025 debut on Disney+. Season two is based on “The Sea of Monsters,” the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling “Percy Jackson” book series by acclaimed author Rick Riordan.

Click here to view the new “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” video tease as well as here to download the new season two poster. Please visit the press site here for more information on the series and include social tags @PercySeries, @DisneyPlus.

Disney Branded Television, Disney Concerts, Disney Music Group, and AEG jointly announced that the stars of mega-hit franchises “Descendants” and “Zombies” will be hitting the road together for the “Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour” in summer 2025. “Descendants: The Rise of Red” star Rita Ora introduced a medley performance of hit songs from the latest film, followed by an announcement of the tour news. The arena tour will be an immersive and interactive live concert experience celebrating the high-energy music from both franchises and will be held in arenas across the country. “Descendants: The Rise of Red” stars Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Dara Reneé, and Ruby Rose Turner, as well as “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires” stars Freya Skye and Malachi Barton are already confirmed for the tour, with more to be announced soon. Tickets will go on sale this November. For more details, please visit www.descendantszombiestour.com.

National Geographic revealed a first look at upcoming series, “David Blaine: Do Not Attempt,” coming 2025 on National Geographic and Disney+.

DISNEY LIVE ACTION is looking forward to a host of all-new, big-screen adventures that promise to thrill audiences around the world, judging from the audience reaction at the D23 showcase.

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” closed the studio’s showcase, beginning with Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music, performing the iconic “Nants’ Ingonyama” alongside a full choir. Director Barry Jenkins welcomed to the stage “Mufasa” songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda in his first-ever D23 appearance. Together, they offered a special look at a sequence from the film featuring a new song, “I Always Wanted a Brother.” Cast members Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins and Anika Noni Rose were introduced after Jenkins shared details about the all-new story that introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka. Fans were among the first to see the new trailer before being treated to a show-stopping finale by Lebo M. and choir, who returned to the stage to perform a new song called “Ngomso.” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theatres Dec. 20, 2024, also stars John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Keith David, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak produce. The trailer is now available with an accompanying poster.

“Disney’s Snow White,” a live-action reimagining of the classic tale, whistles into theatres March 21, 2025. Stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, who portray Snow White and her stepmother, the Evil Queen, respectively, hit the stage to the fans’ delight, sharing a special look at the upcoming film, including a brand-new teaser trailer and poster. Featuring original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the new film is directed by Mike Webb and produced by Marc Platt and Jared LeBoff, and welcomes back to the big screen the beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.

A new logo was revealed for the much-anticipated feature “Lilo & Stitch.” The crowd got a taste of Stitch’s signature mayhem as he wreaked havoc throughout the Honda Center. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and produced by Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin, “Lilo & Stitch” is a live-action reimagining of the animated classic. Starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere and Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis, the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family comes to theatres Summer 2025. A first look at Stitch was revealed on social and is available to share!

“TRON: Ares” stars Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, Evan Peters and Jared Leto garnered huge applause from the audience—Leto, who portrays Ares, hit the stage in style alongside an iconic Lightcycle. Cast members shared details about their characters as well as an in-room-only early look. After a sonic assault, lasers burned into the screens, which parted to reveal “music by NINE INCH NAILS.” Slated for theatrical release on Oct. 10, 2025, “TRON: Ares” follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. Joachim Rønning directs; producers are Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Leto, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger.

Fans gave a warm welcome to Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, the stars of the upcoming “Freaky Friday” follow-up—who revealed to fans for the first time the sequel’s official title, “Freakier Friday,” which heads to theatres in 2025. Directed by Nisha Ganatra and produced by Kristin Burr, Andrew Gunn and Curtis, the new film picks up years after Curtis and Lohan’s characters, Tess and Anna, first endured an identity crisis: Anna has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate challenges that come when two families merge, they discover that lightning might indeed strike twice. “Freakier Friday” also stars Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky and Rosalind Chao. Executive producers are Nathan Kelly, Ann Marie Sanderlin and Lohan. The logo for the film is now available.

Dwayne Johnson and Alan Bergman revealed that a new movie is in the works about monster trucks, leaning into the popularity of monster jam truck rallies and celebrating the biggest motorsport event in the world. Johnson will produce via his Seven Bucks Productions.

Highlights from Earlier Today

The highly anticipated D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event kicked off this morning at the Anaheim Convention Center with spectacular programming and immersive show floor offerings that brought fans closer to beloved stories from across the worlds of Disney.Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino hosted the Music of Marvel panel, where he was joined by composers Christophe Beck and Laura Karpman, songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and music supervisors Dave Jordan and Justine von Winterfeldt to talk about their favourite scores, songs, and needle drops from Marvel Studios’ movies and series. During the panel, Laura Karpman (“The Marvels,” “Ms. Marvel,” “American Fiction”) announced that she would be composing the score for the upcoming feature film, “Captain America: Brave New World,” and Michael Giacchino previewed his score for the upcoming Marvel Studios film “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

Also during the Music of Marvel Studios presentation, Disney Music Group President Ken Bunt presented a Diamond plaque to Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez commemorating the groundbreaking achievement that “Let It Go” from Walt Disney Records’ “Frozen” Original Soundtrack has been RIAA® certified Diamond, signifying $10 Million in sales. “Let It Go” is the first Diamond Award recipient for Walt Disney Records.

Disney Experiences announced that Ron Clements’ memoir, “Making Disney Magic . . . from a Mermaid to Moana: Tales from a Disney Animation Director” will be released in July 2025 from Disney Publishing. With a foreword by his creative partner, co-writer, and co-director John Musker, this robust and illustrated memoir by a 45-year iconic filmmaker reveals his journey to discover his own voice, to hone his strengths, and to become a key storyteller and a pivotal leader at Walt Disney Animation Studios for more than four decades. Learn more at DisneyBooks.com.

Platinum recording artist Simple Plan enthralled fans with a full set of some of their most popular music through the years, as well as their newly released cover of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from the upcoming Mickey & Friends pop-punk album, A Whole New Sound. Mickey Mouse joined the band on stage to share in his love of music.

There was excitement today at the Lucasfilm Pavilion, when a new trailer was unveiled for “LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy.” Showrunners, writers, executive producers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit were on hand at the Lucasfilm booth along with executive producer and Lucasfilm senior vice president, Franchise Content & Strategy James Waugh to offer fans more information about the animated special that sees the entire Star Wars Galaxy get completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together.

The voice cast includes Gaten Matarazzo, Tony Revolori, Bobby Moynihan, Marsai Martin, Michael Cusack, Ahmed Best and a special guest appearance by Mark Hamill, who is also a consulting producer. The full cast was announced at the filmmakers’ presentation, including Naomi Ackie, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Dee Bradley Baker, TC Carson, Trevor Devall, Jake Green, Jennifer Hale, Phil LaMarr, Ross Marquand, Piotr Michael, Kevin Michael Richardson, Helen Sadler, Matt Sloan, Matthew Wood, Sam Witwer, and Shelby Young. The special is directed by Chris Buckley, and Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, Josh Rimes, Jill Wilfert, Jason Cosler and Keith Malone are the executive producers. “LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy” debuts with all four “pieces” on Sept. 13, exclusively on Disney+.

TOMORROW, Disney’s biggest fans will experience more of the immersive and expansive event packed with specially curated shows, panels, presentations, and conversations with storytellers, creators, and talent—offering insider access and unique experiences that only Disney can deliver. In the evening back at the Honda Center, guests can look forward to an exclusive look at the groundbreaking innovations to come around the world during the Disney Experiences showcase.

To follow along with announcements from the weekend, follow DisneyD23 on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23.

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “MOANA 2”

Chee hoo! Moana, Maui, Heihei, Pua the pig and the dart-wielding Kakamora are back—and that’s just for starters in the all-new big-screen adventure. A new trailer and poster are now available for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana 2,” opening in theatres on Nov. 27, 2024. The trailer received an enthusiastic response tonight when stars Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson—together on the D23 stage for the first time ever—shared it with fans attending the studio showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Cravalho wowed the audience with a live performance of one of the film’s new songs, “We’re Back,” with dancers and drummers from Nonosina Polynesia under the direction of Tiana Liufau—who contributed animation reference choreography to “Moana” and the new film—and Johnson led the audience in a rousing “chee hoo!” chant.

Also revealed were additional voice cast, including returning stars Rachel House (Moana’s Grandma, Tala), Temuera Morrison (Moana’s father, Chief Tui) and Nicole Scherzinger (Moana’s mother, Sina). The film also features the voices of Hualālai Chung, David Fane and Rose Matafeo as Moana’s new crew members Moni, Kele and Loto, respectively. Awhimai Fraser voices mysterious new character Matangi; Gerald Ramsey plays Moana’s ancestor, Tautai Vasa; and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda lends her voice to Moana’s adoring and adorable little sister, Simea.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” reunites Moana (voice of Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, “Moana 2” features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. Jared Bush and Miller are writing the film, which is executive produced by Jennifer Lee, Bush and Johnson.

#TIFF24: SHORT CUTS AND PRIMETIME PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED AT 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is pleased to announce its Short Cuts, supported by the Ontario Arts Council, and Primetime programmes for the 2024 season. Celebrating the very best of short and serialized content, audiences will be immersed in new worlds, experience lives unlike their own, and gain fresh perspectives through powerful storytelling and diverse narratives. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

This year’s Primetime lineup features eight new series from around the world, and of those, five are World Premieres: Tomas Alfredson’s Faithless, Janicza Bravo’s The Listeners, Mike Downie’s The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, Courtney Montour and Tanya Talaga’s The Knowing, and Dylan River’s Thou Shalt Not Steal. The other three series are: Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer, Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours, and Joe Wright’s M. Son of the Century.

Watch Primetime Lead Programmer Geoff McNaughton’s video on this year’s selection:

This year’s Short Cuts includes 48 short films from 23 countries, selected from a record-breaking 5,300 submissions, and features a variety of live-action narrative, animated, and documentary films, presented across seven screenings. This year’s short films include directorial debuts from Dakota Johnson and Maika Monroe, plus World Premieres of new films by Pier-Philippe Chevigny, Connor Jessup, Joyce A. Nashawati, Amanda Strong, and more.

New this year for Short Cuts is Strange Cuts, a programme of six bold genre films in the spirit of Midnight Madness that range from satirical horror, to mind-bending animation, to innovative thrillers. The programme includes World Premiere shorts by Matty Crawford, ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby, and Joyce A. Nashawati.

Watch Short Cuts Lead Programmer Jason Anderson chat about this year’s selections:

The 2024 Jurors for the Short Cuts Awards for Best International Film and Best Canadian Film are Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith. TIFF is an Academy Award–qualifying Festival, and films that win a TIFF Short Cuts Award are eligible to submit for 97th Academy Awards consideration.

Primetime (in alphabetical order)
Disclaimer Alfonso Cuarón | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Faithless Tomas Alfredson, Sara Johnsen | Sweden
World Premiere

Families Like Ours Thomas Vinterberg | Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany
North American Premiere

M. Son of the Century Joe Wright | Italy/France
North American Premiere

The Knowing Courtney Montour, Tanya Talaga | Canada
World Premiere

The Listeners Janicza Bravo, Jordan Tannahill | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal Mike Downie | Canada
World Premiere

Thou Shalt Not Steal Dylan River | Australia
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 1
Deck 5B Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden
World Premiere

Silent Panorama Nicolas Piret | Belgium
North American Premiere

Fantas Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere

Amarela André Hayato Saito | Brazil
North American Premiere

Maybe Elephants Torill Kove | Norway/Canada
North American Premiere

Sauna Day Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash | Estonia
North American Premiere

welima’q shalan joudry | Canada
World Premiere

Julian and the Wind Connor Jessup | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 2
Percebes Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves | Portugal/France
North American Premiere

Fuck Me Anette Sidor | Sweden/Norway
World Premiere

One Day This Kid Alexander Farah | Canada
World Premiere

Every Other Weekend Mick Robertson, Margaret Rose | Canada
World Premiere

Mercenaire Pier-Philippe Chevigny | Canada
World Premiere

perfectly a strangeness Alison McAlpine | Canada
North American Premiere

The Yellow Maika Monroe, Simone Faoro | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 3
Serve the Country Fabián Velasco, Miloš Mitrović | Canada
World Premiere

Who Loves the Sun Arshia Shakiba | Canada
North American Premiere

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent Nebojša Slijepčević | Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia
North American Premiere

Inkwo for When the Starving Return Amanda Strong | Canada
World Premiere

Masterpiece Mommy Dorothy Sing Zhang | United Kingdom/China
World Premiere

Loser Baby Dakota Johnson | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 4
A Son & a Father Andrés Ramírez Pulido | France/Colombia
North American Premiere

On a Sunday at Eleven Alicia K. Harris | Canada
World Premiere

Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? Bec Pecaut | Canada
World Premiere

On The Way Samir Karahoda | Kosovo
North American Premiere

Out for Ice Cream Rachel Samson | Canada
World Premiere

The Best Ian Bawa | Canada
World Premiere

Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time James P. Gannon, Matt Ferrin | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 5
Solemates James Rathbone, Mike Feswick | Canada
World Premiere

Quota Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands
World Premiere

Vox Humana Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan | Philippines/USA/Singapore
World Premiere

The Wolf Theodore Ushev | Canada
North American Premiere

Aïda Neither Elisa Gilmour | France
World Premiere

Alazar Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia/France/Canada
North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 6
The Cost of Hugging Louis Bhose | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Marion Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine | France/United Kingdom
North American Premiere

La Voix des Sirènes Gianluigi Toccafondo | France/Italy
North American Premiere

After Sunday Omolola Ajao | Canada
World Premiere

Anotc ota ickwaparin akosiin Catherine Boivin | Canada
World Premiere

Before They Joined Us Arshile Khanjian Egoyan | Canada
World Premiere

Tenderness Helen Lee | Canada/South Korea
World Premiere

Strange Cuts Programme
Gender Reveal Mo Matton | Canada
North American Premiere

The Sunset Special 2 Nicolas Gebbe | Germany
North American Premiere

The Beguiling ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby | USA
World Premiere

Don’t F*ck With Ba Sally Tran | USA
International Premiere

Stomach Bug Matty Crawford | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Never Have I Ever Joyce A. Nashawati | France
World Premiere

Screening prior to the Centrepiece selection When the Light Breaks:
O Rúnar Rúnarsson | Iceland/Sweden
North American Premiere

Short Cuts 2024 Jury
Luis De Filippis

Luis De Filippis is a Canadian Italian filmmaker. Her films include the short For Nonna Anna (2017), which received a Sundance Special Jury Prize, and her debut feature, Something You Said Last Night (2022), which received the TIFF Change Maker Award, Sebastiáne Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, and the Rotterdam Youth Jury Award. De Filippis is an alum of the TIFF Talent Lab, TIFF Writers’ Studio, and CHANEL writing fellowship.

Micah Kernan

Micah Kernan is the Development Manager for both Drama and Comedy at CBC. She coordinates the management, tracking, and distribution of projects, and supports the team by evaluating pitches and being the point of contact for creators to connect with the CBC. Kernan is the current programmer for Canada’s longest running short film showcase, Canadian Reflections. At the CBC, inclusion and representation are a priority, and Micah works to reflect all regions and the country’s multi-faceted nature while programming for Canadian Reflections.

Shane Smith

Shane Smith is a documentary programmer at TVO. From 2015–2023 he was Programming and Artistic Director at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Smith previously worked at the Toronto International Film Festival as the Director of Special Projects and Director of Public Programs. His other roles include Short Film Programmer at Sundance, Director of Programming at Channel Zero Inc., and Executive Producer In-Flight Entertainment at Spafax Canada. Smith has served on juries and spoken on panels at festivals and events globally.

This concludes the second TIFF Takeover of programming alerts. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

#TIFF24: “THE TRAGICALLY HIP – NO DRESS REHEARSAL” DOCU-SERIES TO PREMIERE AT 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Prime Video today released the official key art and trailer for the upcoming four-part docuseries The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, an intimate and unvarnished look at the extraordinary 40-year journey of Canada’s most beloved rock band. Directed by Mike Downie, the four-part series chronicles the triumphs, trials and deep bonds of brotherhood that defined The Tragically Hip’s rise from basement shows to arena rock legends. The docuseries will have its world premiere at TIFF before screening at film festivals nationwide. The Prime Video launch date will be shared at a later date.

“We’re thrilled to premiere the incredible story of The Tragically Hip at this year’s TIFF. It will be a powerful and memorable event,” said Mike Downie. “This project is a labour of love, with personal and unseen footage from the band’s 40-year history. We set out to understand what held the band together, what pushed them apart and how they captured the hearts and minds of so many fans both in Canada and around the world.”

“The Tragically Hip’s music continues to be the soundtrack for generations of Canadians,” said Shaun Alperin, head of content, Prime Video, Canada. “This docuseries offers fans an unprecedented window into the band’s iconic career and the deep kinship they forged with an entire nation through their poetic lyrics and electrifying performances — from director Mike Downie who was there for every moment.”

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is a love story between a band and the country they call home. With never before seen personal and archival footage, the Canadian rock’n’roll legends share the story of their unique, complicated and wildly successful musical brotherhood. Forty years of hits and misses, friendship and frustration, triumph and tragedy, the docuseries features unseen performances, unreleased music and unprecedented access to The Hip.

From their hometown of Kingston, ON, Rob Baker, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair skyrocketed to fame as The Tragically Hip with their signature blend of rock anthems and poetic lyricism. Over their storied career, the band released 14 studio albums, 9 of which hit #1 in Canada, won 17 Juno Awards, and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and received a star on Canada’s Walk Of Fame. Their 2016 cross-Canada tour, undertaken after Downie’s terminal cancer diagnosis, was a cultural phenomenon watched by millions.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is produced by Courage Films with support from Ontario Creates and the Government of Canada. The docuseries is directed and produced by Mike Downie and executive produced by Jake Gold.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal joins the slate of Canadian Amazon Original series and films including TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award and Canadian Screen Award-winner Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Luxe Listings: Toronto, LOL: Qui rira le dernier?, Pour un Soir Seulement, Nuit Blanche, L’ultime gala, Three Pines, Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle, Saving Sakic, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith and the upcoming series The Sticky and Elisabeth Rioux: sans filtre.

These series will join Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 NHL seasons, and the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalogue, including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, and I Am: Celine Dion. Prime members in Canada enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership, for just $9.99/month or the best value of $99.99/year.

#INTERVIEW: STEPHEN YAN OF “WOK WITH YAN” ON RETROKID COLLABORATION

Stephen Yan is a national treasure. Being Canadian meant that you had a distinct memory of watching his popular CBC series WOK WITH YAN, a daytime staple which ran for over 15 years and 500+ episodes, both educating the world on the bright flare of Cantonese cuisine, while also entertaining the masses with his hilarious puns and comedic showmanship.

His fame brought him to U.S. and Asia, appearing on Late Night with Letterman and Live with Regis and Kelly even. Things have been quiet for the Celebrity Chef (before Celebrity Chefs were really a thing) and Restauranteur since the mid-’90s. Occasionally, I’d find myself scouring Facebook and Google for updates on his whereabouts. What happened to this legend?

RetroKid, founded by Steve Gaskin, are known for their creative licensed collaborations with nostalgic Canadian institutions. They did the work and somehow via a connection, located Yan, now 85-years-old and living in an earned quiet life in Burnaby. The clothier is launching a new collaboration showcasing some of Yan’s most famous catchphrases and ‘Wok Puns’, available now and we had the rare opportunity to chat with Yan in-person ahead of his WOK TALK LIVE! in-conversation at The Royal Theatre with Pay Chen this weekend.

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We had the honour of chatting with Yan and Gaskin about their unique and rare collaboration. Yan sheds some light what his retirement life looks like now in Burnaby, BC, reflecting on life then and today.

We ask Gaskin, what did Stephen Yan mean to him as a Chinese-Canadian kid growing up in Toronto.

Gaskin: He meant a lot, right? So there’s a lot of, back when I was growing up, I’m an ’80s kid, and I was a latchkey kid. So my parents immigrated, they went to work, they dropped me off at my grandparents’ house. The only representation I had as a young mixed-race Chinese boy was Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or the guy from Bloodsport. They were all unattainable.

Stephen means so much because of just the connection I had with the show. Even as a six-year-old. But you know from a personal level, my gung-gung (maternal grandfather) who took care of me, who’s no longer here, he had broken English. And the only way we were able to connect was through his show. So he loved to cook and I would sit down with him right next to his La-Z-Boy, and we’d just watch the show and laugh. And you know, it was that connection point for us.

MWW: It’s crazy how we had a communal collective experience. That’s my recollection too of summers with my ye-ye (paternal grandfather) too. Every summer, I’d just stay with him. It would be on around 2 o’clock in the afternoon or something like that.

Stephen‘s been out of the public eye for quite some time. I myself would search him on Google, finding very little info anywhere. I remember looking on Facebook, hoping to see a profile. What was the process like getting in touch with him finally?

Gaskin: So this was six and a half years of trying to basically, one, find him, see if he’s alive, see if he’s okay. And then how do we even broker this deal to actually celebrate everything that he’s accomplished, right? And doing that directly with an 85-year-old guy is extremely difficult. He doesn’t have an agent, there’s nobody in-between. But we’re just really fortunate that we were able to just somehow in six years find somebody that was connected to him. They gave us the passing grade of like, ‘Okay, yeah, you’re doing it for the right reasons, this is not just about making a cool t-shirt. This is truly celebrating the legacy.”.

MWW: What’s the essence of the collection? What was the one thing you were trying to capture?

Gaskin: We were very intentional with our designs. There’s a lot of cultural sensitivities as an Asian community that we need to be aware of. If you combine an image of Stephen Yan plus a certain ‘Wok Pun’, it doesn’t sit right. With the sensitivities that are just in our world today, we were hyper-aware of that. So we had to pair certain images with specific quotes that didn’t touch those kind of points, yet truly celebrated who he was.

So for us, the design DNA was food, but how do we celebrate that? It was humour. How do we celebrate that? And then also, the joy – the joyous feeling we all got when that intro came on and they’re like, oh, 30 minutes of my life! This is gonna be great!

MWW: I am little disappointed there is nothing branded ‘WONDER POWDER‘, a magical thickening substance Yan used often in his cooking on WOK WITH YAN – ingrained in my mind forever.

Gaskin: Well, we had a concept to do like a Wonder Powder package design, right? Do you know the ingredients of Wonder Powder? This is gonna blow your mind!

MWW: So I thought it was just corn starch. Was it tapioca starch or corn?

Gaskin: Both! He mixed both of them! But he did that because he wanted the sauce to be a little less clumpy and a little bit more shinier. So when you’re pouring-out sweet and sour, it looks good on camera.

MWW: What’s your favourite piece in the RetroKid x Stephen Yan collection?

Gaskin: My favorite piece is that Good Fortune hoodie (below, left in photo), just because of the colours. So obviously we went yellow-black because of Bruce Lee, Game of Death, right? It has that kind of Asian feel to it. Stephen Yan was the only chef that actually had a live audience. And that live audience was willing to participate in eating the food afterwards, right? And you know, at the end of every episode, he would sit down, share food, but then break-open a fortune cookie. And everyone would be like, ‘Oh my God, what is he doing?’. And he’d have to explain, what’s inside the fortune cookie, and then he would actually speak Cantonese to like explain it.

Yeah, that’s appealing to my culture, and then also the kind of Western culture. But that Good Fortune hoodie is my favourite, because it’s also inspirational. So you break open the fortune cookie, and you share that joy. But really the message is, it’s really wok’s inside that counts.

MWW: Now 85-years-old, Yan is looking well, sporting a full head of gray hair. I call this out, hearing that he requested a hotel with a swimming pool as swimming is part of his fitness routine. I am his last interview of his Toronto press tour, him powering through back-to-back apperances and chats all day long. Not an easy task for anyone, let alone someone his age.

Yan: I swim, I do all the crazy things.

MWW: What does your typical day look like?

Yan: A typical day is, I wave on camera. Yes. And then in the morning, I get up. I make myself happy. How? Open my eyes, I can see. I don’t need glasses. Oh, I can see the light. And then I can breathe, no problem. And then I go to washroom, I can pee!

MWW: Are you still actively cooking, or do you like to going out to eat more?

Yan: No, no, no, cooking is more secondary. I just go out to eat. So that’s my day, you know, then I go swimming. You know, 50 laps.

MWW: 50 laps? That’s incredible.

Yan: Yeah, it takes about an hour to do that. Then afterwards, I do Karate. And I have a second, going on third black belt.

MWW: Wow, that’s incredible. How long have you been doing Karate for?

Yan: I’ve been doing it for about 20 years.

MWW: That’s how you stay sharp!

Yan: I believe that you have to keep on moving. You have only one life. Up to you.

MWW: That’s the thing. My mom tells me that. That once you start slowing down, you’re mentally going to get slower.

Yan: That’s right. Like a door. The door is slowing down, then it’s squeaky. And then sometimes it will go rusty. And then it won’t open anymore. But if it’s going, all the doors are swinging back. There you are. That’s why they call them swingers!

MWW: So you are known for your aprons and their witty puns. How did you narrow it down to the items we see in this collection with Retrokid?

Yan: How many aprons do you think I had?

MWW: Well, you did 500 episodes, I know that!

Yan: More than that!

MWW: More than that? So one apron per episode? 500+?

Yan: Yeah, one per episode. Never repeated.

MWW: But what was your favourite one?

Yan: They’re all my favourite, otherwise I wouldn’t use them. I love it. Just like all your children, you know. You might spoil them, but you know, you should treat them the same. Otherwise, it’s hurtful.

MWW: So the you from ’80s and ’90s that we got to know – what’s different between Stephen Yan back then and Stephen Yan now?

Yan: Getting old. But you learn, you’re wiser. You get older, you’re wiser. Because you learn… how do you call it? Acceptance. You accept people the way they are. Because you have seen a lot. One rice can feed 10,000 people. We eat rice, Americans, they eat bread – all kinds of bread – white bread, brown bread, whatever, there are many ways of doing it.

The world is changing. You know, you’ve heard about Asian Fusion. See, there’s a new thing coming out, not new, but just modified, that’s all. You just have to learn all those things. It’s very important in life.

You have to accept things. All things have changed. Even the culture. In the old days, the Chinese culture has now changed. You can get upset because it’s all changed, or leave it, let it be, like The Beatles’ song.

There’s a Chinese saying, ‘You can watch people catch your fish. You’re jealous. hostile. You could also go home, buy a fishing net and do it yourself.’,

MWW: Of all your recipes, the one that stands out the most in my memory is the Bird’s Nest. Say you’re cooking for yourself or whoever it is – have your adapted any of your recipes to the times?

Yan: Sure, you’re learning all the time. The Nest is something very simple.

MWW: Simple?! That looks like so much labour!

Yan: You build a house, you have to take time right? You don’t have to use the taro root or whatever, you can use noodles! So you get the noodles, put them in and then you don’t have to cut the taro up.

MWW: That’s genius.

Okay, so for people of my generation – always in a hurry – we don’t always have time to cook. Let’s say it’s been a long day, you get home, you want to make something in five to ten minutes. What’s your go-to comfort food?

Yan: Eat a salad.

MWW: Salad? I’m shocked!

Yan: Why?

MWW: I was expecting a noodle or rice.

Yan: No, no, no. The Chinese also have cold cuts too! You can use those.

MWW: Right. True.

Yan: So, you know, respect the food. The food you cook. Cooking is love. When you’re cooking for somebody, you have to consider what that person likes to eat. Is he allergic to anything? How much can eat? Can he take the spicy food? All those things. And then everything has to be balanced. So a lot of love goes into it. For the people who love to cook, they’re better people, in my opinion!

MWW: Why is it that you never really made Dim Sum on WOK WITH YAN, even though it’s such a big part of Cantonese cuisine?

Yan: I also do Dim Sum. But I didn’t do Dim Sum on the show because there’s nothing to talk about or show. Very quickly, you can get the Har Gow done. You have to make the skin, you know, use the knife. You do it and then get it out. That’s just too quick. You need something that’s going to entertain people for an hour. So you have to talk about it. That’s why you need to stir-fry it. Because then slowly you cut them down crosswise, or according to the grain. All those things, there’s a reason. So you have to talk about it. Because you have to consider all those things. You don’t want to leave the audience half-asleep. You’re gonna wake them up, so wake them up! How? You cannot yell at them, so you tell them a joke. If they don’t laugh, you laugh!

MWW: What are your impressions of Toronto today?

Yan: I cannot take the traffic. I come here once in a while, but I don’t think I can live here. When I’m in Burnaby, I can look out my place and see the park. It’s an amazing garden, like being in Europe. And then you have a trail to walk, you know, and the people are nice.

More on the Retrokid x Stephen Yan event and collection here.