Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE debuts in a lively manner with a record-setting $205 million from 4,210 theatres for Marvel/Disney. It gets a great 80% on the Tomatometer from Critics, and easily becomes the highest opening ever for the Deadpool franchise, besting 2016’s first film in the series which took off with $132 million. Wolverine’s highest franchise opening was 2009’s X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE with $85 million.

In second is TWISTERS with a $36 million second weekend for Universal Pictures, a total run domestically, of $155 million.

DESCPICABLE ME 4 is in third with $14.5 million for Universal Pictures, taking it to $291 million.

INSIDE OUT 2 takes $15 million for fourth spot, bringing its run to $613.7 million for Disney.

Fifth is LONGLEGS with $6.9 million for NEON/Elevation Pictures, a three week total of $58 million. This now has become American distributor NEON‘s highest grossing film ever, surpassing Best Picture winner PARASITE‘s $53 million.

Director/writer Fede Alvarez and cast members from the upcoming sci-hi/horror-thriller “Alien: Romulus,” including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn took to the stage of Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center earlier today for a special Comic-Con panel in partnership with IMAX®. Tickets are now available for purchase here or wherever tickets are sold. The film from producer Ridley Scott opens exclusively in theatres August 16, 2024.

During the panel, which featured exclusive footage from the film as well as special taped content from Ridley Scott, Guillermo del Toro, and Dan Trachtenberg, a swarm of facehuggers flooded the room, overtaking the stage and facehugging a few attendees in the process. The culmination of the stunt was the iconic chestburster moment on the floor of Hall H, which surprised and terrified Comic-Con attendees. At the conclusion of the panel, the 6,000+ guests were gifted their own facehugger mask, which they wore for a group photo with Alvarez and the cast.

“Alien: Romulus” takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Fede Alvarez directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott, who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss, and Walter Hill, with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon, Brent O’Connor, and Tom Moran serving as executive producers.

Disney Branded Television and BBC jointly announced “The War Between The Land And The Sea,” an all-new “Doctor Who” spinoff, today at San Diego Comic-Con. Leading the five-part series is Russell Tovey (“Feud,” “American Horror Story: NYC”) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Surface,” “Loki”), alongside returning “Doctor Who” cast members Jemma Redgrave (as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart) and Alexander Devrient (as Colonel Ibrahim).

When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war. Created by “Doctor Who” showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies, who wrote the spinoff with Pete McTighe (“A Discovery of Witches,” “The Pact,” “Doctor Who”), the series features the triumphant return of the Sea Devils, classic “Doctor Who” villains first seen in 1972.

Davies said: “I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.“

Filming begins next month and will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, director of two “Doctor Who” season one episodes: “73 Yards” and “Dot and Bubble.” The series will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in Canada.

“The War Between The Land And The Sea” is produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC. In addition to Davies, executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.

San Diego was transformed into Middle-earth on Friday, as Prime Video showcased the highly anticipated second season of the epic series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were joined on the iconic Hall H stage by over a dozen cast members for a lively and insightful conversation moderated by Emmy-nominated actress and renowned genre fan Yvette Nicole Brown (Avengers: Endgame, Community).

The ensemble cast thrilled the 6,500 fans who packed the massive convention center hall by unveiling a brand-new exclusive trailer for the upcoming season. The action-packed trailer focuses on the long-feared reemergence of the legendary villain Sauron, heralding the return of darkness and evil to Middle-earth after many years of hard-fought peace among all of its realms. The trailer also highlighted the creation of more of the titular Rings of Power, forged with the aid of Sauron’s powers of deception and manipulation.

Fans were also excited to see a glimpse of many of the fantastical, and sometimes frightening, creatures that will appear this season, including a young Shelob, an army of Barrow-wights, Hill-troll Damrod, a Sea Worm, and even Ents! The riveted crowd also enjoyed teases of several major battle scenes that will be pivotal to Season Two’s storylines.

The cast members who participated in the show’s Hall H panel were Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Maxim Baldry, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sam Hazeldine, Ema Horvath, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Charlie Vickers, Benjamin Walker, and Daniel Weyman.

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on August 29, 2024.

In Season Two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. As friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good—Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots—will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all: each other.

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, and Gennifer Hutchison, along with co-executive producer and director Charlotte Brändström, producers Kate Hazell and Helen Shang, and co-producers Clare Buxton, Andrew Lee, Glenise Mullins, and Matthew Penry-Davey. Additional Season Two directors include Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper.

Today, global superstar and cultural icon, Paris Hilton, has debuted her newest single “Chasin’” featuring Grammy-Award winner, Meghan Trainor. Chasin’ is the second single from Paris’ highly-anticipated upcoming album executive-produced by Sia, INFINITE ICON. Written by Meghan Trainor, Ryan Trainor, Yannick Rastogi, and Zacharie Raymond, and produced by Banx & Ranx and Jesse Shatkin, this new, calypso-inspired summer hit promises to inspire listeners around the world to free themselves from past relationships and dance into their best futures.

Listen to “Chasin’” on Spotify, Apple Music and check out the lyric video here:

Amazon.com CD pre-order for INFINITE ICON available now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9MD6D9D

“I wrote this song with the intent of giving it to a special artist and never imagined in my wildest dreams Paris would be that icon to record it and do it justice.” Trainor shared.

Hilton expressed “Meghan’s writing paved the way for me to bring life to this track that represents self-love and confidence, and I am so happy we get to duet and call each other sisters! #Sliving”

Inspired by the uplifting and empowering theme of the song, a hotline has been setup for fans to call Hilton and Trainor when they’re feeling the urge to reach out to their exes. 855-THTS-HOT will serve as a fun and cheeky tool for those seeking the duo’s advice on common dating mishaps including ghosting, gaslighting and more.

INFINITE ICON, executive produced by Sia, is a self-reflective journey through Hilton’s life, exploring themes of fame, female empowerment, mental health, and motherhood. The 12-track collection marks Hilton’s first album in nearly two decades and features collaborations with some of today’s most exciting names in music including Sia (“Fame Won’t Love You”) and Rina Sawayama (“I’m Free”). Musically, INFINITE ICON serves shimmering electronic arrangements, driving dancefloor beats, summertime poolside vibes, and emotional ballads in a glittery swirl of unapologetic pop glamor that could have only come from Paris Hilton. INFINITE ICON will be released on September 6th through 11:11 Media, Paris Hilton’s next-gen media and consumer lifestyle company, and distributed by ADA, the independent label and artist services arm of Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG).

Hilton’s last album, 2006’s Paris Hilton, landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and featured the RIAA Gold-certified hit single, “Stars Are Blind.” Since then, Hilton has collaborated with the likes of Lil Wayne, Birdman, and Steve Aoki, among others. Over the past decade, Hilton has DJed at prominent festivals such as Tomorrowland and Summerfest.

TRANSFORMERS ONE IS IN THEATRES SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 via Paramount Pictures Canada.! We just got a new Poster for the star-studded Blockbuster here comes a new Trailer!

SYNOPSIS:

TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.

Paramount Animation and Hasbro Present

In Association with New Republic Pictures

A Don Murphy / Tom DeSanto Production

A di Bonaventura Pictures Production

A Bay Films Production

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Steven Spielberg, Zev Foreman, Olivier Dumont, Bradley J. Fischer, B.J. Farmer, Matt Quigg

PRODUCED BY

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, p.g.a., Tom DeSanto & Don Murphy, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian, p.g.a.,

Aaron Dem, p.g.a.

Based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures

STORY BY

Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari

SCREENPLAY BY

Eric Pearson and Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari

DIRECTED BY

Josh Cooley

CAST:

Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm

Paramount+ in Canada today announced that the Australian comedy crime thriller POPULATION 11, will make its Canadian debut exclusively on the platform. All episodes of the 12-part series starring and executive produced by Emmy® nominee Ben Feldman (Superstore, Mad Men , Silicon Valley) will premiere on August 1, 2024.

Inspired by true events,POPULATION 11 is about a man who goes missing from a tiny outback town of only 12 residents, and his estranged son, who journeys from the U.S. to find him.

When Andy Pruden (Ben Feldman), a suburban bank teller from the U.S. state pulls into the tiny outback town to visit his long-lost father, he’s alarmed to discover that Hugo has vanished. In his quest to find him, another outsider Cassie (Perry Mooney) comes to Andy’s aid and they find themselves in increasing danger as they delve into the secrets of this tiny outback town, where everyone is a suspect.

The impressive ensemble cast includes Perry Mooney (Gold Diggers) as outsider Cassie Crick, Katrina Milosevic (Wentworth) as Sgt. Geraldine Walters, and Darren Gilshenan (No Activity, Nautilus, The Moodys) as Pruden’s missing father Hugo Drivas.

The series also stars Chai Hansen (Night Sky The Newsreader, Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, The New Legends of Monkey) as Gareth Biggins, Stephen Curry (Ten Pound Poms, Thor: Love and Thunder) as Noel Pinkus, Tony Briggs (The Twelve, Cleverman) as Jimmy James, Genevieve Lemon
(Christmas Ransom, The Tourist) as Valerie Hogarth, Rick Donald (Australia’s Sexiest Tradie, Halifax: Retribution) as Leon Croydman, Pippa Grandison (Frayed, Muriel’s Wedding) and Steve Le Marquand (Les Norton, June Again, Rake) as Maureen and Trevor Taylor, William Zappa (Grey Nomads, The Dry, The Tourist) as Cedric Blumenthal, Emily Taheny (Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell) as Audrey Denning, Karis Oka (Erotic Stories) as Shoshanna Ling, Fiona Choi (The Family Law) as Charmaine Ling, Sachin Joab (Lion, The Hunting) as Petey P and Chris Kirby (The Matrix Reloaded, Iron Sky) as Dom.

Filmed in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region, POPULATION 11 is created by AACTA award-winner Phil Lloyd (The Moodys, Review With Myles Barlow), who serves as showrunner working with Sarinah Masukor, Julia Moriarty, Steve Toltz, Michael Bond and Zoe Pepper. Directed by Trent O’Donnell (No Activity, New Girl), Ben Young (The Twelve) and Helena Brooks (Gold Diggers), the series is Executive Produced by Lloyd, O’Donnell, Ben Feldman, Chloe Rickard and Jason Burrows (No Activity, Wakefield) with Bridget Callow-Wright (No Activity, The Night Before Christmas) and Melissa Kelly (Upright) producing.

POPULATION 11 is commissioned by Stan in Australia, produced by Jungle Entertainment in association with Factor 30 Films, with major production investment from Stan, Screenwest, Lotterywest and the Western Australian Regional Screen Fund. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Lionsgate distributes the series internationally.

Stan Executive Producers are Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie.

For cult film fanatics that go giddy for the best of the bizarre, the wait is over. Today, the Toronto International Film Festival announces its Midnight Madness lineup for 2024, which will open with the North American Premiere of Coralie Fargeat’s buzzy horror thriller The Substance, starring Demi Moore. The Midnight Madness programme is presented by Intrepid Travel and features five World Premieres amongst the 10 titles that celebrate the best in action, horror, shock, and fantasy cinema with midnight premieres at the historic (and allegedly haunted) Royal Alexandra Theatre.

One of the most beloved programmes of the Festival, this year’s Midnight Madness highlights the wild and the eerie, from body horror to time travel, supernatural comedy to martial arts action, eccentric thrillers to provocative satire, and found footage to horror-themed punk rock. Surrounded by like-minded fans late at night, Midnight Madness filmgoers face the unknown in the company of strangers. A number of TIFF and Midnight Madness alumni are returning this year, including Joseph Kahn (TIFF 2017 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner), Timo Tjahjanto (who last attended in 2016), and Fargeat (whose debut feature premiered at TIFF in 2017).

New this year, we have asked a few TIFF Programmers to share their insights into this year’s films. Watch Midnight Madness Lead Programmer Peter Kuplowsky’s terrifying summary here:

2024 Midnight Madness programme (in alphabetical order):

Dead Mail Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy | USA
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

Dead Talents Society John Hsu | Taiwan
North American Premiere

Else Thibault Emin | France/Belgium
World Premiere
Sales Title

Escape from the 21st Century Yang LI | China
International Premiere
Sales Title

Friendship Andrew DeYoung | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Ick Joseph Kahn | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This Rachel Kempf, Nick Toti | USA
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

The Gesuidouz Kenichi Ugana | Japan
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Shadow Strays Timo Tjahjanto | Indonesia
World Premiere

OPENING FILM
The Substance Coralie Fargeat | United Kingdom/USA/France
North American Premiere

Today marks the last day of this week’s TIFF Takeovers with another week coming August 6–9. More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. 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.

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to attend an advance screening of Tilman Singer‘s CUCKOO!

TORONTO – Screening Details:
Location: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves America to live with her father at a resort in the German Alps. Plagued by strange noises and bloody visions, she soon discovers a shocking secret that concerns her own family.

Starring: Hunter Schafer, Jan Bluthardt and Marton Csokas

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or X. Tell us which city and tag a friend in comments there for an extra chance.

Rules and regulations here.

Elevation Pictures release CUCKOO August 9, 2024.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Lee, the directorial feature from award-winning Cinematographer Ellen Kuras, portrays a pivotal decade in the life of American war correspondent and photographer, Lee Miller (Kate Winslett). Miller’s singular talent and unbridled tenacity resulted in some of the 20th century’s most indelible images of war, including an iconic photo of Miller herself, posing defiantly in Hitler’s private bathtub. Elevation Pictures release LEE September 27, 2024.

Miller had a profound understanding and empathy for women and the voiceless victims of war. Her images display both the fragility and ferocity of the human experience. Above all, the film shows how Miller lived her life at full-throttle in pursuit of truth, for which she paid a huge personal price, forcing her to confront a traumatic and deeply buried secret from her childhood.