By Mr. Will Wong
It’s smutty, fearless and everything it should be. OUTtv‘s SUGAR HIGHS is back for a second season and we reunite with roommates Bud (Adam Fox), Tab (Joey Beni) and Mickey (Samuel Dickinson) whom decidedly after not being able to make rent – yes the economy is rough – sought-out sugar daddies, selling their companionship to make ends meet.
Every episode is a new adventure in a way that is a little like Confessions of a Call Girl in that we meet an ecclectic mix of new people throughout with a diverse array of sexual needs, but also a little like Sex and the City in its comedic elements. At once, it also is a little reminiscent of Queer as Folk in that our three leads’ lives are complicatedly intertwined with mixed emotions of jealousy, competition, but an underlying bond.
Common themes in this second season is inter-generational romantic relationships and unresolved feelings. Bud is navigating his ex Early (Scott Thompson), who currently is dating someone Bud goes to school with. Bud also is on the verge of what could be a serious relationship with Clark (Michael Ayres), though the former just might self-sabotage that. Mickey is involved in a throuple with a male-female couple, while one of Tab‘s older clients wants to loop him into a relationship.
Though Writer/Producer/Director Thom Fitzgerald leans on common gay tropes that gay relationships have to be sexually charged and that the characters have to be sassy and confrontational, that is not to say this doesn’t make for juicy entertainment. There is an audience for this.
SUGAR HIGHS Season Two airs on OUTtv, with new episodes every Wednesday till May 15, 2024.
CIVIL WAR takes top spot once again at the Box Office with $11 million from 3,929 theatres for A24/Elevation Pictures. This takes it to $44 million over two weekends.
Horror ABIGAIL just gets edged-out at the Box Office this weekend with $10 million from 3,300 theatres across North America, a debut in second. It gets 82% on the Tomatometer.
Third is THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE with $9 million for Lionsgate. This latest effort from Guy Ritchie gets 92% on the Tomatometer.
In fourth we have GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE with $8.5 million from 3,658 theatres for Warner Bros. In tallies in at $170.6 million in its fourth weekend.
Rounding things off is SPY X FAMILY CODE: WHITE with $5 million, getting 96% on the Tomatometer for Sony/Crunchyroll.
DYLAN is ready to make a huge splash globally! The English Singer-Songwriter truly is the real deal, exuding showmanship, musical talent and great songcraft! She’s in Toronto, wrapping-up her Rebel Child World Tour, in advance of her upcoming album to be released domestically by Universal Music Canada.
We had the joy of seeing her blow the roof off at UMUSIC Live, a showcase which takes place at Universal Music Canada‘s head office in Toronto. A select group got to witness her performance ahead of her show at The AXIS Club. She possesses this magnetic energy, with songs big enough to fill an arena.
She’s already supported and collaborated with some of Pop Music’s greats like Ed Sheeran, Bastille, Gayle and Tate McRae. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is. Her debut Mixtape The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn already has won her much acclaim from some top publications.
Check out some highlights from her amazing Showcase. So impressed. What a force!
Be sure to follow DYLAN on IG and also Universal Music Canada as well.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
After making a splash on the Festival circuit, BACKSPOT arrives in theatres May 31, 2024 via levelFILM. Today, we get a new Trailer.
Director: D.W. Waterson
Screenplay: Joanne Sarazen
Executive Producers: Elliot Page, Matt Jordan Smith, J.C. Davidson, Katisha Shaw
Producers: Alona Metzer, D.W. Waterson, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, Martin Katz
Cast: Devery Jacobs, Evan Rachel Wood, Shannyn Sossamon, Kudakwashe Rutendo, Thomas Antony Olajide and Wendy Crewson
Logline:A driven cheerleader (Devery Jacobs) struggles to handle the pressure when she and her girlfriend are both selected for an elite cheer squad, in D.W. Waterson’s feature directorial debut.
(Photo/video credit: levelFILM)
Disney+ announced the release date for the upcoming Disney+ Original series, “Shardlake”. The thrilling Tudor murder-mystery series based on the internationally popular novels by C.J. Sansom launches on May 1, 2024 on Disney+.
Drenched in mystery, suspense and deception, this four-part drama, based on the first novel in Sansom’s series, is an eerie whodunnit adventure, set in 16th century England during the dissolution of the monasteries. Shardlake’s sheltered life as a lawyer is turned upside down when Cromwell instructs him to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery in the remote town of Scarnsea. The commissioner was gathering evidence to close the monastery and it is now imperative for Cromwell’s own political survival that Shardlake both solves the murder and closes the monastery. He leaves Shardlake in no doubt that failure is not an option. Cromwell insists that he is accompanied by Jack Barak to Scarnsea, where the duo are met with hostility, suspicion and paranoia by the monks who fear for their future and will seemingly stop at nothing to preserve their order.
Arthur Hughes (“Then Barbara Met Alan”) plays Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer with an acute sense of justice and one of the few honest men in a world beset with scheming and plots. Shardlake works for Thomas Cromwell, played by Sean Bean (“Time”) the dangerous and all-powerful right-hand man to Henry VIII. Anthony Boyle (“Masters of the Air”) plays the cocky Jack Barak, who leaves Shardlake unsure of whether he is an assistant, or Cromwell’s spy.
The series also stars Babou Ceesay as Abbot Fabian, Paul Kaye as Brother Jerome, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Alice Fewterer, Peter Firth as Norfolk, Matthew Steer as Goodhap, Brian Vernel as Brother Mortimus, Irfan Shamji as Brother Guy, David Pearse as Brother Edwig, Miles Barrow as Brother Gabriel, Mike Noble as Bugge and Kimberley Nixon as Joan.
“Shardlake” is written by Stephen Butchard (“The Good Mothers”). The series is executive produced by George Ormond and Mark Pybus for The Forge (a Banijay UK company) and Stevie Lee for Runaway Fridge. The series was commissioned by Lee Mason for Disney+, with Jonny Richards serving as executive producer for Disney+. Justin Chadwick (“The Other Boleyn Girl”) has directed the series with John Griffin as producer.
Today, Disney+ revealed the trailer for the third season of FX’s “Welcome to Wrexham,” which recently won the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, will premiere on Thursday, May 2, 2024 10 PM ET on FX Canada and the next day on Disney+ in Canada. The premiere of the eight-episode season will include the first two episodes, followed by a new episode each week.
Rob McElhenney (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and Ryan Reynolds (“Deadpool”) navigate running the 3rd oldest professional football club in the world. “Welcome to Wrexham” is a docuseries tracking the dreams and worries of Wrexham, a working-class city in North Wales, UK, as two Hollywood stars guide the future of their historic Club.
In 2020, Rob and Ryan teamed up to purchase the 5th tier Red Dragons in the hopes of turning the Club into an underdog story the whole world could root for. The world took notice and change is afoot. After 15 painful seasons in the National League, the Club finally achieved promotion back into the English Football League. The stakes have never been higher as League Two brings a new level of intensity and the Club continues to be plagued with injury and setbacks. Dedicated staff and supporters celebrate the city’s return to glory while bracing for the new-found challenges that come with a return to the EFL. Will Wrexham AFC stand up to the challenge and rise again?
Meanwhile, Wrexham AFC’s Women’s Team, fresh off an undefeated season that saw them promoted to the Welsh Adran Premier League, continue to show why women were meant to be footballers. With new players, a new pitch, and a whole new level of competition, can they continue to dominate and make a name for themselves at the top of the League?
For the first time ever in season three, with the team taking their place in the EFL, “Welcome to Wrexham’s” cameras will have unprecedented access on the pitch, bringing viewers inside the locker room and alongside the players, while the action is unfolding in some of the biggest matches Wrexham AFC has ever played.
“Welcome to Wrexham” is executive produced by McElhenney, Reynolds, Josh Drisko, Bryan Rowland, Jeff Luini, Humphrey Ker, Nick Frenkel, George Dewey and Boardwalk Pictures’ Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, and Andy Thomas. “Welcome to Wrexham” is produced by More Better Productions, Maximum Effort Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment and Boardwalk Pictures.
Robust parental controls ensure that Disney+ remains a suitable viewing experience for everyone in the family. Subscribers can set access limits on mature content and create PIN-protected profiles alongside the already existing Junior Mode profiles to give parents and guardians peace of mind.
A date has been set for the third season of Netflix‘s SWEET TOOTH and even greater news, Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran joins the cast as “Rosie”!
ABOUT SWEET TOOTH SEASON 3:
Release Date: June 6th, 2024
Synopsis: Having defeated General Abbot in the battle at Pubba’s Cabin, Gus (Christian Convery), Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), Becky (Stefania LaVie Owen), and Wendy (Naledi Murray) embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother, Birdie (Amy Seimetz), who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. Along the way, they are joined by Dr. Singh (Adeel Akhtar), who may have his own dangerous beliefs about Gus and his role in reversing the virus. Meanwhile, a new threat emerges in the form of Helen Zhang (Rosalind Chao), her daughter Rosie (Kelly Marie Tran), and the ferocious Wolf Boys, who seek to restart human birth and view Gus as the solution to their plans. As they navigate through perilous terrain, Gus and his group of friends find refuge at the Outpost in Alaska, where they meet a new ensemble of characters including Siana (Cara Gee) and her hybrid daughter Nuka (Ayazhan Dalabayeva). With the clock to find answers running out, alliances are tested and destinies intertwine, all leading to a thrilling climax that will determine the fate of humanity and hybrids. Based on the DC comic book series by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is executive produced by Jim Mickle, Susan Downey, Robert Downey, Jr., Amanda Burrell, and Linda Moran. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television.
Executive Producer / Writer / Director / Showrunner: Jim Mickle
Executive Producers: Team Downey’s Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell; and Linda Moran
Co-Executive Producer: Team Downey’s Evan Moore
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Format: 8 x ~50 min episodes
Cast: Christian Convery as Gus, Nonso Anozie as Tommy Jepperd, Adeel Akhtar as Dr. Aditya Singh, Stefania LaVie Owen as Becky, Naledi Murray as Wendy, Amy Seimetz as Gertrude “Birdie” Miller, Rosalind Chao as Helen Zhang, Kelly Marie Tran as Rosie, Cara Gee as Siana, Ayazhan Dalabayeva as Nuka and James Brolin as Narrator.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of FALL GUY.
Advance screenings will be held Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7 pm in:
Toronto:
Cineplex Yonge & Dundas
Vancouver:
Scotiabank Theatre
And Monday, April 29 at 7:30 pm in:
Montreal (EN): Cinema Banque Scotia
Synopsis:
He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment.
And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
From real life stunt man and director David Leitch, the blockbuster director of Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the producer of John Wick, Nobody and Violent Night, comes his most personal film yet. A new hilarious, hard-driving, all-star apex-action thriller and love letter to action movies and the hard-working and under-appreciated crew of people who make them: The Fall Guy.
Oscar® nominee Ryan Gosling (Barbie, La La Land, Drive) stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie—being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno, played by Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place films, Sicario)—goes missing.
While the film’s ruthless producer (Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham; Ted Lasso), maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Bullet Train) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film’s most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody’s good graces. But as the mystery around themissing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.
Inspired by the hit 1980s TV series, The Fall Guy also stars Winston Duke (Black Panther franchise) and Academy Award® nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once).
From a screenplay by Hobbs & Shaw screenwriter Drew Pearce, The Fall Guy is produced by Kelly McCormick (Bullet Train, Nobody, Atomic Blonde) and David Leitch for their company 87North, and by Ryan Gosling and by Guymon Casady (Game of Thrones, Steve Jobs and executive producer of the upcoming series Ripley) for Entertainment 360. The film is executive produced by Drew Pearce, Entertainment 360’s Geoff Shaevitz and the creator of the original FallGuy television series, Glen A. Larson.
Genre: Action Thriller
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu
Directed by: David Leitch
Screenplay by: Drew Pearce
Produced by: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Ryan Gosling, Guymon Casady
Executive Producers: Drew Pearce, Geoff Shaevitz, Glen A. Larson
To enter for a chance to win, click”like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. In the comments tell us your city. Enter also from our X and IG accounts!
Rules and regulations here.
Universal Pictures Canada releaae FALL GUY in theatres May 3, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is thrilled to reveal award-winning Interdisciplinary Visual and Media Artist Paul Wong as the recipient of this year’s 2024 Fire Horse Award. The award honours an Asian Canadian individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the film and media-arts community. In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, the third annual Awards Ceremony and Fundraiser for the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will take place on May 23rd at the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto.
To purchase tickets, please visit: www.reelasian.com/fire-horse-event
The Fire Horse Award was introduced in 2021 to honour individuals who embody the spirit of originality, creative thinking, and visionary leadership. The award, named after festival founder Anita Lee, holds significant importance within the Asian Canadian film and media arts community and serves as a tribute to those who have made extraordinary contributions and left a lasting legacy.
This year’s Fire Horse Award Ceremony will be hosted by Canadian media darling, author, and Etalk senior correspondent, Lainey Lui, adding her signature flair and energy to the occasion.
The nomination for the 2024 Fire Horse Award comes from esteemed figures in the arts community, including Lisa Steele and Kim Tomzak, the recently retired founders of Vtape, and the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson.
“The jury is honoured to present the third annual Fire Horse Award to Vancouver artist Paul Wong, a bold pioneer in Canadian visual and media art. For fifty years and counting, Paul has been the creator of ground-breaking, large-scale public art installations that challenge stereotypes and our notions of belonging,” said the 2024 Fire Horse Award Jury Filmmaker/Academic Ali Kazimi, Filmmaker/Inaugural Fire Horse Award recipient Keith Lock and Journalist/Podcaster Hannah Sung. “Throughout his long career, he has modelled a commitment to building community and advocacy which has been influential on newer generations of media artists. We hope this award brings renewed attention to his entire body of work, especially to younger generations, given his career longevity and social impact. As a visual and media artist, storyteller, community-builder, advocate and curator, Paul fiercely embodies the qualities of the Fire Horse Award, as he dedicates his talent and energy to breaking down barriers, uplifting Asian Canadian communities and sparking cultural change.”
“In Paul Wong, the Fire Horse Award jury has chosen a one-of-a-kind artist whose work—which never shied away from exploring his queer, Asian and Canadian identities—has been recognized by his peers throughout his 50-year-plus career.” said Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Executive Director Deanna Wong. “Considering also his tireless community work, activism and advocacy, Wong is truly the embodiment of this award and we can’t wait to present him with it this May.”
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Paul Wong is a pioneering figure, known for his innovative work in visual and media art. With a career spanning over five decades, Wong has continuously pushed the boundaries of storytelling, working outside mainstream conventions. His illustrious career is marked by numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art (2005) and the Audain Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Visual Arts (2016). In 2023, Wong received the Outstanding Artist Award from the Federation of Gay Games and was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ECUAD).
He recently completed a year-long residency titled 身在唐人街/OCCUPYING CHINATOWN. Inspired by hundreds of letters and familial artifacts of his late mother Suk Fong Wong. Wong created intimate exhibitions, public art pieces, artist talks, events, workshops, and the website www.occupyingchinatown.com.
The Fire Horse Award recognizes one Asian Canadian member of the film and media-arts community. This member demonstrates qualities of the Chinese zodiac symbol in their work: Fire Horses are changemakers, creative thinkers, and visionary leaders who significantly impact the larger community. The award was created on the occasion of Reel Asian’s 25th Anniversary in 2021 to honour Reel Asian founder Anita Lee, whose groundbreaking work and determination has made Reel Asian a staple in Canada’s festival landscape. Lee served at the National Film Board of Canada for 18 years, for the last 14 as Executive Producer, Ontario Centre, and was appointed as Toronto International Film Festival’s Chief Programming Officer in April 2022, a new position where she continues to carry on the spirit of the Fire Horse.
This year’s recipient will be awarded $25,000 in cash, of which Golden Globe Award Winning Canadian film and television star Sandra Oh has committed $50,000 over five years. This contribution matches a generous lead donation from donor Ha-kyung Helen Song. More recently, Pan Asia Food Co., Ltd. has also pledged $25,000 over the next five years to the award. The company has been serving the Korean community in Canada for over 50 years. Ongoing contributions from the Reel Asian community will ensure the sustainability of the award for years to come.
The recipient will also receive the Fire Horse Award sculpture designed by Toronto- based artist and curator Myung-Sun Kim. The award design, a floating, malleable form, evokes the relationship between body and memory, our familial and cultural inheritances across the diaspora.
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is pleased to announce that its event sponsor for this year’s 2024 Fire Horse Award is Shaftesbury, an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film and digital.
“I’m thrilled to join Reel Asian in wholeheartedly supporting the Fire Horse Award,” said Sandra Oh. “By honouring trailblazers of the Asian Canadian media arts community, we are recognizing ourselves. It deeply matters who makes our images, and to these pioneers we owe a debt—and our promise to keep striving to tell our stories to the world. Let’s pause to celebrate those who blazed those trails—it’s beautiful and necessary.”
About Reel Asian
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian) is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. As Canada’s largest pan- Asian film festival, Reel Asian® provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada. Reel Asian will be showcasing special projects featuring prominent artists, content creators, up-and-coming filmmakers and will also include the “Reel Ideas” program for creative minds in the industry to connect online. Works presented at Reel Asian include films, videos, and other media artworks by Asian artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a new experience in the world of M. Night Shayamalan—“Trap” —featuring performances by rising music star Saleka Shyamalan.
A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, “Trap” stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.
The director of photography is Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (“Call Me by Your Name”). The production designer is Debbie de Villa (“The Hating Game”). It is edited by Noëmi Preiswerk and the music is by Herdĭs Stefănsdŏttir (“Knock at the Cabin”). The music supervisor is Susan Jacobs (“Old”); the costume designer is Caroline Duncan (“Old”). The casting is by Douglas Aibel (“Asteroid City”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Blinding Edge Pictures Production, An M. Night Shyamalan Film: “Trap.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures May 9, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)
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