After its Premiere at Sundance, THEATRE CAMP gets penciled-in for a release date! Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star.

Synopsis:

THEATER CAMP follows the eccentric staff running a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York. After its indomitable and beloved founder falls into a coma, they must band together with her clueless “crypto-bro” son to keep the thespian paradise afloat.

Searchlight Pictures release THEATRE CAMP July 14, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

SXSW is set to kick-off Friday March 10, 2023 through March 18, 2023 in Austin. Team Mr. Will is here to bring you some of their top picks of the Film & TV component of the Festival, which is back again in-person fully. The Festival kicks-off this year with Opening Night selection DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES. The eagerly-awaited Blockbuster co-directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley stars an impressive Cast including Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Sophia Lillis, Michelle Rodriguez and more. This follows on the footsteps of last year’s Opening Night film, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, which has been propelled to major Awards Season success.

Other high-profile titles to premiere at the Film & TV Festival include Evil Dead Rise directed by Lee Cronin; Problemista directed by Julio Torres; Flamin’ Hot directed by Eva Longoria; Janine Nabers and Donald Glover’s Swarm; Lee Sung Jin’s Beef and several more. 

Team Mr. Will preview for you some of their own most-anticipated titles at SXSW 2023.

AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda)

Bottoms

Toronto-born Director-Writer Emma Seligman is re-teaming with star-on-the-rise Rachel Sennott! And I CANNOT WAIT! I loved Shiva Baby and know that only greatness will come from this duo. Additionally, as a huge fan of The Bear, I am so excited to see breakout star Ayo Edebiri as part of its Cast.

Fancy Dance

I heard so many great things about this Film coming out of Sundance early this year. It’s the feature directorial debut from Erica Tremblay and follows a Native American hustler who kidnaps her niece from her white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in the hope of keeping what’s left of their family intact.

Joy Ride

I always search for Comedy at SXSW because they tend to be breakout hits. This Comedy directed by Adele Lim has a stellar cast including Everything Everywhere All at Once fav Stephanie Hsu. And it just happens to be produced by two funny men collaborators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

National Anthem

I’m a huge fan of Halsey and she’s acting in this touching story about a construction worker in New Mexico who joins a group of queer rodeo performers. There has been a lot of buzz going into the Festival for this Film and I am sure it won’t disappoint.

Bloody Hell

This Canadian film sounds like a blast. It follows a teen girl who is diagnosed with a reproductive condition that upends her sex life. Thus, sending her on a journey exploring unusual methods. It stars Maddie Ziegler and Emily Hampshire.

I want to shout out a film I’ve already seen and I believe all of you should: War Pony. It’s a breathtaking film that follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men group on on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)

I am three-years-deep and still fascinated by the films the SXSW team programs every March. It is such an odd and eclectic mix of indies, docs and genre films, and well, it speaks directly to my eclectic taste in cinema. And though it lacks the prestige of TIFF or Cannes, and is a little more punk rock than Sundance, I love how much of a unique identity SXSW has. Hopefully, next year I can take the plunge and go to Austin for a long weekend just to soak up all of the films, the BBQ, and this terrific community the festival has cultivated. I am intrigued about a number of pictures and twisted visions unfolding over the coming week and a half, but these are the ones I am most excited for:

Evil Dead Rise

I love the Evil Dead franchise, full-stop. The remake we got in 2013 was a whole lot better than it should have been, and this new entry (which trades the creepy cabin, horny teenagers and everyman Ash Williams for a family in a creepy high rise tower) looks and sounds positively bonkers. I was grinning like a maniac watching the R-rated trailer just recently, and am all in for the gory, grotesque and groovy blood bath that Writer/Director Lee Cronin has cooked-up. Might want to pack a poncho and an umbrella for this one.

Bottoms/I Used To Be Funny

Have you accepted Rachel Sennott as your new queen yet? This one-two punch of Dark Comedies – one about two loser high schoolers who create a fight club in order to get laid, and the other about an aspiring comedian and former nanny struggling with PTSD – should certainly clue you into what you have been missing in your life. They both sound like wild rides, and should certainly provide plenty of laughs from this star on the rise. Did I ask if you accepted her as your queen yet?

299 Queen Street West

If you are of a certain generation, you likely remember when MUCH was actually called MuchMusic. And it played music. Those days may be long behind us, but Sean Maynard’s Documentary about the life and times of the iconic building, studio and brand is bound to bring back a whole lot of memories. I cannot wait to see what artifacts he was able to dig-up.

Self Reliance

No need to even discuss a plot here – this is the directorial debut of Jake Johnson. He wrote and produced the Film too, alongside the Lonely Island. And he stars in it, alongside Anna Kendrick, Andy Samberg, Natalie Morales, Christopher Lloyd, Wayne Brady and Schitt’s Creek’s Emily Hampshire (also at SXSW 2023 with Bloody Hell). Do I really need to say more, or are you just as quickly on-board as I was?

Plan C

As a CIS white male, my opinion on abortion does not matter. Nor should it matter to the men who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. What a woman does with her own body is none of our fucking concern. Plain and simple. Sadly, not everyone feels that way, as we would not need Docs like Plan C if they did. The Film centres around a large group of individuals who have been networking since 2014 in an attempt to increase access to abortion pills across the United States. With how turbulent things are going, and the fact that I have my own daughter now, this one is quite simply a must-see.

MR. WILL (@mrwillw)

Tetris

Centering around true events and Henk Rogers’ (played by Taron Egerton) uphill battle to secure legal rights to international gaming sensation TETRIS, this Drama from Jon S. Baird is a must-see. Especially for those of us who grew-up in the ’80s and ’90s and played this religiously on our Nintendo Gameboys. This premieres more towards the end of the Festival on March 15th and arrives on Apple TV+ March 31, 2023. Who’d have known there was this much Drama behind something that brought us so much joy? Did you know the game actually originally belonged to the people of the Soviet Union?

American Born Chinese

Based on Gene Luen Yang’s Graphic Novel of the same name, SXSW is so lucky to continue this renaissance of the Asian-American experience. The upcoming Disney+ series centers on Jin Wang (Ben Wang), struggling with his school life and home life. He meets the new foreign exchange student at his school, leading him to become involved in a battle between Gods of Chinese mythology. The Series reunites EEAAO stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. This also premieres later in the Festival on March 15th and it arrives May 24, 2023 on Disney+.

I Used to be Funny

Filmed right here at home, Toronto’s Ally Pankiw writes and directs this Comedy starring SXSW 2023 Queen Rachel Sennott (also at the Festival with the exciting BOTTOMS as mentioned by Amanda and David) as a Comedian battling PTSD and deciding whether or not to search for a missing teen girl whom she used to nanny. This premieres March 13th at the Festival.

Flamin’ Hot

Who doesn’t love Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Flamin’ Hot is the story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican-American heritage and upbringing to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that ignited a spice-loving frenzing, becoming a worldwide sensation! Eva Longoria directs this origins story which we can totally get behind. This premieres March 11th.

Problemista

Expect Julio Torres to be the breakout star of SXSW 2023 writing, directing and also starring in this Comedy about a Toy Designer from El Salvador who is stuck in a job assisting an unpredictable Art World outcast in order to stay in America. Also stars Greta Lee and TILDA SWINTON! This debuts March 13th at the Festival.

Also, a warm mention goes to Canada’s BLACKBERRY which recounts the rise of the mobile phone that once ruled the world, from Director/Writer Matt Johnson. Jay Baruchel stars as Mike Lazaridis in this Drama which will be released via Elevation Pictures April 28, 2023. This got plenty of traction out of its Berlin International Film Festival Premiere and we cannot wait to see. It premieres March 13th at SXSW 2023.

More on the SXSW 2023 lineup here. We’ll be bringing updates from the Festival daily. Stay tuned for more.

Jennifer Lawrence is back in Comedy NO HARD FEELINGS, hitting theatres this Summer!

Sony Pictures Canada release NO HARD FEELINGS June 13, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)

We are obsessed with the ’70s and all the icons that came with it. Here’s a new Trailer for SPINNING GOLD starring multi-talented Jeremy Jordan. VVS Films release March 31, 2023.

Synopsis: 

What do Donna Summer, Parliament, Gladys Knight, The Isley Brothers, The Village People, and Bill Withers all have in common with the rock band KISS? They all rose to their musical heights under the watchful ear of the music industry’s most colorful and brilliant music producer, Neil Bogart, founder of Casablanca Records, the most successful independent record company of all time… Along with a rag tag team of young music lovers, Casablanca Records would rewrite history and change the music industry forever. Their mix of creative insanity, a total belief in each other and the music they were creating, shaped our culture and ultimately defined a generation. In a story so unbelievable that it can only be true, comes the motion picture event of the musical journey of Neil Bogart and how his Casablanca Records created the greatest soundtrack of our lives.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

Today we get a new clip from MURDER MYSTERY 2. DEUX OR DIE! The Sequel arrives on Netflix March 31, 2023.

Synopsis: 

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Paramount+ in Canada today revealed the official trailer and first look images for the upcoming second season of the contemporary sci-fi horror series FROM, which will premiere on the service on Sunday, April 23, 2023. The series features a stellar ensemble cast led by Harold Perrineau (Lost).

Filmed during the summer of 2022 in picturesque Nova Scotia, FROM unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down. In season two, hidden truths about the nature and terrifying origins of the town begin to emerge, even as life for its residents is plunged into chaos by the arrival of mysterious newcomers. 

“Congratulations to our exceptional cast and Canadian crew,” said Series Director and Executive Producer, Jack Bender, Executive Producer and Showrunner, Jeff Pinkner, and Creator and Executive Producer, John Griffin. “We hope the cast and crew, and all Canadians, are as proud of the second season as we are.”

The series stars Harold Perrineau (Lost) leading an ensemble cast which includes Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace, The Affair), Eion Bailey (Band of Brothers, Once Upon a Time), Elizabeth Saunders (Clarice), Canadians Hannah Cheramy (Under Wraps, Van Helsing), Simon Webster (Strays), Ricky He (The Good Doctor), Chloe Van Landschoot (Charity, Skin), Corteon Moore (Utopia Falls), Pegah Ghafoori (The Perfect Wedding), David Alpay (Castle Rock), Elizabeth Moy and Avery Konrad (Honor Society). New series regulars joining Season Two include Canadians Scott McCord (East of Middle West), Nathan D. Simmons (Diggstown, This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Kaelen Ohm (Hit & Run, Eumenides Falls), Angela Moore (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Maid), AJ Simmons (Reacher), and Deborah Grover (My Next Door Nightmare, Jann).

FROM is created and executive produced by John Griffin (Crater), directed and executive produced by Jack Bender (Lost, Game of Thrones, Mr. Mercedes), and executive produced by Showrunner Jeff Pinkner (Fringe, Alias, Lost). FROM is produced by MGM+ Studios and Amazon Studios: Pan-English Scripted TV. Alongside Pinkner, Griffin and Bender, serving as executive producers are Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Scott Rosenberg from Midnight Radio, Anthony and Joe Russo and Mike Larocca from AGBO and Lindsay Dunn. Midnight Radio’s Adrienne Erickson serves as co-executive producer. The series is internationally distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. 

New series “MPower” is now streaming on Disney+—a TV spot and key art is available today. Episodes spotlight several of the MCU’s most inspirational women heroes. “Every hero has an epic origin story and so does this series,” said Executive Producer Justin W. Hochberg. “When I conceived ‘MPower,’ I did it out of love for my teen daughter so she would have more icons to look up to, voices to learn from and role models to help her impact the world. Today, that vision is now a reality thanks to Brie Larsen, Elizabeth Olsen, the women of Wakanda and Zoë Saldaña, whose leadership was ‘Mpowering.’”

Saldaña is featured in episode four and serves as an Executive Producer of the series alongside Cisely and Mariel Saldana for Cinestar Pictures. “‘MPower’ is a tribute to women’s representation and empowerment,” she said. “We’re enthused to have the involvement of a diverse group of women whose voices and stories will serve as a source of inspiration. Our hope is that this series will ignite meaningful conversations and drive real change towards a more equal and inclusive world.”

“MPower” consists of four stand-alone episodes—all streaming now. From Carol Danvers and Wanda Maximoff to the women of Wakanda and “The Guardians of the Galaxy,” the series unpacks the journeys of these characters from their birth in Marvel Comics to the MCU and beyond. Archival footage, imaginative animation and candid interviews work in tandem to profile how these characters and the women behind their success have impacted fans around the world.

“We’re excited to help illuminate the myriad, powerful stories of women in the MCU,” said Executive Producer Mark Herzog. “We sincerely hope that the series will empower girls and women all over the world to be their authentic selves in their lives and in their careers.”

Episode Lineup:

MPOWER—THE WOMEN OF BLACK PANTHER invites viewers back to Wakanda, where the women are the backbone of the world’s most powerful nation. Okoye (Danai Gurira), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Ayo (Florence Kasumba) and Shuri (Letitia Wright) are as unbreakable as vibranium, and this episode of “MPower” dives into their roots in the original comics, how the performances were influenced by the actors’ own lived experiences and how the spirit of Africa and black excellence shaped every aspect of the films.

MPOWER—CAPTAIN MARVEL journeys with one of the MCU’s most powerful Super Heroes, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson)—seen through the eyes of those who helped bring her to life. Through animation and never-before-seen footage, viewers will gain a new sense of the transformation from Carol Danvers to Captain Marvel, the women who look up to her—Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani)—and how the teams behind and in front of the camera helped bring it all together.

MPOWER—SCARLET WITCH celebrates Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings)—plus the creative forces behind the Scarlet Witch’s iconic journey. The hero with undeniable power and a tragic backstory has withstood insurmountable odds reaching back to her childhood in Sokovia, through her years flourishing as an Avenger, and of course, her ascension to self-realization as the Scarlet Witch.

MPOWER—GAMORA explores the evolution of the captivating character, Gamora (Zoë Saldaña), from her days as an assassin to life among the Guardians of the Galaxy. As the backbone of the team of misfits, Gamora is forced to reevaluate what family means to her and address her dysfunctional relationship with her sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan). Vets of the “Guardians” movies weigh in on the plight of Gamora and how she is brought to life in an emotional and dynamic way.

(Photo/video credit: Disney+)

Chris Evans and Ana de Armas star in Apple TV+’s GHOSTED. Here’s a first look at the Trailer!

Synopsis:

Salt-of-the-earth Cole (Chris Evans) falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie (Ana de Armas) — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Cast: Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris, Tate Donovan

Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers

Producers: David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Chris Evans, Jules Daly, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese

Co-Producer: Dalia Ibelhauptaité
Executive Producers: Donald J. Lee Jr., Brian Bell, Ana de Armas

“Ghosted” will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on April 21, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

Jeremy Renner is ready to make some Renner-vations! The two-time Academy Award® nominee and Marvel superhero joins forces again with Disney+ for the highly anticipated debut of his four-part Original series “Rennervations,” from Disney Branded Television. Renner and his team of expert builders use their skills to reimagine decommissioned vehicles and rebuild them into mind-blowing creations that serve communities around the world. Every build has a purpose. All episodes of “Rennervations” premiere on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 exclusively on Disney+.

“I’ve been on this journey for many years, and I started in my community by building vehicles for people in need. But a few years ago, I thought, how can I plus this up and create a bigger impact on a whole community – and that’s what this show does.” said Renner. “This is one of my biggest passions and it’s a driving force in my recovery, and I can’t wait for the world to see it.”

Behind the big screen, Renner is a construction veteran with a passion for purchasing and re-imagining huge vehicles with the help of his connections in the worldwide fabricator culture. With his best friend and business partner, Rory Millikin, and an all-star build crew, Renner travels the globe to reimagine decommissioned vehicles and rebuild them to serve a new purpose, such as turning a tour bus into a mobile music studio, a delivery truck into a mobile water treatment facility, a shuttle bus into a mobile recreation center, and a city bus into a mobile dance studio. Along the way, Renner teams up with actor and producer Anthony Mackie (Marvel Studios’ “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’’), actress and entrepreneur Vanessa Hudgens (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”), actor and producer Anil Kapoor (“Mission Impossible,” “Slumdog Millionaire”) and singer and songwriter Sebastián Yatra (“Encanto”), who all share Renner’s enthusiasm and join him to deliver the finished vehicles to each organization.

The series takes Jeremy around the world from his hometown of Reno, Nevada to Chicago, Illinois, to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Rajasthan, India. In each location, Jeremy connects with leading organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, The BASE Chicago, Uva Jagriti Sansthan, and Casa Hogar of Cabo San Lucas to learn about the needs of the local communities. Jeremy and Rory meet with organization leaders to better understand the community’s most urgent needs, then they use what they learned to build something incredible that will have a big impact.

Jeremy’s Rennervation team includes Rory Millikin, Jeremy’s friend and business partner, Corey Wardleigh, lead mechanic, Rob “Bender” Park, lead fabricator, along with the build crew Roxy Bonilla, Justin Self and Merri Oswald, Akamu “AK” Whatley, Skiland “Ski” Judd, Ryan Gunter, and Nick Socha.

The projects, celebrities and organizations featured include:

Chicago: Building a Mobile Music Bus (ft. Vanessa Hudgens)
Jeremy Renner and his best friend Rory rebuild a tour bus into a mobile music studio for The BASE Chicago, an organization that offers various after-school programs to help keep urban youths off the streets in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Jeremy wants to provide The BASE Chicago kids with a new musical outlet to encourage them to dream big, express themselves and discover their inner voice. He and his elite team of fabricators and mechanics breathe new life into a tour bus by reimagining, repurposing, and renovating it into a mobile music studio for the kids to record their own music, play instruments and let their creativity sing. Then they deliver the mobile music studio with the help of actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens.

India: Building a Mobile Water Treatment Center (ft. Anil Kapoor)
Jeremy Renner and his best friend Rory make their first-ever trip ever to India, where they rebuild a delivery truck into a mobile water treatment facility for Uva Jagriti Sansthan, a nonprofit organization trying to deliver clean, drinkable water to communities across India. Jeremy wants to provide mobile water filtration to multiple communities and schools so they can drink groundwater that is currently non-potable. He and an elite team of local fabricators repurpose a delivery truck into a mobile water treatment facility that can travel to local communities and filter and clean existing groundwater rather than the communities trucking in clean water. Then, they deliver the mobile water treatment facility with the help of his “Mission: Impossible” co-star, Indian movie superstar Anil Kapoor.

Mexico: Building a Mobile Dance Studio (ft. Sebastián Yatra)
Jeremy Renner and his best friend Rory travel to Los Cabos, Mexico, where they rebuild a city bus into a mobile dance studio for Casa Hogar of Cabo San Lucas, a nonprofit organization offering full-time care and parenting to vulnerable kids unable to live with their families. After learning the kids at Casa Hogar lost their dance studio, Jeremy wants to create a new space for them to take dance classes and have recitals again. He and his elite team of fabricators repurpose a former city bus and rebuild it into a mobile dance studio to use as a classroom at the school and as a mobile event space around town. Then they deliver the mobile dance studio with help from two-time Latin GRAMMY Award®-recipient Sebastián Yatra.

Reno: Building a Mobile Recreation Center (ft. Anthony Mackie)
Jeremy Renner and his best friend Rory rebuild a shuttle bus into a mobile recreation center for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada, a charity based in Reno that creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteers and local kids. Jeremy and his elite team of fabricators breathe new life into a shuttle bus by renovating it into a mobile recreation center that includes a basketball hoop, soccer goal and computer lab that can drive to underserved rural communities. Then, they deliver the new mobile recreation center with help from Jeremy’s “Avengers” and “Hurt Locker” co-star Anthony Mackie.

“Rennervations” is produced by Boardwalk Pictures for Disney+. ​​Jeremy Renner, Rory Millikin, Romilda De Luca, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma and Patrick Costello serve as executive producers. For Disney Branded Television, Marc Buhaj is vice president, Unscripted and Nonfiction, and Nicole Silveira is vice president, Unscripted.

Today we get a brand new International Trailer for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES! The Film premieres this week at SXSW and opens March 31, 2023.

SYNOPSIS:

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.

Paramount Pictures Presents

In Association with eOne

A Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley Film

Directed by:

Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

Screenplay by:

Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Michael Gilio

Story by:

Chris McKay & Michael Gilio

Based on HASBRO’S DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Produced by:

Jeremy Latcham, p.g.a., Brian Goldner, Nick Meyer

Executive Producers:

Denis L. Stewart, Jonathan Goldstein,

John Francis Daley, Chris Pine, Zev Foreman, Greg Mooradian

Cast:

Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head and Hugh Grant

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)