Covid-19 fears could not stop ONWARD from claiming the top spot at the Box Office a second week. The Disney/Pixar Feature is #1 this weekend with $16 million, bringing it to $65 million in its second week domestically. This looks to be the start of a slow period at the Movies as the public is being encouraged to socially distance themselves and go into isolation amidst these challenging times.

Debuting in second is I STILL BELIEVE starring K.J. Apa and Britt Robertson. The Romance is based on a true story opens with $10.9 million from 2,600 theatres for Lionsgate Films/Mongrel Media. It gets 42% on the Tomatometer and an A Cinemascore.

BLOODSHOT opens in third with $9.3 million from 2,631 theatres for Sony Pictures. The Vin Diesel-led Action film earns 31% on the Tomatometer and gets a B CinemaScore.

THE INVISIBLE MAN lands in fourth with $6.2 million for Universal Pictures, a three week tally of $64.6 million.

THE HUNT after multiple delays finally sees a release and opens in fifth with $5.7 million from 2,200 theatres for Universal Pictures. The Satire gets 54% on the Tomatometer and a C+ CinemaScore.

This looks amazing! What is touted as Disney and Pixar‘s early Awards Season contender, take a look at this new Trailer for SOUL.

Synopsis:
Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22, who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.

See the Trailer:

SOUL is in theatres Friday, June 18, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of Academy Award-winning 1917 on Blu-ray!

Synopsis:
Sam Mendes, the Oscar®-winning director of Skyfall, Spectre and American Beauty, brings his singular vision to his World War I epic, 1917.

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’ Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Share this Post on Facebook or Re-Tweet this Tweet via @mrwillw.

Rules and regulations here.

1917 is in stores Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

Butter Toffee-Peanut Butter Cookies. Would you bake eight giant ones or a dozen smaller ones?

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup organic granulated cane sugar
1 egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup toffee peanuts
1/4 cup organic granulated cane sugar to roll to cookie balls in

Instructions:
1. Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl.
2. Cream wet ingredients together till smooth in another bowl.
3. Combine dry and wet mixtures and form dough into a ball. Add in Toffee Peanuts.
4. Chill in freezer for about 20 minutes.

5. Set oven to 350°F. Line with parchment paper.
6. Roll dough into balls and dip in reserved cane sugar.
7. Do a criss-cross pattern with fork gently to flatten cookies. If cookies split, guide them back to shape gently with fork.
8. Bake about 1-2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, for 12 minutes.
9. Watch for cookies splitting during baking. Be careful and guide them back to shape gently with fork if need be.
10. Allow cookies to cool on sheet for about 20 minutes before removing with spatula. Makes eight giant cookies or a dozen average-sized cookies.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It’s upward for ONWARD which debuts on-top in its opening with $40 million from 4,310 theatres for Disney.  It earns 86% on the Tomatometer and an A- CinemaScore.

In second is last week’s champ, THE INVISIBLE MAN, with $14 million for Universal Pictures. It grosses $51.5 million into its second week.

THE WAY BACK earns $8.3 million from 2,718 theatres in its debut for Warner Bros., garnering a 87% score on the Tomatometer and a B+ CinemaScore.

EMMA. lands in sixth with $5.7 million from 1,565 theatres for Focus Features/Universal Pictures, a total $7.6 grossed to date.

1917 rounds-out the Top Ten with $1.7 million for Universal Pictures.

TROLLS WORLD TOUR boasts a star-studded Cast! Check-out this adorable new Trailer!

Synopsis:
A member of hard-rock royalty, Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), aided by her father King Thrash (Ozzy Osbourne), wants to destroy all other kinds of music to let rock reign supreme. With the fate of the world at stake, Poppy and Branch, along with their friends — Biggie (James Corden), Chenille (Caroline Hjelt), Satin (Aino Jawo), Cooper (Ron Funches) and Guy Diamond (Kunal Nayyar) — set out to visit all the other lands to unify the Trolls in harmony against Barb, who’s looking to upstage them all.

Cast as members of the different musical tribes is one of the largest, and most acclaimed, groups of musical talent ever assembled for an animated film. From the land of Funk are Mary J. Blige, George Clinton and Anderson .Paak. Representing Country is Kelly Clarkson as Delta Dawn, with Sam Rockwell as Hickory and Flula Borg as Dickory. J Balvin brings Reggaeton, while Ester Dean adds to the Pop tribe. Anthony Ramos brings the beat in Techno and Jamie Dornan covers smooth jazz. World-renowned conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel appears as Trollzart and Charlyne Yi as Pennywhistle from the land of Classical. And Kenan Thompson raps as a newborn Troll named Tiny Diamond.

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release TROLLS WORLD TOUR Friday, April 10, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

To get us excited about for upcoming release of Disney’s MULAN, here is Christina Aguilera with a new contribution to the Soundtrack, LOYAL BRAVE TRUE. She also has re-recorded REFLECTION for the live-action Feature.

Synopsis:
Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s “Mulan,” in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known. When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father.

“Mulan” features a celebrated international cast that includes: Yifei Liu as Mulan; Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Tzi Ma as Zhou, Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan; Yoson An as Honghui; Ron Yuan as Sergeant Qiang; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor.

See a Special Look:

The Full Track is available here:

Disney’s MULAN is in theatres Friday, March 27, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

Janelle Monáe is spellbinding in this new Trailer for ANTEBELLUM! See this new Horror from the Producer who brought us US and GET OUT.

See the Trailer:

Mongrel Media release ANTEBELLUM Friday, April 24, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Mongrel Media)

Season Three of acclaimed Series OZARK is soon before us. See this brand-new Trailer!

Synopsis:
It’s six months later, the casino is up and running, but Marty and Wendy are fighting for control of the family’s destiny. Marty preaches keeping the status quo. Aided by an alliance with Helen and drug cartel leader Omar Navarro, Wendy plots for expansion. But when Wendy‘s brother Ben comes into town, everyone’s lives are thrown into chaos.

The new season stars Emmy Award® Winner Jason Bateman, Emmy Award® Winner Laura Linney, Emmy Award® Winner Julia Garner, Emmy Award® nominee Janet McTeer, Tom Pelphrey, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Lisa Emery and Jessica Frances Dukes.

See the Trailer:

OZARK: SEASON THREE streams on Netflix Friday, March 27, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

We’ve been following closely the progress of RUN THIS TOWN, the directorial debut from Writer/Director Ricky Tollman, since the Film was announced in March 2018. While the Film has been much-talked-about, finally its release is near some two years after it began production here in Toronto.

Set against a backdrop of a Rob Ford-run Toronto, Tollman‘s Film explores what it means for millennials to survive in this day and age. It centers on a young Journalist (Ben Platt) eager to break his first story at his publication where he has been relegated to compiling Top Ten lists. With the possibility of Ford‘s crack tape being exposed, his Political Aides (Mena Massoud, Nina Dobrev) fight to keep the news under wraps, while also saving their own jobs.

See the Trailer:

The Film premiered tonight in Toronto at Scotiabank Theatre and in attendance were Director/Writer Tollman, plus Toronto stars Massoud, best known for his starring role in Disney’s Aladdin and People’s Choice Award-winning The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev. The Screening was followed by a Q&A and an After Party at Northern Maverick Brewing Company, where family and friends of Cast and Crew got a chance to kick-back with some libations and apps. Sanitizer also was seen circulating the room with wellness and prevention on everyone’s mind of late.

Our Justin Waldman had the opportunity to chat at the After Party with Tollman, Massoud and Dobrev.

Justin: What inspired you to choose this story about Rob Ford as your first Feature?

Ricky Tollman: “I didn’t see it as a Rob Ford story. I saw as a story about my friends and peers who I grew-up with and we all grew-up in 2010 watching Rob Ford escapades and they were taken as a joke at the time. And looking back at it in 2016 I kinda wish it wasn’t a joke as I was writing this Script when Donald Trump announced his candidacy. I thought we’ve seen this story before and maybe we shouldn’t have taken it as a joke because my friends in the United States and effectively around the world, are going to be affected by policy enacted by politicians like Donald Trump.”. He adds, “I wanted to do a story not about the politicians but maybe the people we haven’t heard from.”.

On his next endeavours, Tollman reveals, “I’m writing two things and will see which one makes it out alive. One is a Political Thriller which takes place in 1963 and the other is the FBI‘s investigation into an underworld that people may not know exists.”.

Justin: Tell us what attracted you to this Script.

Mena Massoud: “It’s like being the behind-the-scenes guy that never gets seen. It was an interesting role to play and I got an insight into the my Publicist’s day to day. A lot of stuff shoots here in Toronto that isn’t Canadian and this was, and that was special to me give back to the community I came from. I grew up here so it’s important to come back and tell Canadian stories.”.

Justin:  What’s it like making a Film that’s so rich in Toronto history?

Nina Dobrev: “That was one of the main reasons I wanted to do this Film. Not only getting to come home and see my family and friends, but also to celebrate this beautiful city that we live in. There’s so much Toronto has to offer. For the first time in a long time we got to feature CN Tower and all the other landmarks we know so well instead of coming to Toronto to shoot for New York or some other big city and hide the great place that we live in. It’s such a melting pot. Most of the people in this country are immigrants and we really got to showcase that and also the struggle, the ups-and-downs in the workplace and how difficult it is to find work.”.

Justin: What was the most challenging part of the Movie for you?

Nina Dobrev: “The only scene I shot with Damian Lewis, but not because of Damian Lewis –  he’s an amazing, talented actor. The scene was kinda difficult, creepy and cringe-worthy and let’s just say there wasn’t a lot of acting required. It was really uncomfortable.”.

See our Chat:

Elevation Pictures release RUN THIS TOWN Friday, March 6, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/George Kozera/Elevation Pictures)