The legacy of Disney’s DUMBO continues to last for generations beyond its original 1941 release. Visionary Filmmaker Tim Burton takes the reins in the upcoming 2019 live-action remake of the animated classic. In-town for a rare visit to promote its release was Golden Globe and EMMY Award-winning Actor, Author, Producer and Filmmaker, Danny Devito. Known for a large expansive body of work despite his diminutive frame, Devito has starred in several classics like Big Fish, Tin Men, Throw Momma from the Train, Matlida, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms of Endearment, Romancing the Stone, Twins and Batman Returns.
We hear Devito endured quite the wait arriving in the City the other night, which we had a chance to ask him about. There was a reported fire at Toronto Pearson International Airport, but being the true professional he is, he was ready to go bright and early for a day of Press, starting with an exclusive at CITY’s Breakfast Television.
Devito stars as Max Medici, whose circus is revived when he learns that his baby elephant born with oversized ears can actually fly. V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) is a flashy entrepreneur with big plans, expressing interest in incorporating Dumbo into his new grand venture, Dreamland propelling the baby elephant to stardom and potential riches. That is until, it is learned Dreamland actually harbours some unsettling, dark secrets. It is up to amputee war veteran Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) along with his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to protect Dumbo’s best interests after he is separated from his mother, Jumbo.
See the Trailer:
There were jugglers, popcorn, cotton candy, face-painters and a even a man on stilts at the festive affair. A Snapchat filter even was deployed for the occasion. Walking the Red Carpet at the Film’s Canadian Premiere at Scotiabank Theatre were the likes of Alexandra Porat (The Launch), Kyla Young (The Marijuana Chronicles), Luke Bilyk (The Marijuana Chronicles), Dalmar Abuzeid (Anne with an E), Cindy Sampson (Private Eyes), Scott McGillivray (Income Property), Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Danielle Graham (eTalk).
We ask these notable Canadians what the legacy of Dumbo means to them:
Alexandra Porat
The Mississauga native featured on CTV‘s The Launch recently, attended the Premiere and tells us, “I think there’s a beauty in these Remakes. I’m a huge fan of something animated coming into live-action.”.
“And I think it’s also important for children to be introduced this kind of storyline. Sometimes it’s harder to watch older films. When they see the live-action, it might inspire them to watch the original. I think they’re both going to be very different and special in their own ways.”.
Luke Bilyk
The Toronto Actor known best for his work on Degrassi, just wrapped on locally-filmed The Marijuna Chronicles, based on a true story of a group of women who partook in an outlandish experiment where they were tested rigorously after marijuana use. He says, “I think one of the greatest things about these live-action Remakes of all these classics is that people born in 2001 didn’t get to experience the cartoon itself and everything it meant to us. The young kid who’s nine or ten years old getting to watch The Lion King or Dumbo and real people get to see real actors.”.
“Not only does it spark imagination, but for little actors out there, young people who wanna start getting into this industry. They see it’s not a cartoon, you can really see that that magic can be real in real life.”.
Kyla Young
Young also stars in The Marijuana Chronicles and reveals, “I saw Dumbo for the first time when I was eight and I was so sad. I’m a crier and I was a crier when I was eight.”.
“I think it’s so awesome that someone like Tim Burton who has such a unique and twisted mind can bring this fantasy to life again in hopefully a totally new and different way.”.
Cindy Sampson
The Private Eyes Actress who stars alongside Jason Priestley, tells us “I was obsessed with Disney movies as a kid, I loved them obviously. I’ve cried over this Movie over a hundred times already and I’m kinda hoping that I’ll make it through as an adult – strong.”.
Dalmar Abuzeid
This Anne with an E star is a fan of remaking stories. He tells us, “Well, I think there’s always something to be learned from re-telling stories especially because there’s new angles and perspectives, new things to consider when you’re telling a story.” .
“I’m part of a show, Anne with an E, re-telling a story that’s been around a really long time. There’s something about people we recognize, figures and characters we’re familiar with, because then we’re more likely to wanna listen and take something away from their story that we’re so familiar with.”.
Scott McGillivray
The Real Estate guru arrived at the Premiere with his family. He states, “With everything going on in the world, it’s a very relevant topic about inclusion, people’s differences and all the things the Circus represented in the Movie.”.
“I think it’s appropriate and fun and maybe something for the kids and all of us to learn.”.
Amanda Brugel
The Actress who has been hard at work on The Handmaid’s Tale and promoting the Made Nous campaign in advance of Canadian Screen Week, arrived also with her family. “Dumbo resonated with so many children. It was devastating to watch as a child. As a mother of two beautiful young boys, I love the story. I love how it goes into the relationship between a mother and son.”.
“Also, I like the idea to embrace who you are and what you are and the special qualities that seem odd and translate that into your real life and make it work for you.”.
Danny Devito
The icon dishes on his troubled landing in Toronto Sunday night. He says, “We were stuck in the airport for three hours last night because of a grease fire in a restaurant that was in the International Arrivals terminal of the airport. It was a comfortable and nice time, everyone was really nice. There was no alcohol. When you park at the gate, you can’t have any alcohol. I slept a bit, I read, I went on my phone and went on Twitter. I love Twitter, I love Social Media.”.
“The thing is in the original 1941 movie, there were so many great values. Talking about the others, Xenophobia, acceptance and the thing inside you that you can contribute to the world and yourself. We kept all those things. The Animal Rights thing, we made sure to address that because we feel animals should not be imprisoned”, he adds.
We ask him also about reuniting with Tim Burton and Michael Keaton once again. “They’re like our family. Tim and I have done five movies together. Michael and I have done three. It’s really good to work with your friends.”.
See our Chats:
See some more Snaps from the Red Carpet:
Danny Devito
Amanda Brugel
Scott McGillivray + Family
Luke Bilyk x Kyla Young
Cindy Sampson
Alexandra Porat
Dalmar Abuzeid
Danielle Graham
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release DUMBO Friday, March 29, 2019.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/David Baldwin/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)
All photos taken on the Nikon D3400.
Nominations for the 2019 Canadian Screen Award were announced this morning at The Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto, honouring accomplishments in Canadian Film, Television and Digital Media. Leading this pack once again this year are ANNE WITH AN E and SCHITT’S CREEK with 14 nominations each.
Dominating the Film categories are French-language Films Just a Breath Away (Dans la brume) and The Great Darkened Days (La grande noirceur), the latter which partly is English.
Others to be honoured at the Awards this year include: The Kids in the Hall receiving the Academy Icon Award, Deepa Mehta, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, Mary Walsh receiving the Earle Grey Award and Golden Globe nominee Stephan James who will be named the first ever recipient of the Radius Award.
Women were front and center this year with receiving 50% of all nominations in Writing, Film Direction, Feature Film and Web Performance categories. We continue to see a focus on equity and diversity in the Canadian Entertainment landscape with several initiatives like #AfterMeToo and #ShareHerJourney aiming at sharing the female voice and addressing women’s concerns.
Canadian Screen Week runs March 25 – 31, 2019 and includes five Galas:
•The CTV Gala Honouring Non-Fiction Programming (March 26, 2019)
•The CTV Gala Honouring Creative Fiction Storytelling (March 27, 2019)
•The Gala Honouring Digital & Immersive Storytelling (March 28, 2019)
•The Cinematic Arts Gala (March 31, 2019)
•The Canadian Screen Awards: Broadcast Gala (March 31, 2019)
Canadians can vote for their favourite screen personality to win the Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award here.
The 2019 Canadian Screen Awards Broadcast Gala airs on CBC Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 8 PM ET.
A complete list of this year’s Nominees here.
(Photo credit: Canadian Academy)
By Amanda Gilmore and Mr. Will Wong
Now in its sixth year, the Canadian Screen Awards Broadcast Gala caps-off a week of celebrations in Toronto honouring the Country’s very best in Film, Television and Digital Media. Held at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, the Awards are an answer to Canada’s humility and need for a real star system. The Gala was hosted by Jonny Harris and Emmy Hunter.
Winning top honours this year was the Aisling Walsh Film MAUDIE based on the life of Canadian folk artist Maudie Lewis starring Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins. The Drama won a total seven Canadian Screen Awards tonight including Best Picture, Best Director, Supporting Actor (Hawke), Best Actress (Hawkins) and more. Walsh in what was a common theme of female empowerment and inclusion in light of the #AfterMeToo movement in Canada, tells the audience, “Every woman in this room who has dreamed of directing, writing or acting in a Film, go ahead and do it!”.
CBC‘s ALIAS GRACE scored two Canadian Screen Awards including Best Limited Series or Program and Best Actress in a Drama or Limited Series (Sarah Gadon). Based on Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood‘s Book of the same name, tonight we saw the Author herself honoured with the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute Award. Atwood says “I am very lucky to work with the brightest talent including Sarah Polley. I am supporting #AfterMeToo (and what their actual mission is) and the Canadian Women’s Foundation.”.
Tying in the Television categories tonight were fellow CBC Series KIM’S CONVENIENCE and ANNE with two wins each. The former is a Sitcom centering on a Korean-Canadian family in Toronto and their convenience shop and it won Best Comedy Series and repeated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee). The latter is based on the internationally-adored Children’s Book Series Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and it scored for Best Drama Series and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series (R.H. Thompson).
Hochelaga, Land of Souls would take home four Canadian Screen Awards for Visual Effects, Art Direction, Cinematography and Overall Sound.
Angelina Jolie-produced Animated Feature The Breadwinner nabbed Adapted Screenplay, Music, Original Score, Sound Editing and Original Song.
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World would win for Feature Length Documentary and Editing in Feature Length Documentary.
The Gala was a star-studded affair graced by the likes of Presenters: Kawa Ada, Shamier Anderson, Jann Arden, Adrienne Arsenault, Andrea Bang, Amanda Brugel, Billy Campbell, Nicholas Campbell, Saara Chaudry, Kim Coates, Wendy Crewson, Gerry Dee, Caroline Dhavernas, Sadaf Foroughi, Sarain Fox, Sarah Gadon, Marc-André Grondin, Allan Hawco, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Daniel Levy, Eugene Levy, Tatiana Maslany, Lisa Meeches, Amybeth McNulty, Natasha Negovanlis, Catherine O’Hara, Charles Officer, Amanda Parris, Jasmeet “JusReign” Raina, Catherine Reitman, Maxim Roy and Aurora Browne, Meredith MacNeill, Carolyn Taylor and Jennifer Whalen.
In addition to honouring the most notable Canadian productions of the past year, the Gala paid tribute to longstanding excellence. Media personality Peter Mansbridge, known as the face of CBC‘s The National, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Adrienne Arsenault. Rick Mercer received an Icon Award from adored Singer/Songwriter Jann Arden for his work on now-concluded The Mercer Report. Actor/Director Clark Johnson was awarded the Earle Grey Award, presented by his sisters Molly and Taborah.
In addition to critical merit, popularity too was awarded at the Broadcast Gala. The Golden Screen Award for TV Drama went to CBC‘s Murdoch Mysteries, while the Golden Screen Award for TV Reality Show was handed to CTV‘s The Amazing Race Canada. The Cineplex Golden Screen Award for Feature Film was given to De père en flic 2.
The Cogeco Fund Audience Choice Award, decided upon by fans online went to star of Webseries Carmilla, Elise Bauman, whom last year saw her Co-Star Natasha Negovanlis win the same award.
Earlier in the week, awards were handed for Excellence in Non-Fiction Storytelling, Excellence in Creative Fiction Storytelling and Excellence in Digital and Storytelling. Also, fans got to meet up-close some of their favourite stars of the Canadian productions at Family Fan Day, including the likes of Jerry O’Connell, Allan Hawco, Amybeth McNulty, Daniel Maslany, Elise Bauman, Natasha Negovanlis, Viviane Hicks, the Cast of Kim’s Convenience and many more.
See more Photos of the night. Hover cursor left and right to navigate slideshows.
For a complete list of winners, click here.
Saara Chaudry (The Breadwinner), Billy Campbell (Cardinal), Allan Hawco (Caught), #AFTERMETOO, Caroline Dhavernas (Mary Kills People) Natasha Negovanlis (Carmilla), Elise Bauman (Carmilla) and more in the Highlight Reel below:
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Amanda Gilmore)
The legacy of Anne of Green Gables is unparalleled. With over 50 million copies of Lucy Montgomery‘s novel being sold and fans spanning the globe, CBC is ready to unveil a new seven-episode television adaptation of the beloved story, known simply as ANNE. Its sights are set high working with a substantial budget, comparable to that of a U.S. cable television series (and it certainly looks it), and it already has secured global distribution via leading internet television service Netflix. Acclaimed Filmmaker Niki Caro (Whale Rider, McFarland, USA) signed-on to direct the two-hour premiere. Fans old and new can expect this to be a darker take, exploring deeper some of the aspects of the story previous Films and Mini-Series had not, speaking to an audience of now.
At the center of it all is fresh-faced and well-spoken 15-year-old actress Amybeth McNulty whom while being part-Canadian (her mother is from Calgary), resides in and is home-schooled in Ireland. McNulty, whose background primarily has been in theatre, starred in 2016 Thriller Morgan as the ten-year-old version of the titular character. She takes on the ambitious task in Anne of portraying the iconic talkative red-haired orphan and does so more than ably.
We sit down and chat with McNulty at the CBC Headquarters coincidentally on St. Patrick’s Day, about becoming Anne and winning the coveted role over 1,800 young actresses in an international search just last year. On what we can expect from the Series, she tells us “It really shows a lot more of her abuse and the trauma. It shows with full brutal honesty what she and a lot of orphans went through back then.”.
McNulty, who actually is a natural blonde, tells us about filming in P.E.I. where the story is set in the late 1800s. “I live in Ireland myself, so it reminds me a lot of Ireland with its rolling hills and those beautiful cliffsides.”. She even went to the actual Anne of Green Gables Store (it actually exists!) and shares an awkward but humorous anecdote. “I went down to the Anne shop when I had just got my red hair done and the people there were like, ‘Oh, you’d make a great Anne!’ she laughs. “And I was like ‘thank you’ and then I just quickly left!”.
While being a huge fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery‘s books, the Series’ source material, she admits never to having watched the previous Mini-Series and Films which followed. “It wasn’t really a conscious decision”, she says. “I didn’t really want to be affected. I wanted my portrayal really to come from me and Moira (Walley-Beckett, Series Writer) and the rest of the team.”.
Spending much of her spare time dancing and singing, working on Anne also has taught McNulty a thing or two about filmmaking, developing her own YouTube channel, chronicling her life and travels. “I learned a lot about filming and editing through the crew and I use it in filming vlogs.”. Check it out here.
“I think anyone living in P.E.I. is going to be very proud of their hometown and how beautiful it looks”, McNulty leaves us on a parting note as she gets ready to head out to do a live hit on TV downstairs – a face that soon will be familiar around the world.
Our Chat:
Some Snaps:
CBC premieres ANNE Sunday, March 19, 2017 at 8 PM. It streams globally on Netflix this May.
Photos taken on the NIKON D3300, Selfie taken on the Samsung S7.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
It’s that time of the year again and you can bet we’re super-pumped for CANADIAN SCREEN WEEK! As in previous years, FAMILY FAN DAY will give us a chance to connect with some of our favourite Canadian stars of the screen! Taking place Saturday, March 11, 2017 at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, the event runs from 10 AM to 2 PM and guess what? It’s free!
Exciting activations and contests are being planned and did you know that the first 100 in line will get a free swag bag? There will be doughnuts from JELLY MODERN, a MAC booth giving you inspiration for your spring 2017 look, exciting animals from HANDS ON EXOTICS and also a coding workshop by LADIES LEARNING CODE.
Stars in attendance this year include:
• Dan Riskin and Ziya Tong, Daily Planet (Bell Media)
• Kristian Bruun, Orphan Black (Bell Media)
• Simu Liu, Andrea Bang and Andrew Phung, Kim’s Convenience (CBC)
• Hélène Joy and Lachlan Murdoch, Murdoch Mysteries (CBC)
• Alisha Newton, Heartland (CBC)
• Janaye, Tony, Victor, Gary the Unicorn and Dot, CBC Kids (CBC)
• Dwight Drummond, CBC News Toronto (CBC)
• Kim Coates, Bad Blood (Rogers Media)
• Dina Pugliese and Kevin Frankish, Breakfast Television (Rogers Media)
• Victoria Baldesarra and Shelby Bain, The Next Step (Family Channel)
• Chelsea Clark and Ehren Kassam, Degrassi: Next Class (Family Channel)
• Devyn Nekoda, Colin Petierre and Julia Tomasone, Backstage (Family Channel)
• Hosts from Global’s The Morning Show (Corus Entertainment)
• Mike Holmes and Mike Holmes Jr., Holmes + Holmes (Corus Entertainment)
• Noah Cappe, The Bachelor Canada (Corus Entertainment)
• Anthony Farnell, Global News (Corus Entertainment)
• Ella Ballentine, Sara Botsford, Kate MacDonald Butler, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (Corus Entertainment/Breakthrough Entertainment)
…and several more!
YTV‘s Carlos Bustamante will fill hosting duties.
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Here’s a couple tips for taking the best selfies with the stars, from your resident expert, Mr. Will:
1. Be calm, stars are more like us than we are led to believe.
2. Ask nicely. If you are a real fan, let them know how they have touched your life.
3. Give them space and let them initiate it if they want to get closer to you.
4. Make sure there’s no glaring light behind you in the photo. This is v. unflattering and will almost always ruin your photo. If there is light, make sure it is shining on your faces.
5. Nobody likes a double-chin, so tilt that camera/cell phone up just a bit and tilt that chin down.
6. Look into the lens of the camera, not the screen on your cell phone and smile! Keep your eyes open!
7. Take an extra snap quickly just in case the first didn’t turn out – it’s always good to have a back-up.
8. Thank the star.
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Enjoy and g’luck! We’ll be seeing you around Canadian Screen Week!
More on Family Fan Day here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com