It absolutely is our favourite time of the year again and announced this morning is the official list of Talent coming to Toronto for TIFF ’14! We look forward to seeing plenty of returning names – some just here last year like the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Kate Winslet – and also plenty of Stars from years past making their way back here once more!
Among the names attending TIFF ’14 this year include:
Jon Stewart, Martin Scorcese, Richard Gere, Andrew Garfield, Viggo Mortensen, Gael Garcia Bernal, James Franco, Jane Fonda, Chloë Moretz, Brit Marling, Laura Dern, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vanessa Redgrave, Vera Farmiga, Al Pacino, Tina Fey, Haley Joel Osment, Robert Pattinson, Ansel Elgort, Alice Eve, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Seyfried, Michael Shannon, Dax Sheppard, Robert Duvall, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Hailee Steinfield, Justin Chatwin, Method Man, Jennifer Connelly, Bobby Cannavale, Kuoth Wiel, Cassie Williams, Danny Webb, Dominic West, Jung Woo-Sung, John Boylan, Sam Worthington, Tye Sheridan, Andrew Scott, Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, Connie Britton, Reese Witherspoon, Evan Bird, Zhao Wei, Han Ye-Ri, Melissa Benoist, Haley Bennett, Sonja Bennett, John Travolta, Julianne Moore, Isaach De Bankolé, Dan Stevens, Jason Bateman, Corey Stoll, Xavier Dolan, Peter Stormare, Ben Schnetzer, Abigail Spencer, Ellen Barkin, Bill Pullman, Charlotte Aubin, Kate Winslet, Ryan Reynolds, Rene Russo, Roger Waters, Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Loreto Aravena, Tobey Maguire, Aubrey Plaza, Tobey Maguire, Gemma Arterton, Juliette Binoche, Zhang Yimou, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Rose Byrne, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Mark Ruffalo, Bill Murray, Daniel Barber, Liam Aiken, Mike Leigh, Olivier Assayas, Richard LaGravenese, Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Anna Kendrick, Morgan Freeman, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Rosario Dawson, Chris Rock, John Cusack, Benedict Cumberbatch, Octavia Spencer, Keira Knightley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kevin Costner, Anthony Mackie, Patricia Clarkson, J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, Priyanka Chopra, Daniel Bruhl, Michael Winterbottom, Justin Chon, Steve Carell, Gong Li, Hayden Christensen, Tory Kittles, Jordana Brewster, Holliday Grainger, Max Irons, Lone Scherfig, Sam Claflin, Douglas Booth, Paul Bettany, Daniel Barnz, Noah Baumbach, Barry Avrich, Jennifer Aniston, Akon, Nick Kroll, Holly Hunter, Catherine Keener, Greta Gerwig, Omar Sy Jennifer Garner, Salma Hayek, Kevin Smith, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Faye Marsay, Bill Nighy, Justin Long, Christopher Plummer, Marton Csokas, David Cronenberg, Sarah Gadon, Tom Schilling, Tom Hardy and more!
TIFF also will be hosting a series of In-Conversations-With as part of their Mavericks Programme. Joining-in are the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Denzel Washington, Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, Jon Stewart, Dan Savage, Julie Taymor and several more!
As is the case always, it’s sometimes not just who’s coming – it’s who they’re bringing. Don’t be surprised if Jennifer Garner brings Husband Ben Affleck along and be warned if Andrew Garfield brings Emma Stone along!
Who’s on our list of Must-Meets? Plenty! We hope finally to get a positive moment with Reese Witherspoon and Kate Winslet! Excited about Martin Scorcese, J.K. Simmons, Bobby Cannavale, Miles Teller, Corey Stoll, Tobey Maguire, Rose Byrne, Michael Douglas and newer names like Max Irons and Douglas Booth, that’s for sure. And did we read TINA FEY!?!? Finally! AND WHERE IS TOM HARDY?!?!
The list is always subject to surprise and no-shows as we know all too well!
Visit the official TIFF Website for more.
TIFF ’14 runs September 3 – 14, 2014.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
We loved THIS IS THE END, so we particularly are excited to see an on-screen reunion between Seth Rogen and James Franco! Combining Politics and Pothead Humour, the Pineapple Express Duo come together once again for big Holiday laughs.
Official Synopsis:
Dave Skylark (James Franco) is king of the celebrity interview and host of the hit night time talk show “Skylark Tonight.” The brain behind Dave‘s empire is his producer and best friend, Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen). Unfulfilled, Aaron yearns to do meaningful work. He scores the chance of a lifetime when he secures an interview for Dave with Kim Jong-Un, the mysterious and ruthless dictator of a nuclear-armed North Korea. As Dave and Aaron prepare to leave for North Korea, they are approached by the CIA and asked to assassinate Kim. They accept the mission, becoming two of the least qualified men ever to assassinate—or interview—the most dangerous man on Earth.
See the Trailer:
Sony Pictures release THE INTERVIEW on Christmas Day.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)
“People ’round here don’t shake and make-up.”.
VVS Films, Touchwood PR and Mr. Will Wong want Readers to win Advance Screening Passes across Canada, to see HOMEFRONT starring JASON STATHAM and JAMES FRANCO. That’s right. STATHAM + FRANCO. Head-to-head. All-up in each other’s grills! Need we say more?
Advance Screening Double Passes are available for the following Cities:
Toronto – Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 7 pm Scotiabank Theatre
Vancouver – Monday, November 25, 2013 at 7 pm International Village
Montreal – Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 7 pm Scotiabank Theatre
Winnipeg – Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 7 pm SilverCity St. Vital
Ottawa – Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 7:30 pm SC Gloucester
Halifax – Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 7 pm Parklane
Edmonton – Monday, November 25, 2013 at 7 pm North Edmonton
Official Synopsis:
HOMEFRONT stars Jason Statham as former Drug Enforcement Agent, Phil Broker, a Family Man who moves off the grid with his daughter, to a seemingly quiet bayou backwater to escape his troubled past. However, Broker’s world soon becomes anything but quiet once he discovers that an underbelly of drugs and violence riddles the small town. Soon, a Sociopathic Methamphetamine Kingpin, Gator Bodine (James Franco) puts Broker and his Daughter in harm’s way forcing Broker back into action in order to save his Family and the Town.
Watch the Trailer:
Published in 2010, Actor/Director/Screenwriter/Producer/Author James Franco‘s Collection of Short Stories, Palo Alto, was inspired by some of his own memories as a Teen and those stories submitted by the students of Palo Alto High School. The Stories centers mostly on experimentation and Family conflict. The Film Adaptation of the Book, directed by Gia Coppola (Granddaughter of Francis Ford), will see its premiere at TIFF next week!
See the brand new Trailer below:
Palo Alto stars: James Franco, Emma Roberts, Nat Wolff, Val Kilmer, Zoe Levin and Keegan Allen.
Those of you attending TIFF ’13 have three chances to see it:
Friday September 6, 2013 – Scotiabank 4 at 9:00 PM
Saturday September 7, 2013 – The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 9:30 AM
Friday September 13, 2013 – The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 6:00 PM
Pathé International handles sales for the Film, which still has yet to find North American distribution.
(Photo credit: Sammy Bandini)
At long last the TIFF ’13 Guest List has been announced and among the Marquee names we can expect to see in Toronto in two weeks are phenomenal! Although speak of Brad Pitt and George Clooney making appearances here didn’t amount to much more than rumour, this year the Female Contingent shines brightest with several of Hollywood’s A-List set to present their latest Oscar Vehicles here.
Among the Celebrities expected this year are:
Emilia Clarke, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Tom Felton, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew McConaughey, Daniel Radcliffe, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Sarah Gadon, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Mike Myers, Emma Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Poehler, Keanu Reeves, Kate Winslet, Adam Driver, Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Owen Wilson, Ralph Fiennes, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Gyllenhaal, JudeLaw, Jessica Chastain, Jai Courtney, Mila Kunis, Pierce Brosnan, Sandra Bullock, Jason Bateman, Zac Efron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Colin Firth, Idris Elba, Ed Harris, Michael C. Hall, Annette Benning, James McAvoy, Liam Neeson, Steven Soderbergh, Ben Foster, Anton Yelchin, Maria Bello, Jennifer Garner, Nicolas Cage, Daniel Brühl, Tom Hiddleston, Jack Huston, Hugh Jackman, Jessica Lange, Melissa Leo, Adam Levine, Catherine O’Hara, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Berenger, Tom Wilkinson, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Clive Owen, Zach Galifianakis, Emily Watson, John Hawkes, Alan Rickman, Toni Collette, Josh Brolin, Alice Cooper, Tiger Chen, Rebecca Hall, Will Forte, Kevin Zegers, Taylor Kitsch, Juliette Binoche, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Thandie Newton, Terrence Howard, James Hetfield, Thomas Haden Church, Tim Robbins, Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning, Philip Glass and several more!
Keep checking back here as the Toronto International Film Festival makes additions as we get closer to Thursday, September 5, 2013 when TIFF ’13 kicks-off! The Festival runs till Sunday, September 15, 2013.
The official Schedule has been announced and you can now start planning your Festival right here. Download the Official Schedule right here!
Single Tickets go on sale on Sunday, September 1, 2013 on TIFF‘s Website here.
Things are about to get real exciting around here! Happy TIFF, indeed!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
They don’t come much more down-to-earth than these two Guys and Toronto gave two of its favourite Canadians a welcome return home at Scotiabank Theatre tonight. Writer/first-time Director Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express) and Funnyman Seth Rogen both hail originally from Vancouver but have found widespread success south of the Border.
The Duo who have long been Friends and Collaborators, are in-town to promote highly-touted Comedy This is The End, boasting an A-List Cast of Hollywood Heavyweights starring as themselves including: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel, Michael Cera, Craig Robinson, Emma Watson, Channing Tatum, Rihanna and several, several more. Set around a wild Party at Franco‘s House, This is the End suddenly places these Celebrities amidst a sudden Apocalypse. Faced with the challenges of having to ration what limited supplies are left in his home, they find their Friendships tested to every possible limit. Tempers flare, daggers are thrown and the laughs are infinite.
Walking an intimate Red Carpet tonight with a few select Media Outlets, the order of the day was Work as both Rogen and Goldberg plowed through a series of Interviews, opting to stay-in for Dinner at the Theatre. They even treated Fans to a Q&A following the Advance Screening, fielding questions from Fans ranging from the Backstreet Boys’ surprise involvement in the Finale to the difficulties of shopping their Script originally. “I wish I could say it was really hard to get the Backstreet Boys, but it wasn’t that hard!”, laughs Rogen. “We released a scene in December and the Backstreet Boys had heard about the Movie and had seen a Trailer for it. Evidently, it was Movie they were excited for and we were all losing our minds!”.
On the challenges the Duo faced shopping their Script, Rogen told the Audience, “We do this thing every time we write a Script thinking we’ve re-invented the wheel, and then we put it out to sell and nobody wants to buy it!”. “We even had all six major Movie Stars attached to it and because the idea we all are playing ourselves, people were terrified”, he says. “I think it’s never been done before and Movie Studios hate to be the first one to do something. It’s happened enough times that whatever scares them, ultimately they will embrace and love in the end!”.
I captured some Clips of Rogen & Goldberg at tonight’s Screening. Watch below:
Rogen was nice enough to sign a Photo which one of my Readers will win! Simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook to enter. Share on Facebook with your Friends and double those chances! All are welcome to enter. Good luck.
Sony Pictures releases the hilarious This is the End on Friday, June 12, 2013.
Brace yourselves for one of this Summer’s funniest Surprises!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
54 Feature Films. 116 Short Films. 31 Countries. Two World Premieres. Five International Premieres. 27 Canadian Premieres. 27 Canadian Premieres. Four Toronto Premieres. These are the key numbers for the 23rd annual Inside Out Festival, Toronto’s official LGBT Film Festival.
It was just announced that Steven Soderbergh‘s eagerly-awaited Behind the Candelabra will receive a Special Presentation at the Festival, premiering simultaneously with HBO Canada‘s live broadcast of the Film. The Drama, based on the relationship of Entertainer Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his younger Lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), competes in-competition at the Cannes Film Festival this May also. The free Screening takes place Sunday, May 26, 2013, 9:00 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
James Franco‘s presence even will be felt with his and Travis Matthew‘s Film Interior. Leather Bar. getting a Premiere here. The Film re-imagines 40 minutes of cut footage from the 1980 William Friedkin Film CRUISING (starring Al Pacino), done to avoid an X rating back then.
C.O.G. based on a semi-autobiographical Essay by David Sedaris, stars Broadway and Glee Star Jonathan Groff as a Yale University Graduate traveling across America on the road to Self-Discovery.
Closing the Festival is Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth, which is about legendary Writer Alice Walker featuring Interviews with Sapphire, Sonia Sanchez, Gloria Steinem, Yoko Ono, Steven Spielberg and Danny Glover.
Inside Out runs Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, June 2, 2013.
Click here for a full Schedule and Film Descriptions.
(Photo credit: HBO)
Spring Brea-ea-eak. Spring Break forever, B*tches! Part-Arthouse, part-Teen Fantasy, Director/Writer Harmony Korine‘s Spring Breakers has been winning accolades since it debuted last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. With an All-Star Cast which includes Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens, Rachel Korine and of course, a blinged-out James Franco, I personally have witnessed its greatness and am so excited for you to discover the Film that Girls Creator Lena Dunham is raving about!
Here’s your chance Edmonton and Calgary to see Spring Breakers before everybody else! VVS Films, Touchwood PR and Mr. Will Wong would like to give Readers a chance to see a special Advance Screening in both cities on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.
Watch the Trailer here.
To enter, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook and share it on Facebook to double your chances, before Friday, March 22, 2013. Good luck!
Spring Breakers opens in select cities Friday, March 29, 2013.
(Photo credit: VVS Films)
At just 34 years of age, James Franco has achieved what many of his Peers will never accomplish in a lifetime – a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Attending the Ceremony earlier today in support of Franco were his Mother Betsy Lou, younger Brother Dave and longtime Friend Seth Rogen. Franco’s acting career began back in 1997 and ever since, we have seen a truly eclectic body of work from the Actor ranging from Action Flicks to Soap Operas to Arthouse Films.
Tomorrow sees the release of his eagerly-awaited Oz The Great and Powerful, the Prequel to The Wizard of Oz, which has him in the Titular Role. This perhaps is his biggest role yet in Career which has seen several highs. Click here to read my glowing Review!
See more Photos below:
(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Since hearing about it at TIFF, I’ve been itching what seems like forever now to see Spring Breakers, Writer/Director Harmony Korine‘s Dramedy about four Spring Break-obsessed College Girls who decide to rob a store to fund their vacation. After getting caught and thrown in jail, they are bailed-out by a Gangster named Alien who enlists their help for a special task, introducing them to his dangerous world of Crime.
Korine tells Interview Magazine last Summer that he was inspired to create Spring Breakers after spending many of his vacations simply Skateboarding, so this is Project gave him an opportunity to make-up for what he missed growing-up.
Despite few having reviewed it, the Film has garnered some raves from Critics so far at Rotten Tomatoes, earning a not-at-all-disgraceful 62% on the Tomatometer.
I am intruged by its Cast which includes Rachel Korine (Wife of Harmony), Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens, Heather Morris and James Franco in yet another odd choice of role for the Oscar-nominated Actor.
VVS Films releases Spring Breakers on Friday, March 29, 2013.
I may have met some of the Cast for Spring Breakers over the years:
(Photo credit: VVS Films/Mr. Will Wong | Video credit: VVS Films)
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