For a third consecutive week, AQUAMAN dominates the North American Box Office with $31.5 million for Warner Bros., accounting for $260.5 million earned thus far to date.

ESCAPE ROOM opens in second with $16.9 million from 2,717 theatres for Sony Pictures. It gets 53% on the Tomatometer and a B CinemaScore.

In third is MARY POPPINS RETURNS with $16.6 million from 4,090 theatres, a total $139.5 million grossed for Disney over three weeks in these parts.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE is in fourth spot with $13.5 million, a total of $134.9 million over four weeks for Sony Pictures.

BUMBLEBEE is in fifth with $13 million, a total$97.3 million for Paramount Pictures in three weeks.

VICE is in seventh spot with $5.6 million, bringing its two-week tally to $29.6 million for eOne Films/Annapurna Pictures.

HOLMES & WATSON rounds-out the Top Ten with $3.4 million, a total $28.4 million over two weeks for Sony Pictures.

AQUAMAN continues to splash a second week at the Box Office, taking $52.1 million for Warner Bros. from 4,125 theatres. Over two weeks it has made $189.3 million domestically.

In second is MARY POPPINS RETURNS with $32 million from 4,090 theatres for Disney, a two-week tally of $102.9 million gross in North America.

BUMBLEBEE lands in third with $20.6 million for Paramount Pictures from 3,550 theatres, a two-week total of $66.9 million in these parts.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (which like Bumblebee stars Hailee Steinfeld also), is in fourth with $19.3 million from 3,813 theatres for Sony Pictures. $104.6 million is its total in its second week of release.

VICE is in sixth with $8.2 million from 2,442 theatres for Annapurna Pictures/eOne Films. Since its Christmas Day release, it has made $18.1 million. It gets 64% on the Tomatometer and a C+ CinemaScore.

HOLMES & WATSON opens in seventh with $7.6 million from 2,776 theatres for Sony Pictures. It gets 9% on the Tomatometer and a D+ CinemaScore.

THE GRINCH rounds things out in the Top Ten with $4.9 million for Universal Pictures, a healthy total $266.2 million over eight weeks.

Officially holding the record for longest gap for a sequel at 54 years, Mary Poppins Returns and is poised to do it in a huge way. The Rob Marshall-directed Musical starring Emily Blunt in the iconic titular role, is fresh-off four Golden Globe nominations including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Emily Blunt), Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and Best Original Score.

In town to promote the Film is English Actress Emily Mortimer, who plays the adult version of central Mary Poppins character Jane Banks. Mortimer has drawn acclaim for her performances in a duo of Martin Scorsese films Hugo and Shutter Island, Woody Allen‘s Match Point, plus roles in HBO’s The Newsroom. Oxford-trained Mortimer returns to the City, her first visit in a while, having starred in 2007’s Toronto-made Lars and the Real Girl alongside Ryan Gosling. Joining her is best friend Dolly Wells, with whom she created Comedy Series Dolly & Em. Wells starred in 2018’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? as Lee Israel’s (Melissa McCarthy) love interest, Anna.

See the Trailer:

Gracing the Blue Carpet at Scotiabank Theatre were a bevy of familiar Canadian names who showed their pure excitement for the Film including the likes and families of Ben Mulroney, Carlos Bustamente, Morgan Hoffman, Lauren Orlando and Sarah Fisher.

We ask Mortimer about how she came to be involved with Mary Poppins Returns.

“I met Rob (Marshall) at his apartment. Someone told me that he and his producing partner John (DeLuca) saw me on a morning chat show and thought I’d be a good for Jane Banks. I don’t know if that’s true, but I met him and he was so inspiring why we needed Mary Poppins to return to our lives at this particular moment in time where life feels confusing, painful and strange. I walked out of the meeting convinced we needed to make this Movie.” .

We asked her the most daunting thing about becoming Jane Banks.

“As a child, she’s one of the most famous children in cinematic history played so brilliantly by Karen Dotrice. How do you begin to step into those tiny little shoes? I think with everyone involved with the Movie, it comes from a place of love. Everybody approached this Film loving the original and not wanting to let it down, wanting to give it their all and make it special, yet also different in its own light. There was no cynicism. It was a special experience.” .

We ask Dolly Wells what the legacy of Mary Poppins means to her.

“It means my childhood. I wish I could remember the first time I saw it. It reminds me of Christmas, my family and the fire roaring. The excitement of being a child and that anything is possible – that a nanny can have a never-ending bag of magic, can click her heels and burst into song. It has an appealing sense of joy and hope.” .

We congratulate her on Can You Ever Forgive Me?‘s two Golden Globe nominations.

“I had such nice times. Marielle Heller (Director) should have been nominated. We had a really great times. Melissa is a dream – everything you’d imagine. The performance by the incredible Richard E. Grant is charming and brilliant. Marielle has a delicate touch and this is only her second film.” .

We ask Wells about her childhood best friend, Mortimer and at what point they realized they could be collaborative partners.

“20 years ago, it was kind of her idea. She said, ‘Why don’t we write something together?’. Before that, I’d always be leaving things in a drawer that I’d written. I was too shy. It took about ten years to make a movie and now we are writing something else.” .

See some Snaps of the night:

Emily Mortimer

Dolly Wells

Sarah Fisher

Ben, John, Brian and Isabel Mulroney

Morgan and Sydney Hoffman

Carlos Bustamente and Family

The Reklaws

See some highlights from the Blue Carpet:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release MARY POPPINS RETURNS Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

Photos taken on the NIKON D3400
Video taken on the Samsung S7 Plus

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada/Amanda Gilmore/Mr. Will Wong)

By Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada certainly is always at the thick of it when it comes to blockbuster releases and once again they do not disappoint as they unveil their upcoming slate of releases at their annual Holiday Preview.

After the release of Ralph Breaks the Internet, a timeless beloved family movie gets a Sequel in Mary Poppins Returns. Emily Blunt and Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda star in this highly anticipated sequel featuring live-action and a throwback to the original animation style as well.

Coming in 2019, we have two massive Marvel movies coming up, there is Captain Marvel starring the incomparable Brie Larson, which will be the big release that fills the audience in on a major character for Avengers 4.

After Captain Marvel, we wrap-up phase three of the Avengers Saga with Avengers 4. After Thanos’ snap wiped-out half of the Avengers, the remaining Avengers have to stop Thanos and hopefully fix the damage he has done.

Take us to May 2019 and we have the hotly-anticipated Sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: We Still Don’t Know The Title Unfortunately. It is hard to hype-up a movie that made a record-breaking amount of money and has achieved all the success, but we all know that this final entry into phase three will be a game-changer.

Tim Burton is back! Those words excite me more than they should, but Dumbo looks like it is going to be in the vein of typical Burton and that sounds absolutely incredible. The Trailer that dropped earlier last week speaks volumes to how gorgeous this newest Dumbo film will be and the Cast look incredible, it is however Darker but that is stylized like Burton’s other works.

Artemis Fowl based on the best selling book series and Noelle are also coming out in 2019 from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada.

The Sequel to Frozen will also make its debut in late 2019, and that is not even the most shocking Sequel on this list. Toy Story 4 dropped two teaser Trailers, introducing a few new characters to the mix while also bringing back all of our favourite characters. Let me tell you June 21st, I will be sitting in a theatre watching Toy Story 4 multiple times and loving every second of life. Moreover, The Lion King is getting the live-action reboot with Jon Favreau at the helm, and if that doesn’t excite you then I don’t know what will!

Disney also will be releasing the last entry into the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars Episode IX. There is literally nothing that needs to be said about this. It will shatter records, it will anger fans, people will cry, everyone is going to see it. Personally, I’m excited for a new saga, but am truly intrigued by how the Skywalker saga will conclude.

Some new Character Posters to pump you up for one of this Holiday’s hottest new releases, MARY POPPINS RETURNS!

See the Trailer:

See the new Character Posters:

Mary

Topsy

Ellen

William Weatherall Wilkins

Jack

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release MARY POPPINS RETURNS Friday, December 19, 2018.

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

A new Featurette has surfaced for MARY POPPINS RETURNS! Take a glimpse at the Music and magic behind this eagerly-awaited Sequel directed by Rob Marshall and starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury and Ben Whishaw.

Synopsis:
In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London.

See the Featurette:

Hot off their appearance at the Oscars, the new Trailer for MARY POPPINS RETURNS starring Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt has just arrived!

Synopsis:
“Mary Poppins Returns” stars: Emily Blunt as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure; Lin-Manuel Miranda as her friend Jack an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London; Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; and Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. The film also introduces three new Banks’ children played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

See the Teaser:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release MARY POPPINS RETURNS Christmas 2018.

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

By Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong

The year that was 2017 is almost over and that means we have an entire slate of 2018 Movies to look forward to. Whether you’re a fan of animation, superheroes, or space cowboys one studio has the answer to all your dreams: Walt Disney Motion Pictures Canada. As the home of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney Animation and Disney Live Action among others, they are host to the Must-See Movies of 2018 than you can shake a lightsaber at.

Before you start trying to figure out how Coco fits into the greater Pixar universe or prepare to jump to lightspeed in anticipation of December’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the team here at Mr. Will Wong has your inside scoop to everything Disney in 2018.

Kicking things off in February, Chadwick Boseman returns as the eponymous hero in Marvel’s Black Panther. The action moves to the kingdom of Wakanda where T’Challa’s enemies are conspiring to take down the new king. Director Ryan Coogler has assembled a star-studded cast featuring a villainous Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, and Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira members of Wakanda’s elite all-female special forces.

Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 book A Wrinkle in Time can be found on the shelves of countless children and movie critics around the world. In March, Oscar-nominated Director Ava DuVernay will tackle this timeless Novel with a Cast featuring Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. Frozen’s Jennifer Lee adapted this story of a girl who learns her father is being held captive on a distant planet decides to save him the help of her brother, a classmate, and a little interdimensional travel.

There is no end of excitement for May’s Avengers: Infinity War. This Movie will bring together heroes from all corners of the Marvel universe as they battle Josh Brolin’s Thanos.

One word has the ability to make all animation fans thrill: Pixar. In June Brad Bird returns to direct of one of the most highly anticipated animated, superhero Sequels in decades: The Incredibles 2. Joining Bob, Helen, Violet and Dash is baby Jack Jack whose powers manifested at the end of last Movie. Pixar is keenly-aware of never messing with a good thing and have reunited not only the Director and Cast but also many of the behind-the-scenes people including the Composer and Producers. Prepare to be dazzled but remember: no capes!

November marks the return of Vanellope and Ralph (Sarah Silverman and John C. Reilly) in Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. Details of this Disney Animated Sequel were first shared in July at D23 and although we can’t tell you much we assure you Ralph Breaks the Internet is even better than the first.

As the holiday season approaches, Disney hopes to enchant audiences with their take on a Tchaikovsky classic in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Most people will be thrilled to see Keira Knightley in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy to Mackenzie Foy’s Clara. Devoted ballet enthusiasts will no doubt be more focused on the addition of Misty Copeland in this ballet inspired Movie. Morgan Freeman is along for the ride as the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

But wait, that’s not all! In May, head back to a galaxy far, far away when Solo: A Star Wars Movie hits the big screen. A third Marvel Movie is headed for theatres in July with Ant-Man and the Wasp. Finally, 2018 will definitely end on a high note when Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda sing their way to the big screen in December’s Mary Poppins Returns.

That’s just a small taste of the wonders Walt Disney Pictures Canada has in store for fans next year. Small kids and big kids alike are sure to find something to love in 2018.

While it isn’t out till Christmas 2018, we get a new glimpse at Emily Blunt in MARY POPPINS RETURNS coming out of Disney‘s D23 Expo in Anaheim, California today. Director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) and Blunt took to the stage to talk to Fans about the exciting Film.

Blunt said, “I needed to try to pay homage to Julie Andrews but carve out a new space for myself. And we were very loyal to the books”.

Marshall also commented, “I was incredibly honoured to be approached by Disney about directing a sequel. This is a brand new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen.”.

See a tease with Blunt as the iconic nanny below:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release MARY POPPINS RETURNS Christmas 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)