By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

In 2015, we were blown away by Ex Machina from Screenwriter and first-time Director Alex Garland. The Film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards and won Best Visual Effects. Zip-forward three years, and Garland has delivered another mind-blowing piece of Science Fiction in Annihiliation. Garland was present for the first Canadian screening of the highly-anticipated Film at TIFF Bell Lightbox tonight, followed by a Q&A with TIFF’s Artistic Director Cameron Bailey.

The Film centers around Lena (Natalie Portman), a Biologist who joins a team of scientists and researchers who venture into a classified area known as “The Shimmer” to uncover its secrets. The less you know about the plot of Annihilation, the better. But suffice it to say, Garland’s Film will leave you breathless and begging to discuss each and every twist.

On the subject of casting, Garland said each actor was cast traditionally and “kind of pushed against each other in a good way. They had very different energies.” He praised the Ensemble, along with those behind-the-scenes he referred to as the “Collective”. After Garland writes his Screenplays, he hands them off to his Production Designers and other members of his crew – some of which he has been working with for 20 years! – and they help shape the Film from the ground up through “conversations”.

“It’s an abstract Novel,” Garland said when asked about adapting the first chapter in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy. He “tried to do an adaptation of what it’s like to read the Book”, and explained that the Screenplay was written more as a “memory of the Book” as opposed to a direct adaptation. Without spoiling too much, Garland suggests “The Film is about self-destruction,” and that by playing within the realm of Genre Filmmaking, he was given a “free gift in what you can subvert,” allowing the Film to take on multiple tones, styles and genres.

Garland spoke at length about his take on Auteurism (he prefers working as a team), how he writes female versus male characters (he writes them the same way), and his feelings on adapting the rest of VanderMeer’s Trilogy (sequels are “not my scene”), but received the biggest audience response when he asked if his friend Rob was in the audience. He had never met the Toronto native, but the two have been playing PS4 games online for a number of years. Garland invited his gaming buddy out for a drink after the Q&A, much to the delight of the audience.

While it was a fun and enlightening event, the last question of the night finally addressed the elephant in the room – Netflix. Annihiliation’s distributor Paramount Pictues recently sold international streaming rights to the Company, and will only give the Film a traditional theatrical release in the US, Canada and China. All other foreign territories will see the Film released exclusively on Netflix (much like the surprise post Super Bowl release of Paramount’s The Cloverfield Paradox). “I don’t have a problem with the small screen at all,” Garland said, noting his next project was an 8-part Series for FX. But he added, “This Film was designed for theatres. The immersive experience that we collectively hope happens at the end is not going to happen on a laptop.”

We’ll have more on Annihilation in our review next week, but for our Toronto and Montreal fans, be sure to enter our contest now to win passes to an Advanced Scteening of the Film here.

Paramount Pictures Canada release ANNIHILIATION on Friday, February 23, 2018.

(Photo credit: David Baldwin)

Cheers, Queers!

In this new First Look, the original Fab 5 from groundbreaking Series QUEER EYE meet the new Fab 5 from the Series Reboot and talk about the impact of the Series and its legacy.

See the Chat:

Netflix Canada stream QUEER EYE Wednesday, February 7, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

We’ve missed us some Letterman!

In case you didn’t know, the late night TV legend has a new Series on Netflix called MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. The second episode features none other than George Clooney and Letterman gets him to open-up about how he met whom would become his wife, Amal!  Other topics include his childhood and rise to fame.

See the Clip:

MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION streams Friday, February 9 at 12:01AM PT on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

How long does it take to bury the truth?

We love Regina King and this is exactly the type of role we’ve been waiting to see her in. SEVEN SECONDS looks absolutely gripping and you must see this new Trailer for the Netflix Original Series.

Synopsis:
In an instant, life is forever changed for Brenton Butler and his family. After a white cop accidentally hits and critically injures a black teenager, a northeastern city explodes with racial tensions, an attempted cover up and its aftermath, and the trial of the century. From creator and executive producer, Veena Sud (The Killing) comes Seven Seconds – a thrilling new anthological crime drama that explores the human stories behind the headlines.

The series stars two-time Emmy winner Regina King (American Crime) alongside breakout British actress Clare-Hope Ashitey (Doctor Foster), Russell Hornsby (Fences), Beau Knapp (Sand Castle), Michael Mosley (Ozark), David Lyons (Safe Haven), Raul Castillo (Special Correspondents), Zackary Momoh (A United Kingdom), Nadia Alexander (Blame) and Coley Speaks (Circle).

See the Trailer:

SEVEN SECONDS streams on Netflix Friday February 23, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

A new Trailer has surfaced for this Holiday’s must-see Action Flick BRIGHT teaming again Director David Ayer and Will Smith after their smashing success with Suicide Squad.

Synopsis:
Set in an alternate present-day, this action-thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch, writer of Training Day) follows two cops from very different backgrounds (Ward, a human played by Will Smith, and Jakoby, an orc played by Joel Edgerton) who embark on a routine patrol night that will ultimately alter the future as their world knows it.  Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.

The Netflix film stars Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry, Edgar Ramirez, Ike Barinholtz, Enrique Murciano, Jay Hernandez, Andrea Navedo, Veronica Ngo, Alex Meraz, Margaret Cho, Brad William Henke, Dawn Oliveri, and Kenneth Choi.

See the Trailer:

Netflix Canada release BRIGHT Friday, December 22, 2017. It will play also in select theatres.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix Canada)

We’re just days away from the release of STRANGER THINGS SEASON 2. To get us into that spooky Halloween spirit, here is a First Look at some stills from the Series!

Synopsis:
Stranger Things: A love letter to the ’80s classics that captivated a generation, Stranger Things is set in 1983 Indiana, where a young boy vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl.

Stranger Things 2: It’s 1984 and the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana are still reeling from the horrors of the Demogorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down but a bigger, sinister entity still threatens those who survived.

See some new Stills:

The final Trailer:

Netflix Canada stream STRANGER THINGS SEASON 2 Friday, October 27, 2017.

For more, visit here.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix Canada)

After a rousing reception at TIFF ’17, Netflix Canada present to us the Trailer for JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND!

Synopsis:
In 1999, Jim Carrey portrayed his idol Andy Kaufman in “Man on the Moon.” For twenty years, the behind-the-scenes footage has been withheld…until now. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – With a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton premieres November 17th, only on Netflix.

See the Trailer:

(Photo/video credit: Netflix Canada)

SLASHER: GUILTY PARTY is about to premiere on Netflix in time for Halloween and here’s a first look at the eight-episode (one hour each) Thriller Series!

Season Synopsis:

Set in the remote Canadian winter wilderness, the story revolves around a group of former summer camp counsellors who are forced to return to an isolated campground to retrieve evidence of a crime They committed in their youth. Before long the group, and the camp’s latest inhabitants, members of a spiritual retreat with their own secrets to hide, find themselves targeted by someone out for horrific revenge. Starring Leslie Hope, Paula Brancati, Lovell Adams-Gray, Jim Watson, Kaitlyn Leeb, Rebecca Liddiard and Melinda Shankar.

Some stills:

Netflix Canada stream SLASHER: GUILTY PARTY Tuesday, October 17, 2017.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

Now that’s more like it! We are still a bit bummed about Eminem cancelling on TIFF ’17, but today cheered us up! See some of the massive stars in and around town today at the world’s greatest Film Festival!

We ❤ Lady Gaga and when a last-minute addition was made to premiere her Netflix Documentary GAGA: FIVE FOOT TWO here, we realized how much that TIFF ‘17 game had stepped-up! Gaga appeared at an previously unannounced Press Conference today for the Documentary and a select handful of fans were lucky enough even to get the Selfie! She arrived right in the nick of time riding shotgun in her SUV.

#TIFF17: Lady Gaga at the Press Conference for Netflix’s #GagaFiveFootTwo. #TIFF #TIFF2017 #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #LadyGaga #Joanne #Gaga

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 9:58am PDT

I, TONYA gets its Premiere tonight and the buzz is feverish for the Tonya Harding Biopic. Stars Margot Robbie and Allison Janney are getting major Oscars buzz for their portrayals of the disgraced Figure Skater and her mother respectively. Also here is Captain America star Sebastian Stan who plays Harding‘s husband. All were incredibly-nice to fans as they did the rounds today!

#TIFF17: Always a pleasure seeing this beauty, Margot Robbie. So stoked to see her #Oscars-buzzed portrayal of Tonya Harding in #ITonya! #TIFF2017 #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:32am PDT

#TIFF17: Handsome #SebastianStan here for #ITonya! #TIFF2017 #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:33am PDT

#TIFF17: The delightful #AllisonJanney. Lotsa #Oscars-buzzed for her work as Tonya Harding’s mother in #ITonya! #TIFF2017 #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:32am PDT

Boston Marathon Drama STRONGER comes into TIFF ’17 with some buzz and we welcome back Jake Gyllenhaal who by now should be an honourary Torontonian! Also with him were Co-Stars Miranda Richardson and Canada’s own Tatiana Maslany, the latter enjoying a Cali Love smoothie.

#TIFF17: #JakeGyllenhaal back at #TIFF2017 with Boston Marathon Drama, #StrongerMovie. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:33am PDT

#TIFF17: This ain’t no fake, a selfie with Jake! #JakeGyllenhaal at #TIFF2017 with #StrongerMovie. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:50am PDT

#TIFF17: Oscar-nominated #MirandaRichardson at #TIFF2017 for #StrongerMovie. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 12:06pm PDT

#TIFF17: #TatianaMaslany at #TIFF2017 for Boston Marathon Drama #StrongerMovie. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:32am PDT

Jason Sudeikis also was out earlier returning to the City where he filmed KODACHROME, which premiered here last night. Ed Harris was with him, although declining photos.

#TIFF17: #JasonSudeikis back at #TIFF2017 with Toronto-made #Kodachrome. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:32am PDT

After kicking-off TIFF ’17 with Opening Gala BORG/MCENROE, Icelandic star Sverrir Gudnason was out earlier doing Press for the Film. Oddly, Co-Star Shia LaBoeuf who plays his Tennis arch-rival, was missing in action!

#TIFF17: Hot off walking the carpet for #TIFF2017 Opening Night Gala #BorgMcEnroe, star #SverrirGudnason. 🎾 #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 12:28pm PDT

Our favourite Duo are totally owning TIFF ’17! Loved seeing again Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet out pushing CALL ME BY YOUR NAME.

#TIFF17: Easily one of most popular guys of #TIFF2017, #ArmieHammer! #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #CallMeByYourName

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 3:10pm PDT

#TIFF17: #TimotheeChalamet. Love this kid so much! “So we’re gonna do a double huh?”, he asks before shaking my hand. #CallMeByYourName #TIFF2017 #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 3:09pm PDT

While Eminem couldn’t make it out last night, we still loved seeing Director Joseph Kahn out tonight. He directs BODIED which got a great response last night in TIFF‘s Midnight Madness Programme.

#TIFF17: He’s helmed masterpieces like Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” Videos. #JosephKahn at #TIFF2017 with Eminem-produced #Bodied. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 8, 2017 at 6:16pm PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Some people just belong together on the big screen! Check out this new Teaser and images (above) from Venice Film Festival selection OUR SOULS AT NIGHT starring legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford!

Synopsis:
Fifty years since playing newlyweds in Barefoot in the Park, Academy Award ® winners Robert Redford and Jane Fonda come together onscreen for the fourth time in Netflix’s Our Souls at Night, this time playing a couple who find love unexpectedly later in life.

See the Teaser:

Netflix Canada stream OUR SOULS AT NIGHT Friday, September 29, 2017 and release it in select theatres.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)