Mission accomplished! MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE  NATION makes a smashing debut at the Box Office with $52 million from 3,956 theatres for Paramount Pictures! Compared to its Predecessors, it rates second among the popular Franchise only behind 2000’s MISSION POSSIBLE II, which opened with $57 million.  Critics adored this latest installment which places a still highly-bankable Tom Cruise opposite Swedish-born Actress Rebecca Ferguson, giving it 92% on the Tomatometer and an A- CinemaScore from Audiences.

VACATION opens in second with $14 million from 3,411 theatres for Warner Bros.  This latest installment of the National Lampoon’s Franchise is the biggest opening for the Series, which dates all the way back to 1983.  Critics gave the Comedy starring Ed Helms and Christina Applegate a 23% on the Tomatometer and a B CinemaScore.

ANT-MAN in its third week out earns $12.4 million for Disney/Marvel, from 3,322 theatres. Thus far it has grossed $183 million.

MINIONS ranks fourth this weekend with $12.1 million for Universal Pictures in its fourth week out.  It has made $283 million this far domestically.

PIXELS places fifth for Sony Pictures with $10.1 million in its second week out, just ahead of TRAINWRECK with $9.7 million for Universal Pictures.

JURASSIC WORLD still is going strong, hanging-on to the Top Ten with $3.6 million in tenth spot.  In eight weeks it has banked $631 million for Universal Pictures.

For a second consecutive week, ANT-MAN steals the show at the Box Office with $24.7 million across North America from 3,868 theatres for Disney/Marvel. The Action-Fantasy starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas edges-out some pretty stiff competition from debuting Films this weekend.

Opening in second is Toronto-filmed PIXELS from Sony, with $24 million. The ’80s-inspired Action-Comedy starring Adam Sandler played at 3,723 theatres across North America. Audiences gave it a B CinemaScore, while Critics hammered it with an 18% on the Tomatometer.

MINIONS in its third week pulls-in $22 million for Universal Pictures, now in its third week. Thus far it has grossed $261 million domestically.

TRAINWRECK in its fourth week earns $17 million for Universal Pictures. The Comedy starring Comedienne Amy Schumer made headlines after a shooting had taken place during a showing of the Film in Louisiana last week but this certainly did not deter supportive Moviegoers. It now has tallied-in at $61 million in just two weeks.

SOUTHPAW opens in fifth with $16 million from 2,772 theatres for The Weinstein Co./eOne Films. Critics didn’t think much of it with a mixed 58% on the Tomatometer, but Audiences absolutely loved the Boxing Drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams, giving it an A CinemaScore, which will help its word of mouth.

PAPER TOWNS marks Supermodel Cara Delevingne‘s first starring role in a wide release, opening with $12.5 million from 3,031 theatres for 20th Century Fox. Critics had mixed feelings about the Novel Adaptation with a 57% on the Tomatometer, while Audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore.

TERMINATOR: GENISYS rounds-out the Top Ten with $2.4 million for Paramount Pictures, now in its fourth week out. It has made $85 million in its domestic run.

The sixth annual edition of SUMMER OF SONY is currently taking place in Cancun, Mexico, where Media get exciting first dibs on announcements and upcoming Films on Sony Pictures‘ exciting slate!

So far, Photo Calls have taken place for Hotel Transylvania 2, Goosebumps, XMAS and The 5th Wave. You too can have front-row access to these Junkets here too. Watch them below!

Hotel Transylvannia 2:

Goosebumps:

XMAS:

Ricki & The Flash:

The 5th Wave:

Pixels

Set for a worldwide release on March 31, 2017, GET SMURFY officially has been scheduled-in and it was announced Demi Lovato, Mandy Patinkin and Rainn Wilson will be lending their voices to the latest installment of the $800-million-grossing Franchise!

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)

We love PAC-MAN!  In celebration of our favourite Video Game icon’s 35th Birthday on May 22nd, major celebrations around the World will be held with free plays of the Video Game, Birthday Cake and Celebrity Guests!  In case you weren’t aware, he will also be appearing in eagerly-awaited Blockbuster PIXELS, which was filmed in our City last Summer!

Official Synopsis:

As kids in the 1980s, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), Will Cooper (Kevin James), Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), and Eddie “The Fire Blaster” Plant (Peter Dinklage) saved the world thousands of times – at 25 cents a game in the video arcades.  Now, they’re going to have to do it for real.  In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens discover video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth, using the video games as the models for their assaults – and now-U.S. President Cooper must call on his old-school arcade friends to save the world from being destroyed by PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Centipede, and Space Invaders.  Joining them is Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), a specialist supplying the arcaders with unique weapons to fight the aliens.

All 75 Dave & Buster locations across North America will be partaking in the fun in offering free plays on the oversized PAC-MAN BATTLE ROYALE to all guests who have a Power Card.  There also will be opportunities to win thousands of dollars all Summer long!

Celebrations will be held in Chicago, Tokyo, Paris, Spain and UK. For more details, visit here.

See the hot new Trailer for PIXELS:

See a brand-new Clip from PIXELS with Pac-Man!

Sony Pictures Canada release PIXELS on Friday,  July 24, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! Filmed in Toronto last Summer, we’ve been waited with baited breath not knowing just what exactly Christopher Colombus‘ PIXELS would turn out like. This first glance is just magical! It’s funny, fresh and unlike anything we’ve ever seen!

Synopsis:

When aliens see video feeds of classic arcade games, they misinterpret them as a declaration of war. They attack, using the games as models for their various assaults.

President Will Cooper has to call on his best friend from childhood, video game champ Jules Brenner-turned-home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcade gamers on a mission to defeat the aliens and save the planet.

Adam Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Jane Krakowski, Ashley Benson and more star.

See the Trailer:

Sony Pictures Canada release PIXELS on Friday, July 24, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)

Things couldn’t be going any better for JOSH GAD, who just about wowed all of us as Olaf in Frozen, but now the Broadway Funnyman, who just recently was in Toronto this Summer filming PIXELS, continues his ascent in Hollywood with his latest Comedy THE WEDDING RINGER. Even better, red-hot Kevin Hart stars opposite him and what we have here is the making a Dynamic Duo! Just released was this brand-new Trailer for the hilarious upcoming Comedy. There’s tons of dancing… and FLAMES!

Official Synopsis:
Doug Harris (Josh Gad) is a loveable but socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), Doug is referred to Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), owner and CEO of Best Man, Inc., a company that provides flattering best men for socially challenged guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding bromance between Doug and his fake best man Jimmy.

See the Trailer for THE WEDDING RINGER below:

Sony Pictures release THE WEDDING RINGER on January 16, 2015 right in-time to cure those post-Holiday blahs!

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)

Although technically we saw him a couple months back here in Toronto, this counts as our first time meeting Peter Dinklage!  The brilliant Actor who has gained international popularity in recent years as Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones and also X-Men: Days of Future Past as Dr. Bolivar Trask.  The Golden Globe and Primetime EMMY Winner  currently is in our City filming PIXELS alongside Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Josh Gad.

Sightings of Dinklage have been plentiful, but the often private Actor who has been seen most with his Wife Erica, has been to known to be private, often declining Photographs.  After a Dinner Date with his Wife at a Café Boulud tonight, the Star was spotted on the streets and after stopping to pet a dog, he made a quick moment for Fans, politely offering to take a few Snaps.

I am beyond thrilled.  Just look:

Recently presented at COMIC-CON, PIXELS continues to film in Toronto through early September.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/HBO)

It may have taken a while for the World to discover him, but Stage, Voice and Film Actor Josh Gad really is on the up-and-up in the land of Hollywood. Shortly after getting a TONY Award nomination for his work as Elder Cunningham in acclaimed The Book of Mormon on Broadway, he was Cast as Olaf the lovable Snowman in Disney‘s 2013 Runaway Box Office Smash, Frozen.

Gad currently is in Toronto and to be here through end of Summer filming Home Alone Director Chris Columbus’ latest effort, Pixels. The part-animated/live action Flick stars  Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin James and Producer Adam Sandler. The Film sees a group of Experts called upon to thwart an attack of New York City by Video Game Characters!

We by chance spotted Gad out with his  lovely Wife Ida Darvish earlier this afternoon unexpectedly! He was super-nice as expected and the response from lucky Fans who’ve spotted him around town MuchMusic Video Awards weekend, has been unanimously positive! The Couple were later seen hauling a  dolly of groceries from Whole Foods walking along unassumingly as Onlookers struggled to figure why it is he looked so familiar!

This of course isn’t the Funnyman’s first time in Toronto, having filmed star-spawning The Rocker here in 2008 opposite Rainn Wilson.  The World would see the likes of Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper, Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Jason Sudeikis, Jane Krakowski, Jane Lynch and more go-on to see significant profile boosts soon after.

2014 looks to be a big year ahead with a couple more Films on the way for Gad including Zach Braff‘s much-publicized Kickstarter Film Wish I Was Here (soon to be released in Canada via eOne Films) and also The Wedding Ringer opposite red-hot Kevin Hart!

Sony Pictures’ Pixels is slated to film in the City till early September.  We popped by the Set a couple weeks back to check it all out! More here.

See our unintentional abundance of Snap(s), courtesy of the Burst Mode at work on my Cell Phone:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Disney)