#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF “THE LIFE OF CHUCK”

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of THE LIFE OF CHUCK in Toronto and Vancouver. This acclaimed TIFF ’24 selection won the coveted People’s Choice Award. Screenings are as follows:

TORONTO ADVANCE SCREENING

LOCATION: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto #1

ADDRESS: 259 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3M6

DATE: Monday, June 9th

TIME: 7:00 PM

VANCOUVER ADVANCE SCREENING

LOCATION: Rio Theatre

ADDRESS: 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5N 1W1

DATE: Sunday, May 25th

TIME: 6:00 PM

Synopsis: A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz. 

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or IG. In the comments, please tell us which City you are in and tag 1 friend in comments who you will bring along with you. Multiple entries permitted.

Rules and regulations here.

Elevation Pictures release THE LIFE OF CHUCK June 13, 2025.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TEASER TRAILER FOR “THE LIFE OF CHUCK”

After taking the coveted TIFF ’24 People’s Choice Award, Mike Flanagan‘s THE LIFE OF CHUCK now will see a release this Summer via Elevation Pictures. We finally get a new Teaser!

Synopsis:

A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.

Elevation Pictures release THE LIFE OF CHUCK June 6, 2025.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#TIFF24: “THE LIFE OF CHUCK” TAKES PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

After 11 days of cinematic magic, moments, and memories, TIFF officially concludes the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, by celebrating the best of the fest with its annual awards slate. A total of 10 awards were handed out at the awards ceremony today, including jury-awarded prizes and the renowned People’s Choice Awards, also presented by Rogers, that signals the official start to awards season.

“As we conclude this year’s Festival and present these 10 awards today, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated juries, our TIFF programmers, and all of the filmmakers who have shared their work with us,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “Most importantly, I want to thank our audience, who are truly the best in the world. Their passion and enthusiasm bring this festival to life every year, and we couldn’t do it without them. To The Life of Chuck, The Substance, and The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, this year’s winners of the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, I can’t wait to see the future awards and accolades that await your incredible films.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD PRESENTED BY ROGERS
The 47th edition of TIFF’s People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, has been distinguished as the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All feature films and series in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible.

People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers is: The Substance, dir. Coralie Fargeat | United Kingdom/USA/France
The first runner-up is: Dead Talents Society, dir. John Hsu | Taiwan
The second runner-up is: Friendship, dir. Andrew DeYoung | USA

People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers is: The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, dir. Mike Downie | Canada
The first runner-up is: Will & Harper, dir. Josh Greenbaum | USA
The second runner-up is: Your Tomorrow, dir. Ali Weinstein | Canada

People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers is: The Life of Chuck, dir. Mike Flanagan | USA
The first runner-up is: Emilia Pérez, dir. Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
The second runner-up is: Anora, dir. Sean Baker | USA
SHORT CUTS AWARDS
Short Cuts Awards are for Best International Film and Best Canadian Film. Each of the two winning films will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD. The 2024 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards were Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith.

Short Cuts Award for Best International Film:
Deck 5B, dir. Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden

Short Cut Jury’s statement: “By subverting narrative expectations at every turn, while adding layers of insight and potent emotional truths that evocatively illustrate the tensions between motherhood and desire, this deeply moving film enthralled the jury, staying with us long after we’d watched it. Helmed by a gifted filmmaker, skillfully eliciting an exceptional performance from her lead actress, in service of a nuanced, heartbreaking story, the jury is thrilled to present the award for Best International Short Film to Deck 5B, directed by Malin Ingrid Johansson.”

Honourable Mention:
Quota, dir. Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands

Short Cut Jury’s statement: “In its three-minute runtime, this inventive animation does exactly what the best shorts do: make us ask big questions in little timeframes. The work tackles the timely issue of the cost of human invention and innovation on our tired planet. In a world where going viral has become synonymous with success, it asks if perhaps the real virus is us and our unquenchable need for more. The jury is pleased to present an honourable mention to the filmmaking team of Job, Joris & Marieke for their short Quota. We also applaud the filmmakers for practicing what they preach by choosing not to attend the Festival this year as a way to limit their carbon footprint and stay within their ‘quota.’”

Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film:
Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?, dir. Bec Pecaut | Canada

Short Cut Jury’s statement: “This filmmaker was able to capture a moment in life with such authenticity in an effortless way. The jury was inspired to join these characters on a heartful expedition through decisions that were scary, funny, challenging, and ultimately real. The exploration of familial bonds and how they shift during adulthood resulted in an emotional journey from start to finish. The jury is thrilled to award the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film to director Bec Pecault for Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?”
FIPRESCI AWARD
The FIPRESCI jury is awarding the Prize of International Critics, dedicated to emerging filmmakers, to a debut feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. The 2024 FIPRESCI jury members are Li Cheuk-to, Pierre-Simon Gutman, Azadeh Jafari, Saffron Maeve, and Wilfred Okiche.

FIPRESCI Award:
Mother Mother, dir. K’naan Warsame | Somalia

#TIFF24: “THE LIFE OF CHUCK” REVIEW – PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER

By Nicholas Porteous

After Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan teams-up with Stephen King once again, but The Life of Chuck is not a spooky spool to make you crawl under the sheets and cover your eyes. On the contrary. It’s a movie about embracing the entirety of your existence. Even if you aren’t Tom Hiddleston. And it’s as much an end-of-the-world story as it is a toe-tapping dance picture. Our story begins with “Act Three”, as the world appears to be coming to an end. Don’t worry–acts two and one are next! Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan are forced to reckon with an existential dread reminiscent of the pandemic, but infinitely worse. On top of this, a mysterious, unknown entity–“Chuck” (Tom Hiddleston) has been popping up all over town. Does he have anything to do with the apocalypse? I won’t say another word, but the answer may surprise you in the best possible way. In this particular narrative climate, we’ve been conditioned to expect some kind of Damon Lindelof-esque, clever unraveling of all the threads that a mystery box story might present up front. The Life of Chuck is a warm, welcome counterpoint to this kind of storytelling.

Acts one and two are all about Chuck, and his connection to the ‘ending’. Were you aware Tom Hiddleston can dance? The spoiler I can’t resist blowing: he’s as good at dancing as he is at being Loki. If I can levy any criticism toward Chuck, I’d say it is occasionally guilty of sentimentality, and using obvious music cues. The movie knows how moving it is from the jump, and it’s not wrong, but I would have appreciated less tipping of those delicate emotional scales. 

Chuck will almost certainly reward multiple viewings, if only for its Where’s Waldo-like smattering of hidden cues and messages that all wrap around and breathe meaning into its profound message. The more I think about it, the better it gets.

The Life of Chuck screens at TIFF ’24:

Friday, September 13th at 12:35 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Saturday, September 14th at 6:15 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre