Flashback to the early 2000s. Minnesota-born Josh Hartnett was one of Hollywood’s hottest young up-and-coming Stars. He had left a major impression with a Breakout Role in Sofia Coppola‘s The Virgin Suicides, found success starring opposite Ben Affleck in Box Office Smash Pearl Harbor and went-on to a prominent role in acclaimed War Drama Black Hawk Down.  Where has he been since?

You don’t need us to tell you how tough Hollywood can be.  Hartnett was approached for the Lead Role of Clark Kent in a then-upcoming Superman Reboot. He turned it down. Word came of Hartnett also being up for the coveted Role of Bruce Wayne, which would go to Christian Bale along with multiple Box Office records and critical acclaim. The Actor simply didn’t want the commitment nor did he want to be pigeon-holed as a Superhero Actor.

Hartnett was back in Toronto, a City he both has filmed and promoted in, for the second Season Premiere of Showtime‘s Penny Dreadful. The Psychological-Thriller Series merges Characters from various Irish and British 19th-Century stories and has him starring as the violence-aversive Ethan Chandler.

In addition to a day full of Press including visits earlier in the day at CTV‘s The Social and The Marilyn Denis Show, Hartnett did a Q&A for Fans prior to a presentation of the Series’ Season Premiere.  He explains to the Ladies of The Social that “It’s not so much about sensationalism as it is about Characters with heart and confusion about their identities, their dark pasts and how they deal with it”. “We’re trying to compete with the best Dramas on TV.”.

We are thrilled finally to have gotten our Selfie after all these years!  We think the long hair and facial hair suits him rather well!  Girlfriend and English Actress Tamsin Egerton sure is a lucky Lady!

Penny Dreadful Season 2 premieres in Canada on The Movie Network Sunday, May 3, 2015 at 10 PM.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Showtime)

You loved him in Battle: Los Angeles and HBO‘s True Blood, in which he played Series Regular Hoyt Foytenberry. After a stint on Broadway alongside the likes of James Franco and Leighton Meester, things now are about to get huge for Texas-born, California-trained Jim Parrack.

The Actor currently is in Toronto working on DC Comics‘ exciting new venture Suicide Squad. With news breaking recently of his casting as Jonny Frost (formerly rumoured to play Deathstroke), fingers have been busy IMDB-ing the Star who is in a long-term relationship with Actress Leven Rambin.  The Character is a Thug who works closely with Joker (Jared Leto). Just last week, we chat with one of his True Blood Co-Stars, Deborah Ann Woll!

We caught-up Parrack quickly after a wrap and although he was clear he had to go, he still was nice enough to stop for a Selfie:

Warner Bros. release SUICIDE SQUAD August 5, 2016, with Production wrapping late August.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/HBO)

We want to draw your attention to DRAWING THE TIGER from Filmmakers Amy Benson and Scott Squire, a Film which premieres at the upcoming HOT DOCS Film Festival!

Synopsis:
A family in Nepal living on less than a dollar a day wins the globalization jackpot: a charity scholarship for their daughter to go to school in the capital city. She promises to return, to free her family from poverty.

But she does not return. Drawing the Tiger is an intimate portrait of the price one family pays for their golden opportunity.

The number one cause of death among Women in Nepal aged 14 to 49 is suicide.

See the Trailer:

A Kickstarter was launched last month to aid the funding of this Film and its monetary goal was accomplished. We want you to see this important piece of Filmmaking.

DRAWING THE TIGER screens at HOT DOCS Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at Scotiabank Theatre 6:30 PM, Friday, May 1, 2015 at Scotiabank Theatre 4:45 PM and Saturday, May 2, 2015 9:15 PM. Details here.

(Photo/video credit: nonfiction media)

Fox Searchlight + Mr. Will want you to win an Run-of-Engagement Pass to see gripping Drama, TRUE STORY!

Official Synopsis:
When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill) meets accused killer Christian Longo (James Franco) – who has taken on Finkel’s identity – his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat-and-mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit and redemption.

Watch the Trailer:

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook! Click “share” on this Post from there for an extra chance!

TRUE STORY is now in theatres, via Fox Searchlight.

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)

It ain’t even Summer yet, but everyone knows that the Campaign for coveted SONG OF THE SUMMER usually begins well in advance. The culmination of some masterful Publicity and Promotion by the Record Label for complete Airwave Domination! We’ve kept our ears open and we love that Pop Music is making a return back to proper melodies and although bugs terrify us, we certainly aren’t afraid of an Earworm.

We’re noticing the Europeans completely are winning the Pop Music Game right now with several Transatlantic Imports like Ellie Goulding, zedd and Tove Lo having a major presence on-air, but longtime veterans like Flo Rida and Maroon 5 also are showing incredible longevity. New names like Andy Grammer, Echosmith and Tori Kelly are bringing that sunny West Coast vibe across the continent. Canadians Walk Off the Earth have a mighty-catchy Tune in Rule the World which could find success across the Border!  It’s tough to say who will come out on-top but there surely are some worth Contenders!

Have a listen! Which of these Tracks will be Song of Summer 2015?

TOVE LO – TALKING BODY

TORI KELLY – NOBODY LOVE

MAROON 5 – SUGAR

ARIANA GRANDE – ONE LAST TIME

ANDY GRAMMER – HONEY, I’M GOOD

ECHOSMITH – BRIGHT

NICK JONAS – CHAINS

ELLIE GOULDING – LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO

FLO RIDA – GDFR

ZEDD FT. SELENA GOMEZ – I WANT YOU TO KNOW

WALK OFF THE EARTH – RULE THE WORLD

LUNCHMONEY LEWIS – MAMA

(Photo/video credit: Sony Music/Universal Music/Warner Music)

Misfortune strikes occasionally and although I’ve never had anything but a glowing review for HONDA CANADA – over the years having driven multiple variations of the Accord, Civic and Fit – I was unlucky for the first time in my life to experience a Flat Tire.

The night was perfect.  I had just finished covering and presenting at an Awards Ceremony, was dressed my best, enjoying the most decadent of meals.  I was exhausted after a long day and looked forward to bedtime, with an early rise the next day.  While driving along the Gardiner Expressway, I started noticing the 2015 HONDA Fit I was Test Driving had began to vibrate.  I simply had thought that the roads needed to be paved (typical Toronto!) with several construction signs abound.  Surely it couldn’t have been the Fit, which in my previous experiences, drove like a charm.   After hitting a smooth patch on the Highway, I noticed the shaking intensify further. I grew fearful that something  was terribly wrong. Was I in trouble? I found the first Exit I could and pulled-over.  Upon leaving the Vehicle, the worst had gone through my mind and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the Driver’s Side tire blown. It wasn’t pretty. The wheel was flapped over the rim pretty much.

I panicked. How is it that in my many years of driving I’d never experienced this before?  What was I to do?  Quickly dialing-up my Contact from Honda Canada – which I felt terrible about as it was 12:30 AM – I was reassured everything would be fine.  I was directed over to Honda Roadside Assistance who quickly picked-up the call, verifying a bit of information about the Vehicle and assured me in calm fashion someone would be on the way shortly.  Unfortunately, it was one of those nights when accidents on the road were a plenty, with few Tow Truck Drivers available. My expectations were set that this would be minimum three hours, which helped me manage my time, although there were limited options where to find a temporary shelter in the wee hours of the morning.  I walked for a bit, charged my Phone, exchanged pleasantries with drunk people in Entertainment District, stopped for a Selfie with a Celeb (Jonathan Kite from 2 Broke Girls, which actually was fitting in hindsight!), before the kind people at a nearby Hotel in the area let me wait in their lobby.

The hours passed before my mechanic outfit-wearing Knight in Shining Armour, Simon, arrived in his Tow Truck.  We made plans to deliver my beloved Aegean Blue Honda Fit to a HONDA Dealer  up closer my way where it would be given the proper care it deserved.   Simon was awesome, kind and offered even to drive me home, going above and beyond, as we chat about Game of Thrones.  Yes, it was about 7 AM by the time I got to see my bed, but I got there safe and sound and for that I am grateful.  What would I have done without Honda Roadside Assistance?

Misfortune aside, I have high praise for the 2015 Honda Fit. For the tiny Vehicle it was, it sure was loaded with some serious starpower – all 130 Horsepower of it with a 1.5L i-VTEC, 4-Cylinder EarthDreams Engine. It accelerated and responded quickly, was spacious and more importantly, its built-in EcoAssist System meant unparalleled Fuel Economy.  In two days, driving a fair distance, I used less than a bar of gas on its Fuel Indicator. Furthermore, the multi-angle Rearview Camera made parking a breeze while its Display Audio and HONDALINK were amazing, easily working together with my Phone so that I could remain connected (and fully charged) at all times.  I still would drive it again. Definitely a lot more value than the Fit‘s economy price would suggest.

Learn more about the 2015 Honda Fit here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

We always will commend FORD on how much they’ve stepped-up their game in recent years. We had the pleasure of Test Driving their 2015 FORD FUSION TITANIUM in a gorgeous Deep Impact Blue.  Once again we were impressed how much value packed is into this compact Vehicle, ideal for the City Driver.

When choosing a Car, Fuel Efficiency and Environmental Awareness are top priorities for us alongside performance and its 188-Horsepower 2.0L I-4 Atkinson-Cycle Gasoline Engine got us in and out of the City on about $25 of gas over four days. We love that it is spacious, seating five comfortably, while also nimble and easy to navigate in  and out of Indoor and Underground Parking Lots.

Its SONY 12-speaker Audio System sounded just glorious and we were nestled into to our cozy heated leather-trimmed seats, not wanting to leave the Car with SIRIUS XM blaring away our fave Summer Tunes of 2015 on SiriusXM Hits 1. We did have trouble connecting our Phone’s Bluetooth/USB port to the Car’s Entertainment System, although this only was a minor issue.

Speaking of luxury, our jaws dropped at details like the gorgeous leather and metal shift knob, a two-way-lift Power Moonroof, an auto-dimming Mirror and extra-large rear-view mirrors which gave us that extra bit of a safety advantage. External temperature reading and SecuriCode (in the event you forget your Remote Key) are definitely added benefits mindful of the Canadian on-the-go. We will always have fond memories of driving off into the sunset on the Gardiner Expressway as the sun beamed overhead and before us.

We love that the 2015 FORD FUSION TITATIUM also is cognizant of our safety.  We can’t remember what driving was like without a rear-view camera to assist us in backing-out and we love that we not only get audio, but a visual cue through our rear-view mirrors when people, obstacles or other automobiles are about.  We have driven other FORD cars which maybe were a bit too cautious of surroundings and bit too aggressive with the alerts, but this was just right.

The 2015 FORD FUSION TITANIUM retails for approximately $39,549 CAN.  Learn more here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

There is just way too much excitement in the air right now. This Spring/Summer will a majorly exciting time for Blockbuster Lovers and now we get this exciting new Trailer for JURASSIC WORLD!

Synopsis:
Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) is one of a team of scientists who have created a genetically modified new type of dinosaur for Jurassic World, a fully functioning dinosaur theme park as originally envisioned by John Hammond.

However, not everyone agrees that this is a good idea. Owen (Chris Pratt), who works at the theme park, soon finds out his misgivings were correct and he has to evacuate the island before the thousands of visitors are hurt or killed.

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release JURASSIC WORLD on Friday, June 12, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures)

We really are at a struggle here. Just exactly whom are we supposed to root for?  Director Zack Snyder unveiled via Twitter two brand new Posters from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and although in popularity you’d think they were a more even match, as of this morning, Batman‘s  (Ben Affleck) Poster appears to have a definitive edge with 10.1k ReTweets and Superman (Henry Cavill) getting 8.4k ReTweets.

More will come after Fans attend a Series of IMAX Events tonight!

See the Posters:

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release BATMAN v. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE on Friday, March 25, 2016.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

Believe me when I say 2015 will be Tori Kelly‘s  year.  The 22-year-old Singer/Songwriter managed by Scooter Braun (Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen) has been building a Following for the past couple years and she’s now ready for her Close-Up.  If she looks familiar, it may because you’ve seen her on American Idol,  but for some unimaginable reason didn’t advance to the Top 24 in Season 9 of the Reality Competition (won by Lee DeWyze).  This somehow was a blessing as Kelly‘s has been filling theatres and in recent weeks she’s been doing the Radio and TV rounds including an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Kelly is in Toronto promoting new Single Nobody Love, which is rather fantastic, fully showcasing her range and style.  The Track is from her upcoming major label debut from Capitol Records, Unbreakable Smile, which we have been waiting on for quite some time.

We had the pleasure of meeting Kelly who looked simply beautiful with her hair tied back, stopping to sign some Autographs and pose for Photos.  She has a jam-packed day ahead of her which later will see her at an undisclosed Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt location, meeting Contest Winners.

If you haven’t listened to Kelly‘s awesome Single, please do yourself a favour and check it:

See our Snap:

The amazing @ToriKelly + me. Watch out #2015, this is the year of #ToriKelly! #UnbreakableSmile #NobodyLove

A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Apr 19, 2015 at 8:46pm PDT

Download Nobody Love on iTunes here.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music/Mr. Will Wong)