TRANSFORMERS ONE debuts atop the Box Office with $26 million from 3,978 theatres for Paramount Pictures. The star-studded Animated Feature gets 88% on the Tomatometer. Franchise best opening still goes to 2009’s TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN with $108 million.

A close second is BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE with $24.5 million from 4,172 theatres for Warner Bros. Over three weeks now, it has grossed $225 million.

Third goes to SPEAK NO EVIL with $5.7 million for Universal Pictures, reaching $21.2 million in its two week run.

Fourth is NEVER LET GO with $4 million for Lionsgate/Cineplex Pictures, from 2,667 theatres. It gets a passing 61% on the Tomatometer.

Rounding out the Top Five is THE SUBSTANCE with $3.5 million from 1,949 theatres for MUBI, hot off its TIFF ’24 Premiere, opening to raves at 88% on the Tomatometer

Canadian director Lowell Dean’s latest film DIE ALONE is a Saskatchewan-made film, starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith and Frank Grillo. It will come to Canadian theatres starting on September 27, 2024. See below for a theatrical list.

SYNOPSIS:

Lost in a world reclaimed by nature and overrun by mysterious creatures, a young man with amnesia teams up with an eccentric survivalist to find his missing girlfriend.

DIRECTOR: Lowell Dean
WRITER: Lowell Dean
CAST: Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith, Kimberly-Sue Murray, Frank Grillo

RATING: TV-MA

GENRE: Thriller, Horror

RUN TIME: 91 minutes

DISTRIBUTOR: Filmoption

Canadian Theatres – Opening on Sept 27, 2024

Canadian Theatres – Opening on Sept 27th

Manitoba

Winnipeg: Cineplex Odeon McGillivray & VIP

Ontario

Toronto: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Burlington: Cine Starz Burlington

Ottawa: Cine Starz St. Laurent

Saskatchewan

Saskatoon: Scotiabank Saskatoon & VIP

Regina: Cineplex Cinemas Southland

Quebec

Montréal: Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP

Montréal: Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin

Montréal: Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Brossard et VIP

Montréal: Cinéma Cineplex Laval

Québec City: Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Beauport

Gatineau: Cinéma Starcité Gatineau

Additional cities to follow

Mongrel Media x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto and Vancouver a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of THE OUTRUN starring Saoirse Ronan. We’ve missed her!

Screening info Toronto:
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 7PM
Cineplex Varsity Cinemas (55 Bloor St. W. Toronto , ON M4W 1A5)

Screening info Vancouver:
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 7PM
Cineplex International Village (88 W Pender St 3rd floor, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9,)

Synopsis:

After living life on the edge in London, Rona (Saoirse Ronan) attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands — where she grew up — hoping to heal. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and in the comments tell us which city please!

Rules and regulations here.

THE OUTRUN opens October 4, 2024.

(Photo/video credit: Mongrel Media)

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX!

SCREENING DETAILS:

SYNOPSIS

From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes “Joker: Folie À Deux,” the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning “Joker,” which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and remains the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”).

“Joker: Folie À Deux” finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him. The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Catherine Keener (“Get Out,” “Capote”), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from “Joker.”

Phillips, who was nominated for Oscars for directing, writing and producing “Joker,” directed “Joker: Folie À Deux” from a screenplay by fellow Oscar nominee Scott Silver & Phillips, based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips, Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Joseph Garner. Lady Gaga served as music consultant. The film’s executive producers are Michael E. Uslan, Georgia Kacandes, Silver, Mark Friedberg and Jason Ruder.

Working with Phillips behind the camera are his team from “Joker,” including Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Mark Friedberg, Oscar-nominated editor Jeff Groth, and composer Hildur Guđnadóttir, who won the Oscar for her work on the first film. New to the team is Oscar-nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood,” “Don’t Worry Darling”). Ruder is the film’s executive music producer and the music supervisors are Randall Poster and George Drakoulias. Casting is by Francine Maisler (the “Dune” films, “Challengers”).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Joint Effort Production, A Film by Todd Phillips, “Joker: Folie À Deux.” The film will be released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and will be only in theatres nationwide on October 4, 2024.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and in the comments there, indicate your city and take one friend you would like to bring along. Two other ways to win are “liking” this post on our X or IG accounts and in the comments, tagging a friend and indicating your city as well. You may enter as many times as you wish.

Rules and regulations here.

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX nationwide October 4, 2024.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)

A special teaser for SQUID GAME: SEASON 2 has been unveiled today as part of GEEKED WEEK celebrations! And now we too get a glimpse! The new season premieres December 26, 2024 on Netflix.

Synopsis:

Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who made history at the 74th Primetime Emmys® becoming the first Asian to win Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, once again helms the series as director, writer, and producer. Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo reprise their roles from Season 1 with an impeccable list of new cast members including Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an rounding out the ensemble of colorful characters in the new season.

S2 Premiere Date: December 26, 2024
Written and Directed by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Executive Producers: Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk
Production Company: Firstman Studio

For more on Squid Game visit the Netflix Media Center and the official social pages:

X: x.com/squidgame

Facebook: www.facebook.com/squidgamenetflix

Instagram: www.instagram.com/squidgamenetflix

Today during the Geeked Week Live event in Atlanta, Netflix announced the start of production of Season 2 for Avatar: The Last Airbender and Revealed Miya Cech Will Portray Fan-Favorite ‘Toph’.

Tudum.com Quotes from Executive Producers Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani

On the start of production:
“We’re looking forward to working with all of our actors again and digging into the deeper, more complicated relationships that develop as their journey continues in Season 2. We are going to show the real-world versions of iconic scenes from the original, and explore some of the stories that the animation didn’t. Mainly — we’re looking forward to seeing our gang all together again.”

“We’re going to challenge our characters with more complex and nuanced obstacles as they navigate a more tactile world. Just as the animated series matured and progressed, the live-action will also take these characters and worlds and grow them.”

On Miya Cech’s (photo above) casting:
“We make a point of reviewing submissions separately and after countless tapes, we both had the same reaction … Miya is our Toph! Miya is a brilliant performer who knows how to precisely balance the sarcastic sense of humor, stubbornness, and vulnerability that is Toph Beifong. Her physicality and emotional dexterity really put her in a class of one.”

Tudum.com Gets to Know New Cast Member Miya Cech
Miya Cech will star in Season 2 as Toph, a master earthbender who was born blind and trained to feel and sense the world around her.

Cech is already training for the role of Toph. “I’ve been in boot camp for about a week and a half now and still have a lot of work to do, but it’s super fun. I have some martial arts experience. I have a great instructor who I take private classes with back home in Northern California, and he keeps me in shape when I’m not working. I also have some dance experience from when I was younger that has been very helpful as I learn about Toph’s movements.” Cech will also work with a producer and consultant who is blind and a professional from the blindness community, to make sure the blindness community is represented appropriately.

For Cech, playing Toph is a chance to honor her heritage. “I personally am of Chinese and Japanese American descent and I’m so excited to represent my Chinese heritage in Toph Beifong,” she says. “One of the most incredible aspects of this show is the diversity of the Asian cultures in the ATLA world. Even though the universe is fantasy, it feels like every culture is represented in some way and tied to the history and traditions of that culture or country. Just a few years ago, you might have seen one or two of these actors in a show or movie, but on this show we are all able to represent this world together and work together and collaborate. It’s really amazing and a gift as an actor.”

About Avatar: The Last Airbender
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world. With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope. But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.

Serendipity Point Films and January Media, along with their Greek partner Filmiki Productions, announce that principal photography on MAYA & SAMAR has begun in Athens, Greece. Directed by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anita Doron (THE BREADWINNER, THE LESSER BLESSED) and written by Tamara Faith Berger (LIE WITH ME, STEAL AWAY), the film stars Nicolette Pearse (MAYBE IT’S YOU) and Amanda Babaei Vieira, winner of Germany’s prestigious Ulrich Wildgruber Prize, in its titular roles.

MAYA & SAMAR is produced by Serendipity’s Robert Lantos (SUNSHINE, BARNEY’S VERSION, EASTERN PROMISES, CRIMES OF THE FUTURE), and January’s Julia Rosenberg (CHARLOTTE, LIE WITH ME, NATASHA). Laura Lanktree (CRIMES OF THE FUTURE), Steve Solomos (THE SHROUDS, SEVEN VEILS) and Filmiki’s Nikolas Alavanos (WHEN WE WERE SISTERS, THE LAST TAXI DRIVER) are Co-producers. Distant Horizon’s Anant Singh (MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, YESTERDAY, SARAFINA!) is an Executive Producer. VVS’s Harry Grivakis, Ernie Grivakis, Javi Hernandez, and Claire Peace-McConnell are Co-Executive Producers.

Maya, a rising journalist at a hip indie website, covers sex and music with free-flowing thought and liberal practice. Samar, a queer Afghan who landed in Greece following a harrowing escape from the Taliban, lives without papers in Athens, dancing in a club for cash. After a fateful meeting on the outskirts of Athens, their worlds collide in a brief yet torrid affair that exposes their conflicting cultures. With Samar, Maya crafts her latest headline; with Maya, Samar crafts an unexpected twist, exposing the raw truth behind privilege.

“In the timeless city of Athens, bearing witness to real and imagined dramas for Millenia, I feel weight and wonder in telling the story of privilege undone by resilience… Of raw, authentic humanity,” says Anita Doron. “I’m lucky to be creating with the luminous, deeply talented Nicolette Pearse and Amanda Babaei Vieira and such an engaged and charismatic, soulful cast and crew.”

“Tamara Faith Berger’s unique, erotically saturated tableaux of love and cultural conflict mirrors our dangerous times. As directed by Anita Doron’s exalted vision, this film will electrify audiences,” adds Robert Lantos.

“Anita Doron will direct the f**k out of Tamara Faith Berger’s meticulously sculpted screenplay, and she is supported by brilliant actors and craftspeople to bring this stealth torpedo of a film to audiences everywhere,” says Julia Rosenberg.

“It’s inspiring to be back in Greece with incredible partners and a world class crew, telling this timely story about love, sex and survival, brilliantly crafted by Tamara Faith Berger,” says Laura Lanktree.

“We’ve pressed ‘record’ on Maya & Samar. With its majority of locations in downtown Athens, this is one of Filmiki’s biggest shows for 2025,” Nikolas Alavanos shares. “Working with Serendipity and January has been an incredible journey, and we at Filmiki hope to show our co-producers a new way of making cinema in Greece.”

Joining Doron are Director of Photography Christina Moumouri (THE RIVER), Production Designer Konstantinos Skourletis (MILKY WAY), and Costume Designer Marli Aliferi (MONDAY). Katie AUSTRA Stelmanis (SWAN SONG) is the film’s Composer with Mikaela Bodin (LAST COUNTY) as Editor.

The film shoots in Athens, Greece, and Toronto, Canada, with production set to wrap in October 2024.

VVS will release MAYA & SAMAR in Canada; Distant Horizon will handle International Sales.

MAYA & SAMAR is a Serendipity Point Films, January Media, and Filmiki Productions co-production. The Canada-Hellenic Republic co-production is produced in association with Telefilm Canada, Greek Film Centre, Distant Horizon, Bell Media, CBC, Ontario Creates, and the Harold Greenberg Fund, with the support of EKOME.

About Serendipity Point Films:

Serendipity Point Films is focused on theatrical feature films and prestige television. Among its films Sunshine, Being Julia, Eastern Promises, and Barney’s Version were nominated for Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Stardom, Ararat, Where The Truth Lies, Adoration, Crimes of the Future have been in the Official Cannes Selection. Barney’s Version and Remember both received prizes at the Venice Film Festival, eXistenZ and Museo won Silver Bears in Berlin. Serendipity is currently in post-production on Rise of the Raven, an epic 10-hour series. For more information, please visit www.serendipitypoint.com

About January Films:

After working for two decades as a film executive on international award-winning films, Julia Rosenberg launched January Films where she has since produced scripted features and theatrical documentaries. At TIFF 2021, Julia premiered “Charlotte”, an animated feature film for adults based on the life and work of painter Charlotte Salomon, starring Keira Knightley, which was released worldwide in April 2022. January Films currently has three scripted features in production: “Out Standing”, starring Nina Kiri, directed by Mélanie Charbonneau; “Maya & Samar”, written by Tamara Faith Berger, directed by Anita Doron; and “Birth of a Family”, co-written and directed by Tasha Hubbard.

About Filmiki Productions:

Filmiki was established in 1987. For almost 35 years, it has been one of the most respected companies in the film industry, while involved both in local and international projects. FILMIKI has produced over 2,500 TVCs, 30 feature & short films, TV series & shows and numerous music videos. The company is guided by a young team of producers, directors and storytellers who are unflinching in their commitment to innovation and creation. Combining the experience of its founders with the expertise of young professionals, FILMIKI is dedicated to creating a rich and diverse range of international content: TV shows, commercial and promotional videos, feature films, creative and web-based documentaries and documentary series.

About VVS:

VVS Films is a leading motion picture production and distribution company with over 40 years of operation in Canada. In October 2023, VVS announced their expansion into Australia and New Zealand. VVS is best known for their success in launching major franchises in the Canadian market, including “Talk To Me”, “Has Fallen” and “Hitman’s Bodyguard”. Recent notable releases include “The Beekeeper”, “Hit Man”, “Thelma”, and “Maxxine”. VVS Flms recently financed and served as executive producer for Xavier Dolan’s French language mini-series “La Nuit Où Laurier Gaudrealt S’est Réveillé”. They also served as executive producers on Christian Sparkes’ “The King Tide” which had its world premiere at TIFF 2023.

Upcoming releases for Canada include Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”, Anna Kendrick’s “Woman Of The Hour”, and Robert Zemeckis’ “Here”. Upcoming releases for Canada, Australia, and New Zealand include Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine”.

About Distant Horizon:

Distant Horizon is an independent production, distribution, and financing company. Its award-winning productions include the Academy Award® “Nominees Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom” and “Yesterday.” Recent productions include “The First Grader,” “Remember,” “Shepherds and Butchers”, “Clara”, “Through Black Spruce”, “The Song of Names” and “Ahimsa – Gandhi: The Power of The Powerless”.

Beloved Frasier Crane is back! Now known as the longest-running character on US Primetime Television ever, the second season of the Paramount+ reboot has arrived, with its first two episodes just dropping last night. New episodes arrive Thursdays.

In-town to gets us excited about this were none other than legendary Kelsey Grammer who reprises the titular role again. His list of accomplishments continue, including six Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Tony Award. Joining him on the Red Carpet at Bluma Appel Theatre was Toronto’s very own Jess Salgueiro who stars in the series as Eve, a friend of his son Freddy‘s (Jack Cutmore-Scott) who is coping with the loss of her firefighter husband.

Veteran Sitcom Director Jack Burrows also returns to direct select episodes of this second season of FRASIER, which manages to keep intact the charm of the original series, undisputedly because of Grammer‘s phenomenal work. Frasier Crane‘s still got it.

We chat with Grammer and Salgueiro about their approaches to this upcoming season which sees Frasier approaching his Third Act, after evolving from a radio personality, to a TV personality and now wanting to be taken seriously as an academic at Harvard, while repairing his relationship with his estranged son.

Salgueiro tells us about how she approached Eve differently from the previous season, saying “I think I just started to trust myself a lot more and also the writers started to at the end of the first season and begining of the second, to write for us. We kinda found these characters together. I approached her by just trusting and not second guessing. It’s hard when you’re starring in a revivial – there’s a lot of second guessing.”.

Grammer uses a similar approach to this season from the past, saying “I always approach them all the same way – keep an open mind and an open heart. That’s the key, that’s what I bring to it – the love I have for the character. I won’t let him lie too much. If the writing’s going a little askew, I’ll say ‘Whoa!Whoa! We’ve gotta pull it back, we’ve gotta go over here, because Frasier wouldn’t do that!’.”.

He adds, “But in terms of direction of the show, it’s going towards Frasier becoming a man in full. I mean, that’s what we were living for. That’s where his life was always headed toward. It started 40 years ago on Cheers when he was just trying to be a man in love. He fell in love with Diane completely and that was always to his credit. She didn’t love him back the same way he still hung in there. That’s the kind of guy he is and he’s still that guy.”.

Full chats below:

Some snaps from the Red Carpet:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson team-up on DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA and today we get a new Trailer! In Theatres January 10, 2025 via VVS Films.

Written & Directed By: Christian Gudegast

Starring: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Synopsis: Gerard Butler (Plane, Has Fallen series) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Out of Compton, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit Den of Thieves. In DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA, Big Nick (Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (Jackson), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.

I’m watching laaaaate, ‘cause Sabrina’s on Netflix! Today, Netflix announced A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, a holiday variety music special, to stream exclusively on Netflix on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 9PM EST/ 6PM PST.

Logline: It’s a nonsense holiday and we’re so here for it. In this special with musical guests, pop icon Sabrina Carpenter will perform songs from her holiday EP fruitcake and other iconic chart-topping holiday covers. This special will also feature show-stopping music performances, comedic guests, unexpected duets, plus many more surprises and fun cameos.

Production Companies: OBB Pictures, At Last Productions

Executive Producers: Sabrina Carpenter; Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Simone Spira, and Kfir Goldberg for OBB; Bill Perlman and Janelle Lopez Genzink

Director: Sam Wrench

Showrunner: Nikki Boella

“The holidays have always been so special to me,” said Sabrina Carpenter. “I am excited to bring my take to a classic holiday variety show – infusing my love of music and comedy to make something that is uniquely me.”

“Sabrina’s vision to subvert the classic holiday special has been clear since day one,” said Michael D. Ratner, executive producer and founder/CEO of OBB Media. “At OBB, we partner with the world’s most captivating artists to reimagine the expected, and we’re proud of the work by our entire team and want to highlight Simone Spira, the Volara team, Sam Wrench, Nikki Boella and all involved that brought Sabrina’s vision to life on Netflix.”

Sabrina Carpenter’s Bio
Sabrina Carpenter has enchanted an audience of millions as a singer, songwriter, actress and style icon. With her music, she has delivered one anthem after another on stage and in the studio, earning multiple gold and platinum certifications, and performing to sold out crowds around the world. On-screen, she has generated mega-fandom through starring roles on television and film. She is signed to Island Records, where she debuted her acclaimed Gold-certified fifth studio album, emails i can’t send, which appeared on many “Best Of 2022” lists including Rolling Stone and Billboard. The album features her hit single “Feather” which went #1 at Top 40 Radio, earning Sabrina her first #1. Her sold out emails i can’t send tour took her to North America, Europe, Asia and Brazil, and she recently served as direct support for Taylor Swift in Latin America, Australia and Singapore on the Eras Tour. In April, Sabrina made her Coachella debut and was one of the most talked about artists of the festival. Ahead of her Coachella debut, she released her single “Espresso,” which has quickly climbed the charts. Upon release, Pitchfork declared “Espresso” as “in pole position to be this year’s song of the summer,” and The New York Times heralded the single as the song ready to “propel her to the next level”. Since its release, “Espresso” has gone on to reach #1 on the UK & Australian singles charts, Top 5 in the US, and #1 on Spotify globally, where it reached over 200M streams within its first month. Her second single, “Please Please Please,” was released in June and shot straight up to the top of the charts. The single hit #1 on Spotify’s Global and US charts, #1 on Apple Music and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 before claiming the #1 spot a week later and went #1 at US Pop Radio. Sabrina made her Saturday Night Live debut in May on the season finale where she performed “Espresso” and “Feather/Nonsense.” In August, she released her highly anticipated sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet. The album was instantly met with an outpouring of critical acclaim from the likes of the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Variety, and many more. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, making it the 3rd biggest first week debut in the US in 2024. Short n’ Sweet also topped the charts around the world, reaching #1 in UK, Canada, Australia, Spain, and France.

Sabrina Carpenter is producing alongside OBB Pictures under her At Last Productions banner.