The wait is over! Netflix’s Geeked, the ultimate destination for all things genre entertainment, is back with our third annual Geeked Week. Brace yourselves for an epic week-long virtual celebration filled with debuts, news, first looks, behind-the-scenes secrets, merch drops, and more fun surprises from your favorite series, films, animation and games.

Kicking off on Monday, November 6, 2023 (aka Stranger Things Day) and running through Sunday, November 12, Geeked Week is the home for the hottest updates on 3 Body Problem, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Brothers Sun, Damsel, Devil May Cry, Leave The World Behind, Rebel Moon, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Code 8: Part II, and even more jaw-dropping reveals. And we’re kicking the sneak peeks off today with the epic trailer below:

Check out GeekedWeek.com for more details.

Pluto TV, a global leader in free streaming television (FAST), announced today that in Canada the service has officially debuted eight new channels from the iconic MTV and Comedy Central brands featuring the reality and comedy series and stars who shaped the pop culture zeitgeist as we know it. The five new channels representing MTV include MTV Reality (Jersey Shore, The Hills, and more), MTV Dating (Ex On The Beach, Are You The One?, and more), and single-series channels The Challenge, Catfish, and Ridiculousness. The launch of the Comedy Central channels signifies the first time the brand has its own TV channels in Canada and include Comedy Central Pluto TV (Chapelle’s Show, Reno 911!, and more), Comedy Central Animation (Beavis and Butt-Head, Daria, and more), and single-series channel Comedy Central Stand-Up. All channels and series are now streaming free, live and on demand, with Pluto TV in Canada.

“As Pluto TV approaches its one-year anniversary in Canada, we are thrilled to showcase eight new channels from MTV and Comedy Central, two brands that truly shaped pop culture, comedy, and reality as we know it,” said Doug Smith, SVP, Streaming and Content Licensing, Canada, Paramount Global. “Our mission to entertain the planet continues with our ever-growing offering of iconic brands and content that ensure Canadians make Pluto TV their FAST destination.”

MTV on Pluto TV

MTV pioneered reality TV and continues to make ground-breaking reality that defines the culture of every decade. Pluto TV is pleased to bring you some of the most defining series in history. From Lauren Conrad’s mascara-streaked tears (The Hills) to Snooki’s must-see meatball shenanigans (Jersey Shore), MTV made household names out of their cast of reality characters and Pluto TV is reliving the moments that shaped a generation with five new MTV channels featuring the most renowned Y2K series and stars including:

MTV Reality featuring Jersey Shore (S1-6), The Hills (S1-6), Teen Mom (S1-2, 6, 8, 9), 16 and Pregnant (S1-6), and Geordie Shore (S1-19)
MTV Dating featuring Ex On The Beach (S1-4), Celebrity Ex On The Beach (S1), Are You The One? (S1-6, 8), Disaster Date (S1-4) and Friendzone (S1-5)
The Challenge (single-series channel) featuring seasons 10-13, 15-30, 32, and 36 of The Challenge
Catfish (single-series channel) featuring seasons 1-4 of Catfish: The TV Show
Ridiculousness (single-series channel) featuring seasons 1-2 and 6-10 of Ridiculousness

Pluto TV’s MTV channels and series are now streaming FREE in Canada.

Comedy Central on Pluto TV
Comedy Central is synonymous with uncovering the prolific comedians of a generation through its ground-breaking standup specials, sketch comedy, and animated series. Pluto TV proudly adds the network’s most inventive series – including the ones that introduced comedy legends like Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Kroll, and Dave Chappelle – with three new channels including:

Comedy Central Pluto TV featuring Chapelle’s Show (S1-2), Comedy Central Presents (S1-15), Key & Peele (S1-5), Kroll Show (S1-3), and Reno 911! (Season 1-6)
Comedy Central Animation featuring Beavis and Butt-Head (select episodes), Daria (S1-5), Drawn Together (S1-3), and Ugly Americans (S1-2)
Comedy Central Stand-Up (single-series channel) featuring Comedy Central Presents (S1-15)
Pluto TV’s Comedy Central channels and series are now streaming FREE in Canada.

Following the success of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards’ first-ever live stream on Pluto TV, the FAST service will also carry the 2023 MTV EMA on Sunday, November 5. More details to be announced.

Pluto TV is available for free, with no registration or subscription required. Canadian users can watch Pluto TV via web at www.pluto.tv, via the Pluto TV app for Apple, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Samsung, LG, Tizen, Hisense, and Xbox devices, and via mobile apps on the App Store and Google Play. Visit Pluto TV Canada on Instagram @plutotvca to get started on your free streaming journey

Apple Original Films today unveiled a new trailer for Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” will premiere in theatres around the world, including IMAX® theatres, on Friday, October 20, 2023. 

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), “Killers of the Flower Moon” tracks the suspicious murders of members of the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight after oil was discovered underneath their land. “Killers of the Flower Moon” also stars Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, and is directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, based on David Grann’s best-selling book.

Hailing from Apple Studios, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions and Appian Way. Producers are Martin Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Daniel Lupi, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Sommer, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer and Niels Juul serving as executive producers.Director:  Martin Scorsese                  Cast:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Tatanka Means, Michael Abbot Jr., Pat Healy, Scott Shepard, Jason Isbell, Sturgill SimpsonWriters: Eric Roth, Martin ScorseseProducers: Martin Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Daniel Lupi        Exec. Producers:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Somner, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer, Niels Juul

8 Facts You Didn’t Know About “Killers of the Flower Moon”

·       This is Martin Scorsese’s 21st feature film collaboration with editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Their working relationship has spanned 7 decades, and Thelma is the only woman to ever receive three Oscars in the Editing category (“Raging Bull,” “The Aviator” and “The Departed”). 

·       The film’s director of photography, Rodrigo Prieto, served as cinematographer for three music videos for superstar Taylor Swift – “The Man,” “Cardigan” and “Willow.” 

·       Paul Thomas Anderson suggested Jack Fisk to Scorsese for this project after collaborating with him on “There Will Be Blood,” which also takes place in the 1920s. Fisk builds his sets from scratch rather than utilizing soundstages or computer generated models: both Hale’s house and Mollie’s “country” house were built from the ground up. 

·       The character that Jesse Plemons plays, Tom White, was an actual Texas Ranger and one of the only FBI agents that J. Edgar Hoover allowed to wear a cowboy hat. 

·       Many of the costumes incorporated pieces the Osage actors brought from home which belonged to their grandparents, who lived during the time period depicted in the film. 

Today, Disney+ revealed the trailer for season two of the Disney+ Original series “The Santa Clauses.” The brand-new trailer previews the continuing story of Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his family as they return to the North Pole for more adventures when the season premieres with two episodes on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 followed by new episodes weekly.

In addition to Allen, who will executive produce and reprise the beloved role of Santa/Scott Calvin, season two stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus/Carol, Austin Kane as Cal Calvin Claus, Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra Calvin Claus, Devin Bright as Noel, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias as Kris Kringle and Eric Stonestreet as Magnus Antas, The Mad Santa.

Alongside Allen, award-winning Jack Burditt (“30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” “Frasier,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) will continue as executive producer and showrunner. Kevin Hench (“Last Man Standing”), Richard Baker (“Last Man Standing,” “The Santa Clause,” “The Santa Clause 2”) and Rick Messina (“Last Man Standing,” “The Santa Clause,” “The Santa Clause 2”) will serve as executive producers along with Jason Winer and Jon Radler for Small Dog Picture Company.

Disney+ revealed the release date for the new Disney+ Original unscripted documentary series “Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1^© Story”, a remarkable tale of success against adversity for the £1 Formula 1^© racing team. The series will premiere on November 15 on Disney+. 

The series stars Keanu Reeves (“John Wick” and “The Matrix Resurrections”)as host and executive producer, in addition to Formula 1^© legends Ross Brawn, Jenson Button, Nick Fry, Rubens Barrichello and Christian Horner. The unscripted documentary series hosted by Keanu Reeves tells the remarkable story of how Ross Brawn, in 2009, competing in the most expensive and technologically advanced racing series on Earth, made the impossible happen. His understaffed, underfinanced, and independent team won the World Championship taking on the biggest titans of the industry – all after purchasing the team for just £1.  

Go behind the scenes of this Formula 1^© fairy tale with the people who were there – on the track, in the garage and the boardroom – giving their own recounts of this miraculous year. With access to the F1 archives – much of it previously unseen – this series brings you along for the ride to victory, led by British F1 driver Jenson Button and Ross Brawn.

This series is a North One production developed, written and produced by showrunner Simon Hammerson with three-time BAFTA-winning executive producer Neil Duncanson and directed by 2022 Broadcast best sports documentary winner Daryl Goodrich, with Keanu Reeves as host and executive producer. 

All episodes of “Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1^© Story” will be available on Disney+ on November 15, 2023. 

By Mr. Will Wong

After making a huge splash at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Cord Jefferson‘s AMERICAN FICTION is riding a high since winning the coveted People’s Choice Award, a very good indicator that it is Oscars-bound.

The Satire, based on Percival Everett‘s novel ERASURE is set to hit theatres over the Holidays and today we got a first look as its Trailer launched officially. It centers on Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), who is a respected figure in the literary world. Tired of black stereotypes, he writes a novel under a pseudonym that features every Black cliché possible, which goes on to garner him tons of interest (more than anything he’s ever written) and hence, a huge dilemma to deal with.

We were so fortunate to sit-in on a Press Junket with Jefferson, whose feature directorial debut is an epic one.

He’s asked by Rotten Tomatoes about landing on the perfect Trailer.

Jefferson: “I’ll let the Trailer speak for itself. It has gone through a rigorous process, and we’ve been working on it for months now. I’m thrilled to share it with everybody. I really love it. It has gone through different iterations and finally we’ve landed on one we’re all thrilled about.”.

Jefferson is asked about his connection with the Film’s source material and why he chose to adapt it for the big screen.

Jefferson: “I first heard about the Novel when I was reading a review in December 2020 for INTERIOR CHINATOWN (by Charles Yu), a Satire similar to Percival Everett‘s ERASURE. Within 50 pages of reading it, I’m already reading Monk in Jeffrey’s voice. I knew I wanted to direct it. There were just so many overlaps with my personal life and things that I’ve been thinking about for decades. It felt like someone had written me a gift. When I stepped away from it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and when I was done reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was electrified. A piece of Art has never resonated so deeply with me.”.

He tells us about the process of getting star Jeffrey Wright to sign-on in the leading role.

Jefferson: “Once the Script was done, I told everyone that I wanted Jeffrey, and everyone agreed. I sent it right away to him. Thankfully, he met with me and talked a few hours. We met a couple weeks later and talked for a few more hours and he signed on. There’s a reason I’ll forever be indebted, but the main one is that this is the guy who was in Basquiat and Angels in America. When I first saw him, I was blown away. I’ve followed his career throughout. Batman, 007, this guy in Wes Anderson’s go-to. These are the biggest movies in world. For me to come to him, having never written or directed anything, I was terrified he was gonna say no. I think it’s a real testament to him as Artist and Human Being, willing to put faith in me. A lot of Actors of his caliber don’t want to risk it on first-time Director. He lept aboard and things got more easy. We got more funding and more Actors wanted to come aboard to work with him.”.

We then learn about their alignment in vision for the film adaptation.

Jefferson: “The first thing he said is that ‘I don’t want to feel this Movie is scolding or condemning anybody’. That’s the exact thing I said, and I didn’t want it to feel like a lecture about the right way or wrong way to be black. We were both on the same page. No ‘pull up your pants’ or finger-wagging. All we wanted to do is make a movie that addressed these issues with levity and ton of humour, yet with an emotional center. And for people to be smiling and laughing with their friends and family. As soon as he said that, I knew this was the guy.”.

Jefferson tells us about casting the perfect love interest and Supporting Cast for Monk.

Jefferson: “I’ve been following Maxine Shaw (Erika Alexander) since LIVING SINGLE. I recognize good work. When it came time to talk about Jeffrey’s love interest, we got a lot of pitches from agencies for people in their 20s and 30s, and I understand that’s what they do in Hollywood. I wanted someone to be closer to Jeffrey in age. I felt this woman is formidable and Monk in this role is a pugnacious, strongheaded, stubbon person, so you need a good foil for that energy. Erika comes in and brings a joy and strength to the character. As soon as I saw her, I knew this was the exact right choice. She shines every time she’s on screen. Jeffrey plays Monk who is a standoffish guy who’s isolated himself. He’s a crotchety College Professor, so surrounding him with an Ensemble that brings levity and natural charm to the part was great. You see this way they balance Monk. They bring the smile and illicit laughter which others in his life don’t.”.

We learn about how Jefferson finds the right balance between Drama and Comedy in this Satire.

Jefferson: “Even in the lowest of times, you have to find joy and pleasure. I didn’t ever make anything with an audience in mind as that’s when you second guess yourself. I focussed on a strategic balance. I wanted the Movie to be Satire. ERASURE is a wonderful satirical novel and I knew I wanted that to be large part of the story. I wanted to ensure the Movie didn’t become farcicial. I had to ensure it didn’t collapse under that weight and become Slapstick. The family – the relationships Monk has with his mother and siblings help balance each other out so it’s never too sweet or bitter. It balances in a way the story doesn’t collapse under the weight of Drama or Comedy. Striking a balance was important. I wanted it to feel authentic to life.”.

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release AMERICAN FICTION in select theatres December 15, 2023 and expands December 22, 2023.

Disney Animation’s all-new short film “Once Upon A Studio” makes its streaming debut on Disney+ today as part of Disney’s epic hundred-year anniversary celebration.

Featuring 543 Disney characters from more than 85 feature-length and short films, “Once Upon a Studio” welcomes heroes and villains, princes and princesses, sidekicks and sorcerers—in all-new hand-drawn and CG animation—to celebrate 10 decades of storytelling, artistry and technological achievements. Mickey Mouse leads the emotional and joyful reunion of beloved Disney characters as they come together for a group photo to mark Disney’s 100th anniversary. The short film is written and directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy, and produced by Yvett Merino and Bradford Simonsen.

DISNEY+ CELEBRATES DISNEY100

Today the service launched a new content promotional feature in front of select movies and shows for subscribers. In honour of the company’s 100th anniversary, the very first content promotion spotlight is an exclusive new piece celebrating 100 years of storytelling and reminding streamers the greatest stories live forever on Disney+.

Additionally, starting today, Disney+ subscribers can stream the stunning 4K restoration of the animated classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” This restored version of the 1937 classic is the result of the combined efforts of the Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team, working closely with key artists from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the same team who recently worked together on the critically acclaimed restoration of Walt Disney’s 1950 animated classic, “Cinderella,” that debuted on the service in August. Disney+ kicked off the celebration earlier this year with the addition of 27 restored Walt Disney Animation Studios classic shorts, featuring such iconic stars as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip n’ Dale, and the studio’s first star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Fans can continue celebrating the 100th anniversary by streaming all of their favorite movies and television series organized by release date decade in the Disney100 collection.

Today, out of New York Comic Con, Netflix released the official trailer and new images for the upcoming anime series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which premieres globally on November 17, 2023. During their panel at The Javits Center, Executive Producers/Writers/Co-Showrunners Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski confirmed that Julian Cihi will voice the Katayanagi Twins (Kyle and Ken).

In SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF, Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and discovers he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. But this time, things get even more complicated. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF revisits and reimagines the beloved cult classic, taking Ramona Flowers, her evil exes, Scott, and his friends off on a mysterious new action-packed journey to find love.

The anime series reunites the original film cast to reprise their roles, including Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ramona Flowers), Satya Bhabha (Matthew Patel), Kieran Culkin (Wallace Wells), Chris Evans (Lucas Lee), Anna Kendrick (Stacey Pilgrim), Brie Larson (Envy Adams), Alison Pill (Kim Pine), Aubrey Plaza (Julie Powers), Brandon Routh (Todd Ingram), Jason Schwartzman (Gideon Graves), Johnny Simmons (Young Neil), Mark Webber (Stephen Stills), Mae Whitman (Roxie Richter), and Ellen Wong (Knives Chau).

SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF was created for television by executive producers and co-showrunners O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski. The original film’s director, co-writer and producer Edgar Wright serves as executive producer alongside Marc Platt, Jared LeBoff, Adam Siegel, Michael Bacall and Eunyoung Choi. Award-winning animation house Science SARU (DEVILMAN CRYBABY, JAPAN SINKS, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF EIZOUKEN), and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, produce for Netflix.

Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc., in association with Citytv, announce casting for the highly-anticipated crime drama Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. The Canadian iteration of the longest-running scripted drama brand in TV history features an all-Canadian ensemble cast that includes Aden Young (Rectify, Black Robe) as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff, Kathleen Munroe (City on Fire, Patriot) as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman, Karen Robinson (Schitt’s Creek, Echoes) as Inspector Vivienne Holness, K.C. Collins (The Cleaning Lady, White Dog) as Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester, Nicola Correia-Damude (Shadowhunters, Resident Alien) as Forensic Pathologist Dr. Lucy Da Silva, and Araya Mengesha (Nobody, Anne with an E) as tech expert Mark Yohannes.

A psychological thriller wrapped in a criminal investigation, the Canadian adaptation follows two elite detectives from the Specialized Criminal Investigations unit as they investigate high-profile crimes and homicides in metro Toronto. Production on the 10 one-hour original episodes is underway in Toronto and is slated to air on Citytv in Spring 2024.

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, based on the classic series created by Dick Wolf for Universal Television, follows the Criminal Intent format the international brand is known for, showcasing original Canadian stories written, produced by and starring Canadians.

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Citytv and distributed by Universal Television. Tassie Cameron (Pretty Hard Cases, Mary Kills People, Rookie Blue) is the series Showrunner. Tassie, Erin Haskett, Amy Cameron, David Valleau, Alex Patrick and Holly Dale serve as Executive Producers. Tex Antonucci and Jillian Locke are Co-Executive Producers, Wanda Chaffey is Producer and Caledonia Brown is Co-Producer.

Award-winning filmmaker Holly Dale (Transplant, Mary Kills People, Law & Order SVU) directs the premiere episode, episode 103, and the finale. Additional directors tapped for this season are Peter Stebbings (102), David Wellington (104), Sudz Sutherland (105), Rachel Leiterman (106), Winnifred Jong (107), Sharon Lewis (108), and David Straiton (109).

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is produced under the jurisdiction of ACTRA and the WGC in Canada.

Cast representation includes Aden Young: The Artist Representation Company, Buchwald, Shanahan Management; Kathleen Munroe: Gary Goddard Agency (GGA), Authentic Talent & Literary Management, The Kohner Agency and The Nord Group; Karen Robinson: Oscars Abrams Zimel (OAC), Innovative Artists; K.C. Collins: Noble Caplan Abrams, The Kohner Agency, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Nicola Correia-Damude: Principals Talent, Catalyst TCM; and Araya Mengesha: GGA, Buchwald, Identity Agency Group (IAG).

She’s on-top of the world! TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR is poised to debut atop the Box Office with a jawdropping $97 million this weekend from 3,850 theatres for AMC/Cineplex Pictures. Previous best for a North American October opening was held by JOKER with $96.3 million. At once, it becomes highest grossing Concert Film ever too! Critics and fans agree this is an amazing experience, nabbing a rare 100% on the Tomatometer.

Second is THE EXORCIST: BELEIVER with $11 million in its second weekend from 3,684 theatres for Univeral Pictures. Thus far it has grossed $44.9 million.

In third we’ve got PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE with $5.7 million from 3,707 theatres for Paramount Pictures/Elevation Pictures, taking it to $48.5 million in weekend three.

Fourth is SAW X with $5.3 million for Lionsgate/Cineplex Pictures, a $41.1 million run now in its third weekend.

THE CREATOR is fifth with $3.3 million, taking it to $33 million for 20th Century Studios.