This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together..In theatres November 17, 2023.

After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Golden Globe nominated electropop sensation Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André; Sing 2), Spruce (Grammy winner Daveed Diggs; Hamilton) and Clay (Grammy winner Kid Cudi; Don’t Look Up). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.

But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains—Velvet (Emmy winner Amy Schumer; Trainwreck) and Veneer (Grammy winner and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells; The Book of Mormon)—Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity.

Featuring Trolls’ signature psychedelic joy-bomb of new and classic pop hits, Trolls Band Together stars a dazzling cast of musical superstars and comedic powerhouses as new franchise characters, including four-time Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner Camila Cabello (Cinderella) as Viva; Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant) as Crimp; and 12-time Emmy winning drag icon RuPaul Charles as Miss Maxine.

The returning cast includes Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Zooey Deschanel as Bridget; Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Gristle, the Icona Pop duo Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt as Satin and Chenille, Grammy winner Anderson .Paak as Prince D, comedian Ron Funches as Cooper, SAG nominee Kunal Nayyar as Guy Diamond and Emmy winning Saturday Night Live legend Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond.

Trolls Band Together is steered by returning director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay, and is co-directed by Tim Heitz (head of story, Trolls World Tour). DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls films—2016’s Trolls and 2020’s Trolls World Tour—have sung and danced their way to record-breaking success, earning an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Song and fueling one of the largest and most beloved entertainment brands in the world.

Genre: Animated Action-Comedy

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Camila Cabello, Eric André, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, Troye Sivan, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Zosia Mamet, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, RuPaul Charles, Aino Jawo, Caroline Hjelt, Kenan Thompson, Anderson .Paak, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches

Director: Walt Dohrn

Co-Director: Tim Heitz

Producer: Gina Shay

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Chefs Craig Harding and Julian D’Ippolito are set to launch their newest restaurant venture, Bar Prima on Oct. 20. The new Italian restaurant is anticipated to become an instant staple in the Queen West area, located at 1136 Queen Street West.                             

The neighbourhood Italian restaurant you’ve always dreamed of, Bar Prima will feature a luxurious atmosphere that evokes a sense of timelessness and nostalgia. The restaurant design will capture an old-school charm with dimly lit ambiance, creating an elevated and elegant atmosphere. From Italian disco inspired music to vintage design touches, Harding and D’Ippolito have curated a space that feels as though it’s been there forever.

The interior design is spearheaded by Future Studio with branding development by Biography Design. The restaurant features rich finishes of mahogany, klein blue leather and a striking marble inlay floor. Old school glamour in a smart, modern setting sums up Bar Prima’s ethos. Guests will be greeted by the warm glow of an amber glass facade, hand-made in Murano, Italy. Inside, the tables are adorned with timeless white tablecloths, infusing an element of refined charm underneath a molten, gold leaf ceiling.                                                

Bar Prima’s kitchen will be helmed by Chef de Cuisine Nicholas Iaboni, who spent years at Buca Osteria & Enoteca before traveling to California to open Bar Monette in Santa Monica. The menu at Bar Prima will take a modern/minimal approach to Italian cuisine with a selection of classic Italian American dishes we all love, placing a focus on hand made pasta and well curated mains. Bar Prima’s take on a “Rockefeller” using East Coast Diver Scallops promises to be a fan favourite. You’ll also find modern takes on classics like Pasta al Forno, Sea Bream Acqua Pazza and Stone Fruit Jubilee. The wine list will showcase the classic labels from Italy with a strong focus on contemporary natural wines from Europe and beyond.

“Bar Prima is a refreshing twist on a classic Italian restaurant,” says Chef Craig Harding. “We’re excited to offer Toronto something new that we haven’t seen done before – elevated Italian cuisine with a backdrop of old-school charm.”                      

In 2010, Culinary Director Craig Harding opened his first restaurant in Toronto and has since developed a reputation for great food and a commitment to quality. He opened the popular Dundas West spot La Palma in 2017, followed shortly after by Yorkville’s Constantine in 2018. Prior to Bar Prima, Chef Julian D’Ippolito worked abroad in Europe for four years where he was Michelin trained in Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. He returned to Toronto and became the Head Chef at Campagnolo until 2017 when he opened La Palma alongside Chef Harding, becoming a partner in 2019. He oversees La Palma, Constantine, and now Bar Prima as Executive Chef.                                

Every other week until opening, you can indulge in a series of curated Spotify playlists that will bring Bar Prima’s exciting atmosphere to life. Visit Bar Prima’s spotify here for playlists curated by friends and collaborators including Martina Sorbara of Dragonette and Jimmy Shaw of Metric, pulling inspiration from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, old Hollywood, Italian disco, Madonna and more.

Bar Prima is set to open on Oct. 20. Visit barprima.ca to stay updated on when reservations become available.

An official selection of the internationally renowned Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, Canadian-born musician James Carson, a gifted child piano prodigy cum award-winning filmmaker, brings his stunning and immersive musical docu-experience CABIN MUSIC, documenting the creation of his debut album, THE STORY OF BIRDS to Toronto’s Paradise Theatre on October 20, 2023 at 7 p.m.

The Canadian premiere of the acclaimed big-screen cinematic experience will be followed by a post-screening Q&A plus a live musical performance.

Sitting between the avant-garde stylings of Maya Deren (Meshes of the Afternoon) and the meditative tone poems of Godfrey Reggio (Koyaanisqatsi), Cabin Music weaves a synesthetic aural-visual journey around the world, in which Carson communicates not only through the piano he plays, the clay-walled cabin he builds, and the stunning cinematography he lenses but also his hypnotic editorial prowess. Interviews – with cabin builders, collaborators, and those James meets in his travels – orient and ground the concrete narrative embedded in the film’s poetry. A technical-artistic tour de force, the picture speaks directly from the subconscious, where piano tone, environment, cinematography, sound recording, and film montage all flow from the same hands, eyes, and heart, allowing the viewer to see and breathe the world as James did on his journey, and as he continues to do in his cabin and in New York to the present day.

Says Carson, “Cabin Music is not only a film, a concert, or an album. It’s the space between all these manifestations. Each gives a different point of access to the same fundamental source. The concerts provide the most intimate connection – a one-to-one communion that cannot be transmitted across any media. The recordings are for repeat listening, however, a person chooses to experience them. The film, meanwhile, is designed to do what only film can do: to viscerally bring audiences through time and place in a compressed and expanded way into the cabin and its origins. Only cinema has the scale and capacity to cross continents and ages in the blink of an eye; only cinema can immerse audiences in the roots from which the cabin is born.”

CABIN MUSIC is produced and directed by James Carson and executive produced by Julian Cautherley (THE CRASH REEL, CLEMENCY). International sales are handled by Monoduo Films.

After premiering at TIFF ’23, today we get a new Trailer for PAIN HUSTLERS!

DIRECTOR: David Yates
SCREENPLAY BY: Wells Tower
BASED ON THE BOOK BY: Evan Hughes
PRODUCERS: Lawrence Grey, David Yates
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Emily Blunt, Mark Moran, Yvonne Walcott-Yates, Lewis Taylor, Ben Everard
CAST: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor and Andy Garcia

SYNOPSIS: Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Pain Hustlers is a sharp and revealing look at what some people do out of desperation and others do out of greed. The film is directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates, produced by Lawrence Grey, and also starring Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass and Brian d’Arcy James.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Today, Marvel Studios released an exciting :60 spot and “The Return of Captain Marvel,” two new looks at the upcoming feature film, “The Marvels,” along with brand-new posters, to coincide with tickets going on sale.

Advance tickets are on sale now, everywhere tickets are sold.

In Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels,” Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”

The film stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Seo-Jun Park, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson. Nia DaCosta directs, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Mary Livanos and Matthew Jenkins serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Nia DaCosta and Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik.

New Featurette:

Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels” hits theatres on November 10, 2023.

SHOWTIME today released the official trailer for the highly anticipated limited series FELLOW TRAVELERS, the epic love story and political thriller led by Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart, The Boys in the Band) and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton). Created for television by Oscar^® nominee Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia, HOMELAND), the eight-episode drama premieres Friday, October 27, 2023 in Canada and the U.S. and on October 28, 2023 in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, South Korea, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The miniseries was shot in Toronto in Summer 2022.

FELLOW TRAVELERS, also stars Jelani Alladin (The Walking Dead World Beyond), Allison Williams (Get Out, Girls) and Noah J. Ricketts (American Gods). Bomer and Nyswaner executive produce with Robbie Rogers (All American, My Policeman) and Dee Johnson. Daniel Minahan (Halston, American Crime Story: Versace) executive produces and also directs the first two epiodes. FELLOW TRAVELERS is co-produced by Fremantle and SHOWTIME. 

Created by Nyswaner, FELLOW TRAVELERS is based on the novel by Thomas Mallon. Bomer plays charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the-scenes career in politics. Hawkins avoids emotional entanglements – until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a young man who’s brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history. Over the course of four decades, we follow our five main characters – Hawk, Tim, Marcus (Alladin), Lucy (Williams) and Frankie (Ricketts) – as they cross paths through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s while facing obstacles in the world and within themselves.

The 6th season of THE CROWN will close out the genre-defining prestige royal saga that has been on screens since 2016. The Crown’s final season will premiere in two parts: Part 1 on November 16th & Part 2 on December 14th.

Part 1 will see Elizabeth Debicki reprise her role as Princess Diana alongside Dominic West as Prince Charles. Imelda Staunton continues her reign as Queen Elizabeth II alongside Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip) and Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret). Also returning are Salim Daw (Mohamed Al Fayed) and Khalid Abdalla (Dodi Fayed). Making their debuts are Rufus Kampa (Prince William) and Fflyn Edwards (Prince Harry).

The 6th and final season covers events from 1997 through 2005.The first four episodes (Part 1) depict a relationship blossoming between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed before a fateful car journey has devastating consequences.

The final chapter (Part 2) is told across six episodes. Prince William tries to integrate back into life at Eton in the wake of his mother’s death as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion. As she reaches her Golden Jubilee, the Queen reflects on the future of the monarchy with the marriage of Charles and Camilla and the beginnings of a new Royal fairytale in William and Kate.

For Part 2, taking on the roles of Prince William and Prince Harry will be Ed McVey and Luther Ford. Joining them will be Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton. These will be debut roles for all three actors.

Since premiering on Netflix in 2016, THE CROWN has been nominated for and won multiple awards, including 69 Emmy Nominations across 5 seasons (with 21 wins including Best Drama across 4 seasons), 10 Golden Globe Nominations (including 4 wins), 15 BAFTA nominations, and more.

This final season will draw to a conclusion sixty hours of television that have introduced stars such as Claire Foy, Vanessa Kirby, Emma Corrin, Josh O’Connor and more.

About The Crown Season 6

A relationship blossoms between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed before a fateful car journey has devastating consequences.

Prince William tries to integrate back into life at Eton in the wake of his mother’s death as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion. As she reaches her Golden Jubilee, the Queen reflects on the future of the monarchy with the marriage of Charles and Camilla and the beginnings of a new Royal fairytale in William and Kate.

Premiere Date: Part 1 – November 16, 2023 / Part 2 – December 14, 2023
Format: 10 episodes x 60 mins [Part 1 – 4 episodes / Part 2 – 6 episodes]
Created and Written by: Peter Morgan
Executive Producers: Peter Morgan, Suzanne Mackie, Andy Harries, Stephen Daldry, Matthew Byam Shaw and Robert Fox.
Cast: Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair, Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed, and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed.
Part 1 – Rufus Kampa (Prince William) and Fflyn Edwards (Prince Harry)
Part 2 – Ed McVey (Prince William), Luther Ford (Prince Harry) and Meg Bellamy (Kate Middleton)

Prime Video today announced that Sportsnet will be the latest top-tier channel available on Prime Video Channels in Canada. The Sportsnet Prime Video Channel allows subscribers to add Sportsnet as an add-on channel in their Prime Video account. Prime Video users in Canada can watch live NHL hockey and all of Sportsnet’s linear programming on Sportsnet national (Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360) and regional (Sportsnet Pacific, West, East, Ontario) channels with one convenient subscription to Sportsnet on Prime Video Channels. Prime members can add the Sportsnet Prime Video Channel as an add-on subscription for $19.99/month. Visit PrimeVideo.com/Sportsnet to sign up.

“We’re delighted to add premium sports just in time for puck drop,” said Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. “We are thrilled to work with Sportsnet,  Canada’s leading sports broadcaster, to offer this selection, so that our customers can enjoy unparalleled entertainment all in one place.”

“By becoming the first Canadian sports network available on Prime Video in Canada, Sportsnet is furthering our commitment to deliver premium sports content to Canadians wherever they want to access it,” said Greg Sansone, senior vice president, Sportsnet.

The Sportsnet Prime Video Channel consists of the Sportsnet (East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, and Sportsnet 360 linear channels, bringing live games from the NHL, MLB, NBA, and more. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL rights holder, and is the regional broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Sportsnet also has extensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors, as well as NBA, MLB, Grand Slam of Curling, National Bank Open presented by Rogers, FIBA, WWE, Super League rugby, Premiership Rugby, FA Women’s Super League, and FA Cup. Out-of-market NHL games are not available via the Sportsnet Amazon Prime Video Channel.

Prime members can subscribe with no extra apps to download beyond Prime Video by visiting PrimeVideo.com/Sportsnet. The channel subscription can be canceled at any time. Prime Video Channels is a Prime benefit that lets members add channels they love with no long-term commitments—including Paramount+, CityTV+, STARZ, AMC+, Super Channel, BritBox, Hayu, and STACKTV, a multi-channel service featuring 16 top-tier networks (Global, Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, History, Adult Swim, Lifetime, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Teletoon, Treehouse, and YTV).

–ENDS–

About Prime Video 

Prime Video is just one of many shopping, savings, and entertainment benefits included with a Prime membership, along with fast, free shipping on millions of Prime-eligible items at Amazon.ca, ultrafast  delivery, unlimited photo storage, exclusive deals and discounts, and access to ad-free music, books, and games. To sign up or start a 30-day free trial of Prime, visit: amazon.ca/prime.

·       Included with Prime Video: Watch movies, TV series, news, award-winning Amazon Originals, and other exclusives. Enjoy hits like Citadel, The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, and more. 

·       Prime Video Channels: Prime members can add channels like Paramont+, Citytv+, STARZ, AMC+, Hayu, and STACKTV, an all-in entertainment multipack offering the latest episodes of hit shows from 16 great networks. No extra apps to download, and no cable required. Most subscriptions start with a free trial, and you can cancel anytime. View the full list of channels available at primevideo.com/channels. 

·       Rent or Buy: From new releases to cult favourites, enjoy even more movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video – no Prime membership required. View titles available by visiting primevideo.com/store.  

·       Instant Access: Watch at home or on the go with the Prime Video app on Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Windows 10, Android and iOS, compatible Smart TVs and set top boxes, select game consoles or online at primevideo.com. In the Prime Video app on mobile and tablet, Prime members can download most videos and watch them anywhere offline at no additional cost. For a complete list of compatible devices, visit primevideo.com/help.

·       Enhanced experiences: Make the most of every viewing with 4K Ultra HD- and High Dynamic Range (HDR)-compatible content. Go behind the scenes of your favourite movies and TV shows with exclusive X-Ray access, powered by IMDb. 

Paramount+ today unveiled the thrilling trailer and premiere date for THE RESCUE: WEIGHT OF THE WORLD (EL RAPTO). The upcoming original Argentine film from Paramount+ is directed by the renowned filmmaker Daniela Goggi (Abzurdah, El Hilo Rojo) and stars Rodrigo de La Serna (Money Heist). The much-anticipated film has been critically acclaimed in international film festivals including Venice, Toronto, Zurich, Biarritz and Monterrey, and will premiere in October in selected theaters in Argentina and on November 3, 2023 in all Paramount+ international markets. 

In September, the film had its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film was presented in the “Special Presentations” category. Lead actor Rodrigo de la Serna (Money Heist), the director and renowned filmmaker Daniela Goggi (Abzurdah, El Hilo Rojo) and the producer Benjamín Domenech from Rei Cine were in attendance. THE RESCUE: WEIGHT OF THE WORLD also participated in the Venice International Film Festival.

THE RESCUE: THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD takes place in Buenos Aires, in the 1980s. Julio Levy and his family return to Argentina after a long exile to enjoy their life in the new democracy and to work in the family business when an unfortunate event alters his plans. His brother is kidnapped, forcing Julio to take his place in the family business, while he manages the company and leads a complex operation to rescue his brother. Julio will discover the face of the hidden forces that still operate behind the recently recovered Argentine democracy. Starring alongside Rodrigo de la Serna are Julieta Zylberberg, Andrea Garrote, Germán Palacios and Jorge Marrale. 

THE RESCUE: THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD is a fictional political thriller inspired by several events that happened after the dictatorship and in the book “El salto de papá” by Martín Sivak. The film is produced by Paramount Television International Studios, Rei Cine and Infinity Hill.  

Anand Ramayya’s KARMA Film have come on to produce The Devil’s Tears with Blackout Media, with Shant Joshi’s Fae Pictures to executive produce. The partnership marks a major milestone for the two South Asian-Canadian owned production companies.

Development is financed by Creative Saskatchewan, and the project has been selected for the 1497 Mentor Lab and as a finalist for the Breaking Through the Lens Chopard Action Grant

Written and to be directed by Maya Bastian as her debut feature, The Devil’s Tears is an ensemble horror film set in a remote Sri Lankan jungle village that has been ravaged by war. A red rain begins to fall at night amplifying the dark proclivities of the villagers, the dismantling all societal order.

Producers are Karl Janisse of Blackout Media (Tigress), Anand Ramayya and Kelly Balon of KARMA Film (Donkeyhead, Our Big Punjabi Family), and executive producing is Shant Joshi, Lindsay Blair Goeldner, and Abdul Malik of Fae Pictures (In Flames, Framing Agnes).

The project is currently in development with financing expected to begin late 2024 and production to take place in 2025-2026 in India.

Coming off of their successful launches of South Asian-Canadian titles Donkeyhead and In Flames, the milestone partnership aims to leverage a Canadian international co-production raising towards a sub $15M dollar budget with an ensemble Tamil cast as a formidable competitor for arthouse festival audiences, South Indian commercial audiences, and global genre audiences.

“The Devil’s Tears is a story like no other. I’m proud to be supported by these incredible companies who all have a strong track record of bringing unique South Asian voices to audiences worldwide,” says Bastian.

“Maya’s background in conflict journalism combined with her deep personal connections to the community have added layer upon layer of subtle complexities that fill this incredibly original script with the potential to be a truly groundbreaking film. The Devil’s Tears and its filmmakers are the reason we exist as producers and we are thrilled to help bring this to fruition,” said Ramayya.

“The recent box office successes for distinct and unique writer-director voices like Gerwig, Nolan, Atlee, and Nelson, and the wave of sold out theatres for socially relevant arthouse cinema with a genre bent gives us confidence to face the market with a dynamic project like this,” said Shant Joshi. “We are excited to continue to decolonize cinema with The Devil’s Tears, pointing our lens towards the oppression and genocide of ethnic minorities, an increasingly universal theme given the rise of fascism in many parts of the world.”