Netflix present to us the new offical Trailer for upcoming Series THE NIGHT AGENT, based on the popular book of the same name. Series arrives March 23, 2023.

Synopsis:

Based on the novel by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent is a sophisticated, character-based, action-thriller centering on a low level FBI Agent who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings — until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Fresh-off her Golden Globe win for her superb performance in THE DROPOUT, Amanda Seyfried is back in-town and she reunits with Atom Egoyan on his latest film THE SEVEN VEILS, wrapping this month in Toronto.

The Drama centers on an earnest theatre director named Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried), who has been given the task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera “Salome“. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away. Seyfried last collaborated with Egoyan on 2009’s CHLOE, which we loved. SEVEN VEILS will be released by Elevation Pictures in Canada.

Seyfried while in-town did some good on International Women’s Day raising money for Redwood Women’s Shelter. The event titled “ALL THAT SHE WANTS” was held at Comedy Bar, with her making an appearance to draw awareness to the cause.

We’ve always remembered her as being amazing and kind and she has not changed. On working with Egoyan again, she tells me “Atom is the f*cking best!”.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Shazam‘s affinity with Toronto knows no limits! 2019’s SHAZAM! exceeded all expectations both critically and commercially and though its followup wasn’t filmed in Toronto like its predecessor, it still gets the red carpet treatment with a special fan screening, brought to us by Audi Canada, being held tonight at Scotiabank Theatre. Shouts of “Shazam!” could be heard throughout the theatre, fans ecstatic for this rare, exciting opportunity.

Stars Zachary Levi, who reprises the titular role in SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS and Lucy Liu, who is introduced to us as Kalypso in the Franchise, descended upon Toronto, giving fans something to be excited about as we enter March Break!

In this Sequel, we reunite with Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his fellow foster kids, who are navigating being everyday teenagers, but also having adult version Superhero alter-egos. We meet the Daughters of Atlas, who arrive on earth looking to reclaim back the magic that was taken from them. Billy and his family are forced to battle for their own superpowers, and save the world.

Our pair of stars dazzled on the Red Carpet before heading into the special screening to do an introduction. Name a more dapper duo! I dare you!

Some Snaps and highlights from the night:

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS March 17, 2023.

We’ll never forget SHAZAM! taking over Toronto when it premiered back in 2019. More on that here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Paramount+ today released the official music video for the single “Grease Is the Word” from the upcoming new original series GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES. The musical series will premiere with two episodes on Thursday, April 6, 2023 exclusively on Paramount+ in Canada and the U.S.. The series will premiere the following day in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. The premiere date in South Korea will be announced at a later date. GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES was filmed in Vancouver in the winter of 2022.  The Track can be streamed now here.

Following the premiere, new episodes of the 10-episode season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays for subscribers in Canada and the U.S., and on Fridays for subscribers in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France.

“Grease Is the Word” is a modern take on the iconic song “Grease,” which was written by Barry Gibb and performed by Frankie Valli and served as the opening track of the 1978 classic musical film. “Grease Is the Word” will be featured alongside 30 original songs in season one of GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES, with executive music producer and GRAMMY Award nominated songwriter Justin Tranter at the helm. As seen in the “Grease Is the Word” music video, each song in the series will be accompanied by a choreographed dance number, led by choreographer Jamal Sims.

Release details on the full GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES soundtrack from Capitol Records will be announced at a later date.

GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES stars Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally and Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee.

The musical series takes place four years before the original “Grease.” In 1954, before rock ‘n’ roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school, four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.

From Paramount Television Studios, GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES is written and executive produced by Annabel Oakes (“Atypical,” “Minx”), who also serves as showrunner and directed a later episode. Alethea Jones (“Made for Love,” “Dollface,” “Evil”) directed the pilot plus two more episodes and executive produces. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey executive produce for Temple Hill, and Adam Fishbach also executive produces. Erik Feig and Samie Kim Falvey executive produce via PICTURESTART, and it’s produced by Grace Gilroy. Choreography by Jamal Sims, who also directed, and music by GRAMMY Award nominee and executive music producer Justin Tranter.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount+)

Samsonite is excited to announce its latest partnership with actress and comedienne Chloe Fineman. The SNL mainstay brings her wit, style, and charm to a series of photos and videos as she takes the viewer on a journey of packing cheeky discoveries from her travels, and straight to camera moments that will bring a smile to even the most hardened traveller’s face.

The series, launching on Samsonite and Fineman’s social channels, was shot at the TWA Hotel to capture the aura of the Golden Age of travel. From ramp to runway, Chloe’s vintage styling is paired with a mix of archival luggage pieces as well as some of today’s most coveted styles. Can you say Polypropylene shell, because Chloe sure can, all the while showing you what’s insider her Elevation™ Plus Glider, a proprietary Samsonite design.

Fineman, with her keen sense of individuality and a propensity towards vintage aesthetics, was the perfect partner to bring this vision to life. The campaign features pieces from Samsonite’s signature long-lasting collections and personal favorites of Fineman’s. “Samsonite is a brand that I grew up with, so it was a no-brainer when they approached me about working together on this project,” says Fineman. “The team really gave me the creative freedom to have fun and bring my personality to the campaign.”

Samsonite continues to inspire travellers to explore everything the world has to offer while infusing modern, innovative solutions with a sense of nostalgia that transcends generations. “We hope the partnership tells a story that goes beyond the brand’s exceptional product,” says David Oksman, Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce for Samsonite North America. “Samsonite has been encouraging the world to explore destinations near and far for over 100 years and we’re excited to work with Chloe to carry on this tradition.”

The campaign was filmed by Luc L’Amour of Timeless Eye, photographed by Sam Hylton, and styled by Yael Quint, script and creative direction by Hans Tranberg, VP of innovation at H&S Communications LLC. This partnership is only the beginning of Samsonite’s journey to move the world forward through thoughtful and unique travel experiences.

For more on Samsonite, visit here.

After its Premiere at Sundance, THEATRE CAMP gets penciled-in for a release date! Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star.

Synopsis:

THEATER CAMP follows the eccentric staff running a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York. After its indomitable and beloved founder falls into a coma, they must band together with her clueless “crypto-bro” son to keep the thespian paradise afloat.

Searchlight Pictures release THEATRE CAMP July 14, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

SXSW is set to kick-off Friday March 10, 2023 through March 18, 2023 in Austin. Team Mr. Will is here to bring you some of their top picks of the Film & TV component of the Festival, which is back again in-person fully. The Festival kicks-off this year with Opening Night selection DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES. The eagerly-awaited Blockbuster co-directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley stars an impressive Cast including Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, Sophia Lillis, Michelle Rodriguez and more. This follows on the footsteps of last year’s Opening Night film, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, which has been propelled to major Awards Season success.

Other high-profile titles to premiere at the Film & TV Festival include Evil Dead Rise directed by Lee Cronin; Problemista directed by Julio Torres; Flamin’ Hot directed by Eva Longoria; Janine Nabers and Donald Glover’s Swarm; Lee Sung Jin’s Beef and several more. 

Team Mr. Will preview for you some of their own most-anticipated titles at SXSW 2023.

AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda)

Bottoms

Toronto-born Director-Writer Emma Seligman is re-teaming with star-on-the-rise Rachel Sennott! And I CANNOT WAIT! I loved Shiva Baby and know that only greatness will come from this duo. Additionally, as a huge fan of The Bear, I am so excited to see breakout star Ayo Edebiri as part of its Cast.

Fancy Dance

I heard so many great things about this Film coming out of Sundance early this year. It’s the feature directorial debut from Erica Tremblay and follows a Native American hustler who kidnaps her niece from her white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in the hope of keeping what’s left of their family intact.

Joy Ride

I always search for Comedy at SXSW because they tend to be breakout hits. This Comedy directed by Adele Lim has a stellar cast including Everything Everywhere All at Once fav Stephanie Hsu. And it just happens to be produced by two funny men collaborators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

National Anthem

I’m a huge fan of Halsey and she’s acting in this touching story about a construction worker in New Mexico who joins a group of queer rodeo performers. There has been a lot of buzz going into the Festival for this Film and I am sure it won’t disappoint.

Bloody Hell

This Canadian film sounds like a blast. It follows a teen girl who is diagnosed with a reproductive condition that upends her sex life. Thus, sending her on a journey exploring unusual methods. It stars Maddie Ziegler and Emily Hampshire.

I want to shout out a film I’ve already seen and I believe all of you should: War Pony. It’s a breathtaking film that follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men group on on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)

I am three-years-deep and still fascinated by the films the SXSW team programs every March. It is such an odd and eclectic mix of indies, docs and genre films, and well, it speaks directly to my eclectic taste in cinema. And though it lacks the prestige of TIFF or Cannes, and is a little more punk rock than Sundance, I love how much of a unique identity SXSW has. Hopefully, next year I can take the plunge and go to Austin for a long weekend just to soak up all of the films, the BBQ, and this terrific community the festival has cultivated. I am intrigued about a number of pictures and twisted visions unfolding over the coming week and a half, but these are the ones I am most excited for:

Evil Dead Rise

I love the Evil Dead franchise, full-stop. The remake we got in 2013 was a whole lot better than it should have been, and this new entry (which trades the creepy cabin, horny teenagers and everyman Ash Williams for a family in a creepy high rise tower) looks and sounds positively bonkers. I was grinning like a maniac watching the R-rated trailer just recently, and am all in for the gory, grotesque and groovy blood bath that Writer/Director Lee Cronin has cooked-up. Might want to pack a poncho and an umbrella for this one.

Bottoms/I Used To Be Funny

Have you accepted Rachel Sennott as your new queen yet? This one-two punch of Dark Comedies – one about two loser high schoolers who create a fight club in order to get laid, and the other about an aspiring comedian and former nanny struggling with PTSD – should certainly clue you into what you have been missing in your life. They both sound like wild rides, and should certainly provide plenty of laughs from this star on the rise. Did I ask if you accepted her as your queen yet?

299 Queen Street West

If you are of a certain generation, you likely remember when MUCH was actually called MuchMusic. And it played music. Those days may be long behind us, but Sean Maynard’s Documentary about the life and times of the iconic building, studio and brand is bound to bring back a whole lot of memories. I cannot wait to see what artifacts he was able to dig-up.

Self Reliance

No need to even discuss a plot here – this is the directorial debut of Jake Johnson. He wrote and produced the Film too, alongside the Lonely Island. And he stars in it, alongside Anna Kendrick, Andy Samberg, Natalie Morales, Christopher Lloyd, Wayne Brady and Schitt’s Creek’s Emily Hampshire (also at SXSW 2023 with Bloody Hell). Do I really need to say more, or are you just as quickly on-board as I was?

Plan C

As a CIS white male, my opinion on abortion does not matter. Nor should it matter to the men who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. What a woman does with her own body is none of our fucking concern. Plain and simple. Sadly, not everyone feels that way, as we would not need Docs like Plan C if they did. The Film centres around a large group of individuals who have been networking since 2014 in an attempt to increase access to abortion pills across the United States. With how turbulent things are going, and the fact that I have my own daughter now, this one is quite simply a must-see.

MR. WILL (@mrwillw)

Tetris

Centering around true events and Henk Rogers’ (played by Taron Egerton) uphill battle to secure legal rights to international gaming sensation TETRIS, this Drama from Jon S. Baird is a must-see. Especially for those of us who grew-up in the ’80s and ’90s and played this religiously on our Nintendo Gameboys. This premieres more towards the end of the Festival on March 15th and arrives on Apple TV+ March 31, 2023. Who’d have known there was this much Drama behind something that brought us so much joy? Did you know the game actually originally belonged to the people of the Soviet Union?

American Born Chinese

Based on Gene Luen Yang’s Graphic Novel of the same name, SXSW is so lucky to continue this renaissance of the Asian-American experience. The upcoming Disney+ series centers on Jin Wang (Ben Wang), struggling with his school life and home life. He meets the new foreign exchange student at his school, leading him to become involved in a battle between Gods of Chinese mythology. The Series reunites EEAAO stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. This also premieres later in the Festival on March 15th and it arrives May 24, 2023 on Disney+.

I Used to be Funny

Filmed right here at home, Toronto’s Ally Pankiw writes and directs this Comedy starring SXSW 2023 Queen Rachel Sennott (also at the Festival with the exciting BOTTOMS as mentioned by Amanda and David) as a Comedian battling PTSD and deciding whether or not to search for a missing teen girl whom she used to nanny. This premieres March 13th at the Festival.

Flamin’ Hot

Who doesn’t love Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Flamin’ Hot is the story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican-American heritage and upbringing to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that ignited a spice-loving frenzing, becoming a worldwide sensation! Eva Longoria directs this origins story which we can totally get behind. This premieres March 11th.

Problemista

Expect Julio Torres to be the breakout star of SXSW 2023 writing, directing and also starring in this Comedy about a Toy Designer from El Salvador who is stuck in a job assisting an unpredictable Art World outcast in order to stay in America. Also stars Greta Lee and TILDA SWINTON! This debuts March 13th at the Festival.

Also, a warm mention goes to Canada’s BLACKBERRY which recounts the rise of the mobile phone that once ruled the world, from Director/Writer Matt Johnson. Jay Baruchel stars as Mike Lazaridis in this Drama which will be released via Elevation Pictures April 28, 2023. This got plenty of traction out of its Berlin International Film Festival Premiere and we cannot wait to see. It premieres March 13th at SXSW 2023.

More on the SXSW 2023 lineup here. We’ll be bringing updates from the Festival daily. Stay tuned for more.

Jennifer Lawrence is back in Comedy NO HARD FEELINGS, hitting theatres this Summer!

Sony Pictures Canada release NO HARD FEELINGS June 13, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)

We are obsessed with the ’70s and all the icons that came with it. Here’s a new Trailer for SPINNING GOLD starring multi-talented Jeremy Jordan. VVS Films release March 31, 2023.

Synopsis: 

What do Donna Summer, Parliament, Gladys Knight, The Isley Brothers, The Village People, and Bill Withers all have in common with the rock band KISS? They all rose to their musical heights under the watchful ear of the music industry’s most colorful and brilliant music producer, Neil Bogart, founder of Casablanca Records, the most successful independent record company of all time… Along with a rag tag team of young music lovers, Casablanca Records would rewrite history and change the music industry forever. Their mix of creative insanity, a total belief in each other and the music they were creating, shaped our culture and ultimately defined a generation. In a story so unbelievable that it can only be true, comes the motion picture event of the musical journey of Neil Bogart and how his Casablanca Records created the greatest soundtrack of our lives.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

Today we get a new clip from MURDER MYSTERY 2. DEUX OR DIE! The Sequel arrives on Netflix March 31, 2023.

Synopsis: 

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)