Zac Efron and John Cena star in RICKY STANICKY from Director Peter Farrelly! We get a new Trailer for the R-rated Comedy, coming to Prime Video March 7, 2024.

Synopsis:

When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean, JT, and Wes (Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler) still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behavior. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet the fabled Mr. Stanicky, the guilty trio decide to hire washed-up actor and raunchy celebrity impersonator “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena) to bring him to life. But when Rod takes his role of a lifetime too far, they begin to wish they’d never invented Ricky in the first place. From director Peter Farrelly and featuring additional cast members including William H. Macy, Lex Scott Davis, and Anja Savcic.

Directed by Peter Farrelly

Starring Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis,

Anja Savcic, Jeff Ross with William H. Macy and John Cena

Screenplay by Jeff Bushell and Brian Jarvis & James Lee Freeman & Peter Farrelly & Pete Jones & Mike Cerrone

Produced by Paul Currie, Thorsten Schumacher, John Jacobs, Michael De Luca

Canadian distributor Cineplex Pictures, has announced a partnership with Shut up & Colour Pictures to distribute The Queen of My Dreams – the debut film by Canadian writer and director Fawzia Mirza. The announcement was made today by Cineplex Pictures and marks the company’s first deal out of TIFF ’23.

The Queen of My Dreams stars Amrit Kaur (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Nimra Bucha (Ms. Marvel), and Hamza Haq (Transplant), and was produced by Jason Levangie, Andria Wilson Mirza and Marc Tetreault.

The film is a stylish drama that follows Azra (Kaur), who is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother Mariam (Bucha). When her father Hassan (Haq) suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined; from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming- of-age in rural Canada. The film focuses on the complicated and special relationship between a mother and daughter, and lead actress Amrit Kaur plays two different characters in the film – a classic Bollywood tradition that Mirza paid homage to.

“Fawzia Mirza is an incredibly talented and exciting filmmaker and a wonderful representation of the future of Canadian film,” said Brad LaDouceur, Vice President & General Manager, Cineplex Pictures. “The Queen of My Dreams is the type of storytelling that Cineplex Pictures is actively looking for and we can’t wait to bring it to audiences across the country.”

“We’re overjoyed to be working with Cineplex Pictures to bring Fawzia’s debut feature to theatres across Canada,” said producer Jason Levangie. “Their willingness to make this theatrically minded deal, and collaborate with us to market the release widely, makes them an ideal partner for The Queen of My Dreams.”

The deal was negotiated by Brad LaDouceur and Tim Smy of Cineplex Pictures and Jason Levangie and Marc Tetreault of Shut Up & Colour Pictures, on behalf of the film.

The Queen of My Dreams will be released theatrically in Canada via Cineplex Pictures in early 2024. LevelK launched international sales for the film out of TIFF, and the film will next be in competition at the BFI London Film Festival in October.

The project is a CRAVE Original in Canada with 2nd window broadcast rights pre-sold to CBC Films. The film was made in partnership with the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, and Spark Features in the US.

IN THEATRES ACROSS CANADA STARTING FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2024.

By Amanda Gilmore

Writer-Director Laura Chinn makes an impactful Feature debut with a script inspired by her own teenage experience. It’s set in 2005 in St. Petersburg, Florida, and tells the coming-of-age story of teenager Doris (a breakout performance by Nico Parker).

Doris and her strong-willed mother Kristine (Laura Linney) care for Doris’ ailing brother. After years of caring for and watching him deteriorate at home to Brain Cancer, Kristine moves him into hospice care at Suncoast. While Kristine sleeps at her son’s side, Doris makes friends and explores teenhood.

Suncoast is a beautiful exploration of grief. In particular, how it begins for a family long before death but instead at the onset of a terminal diagnosis. Chinn expertly explores grief through Doris and Kristine. Although it’s Doris we primarily follow, it’s the explosive performance from Linney that leaves us devastated as we observe a mother watching her son die.

Chinn includes the real-life landmark medical case of Terri Schiavo in this debut. For those familiar, Woody Harrelson’s character who protests outside Suncoast against removing Terri’s feeding tube will have more of an impact. Yet, for audiences not familiar with her case Suncoast only scratches the surface of the story.

Suncoast is formulaic in structure making it an assessable, intimate look at grief and humanity in its rawest form. Chinn’s script is beautifully poetic in the way it tells the coming-of-age story of Doris while her brother reaches the end of his life. The performances will leave you weeping in the Final Act.

Searchlight Pictures and Disney+ release Suncoast on February 9, 2024.

Suncoast is in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s Festival.

Suncoast screens at Sundance ’24:

Jan 21 at 3:00 PM at Library Center Theatre

Jan 22 at 9:00 AM at The Ray Theatre

Jan 24 at 6:00 PM at Rose Wagner Center

Jan 25 at 6:00 PM at Redstone Cinemas – 7

Online — Jan 25 – Jan 28

Today, 3x GRAMMY and 6x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa announced her new single “Training Season” will be out February 15th, 2024 at 11pm GMT. “Training Season” is the second single from Dua’s upcoming album, which will be out later this year. Upon the announcement, Dua also made a 30-second sound of the new single available to use on all short-form platforms. You can pre-save “Training Season” here, and you can find Dua’s TikTok using the audio below:

Speaking of the track, Dua shares, “I had been on a string of bad dates, and the last one was the final straw. The next morning I arrived to the studio to Caroline and Tobias asking me how it all went and I immediately declared ‘TRAINING SEASON IS OVER,’ and like the best ‘day after’ debriefs with your mates, we had a lot of laughs and it all quickly came together from there.”

She added, “And while it is obviously about that feeling when you are just absolutely done telling people…men specifically in this case, how to date you right; it is also about my training season being over and me growing with every experience. I have never felt more confident, clear or empowered. And while it may be that training season is never over for any of us, you start to see the beauty in finding that person to experience it with. You stop looking for the trainees and become more interested in having someone where you are and someone to grow with.”

The single announcement comes on the heels of Dua receiving three BRIT Award nominations including Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act and Song of the Year for “Dance The Night.” With the nominations, Dua was announced as one of the performers at this year’s BRIT Awards. Dua was last on the BRITs stage in 2021 when she performed a medley of hits from Future Nostalgia, which took home the Album of the Year award that night.

Dua was recently announced as a performer at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards taking place on February 4th, where her hit song “Dance The Night” from the box office sensation Barbie is nominated for Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media. The track also landed on the Oscars shortlist and earned nominations at this year’s Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.

In Dua’s recently revealed global Rolling Stone cover, her upcoming album was praised as “pop bliss,” while noting it is “uniquely and utterly Dua Lipa: confident dance pop full of witty Instagram-caption-ready one-liners.” In addition to “Training Season,” the album will include “Houdini,” which has now surpassed 300 million streams worldwide and was recently certified silver in the UK. Upon release, the single went straight to #1 on the UK Airplay charts making it Dua’s 11th #1 UK airplay record, and became the #1 music video in the world on YouTube the week of its release. The euphoric club-ready single garnered immediate praise across the board from the likes of Billboard and Rolling Stone, who lauded the track as “a neo-psychedelic dance-floor rager,” to Pitchfork and Vogue who called it a “pop masterclass.” Recently, Dua became the first female artist to have three songs each with over two billion streams on Spotify (“One Kiss,” “Don’t Start Now,” and “New Rules”).

About Dua Lipa

3x GRAMMY and 6x BRIT Award-winning global pop powerhouse Dua Lipa is kicking off 2024 with “Training Season,” the latest single from her highly anticipated forthcoming album. Last November, Dua returned with the euphoric club-ready track “Houdini,” which went straight to #1 on the UK Airplay charts, drew in over 12 million YouTube views within 24 hours and garnered immediate praise across the board from Rolling Stone and Billboard, who said the track is “an immediate blast” to Pitchfork and Vogue who called it “a pop masterclass.” “Houdini” followed Dua’s hit song “Dance The Night” from the box office sensation Barbie, which landed on the Oscars shortlist and earned nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards and the GRAMMYs for Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Dua’s certified platinum sophomore album Future Nostalgia solidified her position as both a critical success and top radio performer. The GRAMMY-nominated record was the longest running top 10 album by a female artist on the Billboard 200 in 2021, and spawned multiple worldwide hit singles, with “Levitating” earning certified diamond status and the title of Billboard’s No. 1 Hot 100 Song of 2021.

Dua has found superstar status on stage and off, thanks to her many passions outside of music. 2022 saw Dua launch Service95, a global style, culture and society editorial platform that now comprises a weekly newsletter, the Service95 book club and the Dua Lipa: At Your Service podcast, which has been lauded by The Sunday Times and The Guardian, and was named one of the Best Podcasts of 2022 by Spotify. Having graced every major fashion magazine worldwide from Vogue and Elle to W and Dazed, Dua added “designer” to her resume in 2023 when she co-designed Versace’s “La Vacanza” collection alongside Donatella Versace herself, which Vogue deemed “the hottest collaboration of the summer.”

Dua’s eponymous 2017 debut album is certified platinum, spawned six platinum tracks, and made her the first female artist in BRIT Awards history to pick up five nominations in a single year. Dua has a total of 10 GRAMMY nominations, with three wins for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist and Best Dance Recording. Across platforms globally, she has amassed over 38 billion streams and holds the record for having the top two most streamed albums by a female artist of all time on Spotify.

Pre-save “Training Season” HERE

In conjunction with the February 14^th opening of the highly anticipated new film Bob Marley: One Love (via Paramount Pictures), Island Records and Tuff Gong are proud to announce the release of BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE FILM), an EP presenting seven essential songs composed by the revered Jamaican reggae icon, as interpreted by contemporary stars Daniel Caesar, Kacey Musgraves, Wizkid, Leon Bridges, Jessie Reyez, Bloody Civilian, and Skip Marley, grandson of Bob Marley.

The Marley family had a hand in choosing and approving all selections for the EP.  This under­scores the strong, enduring six-decade relationship with Island Records, the Marley family, and Jamaica, elements which are reflected in the movie as well.  Also noted: five of the EP’s seven songs originated on Exodus (1977), the landmark RIAA gold LP by Bob Marley & the Wailers: “Natural Mystic,” “Exodus,” “Waiting in Vain,” “Three Little Birds,” and the eponymous “One Love.”  

“The mission is always to spread Daddy’s music to every corner of the Earth, and we were very thoughtful in handpicking these artists,” said Cedella Marley.  “Having his songs rebirthed at the same time we get to show the world his story through this movie, is something that my family and I are extremely proud to be a part of.”

From Paramount Pictures: “Bob Marley: One Love” celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is in theatres February 14, 2024.

BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE FILM) – track listing:

1.  Bloody Civilian – “Natural Mystic”

2.  Skip Marley – “Exodus”

3.  Daniel Caesar – “Waiting in Vain”

4.  Kacey Musgraves – “Three Little Birds”

5.  Wizkid – “One Love”

6.  Jessie Reyez – “Is This Love”

7.  Leon Bridges – “Redemption Song”

Netflix announced today that Allison Janney (I, Tonya; The West Wing) will guest star in Season 2 of The Diplomat.

Janney, an Academy Award winner and seven-time Emmy Award winner, will play Vice President Grace Penn.

The Diplomat is a Golden Globe, Emmy, SAG, PGA, and CCA-nominated series and has received numerous additional accolades since it premiered last year.

Season 1 of The Diplomat premiered on April 20 and debuted at #1 on Netflix’s weekly global Top 10 TV English list. In its first weekend, the series had 57.48M hours viewed and reached the Top 10 in 87 countries.

The series is created by Debora Cahn, who is also executive producer alongside Janice Wiliams, Keri Russell, Alex Graves, and Peter Noah.

About The Diplomat S1:
Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is the new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She was supposed to go to Afghanistan. She’s great in a crisis zone. In a historic home… less so. War is brewing on one continent and boiling over on another. Kate will have to diffuse international crises, forge strategic alliances in London, and adjust to her new place in the spotlight — all while trying to survive her marriage to fellow career diplomat and political star Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell). From showrunner Debora Cahn (THE WEST WING, HOMELAND), THE DIPLOMAT is a high-stakes, contemporary political drama about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships, between countries and people. Also starring David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory Kinnear, and Ato Essandoh, with executive producers Debora Cahn, Janice Williams, Keri Russell, Alex Graves, and Peter Noah.

Paramount+ today announced that the new feature-length documentary AS WE SPEAK: RAP MUSIC ON TRIAL, which had its world premiere screening at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, will stream exclusively on the service beginning Tuesday, February 27, 2024 in Canada and the U.S. and Wednesday, February 28, 2024 in the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Directed by J.M. Harper (jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma), the eye-opening documentary AS WE SPEAK: RAP MUSIC ON TRIAL follows Bronx rap artist Kemba as he explores the growing weaponization of rap lyrics in the United States criminal-justice system and abroad. His exploration reveals how law enforcement has quietly used artistic creation as evidence in criminal cases for decades.

Since the 1990s, more than 700 criminal court cases have used rap lyrics as evidence against defendants, and with the recent criminal trial of rapper Young Thug, this issue has become more mainstream and in the public eye. The film doesn’t ask whether someone is innocent or guilty; it asks whether lyrics can be used for conviction.

“It’s not every day a director gets to meet a once-in-a-generation rap artist like Kemba and then has the opportunity to spotlight him in a film like AS WE SPEAK: RAP ON TRIAL,” said director J.M. Harper. “The history of black lyrics on trial predates hip-hop by hundreds of years, and thanks to the crew at District 33, Park Pictures and Strike Anywhere, we found a way to bring the story of the music to life. The trust and support from our friends at Paramount+ truly enabled us to make this documentary from the artist’s point of view. We look forward to inspiring positive change in our broken criminal-justice system.”

AS WE SPEAK: RAP MUSIC ON TRIAL is directed and produced by J.M. Harper and produced by Sam Widdoes and Peter Cambor for District 33 and Sam Bisbee for Park Pictures. Executive producers include Ryan Simon for Strike Anywhere, Cody Ryder for Park Pictures, Bruce Gillmer and Amanda Culkowski for MTV Entertainment Studios, and Max Allman. The documentary made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22.

Today we get a brand new Trailer for UNSUNG HERO, a must see for Country Music lovers!

Directed by: Richard L. Ramsey, Joel Smallbone
Produced by: Luke Smallbone, Justin Tolley, Josh Walsh
Cast: Daisy Betts, Joel Smallbone, Kirrilee Berger, Jonathtan Jackson, Lucas Black, Paul Luke Bonenfant, Diesel La Torraca, JJ Pantano, Tenz McCall, Angus K. Caldwell, Hillary Scott, Lance E. Nichols, Roslyn Gentle
Story: When David Smallbone’s successful music company collapses, he moves his family from Australia to the United States in search of a brighter future. With nothing more than their six children, their suitcases, and their love of music, David (for KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone) and his pregnant wife Helen (Daisy Betts) set out to rebuild their lives from the ground up. Based on a remarkable true story, a mum’s faith stands against all odds; and inspires her husband and children to hold onto theirs.

About Cineplex Pictures
Cineplex Pictures, a division of Cineplex, is a distributor of a wide range of genre films. Recent titles include The Hunger Games: The Boy And The Heron, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, SAW X, EXPEND4BLES, Joy Ride, The Blackening, About My Father, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Sisu, John Wick: Chapter 4, Jesus Revolution, Plane, The Good House, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Hotel Artemis, and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Karen Kingsbury Production’s debut film SOMEONE LIKE YOU will be coming to Canadian theatres starting on April 2, 2024 with distribution from Fathom. Based on the popular novel of the same name by #1 New York Times best-selling author, the redemptive love story stars Canadian Sarah Fisher (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Kiss and Cry), Jake Allyn (No Man’s Land, The Quad), Robyn Lively (Teen Witch, The Karate Kid Part III), Bart Johnson (High School Musical I, II, III), Scott Reeves (Nashville, The Young and the Restless) and Lynn Collins (The Walking Dead, X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

Shot last year in the storyteller’s longtime home state of Tennessee, and in Alabama, the film was written by Kingsbury and her son Tyler Russell (A Thousand Tomorrows), who makes his directorial debut with the feature.

By Amanda Gilmore

Cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their recently deceased beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

Writer-Director  and star Eisenberg returns to Sundance, after premiering his feature debut When You Finish Saving the World in 2022, to have the world premiere of his outstanding second feature. It’s an intimate portrait of family told between these two use-to-be-cousins, while additionally displaying love and grief for the history of Jews in Poland.

This moving story is told beautifully through David and Benji. Eisenberg is strong as the repressed David. Displaying the buried grief and anxiety his character has forced within him. Culkin steals the show as the charismatic and honest to-a-fault Benji. The recent Emmy-Winner anchors his emotional Benji making him the beating heart of the film.

Searchlight Pictures acquired A Real Pain at Sundance ’24. It currently doesn’t have a release date.

A Real Pain is in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s Festival.

A Real Pain screens at Sundance ’24:

Jan 20 at 11:45 AM at Eccles Theatre

Jan 21 at 9:30 AM at Eccles Theatre

Jan 23 at 9:30 PM at Rose Wagner Theatre

Jan 24 at 5:30 PM at Redstone Cinemas – 2

Jan 26 at 6:00 PM at Magaplex Theatre at The Gateway – Theatre 1/2/3

Online — Jan 25 – Jan 28

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