Seth MacFarlane is back with a new season of THE ORVILLE and it’s coming soon to Disney+ under its Star banner!

Synopsis:

Set 400 years in the future, “The Orville: New Horizons” finds the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continuing their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.

The ensemble cast includes MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, Chad L. Coleman, Jessica Szohr and Anne Winters.

ORVILLE streams on Disney+ via its Star banner June 2, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

We’ve been wondering about this for a bit but are happy to share a new Teaser Trailer and Poster for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER!

Synopsis:

A new trailer and poster are now available for Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder,” offering long-awaited clues to what’s in store for the God of Thunder. The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. Directed by Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in theatres  July 8, 2022.

Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER arrives in theatres July 8, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Marvel Studios)

English Actor/Writer and Director O-T Fagbenle has had a lasting, distinguished career and he’s back in town working on the fifth season of THE HANDMAID’S TALE, reprising his role as Luke Bankole, husband of Elisabeth Moss’ June Osborne. The Series will continue to film in-town till about July.

Fagbenle is having a huge year, with a recurring role on Apple TV+’s WeCrashed, starring alongside Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway. Just this past weekend, his latest Series THE FIRST LADY, which centers on Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), with him starring as President Obama. The intriguing new Series looks at life in the White House through the lens of the women at the heart of the presidency. It can be seen on Crave in Canada. The Series features an all-star Cast including Michelle Pfeifer and Gillian Anderson.

We were so lucky to get a Snap with Fagbenle, and we are a huge fan of his work! Such a class act! So happy to see his star continue to rise.

Rising star Christina Ko gained much recognition from her work in FXX Series DAVE, and now is just beginning work on Hulu‘s THE HANDMAID’S TALE in Toronto. Ko has been cast in the role of  Lily, a Gilead refugee who has become a leader of the resistance movement in Canada. If you’re a fan of Justin Bieber – and there are many of you – she starred in his “Hold On” Video!

Ko is just so amazingly-sweet! So happy we got to meet her. She is going places very quickly! We learned that she speaks Mandarin-Chinese and also is a huge dog lover!

(Photo/video credit: Showtime/Mr. Will Wong)

The anticipation is reaching a peak for TOP GUN: MAVERICK and to get us excited is a new Featurette all about Pilot Training for the Film!

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”

TOP GUN: MAVERICK IS IN THEATRES, DOLBY CINEMA, AND IMAX MAY 27, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

It’s been a minute since we’ve driven a Hybrid, but what better way to do Easter Weekend than with the 2022 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID? It’s in times like this when gas prices have skyrocketed that we really appreciate having a car that one, is so conscious of the environment, and two is mindful of your wallet. Possessing that gorgeous elegance and style that the Accord has come to be known for, there is everything to love about the Accord Hybrid!

The 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid is powered by a Lithium Ion Battery and 2.0-litre, 16-valve, Atkinson cycle DOHC, i-VTEC^® 4-cylinder engine and the car drives as beautifully as it looks. Turning on the ignition with its push-button, you hear an ethereal hum which one of my friends describes as sounding “like a spaceship”. Yes, this car is out of this world! And the engine is so silent that you wonder at times if this thing is even on! Don’t ask me how Honda did it, but they did!

Operating at 212 @ 6200 combined (gasoline + electric) horsepower, the car is pure strength. Running on just Regular fuel with a Fuel Economy of 5.0/5.0/5.0 City/Hwy/Combined, we were relieved that our drives from the burbs to the city and the country and back, were pleasingly affordable. While we can’t control fuel prices, the Accord ensures we get the most out of our dollar. This is a car we would stick with for the long haul. The Accord can do no wrong.

The Audio Entertainment piece is always important in our daily drives. Its 452-watt AM/FM Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media^® Audio playback capability and 10 speakers including subwoofer provide an elevated audio experience, and of course it is Sirius XM-ready. The only one small thing we could nitpick about is that with various phones synced to this car prior via Bluetooth, the system didn’t have the intuition to know to sync first to my phone, the most recently-added. The Car does benefit from several USB ports front and back and of course, a wireless charging plate in the front – though we wish it were tilted a bit more towards the Driver for easier glancing at our phone’s Google Maps, which is our preferred way of navigation.

The comfort level here is mastered to an art. We’d be pressed to think of any other car that seats as comfortable as the Accord. The Driver’s Seat comes with 12-way power adjustment (Front Passenger gets 4-way), including 4-way power lumbar support. Seats come with warming and cooling buttons, and air-filtrated Climate Control is customizable for Driver and Front Passenger. Back Passengers also get Rear-Ventilation Ducts. We also love how smart it is to tell you that you’ve left something in the back seat just as you’re about to leave the car!

Safety features are unparalleled with the Accord Hybrid. Active Safety features include: Collision Mitigation Braking System™, 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Forward Collision Warning system, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Lane Departure Warning system and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system.

There also is a feature called Driver Attention Monitor, which uses an angle sensor to measure the degree of steering-wheel corrections by the driver to maintain a proper lane position. If it senses too much correction activity, it will notify the driver to take a break. This could save lives, or in the least encourage you to get that much-needed coffee, and we can never use enough reminders for that!

Passive Safety features include Traffic Sign Recognition which ensures you know the speed limit where you are driving (helpful in more rural roads). This an a list of different airbags: i-SRS airbag system (front), Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system, Front knee airbags and SmartVent™ side airbags. For those of us with kids, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) have been added, in addition to Child Safety Locks.

Above this, that almost-mandatory Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with dynamic guidelines makes us a pro at parking, especially downtown in those Green P lots!

The 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid is everything and it starts at $37,370 CAN. Learn more here.

A look back at our star-studded, award-winning Easter Weekend, thanks to the 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid. So happy to be out again!

Also, did you catch new Showtime Series THE FIRST LADY starring Viola Davis and Michelle Pfeiffer? We spotted star O-T Fagbenle in town as well. He stars in the new Series as President Obama! Series streams now on Crave!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It’s been years since we’ve enjoyed some live Comedy! Scarborough’s Julie Kim continues to make waves in Comedy and Toronto was so lucky to get her back for two shows tonight on her current Tour, after having supported Funnyman Ronny Chieng on his Hope You Get Rich Tour. Though she’s based now in Vancouver, Kim‘s ties to Toronto continue to remain strong and she’s currently working closely with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu, as he hosts the Juno Awards in the City next month.

For those who aren’t familiar with Kim‘s Comedy, she looks at motherhood, marriage and also more so of late, race relations being a mother of a bi-racial daughter. She delivers a set that is unfiltered, hilarious and relatable, often poking fun at men and other women who are judgmental.

Kim headlined her own show at Comedy Bar on Bloor West, filling the club for two shows tonight – one at 7 PM and one at 9 PM. She worked the room, building to a crescendo. She ponders her life has a mother, whether it be breastfeeding, or her choice to “save the v” by doing the “c”, a Caesarian section. She admits she never thought much about race much growing-up, but this been on her mind of late as we group people by terms like “Person of Colour” or “BIPOC”, plus also seeing that many of her daughter’s classmates like her are bi-racial. She also makes funny observations about the “fetishization” of Asian women by white men.

Kim‘s ability to storytell is her strongest suit and in addition to being a sharp Comedian with a great command of the stage, her writing also is tight and edited. Inasmuch as the people in the front tables get picked-on a lot, we’re sure they love being in on the joke.

She was supported by some up-and-coming Canadian talent including Marito Lopez, who had the crowd cackling as he jokes about being a Latino Comedian from Calgary, and the height difference between his girlfriend and him, proclaiming himself a “Short King”.

Charles Demers emceed the night, the JUNO-nominated Comedian joking about being outnumbered by gay men in in his family and also being married to a Chinese-Canadian wife, something Kim wanted him to share seeing that some of her Comedy is inspired by her interracial marriage also.

Toronto’s Joe Vu also supported, reflecting on his experiences as an Asian man trying to date outside his race, with humour.

And there were some very special guests in the audience tonight, including Run the Burbs and Kim’s Convenience‘s Andrew Phung, plus also Meng’er Zhang who stars in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Zhang has just been announced to star in THE WITCHER as Milv, a Huntress with great skills in Archery. She is a good friend of Kim‘s! What a treat!

Learn more about Julie Kim‘s Comedy here, including her videos on YouTube which have garnered over 20+ million views.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE debuts atop the Box Office Easter weekend with $44.5 million from 4,208 theatres for Warner Bros. Best opening for the Franchise still goes to 2016’s FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, debuting with $74.4 million. The latest installment gets 49% on the Tomatometer.

Second goes to SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 with $26.5 million from 4,258 theatres, taking to $116 million in just its second weekend for Paramount Pictures.

In third is THE LOST CITY with $5.8 million from 3,430 theatres for Paramount Pictures. Its domestic run is now at $77 million.

Fourth belongs to EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE which based on fantastic reviews, brings in $5.1 million for A24/Elevation Pictures from 2,220 theatres. It gets 97% on the Tomatometer for directing duo Daniels.

FATHER STU starring Mark Wahlberg opens with $4.7 million for Sony Pictures, from 2,705 theatres. It gets 41% on the Tomatometer.

Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) will be headed to Hot Docs this year with a talk in support of his upcoming Memoir, WE WERE DREAMERS. The Toronto star’s book talks about mastering our extraordinary circumstances.

Dates are as follows:

More on WE WERE DREAMERS here.

(Photo credit: HarperCollins)

Launched 2009 in Calgary, OEB has connected deeply with its food-obsessed clientele. It embraces a philosophy that supports local farmers, delivering great craftsmanship and a superb, accessible customer experience. The buzz has caught-on, enabling it to begin its successful foray into the fickle Toronto market. And if the three-hour queues on opening weekend were any indication, OEB is the next thing!

We had the pleasure of previewing this first-ever Toronto location in Liberty Village and it was phenomenal. The well-lit and thoughtfully decorated space is Instagram-ready, but above this, the food tastes as good as it looks.

OEB‘s Karan Seth believed so much in the brand that he relocated from Calgary to Toronto and today he finds himself busy greeting customers, establishing a warm, friendly tone in what is likely their first exposure to the popular out-west eatery brand. They even has U.S. locations in California and Arizona. He makes his way over to us and graciously recommends some of his favourites and obsessions with the menu – things him and his wife would order if they ate here.

We learn their Breakfast Poutines are the real showstoppers and we could not resist their Hog & Scallops Poutine – Herbed Potatoes fried in Duck Fat with runny poached eggs, curds, sashimi-grade scallops, lardons with Browned Butter Hollandaise. Just sinfully good and satisfying. The Lobster Scramble also is divine – not too overdone eggs with mini shrimps, lobster pieces, Asiago, plus the same bed of potatoes and Hollandaise just mentioned. If you prefer Waffle-Cut Home Fries, you also have this option as a base and they also are fried in Duck Fat! And did we read right that there’s a Short Rib Poutine also? We learned the Duck Fat in which they fry is imported specially. Their Porchetta also is flown in from Italy.

Although it seems unfathomable that you might have any room for dessert, the Do Not Even Go There is a paper-thin crêpe with a smidge of custard, fruits, pistachios and maple syrup. Trust me, you have room for this.

So many things we wanted to try but just couldn’t. For example, they serve one of our faves, Chilaquiles – which are like Breakfast Nachos – which Seth tells us are really authentic and shareable. Also, he was obsessed with their Korean Bulgogi Benny. Vegetarians also must try their Truffled Squash!

The coffee cups are large and it keeps getting poured, which taps into our caffeine-dependent sensibilities! We saw a list of Smoothies which looked great, but a belly can only hold so much.

Above all this, the service is just attentive and energetic, as you’d expect of a brunch spot. Toronto has its share of superb brunch spots, but OEB certainly brings something new and unique to the table.

Some Snaps from our experience:

… and we went there!

Learn more about OEB here.

OEB is located at 125 E Liberty St.

7:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday – Friday
8:00 am to 4:00 pm Weekends & Holidays

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

The official Synopsis of Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS (CABINET OF CURIOSITIES) is as follows: The story is about a scientist, known as The Seeker, who is convinced that there is an invisible world in his larger-than-life cabinet full of crazy ideas and grand dreams, which defy the laws of time, space, and dimension. Determined to reinvent everything around him, suddenly the visible becomes invisible, perspectives are transformed, and the world is literally turned upside down.

Boy, does it ever!

I’ve been fortunate to have seen many Cirque du Soleil productions, both in Montreal and Toronto, and I can emphatically and unequivocally state that KURIOS exceeds expectations. From the Company’s opening statement that they were thrilled to perform in front of an audience for the first time in over two and a half years to the rousing finale, the audience was apoplectic with joy and awe. The constant thunderous applause throughout the Show reverberated in the Big Tent at Ontario Place. The two-hour show is a whirlwind of death-defying acts, coupled with sweet humour, infectious music, outlandishly original costumes, and choreography. Thought you were cool in school when you were able to “walk the dog” with your yoyo? Just wait until you see one hypnotic performer do “tricks” in time to a hyperkinetic Soundtrack. You think the contortionists manipulating their lithe bodies into positions unknown was mind blowing? Just wait thirty seconds and your mind will explode! And when the Synopsis says that the world is turned upside, it’s not hyperbole – it DOES turn upside down.

Cirque du Soleil’s strength with manipulating typical circus fare and elevating it high into the stratosphere is on full force. KURIOS had the adults in the seats following a spotlight to see where the invisible lion has escaped to!

Taking place at Ontario Place from April 14-July 17, 2022 Cirque du Soleil: KURIOS (CABINET OF CURIOSITIES) is must-see. More here including how to get tickets.

Some Snaps from tonight’s star-studded Red Carpet, walked by the likes of Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall and more!

(Photo credit: George Kozera)