Hot off the announcement that Andrew Garfield has dropped-out of Guillermo del Toro‘s FRANKENSTEIN due to delays as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike, we get the exciting news that red-hot Jacob Elordi will be taking over the coveted role of Frankestein‘s Monster. The upcoming Netflix film, a take on Mary Shelley‘s timeless story, is set to begin production shortly in del Toro‘s favourite city of choice.

Others starring in the Film include Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery and two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.

Elordi is riding a high off the massive popularity of HBO‘s Euphoria, the acclaimed Sofia Coppola film PRISCILLA (also filmed here in Toronto) and also the viral buzz of Emerald Fennell‘s SALTBURN. He is set to host SNL with Musical Guest Renée Rapp this weekend, January 20, 2024. Does it get any bigger?

This is our second time meeting the charming and kind Elordi, who was gracious with fans, with his dog Layla who has Service Dog certification, in tow even. We were so fortunate to get him to sign our PRISCILLA shirt from A24/Elevation Pictures, and even got a selfie together with beanie!

del Toro does no wrong. We are so excited to see his spin on FRANKENSTEIN!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Where are you Riverdale fans at? Camila Mendes is back in UPGRADED and we get a brand-new Trailer today!

Synopsis:

Ana (Camila Mendes) is an ambitious intern dreaming of a career in the art world while trying to impress her demanding boss Claire (Marisa Tomei). When she’s upgraded to first class on a work trip, she meets handsome Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss– a white lie that sets off a glamorous chain of events, romance and opportunity, until her fib threatens to surface.

Directed by Carlson Young

Written by Christine Lenig and Justin Matthews & Luke Spencer Roberts

Starring Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Thomas Kretschmann,

Gregory Montel, Aimee Carrero, Andrew Schulz, Rachel Matthews, with Lena Olin and Marisa Tomei, also starring, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Anthony Head, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson

Produced by Mike Karz, p.g.a., William Bindley, p.g.a., Lena Roklin, Piers Tempest

Executive Produced by Josie Rosen, Tom Salentine, Camila Mendes, Rachel Matthews,

Karl Hall, Matt Williams

Co-Produced by Lauren Cox

Runtime 104 minutes

Rated R (USA)

(Photo/video credit: Prime Video Canada)

Today we get a brand-new Trailer for upcoming Netflix feature, SPACEMAN starring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan.

In Select Theaters February 23, 2024
On Netflix March 1, 2024

DIRECTED BY: Johan Renck
WRITTEN BY: Colby Day
PRODUCERS: Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan, Michael Parets, Tim Headington, Lia Buman, Max Silva
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ben Ormand, Johan Renck, Barry Bernardi
CAST: Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, with Isabella Rossellini and Paul Dano

SYNOPSIS:

Six months into a solitary research mission to the edge of the solar system, an astronaut, Jakub (Adam Sandler), realizes that the marriage he left behind might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things with his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), he is helped by a mysterious creature from the beginning of time he finds hiding in the bowels of his ship. Hanuš (voiced by Paul Dano) works with Jakub to make sense of what went wrong before it is too late. Directed by Johan Renck and based on the novel Spaceman of Bohemia, the film also stars Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, and Isabella Rossellini.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Crime meets caviar! It’s time to meet a new class of criminals in the official teaser for THE GENTLEMEN, a new drama series from Guy Ritchie inspired by the original Miramax film.

Debuting today, the teaser for THE GENTLEMEN also reveals veteran actor Ray Winstone will star in the series. Ray plays Bobby Glass, a career criminal from the East End of London who founded an industrial cannabis empire.

LOGLINE:

THE GENTLEMEN sees Eddie Horniman (Theo James) unexpectedly inherit his father’s sizable country estate – only to discover it’s part of a clandestine cannabis empire. Moreover, many unsavory characters from Britain’s criminal underworld want a piece of the operation. Determined to extricate his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game. However, as he gets sucked into the world of criminality, he begins to find a taste for it.

________________

Ray Winstone joins a host of on-screen talent, led by Emmy-nominated The White Lotus 2 star James as The Duke of Halstead, Eddie Horniman, who finds himself embroiled in criminality after inheriting his father’s estate, and Kaya Scodelario (Crawl, The Pale Horse) who plays Susie Glass, Bobby’s effortlessly stylish and steely daughter who runs the day-to-day business of the empire.

The series also stars Daniel Ings (I Hate Suzie), Joely Richardson (Lady Chatterley’s Lover), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels actor Vinnie Jones, Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), Chanel Cresswell (This is England), Michael Vu, Max Beesley (Hijack), Jasmine Blackborow (Marie Antoinette), Harry Goodwins (In His Hands: The Emergence), Dar Salim (The Covenant), Pearce Quigley (Detectorists), Ruby Sear and Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick).

Multi-talented and award-winning Guy Ritchie is at the helm of the production, serving as creator, co-writer, and executive producer. Ritchie has also directed the first two episodes.

THE APPRENTICE. No, not the Reality Series. Ali Abbasi (Shelley, Holy Spider) is back in Toronto, this time around writing and directing THE APPRENTICE, which centers around former President Donald Trump and his rise from a fledgling real estate mogul throughout the ’70s and ’80s, exploring themes of power and corruption.

Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy, I, Tonya) stars as Trump, while Jeremy Strong (Succession) stars as Roy Cohn, who was Trump‘s attorney and mentor. Academy Award-nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), who will be in Canada much of the year filming on multiple projects, stars is Ivana Trump.

The Drama begin filming in the City back in November, before proceeding again in the new year after a brief hiatus during the Holidays. Filming has taken place over weekends around the City to navigate the regular downtown bustle during weekdays. They even were at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory for a stretch!

We quickly caught a glimpse of Stan and Strong filming a scene, exiting a Stretch Limo, convicingly capturing the essence of the ’70s. And we are hearing both Actors have gotten very deep into their characters, keeping a very low profile off-set.

We are hearing from insiders that the Film is being eyed for the Film Festival circuit. Do not be surprised if we see it at TIFF! Cannot wait to see this and we’re sure this one will be much-talked-about! Mongrel Media will be releasing this one in Canada.

(Photo/video: Mr. Will Wong)

MEAN GIRLS burns its competitors, taking top spot at the Box Office in its debut, taking $29 million from 3,791 theatres for Paramount Pictures. The musical adaptation of the 2004 film, gets 70% on the Tomatometer from Critics. By comparison, its predecessor opened with $24 million.

In second is THE BEEKEEPER with $17 million from 3,303 theatres for VVS Films/Amazon Studios/MGM. This latest effort from David Ayer and starring Jason Statham, gets 67% on the Tomatometer.

Third is WONKA with $9 million from 3,346 theatres for Warner Bros., bringing it to $170 million domestically.

Fourth goes to ANYONE BUT YOU with $7.7 million from 2,935 theatres for Sony Pictures, a total of $57 million over four weekends.

MIGRATION rounds things out with $4.7 million for Universal Pictures, a tally of $85 million.

This is the Ariana Grande we’ve missed! New single yes, and? was co-written with Max Martin and Ilya and it is a throwback to early ’90s Piano House Dance-Pop. Highly-Vogueable! The Video, directed by Christian Breslauer has her reiterating she doesn’t really care what anyone thinks about her and her choices! And the Choreography looks so effortless and smart! Looking forward to Ari’s new era!!!

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music)

Singing Back the Buffalo the new feature length documentary from award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard (nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, Birth of a Family) will have its world premiere this February at the 2024 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. Singing Back the Buffalo follows Indigenous visionaries and communities who are rematriating the buffalo to the heart of the North American plains they once defined, signaling a turning point for Indigenous nations, the ecosystem, and all our collective survival.

Singing Back the Buffalo is written and directed by Hubbard and produced by Hubbard, Jason Ryle (Amplify), George Hupka (nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, Obmin, On the Edge), associate produced by Marie-Eve Marchand (Iniskim), and executive produced by Bonnie Thompson (The Secret Society, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up). A one-hour version will be broadcast on CBC The Nature of Things, feature version on APTN later in 2025.

As a girl growing up on the prairies in Saskatchewan, Hubbard would imagine herds of buffalo roaming vast open plains on which she lived. 165 years ago, it was common for big herds to stretch out as far as the eye could see and take two days to pass by. Three decades later, after massive campaigns of deliberate slaughter, there were as little as 250 buffalo left from the over 50 million that moved across the continent. The impact on Indigenous plains nations, who had depended on the buffalo for food, shelter, and spiritual sustenance, was disastrous. The buffalo’s fate forced Indigenous Peoples, now starving, into confinement on the reserves. For over a century, neither have been free to walk the lands for which Indigenous Peoples have cared for millennia.

Hubbard is now an award-winning filmmaker, a buffalo academic and buffalo activist. With Singing Back the Buffaloshe takes viewers on an epic journey that has not yet been told on screen, exploring concepts of buffalo consciousness, buffalo personhood, and relationships between buffalo and Indigenous Peoples. From her Indigenous point of view, we learn the importance of rematriating teachings from the buffalo, and how the land needs the buffalo back more than ever in this time of climate change, food insecurity, and uncertainty. We meet Indigenous visionaries, leaders, scientists, and communities who are restoring the buffalo to the land they once defined. Their return back across the heart of North America signals a turning point for the long-term collective survival of Indigenous nations, the environment and all of humanity.

“I’m thrilled to premiere Singing Back the Buffalo at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. It is the ideal place to start our journey of sharing this film to honour the Buffalo and the Great Plains and those who love them. So much of this story’s heart is in Montana, and we’re excited to bring our buffalo family to the festival,” said Hubbard.

Singing Back the Buffalo is produced in association with CBC and APTN and produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Indigenous Screen Office and Telefilm Canada, with the assistance of the Government of Alberta, the participation of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and Rogers Documentary Fund, as well as support from the Nia Tero Foundation. Fiscal sponsorship provided by Redford Center.

ABOUT THE TEAM
Dr. Tasha Hubbard, Writer/Director/Producer: Dr. Tasha Hubbard is a filmmaker and an associate professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. She is from Peepeekisis First Nation in Treaty Four Territory and has ties to several First Nations in Treaty Six Territory. She is also the mother of a seventeen-year-old son. Her academic research supports Indigenous efforts to return the buffalo to the lands, as well as Indigenous narrative sovereignty in North America. She has been working to support the Buffalo Treaty since 2015 and is one of the founding directors of the International Buffalo Relations Institute. Her first solo writing/directing project Two Worlds Colliding, about Saskatoon’s infamous Starlight Tours, premiered at ImagineNATIVE in 2004 and won the Canada Award at the Gemini Awards in 2005. In 2017, she directed an NFB-produced feature documentary called Birth of a Family about a 60s Scoop family coming together for the first time during a holiday in Banff. It premiered at Hot Docs International Film Festival and landed in the top ten audience choice list. It also won the Audience Favourite for Feature Documentary at the Edmonton International Film Festival and the Moon Jury prize at ImagineNATIVE. Her last film was nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, an exploration of the impact of the death of Colten Boushie that premiered in the spring of 2019. It was the first Indigenous-directed film to open the Hot Docs International Film Festival and it won the top Canadian documentary prize. It also won the Colin Low Award for the top Canadian film at the DOXA International Film Festival and the Canadian Screen Award for Best Feature Documentary in 2020. Hubbard was awarded the DGC Discovery award in 2019.

Jason Ryle, Producer: Jason Ryle is a producer, programmer, curator, story editor, and arts consultant based in Toronto. Through his mother, he is Anishinaabe and a member of Lake St. Martin First Nation, Manitoba. Jason was the Executive Director of imagineNATIVE from July 2010 to June 2020. In addition to Singing Back the Buffalo, Jason has produced the docuseries Amplifyfor APTN and several award-winning shorts. In February 2021, Jason received the Clyde Gilmour Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association. The award is bestowed to Canadians whose work has in some way enriched the understanding and appreciation of film in their native country. Jason is also the International Programmer, Indigenous Cinema for TIFF.

George Hupka, DOP, Producer: George is a freelance Director and DP, who has worked with Tasha for over 25 years. They formed Downstream Documentary Productions to make nîpawistamâsowin and continue to bring Indigenous stories to the screen. As a cinematographer, Hupka has shot projects around the world for the UK’s Windfall Films, documentary features and shorts for the National Film Board, and many award-winning projects for CBC, CTV, and TSN. He directed and produced Obmin, a documentary about the Soviet Union before the fall of the Berlin Wall as seen through the eyes of Canadian exchange students and was the producer and DP of the Rogers series On the Edge. His short film about photographer and artist Lesia Maruschak, The Diggers, was recently screened at Landskrona Foto Festival in Sweden.

Bonnie Thompson, Executive Producer: Bonnie is a veteran and independent Canadian media producer of documentary, animation, and interactive projects. She worked as a producer with the National Film Board of Canada for many years, and now works independently. Her productions have been screened by national and international broadcasters and streamers (CBC, The Doc Channel, SuperChannel, APTN, PBS, NHK, Netflix, Apple), in festivals around the world (TIFF, Hot Docs, IDFA, Berlin, Sundance, Annecy) and on the web, with numerous awards and nominations, including Canadian Screen nominations and awards, an Oscar and Emmy nomination, and Webby awards.

Marie-Eve Marchand, Associate Producer/Production Manager: Marie-Eve is the Director of the International Buffalo Relations Institute supporting the implementation of the Buffalo Treaty with over thirty indigenous communities in the Great Plains of North America and she is Business Manager and Strategy for the UICN WCPA Beyond the Aichi Task Force working globally on setting global goals for people, nature and climate. She successfully coordinated the movement to bring the plains bison back to Banff National Park and received the Golden Leaf National Award for her conservation work in Quebec.

In celebration of Columbia Pictures’ 100th anniversary, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) will be presenting a wide variety of unique catalogue offerings throughout 2024, across the entire Sony Pictures Entertainment library of movies and TV shows. This celebration will highlight the studio’s blockbuster franchises, fan-favourites and cult classics, quotable perennials and little-known gems, award-winners, iconic star-making performances, filmmaker-driven showcases, and everything in between.

January kicks off with two great ways to revisit the studio’s library and supercharge movie collections, with both a physical disc sale at Amazon and a one-of-a-kind “100 movies for $100” digital bundle. The Amazon sale—across 4K Ultra HDs, Blu-rays and DVDs—has begun and includes deals on major library titles such as GHOSTBUSTERS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, TAXI DRIVER and more.

Then on January 16th, in addition to an overall digital movie sale, there will be a “100 movies for $100” digital bundle available at participating digital retailers, featuring such acclaimed and iconic titles as THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI, TOOTSIE, 2012, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON and many more.

The 100th anniversary celebration will continue throughout 2024 with more details to come.

Engage with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and share your favourite moments, memorable quotes and milestone movies from the studio’s library.

Hashtag: #ColumbiaPictures100

Instagram: @SonyHomeEntCa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonyHomeEnt/

YouTube: youtube.com/SonyPicturesHomeEntertainmentCanada

Cast your sights on North America’s largest indoor boat show coming to Toronto’s Enercare Centre next week! The 66th edition of the Toronto International Boat Show officially launches January 19th to 28th, 2024, to connect consumers and the boating community with the industry’s top boat dealers, manufacturers, retailers, services, and experts over a million sq.ft. of space at Exhibition Place.

NEW this year – Glow in the Dark Boating! The world’s largest indoor lake for boating (and wakeboarding) is back, and cooler than ever. Transforming the ice rink in Coca-Cola Coliseum with over a million gallons of water, boaters will enjoy an all-new glow in the dark immersive boating experience with colourful LED lights. The Lake will also offer free boat rides and demonstrations, stand up paddleboard races, seaflea races, and exhilarating wakeboarding and waterskiing shows.

The annual 10-day show kicks off on First Look Friday (Jan. 19) when organizers anticipate dozens of product unveilings across the show floor among 500 exhibitors; and welcomes the boating public to rendez-vous, re-connect, and rev up for the upcoming season.

No other show in Canada can boast the most product launches from the marine industry, the most comprehensive offering of educational resources for new boaters, and the most-ever seminars and hands-on demonstrations for a wide array of boating interests and lifestyles. The 2024 show just announced more than 440 free seminars, 8 seminar locations throughout the show, and new engaging speakers including record-breaking solo kayaker Mark Ervin Fuhrmann who just completed his 11,000km adventure at 65 years young.

Returning highlights include the Great Canadian Fish Tank, Antique & Classic Boats, Boating Resource Centre, Cottage Country for accessories, and the Ontario Sailing Booth where visitors can try virtual sailing, and learn about sailing programs for women, sustainable initiatives, and the newest in sail technology and sports including kiteboarding and windsurfing.

The Indoor Wakeboard Canadian Championship takes over on Opening Weekend (Jan. 19 – 21) when the best riders from across the country converge to compete, including reigning Canadian champions Riley Dillon (Men) and Kelsey Chiappa (Women).

Visitors can whet their appetites après-boating at the NEW Traeger Grills Flavour Stage featuring cooking demonstrations, bbq recipes, and sampling!

Canada’s Official Boating Event of the Year
Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place
Jan. 19 – 28

66th Annual Toronto International Boat Show Gets Ready to Debut Glow-in-the-Dark Boating!

Demand for electric boats, wind and surf sports, and inflatables are among top trends for 2024

Connecting consumers, industry and the boating community for more than 65 years

Toronto, ON (January 11, 2024) – Cast your sights on North America’s largest indoor boat show coming to Toronto’s Enercare Centre next week! The 66th edition of the Toronto International Boat Show officially launches January 19th to 28th, 2024, to connect consumers and the boating community with the industry’s top boat dealers, manufacturers, retailers, services, and experts over a million sq.ft. of space at Exhibition Place.

NEW this year – Glow in the Dark Boating! The world’s largest indoor lake for boating (and wakeboarding) is back, and cooler than ever. Transforming the ice rink in Coca-Cola Coliseum with over a million gallons of water, boaters will enjoy an all-new glow in the dark immersive boating experience with colourful LED lights. The Lake will also offer free boat rides and demonstrations, stand up paddleboard races, seaflea races, and exhilarating wakeboarding and waterskiing shows.

The annual 10-day show kicks off on First Look Friday (Jan. 19) when organizers anticipate dozens of product unveilings across the show floor among 500 exhibitors; and welcomes the boating public to rendez-vous, re-connect, and rev up for the upcoming season.

No other show in Canada can boast the most product launches from the marine industry, the most comprehensive offering of educational resources for new boaters, and the most-ever seminars and hands-on demonstrations for a wide array of boating interests and lifestyles. The 2024 show just announced more than 440 free seminars, 8 seminar locations throughout the show, and new engaging speakers including record-breaking solo kayaker Mark Ervin Fuhrmann who just completed his 11,000km adventure at 65 years young.

Returning highlights include the Great Canadian Fish Tank, Antique & Classic Boats, Boating Resource Centre, Cottage Country for accessories, and the Ontario Sailing Booth where visitors can try virtual sailing, and learn about sailing programs for women, sustainable initiatives, and the newest in sail technology and sports including kiteboarding and windsurfing.

The Indoor Wakeboard Canadian Championship takes over on Opening Weekend (Jan. 19 – 21) when the best riders from across the country converge to compete, including reigning Canadian champions Riley Dillon (Men) and Kelsey Chiappa (Women).

Visitors can whet their appetites après-boating at the NEW Traeger Grills Flavour Stage featuring cooking demonstrations, bbq recipes, and sampling!

DATES:
January 19 – 28, 2024

LOCATION:
Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place

TICKETS:
Ticket prices range from $5 to multi-day passes; General Admission tickets are $25. Kids 16 and under attend for FREE.

WEBSITE: www.TorontoBoatShow.com