Today, Disney+ revealed the first trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming limited series FX’s “Shōgun,” which will premiere on Disney+ in Canada in February 2024.

FX’s “Shōgun,” an original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel, was created for television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks. The 10-episode limited series is set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Producer Hiroyuki Sanada stars as “Lord Yoshii Toranaga” who is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, “John Blackthorne” (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne’s own enemies — the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants. Toranaga’s and Blackthorne’s fates become inextricably tied to their translator, “Toda Mariko” (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.

The series features a highly decorated Japanese cast, unprecedented for an American production, including Tadanobu Asano as “Kashigi Yabushige,” a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga; Hiroto Kanai as “Kashigi Omi,” the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne’s ship was found; Takehiro Hira as “Ishido Kazunari,” a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga’s chief rival; Moeka Hoshi as “Usami Fuji,” a widow who must find new purpose amidst her lord’s fight; Tokuma Nishioka as “Toda Hiromatsu,” Toranaga’s trusted general and closest friend; Shinnosuke Abe as “Toda Hirokatsu” (“Buntaro”), Mariko’s jealous husband; Yuki Kura as “Yoshii Nagakado,” the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself; and Fumi Nikaido as “Ochiba no Kata,” the revered mother of the heir who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son’s power.

“Shōgun” is created for television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks, with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer. Also serving as executive producers are Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca and Kondo. Hiroyuki Sanada serves as a producer. The series is produced by FX Productions.

CBC is bringing the buzzy and critically acclaimed BLACKBERRY to wide audiences across Canada on Thursday, November 9, 2023 on CBC Gem and CBC TV as an extended three-part CBC original series with never-before-seen footage. On November 9, all three episodes will be available to stream for free on CBC Gem and beginning that evening, a new episode will air weekly on CBC TV at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT).

From Rhombus Media and Zapruder Films, BLACKBERRY is director and co-writer Matt Johnson’s (Nirvanna the Band the Show) riotous take on the essential Canadian story of the two men who charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, starring Jay Baruchel (This Is The End) and Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).

Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis and Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie in CBC original limited series BLACKBERRY

CBC will also be hosting a BlackBerry Museum pop-up to celebrate the extended three-part series premiere, running during mall hours from Wednesday, November 8 through Friday, November 10 at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Albert’s Way entrance). The museum will chart the journey of the once-popular phone with displays featuring photos and props from the series, as well as BlackBerry photo opportunities and a nostalgia-inducing BBM type-off challenge with prizes. The activation was planned by Initiative Media and produced by Makers.

BLACKBERRY tells the story of tech wizard Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and cunning businessman Jim Balsillie (Howerton). Seemingly overnight, the duo revolutionized the way people work, communicate and connect, with millions of people around the world addicted to their BlackBerrys and the company completely dominating the market. That is, until some shady business dealings, personal grievances, and, perhaps most dangerously, the iPhone, devastated the company’s incredible success. 

The series also stars Johnson, as Mike’s friend and business partner Doug Fregin, Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Saw), Saul Rubinek (Hunters, True Romance), Rich Sommer (The Devil Wears Prada, Mad Men), Martin Donovan (Tenet, Big Little Lies), and Michael Ironside (Total Recall, Scanners).

Adapted by Johnson and Matthew Miller from bestselling book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, BLACKBERRY originated at CBC, where Losing the Signal was optioned and developed over the course of four years as a three-part series and feature film. The film received its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and was released theatrically in Canada on May 12; it will air on CBC Gem and CBC TV in 2024. 

The series was executive produced by Johnson, Miller, Niv Fichman, Fraser Ash and Kevin Krikst. Executive Producers also include Noah Segal and Adrian Love from Elevation Pictures and Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian, Nick Spicer and Maxime Cottray from XYZ Films. Jay McCarrol and Robert Upchurch are Co-Executive Producers. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sarah Adams is Director of Current Production, Drama; and Gosia Kamela is Executive in Charge of Production. BLACKBERRY is an Elevation Pictures, XYZ Films and Telefilm Canada presentation of a CBC Original, produced with the participation of Ontario Creates, in association with IPR.VC and the Canada Media Fund. 

Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) loves his quiet suburban life as a devoted husband, father of three and successful car salesman. But that’s only half the story. Decades earlier, he was an elite government assassin tasked with eliminating the world’s deadliest threats. When enemies from his past track him down, Dan packs his unsuspecting wife (Michelle Monaghan), angsty teen daughter, pro-gamer teen son and adorable 10-month-old baby into their minivan and takes off on an impromptu cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. Determined to protect his family — while treating them to the vacation of a lifetime — Dan must put his long-dormant skills into action, without revealing his true identity.

An Apple Original Film hailing from Skydance Media, “The Family Plan” is directed by Simon Cellan Jones. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger produce for Skydance, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson through Municipal Pictures. John G. Scotti executive produces. It arrives on Apple TV+ on December 15, 2023.

Details:

Director: Simon Cellan Jones

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, Zoe Colletti, Van Crosby, Saïd Taghmaoui, Maggie Q, Ciarán Hinds

Writer: David Coggeshall

Producers: David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson

Exec. Producer: John G. Scotti

Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms star in FAMILY SWITCH, coming November 30, 2023 to Netflix. Here’s a new Trailer from the upcoming feature, based on popular novel “Bedtime for Mommy“.

DIRECTED BY: McG
SCREENPLAY BY: Victoria Strouse and Adam Sztykiel
SCREEN STORY BY: Victoria Strouse
BASED ON THE BOOK “Bedtime For Mommy” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
PRODUCERS: Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Nicole King Solaka, Jennifer Garner, McG, Mary Viola
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Hyman, Jason Rosenthal, Victoria Strause
CAST: Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, Brady Noon, Bashir Salahuddin, Matthias Schweighöfer, Xosha Roquemore, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Paul Scheer, Fortune Feimster and Rita Moreno
LOGLINE: Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout? Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers and Brady Noon star in this family comedy directed by McG and based on the book “Bedtime For Mommy” by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

TIFF proudly presents a special screening of the first three episodes of the highly anticipated Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Writers, co-showrunners and executive producers Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski join TIFF for an onstage conversation about their animated adaptation of O’Malley’s iconic Toronto-set graphic novel series. Scott, Ramona Flowers, all seven of her evil exes, and the rest of the original cast from Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World reunite for a familiar but brand new adventure in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, premiering on November 17 on the platform. 

This special screening is part of TIFF’s Primetime programming and will take place on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7pm.

Additionally, TIFF patrons have the opportunity to relive some of the magic from the original film, as Ramona Flower’s original costume from the live-action Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), worn by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is currently on loan from NBCUniversal Archives and on display for a limited time in the newly renovated third floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

For more information, visit tiff.net. 

“Our new ad tier and standard tier offerings give our viewers the freedom to choose how they experience all that Disney+ has to offer,” said Jason Badal, VP & General Manager of Disney+, Canada. “From timeless classics to the latest hits, Canadians can now enjoy the full breadth and depth of content from The Walt Disney Company’s 100 year history in more ways than ever before.”

At launch, Disney+ Standard with Ads subscribers will enjoy the full content catalogue and key product features including:

Exclusive Originals & Library Content – an ever-growing collection of thousands of titles across films, documentaries, series, and shorts, plus unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment
Concurrent Viewing – stream on up to two supported devices simultaneously
High-Quality Video Formats – including, where supported, up to Full HD 1080p

Existing Disney+ customers will remain in their current subscription, which has been renamed “Disney+ Premium”, or have the option to switch to the Standard with Ads plan for $7.99/month or the Standard plan for $11.99/month or $119.99/year. Those that choose to remain a Premium subscriber for $14.99/month or $149.99/year require no further action. Additional information about the plans now available in Canada can be found on DisneyPlus.com.

The launch of Disney+ Standard with Ads pairs the world’s most beloved stories, characters and brands with the most advanced proprietary advertising technology and audience-based capabilities. The combination delivers sophisticated, globally scalable advertising that offers choice and value for both consumers and advertisers.

Disney+ Canada’s ad representative, Rogers Sports & Media, has secured launch partners for Disney+ Standard with Ads that include over 30 national advertisers and top media agencies including Omnicom Media Group Canada, GroupM Canada Inc., dentsu Canada, and Publicis Canada.

Subscriptions to Disney+ Standard with Ads are intended only for use in Canada and in countries where an ad-supported subscription is available. Disney+ Standard with Ads subscribers will not have access to Premium features like Downloads and SharePlay, as well as Dolby Atmos at launch.

By Mr. Will Wong

After winning raves in Venice and a seal of approval from Priscilla Presley herself, Sofia Coppola‘s PRISCILLA arrives after much anticipation. The Toronto-made adaptation of Presley‘s Memoir Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N’ Roll tells the story from her perspective from the thrills of love and fame to the loneliness of isolation.

We had the honour of sitting-in on a chat with visionary Writer/Director Coppola and star Cailee Spaeny who plays the Film’s iconic titular character.

Sofia Coppola is asked what drew her to adapting this Memoir, written some 40-plus years ago.

Coppola: “I was reading Priscilla Presley’s Memoir and I never expected to get so involved in it. I was really surprised because I realized how little I knew about her. I was just really moved by her story and connected to the way she described everything she went through from being a girl to an independent woman after such an unusual circumstance. I had no idea she was in high school living at Graceland. I felt her story said so much about women of my mother’s generation and what all girls go through, but in this really unique way. And I wanted to dive into that world of ’60s Graceland American folklore.”.

Cailee Spaeny talks about growing-up with Coppola’s work.

Spaeny: “I think the thing I found so shocking, I grew-up in an Elvis-loving family. We grew-up going to Graceland and he was very much a part of my childhood. I knew that Priscilla went with Elvis and I’ve seen the iconic photos, but I didn’t know her side of things. So it was an exciting story to dive into and tell because it’s long overdue to tell her side of the story. And the way that Sofia wrote the Script, it was so visual. You could really feel the environment you were in. And also growing-up with Sofia‘s films – the way that she taps into young female stories is so rare in a lot of films these days. She always finds a true depiction of young teenage girls. I was excited to tell the story that hadn’t been told before, but with this Filmmaker. I couldn’t imagine anyone else telling the story.”.

Coppola talks to now being able to tell a story like this at her current stage of life, being a mother to teens.

Coppola: “I was really happy to have access to Priscilla and her being open to re-living that era, and she talks about it in such vivid detail, and gave so much insight. Picking it up at this stage in my life, I felt that I’d had experience making films, so I had this feeling that I now know how to make this. You always figure it out as you go, it’s always a challenge. You never really know what you’re doing. The idea of finding one’s identity always appeals to me. I’m also at the point in my life where I’m the mother of teenage girls, so I could really see the story from both perspectives. How could her parents let her go live at Graceland? And also what tension that brought. I just felt that now I have a different perspective that now I could put more into the story in different levels.”.

Spaeny talks about aging Priscilla Presley from age 14 to 28 in this Film.

Spaeny: “It was one of the biggest challenges to take on, for those ages to feel true. You do everything you can to map out the choices you’re going to make to differentiate. We shot this in 30 days and we shot it out of order, so you were really trying to find things along the way to help anchor yourself. We had an amazing Costume, Hair and Makeup departments that did so much research and brought so much love into telling the story. That was really key in me grounding myself to those ages, and also where she was emotionally through this journey. I think in Sofia‘s movies, everyone just brings their A Game. She creates such a collaborative environment and has a calming presence which helps when you have a challenge like this to take on. I felt really lucky.”.

Coppola talks about her biggest challenge in making Priscilla.

Coppola: “It was a new challenge for me. I’ve never worked on someone’s story that was alive and would see the story. It was definitely something I kept in mind and how do I also make sure that it’s a story that Priscilla feels represents her experience. The biggest challenge was to take such a big part of someone’s life and boil it down to the essence to fit into the length of a movie. How do I do that to give the impression of everything she went through so that by the end you have a sense of what her experience was like?”.

Spaeny walks us though her preparation process.

Spaeny: “First step was reading the Book and reading the Script, really diving into that and writing-out the biggest questions that I had. Taking that time to meet Priscilla and go through that chapter of her life. I always wanted her to feel comfortable. I never wanted her to feel I was interviewing her, I wanted it to come out naturally. She would go into these specific memories she had with him and it was really special the detail that she would talk about. But also, just taking in the presence of this woman who’s lived this life. It was like her eyes would sparkle again talking about certain moments. She’d laugh at an inside joke they had and it was these nuggets of gold that helped me put this massive puzzle together. Especially the way that Sofia tells it in this impressionistic, memory type of way that it was really those flash and nuances that I really wanted to absorb when I was around her. She’s a really fascinating woman, really graceful and soft-spoken, with a fierceness about her and very protective.”.

“You do as much prep as you can but then you just have to trust yourself.”.

Both Spaeny and Coppola comment about Jacob Elordi, who plays Elvis in the Film.

Spaeny: “I was a fan of his work so I was interested what he was going to bring to the table. I messaged him right away when I found out that he had the role. We met a couple times and I wanted to get a sense of who he was and wanted us to feel comfortable around each other, because I knew once we started filming it was going to be crazy trying to shoot this in 30 days. I wanted to make sure we felt comfortable around each other. He had my back throughout the entire process and he did so much research. He’s so naturally charismatic and wears his heart out on his sleeve, so it was so nice for those parts of him to come through. He was an Actor I always felt I could trust every day going into a scene. I knew he was going to have an idea to bring to the table and know how to flip something on its head. A lot of this Movie I’m reacting off of him so it was so essential that I knew I could trust him. He is such a giving Actor, I felt really lucky and it was such a joy to watch what he did every day.”.

Coppola: “It was really important to go by the perspective that Priscilla does in the Book, showing him as a human because he’s such a godlike figure in our culture and she talks about what he was like, their vulnerabilties and what they were like behind closed doors. It was so interesting to ride the highs and lows she went through and show his incredible charm, his vulnerability and also this dark side he had, and show it as the complex relationship that it was. It was important that he was never villainized, that we saw him as a human, that he was struggling and understand her story through that.”.

Elevation Pictures release PRISCILLA in theatres November 3, 2023.

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto and Montreal a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of SALTBURN.

Screenings take place on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 7:30 PM.

SYNOPSIS

Welcome to Saltburn. Written & directed by Academy Award Winner Emerald Fennell and in theatres November 22, 2023.

Academy Award winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) brings us a wicked tale of privilege and desire. Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

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Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release SALTBURN November 22, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)

By Mr. Will Wong

Based on Thomas Mallon‘s 2007 novel of the same name, FELLOW TRAVELERS is an epic Hhistorical Romance limited series consisting of eight episodes. The love story spanning three decades, centers on Hawk (Matthew Bomer) and Tim (Jonathan Bailey) set against the backdrop in the height of McCarthyism where homosexuals and communists alike were hunted and persecuted for being “un-American”, resulting in many being wrongly accused and having their lives ruined. So already we have established that Hawk and Tim, both with careers in politics, must embark on their relationship in secrecy and the stakes are high.

The Series jumps eras, giving us a glimpse into the battles Hawk and Tim have endured as they navigate the intensity of their romance being uncovered, to an era of over-indulgence in the ’70s, ultimately to the onset of the AIDS epidemic.  And while it is never in doubt that these two men love one another deeply, they are pulled in separate directions and ultimately they reunite once again, but over the course of the Series’ eight episodes, we unpack the complex emotions as these two loverd are pulled apart by circumstance and reunited by undying love.

If I could compare FELLOW TRAVELERS to anything, it parallels some of the emotions explored in the classic BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, but where it stands on its own is its deeper exploration of the eras and backdrops against which this romance is set. While it is a romance, it also is a Horror on ways, the resonanting fear of the truth being uncovered in clandestine love,  and the mortifying consequences. Trickling down further, it also explores the consequences of avoiding consequences.

The Series is a perfect vehicle to showcase our brilliant two leads who fill the screen with a palpable chemistry. Bomer approaches Hawk with a sense of mystery, harbouring his flowing undercurrent of thoughts and emotions. Bailey allows Thomas‘ emotions to rise to the surface. It must also be said the love scenes are charged with immense eroticism, as we explore the dominant and passive dynamics between these two men in the bedroom, versus their dynamic when they are public-facing and forced to conceal their love.

Our leads are supported by a talented Supporting Cast including Broadway’s Jelani Alladin as Marcus and Noah J. Ricketts as Frankie, who also in tangent, are navigating a forbidden romance, but also having to confront racism also.  Allison Williams always is a captivating presence as Lucy. We just wish she got a bit more to work with, a casualty of Hawk and Tim‘s romance, serving to help Hawk keep-up appearances and avoid suspicion as a single man in a time where him not having a wife was a red flag.

FELLOW TRAVELERS is a compelling ‘eras tour’ of its own that proves affecting and rewarding. It streams now on Paramount+, with new episodes arriving weekly.

Walt Disney Animation Studios is granting wishes for fans Nov. 18, 2023 by offering a chance to see the epic musical comedy “Wish” ahead of its Nov. 22, 2023 theatrical opening. Tickets are now available to the special early access screenings at Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas. A poster is available to download and share. 

“Getting to make this movie has meant the world to all of us at Disney Animation, as it celebrates 100 years of storytelling,” said Disney Animation’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”), who is a writer and executive producer of the film. “We are so grateful to the fans who’ve shown up to the theatres time and again—to be able to give moviegoers a chance to experience it early is a wish come true for every person in our studio who helped bring ‘Wish’ to life.”  

“Wish” early access screenings will hit the big screen in more than 25 theatres in Canada at 4 p.m. local time on Nov. 18, 2023.

“WISH” MUSIC ROLL-OUT

The announcement comes on the heels of the second song-reveal as part of Wish Wednesdays—Disney Animation and Disney Music Group’s music roll-out that shares a new song each week from the seven original songs penned by Grammy®-nominated singer/songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy®-winning producer/songwriter/musician Benjamin Rice. So far, “This Wish,” performed by Ariana DeBose as Asha, and “This Is The Thanks I Get?!” performed by Chris Pine as the villainous King Magnifico, have been unveiled—check them out on SiriusXM’s Disney Hits Channel 302, YouTube, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music and all digital service providers. 

The Wish Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Walt Disney Records will be available November 17 on all streaming platforms. Fans can pre-order the vinyl here.