Toronto’s Mae Martin continues to see their star rise. After serving as a Writer on the Baroness Von Sketch Show, you know Mae from acclaimed Netflix Series FEEL GOOD which garnered them a BAFTA Award nomination. Martin in addition to being seen in the current second season of THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, is currently touring with their Comedy Show “SAP“, which brought them to The Danforth Music Hall, playing a packed house two nights at the venue.

See the Trailer for Season Two of THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT:

Have loved Martin‘s work for some time now and am thrilled to see them thriving. Martin was so kind to stop for photos after their Show, and even brought-out special musical guest Donovan Woods, also from Toronto.

See our Snap:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

For a third straight weekend Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS takes the #1 spot at the Box Office in North America, with $30 million from 4,534 theatres. Over three weekends it has grossed a stellar $340.5 million.

Second in its debut is DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA with $18 million from 3,820 theatres for Focus Features/Universal Pictures. It gets 85% on the Tomatometer. Its Predecessor film opened in 2019 with $31 million.

Third is THE BAD GUYS which has been quite resilient in the Top Five, with $5.7 million from 3,705 theatres for Univerrsal Pictures. Over dive weekends, it has grossed a total $73.9 million.

Fourth spot goes to SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 with $3.9 million, a total $181 million over seven weekends for Paramount Pictures.

In fifth is MEN from Director Alex Garland, bringing-in $3.3 million in its opening weekend for A24/VVS Films. It gets 76% on the Tomatometer.

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) has a close-knit bond with his family and community in his fishing village in Egypt. Everyone is happy for him when he gets the opportunity to ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicentre of power of Sunni Islam. However, near the start of his education, the highest-ranking Religious Leader dies. Following his death, an informant for the Government is murdered on campus. Soon, Adam is brought in as a new informant and is at the centre of the religious and political elite.

Boy From Heaven is a tense thriller about the separation between religion and politics. We are thrust into this world where the Government is attempting to get a new religious leader who will be in their back pockets. Writer-Director Tarik Saleh does a great job of opening up this world for us. We understand the world and stakes. Additionally, he breaks down the lust for power the Government desires and the corrupt lengths they will go to get it.

The conflict throughout is immense. We have the societal aspect of it, where the country is wondering who will be their next religious leader. We have the Government attempting to gain control of their head of religion. We have those within the religion trying the best they can to expose the Government. And we have Adam, a young man who is forced to be an informant. The immense layers of conflict make for a riveting thriller.

What makes us invested in this story isn’t solely the conflict, but this young man we follow. We are invested in Adam from the beginning. He’s an innocent that has unfortunate luck and gets himself caught up in this spider’s web. Adam is an intelligent young man that has the ability to manipulate others into believing his deception. Additionally, he is a young man who is scared and desperately wants out of his situation. It’s a powerful performance from Barhom who is captivating throughout.

Boy From Heaven screens at Cannes ’22:

Fri, May 20 at 4 PM at GRAND THÉÂTRE LUMIÈRE

Sat, May 21 at 11:15 AM at GRAND THÉÂTRE LUMIÈRE

Sat, May 21 at 11:30 am at LICORNE

Sat, May 21 at 2 PM at SALLE AGNÈS VARDA

Sun, May 22 at 11:30 AM at CINEUM IMAX

Mon, May 23 at 9:30 PM at CINEUM AURORE

Thu, May 26 at 9:00 AM at ARCADES 1

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Scholar Alithea (Tilda Swinton) has always been content in her solitude. But that might change when she goes on a trip to Istanbul. While at a local shop, she finds a small glass vase. Back in her hotel, a fantastical being called a Djinn (Idris Elba) breaks free from that tiny vase. In return for his freedom, he offers Althea three wishes but they have to be her life’s deepest desires.

Visionary Writer-Director George Miller is back with this Fantasy-Romance Film. His style is on full display as we follow Alithea in her story which is told like a fairy tale. Three Thousand Years of Longing does carry a lot of narration. There’s the voice-over work from Alithea along with the stories Djinn tells of his prior failed attempts at freedom. Normally, this much narration would hinder a Film. However, Miller’s stylistic Direction makes it entertaining.

Through all of the visual spectacle found in Three Thousand Years of Longing, there is a tender story of finding love in unique circumstances. Additionally, Miller is telling a story about the importance of telling one’s life story. He does this through Alithea and Djinn. She is adamant she’s lived a life of pleasant solitude and doesn’t believe she has a deep desire. Instead, she takes an interest in Djinn’s three thousand years trapped by a magician’s curse.

It’s the stories Djinn tells that draw Alithea to him. Learning about his prior passions, heartbreaks and longings makes her fall for him. Swinton, as usual, is spellbinding. She brings a comedic layer to Alithea that resonates with the audience. Elba is the perfect choice as this Djinn yearns for freedom. He brings humanity to this fantastical being. The chemistry between the two gets stronger as the story progresses. This isn’t a fault, it’s a strength. It shows the progression in their feelings for one another.

Three Thousand Years of Longing has an important message on freedom and love: that it can’t be forced.

Three Thousand Years of Longing screens at Cannes ’22:

Fri, May 20 at 7:00 PM at GRAND THÉÂTRE LUMIÈRE

Say, May 21 at 6:30 PM at CINEUM IMAX

It’s been a minute since we’ve been to BYBLOS Uptown (2537 Yonge Street), but quickly did we realize what we missed! This Eastern Mediterranean mecca of elegance, offers a sophisticated and elevated dining experience, identical to its celebrated location downtown on Duncan St. Take that elegant charm and add a bit of live music to the mix, and you have a wonderful way to cap-off a long work week the right way!

Launching just a few weeks back, the lounge upstairs at the Yonge Street hotspot now has live music with Toronto-based Jazz band The Sonny Balcones featured. And they are amazing, with lots of applause heard throughout their three-hour set 5-8 PM.

Add to this ambience some beautiful cocktails and shareable plates, and you have an amazing night out.

Can we recommend enough the Pineapple-based BIRDS OF PARADISE Cocktail? This is pure refreshment over crushed ice and a sprig of mint.

Dishes are meant to be split among friends and we were left mesmerized by flavour. The Beef Tartare is a balanced plate of flavours: tart and savoury with a bit of heat, featuring toum + mint + capers + sumac + kohlrabi + zhug + pickled chili + sesame lavash.

The Menu’s Pide selections are enticing and we tried the Black Truffle & Cheese, which was heaven with every decadent bite containing mozzarella + feta + akawi + oregano + black truffle on a flatbread.

Turkish Manti Dumplings are dumplings like we’ve never had. Spiced beautifully with a bit of Sumach, they sit in a sauce of eggplant + yogurt sauce + date molasses. You definitely want an extra flatbread to dip.

And just when we thought this Menu couldn’t be any more flavourful, the best was saved for last – Dessert. Byblos‘ Blood Orange Pavlova, highlighted by cardamom + orange sumac marmalade + blood orange curd. Simple perfection.

Flavours and sounds we won’t soon forget! Follow BYBLOS TORONTO on Instagram for more.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Byblos

Our girl LILYISTHATYOU is back with another Banger! GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GIRLS is a moody, dancey romp. This Toronto icon in-the-making can do no wrong. Yet another Track in her short time making Music that we LOVE. We totally get the Kylie “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” reference, and the production has echoes of Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits“. SOLD.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Music)

20th Century Studios Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to attend an Advance Screening of THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE!

Screening Details: Wednesday, May 25 at 7pm at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto. 

SYNOPSIS:

This animated, big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure is based on the long-running Emmy®-winning series. The story begins when a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob’s Burgers, blocking the entrance indefinitely and ruining the Belchers’ plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep the business afloat, the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family’s restaurant. As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Please indicate your City there. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance.

Rules and regulations here.

THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE is in theatres May 27, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Studios Canada)

The first 8 minutes of STRANGER THINGS Season 4 Volume 1 have been released. And if this doesn’t get you hooked, we don’t know what will!

Check it out:

STRANGER THINGS S4 Volume 1 (Eps 401-407) arrives May 27, 2022 and Volume 2 (Eps 408 -409) arrives July 1, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

HEARTSTOPPER has been a huge breakout hit for Netflix and just announced is an upcoming second season of the beloved Series.

Some metrics since the Series premiered in April:

•Heartstopper weekly book sales in the US have increased 1700%. Volume 1 is currently the number one YA fiction book in the US and featured on the NYT bestseller list [Source: NPD BookScan]

•The series has a 100% Critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is ‘certified fresh’ [Source: Rotten Tomatoes]

•Talent Instagram followings have exploded with Kit Connor at 3.4M and Joe Locke at 2.5M, both had just over 100K followers a month prior to launch

•On TikTok, #heartstopper has now amassed over 4.3B views [Source: TikTok]

•Heartstopper, for the fourth consecutive week, topped Variety’s Trending TV chart the week of May 9-15. The Trending TV chat tracks audience interactions across Twitter including tweets, retweets, likes and hashtags [Source: Variety]

•The series reached the Netflix Top Ten list in 54 countries [Source: Netflix Top 10]

Season 1 Synopsis:
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. When gentle Charlie and rugby-loving Nick meet at secondary school, they quickly discover that their unlikely friendship is blossoming into an unexpected romance. Charlie, Nick and their circle of friends must navigate the ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.

HEARTSTOPPER is streaming now on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

In celebration of National Streaming Day, we have a new Trailer for Disney’s BAYMAX!, the upcoming Series based on the beloved BIG HERO 6 Character.

Synopsis:

In celebration of National Streaming Day, Disney+ has released a new trailer and key art for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Baymax!” Streaming exclusively on Disney+ on June 29, the all-new series of healthcare capers returns to the fantastical city of San Fransokyo where the affable, inflatable, inimitable healthcare companion robot, Baymax, sets out to do what he was programmed to do: help others. “I thought it would be fun to do a Disney+ series with Baymax interacting with normal folks,” said series creator Don Hall, who helmed 2014’s Oscar®-winning film “Big Hero 6.” “In each of our six episodes, Baymax just wants to help someone—and a lot of times they don’t want to be helped. He sets out to fix a physical issue that he’s identified, and in the process, gets to a deeper, more emotional place and can be almost transformative in that role.”

“Baymax!” is produced by Roy Conli and Bradford Simonsen. The series’ episodes are directed by Dean Wellins (Eps 1, 2, 6), Lissa Treiman (Ep 3), Dan Abraham (Ep 4) and Mark Kennedy (Ep 5). Screenwriter is Cirocco Dunlap. Scott Adsit returns as the voice of Baymax. Voice talent featured in episodes include Ryan Potter, Maya Rudolph, Emily Kuroda, Lilimar, Zeno Robinson and Jaboukie Young-White.

BAYMAX! arrives June 29, 2022 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)