#FIRSTLOOK: JAMIE ALLAN’S “ILLUSIONARIUM” TORONTO

One-part history of magic and illusions, one-part interactive escape, Jamie Allan’s Illusionarium finally launches at One Yonge Street July 29, 2021 in the Toronto Star Building! Trust me, this has been a labour of love as it initially was to open its doors around the Holidays so we were extra-excited finally to enjoy it after a patient wait.

The wait has been a blessing however, as its producers (Lighthouse Immersive, Showone Productions and Starvox Exhibits) who also brought us the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit taking place also in the same building, really pondered how to pivot to adapt ensuring safe social distancing measures within its generous 300,000 cubic foot space. And they succeeded creating an experience that feels safe, yet intimate.

While originally there were to be four rooms only, a secret fifth room also has been added to the experience, developed during Ontario’s lockdown. You won’t believe your eyes what happens in here! We were literally on the edge of our seat – six feet+ away from others, of course.

You get four experiential rooms: PALAIS ROYALE, THE EGYTPTIAN HALL, ON-AIR STUDIOS, and EVO-LUSION HALL, plus the aforementioned top-secret room ….if you’re lucky. Each room takes you through a different era and as you are dazzled by magicians, life sized holograms, 3D projections and lasers. World-famous legends Penn & Teller even greet you in the On-Air Studios room in an interactive magic trick!

There are even a few shocks and thrills thrown-in as we witness how death-defying magic and illusions can be!

Allan speaks to guests at the end of the experience, driven to restore that sense of wonder we all possessed once in our youth. “An even more difficult problem to overcome is Technology. Secrets are becoming more accessible on the Internet every day, TV can be paused and scrutinized frame by frame as Technology advances further and further every day in our lives.”. But yet as Creator, Allan has fused magic with Technology to create this experience with musician Tommy Bond, embracing this combination to bring innovation and mystique to a new generation like greats before him, Houdini and Devant.

Check out a Gallery of fun!

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Some Video highlights.

Also, to celebrate the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, a 91-foot hot air balloon of Van Gogh was on display at Queen’s Quay x Yonge Street. While there were some delays launching it due to wind conditions at the Harbourfront, we were able to witness it up-close and it is remarkable! There will be more opportunities to see it July 31 and August 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., dependent on weather. The Exhibit has struck a chord with A-Listers like Lily Collins, Madonna and George Lucas in other cities like New York and Chicago!

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Get your tickets and learn more here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “KING RICHARD”

KING RICHARD is the true story of Tennis icons The Williams Sisters and their father. Check out the brand-new Trailer for the Film!

Synopsis:

Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “King Richard follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever.  Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Bad Boys for Life”) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men”).

Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons.  The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.

KING RICHARD arrives in theatres November 19, 2021 via Warner Bros. Canada.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros.)

#TIFF21: “THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE”, “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”, “ONE SECOND”, “SILENT NIGHT” AND MORE ADDED TO TIFF ’21 LINEUP

Additional titles have been announced for the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival today and some high-profile selections like DEAR EVAN HANSEN and THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE will be debuting here in Toronto this September! The former has been selected as the Festival’s Opening Night selection and makes its way to the screen after critical adoration on Broadway, with star Ben Platt reprising his award-winning role. The Film will be premiering at Roy Thomson Hall on September 9, 2021 with additional screenings at Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, at the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place, and digitally on the digital TIFF Bell Lightbox platform.

Iconic Director Zhang Yimou will be presenting his latest, One Second at the Festival with the Film closing out the Festival. The Cultural Revolution-set Drama previously was censored in its homeland China.

This brings the announced titles to 11 Galas and 21 Special Presentations thus far, with more titles to come. The Festival runs September 9-18, 2021.

GALA PRESENTATIONS 2021
*previously announced 

*Belfast Kenneth Branagh | United Kingdom 
World Premiere
 
Clifford the Big Red Dog Walt Becker | USA/United Kingdom/Canada
World Premiere
 

*Opening Night Film*
Dear Evan Hansen Stephen Chbosky | USA
World Premiere

 The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Will Sharpe | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

*Jagged Alison Klayman | USA 
World Premiere

*Last Night in Soho Edgar Wright | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

*The Mad Women’s Ball (Le Bal des folles) Mélanie Laurent | France
World Premiere

*Night Raiders Danis Goulet | Canada/New Zealand
North American Premiere

*Closing Night Film*
One Second Zhang Yimou | China
North American Premiere

The Survivor Barry Levinson | USA/Canada/Hungary
World Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2021
*previously announced 

Ali & Ava Clio Barnard | United Kingdom 
North American Premiere

All My Puny Sorrows Michael McGowan | Canada
World Premiere

*Benediction Terence Davies | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Bergman Island Mia Hansen-Løve | France
International Premiere

*Charlotte Eric Warin, Tahir Rana | Canada/France/Belgium
World Premiere

*Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner | USA
World Premiere

Drive My Car Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan 
North American Premiere

Encounter Michael Pearce | United Kingdom/USA 
International Premiere

The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter | USA 
World Premiere

*The Guilty Antoine Fuqua | USA
World Premiere

I’m Your Man Maria Schrader | Germany 
North American Premiere

Inexorable Fabrice du Welz | Belgium/France 
International Premiere

*Lakewood Phillip Noyce | Canada 
World Premiere

The Middle Man Bent Hamer | Norway/Canada/Germany/Denmark
World Premiere

Official Competition (Competencia Oficial) Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat | Spain/Argentina
North American Premiere

Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades) Jacques Audiard | France
North American Premiere

*Petite Maman Céline Sciamma | France 
Canadian Premiere

*The Starling Theodore Melfi | USA
World Premiere

The Story of My Wife Ildikó Enyedi | Hungary/Germany/Italy/France 
North American Premiere

Three Floors (Tre Piani) Nanni Moretti | Italy/France
North American Premiere

Violet Justine Bateman | USA 
International Premiere

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark
North American Premiere

UPDATE (7/28/21): Additional titles at TIFF ’21 have been announced today in Contemporary World Cinema, Special Presentations and Galas! Among those surfacing at the Festival are ONE NIGHT, premiering as a Gala, starring Keira Knightley, Annabelle Wallis and Matthew Goode. A TIFF Rewind retrospective also will be a component of the Festival in partnership with Crave and Bell.

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
Presented by Sunlife

Are You Lonesome Tonight? Wen Shipei | China
North American Premiere

The Box (La Caja)Lorenzo Vigas | USA/Mexico
North American Premiere

Costa Brava, Lebanon (Costa Brava)Mounia Akl | Lebanon/Norway/Sweden/France/Spain/Denmark/Qatar
North American Premiere

The Daughter (La Hija) Manuel Martín Cuenca | Spain
World Premiere

The Hill Where the Lionesses Roar (Luaneshat e kodrës)Luàna Bajrami | Kosovo/France
North American Premiere

Întregalde Radu Muntean | Romania
North American Premiere

Kicking Blood Blaine Thurier | Canada
World Premiere

La Soga 2 Manny Perez | USA
World Premiere

Maria Chapdelaine Sébastien Pilote | Canada
World Premiere

Medusa Anita Rocha da Silveira | Brazil
North American Premiere

Murina Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović | Croatia/Brazil/USA/Slovenia
North American Premiere

Nobody Has to Know Bouli Lanners | France/Belgium/United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Odd-Job Men (Sis dies corrents) Neus Ballús | Spain
North American Premiere

The Other Tom (El otro Tom)Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo | Mexico/USA
North American Premiere

OUT OF SYNC (Tres) Juanjo Giménez | Spain
North American Premiere

Terrorizers Ho Wi Ding | Taiwan
World Premiere

Unclenching The Fists Kira Kovalenko | Russia
North American Premiere

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas) Edwin | Indonesia/Singapore/Germany
North American Premiere

The Wheel Steve Pink | USA
World Premiere 

Whether the Weather is Fine (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon) Carlo Francisco Manatad | Philippines/France/Singapore/Indonesia/Germany/Qatar
North American Premiere

DISCOVERY
Presented by Dyson

Aloners Hong Sung-eun  | South Korea
International Premiere

Anatolian Leopard (Anadolu Leoparı) Emre Kayış | Germany/Denmark/Turkey/Poland
World Premiere

As In Heaven (Du som er i himlen) Tea Lindeburg | Denmark
World Premiere

A Banquet Ruth Paxton | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Dug Dug Ritwik Pareek | India
World Premiere

Farha Darin J. Sallam | Jordan/Sweden/Saudi Arabia
World Premiere

The Game Ana Lazarevic | Serbia/USA
World Premiere

Learn To Swim Thyrone Tommy | Canada
World Premiere

Lo Invisible Javier Andrade | France/Ecuador
World Premiere

Paka (River of Blood)Nithin Lukose | India
World Premiere

Quickening Haya Waseem | Canada
World Premiere

Scarborough Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson | Canada
World Premiere

Snakehead Evan Jackson Leong | USA
International Premiere

To Kill The Beast Agustina San Martín | Argentina/Brazil/Chile
World Premiere

Tug of War (Vuta N’Kuvute)Amil Shivji | Tanzania/South/Africa/Germany/Qatar
World Premiere

Wildhood Bretten Hannam | Canada
World Premiere

GALA PRESENTATIONS

The Good House Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky | USA
World Premiere

Silent Night Camille Griffin | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark
North American Premiere
(*Previously announced as a Special Presentation)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Presented by Visa

The Falls (Pu Bu) Chung Mong-Hong | Taiwan
North American Premiere

The Humans Stephen Karam | USA
World Premiere

Inu-Oh Masaaki Yuasa | Japan/China
North American Premiere

Lingui, The Sacred Bonds (Lingui) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Chad/France/Germany/Belgium
North American Premiere

Mothering Sunday Eva Husson | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

The Power of the Dog Jane Campion | Australia/New Zealand
Canadian Premiere

Sundown Michel Franco | Mexico 
North American Premiere 

Wolf Nathalie Biancheri | United Kingdom/Ireland/Poland
World Premiere

TIFF Rewind presented by Bell

Confirmed films and guests in this program include:

Antoine Fuqua on Training Day
Director Antoine Fuqua revisits his acclaimed police thriller about a rookie cop who spends 24 hours in Los Angeles gang territory with a corrupt senior narcotics officer, which marks the 20th anniversary of its North American premiere at the Festival in 2001. The film earned Denzel Washington his first Academy Award for Best Actor after two previous nominations (and an earlier Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor).

Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara on Best in Show
Director and co-writer Christopher Guest and stars Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy revisit the making of their cult classic about the competitive world of dog shows, which made its world premiere at the Festival in 2000.

Patricia Cardoso and America Ferrera on HBO’s Real Women Have Curves
Director Patricia Cardoso and star America Ferrera discuss their breakout hit about a young Mexican American woman coming of age in Los Angeles, which was helmed by a Latina creative team and had its international premiere at the Festival in 2002.

Viggo Mortensen on Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen revisits his second collaboration with David Cronenberg, a crime thriller set in the nebulous, cut-throat underworld of Russian organized crime in London, which made its world premiere at the Festival in 2007 and won the People’s Choice Award.

More details to come. Visit here for more.

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: “MOTEL MAKEOVER” TRAILER

This looks really fun! While most of us have a preconceived notion about motels, April and Sarah are out to change that. See the Trailer for MOTEL MAKEOVER! Would you stay at one of their transformations?

Synopsis:
April and Sarah are chasing the millennial dream – shrugging off secure but boring desk jobs to be their own bosses. Their goal is to launch a hospitality empire, one motel at a time. That’s right: motel, not exactly the most popular search word for sophisticated travelers. These decaying roadside relics are invariably low on comfort, cachet and style. But not after April and Sarah work their magic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnXRtbnmJ_Y

MOTEL MAKEOVER arrives on Netflix August 25, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTOOK: MADONNA’S “MADAME X” DOCUMENTARY TO ARRIVE ON PARAMOUNT+

Madonna fans have reason to get excited! Her Documentary MADAME X which recounts her tour performances on her Tour of the same name, arrives this Fall, only on Paramount+!

Synopsis:

Madonna’s virtuoso performance in MADAME X celebrates the seven-time Grammy Award winner’s fourteenth studio album of the same name, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and captures new music alongside previous hits and fan favorites for an unrivaled theatrical journey. The linguistically diverse album, inspired by her life immersed in the rich cultural influences of Lisbon, is a love letter to multiculturalism and a testament to Madonna’s transformative influence on, and respect for, global culture and earned praise from The New York Times as a “reimagine[d] pop spectacle for a theater stage, merging her newest music and calls for political awareness with striking intimacy.”

Universally celebrated for its artistry and risk-taking, MADAME X features 48 on-stage performers including Madonna’s children, musicians and dancers from around the globe, and the all-female Orquestra Batukadeiras, whose performance of “Batuka” evokes Batuque, a style of music created by the women originating from Cape Verde. The tour has elicited critical acclaim from fans and media alike, with Forbes proclaiming, “As Madame X, Madonna Is Her Most Authentic Onstage Self In Years” and Billboard describing her “at her best, unapologetic, uncompromising, unyielding and in complete control.” The Atlantic describes its cultural impact: “The power of a show as successful as this is that it beams you directly into a warm, sassy, transfixing human’s brainspace and makes you believe in its rightness. What better entertainment could there be than leaving the theater feeling like a pop star might just save the world?”

MADAME X arrives on Paramount+ October 8, 2021.

(Photo credit: Steven Klein)

#FIRSTLOOK: TRAILER FOR “COOKING WITH PARIS”

That’s hot. Literally. You know how much we love Paris Hilton. Check-out this new Trailer from her star-studded new Cooking Show on Netflix, COOKING WITH PARIS.

Synopsis:  Paris Hilton can cook…kind of. And she’s turning the traditional cooking show upside down. She’s not a trained chef and she’s not trying to be. With the help of her celebrity friends, she navigates new ingredients, new recipes and exotic kitchen appliances. Inspired by her viral YouTube video, Paris will take us from the grocery store to the finished table spread – and she might actually learn her way around the kitchen.Guest Stars: Kim Kardashian West, Demi Lovato, Nikki Glaser, Saweetie, Lele Pons, Nicky & Kathy Hilton.

All six episodes of COOKING WITH PARIS arrive August 4, 2021 on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: “ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING” TRAILER

The Trailer has arrived for eagerly-awaited STAR series ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING and it looks really fun!

Synopsis:

From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman, “Only Murders In The Building” follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING arrives on STAR on Disney+ August 31, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A “A QUIET PLACE PART II” PRIZE PACK

Paramount Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a A QUIET PLACE Prize Pack! Prize Pack includes:

–A Quiet Place Two-Movie Collection on Blu-ray (package will not include Digital copy as seen below)

-Limited Edition Poster

-“Screaming Internally” T-Shirt 

-Branded Mug

-Mini Survival Kit 

Hailed by critics and audiences alike and Certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, Writer and Director John Krasinski’s exhilarating thriller A QUIET PLACE: PART II is available now on Digital and arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD July 27, 2021.

The A QUIET PLACE: PART II 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray and Digital releases boast exclusive special features that take viewers deeper into the world originated in the global smash hit A Quiet Place.

The A Quiet Place Two-Movie Collection is also available exclusively on Digital or Blu-ray with bonus content on both films.

A QUIET PLACE: PART II Synopsis
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path in this gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller written and directed by John Krasinski.

A QUIET PLACE 2-Movie Collection Synopsis
If they hear you, they hunt you! Silence is survival in these two terrifyingly suspenseful thrillers. Follow the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) as they face the terror of mysterious creatures that hunt by sound.

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

Rules and regulations here.

Paramount Home Entertainment release in-stores A QUIET PLACE PART II Tuesday, July 27, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Home Entertainment)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “THE NIGHT HOUSE”

Rebecca Hall is back in THE NIGHT HOUSE. See the haunting new Trailer for the Film which will screen at Fantasia Film Fest 2021.

Synopsis:

Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep it together – but then nightmares come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house calling to her, beckoning her with a ghostly allure. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into her husband’s belongings, yearning for answers. What she finds are secrets both strange and disturbing – a mystery she’s determined to unravel. THE NIGHT HOUSE stars Rebecca Hall (HOLMES & WATSON, CHRISTINE), Sarah Goldberg (Barry, Elementary), Vondie Curtis Hall (DIE HARD 2, EVE’S BAYOU), Evan Jonigkeit (Togetherish, Sweetbitter), and Stacy Martin (VOX LUX, NYMPHOMANIAC).

See the Trailer:

Searchlight Pictures release THE NIGHT HOUSE Friday, August 20, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

#INTERVIEW: DISNEY’S “JUNGLE CRUISE”

We welcome a return to big Blockbusters this Summer as our theatres re-open once again. Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE is a must-watch for many. Our patience finally has paid off as it arrives later this week in theatres and at home!

The nostalgic Action-Fantasy-Romance directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, The Shallows), is inspired by the iconic Disneyland ride, taking us on an expedition through the Amazon jungle with Lily (Emily Blunt), who is an adventurous explorer on a mission to find the Tear of the Moon, which is said to have great healing powers, and Frank (Dwayne Johnson), a charming riverboat captain. Despite their differences, these two find themselves forming an unlikely bond as they fight to escape some deadly obstacles.

We had the joy of partaking in the global Press Conference for Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE and joining us were stars:

Emily Blunt – Lily
Dwayne Johnson – Frank
Édgar Ramirez – Aguirre
Jack Whitehall – MacGregor

One of the most remarkable things about the Film is the warm chemistry shared by its leads Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.

Blunt: I knew when we met we had this immediate rapport when we went back and forth so quickly and I knew we’d have a good time.

Johnson: It’s true and then you hope to get lucky and you like your Cast and you hope to have some chemistry. Emily and I have been talking a lot about chemistry these past couple weeks doing Press. And a lot of times you fake it because you’re acting.

Blunt: He’s been faking it for years!

Johnson: And I continue to fake it too, especially with us! (laughs)

Johnson said ‘yes’ immediately to the project, whereas Blunt notoriously ‘ghosted’ him after approaching her with a video proposal, really needing time to evaluate the Script before signing aboard. She chalks her approach to British manners. Johnson tells us what drew him most to the project, on which he served also as an Executive Producer.

Johnson: Well, the Script was in a really good place and I immediately saw the potential of the opportunity and that opportunity was to take an iconic and beloved Disney ride since 1955 when the theme park opened, this was Walt Disney‘s baby. And there were a lot of elements I felt comfortable saying ‘Yes, I will come onboard and I will partner with you and develop this thing’, and our next job was finding our Director and finding my Co-Star – the female Indiana Jones over here, which she hates because it’s setting her up and too much pressure!

Édgar Ramirez stars as misunderstood villain Aguirre in this his first Disney movie. Without spoilers, he dons an iconic look.

Ramirez: I was just happy those snakes weren’t near me anywhere in the shoot because I’m afraid of snakes. We shot in real locations and dressed them to look like the Amazon. I come from an Amazonian country and saw the Movie for the first time two days ago at the Premiere and guys, I’m so happy! You guys were incredible!

Blunt: You were this operatic bad guy, I loved it! And when we were shooting, you were like, ‘My mother’s gonna be so upset!’.

Ramirez: And she was! She’s super-afraid of snakes. She said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me? Like I missed half of your performance because I couldn’t look at you because of the snakes!’. But I’m happy my mother was super-scared!

To be in a movie that is based on the most iconic attraction for the most iconic entertainment universe in history such as Disney is so special. And to be with these amazing people, it’s so incredible.

That tone to be witty, romantic, funny and snide but cute at the same time, that is very difficult. We as Actors know that tone is very difficult to achieve and you guys killed it!

The Cast are asked about their most challenging stunts in the Film which has more than a few hold-your-breath moments.

Blunt: The rope-vine swing. For me it was most challenging because he would not let me get one straight take in. He pushed it so far every time to make me laugh on that vine-swing so we shot that all day. We didn’t get one straight take.

Johnson: It was that heroic vine-swing that you think the hero grabs the lady and takes off and goes to save the day. And of course it goes to hell because I don’t save the day!

Blunt: Every time I was just, ‘Tell me what you’re going to say this time just so I can be prepared’ and every time he’d throw in some awful improv that would make me laugh. I don’t know how many times we must have shot that!

Johnson: For me personally, a lot of the action with the Conquistadors, Edgar and his partners that was pretty challenging. Because these guys were dressed how they were dressed in their costumes and also fighting men who can’t die. Oh! I just ruined the Movie for you! (laughs) So they fight in a different way, with a confidence.

Jack Whitehall is full of witty one-liners in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, as Lily‘s brother MacGregor. Would you believe he had one line in Frozen, which got cut entirely?

Whitehall: Post the Frozen experience, I felt this was just a case of throwing enough stuff at the wall and something sticking because I was just desperate not to be cut from a movie. (laughs) The fact that there’s a single line in there is an improvement on the Frozen debacle and I’m so excited to actually have a speaking part in a Disney movie.

The Script was amazing, but we were given the space to improvise and add stuff to it. And these two created this environment where we were able to do that. It felt like such a safe space. There are probably a few jokes that ended-up on the cutting room floor for the right reasons. Some of the great moments that you see are genuine moments that we came up with in the Movie. And Jaume was so good at encouraging that as well.

Blunt is asked if she is closer in real life to another iconic Disney character she’s played, Mary Poppins or Lily?

Blunt: I’m probably a little closer to Lily. I feel like Lily’s sorta more of a mess. Poppins is so pulled-together and perfected and I don’t feel I walk through life that way, so I’d say Lily.

I’m organized but I feel like it’s a juggle. I feel I’m really organized with time and planning but I feel like plans always go slightly… yes, it is a juggle and a balance.

The Cast are asked what it is like to revitalize something so iconic for a new generation.

Blunt: It has been immensely rewarding. To what Edgar was talking about, we really needed tonally to strike a chord that was really well-crafted, and that we curated with so much love and that it was made in the spirit of the films we all grew-up watching. I mainlined those movies into my veins, I just loved Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone and African Queen. They are just joy-bombs and nostalgic. I think we just needed to pierce people’s hearts directly with the spirit of those films we all loved as children and it just took a lot of tempering and beautiful conducing from Jaume who was just extraordinarily free-spirited with us in this massive spectacle of a movie. He’s such a world builder.

When we both met Jaume, we both asked him the same question, ‘So what do you feel this movie is about?’ and I always ask that when I sign-on because I want to know what the movie’s about. And he goes, “You know, it’s about love”. And it was so perfect because you could’ve talked about all the action and the spectacle, the legends and all that, but that’s when I knew in Jaume that we had an innate romantic and a world-builder. And that’s what you need for this type of movie.

Walt Disney Studios Canada release JUNGLE CRUISE Friday, July 30, 2021 in theatres and on Disney+ with Premier Access.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)