Fans of SUITS will love this! Introducing its Spin-off, PEARSON starring Gina Torres coming soon to W Network in Canada.

Synopsis:
Powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson leaves New York behind to take on the city of Chicago in this spinoff of the hit legal-drama, Suits. The former managing partner of Pearson Spector Litt is determined to make a difference as she navigates the corrupt and intimidating world of Chicago politics.

Additional cast includes: Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill), Simon Kassianides (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Eli Goree (Riverdale), Isabel Arraiza (The Oath) and Chantel Riley (Wynonna Earp).

PEARSON airs in Canada on W Network, release date to be announced.

(Photo/video credit: W Network)

Moderated by Stephen Colbert, lucky fans in Chicago today were treated to a spectacular celebration with Director/Writer J.J. Abrams, Producer Kathleen Kennedy, plus stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar Isaac, Billy Dee Williams, Naomi Ackie, Joonas Suotamo and Anthony Daniels, and droids BB-8 and D-0. The event featured a panel discussion with a new Teaser Poster and Trailer being unveiled!

See the Trailer:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Friday, December 20, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

By George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

The Writer/Director of MISSING LINK, Chris Butler, comes to the table with quite an impressive résumé. Nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for ParaNorman, his Stop-Motion genius can also be witnessed in Kubo and the Two Strings, Corpse Bride and Coraline. During our sit-down with him, we said how much we enjoyed the humour and Slapstick on-screen with MISSING LINK, he looked genuinely pleased and told us, “I’m glad you think so as that was the hope. I was influenced by that brand of humour. I was influenced by old silent movies and watched a lot of Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin. Initially when I was talking to the studios about this Movie, I told them my intention was to do David Lean directs Around the World in 80 Days starring Laurel and Hardy. That was the hope, or my ambition.”.

I mentioned to Butler that one thing I enjoyed about his Movie was it brought me to mind of my childhood and watching those adventure TV shows with one exciting vignette to the next, but wondered if the sophisticated British-centric jokes and skits would fly above the heads of the much younger viewers and make them restless, to which he replied “Not really, I hoped that the Physical Humour alongside the more cerebral stuff hopefully was a good enough mix. The intention for me was always to have this be a Family Movie. For me, animation should not just be a babysitting device. I don’t want adults to plop down their kids and switch off. I want the family together get something out of this with a big smile on all their faces and give them something they all can talk about afterwards.”.

Butler then went on to great length on how important the Voice Actors are to the success of any kind of animated film. All animations start with the voices and that the animators need to hear the performance by the actors before they can start working on their craft and developing the physicality of the characters. The Voice Actor is creating a template of what and how the action should be. “There is something about voice acting that is the purest form of acting.”.

Butler also spoke enthusiastically and passionately about the future of Stop-Motion animation and how recent technological advancements and innovations will only enhance future productions and embrace this beautiful art form.

The germ of the idea for the Plot of MISSING LINK started 15 years ago and Butler kept notes in a book on how the story could progress. When asked what he has planned for his next project, Butler said “The Movie was literally finished a month ago and right now, with the publicity tour and all, when I close my eyes, all I see is MISSING LINK! I need right now for all that to dissipate.”.

One surprising thing I took away from the interview was the misconception that Stop-Motion films were more labour-intensive to create than traditional animated movies. Whereas both require hundreds of people working on the project (there were 450 people working on MISSING LINK), it was harder to find people skilled in the art of Stop-Motion and its search to find people led them to places like Russia and Denmark.

MISSING LINK is a sight to behold and a joy to watch with some phenomenal Voice Work from its A-List Cast.

See the Trailer:

Elevation Pictures release MISSING LINK Friday, April 12, 2019.  Our Review of the star-studded Film here.

Introducing Sasha Luss as ANNA,a new Film directed by visionary Director Luc Besson!

Synopsis:
Beneath Anna Poliatova’s striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world’s most feared government assassins. An electrifying thrill ride unfolding with propulsive energy, startling twists and breathtaking action, ANNA introduces Sasha Luss in the title role with a star-studded cast including Academy Award Winner Helen Mirren, Cillian Murphy, and Luke Evans.

See the Trailer:

eOne Films release ANNA Friday, June 21, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)

Two of our favourites, Amy Poehler and Netflix together at last!

Synopsis:
In honor of Rebecca (Rachel Dratch)’s 50th birthday, Abby (Amy Poehler) plans a scenic Napa getaway with their best, longtime friends. Workaholic Catherine (Ana Gasteyer), post-op Val (Paula Pell), homebody Jenny (Emily Spivey), and weary mom Naomi (Maya Rudolph) are equally sold on the chance to relax and reconnect. Yet as the alcohol flows, real world uncertainties intrude on the punchlines and gossip, and the women begin questioning their friendships and futures. A hilarious and heartfelt comedy directed by Poehler, Wine Country co-stars Tina Fey, Jason Schwartzman and Cherry Jones.

See the Trailer:

WINE COUNTRY streams on Netflix Friday, May 10, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

This is it. Marvel has released the final trailers for Avengers: Endgame, the final instalment of the current crop of Marvel superheroes. The 182-minute feature will tie up the loose ends of Infinity War and will show how the heroes interact – especially those who have been featured solo since the last Avengers instalment, such as Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. But, once the dust of the final battle has settled and stars such as Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans have hung up their superhero costumes (or green paint in Ruffalo’s case), how can we get our fix of supernatural crime fighting in lycra?

Other Superhero Films
Spider-Man, the Tom Holland version, is set to star in at least another film, so that particular hero will be around for fans to continue to engage with. Meanwhile, Gambit, Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants are also set to be released by Marvel, allowing a different crop of heroes to rise to the fore. It may be blasphemy, but fans can always head over to DC – Wonder Woman’s prequel is set to be released, as is Birds of Prey, a film about DC‘s group of superheroines and Harley Quinn. For some Marvel fans, jumping ship to their rival might seem like sacrilege, but both houses of superhero offer something different enough for most audiences to enjoy equally. So, while people may be mourning the loss of a certain crop of Avengers, established heroes such as Aquaman and Wonder Woman will be keeping the DC fires burning. Plus, the Marvel heroes arguably changed the game for what a superhero movie could be – so we may see a different take on some of the superheroes going forwards.

Superhero Gaming
Superheroes are defined by their speed, agility, and fighting prowess – traits which offer themselves perfectly for gaming. Online slots offer plenty of options for engaging with all kinds of superheroes. The most popular slots in Canada are developed by Microgaming, NetEnt and Play ‘n Go, and they regularly harness the draw of our favorite characters – 60s Batman, The Avengers, Iron Man, Wolverine and Green Lantern – matching it with this form of gaming, which is so popular it accounts for 50% of online gambling globally. Just because some of the heroes in their current incarnations have been retired doesn’t mean their game avatar versions also have to. But this is just one way we can revisit our iconic heroes by the power of games. For instance, the Mortal Kombat boss has announced that they want to develop a Marvel vs DC version of the fighting game, which will see absolutely every character from both franchises together to battle it out.

Avengers: Endgame is likely to be the cinematic event of the year and rightly so. We’ve welcomed these heroes into our lives for a decade and want to see some of them drift away into the sunset happily. But, for diehard fans, fear not – after all, how many versions of Superman and Batman have graced our screens? While we wait for the reboots and spin-offs of our Avengers, there are still plenty of ways to connect with superheroes.

Based on the Series from Dark Horse Comics, Hellboy gets its third big screen adaptation in Neil Marshall’s upcoming reimagination. The bloodfest of a film sees Hellboy (David Harbour) and his allies up against scorned Sorceress, Blood Queen (Milla Jovovich), who could destroy the world as Hellboy finds himself amidst a battle between humans and the supernatural.

See the Trailer:

The stars of Hellboy delivered a helluva thrill for Toronto tonight at its Canadian Premiere with David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Milla Jovovich, the latter returning to the City where several of the star-making Resident Evil films were made. The event was one of hottest tickets in town this year in Toronto with fans filling the fan pit and media lined at capacity on the Red Carpet. Fans are excited for this retelling and are ready to be wowed by what critics already are praising as phenomenal performances from both Harbour and Jovovich.

Our Team had the pleasure of chatting with Harbour and Jovovich on the Red Carpet at Scotiabank Theatre, which happened to align with the former’s birthday. Fans greeted him with Happy Birthday after arriving fashionably-late to the venue and once again he was serenaded in the theatre with a rendition led by Jovovich. An adorable Maltese named Cheeky in Jovovich‘s entourage too was there to support her under the care of a handler. The evening was followed by a Q&A with Cineplex‘s Tanner Zipchen and there even was a Hellboy cake!

Our Amanda Gilmore asks Jovovich whether she approached her role of Blood Queen as a hero or a villain.

Jovovich: “For me, she was just an amazing woman. So yes in my head she is a hero. She has very big, modern ideas about bringing the monster and human worlds together and powerful men around her just put her down in a very gruesome way. I felt that was very relevant to what’s going-on in the world today. We have more and more women in power and we have more and more men trying to bring them down. I think a lot of girls are not going to look at her as a villain, but they are going to look at the Blood Queen as someone they can relate to and someone they can look-up to in a way.

We are seeing a shift in more female action heroes and you are responsible for paving the way in your work on Resident Evil films which were made in our hometown. How does that make you feel?

Jovovich: “So many of the Resident Evil movies were made in Toronto. I feel like literally Raccoon City is Toronto!”.

“When I grew-up there literally was Sigourney Weaver and that was pretty much it. I always wondered growing-up whether there were other women that represent me. I felt that I was a strong woman and I was raised by a father who wanted a boy. I felt it bizarre that there weren’t more women doing this so I’m ecstatic that there’s so many women in Action movies today, because they’re taking leaps forward for us within the Media and the Media has a trickle effect on society.” .

Our David Baldwin asked Harbour what it was like becoming Hellboy.

Harbour: “It was extremely challenging and extremely satisfying. I’ve loved those Comics for years and years and I wanted to play a brutal, tortured Hellboy. It was extremely challenging and that’s what we did.” .

How challenging was it to wear all the prosthetics, the makeup and all the green-screening?

Harbour: “Acting – it’s kinda hard. You want to work hard and just do it. And then you put someone’s face in latex and that becomes exponentially harder with the weight of the makeup on and the movement in a different body. It was just extremely-challenging, requiring a different skill-set and I understand the whole thing in a deeper way now.”.

What can we expect from Stranger Things 3?

Harbour: “You’re gonna love it. It’s like the Summer of Love season!” .

See our Chats:

See some Snaps:

VVS Films release HELLBOY Friday, April 12, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films/Mr. Will Wong/Amanda Gilmore/David Baldwin)

Just 100 more days till the biggest movie event of the Summer!

Synopsis:
Disney’s “The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau (“The Jungle Book”), journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

Staying true to the classic story, director Jon Favreau utilizes pioneering filmmaking techniques to bring the iconic characters to the big screen in a whole new way. Featuring the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

 
A new Still:

See the Trailer:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release THE LION KING Friday, July 12, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

Success happened literally overnight in 2014 for Author Anna Todd, who published the first chapters of what would become a major success on Wattpad. Fans could not get enough of the story centering on a college junior named Tessa Young who falls in love with a Harry Styles-inspired character in her studies at Washington State University. A publishing deal soon followed, before spawning a series of wildly-successful novels which became New York Times Bestsellers.

After is primed for the big screen and we were lucky enough to chat with Todd and the stars of After, Josephine Langford (the younger sister of 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford) who plays the lead role of Tessa and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), who stars also in the lead role of Hardin.

See the Trailer:

The Trio made time for a Toronto stop on their whirlwind Press Tour and big numbers are projected if the amount of interest online is any indication. Ardent is an understatement describing After‘s fanbase and we chat with Fiennes-Tiffin, Langford and Todd about this, plus also Tessa and Hardin’s electric chemistry and what they took away from their experience making what could be the first installment of a mega-franchise.

How do you achieve that chemistry on-screen?
Todd: “We really took a shot with the two of them because they hadn’t had a chemistry read. Josephine had chemistry reads with side characters and Hero had chemistry reads with a potential round of Tessas but we never had a chemistry read between the two of them. So we really honestly just got really lucky with that.”.

Fiennes-Tiffin: “We feel we can never really take credit for that because we just come on and do our best and we were lucky to get on with each other . The whole cast and crew we’re genuinely all friends genuinely today”.

Langford: ” It’s definitely good casting and luck.”.

What are some of the ‘crazier’ fan experiences you’ve had this Press Tour?

Langford: “I’ve been given a lot of cat-related items.”.

Fiennes-Tiffin: “I have a football top from every place we’ve been so far.”.

Todd: “I would say it’s just having crowds of people every where. There was a night – I would say it was intense more than ‘crazy’ – where they were chasing the car and it felt sorta like a nice Zombie Apocalypse?”.

Langford: “It was a loving Zombie Apocalypse.”.

Todd: “You always see Justin Bieber getting in a car that gets chased. I never thought that I would be in a car that people would care enough to chase!”.

What was the greatest challenge of bringing the story to the big screen?

Todd: “Timing mostly because the books are so long and there’s just so many plot lines and you have to be selective on what makes a good film. So it’s kinda separating the book as much as I kept the book in mind – all of us did – but there are things that just work in a book that don’t work on-screen. I find it’s about keeping the balance of keeping it true to the story but also making it a good film even if you’ve never heard of the books. If the film does its job, people who have never even heard and maybe will never read the books, will still love the Film.”.

What was the most valuable thing you took away from making the Film?

Langford: “For me it was scheduling. I’ve never been in a film where I literally was in every single scene, except maybe one. So learning to deal with that schedule and maintaining continuity while shooting out of order – that was super-valuable to me.”.

Fiennes-Tiffin: “It reiterated to me the importance of telling the whole truth. A lot of things I felt like I took from the character.”.

Todd: “I learned I really like producing. In my next books I will never have everyone have a bunch of tattoos and different-coloured hair, because it’s really hard to do that logistically, especially when you’re making an Indie film on an Indie budget.”.

See our Chat:

We had to!

VVS Films release AFTER Friday, April 12, 2019.

Enter for a chance here to win a Prize Pack. Canadian Readers only.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films/Mr. Will Wong)

VVS Films x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win an AFTER Prize Pack. The Fandom is real. Winners will win a Run-of-Engagement Pass to see the Movie based on Anna Todd‘s wildly-popular series of Novels, and also a copy of the Book on which it is based.

Synopsis:
Tessa Young is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. Entering her first semester of college, Tessa‘s guarded world opens up when she meets Hardin Scott, a mysterious and brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself — and what she wants out of life.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

VVS Films release AFTER Friday, April 12, 2019.

Stay tuned for our chat with Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Anna Todd!

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)