D Films x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see WHITNEY!

Synopsis:
Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals and death at age 48.

This documentary is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Whitney and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of the superstar’s life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

Enter to win by clicking “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Please ensure WHITNEY is playing in your City before entering.

D Films release WHITNEY as follows:

JULY 13TH
Toronto
Vancouver
Montreal

JULY 20TH
Calgary
Edmonton
Winnipeg
Victoria
Halifax

Additional cities to come JULY 27TH.

(Photo/video credit: D Films)

Goodbyes are always a hard thing. Amidst all the bustle of the Queen’s Plate Festival this past weekend, we sent-off our dear Princess, A PIC BY MRWILL to begin her new life outside the Racetrack.

Some of you might remember Emily Fisher (@EmiFisher) who helped take care of Princess late in her two-year-old season. We played dress-up for Halloween together! Back then, she befriended Miss Emily‘s star athlete, multiple stakes winner Don’s Folly (Dons_Folly on Facebook), who went on to be crowned 2015 & 2016 Royal Winter Fair Thoroughbred Stallion Grand Champion as an eventer.

After announcing her retirement in May, Miss Emily offered kindly to take ownership of Princess right away after a few options were examined for her aftercare. She has been a daily part of Princess‘ day, visiting her often in-between runs in her work day on the backstretch at Woodbine, coming with cuddles and treats. We know that Princess will be living her best life possible and be cared for with the special attention and love she deserves. She won’t be far from Woodbine, which makes it easier for us to visit her and we love this.

Miss Emily says: “I am beyond excited to have Princess join our family, I cannot thank John and Cathy enough for entrusting me with her rehabilitation and her life after racing. She has had a few setbacks, but I believe that she has a bright future ahead of her and I can’t wait to see what this girl is capable of! We have a long road ahead of us but it is looking bright.  She handled her move so well and has settled into her new home. I have nothing but positive thoughts about how she will come out of this. There will be big things in this Princess’ future.”.

Motherhood definitely is in the books next for Princess after she gets the rest of the year to focus on healing, although her being developed into an eventer is a possibility too given that she has the perfect composition and demeanour for it. Whatever path fate leads her, we are thrilled for it and we will be there for her every step of the way with all our support.

Don’s Folly and Miss Emily

We’ve also expressed interest in sharing some of the future breeding costs together with Cathy, Princess’ previous Co-Owner, to pair her with an Ontario stallion. Believe me, we could go on all day about who would make the perfect father – the possibilities are infinite! Of course, Don’s Folly also is looking to establish himself as an Ontario stallion too and we would be happy too to see Princess be the mother of his first foal. There are several options, but all this is contingent on Princess‘ recovery and we place her wellness first.

We had one last hurrah at Woodbine with Princess this weekend and she was thrilled to get a visit from one of her biggest fans, Sean (@SPNation74) who was visiting from Massachussetts for the Queen’s Plate Festival.

Sean x Princess:

Some Snaps:

We also are thrilled for Princess‘ family at the John Ross barn and Aheadbyacentury on their fantastic second-place finish in the Queen’s Plate. He is all business and they all worked so hard for this!

See some Snaps of Princess’ goodbye to Woodbine. She got the quick go-ahead from Doctor Pete and boarded the truck like a true professional. Miss Emily and her friend Miss Chelsea came ready with Princess’ favourite haynet and some aromatherapy fly spray to keep those flies at bay.

While we’ll miss seeing Princess in her stall at Woodbine, this is only the beginning of forever for Princess and we are excited for her! We got so choked-up seeing her drive away.

Miss Emily checked-in with us last night to let us know that Princess has settled in nicely at her new home, “She’s great! She has settled in like a champ, cleaning-up her feed tub no problem. She had a sponge bath yesterday and will probably get another one today!”. That’s our Princess!

We’ll continue updating you on Princess‘ journey:

Twitter: @apicbymrwill
Facebook: /apicbymrwill
Instagram: @apicbymrwill

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It was a hectic weekend with it being both Canada Day and the Queen’s Plate, but it wouldn’t have been the same without the 2018 HONDA CIVIC TOURING! As you know from having followed me, the Queen’s Plate is my party of the Summer and now being expanded to a three day Festival, mobility was crucial. We’ve been busier than ever and we looked forward to a weekend finally with even the slightest of “me time” in there. Work-life balance always is good, although we’ve been feeling pretty work-work only lately. With Billy just finishing his Chemotherapy and my going through a lot of work changes in scheduling has proven a bit stressful. We wanted a car we could rely on, which was no fuss as we already had more than enough on our mind.

A marriage of style and practicality, there is a reason why Canadians keep choosing the Honda Civic as their favourite car – a top-seller in the Country for 20 years. This edition more than ever veers further to the luxury with upscale fixings like a power moonroof, sleek leather seats (eight adjustable positions for the driver), the almost requisite rear-view camera, smartphone charging plate, rain-sensing windshield wipers and keyless entry/ignition. More importantly, with fuel being as pricy as it is right now, its ECON mode certainly will win a fan or two over. We test drove the 2018 HONDA CIVIC TOURING, far-stretching runs, and still hadn’t used a tank of gas six days counting. The car nails all the marks.

Boasting a 1.5-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, turbocharged 4-cylinder, 174 hp* engine, we felt empowered every step of the way. Safety comes first with Honda Civics and its lane departure and lane watch systems were hard at work even when we tired after long days in the sweltering heat this past weekend. We are obsessed with the easy to use climate control panel and air conditioning kicked in at remarkable speeds when needed badly.

Connectivity is a huge selling point for us. Its charging plate, which worked well with our Samsung Galaxy, wouldn’t recognize some iPhones  (iPhone 7) and newer Blackberrys (Key 2). Either way, the trusty USB port was an easy fix to that issue. A 452-watt AM/FM Premium audio system with 10 speakers (including subwoofer), sounded glorious and it’s always a blast catching-up with SIRIUS XM, although we went to Spotify a lot for our drives this time.

Some Snaps:

Alas, we had a bit of “us time” today by the water, courtesy of the 2018 Honda Civic Touring and we are grateful for it. Always make time for those you love most. One day you’ll look back and wish you did.

Our “Us Day”:

One day you’ll look back and wish you did. Thank you @HondaCanada for giving me an “Us Day”. #HondaCivic

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jul 2, 2018 at 7:43pm PDT

Some fun at the 2018 Queen’s Plate Festival:

The #QueensPlate never fails to be a blast! Loved the new official cocktail, the Royal Flush and a pleasant surprise seeing stars of different galaxies unite in the name of #HorseRacing. Awesome seeing @Acacia_Courtney, @BradPaisley, @Letterkennyproblems Cast and @Tomhopperhops this weekend! How do you feel about @thejeromelermyte’s and my power stock broker look? 🤑 Swipe left. One more day left still at the Queen’s Plate Festival. Wearing shorts today, don’t care! Happy Canada Day! 🍁#QP18

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jul 1, 2018 at 8:22am PDT

More on that here.

The 2018 Honda Civic Touring starts at just $29,472.50 CAN. Learn more about it here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

The party of the Summer for us always has been the Queen’s Plate. Now in its 159th edition, the historic $1 million affair brings together Canada’s best with a distinction of being the most historic horse race in North America. Social circles collided at the bash, now a three-day Festival at Woodbine Racetrack, as Horse Racing reunited once again with fashion, cocktails and entertainment, highlighted by a headlining performance by Country star Brad Paisley on Festival Friday and Sam Roberts Band following the big race Saturday. Betting was an all-time high tallying-in at $14,625,756, surpassing a 2017 record, proving that the Queen’s Plate is here to stay.

Wonder Gadot

The big race itself went to superfilly WONDER GADOT, who overcame the opposition with ease for her owner Gary Barber, former Chairman and CEO of MGM Entertainment. He last won the Queen’s Plate in 2014 with another brilliant filly, Lexie Lou. Ridden by U.S.-based John Velasquez and trained by reigning champion Mark Casse and his team led at Woodbine by David Adams and Kathryn Sullivan, she was crowned top two-year-old filly in the land this April before almost winning the prestigious Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in a dramatic finish.  The daughter of Medaglio d’Oro named after Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, boosted her career earnings just shy of the $1.2 million-mark and she was bred by Toronto’s David Anderson of Anderson Farms.  A box office smash just like her namesake! Superheroes all need their gear and it is said that the addition of blinkers helped the filly focus and she soared the skies.

The Tragically Hip fans would be delighted that John Ross co-owned trainee and hit namesake Aheadbyacentury, got up second for newcomer co-owners Jack of Hearts Racing, followed by second runner-up Cooler Mike and his owner/trainer Nick Nosowenko.

Wonder Gadot likely is to be seen next at Fort Erie Racetrack Tuesday, July 24, 2018 in the Prince of Wales Stakes, before heading possibly to Saratoga for the Alabama Stakes. Her win in the Queen’s Plate secures her a spot at Horse Racing’s championship days, the Breeders’ Cup, this fall at Churchill Downs with this now being considered a qualifying “win and you’re in” race.

2018 continues to be Barber‘s year.  He recently was in the news reaching a $260 million settlement with his former employer and he won another stake on Festival Sunday, the $225k Bison City Stakes with 2016 CTHS Premier Yearling Sale topper SAFE TO SAY. The filly is co-owned by Windway Farms (Jeffrey and Annabelle Begg), giving French jockey Jerome Lermyte his first stake win locally. Casse, who trains the filly, kicked-off his string of stakes scores on Festival Saturday in the Charlie Barley Stakes with John Oxley/My Meadowview LLC-owned RIDE A COMET.

Safe to Say

Other big winners this weekend at the Queen’s Plate Festival include Brad Cox trainee LONG ON VALUE who also earned a berth at the Breeders’ Cup with a win in the Highlander Stakes; the impressive Chad Brown mare SANTA MONICA (GB) powering through the heat in the Dance Smartly Stakes to deny her stablemate, Canadian-bred INFLEXIBILITY; DELTA PRINCE, a half-brother to the late and great Royal Delta won the King Edward for Frank Stronach; TIZ A SLAM, a former Queen’s Plate entrant, upset the Dominion Day Stakes; SILENT SONET roared in the Zadracarta Stakes; and FAIRY HILL, a $25k claim for Bruno Schickendanz by trainer Norm McKnight, sprinkled some magic and won the Lady Angela Stakes on Festival Friday.

See some Snaps:

Santa Monica (GB)

Long on Value

Frank Stronach & Delta Prince 

Ride a Comet

Fairy Hill

Silent Sonet

Tiz a Slam

Entertainment and Fashion also were front and center at the Queen’s Plate Festival. Bold type names attending included fix-it gurus Mike Holmes and Mike Holmes Jr., beauty queen and popular horse racing personality Acacia Courtney, Letterkenny stars Andrew Herr and Nathan Dales, County singer Natasha Zimbarro, The Umbrella Academy star Tom Hopper, media personalities Jennifer Valentyne, Sangita Patel and Rick Campanelli, plus members of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and more. Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell once again too graced us with her presence.

See more below:

Brad Paisley

Elizabeth Dowdeswell & Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson

Jennifer Valentyne

Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Simoni Lawrence

Rick Campanelli

Natasha Zimbarro

Acacia Courtney

 Tom Hopper

Woodbine’s Tony Gattellaro and Phil Forde with the Cast of Letterkenny

Mike Holmes and Mike Holmes Jr.

And let’s not forget the fashion! Bri Mott and Fashion at the Races once again were at the Queen’s Plate engaging attendees to show-off their #QP18 style!

Bri Mott of Fashion at the Races

Breeder/Owner Yvonne Schwabe

Best Friends, jockeys Florent Geroux & Jerome Lermyte

CHCH TV Host and Blogger Brigitte Truong

Queen’s Plate Style Guide Director, Rachael Ancheril

Queen’s Plate official Milliner, David Dunkley

Impeccably-outfitted power owner Kenneth Ramsey & family, including grandson trainer Nolan, who now is based at Woodbine

Liliana Garcia & Cynthia Hernandez

Azalea

Princess (@APicbymrwill) and I in our matchy Festival Friday outfits:

More #QP18 sights and vibes:

The official #QP18 cocktail, the Royal Flush

Fresh off Wonder Gadot‘s victory blanket
 

We are thrilled to have featured the top two finishers in this year’s Queen’s Plate in our Webseries, MR. WILL’S PATH TO THE PLATE.  We apologize the Series ended prematurely this season due to scheduling conflicts, but hope to bring you more in 2019.

Wonder Gadot

Aheadbyacentury

Missed it this year? Follow @WoodbineTB on Twitter to stay up to date on all updates Woodbine and Queen’s Plate-related.

Want more? We’ve got a Facebook album full of #QP18. Click here to see!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM continues to rule the Box Office a second straight week with $60 million from 4,485 theatres for Universal Pictures. Over two weeks, it has grossed $264 million domestically.

In second is INCREDIBLES 2 with $45.5 million in its third week out for Disney/Pixar. Thus far in North America it has made $439.7 million.

SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO opens in third with an impressive $19 million from 3,055 theatres for Sony Pictures. By contrast, its 2015 Predecessor made $12.1 million in its wide expansion debut. This installment gets 62% on the Tomatometer and a B CinemaScore.

Basketball Comedy UNCLE DREW debuts in fourth with $15.5 million from 2,742 theatres for Lionsgate Films/Elevation Pictures. It gets 67% on the Tomatometer and an A CinemaScore.

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR rounds out the Top Ten with $2.2 million from 654 theatres for Universal Pictures. It has made $7.4 million over four weeks.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to see ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. The Screening takes place Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 7:00pm at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto.

Synopsis:
From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes “Ant Man and The Wasp,” a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink. In the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War,” Scott Lang grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from the past.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Click “share” on this Post on Facebook or Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!

Walt Disney Studios Moiton Pictures Canada release ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Friday, July 6, 2018.

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

©Disney

Already having won raves in the UK, the rest of the world should be excited for THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, streaming soon on Netflix!

Synopsis:

Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and based on the best-selling and much loved novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY sees Lily James (Downton Abbey, Cinderella) play free-spirited writer Juliet Ashton, who forms a life-changing bond with the delightful and eccentric Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, when she decides to write about the book club they formed during the occupation of Guernsey in WWII. The film also stars Michiel Huisman (The Age of Adaline), Glen Powell (Everybody Wants Some, Hidden Figures), Matthew Goode (The Imitation Game, Downton Abbey), Jessica Brown Findlay (Victor Frankenstein, Downton Abbey) and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, The Boat That Rocked) with Tom Courtenay (45 Years, Doctor Zhivago) and Penelope Wilton (The BFG, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).

See the Trailer:

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY streams Friday, August 10, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Sony Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see THE EQUALIZER 2 Wednesday, July 18, 2018. Screenings take place in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

Synopsis:
Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook and indicate your City. Click “share” from there or Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

Sony Pictures Canada release THE EQUALIZER 2 Friday, July 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)

PRIDE month is going strong in Toronto and the spirit reached feverish heights this weekend with the 38th annual Pride Parade.  The celebration of diversity is known as one of the biggest cultural festivals in North America, spanning 22 blocks and bringing-in an estimated 1 million people to the City.  Entertainment always is a highlight of Pride and providing that are several prominent community DJs and Drag Performers. RuPaul’s Drag Race stars like Bendelacreme also graced the stages and coming to town this year were a star-studded line-up including SWV, Kehlani and Brandy, the latter who headlined at Yonge & Dundas Square tonight.

GRAMMY-winning, 40 million album-selling superstar BRANDY is a star of TV, Film, Theatre and Music, dominating the airwaves in the ’90s through early 2000s with smash hits like The Boy is Mine (alongside Monica), Full Moon, I Wanna Be Down, Sittin’ Up in My Room and Top of the World. She has shown her love for the LGBT community, performing also at Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis last night, prior to arriving in the City for her eagerly-awaited set.

We spotted Brandy earlier and while her handler tried intercepting, she was amazingly nice and came over for a Selfie and some autographs. We love her braids and glasses, and it’s as if she hasn’t aged a day!  Toronto is extremely lucky to have her this year and we can’t wait to see who’ll be here next year!

See our Snap:

R&B star #Brandy in #Toronto for #Pride! #torontopride #pridetoronto #loveislove

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jun 24, 2018 at 10:53am PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM has a ‘dino-mite’ opening this weekend at the Box Office with $150 million from 4,291 theatres for Universal Pictures. While shy of Jurassic World’s $208 million debut in 2015 (a Franchise best), this still places it well ahead of its competition. It gets 50% on the Tomatometer, but a much better A- CinemaScore from Audiences.

INCREDIBLES 2 in its second week finds itself in second with $80.9 million for Disney/Pixar from 4,410 theatres. In total it has earned $350 million in its domestic run.

OCEAN’S 8 is in third with $11.6 million in its third week, taking it just past the $100-million-mark for Warner Bros.

TAG is in fourth with $8.5 million in its second week out, bringing its total to $30.4 million for Warner Bros. also.

Mr. Rogers Documentary WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR rounds-out the Top Ten with $1.8 million after expanding to 348 theatres for Universal Pictures/Focus Features.