SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE has has Moviegoers ‘into’ it at the pre-Holiday Office this weekend with $36 million from 3,813 theatres for Sony Pictures. The Animated Feature including the voices of Chris Pine, Jake Johnson and Hailee Steinfeld, comes with great acclaim, earning 97% on the Tomatometer and a rare A+ CinemaScore. Nothing still beats the Franchise’s best opening in 2007 with Spider-Man 3.

Clint Eastwood‘s latest, THE MULE, opens in second spot with $17.8 million from 2,588 theatres for Warner Bros. The Drama passes with 64% on the Tomatometer and an A- CinemaScore.

In third is THE GRINCH with $12.5 million for Universal Pictures. Its six-week total takes it to $240 million domestically.

MORTAL ENGINES, brought to us by the same people behind Lord of the Rings, opens in fifth for Universal Pictures with $7.5 million from 3,103 theatres. It gets 26% on the Tomatometer and a B- CinemaScore.

ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL, a PG-13 Re-Cut of DEADPOOL 2 with new Holiday-themed scenes, rounds-out the Top Ten with $2.6 million from 1,566 theatres for 20th Century Fox. It gets 52% on the Tomatometer.

By Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong

Peter Hedges’ latest film, Ben is Back, premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and we were lucky enough to sit down with one of the Film’s stars, Courtney B. Vance. The Film explores the many ways drug use effects not just the addict but also their family which prompted Mr. Vance to open-up about not only his preparation for the Film but also his views on parenting and family.

SIOBHÁN: You’ve worked on Stage, Television, Film. How does your preparation differ depending on the medium?

VANCE: It does. I remember for Lucky Guy I tried to do a lot of research but there was nothing to be found on him so I had to back into him by listening to everything the Director, George C. Wolfe, was saying about him. With Johnny Cochrane and OJ Simpson – I could have looked at all the footage but I thought that would put me in my head too much. So I chose to read the book a couple times and I found a kernel in there and I said “I’m going to trust that that’s enough to propel me in.” So really it depends – a play is different than film and film is slower, and you have more time than with television. It depends but ultimately it really comes down to knowing just enough we we can get in there and play and see what the other actor or actors and the director and the production designer and what everybody’s bringing. Then to be able to be – that’s where potentially the magic – you have to leave room for the magic to happen. But with a play you actually have the play to take you through every night and then to see what happens to people. With Film [and Television] you have to depend on the directors,“Ok where am I now and what’s happening here and what’s coming up? Okay got it! Let’s go.” So it’s a little different.

SIOBHÁN: In the Film, your character is the hard nosed realist whereas Julia’s character is very much about the unconditional love – tough love – but still unconditional love. Where do you fall on that and which do you think is more realistic?

VANCE: I think they both have to be there. I think there are instances – and my wife [Angela Bassett) and I deal with this in our lives with our children – sometimes you have to be there as a soft cushion for them to fall into and sometimes… “You fall in here but let’s look after we’ve done this […] let’s talk it through. “You did this. What are some other options you could have done so that the next time it comes up – and it will come up again – a different colour, a different height, a different depth.” To be able to be discerning because eventually you need to be able to do this yourself. You have to be able navigate and that’s what we are really about raising children and young people to be fully functioning – to eventually be able to take over.

My mother passed away last year of ALS and they saw me take over for her because she couldn’t anymore. I had to make decisions for my mother with my sister and they saw that as children. They saw daddy, they saw Grandma is not as… She used to talk and now she’s not talking but you still had to go in. They still had to say good morning to Grandma, tell her what your day was like. And so that process, that circle of life, everything goes around in a circle and some days it may not be your best day you’ve had but it is a day and we’ll get through this to the other side. Knowing that with help – with the village – we can push through this and get through just about anything. It’s really about children knowing at base core they’re loved and based on that we gotta deal with this issue. If they know it’s done in a loving situation then we can ride through any storm.

Elevation Pictures release BEN IS BACK Friday, December 14, 2018.

Fox Searchlight x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Vancouver a chance to win a THE FAVOURITE Prize Pack!

Prize Pack Vancouver includes:
T-shirt, poster and playing cards.

Artwork:

Synopsis:
In the early 18th century, with England and France at war, a frail  Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne as her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead, while tending to Anne‘s ill health and mercurial temper.

When new servant Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes  Abigail, who has aristrocratic roots, under her wing. This gives Abigail the hope that she’ll be able to regain her social position if things go well. As the politics of war take up Sarah‘s time and concentration, Abigail steps in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfil her ambitions.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Please specify your City! Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for extra chance!

Fox Searchlight release THE FAVOURITE as follows:

December 7^th – Toronto 
December 21 – Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Victoria, Winnipeg, Halifax (wide)

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)

We had too much fun at Taylor Swift‘s reputation Tour this summer and we’re thrilled to experience it again! See the new Trailer for the reputation Stadium Tour Concert Film, coming soon to Netflix!

See the Trailer:

Netflix Canada stream the reputation Stadium Tour Monday, December 31, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

For those of you in Toronto, don’t forget to pop by Eaton Centre to see a super-cool Mary Poppins Returns activation. See colourful umbrellas and a life-sized Mary Poppins 55 feet up in the air at the Dundas Atrium, for an amazing Photo Op running December 10 – 23, 2018 only! The activation is brought to us by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada, Cadillac Fairview and Branded Cities.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release MARY POPPINS RETURNS Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

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

Mr. Will wants to give Readers a chance to see AQUAMAN at the advance screening on December 17 . Screenings take place as follows:

MONTREAL ENGLISH
Screening details:
Monday, December 17th 2018
Show Time: 7:00PM
Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal
977 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montreal Quebec, H3B 4W3

OTTAWA
Screening details:
Monday, December 17th 2018
Show Time: 7:00PM
Cineplex Lansdowne
325 Marche Way #107
Ottawa ON, K1S 5J3

WINNIPEG
Screening details:
Monday, December 17th 2018
Show Time: 7:00PM
SilverCity St. Vital
1225 St Mary’s Road #160
Winnipeg MB, R2M 5E5

CALGARY
Screening details:
Monday, December 17th 2018
Show Time: 7:00PM
Scotiabank Theatre Chinook
6455 Macleod Trail SW
Calgary AB, T2H 0K4

EDMONTON
Screening details:
Monday, December 17th 2018
Show Time: 7:00PM
Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton
8882 170 St Suite: #3030
Edmonton AB, T5T 4M2

HALIFAX
Screening details:
Monday, December 17th 2018
Show Time: 7:00PM
Scotiabank Theatre Halifax
190 Chain Lake Dr.
Halifax NS, B3S 1C5

Synopsis:
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.

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! Please ensure you’re following!

 AQUAMAN is in theatres December 21!

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)

Filmed right at home here in Toronto, the new Teaser for Netflix‘s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY finally has surfaced! The Series based on My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way‘s graphic novels, comes with muh fanfare and looks every bit as exciting as it has been made out to be!

See the Teaser:

 Netflix Canada stream THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY Friday, February 15, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

It’s a fight to the finish this weekend with RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET expected to take top spot a third straight weekend at the Box Office.  The Sequel to Wreck-It Ralph is on target to take $15.4 million from 3,795 theatres for Disney, a total $140 million grossed to date domestically.

THE GRINCH continues to show amazing resiliency, to take $15.3 million from 3,841 theatres for Universal Pictures, getting edged-out oh so narrowly. Over five weeks it has made $223 million in North America.

CREED II settles for third with $9.7 million, a total $95.8 million made over three weeks for Warner Bros.

Oscar Contender GREEN BOOK is in seventh with $3.7 million for Universal Pictures, from 1,181 theatres, a total $19.8 million made over four weeks.

Rounding-out the Top Ten is WIDOWS with $3 million for 20th Century Fox, a total $38 million made over four weeks.

Nominations for the 61st GRAMMY Awards were unveiled this morning and Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the way with eight nominations for his work from the BLACK PANTHER Soundtrack. Lamar is up for Record of The Year with All The Stars, (ft. SZA), Album of the Year for Black Panther: The Album, Song of The Year with All The Stars, Best Rap Performance for King’s Dead, Best Rap/Sung Performance for All The Stars, Best Rap Song for King’s Dead and Win and Best Song Written For Visual Media with All The Stars.

Not far behind is Toronto’s Drake with seven nods including God’s Plan nominated for Record of the Year, Song of The Year and Best Rap Song categories. His Disc SCORPION is up for Album of the Year, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance with Sicko Mode and also, Best Rap Performance on Nice For What.

Female artists are front and center also with Lady Gaga and Cardi B getting five nominations each. Among the Lady Gaga‘s nominations, she gets four nods for her work on the A STAR IS BORN Soundtrack for Bradley Cooper collaboration, Shallow in the categories of Song of The Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song written for Visual Media categories with Shallow.

Cardi B also gets five nominations including Record of The Year for I Like It and the Album of The Year with debut disc, Invasion of Privacy, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Maroon 5 collaboration Girls Like You, Best Rap Performance for Be Careful and Best Rap Album for Invasion of Privacy.

Nominees for the highly-competitive BEST NEW ARTIST category include:
CHLOE X HALLE
LUKE COMBS
GRETA VAN FLEET
H.E.R.
DUA LIPA
MARGO PRICE
BEBE REXHA
JORJA SMITH

See Nominees in the major categories below:

Album of the Year
H.E.R. – H.E.R.
Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You
Drake – Scorpion
Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album
Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys
Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Record of the Year
Cardi B – I Like It
Brandi Carlile – The Joke
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Drake – God’s Plan
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Post Malone & 21 Savage – Rockstar
Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle

Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All the Stars
Ella Mai – Boo’d Up
Drake – God’s Plan
Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
Brandi Carlile – The Joke
Zedd & Maren Morris – The Middle
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Childish Gambino – This Is America

Complete list of Nominees here.

The 61st annual GRAMMY Awards air Sunday, February 10, 2019 on CBS.

(Photo credit: Universal Music)

From the upcoming release VOX LUX, Natalie Portman makes her Pop Star debut in-character in this new Video for WRAPPED UP from the Film. Penned by Sia, we are pleasantly surprised by the results! What do you think?

See the Video:

The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to VOX LUX is out now. More here.

Elevation Pictures release VOX LUX in Toronto Friday, December 21, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Music)