So thrilled to partner with BOOKING.COM on our trip to New York for the Met Gala 2025. Fashion’s biggest night isn’t our only main reason to visit – trust me, there are so many reasons to be in the City that never sleeps. Travelling with a globally leading online travel platform makes it so much easier to experience the world as you can book your accommodations, flights, airport taxis, car rentals, attractions, and more, all in one simple place. With over 30 million listings across 30 different types of places to stay – think world-class hotels, boutique hotels, homes, apartments, villas, resorts, B&Bs, farmstays, even houseboats, igloos, and treehouses – in more than 220 countries and territories around the world, Booking.com has the perfect place for everybody.

And visiting an expensive city like New York, you’ll want to take advantage of Booking.com’s free Genius loyalty program. It offers tons of exclusive perks to save you money, like 10-20% discounts on your accommodations, 10-15% discounts on rental cars, free room upgrades, free breakfasts, priority customer service, and more.

For me, Booking.com’s search filters are key as they make it super easy to find the perfect place to stay that caters to your own specific needs. Whether you’re on a specific budget, need air conditioning, parking or even an electric vehicle charging station, want to be near certain landmarks/attractions, have mobility limitations, require an allergy-free room even, Booking.com makes it easy to tailor your results to your exact criteria. You can fine-tune your search results to even show “reading light”, “game console”, “would like complimentary evening snacks and drinks in the executive lounge” (yes, this is a real search filter where available!). Your accommodation wish is their command with Booking.com!

Our needs are very straight-forward. We also want our hotel central to all the action, yet also far enough away from too much bustle. We want all the food and coffee options, we love a chic decor and cleanliness. Most importantly as we travel with our precious princess beanie, we need that “pets allowed” filter and, as we’ve learned over the years, proximity to greenery is so key.

TRAVELLING WITH YOUR PET FROM CANADA

Travelling with your beloved companion is easier than you think. Many airlines allow you to bring them along as a carry-on, so long as your carrier is within their guidelines, and your pet is within a certain weight range. Since August 2024, entry to the U.S. from Canada requires completion of a CDC Form, which will actually last you a few months in case you anticipate additional travel to the U.S. And of course, a visit to your veterinarian to present proof of your companion’s good health and current vaccinations. You will need to present a letter both entering the U.S. and heading back to Canada. Rules change, so always do a bit of research ahead.

MODERNE HOTEL

Moderne Hotel did not disappoint! We prefer boutique hotels as they generally hit another level in quietness and cleanliness. The service feels more personalized and intimate. I know these are subjective claims, but they are my truths from travels.

Recently renovated and still undergoing improvements, Moderne Hotel contains just six floors. Its Pop Art-inspired hallways were quiet, perfect for pets as this means less noise triggers. Lobby staff were so helpful and engaged, asking for ways they could make our stay better. Case in point, I had made some online purchases ahead of my visit (we are actually spoiled in Canada with next day deliveries!) timing them for my arrival. The hotel staff were so kind to stow-away my orders safely, including one which required refrigeration. Off the bat, I was pleased with this level of detailed care and willingness to help. Did we mention they had food and water dishes in the room ready for beanie on arrival too?

Guests also get complimentary breakfast daily (with high quality pastries too!) in the second-floor common room called the Guest Suite. A lovely gesture that not all hotels offer nowadays.

PROXIMITY

My past few visits to New York with beanie have been great, but a nagging concern I have is finding areas with greenery. As is the case in New York, lawns are fenced-in and protected, off limits to dogs, which makes for challenges for beanie who is used to unlimited grass at home in Toronto. We nailed it this time though as Moderne Hotel is only a few blocks south of scenic Central Park.

On the topic of proximity, Moderne Hotel exceeds all expectations here especially. Walk south a few blocks, you are in the thick of Times Square and Broadway District. It is TONY Awards season and we are thrilled to have taken in the superb Sunset Blvd, which got seven nominations! We love the excitement of stage doors and seeing the stars, and were able to do just that! Broadway currently is a hotbed of big stars with the likes of George Clooney, Kieran Culkin, Orville Peck, Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Snook, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, and several more, all within reach! You don’t necessarily need to have bought a ticket to see the Musical or Play even to partake in the thrill! What a great City!

Walk a few blocks north of Moderne Hotel, you are in Central Park and Columbus Circle. Go a little further north, uptown, and you are at the heart of where a majority of the stars are for the Met Gala, with landmarks like The Mark and The Carlyle (available too for bookings also on Booking.com) on the first Monday in May! You don’t need an invite from Anna Wintour to see the stars and their extravagant ensembles from the barricades whether it be the hotels or at the actual Gala itself.

The actual Metropolitan Museum of Art is where the Gala is held, has numerous entry options listed on Booking Attractions which you can get tickets for on regular days of operation. An entry ticket with a MET Pre-Orientation tour (and same-day entry to the Met Cloisters in Uptown Manhattan) is available, as are numerous options for guided tours of the museum’s highlights. You can even do a private “art and crime” tour where you’ll learn about the infamous art thefts the museum has seen over the years, from the looting of antiquities to the seizure of paintings right off museum walls!

Don’t forget NYC’s other awesome museums either, like Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology and American Museum of Natural History. Another fun option if you’re there for celeb culture is the Central Park Film Spots and Celebrity Homes Pedicab Tour.

Moderne Hotel had us positioned only a few blocks from Hell’s Kitchen one way, and Avenue of the Americas (Radio City Music Hall, 30 Rockefeller Center, tons of shopping) the other way. My greatest surprise this trip was seeing ride share pricing skyrocket from prior years. We literally are up to $25 US to go up and down a few blocks.

My greatest learning lesson this trip was educating myself how to use the subway system. Moderne Hotel being just two blocks from the subway station on 57th and 8th. I made multiple trips to Brooklyn on $3 versus per trip (just tap your credit card), versus the usual $60 US. And beanie could come too in her carrier. I got there just as quickly via the train as I would have using ride share. So you choose what makes more sense! Using the subway over the course of a couple days, I saved about $250 US alone.

DINING

In addition to my deep love of Entertainment and Celebrity, I am equally a lover of Food and Drink. New York City and its diverse boroughs not only are on the cutting edge and cusp of trends, they also do the classics to the highest standard. Some delicious bites included newly-opened Din Tai Fung (first ever location on the East Coast); Maxi’s Noodle (the biggest Wontons I have ever seen!); Dominique Ansel Bakery (Cronuts never get old for us!); L&B Spumoni Gardens (fantastic Pizza and Ice Cream adored by the likes of Jimmy Fallon); and buzzy Win Son Bakery (innovative American-Taiwanese brunches), among others. For coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee (founded by The Weeknd, yet still not in Canada), and Blank Street Coffee hit the mark aesthetically and in taste and have multiple locations around the City.

Many shops are accepting of a quick pop-in with your dog if you are quickly grabbing takeaway. We felt so understood and seen in New York City, as we cannot imagine travelling without our beloved beanie. We wish every other city could have this.

TIPS & THOUGHTS

One key note for visitors: I’d say that with unpredictable spring weather, being able to look out the window to see how heavy the rain downpour is key to planning when to head outside. I mean nobody wants to be stuck in a torrential downpour, especially when walking their dog. Many NYC hotels have room windows facing the brick walls next door, making it tricky to gauge the weather outside.

A couple trips for travelling a little more kindly and consciously. You’ll see much of New York is moving to cashless payment options. That being said, service workers might get left out of gratuities, the more we rely on our cards. It is important to punch-out a bit of cash to have on-hand.

Also, we don’t expect our towels to be cleaned and our room vacuumed daily at home, so a little gesture like staggering the frequency of this could have a positive impact on energy consumption and sustainability. Recent research from Booking.com found that 94% of Canadian travelers say they want to make more sustainable travel choices in 2025 and to some extent have done so (a huge increase that we love to see as, in 2016, similar Booking.com research found that just 39% of Canadian travelers believed they travelled more sustainably!). You can signal to staff that you don’t need your room completely turned over with a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign on your door.

THE MET GALA 2025 & TRAVELOG

Now for our Travelog. Come along with beanie and I to see the immense starpower of New York City during Met Gala 2025, themed SUPERFINE: TAILORING BLACK STYLE, honouring Black contributions to Fashion. This, and the gorgeous sights and flavours that are defining New York.

Some memories:

BOOKING.COM made it all so easy! See you in the Big Apple!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Sometimes the most dangerous place for a dad is a family vacation. Introducing the new Trailer for NOBODY 2, in theatres August 15, 2025.

Bob Odenkirk returns as suburban husband, father and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell in the new chapter to Nobody, the hit 2021 bare-knuckle action-thriller that opened at number one at the U.S. box office.

Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob, Hutch remains $30 million in debt to the criminal organization and is working it off with an unending string of hits on international thugs.

Much as he likes the slam-bang action of his “job,” Hutch and his wife Becca (International Emmy nominee Connie Nielsen) find themselves overworked and drifting apart. So, they decide to take their kids (Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath) on a short getaway to Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark, the one and only place where Hutch and his brother Harry (Grammy and Emmy nominee RZA) went on a vacation as kids.

With Hutch’s dad (Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd) in tow, the family arrives in the small tourist town of Plummerville (“Plummerville is Summerville!”), eager for some fun in the sun.

But when a minor encounter with some town bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz; Fast and Furious franchise, Bumblebee) and his shady sheriff (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Colin Hanks), Hutch finds himself the focus of the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he (or anyone) has ever encountered (Emmy winning and Oscar® nominated screen icon, Sharon Stone).

Nobody 2 is an 87North/Eighty Two Films/Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment production, directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us, The Big 4). The screenplay is by returning writer Derek Kolstad (John Wick, Die Hart) and by Aaron Rabin (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), from a story by Derek Kolstad, based on characters created by Derek Kolstad.

This film’s returning producers are 87North founders Kelly McCormick (Bullet Train, The Fall Guy) and David Leitch (Bullet Train, The Fall Guy); Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment founder Marc Provissiero (No Hard Feelings, PEN15), Eighty Two Films founder Braden Aftergood (Hell or High Water, Samaritan); and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad). The executive producer is David Hyman.

Genre: Action

Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, RZA, Colin Hanks, with Christopher Lloyd and Sharon Stone

Director: Timo Tjahjanto

Screenplay by: Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin

Story by: Derek Kolstad,

based on characters created by Derek Kolstad

Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Marc Provissiero, Braden Aftergood, Bob Odenkirk

Executive Producer: David Hyman

MY OXFORD YEAR debuts on Netflix August 1, 2025, starring Sofia Carson. Today we get a first look.

DIRECTED BY: Iain Morris
SCREENPLAY BY: Allison Burnett and Melissa Osborne
STORY BY: Allison Burnett
NOVEL BY: Julia Whelan
PRODUCED BY: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Laura Quicksilver, Isaac Klausner
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Caroline Levy, Sofia Carson, Laura Char Carson, Christopher Simon, Maggie Monteith, Pete Harris
CO-PRODUCER: George Berman
KEY CAST: Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack, Harry Trevaldwyn, Esmé Kingdom, Nikhil Parmar, Poppy Gilbert

LOGLINE: When Anna, an ambitious young American woman, sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a childhood dream, she has her life completely on track until she meets a charming and clever local who profoundly alters both of their lives.

The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada will honour award-winning producer Christina Jennings, Founder, Chairman and President of Shaftesbury, with the Glass Ceiling Award at this year’s second annual event on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto.

The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada Glass Ceiling Award was created to recognize excellence in leadership in the Canadian entertainment industry from women who are setting the agenda and driving the industry forward.

Christina Jennings is the Founder, Chairman, and President of Shaftesbury, one of Canada’s most enduring independent production companies. A visionary producer of award-winning scripted storytelling, Jennings is known for her ability to build globally recognized, long-running series such as Murdoch Mysteries and Hudson & Rex. In addition to these flagship titles, Shaftesbury’s slate of work includes Slasher, Departure, SisterS, Frankie Drake Mysteries and Ruby & The Well. Most recently, Shaftesbury wrapped the first seasons of the one-hour crime drama Underbelly (starring Stephen Amell, Hamza Hak and Minnie Driver) and the hour-long drama Irish Blood (starring Alicia Silverstone).

Throughout her career, Jennings has collaborated with some of the most internationally recognized artists, including Jessica Tandy, Margaret Atwood – whose work Shaftesbury has adapted – as well as Tatiana Maslany, Elliot Page, Christopher Plummer, Eric McCormack, Victor Garber, Wendy Crewson and Archie Panjabi.

A dedicated mentor, she has made supporting emerging talent a cornerstone of her work through Shaftesbury and her longstanding involvement with the Canadian Film Centre, where she served as Chair of the Board for over a decade. Her contributions to the industry have been recognized with numerous honours, including the Order of Canada, Order of Ontario, the Academy Achievement Award, the MIPCOM Lifetime Achievement Award, and the PROFIT Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship at RBC’s Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Awards.

The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada is a first-of-its-kind summit and Awards bringing the industry together across television, film, and music to celebrate and recognize the achievements of Canadian women who are driving the industry forward in their respective fields. As previously announced, Margaret Atwood will receive the ICON Award, Tantoo Cardinal will receive the Equity in Entertainment Award, Jeanne Beker will be honoured with the Impact Award, and Amrit Kaur will receive the Breakthrough Award at this year’s event.

For tickets and more information, including the day’s full schedule and programming details, visit www.womeninentertainment.ca.

Luminato Festival returns June 4-22, 2025 to ignite Toronto with bold, playful, and of the moment art experiences that transform the people, places and possibilities of the city. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Celia Smith and Artistic Director Olivia Ansell, Luminato enters a new era with a bigger and more ambitious 19th edition of the festival that invites the public to encounter the city like never before.

“Luminato presents once-in-a-lifetime, inclusive art experiences that showcase the best of Toronto, our country, and the world,” says Celia Smith, CEO of Luminato Festival and expert in urban transformation. “We create moments that inspire and connect us and lead to positive change in our everyday lives.”

The theme of Luminato 2025, DAY:NIGHT explores how we inhabit the city in a 24-hour cycle. From dusk to dawn and dawn to dusk, any given day can be ordinary or extraordinary. Artistic Director Olivia Ansell says “First breath, dawn light through to last dance and final word – the 2025 program asks us to reflect on the cycle of our collective lives and how we engage, disrupt and exist in time and space as a community. Be it the first or the last of things, we invite locals and visitors to encounter Toronto differently.”

This year’s festival ignites both day and night culture engaging audiences around the clock with a dynamic mix of music, dance, and theatre, along with immersive, family-friendly, and free public art. With the city as its canvas, Luminato brings art encounters to outdoor spaces, transit stations, theatres, galleries, and neighbourhoods across the Toronto area. Over 1000 artists from Canada and afar reimagine this city with compelling public art over three blockbuster weeks with 12 world premieres, 8 commissions and 14 exclusives from 10 countries.

Day one opens with opera visionary Krystian Lada’s Dawn Chorus (Poland) as it transforms Union Station into a living symphony. Award-winning photographer Nadya Kwandibens’ (Anishinaabe/Ojibwe) Night/Shifts captures the lives of Toronto’s night workers and displays them across the TTC and beyond. At Luminato at Harbourfront, the vibrant festival hub, First Breath by UK’s Luke Jerram celebrates new life born in Toronto each day with a breathtaking light installation. Terceradix Luminarium is an immersive, otherworldly structure of colour and light at Harbourfront Centre by UK artists Architects of Air.

Also at Luminato at Harbourfront is Teatro La Plaza’s (Peru) Hamlet which reimagines Shakespeare’s most famous work with eight incredible actors with Down syndrome, giving it new relevance. A Glimpse of Quincy: Celebrating the Legendary Quincy Jones is arranged and produced by Grammy Award-winning artist Larnell Lewis.

Theatre and dance highlights include Tim Crouch’s hypnotic story of loss, An Oak Tree (UK) presented in partnership with TO Live, where each performance features a different guest artist, revealed only at curtain time, at the Jane Mallett Theatre. Artists include Amanda Cordner, Amrit Kaur, Qasim Khan, Daniel MacIvor, Karen Robinson, and Jean Yoon, with more to be announced. Red Like Fruit by Hannah Moscovitch, co-presented with Soulpepper and produced by 2B Theatre, explores themes of power and complicity in the post-#MeToo era. Queen of the Night Communion, co-produced with Tapestry Opera, is an immersive opera experience that transforms baroque tradition at Metropolitan United Church. What the Day Owes to the Night by Compagnie Hervé KOUBI (France/Algeria) and in partnership with TO Live and Fall For Dance North, blends capoeira, martial arts, and Sufi traditions in a captivating dance performance. The world premiere of HANS: My Life in Fairytales by Craig Francis and Rick Miller, uses puppetry, video, and clowning to bring Hans Christian Andersen’s extraordinary stories to life. Canadian/Columbian collaboration Nigamon/Tunai by Émilie Monnet and Waira Nina is a poetic manifesto against extractivism, land destruction, and displacement. Theo x Travis: Jazz is Dead is a high-energy fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, featuring trumpeter Theo Croker and tap dancer Travis Knights, co-presented by dance Immersion.

Luminato will showcase a number of remarkable free public art installations and performances that connect art directly to the people. THAW by Australia’s Legs on the Wall is an epic eight-hour performance which makes climate change impossible to ignore with a 2.7-tonne block of ice suspended over Sankofa Square. Rainbow Dreams by Japanese born, Australian based, Hiromi Tango creates three unique rainbow-filled environments at Brookfield Properties that invite the public to explore pathways toward well-being. Flamboyant and defiantly joyous, Dandyism by Rwandan born, UK based Ziza Patrick celebrates the timeless swagger of African style through powerful street and contemporary dance.

Luminato at Harbourfront will also feature free experiences for all ages throughout the day. Notable hub highlights include Sangam, curated by The Tawoos Initiative, creates a confluence of rhythms from South Asia. Featuring the highly anticipated North American debut by the uncensored voice of Pakistan – legendary rap pioneer, Faris Shafi, and a return of the popularly demanded electronic music producer and composer Talal Qureshi. Miigwech Collective curates an exciting line-up of Indigenous music artists including blues and country artist Crystal Shawanda, pop and R&B singer Alicia Kayley, and electronic world beats artist Tica. Lulaworld celebrates Latin and Indigenous music, including Colombia’s revolutionary La Pambelé orchestra, the electrifying Afro-Colombian Kombilesa Mí, and the dynamism of Sonic Sancocho’s vinyl sets. SANTÉ by Cirque Kikasse (Quebec) brings high-flying acrobatics atop a food truck for gravity-defying feats of fun.

Luminato’s sound experiences include:

Immersed by Justin Gray, an innovative audio experience blending Indian classical music, jazz, and electronic soundscapes, co-presented with TD Music Hall

Dusk Soundscapes by Maria Chávez, a live DJ set co-presented with the Art Gallery of Ontario

2025 Luminato Conversation Series and community events include:

Beach Clean Up, hosted by Swim Drink Fish and artist Merle Harley, combines environmental action with creative expression.

For the 2nd year, The Wedge Lecture, co-presented by Wedge Curatorial Projects and part of Luminato’s Conversation Series, explores Black Diasporic narratives, identity and issues around representation.
Last Words: Talking in Cemeteries with Canadian Christa Couture & Guests is an intimate exploration of life, death, and legacy in a historic cemetery in Toronto, part of the Conversation Series.
You’re All in the Band, presented by Community Music Schools Toronto in association with Luminato Festival, is an immersive musical journey with hundreds of students celebrating joy and inclusion.

Luminato 2025 will also feature the following experiences presented by a number of partners:

-Sleep Temple, presented by Jumblies Theatre in association with Luminato Festival.
-The 52 Live: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto presented by Museum of Toronto in association with Luminato Festival
-Gimeno Conducts The Best of Brahms by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in association with Luminato Festival.
-To Dream of Other Places by Emmanuel Osahor, presented by The Power Plant Gallery.
-Runway Rivers Public Art Installation by John Notten, programmed and presented by YZD.

Luminato’s Industry Series returns for its 8th year, offering opportunities for Canadian artists to learn, share their work and network with global peers.

Under the leadership of Celia Smith and Olivia Ansell, Luminato’s transformative vision solidifies its role as a global cultural leader. By redefining how people experience Toronto – both those who live and visit here – the festival positions the city as a premier destination for art, culture, and community. Through Luminato’s unwavering commitment to creative transformation and a 2025 festival which highlights environmental sustainability, mental wellbeing, and the wide-ranging experiences inhabiting a 24-hour cycle, the festival contributes to a thriving, connected and inspired city. This June, Luminato again invites the world to explore Toronto’s streets, stages, and stories like never before. For full event details, including dates and times, please visit luminatofestival.com.

Festival Ticketing & Access

Tickets for most Luminato events are available as of April 2 on luminatofestival.com. Take advantage of our 20% early bird discount while quantities last and bundle savings. For some free events, advanced registration may be required. Visit luminatofestival.com today for full details and to secure your spot. Luminato aims to create inclusive experiences where everyone feels welcome to participate. Please contact our Access Concierge for assistance: email: access@luminato.com and phone: 437-776-1569.

About Luminato Festival

Luminato Festival transforms the people, places, and possibilities of Toronto with extraordinary art experiences. Every June we present bold, playful, and of the moment art for all to enjoy. Distinctly Toronto, proudly Canadian and totally Global, we welcome the world to explore our streets, stages and stories. Encounter the city like never before.

Luminato Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of our founding government partner, the Province of Ontario; our major partners, the City of Toronto and the Government of Canada. Major media partners for 2025 include the Toronto Star and St. Joseph Communications.

We are also grateful for our major partners and supporters: TD Bank Group, BMO, Brookfield Properties, Donald K. Johnson, O.C. LLD, Ian and Kiki Delaney, C.M., The Azrieli Foundation, and The Michael Young Family Foundation.

Today, Disney+ unveiled the teaser trailer and art along with first look images for the highly-anticipated, Original Ryan Murphy legal drama “All’s Fair,” premiering Fall 2025 on Disney+ in Canada.

In the Hulu Original “All’s Fair,” a team of female divorce attorneys leave a male-dominated firm to open their own powerhouse practice. Fierce, brilliant, and emotionally complicated, they navigate high-stakes breakups, scandalous secrets, and shifting allegiances—both in the courtroom and within their own ranks. In a world where money talks and love is a battleground, these women don’t just play the game—they change it.

Starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka with Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close.

“All’s Fair,” produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television, is written and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, who also directs, Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken, Jamie Pachino, Lyn Greene and Richard Levine. Kim Kardashian, Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts and Sarah Paulson star and executive produce. Anthony Hemingway executive produces and directs. Kris Jenner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson and Nissa Diederich also serve as executive producers.

Robust parental controls ensure that Disney+ remains a suitable viewing experience for everyone in the family. Subscribers can set access limits on mature content and create PIN-protected profiles alongside the already existing Junior Mode profiles to give parents and guardians peace of mind.

Today, Disney+ revealed the premiere dates for two upcoming series, including the fourth season of the Emmy®-Award winning “The Bear,” and the series premiere of the much-anticipated sci-fi drama from Emmy®-Award winning producer Noah Hawley, “Alien: Earth.” Disney+ also released today new episodic images and key art from “Alien: Earth,” and key art from season four of “The Bear.”

FX’s “The Bear,” the critically acclaimed, Emmy® Award-winning hit series, will premiere its fourth season on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 with all 10 episodes available beginning at 5pm PT / 8pm ET on Disney+ in Canada.

FX’s “Alien: Earth,” a new drama series from Noah Hawley based on the acclaimed franchise, will premiere on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 with the first two episodes available at 5pm PT / 8pm ET on FX and Disney+ in Canada. A new episode of the eight-episode season will premiere each following Tuesday on FX and Disney+ beginning at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.

FX’s “The Bear”

Season four of FX’s “The Bear” finds Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (White), Sydney Adamu (Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Moss-Bachrach) pushing forward, determined not only to survive, but also to take The Bear to the next level. With new challenges around every corner, the team must adapt, adjust and overcome. This season, the pursuit of excellence isn’t just about getting better – it’s about deciding what’s worth holding on to.

The series also stars Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas and Matty Matheson, with Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon in recurring roles.

FX’s “The Bear” was created by Christopher Storer, who serves as Executive Producer alongside Josh Senior, Joanna Calo, Cooper Wehde, Tyson Bidner, Matty Matheson, Hiro Murai and Rene Gube. Courtney Storer serves as a Co-Executive Producer and Culinary Producer. The series is produced by FX Productions.

Named an AFI Television Program of the Year in each of its first three seasons, FX’s “The Bear” most recently won 11 Emmy Awards for its second season, the most wins for a comedy series ever in a single year. The show has also garnered awards nominations and/or wins from the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Peabody Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Writers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, Producer Guild Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, MPSE Golden Reel Awards, CAS Awards, ACE Eddie Awards and TCA Awards, amongst others.

FX’s “Alien: Earth”

When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, “Wendy” (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s “Alien: Earth.”

In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named “Wendy” marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, “Wendy” and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.

Led by Chandler, the series showcases an expansive international cast, which includes Timothy Olyphant (“Kirsh”), Alex Lawther (“Hermit”), Samuel Blenkin (“Boy Kavalier”), Babou Ceesay (“Morrow”), Adrian Edmondson (“Atom Eins”), David Rysdahl (“Arthur Sylvia”), Essie Davis (“Dame Sylvia”), Lily Newmark (“Nibs”), Erana James (“Curly”), Adarsh Gourav (“Slightly”), Jonathan Ajayi (“Smee”), Kit Young (“Tootles”), Diêm Camille (“Siberian”), Moe Bar-El (“Rashidi”) and Sandra Yi Sencindiver (“Yutani”).

FX’s “Alien: Earth” is created for television and executive produced by Peabody and Emmy® Award-winning Noah Hawley. Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Joseph Iberti, Dana Gonzales and Clayton Krueger also serve as executive producers. “Alien: Earth” is produced by FX Productions.

Robust parental controls ensure that Disney+ remains a suitable viewing experience for everyone in the family. Subscribers can set access limits on mature content and create PIN-protected profiles alongside the already existing Junior Mode profiles to give parents and guardians peace of mind.

Today, Paramount+ announced the “outrageous, original and wildly entertaining” (Mike Manalo, Nerds of Color) action-comedy NOVOCAINE will arrive on the service on May 13 in Canada and the U.S.*

NOVOCAINE follows Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) who was born with a rare genetic disorder that prevents him from feeling any pain. When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is taken hostage in a bank heist, he turns his inability to feel physical pain into an unexpected strength in the fight to get her back.

Hailed as “non-stop fun” (Jonathan Sim, Coming Soon), “an absolute blast” (Perri Nemiroff, Collider), and “a genuine riot” (Jeff Ewing, Collider), NOVOCAINE is Certified Fresh™ on Rotten Tomatoes® and has earned a stellar 85% Popcornmeter audience score**. Jack Quaid “absolutely kills it” (Rachel LaBonte, Screen Rant) as an unlikely hero whose only superpower is that he can’t feel pain.

NOVOCAINE joins Paramount+’s premium collection of high-octane, action-packed movies available on the service, ranging from Best Picture Academy Award® winner GLADIATOR and the epic follow up GLADIATOR II, to hit franchises including MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, STAR TREK and TOP GUN, as well as critically acclaimed films like SEPTEMBER 5 and FORREST GUMP.

Paramount Pictures presents in association with Infrared Pictures and Domain Entertainment a Safehouse Pictures / Circle Management + Production of a film by Dan Berk & Robert Olsen: NOVOCAINE. Executive Produced by Paul Barbeau, Glen Basner, Josh Adler, Lars Jacobson, Alison Cohen, Pete Chiappetta, Isabela Salas, Paul Neinstein. Produced by Drew Simon, Tory Tunnell, Joby Harold, Sam Speiser, Matt Schwartz, Julian Rosenberg. Written by Lars Jacobson. Directed by Dan Berk & Robert Olsen.

NOVOCAINE is rated 14A for violence and coarse language.

• The film’s availability in additional international Paramount+ markets will be announced at a later date.

**As of 5/6/25

A24, Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of BRING HER BACK. Screenings take place May 26, 2025 in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary:

TORONTO ADVANCE SCREENING

LOCATION: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto #1

ADDRESS: 259 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3M6

DATE: Monday, May 26

TIME: 7:00 PM

VANCOUVER ADVANCE SCREENING

LOCATION: Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas #8

ADDRESS: 88 W Pender St 3rd floor, Vancouver, BV V6B 6N9

DATE: Monday, May 26

TIME: 7:00 PM

CALGARY ADVANCE SCREENING

LOCATION: Scotiabank Theatre Chinook #11

ADDRESS: 6455 Macleod Trl SW, Calgary, AB T2H 0K9

DATE: Monday, May 26

TIME: 7:00 PM

Synopsis:

A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother.

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barrat, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton and more.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or IG, and in the comments indicate your City. Tag one friend you will take! Multiple entries allowed.

Rules and regulations here.

BRING HER BACK is in theatres May 30, 2025, via Elevation Pictures.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Today, the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation is proud to announce the 33rd annual Toronto Jewish Film Festival lineup consisting of over 80 films from across the globe. The Festival will screen in various locations across Toronto between June 5th – June 15th and will also host free virtual screenings for Canadians across the country to enjoy.

Opening this year’s festival will be the Toronto Premiere of Canadian director Ken Scott’s latest feature ONCE UPON MY MOTHER with special guest, writer and film subject Roland Perez. Demonstrating that there is no love greater than that between a mother and her child, Scott (Starbuck) delivers a big-hearted, witty film based on a true story that is destined to be a crowd favourite. The film will premiere at 8 p.m. ET at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto.

Other highlighted films include Berlinale 2025 selection and TJFF Centrepiece Film ALL I HAD WAS NOTHINGNESS, an emotional feat from director Guillaume Ribot, in which he explores 220 hours of unreleased footage from Claude Lanzmann’s landmark 1985 film Shoah. Ribot will join the audience for a post-screening Q&A. To close out this year’s Festival, CHARLES GRODIN: REBEL WITH A CAUSE will have its Ontario premiere along with a virtual Q&A with Grodin’s wife Elissa Grodin and Director James Freedman. The documentary is not only a tribute to Grodin’s legacy on-screen, but the many years he dedicated to advocating for social justice causes within the United-States, particularly surrounding prison reform and wrongful incarceration. Elaine May’s THE HEARTBREAK KID starring Charles Grodin will also play at the festival.

For a local Toronto focus, guests can expect in-conversations exploring the Jewish community engrained in Toronto culture. The Festival will host a free double-feature of Harry Rasky’s NOBODY SWINGS ON SUNDAY which will be presented with Barry Avrich’s AGAINST ALL ODDS: THE UNSTOPPABLE STORY OF TORONTO’S MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL, which has been nominated for the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary Program at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards. KENSINGTON MARKET: HEART OF THE CITY from director Stuart Clarfield will also screen at the Festival. The film explores the 150-year history of the beloved Kensington neighbourhood in Toronto through residents’ stories, combining archival footage and interviews to highlight the area’s cultural richness and the ongoing struggle against gentrification. All three projects will feature an in-person Q&A.

TJFF will once again be taking a hybrid approach, making content accessible to a wider audience. Among virtual offerings, this year’s Festival has curated a free online screening programme taking place from June 6th – June 20th honouring the legacy of Winnipegger Larry Zolf, a bold figure in Canadian media. From his early days on CBC’s This Hour Has Seven Days to memorable appearances on The Originals and Firing Line with William F. Buckley, Zolf’s bold, irreverent take on politics and society made him a standout in the Canadian media landscape.

Additionally, this year’s TJFF2025 Artist-In-Residence programme features actor Sasson Gabay (The Band’s Visit, Shtisel, Gett), who will be attending the festival in-person. As part of this programme, TJFF has curated a series, which includes AN AFTERNOON WITH SASSON GABAY where Gabay reflects on the last five decades of his illustrious career. Gabay will also present various works, including 2024 Toronto International Film Festival Official Selection BLISS. From Iraqi-Jewish roots, Gabay has performed internationally in Hebrew, Arabic, Yiddish, English and French across film, television and theatre; his body of work reflects the complexity of the international Jewish experience.

From horror to comedy to poignant documentaries, free programmes and engaging panels, discover the unexpected at the Festival. The full Festival lineup can be found at: https://tjff.com/lineup-2025/.

Tickets can be purchased online at: https://tjff.com/tjff2025-festival-passes.

About TJFF

Co-founded in 1993 by Artistic Director, Helen Zukerman, the TJFF was created to heighten awareness of Jewish cultural diversity in Toronto and around the world. Films have included such world renowned hits as: Lune (Aviva Armour-Ostroff), Sublet (Eytan Fox), Shiva Baby (Emma Seligman), Tel Aviv on Fire (Sameh Zoabi), Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (Max Lewkowicz), RBG (Betsy West, Julie Cohen), A Tickle in the Heart (Stefan Schwietert), and Hebrew Hammer  (Jonathan Kesselman), as well as Academy Award-winners The Counterfeiters (Stefan Ruzowitzky), and West Bank Story (Ari Sandel). The Canadian Archival series shines a light on the rarely seen Jewish contributions to Canadian film and television. TJFF is presented by the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation, which runs programmes and events throughout the year and the GTA.