Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada and Mr. Will want to give Canadian Readers a chance to win a copy of Neill Blomkamp’s CHAPPIE, starring Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman, on DVD!

Official Synopsis:

In the near future, the streets are patrolled by police robots. One such robot is captured and reprogrammed to be the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. Named Chappie, his programmer Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) tries to teach the childlike robot about books and art.

However, Australian engineer Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman) is very opposed to the idea of artificial intelligence and wants to destroy Chappie.

Official Artwork:

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada release CHAPPIE on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada)

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon started his Film career as a Production Assistant in 1990. Twenty-five years later he is being showered with unanimous praise for his second feature as a Director, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. “The response is so beautiful because it’s recognition for everyone who worked on the Film,” he says when asked about the critical and audience reaction to the Film. “It feels great.”

The Film tells the story of high school student Greg (Thomas Mann), who befriends Rachel (Olivia Cooke) after he learns of her being diagnosed with Leukemia. In his spare time, he likes making short Parody Films based on mainstream hits and obscure Foreign Films. He makes these shorts with his friend and “co-worker” Earl (RJ Cyler), and realizes that he needs to make a Film for Rachel.

While Mann and Cooke are industry veterans despite their youth, Cyler is making his Feature debut in Me and Earl. Gomez-Rejon tells us, “I’ve always loved discovering talent. I like when you have the opportunity to find new talent. People take chances on me all the time.”

It is no wonder people are taking chances on him; his credentials more than speak for themselves. He acted as a Casting Director on Babel, Eat Pray Love and an unrealized Terrence Malick Film, as a Second Unit Director on The Eagle and Best Picture Oscar-winner Argo, and has directed multiple episodes of Glee and American Horror Story. His Feature debut, last year’s Remake/Sequel The Town That Dreaded Sundown, only came to fruition when pre-production on Me and Earl fell apart. “Ryan [Murphy, the Creator of Glee and American Horror Story] said ‘You keep trying to make your Citizen Kane, why don’t you make your Boxcar Bertha?’ And so I did,” Gomez-Rejon explains. “Luckily this movie came back together and I jumped right into this.”

Me and Earl is Gomez-Rejon’s first “personal” Film and he found its intimacy to be “so refreshing” to work on. Drawing on the style of Classics like Harold and Maude and The Graduate, he says he wanted this Film “to be kind of like Greg: very playful, and big and exciting and energetic at the beginning, and then it calms down and becomes more intimate and still and quiet, quiet, quiet.” Despite the drama and emotion that comes later in the Film, he intended to “always [have] a little joke in there somewhere, to lighten it up until the very end.”

In discussing a pivotal scene late in the Film between Mann and Cooke, Gomez-Rejon notes that the shot “was going to be the master and then I was going to do two close-ups. But after [the first take] it just felt so good that I walked away from it. It only works because they’re brilliant in it.” He is even more enthusiastic talking about Cyler: “It was quite a beautiful process to see pure emotion come out of him as Earl. This is his first Movie, and you’re watching him and he doesn’t even know that he had this in him.”

While he is coy about his next project, Gomez-Rejon hopes to continue his work in feature Films: “I love the beginning, middle and end of it – it’s a journey you go through and it finishes, and you put it aside, and that’s who you were at that point. Scorsese has a body of work that reveals who he is. And I’d like in the next fifty years, if I’m still making Movies, being able to leave behind more and more of Films that I think will show who I am at that particular time.”

Echoing the sentiments of his Cast, Gomez-Rejon’s feels that Me and Earl is “not a Movie about dying. It’s a Movie about living.” But the Film was summed up even more eloquently for him by a high school student from Seattle. They had been grieving from the loss of a friend in a car accident and told him at a screening of Me and Earl that “When people leave their lives, they’re like a stained glass window. Their definition is not as clear but the beauty of their life is evermore present.”

Gomez-Rejon was so touched by the words of this student that he made sure to write them down, and take them with him everywhere he goes. “There’s an infinity of layers in all of us, and just because one of them is gone doesn’t mean that others remain,” he says. “We just have to pay attention and find them, and listen to them.”.

Fox Searchlight release ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL on Friday, June 12, 2015.

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Thomas Mann and Olivia Cooke may not be household names, but they will be this June after Fox Searchlight  unspools Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. The Film rocked Sundance this past January, picking-up the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. But on a sunny Toronto afternoon, they are just two courteous young adults apprehensive of how the howling wind is going to affect our interview.

“I just don’t want it to mess with the sound because the air is bad for microphones,” Mann says as we hurry inside, dodging unsecure patio furniture.

At the suggestion of his mother, Greg (Mann) befriends Rachel (Cooke), who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. The Film chronicles their friendship, and the way they grow into adulthood when faced with this debilitating disease. RJ Cyler plays Earl, Greg’s friend and “co-worker” who helps him make short Parody Films based on their favourite Films.

Cooke was no stranger to ill characters before taking on the role of Rachel – her character on the TV Series Bates Motel struggles with Cystic Fibrosis: “I’m always drawn to the [roles] that are going to challenge me. I never approached it as ‘Oh my God I’m playing another dying girl again!’” Cooke shaved her head for the Film and worked on-set with Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon to track the five stages of Chemotherapy.

Mann was very cautious not to interfere with any of this. He says, “I purposely kept myself distant from her process. Greg has no idea about the stages of Cancer, and so I would just arrive on-set and see her in these different stages. It was just a very subtle, physical thing I would notice and it affects you.”

Despite what she goes through, Cooke was very precise on how she wanted to play Rachel, “You don’t ever want to see Rachel as a victim or as a tragic character, or anyone with Cancer as a tragic character. Because they’re still themselves.” She has nothing but praise for costume designer Jennifer Eve for helping her achieve this: “As Rachel got sicker, her clothes and her wigs and her hats became more vibrant and brighter because she’s like ‘I’m still me, I’m not completely vanished and disappeared because I’m deteriorating’.”

In discussing the content of the Film, Mann and Cooke were very strongly opposed to lumping the Film into the sick-fiction genre shared with Films like The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay. “Cancer is more of a backdrop,” Mann says, “It’s so complex and I feel so many things about it, that talking about it is often really frustrating.” Cooke elaborates that “I feel like people like to pigeonhole, and it’s so annoying. You can’t compartmentalize it because it’s so many things at once. I feel like you can take the Cancer or the illness aspect out of it, and you’ll still have a really wonderful movie about friendship and discovery.”

And that friendship is what Mann really likes about the Film: “When you see a romantic couple on screen, you’re not taking a part in it. The fact that we’re friends, you feel like you could be one of us. If you like spending time with these kids then anything tragic that happens to them is so much more resonant.”

While the Film is emotional, there is a lot of humour and comedy scattered throughout. Mann had a lot of fun working on the Short Films Greg and Earl make in their spare time. His favourite was ‘Burden of Screams’, based on Les Blank’s 1982 Documentary Burden of Dreams, “That was the first day of shooting, and they’re like ‘You can do a German accent right?’ It’s just so ridiculous. I’m wearing this all-White suit with a straw hat. And there’s kids walking by, and I’m cursing at the top of my lungs.”

In the end, both Actors took something away from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Mann learned “to trust myself and trust Alfonso, and really just [learnt] to let myself go. I’m a more emotional person now. I cry when I watch movies, and I never used to do that before. I’ve grown as an actor, and hopefully as a person.” Cooke was just as emotional. When discussing romanticizing death, she says “It’s so stupid to waste your time on thinking like that. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.” Instead, she now wants to “just be more present and live.”.

Fox Searchlight release ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL on Friday, June 12, 2015.

Once voted TV Guide‘s number two (out of 25) Top Television Star and three-time Golden Globe Award Winner, pretty much everybody knows his name. Ted Danson‘s acting career has spanned 30 years, many of us growing-up watching him as Sam Malone on beloved Series, Cheers.  We have nothing but fond memories of him in Toronto-filmed Comedy Three Men and a Baby, and subsequent Sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady.  Even if you are a post-Millennial, you’d still recognize him from Curb Your Enthusiasm, Damages or CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Danson arrived in Toronto last night, stopping for a group photo with Fans who happened to share a flight with him, upon arrival. The Vegan, married to Actress Mary Steenburgen, is in town promoting one of his favourite causes, Ocean preservation. He appeared on CP24 Breakfast and Breakfast Television  in the 6 o’clock hour, to discuss the issue and will speak later today in Financial District on the matter at an event organized by the Economic Club of Canada, named Save the Oceans, Feed the World, while also launching the Canadian branch of Oceana.  He is here to challenge us to think about sustainable fishing and where we’re getting the fish from that we eat.

See his Interview on Breakfast Television with Kevin Frankish by clicking here.

Danson despite running late, was kind enough to stop for a minute for Fans who made it through despite rain and subway closure. He was happy to pose with Billy and I!

Our Snap:

With #TedDanson, here for #SavetheOceansFeedtheWorld.

A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Jun 8, 2015 at 6:55am PDT

Learn more at Oceana Canada.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Oceana)

Thanks to the Triple Crown-winning accomplishments of AMERICAN PHAROAH, the Public’s interest in Horse Racing has been piqued once again.  Many of us here in Toronto have front-of-the-line access to some of the World’s best at Woodbine Racetrack – just minutes from the Toronto Pearson International Airport – and don’t even know it!

For years now I’ve been singing the praises of the Sport.  I grew-up with it and still love v. much to this day as an Ambassador. It is a great part of our Canadian heritage and something that generates a great  amount of revenue for our Province every year. I’ve hosted events on major Race Days for Newbies and the response always is unanimous  – Horse Racing is exhilarating and fun!

You’ll be thrilled about an amazing opportunity to win a $1,000 Woodbine Gift Card! All you have to do is attend the races at Woodbine at some point in the 2015 Racing Season and post a Selfie on Twitter using the Hashtag #OfftotheRaces to qualify!  How easy! And you didn’t even have to place a bet!  Your Selfie literally could win you a cool grand. Get creative!

THE QUEEN’S PLATE

Canada’s most prestigious and North America’s most historic horse race, the Queen’s Plate, is coming next month and we’re thrilled at what is shaping-up to be the strongest field in quite some time, after witnessing some of our own Canadian-breds do great things south of the border this winter!

Who will be this year’s Queen’s Plate Champ?  Will it be a rapidly-improving Shaman Ghost? Or could it be Conquest Curlinate who stood a real chance at thwarting American Pharoah‘s Triple Crown bid?  Will last year’s two-year-old Champion Conquest Typhoon be ready after some setbacks? Could it be Danish Dynaformer from the barn of Hall of Fame Trainer Roger Attfield who won the official prep race, the Plate Trial? Or how about the promising Ami’s Flatter from the barn of Josie Carroll, the first-ever female Trainer to win the Queen’s Plate? What if it were a filly to win again against the boys in talented Academic?

Some major Race Days this Season at Woodbine Racetrack include:

Sunday, June 14th, the $500k Budweiser Woodbine Oaks and $150k Plate Trial

The Woodbine Oaks is restricted for Canadian-bred Fillies and is the Country’s most important race for the division. Greats like Dance Smartly and Lexie Lou (in 2014) won this Race en route to doing amazing things in the U.S., including both being named Canadian Horse of the Year.

The Plate Trial is considered a key Prep Race for the Queen’s Plate and often determines who will be the Favourite in the Queen’s Plate.  Big Red Mike, Eye of the Leopard,  Alydeed, Izvestia and With Approval are among winners of this race who went on to win the Plate.

Sunday, July 5th, the 156th running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate

The Queen’s Plate is the Country’s top race for three-year-olds, the Canadian equivalent to America’s Kentucky Derby.  Various members of the Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II have attended the prestigious affair.

The event is highlighted by the Hats & Horseshoes Party –  which all are invited to – sees guests at Woodbine dressing-up in their best attire and hats to celebrate the important race with cocktails, food, entertainment, music and fashion.

Sunday, September 13th, the $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile

One of Woodbine‘s marquee fixtures, which traditionally has drawn some of the World’s finest talent as a Grade I race.  The one-mile event on the grass has attracted the likes of Rahy’s Attorney, Shakespeare, Leroidesanimaux, Court Vision and two-time North American Horse of the Year, Wise Dan who won the race twice in 2012 and 2013.

Sunday, October 18th, the $1 million Pattison Canadian International

Most famously known as the race in which legendary Secretariat capped-off his remarkable career, the Pattison Canadian International every year attracts a field rich and deep in quality as the lush turf course Woodbine is known for.  Singspiel, Sky Classic, Chief Bearheart, Infamy, All Along, Majesty’s Prince and three-time Winner, Joshua Tree are among some of the more famous winners of the Grade I race.

Sunday, October 24, the Breeders’ Crown

While most of the races we’ve named thus far are for Thoroughbred horses, Woodbine also is known for its world-class Harness Racing (you know… where horses race in Buggies?).  The Breeders’s Crown is known as a championship night of racing, with purses totaling the millions, seeing Standardbred horses across twelve different divisions compete for titles.  We’re extremely lucky to see the night hosted at Woodbine this year, with the Breeders’ Crown touring different tracks across North America annually.

Stay tuned for our coverage leading-up to the Plate in coming weeks. We’re extremely stoked to be covering some of this year’s Candidates and we’ll be sure to have you Queen’s Plate-ready in-time for that first Sunday in July!

 More info on the Queen’s Plate here.

For more information on Woodbine Entertainment, visit here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

This post was created in partnership with Woodbine Racetrack.

Melissa McCarthy continues to stamp herself Queen of the Box Office, with her latest Comedy, SPY debuting at number one this weekend for 20th Century Fox with  $30 million from 3,711 theatres.  In fact, since 2011, a remarkable seven out of eight of her Films have debuted in the Top Three, this being her second Film since Identity Theft to debut on-top.  In addition to commercial success, Critics adored the Film with remarkable 95% on the Tomatometer, while Audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore only.

SAN ANDREAS in its second week, lands in second with $25 million for Warner Bros. In two weeks it is just shy of the $100-million mark after a smashing debut at number one last week.

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3 debuts in third spot with $23 million for Focus Features/eOne Films, from 3,002 theatres.  Critics gave it favourable reviews with a 60% on the Tomatometer, while Audiences responded fairly well with a B+ CinemaScore.  While a strong showing, this falls short of 2013’s $40 million opening for Chapter 2.

ENTOURAGE: THE MOVIE rewards Fans of the HBO Series handsomely and the Film continuation of the beloved Show, debuts in fourth spot with $18.3 million from 3,108 theatres for Warner Bros. While the Critics were tough on it with a 30% on the Tomatometer, Audiences gave it a decisive “yes” with an A- CinemaScore.

PITCH PERFECT 2 finds itself in fifth $8.5 million for Universal Pictures, now in its fourth week. It now has made $161 million domestically.

Rounding-out the Top Ten is POLTERGEIST with $2.7 million for 20th Century Fox in its third week out. The Horror Remake has made $44 million in its run thus far.

One of 2015’s most buzzed Films comes this October in Steven Spielberg‘s Cold War Thriller, BRIDGE OF SPIES and here’s your first look!  The timing would be perfect for a TIFF ’15 Premiere, no?

Synopsis:
American attorney and U.S. Navy Reserve Commander James Donovan (Tom Hanks) finds himself in the middle of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on a near-impossible mission to negotiate the release of captured American U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers with the Soviet government.

Official Artwork:

See the brand new Trailer:

DreamWorks Pictures release BRIDGE OF SPIES on Friday, October 18, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: DreamWorks Pictures)

I have been intrigued since seeing a Teaser but this looks just phenomenal. And maybe we just might see this at TIFF ’15? A boy can dream, right?  We know this much – the Film will open the 53rd New York Film Festival this September. You’ll be gasping where this new Trailer ends off!

Official Synopsis:

Twelve people have walked on the moon. Only one has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.

Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), is aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, who overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan.

Robert Zemeckis, the master director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX® 3D wizardry, The Walk is genuine big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds.

See the Trailer:

Sony Pictures Canada release THE WALK on Friday, October 2, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)

Canada! We know you love Ryan Reynolds and we’re excited to partner with VVS Films on an exciting Screening Giveaway for SELF/LESS, in theatres July 10, 2015!  Screenings take place Wednesday, July 8, 2015 in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Halifax.

Official Synopsis:
A terminally ill elderly billionaire (Ben Kingsley) who is dying from cancer buys a chance for eternal life through an experimental underground medical procedure called “shedding,” which transfers his consciousness into the cadaver of a younger man (Ryan Reynolds).

However, the promise of immortality turns into a nightmare when he experiences flashbacks that reveal the disturbing origins of his new body and he discovers a secret organization that will kill to keep their cause quiet.

See the Trailer:

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook and indicate for me your City. Click “share” on this Post from there for an extra chance, or Tweet the below:

http://www.mrwillwong.com/selfless @MRWILLW wants us to #win Passes to see #SELFLESS! Out 7/10!

VVS Films release SELF/LESS on Friday, July 10, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

If you loved Arthouse Comedy Frances Ha, you will be overjoyed about MISTRESS AMERICA, reteaming Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig once again!

Official Synopsis:

In MISTRESS AMERICA, Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke (Greta Gerwig) – a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town – she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke‘s alluringly mad schemes.

See the Trailer:

Fox Searchlight release MISTRESS AMERICA on Friday, August 14, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)