By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
“This is somewhat uncharted territory for me.”
Nick Kroll is just as hilarious and authentic in person as his Characters are on hit TV shows The League and Kroll Show. He has had some small Film roles in the past but he found his first leading performance in the new Film, Adult Beginners. He went all in with this one, credited as a Producer and for the Film’s Story as well. It has been a long day of interviews by the time we speak to him, but you would never know from how enthusiastic and excited he is to talk about it.
The Film casts Kroll as Jake, a savvy Tech Entrepreneur who is forced to move back in with his pregnant Sister Justine (Rose Byrne) and her Husband Danny (Bobby Cannavale) after his Company tanks the night before the big launch. Jake wants to get his life back on track, so he starts by becoming Nanny to his Nephew Teddy (played by twins Caleb and Matthew Paddock).
Adult Beginners is being released on VOD and in select Canadian theatres this weekend after premiering at TIFF this past September. “Toronto always seemed like the right place for us. The Audiences were great and it was a great experience,” Kroll says. He first brought the project to Executive Producer and fellow The League Castmate Mark Duplass three and half years ago, just before the first season of Kroll Show went to air. Their goal was to not “make the big schticky version of this movie” and “to tell a real story.” But it took some time to put together, and he is incredibly honest talking about the development cycle: “I don’t assume anything I work on will get made or turn into anything real,” so he prefers to “get a lot of things going, and see what things get momentum.”
While he had to “call in a ton of favours” from scene-stealing friends like Joel McHale, SNL’s Bobby Moynihan and The League’s Jason Mantzoukas to help with the Film, he admits they were very lucky to land Byrne and Cannavale. He “wasn’t intimidated” by their dramatic acting experience, but knew that he “wanted to step up” with his own acting. And coming from a background in Comedy and Television, Kroll was very surprised with how each scene ended, telling us that it was a “new exercise in not finishing every scene with a big joke”. He cannot help but mention however that “there’s a little taste of improv in just about every scene”. One such element is the repeated mention of the sconces that Justine has installed in the house to help make it sell better. “I am not anti or pro sconce,” he tells us, “But I am pro callback.”
With Kroll Show ending and The League coming up on its final season, Kroll is not showing any signs of slowing down. He’s a voice in the 2016 Seth Rogen-written animated Film Sausage Party (“It’s made some very dirty people blush”) and is about to begin pre-production on the feature adaptation of Sophie Goodhart’s Palme d’Or-nominated Short My Blind Brother. He may also be in Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, but has not seen the Film himself to confirm. A friend says they “saw him” when watching the Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, but he is not at all worried about the very real possibility of the notorious Director cutting his performance from the Film.
If Kroll learned anything from making Adult Beginners, it is that it made him “want to continue to experiment and just try to make new things.” He does not want to become typecast or stick to any one genre in the future. He tells us in parting, “It’s good to take risks creatively and professionally, and see what happens.” And if his eclectic resume of performances suggests anything, Nick Kroll will not be typecast anytime soon.
Thr Archive release ADULT BEGINNERS on Friday, May 8, 2015 in select threates and VOD.
We’ve seen the Stills and the tease has been ongoing, but here’s our first real look at RICKI AND THE FLASH, directed by Jonathan Demme, written by Diablo Cody and starring Meryl Streep!
Synopsis:
Meryl Streep takes on a whole new gig – a hard-rocking singer/guitarist – for Oscar®-winning director Jonathan Demme and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody in Ricki and the Flash. An original and electrifying film loaded with live musical performances, Streep stars as Ricki Rendazzo, a guitar heroine who made a world of mistakes as she followed her dreams of rock-and-roll stardom. Returning home, Ricki gets a shot at redemption and a chance to make things right as she faces the music with her family. Streep stars opposite her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer; Rick Springfield, portraying a Flash member in love with Ricki; Kevin Kline as Ricki’s ex-husband; and Audra McDonald as Kline‘s new wife.
See the Trailer:
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)
If you’re like us, you never need a reason to re-visit Mariah Carey‘s extensive Catalogue. We’ve been huge Fans from the start and through highs and lows have supported her. New Compilation #1 TO INFINITY gives Mariah Fans Lambs old and new a chance to recapture that magic once again that made her the Female Artist with the most #1 Hits in history. In addition to this, the Album also includes one new Track, INFINITY! Count ’em, 19 Pop Gems!
Tracklisting:
1. “Vision of Love” (4 weeks, 1990)
2. “Love Takes Time” (3 weeks, 1990)
3. “Someday” (MTV Unplugged version) (2 weeks, 1991)
4. “I Don’t Wanna Cry” (2 weeks, 1991)
5. “Emotions” (3 weeks, 1991)
6. “I’ll Be There” (featuring Trey Lorenz) (2 weeks, 1992)
7. “Dreamlover” (8 weeks, 1993)
8. “Hero” (4 weeks, 1993)
9. “Fantasy” (Bad Boy Fantasy version) (8 weeks, 1995)
10. “One Sweet Day” (featuring Boyz II Men) (16 weeks,1995-1996)
11. “Always Be My Baby” (2 weeks, 1996)
12. “Honey” (3 weeks, 1997)
13. “My All” (1 week, 1998)
14. “Heartbreaker” (featuring Jay-Z) (2 weeks, 1999)
15. “Thank God I Found You” (featuring Joe & 98 Degrees) (1 week, 2000)
16. “We Belong Together” (14 weeks, 2005)
17. “Don’t Forget About Us” (2 weeks, 2005)
18. “Touch My Body” (2 weeks, 2008)
19. “Infinity” (2015)
Artwork:

To enter to win a copy of #1 to INFINITY, which marks Mariah‘s grand return to Sony Music under EPIC, you simply need to click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. You may click “share” on this Post from there for an extra chance. You also may Tweet the below for an extra chance:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/mariahcarey @MRWILLW wants us to #win a copy of #MariahCarey‘s #1toInfinity, out 5/18.
G’luck Willionaires. Canadian Readers only.
Check-out Infinity below:
Sony Music Canada release #1 TO INFINITY on Monday, May 18, 2015.
Pre-order here.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Music)
Stars of the Film, Fashion and Music Worlds gathered Monday night at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, for Fashion’s biggest night, the Costume Institute Ball – known more as the Met Ball or Met Gala – for a 44th year. As in previous years, the night was nothing short of spectacular and this year’s theme was China: Through the Looking Glass, which explores the Country’s influence on Fashion as we know it today. An Exhibition put-on in conjunction with the Museum’s Department of Asian Art, commences now through August, with the Gala kicking it all off.
The ultra-exclusive Affair is invite-only and if you are fortunate enough to be granted the opportunity to purchase a ticket even, acceptance is pending the approval of the most revered and feared Woman in the Industry, Anna Wintour.
Just so there was no confusion in the hierarchy, the dazzling A-List of predominantly female Talent would see its biggest stars Jay-Z and Beyoncé (in a revealing sheer Givenchy) arrive approximately three hours late, drawing a crowd of cheers from onlookers who lined street for a long glance at beauty and innovation when finally they did arrive.
Although a list of Guests was published prior, with Jennifer Lawrence named Event Chair this year, few know fully who exactly will arrive until they walk the many steps of the Red Carpet. Some Starlets stayed within their comfort zone wearing with an array of pretty form-fitting gowns. Others took major fashion risks, staying true to the Night’s established theme including Trailblazer Sarah Jessica Parker who had donned a Chinese Opera-like Headpiece over an H&M Dress, a strong contingent of Chinese Actresses including Gong Li, Ziyi Zhang, Carina Lau, Li Bing Bing, Gao Yuan Yuan, Tang Wei and more donned intricate creations with floral themed patterns. Dolce & Gabbana was most daring and our personal favourite, dressing a handful of Starlets like Karen Elson, Brie Larson and more in decadent golds with dazzling Tiaras fit for a Queen. Red-hot Moschino now underseen by Jeremy Scott, saw the likes of Madonna and Katy Perry garbed head-to-toe in his vision, the latter who turned heads with a cropped Pixie Cut which turned to blonde at the Afterparty which she had co-hosted. Not quite thematically correct, but still a visual Feast.
Others getting high praise for their looks were friends Anne Hathaway in a hooded gold Ralph Lauren numbers, Lady Gaga in a Zac Posen Pantsuit, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in rose-coloured Versace and Sophie Turner in teal Burberry Dress. And speaking of teal, Miley Cyrus would dazzle in a high-neck Alexander Wang dress, with her hair slicked-back and coloured as such. We also are a huge Fan of Kate Hudson‘s gold Michael Kors number.
Social Media was lit afire when Perry, Madonna and perceived Pop Rival Lady Gaga posed for Selfies together at the Ball’s official Afterparty in the City’s Meatpacking District. Both Lady Gaga and Rihanna also themselves would throw their own bashes, which would see the likes of Naomi Campbell, Robert Pattinson and his girlfriend FKA Twigs returning to their star-crammed Hotel in the wee hours at the break of dawn.
Katy Perry + Jeremy Scott
#JeremyScott + #KatyPerry. #MetGala #MetBall2015 #MetBall #MetGala2015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Kate Hudson
Jay-Z + Beyoncé:
When you are #JayZ + #Beyonce, you can afford to show up 3 hours late with Media waiting on you. #MetBall2015 #MetBall #MetGala #MetGala2015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Rita Ora
Kendall Jenner
Karen Elson
Sophie Turner
#GameofThrones’ #SophieTurner at #MetBall2015. A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Rosie Huntington-Whitely
Kerry Washington
Uma Thurman
Gong Li
The timeless #GongLi. #MetBall2015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Emily Blunt + Bill Nighy
André Leon Talley
Fashion’s greatest Maven, #AndreLeonTalley at #MetBall2015. A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Anna Wintour
Liu Wen
Chinese Supermodel #LiuWen at #MetBall2015. A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Sarah Jessica Parker + Andy Cohen
Naomi Campbell
Look who we spotted rolling in at 6 am after a wild #MetBall2015 night! #MetBall #MetGala2015 #MetGala #NaomiCampbell A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Selena Gomez + Vanessa Hudgens:
#Springbreakers Reunion at #MetBall2015 #MetBall2015 #MetBall #MetGala #SelenaGomez #VanessaHudgens A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Robert Pattinson + FKA Twigs
Some Selfies from our time in New York…
Miley Cyrus
#MileyCyrus + me. #MetBall2015 #MetGala #MetBall #MetGala2015 #NikonD3300 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
George Clooney
With #GeorgeClooney on the set of hotly-buzzed #MoneyMonster. #NYC #NikonD3300
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Stella McCartney
#StellaMcCartney + me. #MetBall2015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Karolina Kurkova
Good morning, from #KarolinaKurkova + me. #NYC #MetGala #MetBall #MetGala2015 #MetBall2015
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Gigi Hadid
With Supermodel #GigiHadid. #MetBall2015 #MetBall2015 #MetGala #MetBall A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Tang Wei
#TangWei + me. #MetGala #MetBall #MetBall2015
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Jourdan Dunn
Supermodel #JordanDunne + me. #MetGala #MetBall #MetBall2015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Jeremy Scott
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Common
#Common and me. #NYC #MetGala15 #MetBall2015 #SuicideSquad A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Olivia Munn
I love that #OliviaMunn and I coordinated hats. #MetGala #MetBall2015 #MetBall #MetGala015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Jack O’Connell
#JackOConnell tells me his day on the set of #MoneyMonster was “emotional”. #NikonD3300 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Gao Yuan Yuan
Elisabeth Moss
At last! My long-desired #Selfie with #ElisabethMoss aka #PeggyOlson of #MadMen. The Actress concludes a run on #TheHeidiChronicles on #Broadway. #NYC #NikonD3300 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
Chrissy Teigen
#ChrissyTeigen + me. #MetBall2015 A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
New York-born Funnyman Jay Leno made a rare appearance in Toronto tonight at Massey Hall, returning back to his Stand-Up Comedy roots. He would go on to become World-famous after a series of Stand-Up stints and appearances on The Tonight Show before he himself would go on to host the Program from 1992 to 2013, with Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien counting among his Successors.
Fans queued early at the Venue to meet the traditionally giving Star and he went far above and beyond, greeting a crowd of Fans outside the Stage Door upon arrival, speedily downing his Burger King in his SUV, to give them generous face time. True proof of his humble lifestyle.
Leno joked about my Nikon D3300, telling me, “What phone is that?!?”, zipping through Autographs and Selfies.
The Show has Leno walking down memory lane in what has been nothing short of a stellar career which has seen him also as an accomplished Voice Actor, Children’s Book Author and Philanthropist.
See our Snap:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Growing up in the ’90s, it was impossible to avoid the influence of Megastar Will Smith. Few back then would guess the Actor and Rapper known best for his starring role in Sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would have a Career which would see multiple Golden Globe, Oscar and Grammy nominations. He proved Naysayers wrong time and again with one foot firmly planted on each side of the Entertainment World in Acting and Music.
Smith has been balancing time in Toronto with his Family and Friends, with Wife Jada and Son Jaden coming to visit him, and also a starring Role in Supervillain Opus, Suicide Squad, which films here through late August. Just this past weekend, Smith paid back his current Trainer for the Film, Anya Ells, a favour attending a Party she organized for Fitness Model, Michelle Lewin at Maison Mercer.
Playing the Role of Deadshot, who is an Enemy of Batman, we saw Ben Affleck and Smith arrive quietly on-set tonight in the wee hours of the morning situated around Financial District. Affleck was covered completely in a cape to avoid the leak of a Storyline and it is said that he already has finished his work on the Film. Despite being covered, the silhouette of his mask could be seen under the fabric in some Paparazzi-taken Photos.
After a nine-hour wait, we were rewarded with a moment with Smith, who was driven over to Fans waiting on-location, getting out of his SUV to greet them. We gave Smith a quick handshake telling him what a pleasure it was meeting him and after pointing-out that we shared the same name, he called me “Big Willie Style” – the name of his debut 1997 Disc.
Some Video below:
Our Snap:
Suicide Squad films through August and we can’t wait to see what new Cast Additions are forthcoming! This City hasn’t seen this much excitement in quite some time…
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
By Justin Waldman
The 2015 TriBeCa Film Festival ran from April 15-26, 2015 in beautiful Tribeca, New York and I attended for the first time ever! What originally drew me into travelling for 10 days to New York City for this incredible Film Festival co-founded by Robert DeNiro to bring people back downtown New York after the tragedies of 9/11, were the conversations, or Tribeca Talks: Director Series that was announced in the middle of March, just a mere month before the Festival. The booking and scouring to look-up Films, allow time to line up and travel, and build a schedule with no backups had begun.
The Tribeca Talks: Director Series that was just aforementioned including one hour Conversations with George Lucas moderated by Stephen Colbert, Christopher Nolan moderated by Bennett Miller, Cary Fukunaga moderated by James Schumer, and last not certainly not least, Brad Bird moderated by Janeane Garofalo. These Talks were not only incredible for their insight, but they were beyond entertaining and masterful. The 60 minutes flew-by in what felt like seconds, but the entire time was surreal, something that words cannot merely describe.
As well, the selection of seemingly endless Movies was unfathomable. There were so many great choices, and promising options, most of which turned out to be extremely fun and enjoyable while others fell short of that standard. Some of the highlights were: Leslye Headland’s Sleeping with Other People starring Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis. This Movie was absolutely hysterical as it steered from the typical Romantic Comedy norms and clichés, and provided new laughs and nuances that truly made this RomCom stand-out from the crowd. Hopefully it gets a Canadian release, and if it unfortunately does not it will be released on VOD 90 days after its opening in Cinemas. Other standouts included Man Up from Director Ben Palmer which paired Simon Pegg and Lake Bell together in an unseeingly-perfect Romantic Comedy as well. I swear I did not just see Romcoms at TriBeCa. Ashby from Director Tony McNamara is another extremely funny, brilliant, Dark Comedy featuring Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff and Emma Roberts. The Film focuses on Wolff and Rourke who is a former Assassin and how the manage to enrich one another’s life.
The TriBeCa Film Festival also features an after the Movie discussion for certain Titles, not that the new Movies don’t have Q&As but rather they take older Movies and bring back Cast and Crew for a 45 minute discussion about the Movie and some insider information regarding the Project. The one that I was lucky enough to attend was Gus Van Sant’s brilliant Good Will Hunting. Minnie Driver, Gus Van Sant and Stellan Skarsgård were in attendance for this post movie talk and included a lot of information about Robin Williams on the set. This moved most of the Audience to laughter and tears. Some of the most memorable moments were when Skarsgård revealed that the first take of the scene between Williams and Skarsgård in the bar, Robin did the entire Role in his Nicholson impersonation. Another memorable tidbit was from Driver who reveled that the focus puller was terrible and could not be fired because he was related to someone high up so he referred to him as Helen… Keller. Moments like these unknown facts are what make for great memories.
TriBeCa was an incredible experience, which offered a ton of excitement in an array of events geared to true Film Lovers. These separate ticketed events are something that would be classified as once in a lifetime. Events such as Mary J. Blige’s Documentary The London Sessions, followed by her performing a live Concert, or a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail followed by a Talk with Monty Python. However, the Closing Night Film was the piece DE résistance. Goodfellas’ 25th Anniversary Screening in the new 4K restoration with a post-Screening Discussion with Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino, moderated by Jon Stewart. That was a memory never to be duplicated.
TriBeCa was a delight to attend, and a Festival I cannot wait to experience again next year!
Audio from this year’s Director Series below:
(Photo credit: Justin Waldman)
Remstar Films + Mr. Will want to take Readers in Toronto and Vancouver to see TIFF ’14 Selection, GOOD KILL starring Ethan Hawke, Zoe Kravitz, January Jones and Jake Abel. The Film screens on Thursday, May 14, 2015 in both Cities.
Official Synopsis:
Major Thomas Egan is a U.S. Air Force pilot who started flying drones when plane pilots became less needed. The movie action starts when Egan is already disillusioned with his drone flying activity, due to the lack of flight-related thrills and to the limited ability to control collateral damage during airstrikes. He further starts to question the ethics of his occupation when running missions for the CIA involving double tap, the indiscriminate killing of groups of people in Yemen, a country not at war with the USA, etc.
Watch the Trailer:
To enter to win, simply click like on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. You may click “share” from there for an extra chance!
Remstar Films release GOOD KILL on Friday, May 15, 2015.
Mr. Will + Ethan Hawke
Mr. Will + Jake Abel
#JakeAbel at #TIFF14 for #THEGOODKILL. #NikonD3300
A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
(Photo/video credit: Remstar Films)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada + Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win an official DOUGIE’S DAY T-Shirt and THE WEDDING RINGER on DVD!
Official Synopsis:
Doug (Josh Gad) is a socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams, Doug is referred to Jimmy (Kevin Hart), who provides flattering best men for guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding friendship.
See the Trailer:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Click “share” on this Post from there for an extra chance or Tweet the below:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/theweddingringer @MRWILLW wants us to #win a #THEWEDDINGRINGER Prize Pack. In stores 4/28!
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada release THE WEDDING RINGER on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.
G’luck, Willionaire$.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada)
She’s a Survivor to say the least. Lynda Carter at age 63 still continues to exude an ageless beauty. The former Miss USA, known best as the original Wonder Woman in the Television Series which spanned 1975 through 1979, is in Toronto to make a rare appearance. Also a Singer, Carter will be appearing live at Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts where she will via Music intertwine her path to success as a Diva.
Despite being ushered-in via the Loading Dock at a KISS 92.5 appearance earlier today in support of her Show, Carter would face her Fans eventually who were told by a Handler “She will not be stopping!”, upon arriving at an appearance at CITY‘s Breakfast Television. Carter then clarified to Fans, “They’re being mean. I will stop for Photos on the way out to the van”. She even asked a Producer to gather memorabilia, which she signed inside. Beyond nice.
Despite getting a moment to take a Selfie with the stunning Star, for some odd reason mine didn’t turn out, although I am happy for others who were gushing at their Autographs and Photos with her, some which I helped other Fans take.
Can we appreciate how great #LyndaCarter looks? Life Goals. #WonderWoman A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on
You can still get tickets for her Show tomorrow night. Details here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com