22-year-old Pop Sensation Nick Jonas certainly is turning heads of late, fully growing into a refined and sexy version of himself. The Actor/Singer-Songwriter and Philanthropist is about to embark on a Tour in support of his self-titled Disc and made his second Stop-off in Toronto in just under two months. On Jonas’ schedule is a day filled with Charity for Duracell‘s Power Smiles Campaign and Television interviews to promote his latest effort and forthcoming single, Teacher. First was a live visit to CITY‘s Breakfast Television where hoards of Fans queued outside in the cold for a chance to see Jonas up-close and he certainly delivered the smiles!  He later head over to SickKids Hospital to brighten the day for Children in need.

Jonas’ new Disc has him veering from the brand of Pop-Rock the Jonas Brothers best are known for and exploring the soulful side of his favourite influences, namely Prince, Frank Ocean and The Bee Gees. Jonas himself has carved a signature vocal style, heavy on the falsetto and easy on the eyes and ears. Current release Jealous is making a splash on airwaves showing some staying power on both the U.S. and Canadian Billboard Hot 100 Charts.

We caught up with Jonas who admittedly was tired fresh off a fantastic performance on the West Coast on NBC‘s The Voice. And after braving today’s Toronto cold, he heads back yet again to California to begin his Tour. Despite being advised to move along, Jonas as always is great to his Fans!

It was just announced yesterday that Jonas also will be back in town for ET Canada’s New Year’s Eve Bash in Niagara Falls where he will perform alongside Keith Urban, Shawn Mendes, Lights and more!

To learn more about Jonas’ upcoming Tour, click here.

See our Snap:

A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:35am PST

Check out Jonas’ new Single Teacher:

Download NICK JONAS on iTunes here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Universal Music)

We can’t believe that Christmas literally is just about three weeks away and this means one thing and one thing only, ANNIE will be in theatres at last!

To get us into that Holiday Spirit today a new Lyric Video for  the Classic Opportunity, sung by Academy Award Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis featuring Sia!

Enjoy it below:

Official Synopsis:

Academy Award® nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) – advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) – makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.

For a limited time only, Sony Pictures is teaming-up with Gallery 1988 as top emerging Designers and Artists come together in PROJECT POP ART, commemorating some of the Studio’s most iconic Films of all time!  Beginning November 23, 2014, 16 of Sony Pictures‘ Cult Classic Titles will be re-issued on Blu-ray™ in SteelBook^™  Packaging!

 See a complete list of Films below:

DAS BOOT – Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the critically acclaimed 1981 film is set aboard the claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat as the crew fights boredom, filth, and sheer terror. Illustration by Kevin Dart, an art director living in Los Angeles.www.kevindart.tumblr.com

DESPERADO – Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek star in this 1995 cult classic directed by Robert Rodriguez about a gunslinger who is embroiled in a war with a local drug runner. Illustration by Scott Derby, a Philadelphia-based illustrator who is heavily influenced by pop culture.  www.Scottderby.blogspot.com

DISTRICT 9 – From producer Peter Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp comes a startlingly original science-fiction thriller where alien refugees, stranded on Earth, are exiled to a slum on the fringes of Johannesburg. Illustration by Dave Quiggle, a Southern California illustrator who is well known for his work within the music industry and pop culture work for Disney. www.davequiggle.com

DRIVE – A Hollywood stunt performer (Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. Illustration by Jeff Boyes, a Canadian illustrator, screenprint artist and graphic designer based in Vancouver. www.visualtechnicians.com

LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL – A professional assassin rescues a young girl whose family was killed in a police raid, in this thriller directed by Luc Besson that stars Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman. Illustration by Jeff Boyes, a Canadian illustrator, screenprint artist and graphic designer based in Vancouver.  www.visualtechnicians.com

DR. STRANGELOVE – Peter Sellers, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden star in the 1964 classic directed by Stanley Kubrick about an insane general who triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop. Illustration by Rich Kelly an illustrator working in Pittsburgh. www.rfkelly.com

EASY RIDER – Two counterculture bikers travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of America in this adventure starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson; directed by Hopper. Illustration by DKNG Studios: Dan Kuhlken and Nathan Goldman .www.dkngstudios.com

THE FIFTH ELEMENT – Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich and Gary Oldman star in acclaimed director Luc Besson‘s outrageous sci-fi adventure, an extravagantly styled tale of good against evil set in an unbelievable twenty-third century world. Illustration by Dan Mumford, an illustrator and designer working out of London, England. www.dan-mumford.com

THE KARATE KID – Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elizabeth Shue star in this story about a handyman/martial arts master who agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and show him that there is more to the martial art than fighting. Illustration by Sam Gilbey, whose distinctive and contemporary illustrations and portraits are painted by hand and are inspired by a lifelong passion for popular culture.www.samgilbeyillustrates.com

KUNG FU HUSTLE – This hilarious movie is set in Shanghai, China in the 1940s, where a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious “Axe Gang” while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf. Illustration by Anthony Petrie, a commercial artist and product designer living in NYC.  www.anthonypetrie.com

SNATCH – Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond, in this actioner directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Benicio Del Toro and Dennis Farina. Illustration by Anthony Petrie, a commercial artist and product designer living in NYC. www.anthonypetrie.com

THE RAID: REDEMPTION – A S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs in this blood-drenched action picture directed by Gareth Evans.  Illustration by Phantom City Creative, Inc., a creative agency based in Toronto.  www.phantomcitycreative.com

STRIPES – Directed by Ivan Reitman, this cult classic about two friends who are dissatisfied with their jobs and decide to join the army for a bit of fun, stars Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. Illustration by Chris DeLorenzo, a young graphic artist and illustrator working out of Boston.  www.chrisdelorenzo.com

SUPERBAD – Greg Mottola directs Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse in his modern classic about two co-dependent high school seniors who are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry. Illustration by Joey Spiotto, a Los Angeles-based illustrator. www.jo3bot.com

TAXI DRIVER – Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster star in this highly regarded classic from director Martin Scorsese about a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran who works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge for violent action, attempting to save a preadolescent prostitute in the process. Illustration by James Flames, a storyteller who uses illustration and printmaking to share tales of adventure and inner exploration.  www.jamesflames.com

TOMMY –  Based on The Who’s rock opera and directed by Ken Russell, this extravaganza stars Roger Daltrey as a psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind boy who becomes a master pinball player and the object of a religious cult because of that. Also starring are Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Elton John and Tina Turner. Illustration by Tom Whalen, whose recognizable graphic style can be found on a wide variety of album covers and screenprints, posters and comic books. www.strongstuff.net

Each Title is available for pre-order now exclusively at Best Buy.

To enter to win an 14’ x 17’ from this Collection, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook now!  You may enter for multiple Posters, simply indicate which ones you are entering for under this Facebook Post.  Canadian Readers only, please.

(Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada)

Picking right-up where it left last week, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 continues its Box Office domination through Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S., pulling-in $58 million across North America from 4,151 theatres.  In its two week run thus far domestically, it already has grossed a magnificent $227 million for Liosngate Films/eOne Films.

Debuting in second is the Animated Feature PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR with $26.2 million from 3,764 theatres for 20th Century Fox. Critics gave the Film 68% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes, while Audiences responded particularly well with an A- CinemaScore which should give it some legs to run on this Holiday Season.  The fourth Film in the MADAGASCAR Franchise happens to be the lowest debut thus far in the Series, with Madagascar 3 earning $60 million in its 2012 debut.  Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong are among the talented Actors featured here.

BIG HERO 6 in its fourth week out earns $19.5 million for Disney, now bringing its tally to $167.9 million domestically.

INTERSTELLAR pulls-in $22.3 million for Paramount Pictures in its fourth week out, a cumulative total of $162 million grossed thus far.

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 debuts in fifth for Warner Bros. with $15.3 million from 3,375 theatres, earning almost half what its Predecessor made in 2011 with its $28 million debut.  Critics gave the Comedy a 35% on the Tomatometer, while Audiences were more forgiving with a B+ CinemaScore.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING expands to 802 theatres for Focus Features/eOne Films, earning $4.6 million now in its fourth week out.

BIRDMAN rounds-out the Top ten with $1.8 million for Fox Searclight from 710 theatres. The Oscar Contender to-date has made $17.2 million.

Paramount Pictures Canada and Mr. Will want to take Readers in Toronto and Montreal first to see THE GAMBLER starring Mark Wahlberg! Already drumming-up some buzz as we enter Awards Season, many are calling this perhaps his best performance yet. The Screening in Toronto takes place Wednesday, December 17, 2014 and Monday, December 22, 2014 in Montreal.

Official Synopsis:
English professor Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a high stakes gambler who routinely loses hundreds of thousands of dollars at blackjack and roulette tables. A risk taker, he’s already in debt for $240,000 when he borrows $50,000 from a brutal gangster named Neville (Michael Kenneth Williams), putting up his own life as collateral.

Bennett blows the $300,000 his mother (Jessica Lange) gives him to bail him out during a single trip to a Palm Springs Casino and immerses himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of loan shark Frank (John Goodman). It isn’t until Bennett develops a relationship with student Amy Phillips (Brie Larson) and she’s threatened, that he finds himself taking the ultimate risk to get a second chance.

See the Trailer:

See the Poster:

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. For an extra chance, you may Re-Tweet the below or share with your friends via the “share” button.

http://www.mrwillwong.com/thegambler @MRWILLW wants us to #win Passes to see #THEGAMBLER in #Toronto + #Montreal!

Good luck, Willionaire$!

Paramount Pictures release THE GAMBLER Christmas Day.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures)

We had the pleasure of attending Disney‘s annual Holiday 2015 Preview today, which always is a highlight and the biggest treat for us all perhaps was unveiled at the last minute, a 90-second Teaser for upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

The Teaser will show in 30 select theatres across North America this weekend and be seen in theatres worldwide December!

We’ve all heard of MARCO POLO, but believe me, you’ve never seen it like this.  Netflix‘s latest Original Series is being touted as its most expensive to-date and is a collaboration between The Weinstein Co. and the leading Internet Streaming Service.  The Adventure follows the famous titular Explorer as he travels the exotic Silk Road to the court of the great Kublai Khan.  Through the ten-episode Series, Marco Polo (Lorenzo Richelmy) befriends the Khan (Benedict Wong) who violently makes his bid to be Emperor of the World. Along the way we become a part of many complex Characters’ lives and their  web of sex, betrayal and power.

Co-Executive Producer Patrick MacManus and Star Olivia Cheng came to Toronto recently to promote the exciting MARCO POLO, poised to debut this December to Netflix Subscribers exclusively.  The Duo reflected upon their experience being a part of the visually-stunning Series which not only streams, but surely “steams” this Winter.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Cheng formerly was a Broadcast Journalist and even at one point  a Correspondent on Entertainment Tonight Canada before deciding to pursue a career on the opposite side of the Red Carpet.  New Jersey-raised and Washington, D.C.-educated Patrick MacManus has a sizeable list of Television Credits to his name as Actor, considering himself more now a Writer.

In an Entertainment Industry where Asian Faces are few and far between  in North America, MacManus is proud of what the Series will accomplish, transcending the confines of race and culture.  “I’m proud of fact that we held true to the Story and time period and hopefully people will look at Series and forget what they are seeing and just relate to Characters and Story”, he says.  ” We created the most compelling, sometimes sadistic Characters we could. Nationality went out the window in favour of Story.”.

Cheng is asked what her greatest challenge was  filming MARCO POLO, in which she stars as the commanding Beauty Mei Lin, a Woman separated from her young Daughter at the hands of her Brother  Jia Sidao (Chin Han), and forced to a life as a Concubine to the Khan.  She must use her guile to survive and ensure the same for her Child. “Any time you recognize you have a really good opportunity, you feel a degree of fear with the responsibility that comes with it”, says Cheng. ” Am I gonna be able to rise to the occasion and do this well? I feel this is such an important Character to do well”. “I’m very proud of our work.  27 nations around the World –  Oscar Winners and Nominees –  talent spanning 40 year careers, all converging in Malaysia to put it all together.”.

She speaks further on Mei Lin stating, “She is demonized for her strength, intellect and ability to maneouver things sometimes – equally as her Brother, a  Man – whom holds so much power in Society. Going over to the Mongolian side, it is disconcerting for her to see Wife of the Khan, Empress Chabi (Joan Chen) so revered.”.  “It’s frightening for her to see strength and power mirrored in her face.”.  Cheng reveals that she read multiple Social Science papers in preparation for her Role to understand power relations for Concubines and how this hinged much on the Men around them.

I ask about some of the drastic physical transformations we see from some of the Talent in MARCO POLO, whether it be in how they speak or look physically.  Case in point, the Series’ Central Character, the Khan is played by an unrecognizable Wong, who normally is lithe and known to others as “Skinny Benny“, MacManus reveals. “Physicality is something huge here and we all threw ourselves into it. Benedict gained at least 10 stone (140 lbs).  The nickname for his stomach was “Meat Baby“, adds Cheng. “It’s not easy to keep gaining that much weight and maintaining it.”.   She explains, “We were in Stunt Tent Training with World-Class Teams from around the World transforming and sculpting muscles to tell our stories as Warriors.”.

In terms of the distinct accent which the Characters speak in this Series, Cheng states ” Producers found Talent from allover the World. We needed a realm to stay within with the help of Dialect Coaches. Emotionally, everyone did own brand of research to know the appropriate emotional places their Characters were working with.’.

Several jaws also are bound to drop with some of the racier scenes in the earlier part of the Series.  While MacManus feels there are some other Series currently which perhaps exploit sex and nudity a bit much, he is adamant, “I  challenge people to watch any moment with nudity in MARCO POLO, stop to think because that is what scene is all about.”.  “It’s not just about the nudity – there always is a reason”, he says, joking that his Series would be essentially “Naked Kung-Fu”. “There will come a point in time when you’ll never see another naked body or sex because the Story doesn’t support it.  We desperately went out of  our way to see that sex and nudity were not just being used for sex and nudity.”.

Netflix Canada stream MARCO POLO on Friday, December 12, 2014.

Click here for your chance to win a year’s Netflix Canada Subscription so that you too can witness that MARCO POLO magic!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Netflix)

In-stores for a limited time only, you won’t want to miss your chance to own a limited-edition The Hunger Games Collectible Mug Set! These heat-reveal seven-Mug Collection, is available exclusively at Petro-Canada Gas Stations only!  Seven Mugs, 13 Districts of Panem!

To learn more about how you can them, visit Petro-Canada‘s Website here!

Petro Canada and Mr. Will want YOU to win a Set of these ultra-amazing Mugs!  To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook.  You also may Re-Tweet the below or share this Post via the “share” button on Facebook for an extra chance!

http://www.mrwillwong.com/thehungergamesmugs @MRWILLW wants us to #win a Set of #HeatRevealMugs from #TheHungerGames, available only at @PetroCanada for a limited time only!

May the odds be ever in your favour, Willionaire$!

See the Trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1:

eOne Films release The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, in theatres now!

(Photo/video credit: Petro Canada/eOne Films)

Are we wild for WILD or what?  It seems like just yesterday that we were reading about the eventual Oscar Contender being in production and just minutes ago that it debuted at TIFF ’14!  To get into the spirit of what many are calling a Reese Witherspoon 3.0 in Career Re-inventions, we are offering Readers across Canada a chance to win a Prize Pack from WILD!

Here’s what it includes:

          A WILD Soundtrack (featuring music from Simon & Garfunkel, First Aid Kit, Bruce Springsteen, Portishead, Wings and more! Available for download on iTunes)

         A copy of the Book WILD: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed

          A WILD Windbreaker

         A special WILD edition of the Pacific Crest Trail Hat

         A WILD hiking headlamp (also could be used for late-night dog walks)

        Some WILD limited-edition Clif Bars (chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut)

See below:

In case you haven’t seen the Trailer yet for the amazing journey, see it now:

Official Artwork:

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook.  Re-Tweet the below or share on Facebook using the “share” button for an extra chance:

http://www.mrwillwong.com/wild  @MRWILLW wants us to #win a #WILDMOVIE Prize Pack!

Reese and Mr. Will:

Fox Searchlight release WILD in Canada as follows:

December 5, 2014 – Toronto
December 12, 2014 – Vancouver
December 19, 2014 – Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal
December 25, 2014 – Halifax, Kitchener/Waterloo, Ottawa, St. Johns, Victoria, Winnipeg

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)

Due for a limited release May 2015, we get this first look at FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, starring Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts and Tom Sturridge!  The Romance is directed by Thomas Vinterberg. In this First Look, we get a peek at Mulligan and Sheen utilizing their vocals in Let No Man Use Your Thyme.

See the Teaser:

Based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD is the story of independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) , who attracts three very different suitors:  Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) , a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) , a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) , a prosperous and mature bachelor.  This timeless story of Bathsheba’s choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love – as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.

Fox Searchlight release FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD on Friday, May 1, 2015.

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)