#FIRSTLOOK: “CROSS” SEASON TWO AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Today at New York Comic Con, Prime Video unveiled the gripping teaser and premiere date for Season Two of the hit crime thriller series, Cross, starring and executive produced by Aldis Hodge. Produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Paramount Television Studios, the eight-episode second season will debut exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories on Wednesday, February 11, 2025 with the first three episodes and new episodes each week leading up to the season finale on March 18, 2025.

Cross is a complex, twisted, pulse-pounding thriller created by executive producer, showrunner, and writer Ben Watkins, based upon the characters from James Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross book series. The Washington, D.C. crime drama follows Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge), a brilliant homicide detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the minds of murderers in order to identify and catch them. In Season Two, Cross is in pursuit of a ruthless vigilante who is hunting down corrupt billionaire magnates.

Season Two brings new cast additions Matthew Lillard, Jeanine Mason and Wes Chatham joining the Cross universe as well as returning stars Isaiah Mustafa, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Juanita Jennings, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, and Johnny Ray Gill.

In addition to Watkins and Hodge, Cross is executive produced by Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, J. David Shanks, Aiyana White, Craig Siebels, Owen Shiflett, James Patterson, Bill Robinson, and Patrick Santa.

Cross is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Paramount Television Studios.

About Prime Video

Prime Video is a one-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one application available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can find their favourite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports, including Prime Monday Night Hockey – also Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Fallout, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Reacher, The Boys, and Roadhouse; licensed fan favourite Vampire Diaries; exclusive entertainment such as Prime Monday Night Hockey, ONE Championship; and programming from channels such as Sportsnet, Paramount+, Crave, Citytv+, STARZ, AMC+, Super Channel, BritBox, Hayu, STACKTV, a multi-channel service featuring 16 top-tier networks (Global, Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, The HISTORY® Channel, Adult Swim, Lifetime, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, Treehouse, YTV, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD), via Prime Video Channels add-on subscriptions. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles, including blockbusters such as Barbie and Oppenheimer, via the Prime Video Store. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favourite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.primevideo.com

About Paramount Television

Paramount Television Studios (PTVS) is a leading content studio, developing and producing premium television programs across a wide range of platforms. The studio’s slate includes hit series such as 1923, Landman, Tulsa King, Lioness, The Agency: Central Intelligence, MobLand, Mayor of Kingstown, and School Spirits for Paramount+; Dexter: Resurrection for Showtime; Reacher,Cross, and The Runarounds for Prime Video; Foundationfor Apple TV+; and Emily in Paris andXO, Kitty for Netflix. Upcoming series from PTVS include The Road andY: Marshals for CBS; Neagley and Ride or Die for Prime Video; and Neuromancer, 12 12 12, and Brothers for Apple TV+. Paramount Television Studios is a subsidiary of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PSKY), a leading global media and entertainment company.

About Blue Monday Productions

Founded by Watkins and his wife Kandi, Blue Monday Productions was established with a dedication to exceptional storytelling and commitment to community service. In addition to CROSS, Blue Monday has a significant slate of upcoming projects in development. Their Breakthrough Artist Program – a three-month paid apprenticeship for writing, producing and/or directing – focuses on increasing access and accelerating the learning curve for artists who have demonstrated exceptional talent, a commitment to community, and giving back.

Social Handles:

Instagram: @crossonprime / @primevideoca
X: @crossonprime / @primevideoca

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “CROSS”

Today, Prime Video unveils the official trailer and first-look images for the highly anticipated crime thriller series CROSS, starring Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross. On November 14, 2024 all eight episodes will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. From Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, CROSS is a complex, twisted, pulse-pounding thriller created by showrunner and executive producer Ben Watkins, based upon the characters from James Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross book series. In advance of its first-season debut, the series was renewed for a second season at Prime Video’s inaugural Upfront presentation.

Alex Cross is a detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims, in order to identify—and ultimately capture—the murderers. Hodge stars in the series and also serves as a producer. CROSS also stars Isaiah Mustafa, Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, Jennifer Wigmore, Eloise Mumford, and Ryan Eggold.

Watkins serves as showrunner and executive producer via his Blue Monday Productions banner. Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, and Craig Siebels also executive produce, with James Patterson, Bill Robinson, and Patrick Santa executive producing for James Patterson Entertainment. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost are executive producing for Skydance Television.

CROSS is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television.

About Paramount Television Studios

Paramount Television Studios (PTVS) is a leading content studio, developing and producing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television programs across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. Current programming from PTVS includes THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES on The Roku Channel, which broke viewership records for the streamer, TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN starring John Krasinski for Prime Video and the wildly popular Prime Video action series REACHER, which is now in production on its third season. Next up from PTVS is a new thriller for Prime Video, CROSS, along with three series for Apple TV+: Taika Waititi’s TIME BANDITS, BEFORE, starring Billy Crystal, and MURDERBOT, starring Alexander Skarsgård. Paramount Television Studios is a subsidiary of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARA; PARAA), a global content company with premiere television, film, and digital entertainment brands.

#FIRSTLOOK: “CROSS” TEASER TRAILER

Today, Prime Video announced the premiere date and revealed the key art for the long-awaited new Toronto-made crime thriller series, CROSS starring Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross. All eight episodes will premiere worldwide in more than 240 countries and territories on November 14, 2024 exclusively on Prime Video. From Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, Cross is a complex, twisted, pulse-pounding thriller created by showrunner and executive producer Ben Watkins, based upon the characters from James Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross book series. In advance of its Season One debut, the series was renewed for a second season at Prime Video’s inaugural upfront presentation.

Alex Cross is a detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims, in order to identify—and ultimately capture—the murderers. Hodge stars in the series and also serves as a producer. Cross also stars Isaiah Mustafa, Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, Jennifer Wigmore, Eloise Mumford, and Ryan Eggold.

Watkins serves as showrunner and executive produces the series via his Blue Monday Productions banner. Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, and Craig Siebels also executive produce, with James Patterson, Bill Robinson, and Patrick Santa executive producing for James Patterson Entertainment. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost are executive producing for Skydance Television. Cross is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television.

About Paramount Television Studios

Paramount Television Studios (PTVS) is a leading content studio, developing and producing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television programs across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. Current programming from PTVS includes THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES on The Roku Channel, which broke viewership records for the streamer, TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN starring John Krasinski for Prime Video and the wildly popular Prime Video action series REACHER, which is now in production on its third season. Next up from PTVS is a new thriller for Prime Video, CROSS, along with three series for Apple TV+: Taika Waititi’s TIME BANDITS, BEFORE, starring Billy Crystal, and MURDERBOT, starring Alexander Skarsgård. Paramount Television Studios is a subsidiary of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARA; PARAA), a global content company with premiere television, film, and digital entertainment brands.

#SPOTTED: ALDIS HODGE IN TORONTO FILMING “CROSS”

Aldis Hodge has had quite a run these past few years with prominent roles in titles like BLACK ADAM, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, HIDDEN FIGURES, CLEMENCY and more, but he’s ready for his close-up in the titular role of Alex Cross in upcoming Series, CROSS.

The Series filming in and around Toronto, is based on James Patterson‘s best-selling novels. The Series will stream on Prime Video and centers on a Forensic Psychologist and Detective hunting-down killers with his uniqe skillset.

Hodge has been in Toronto most of 2023 already working on this Series and we spotted him in the West End at Tom’s Dairy Freeze in Etobicoke filming an external scene in a Mustang.

Despite being in a rush, he was so nice to stop for a quick Selfie and signed some memorabilia for fans. He’s been quietly working on this Series which seems him serve also as an Executive Producer, and it will continue to film in these parts through late April.

See our Snap:

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#TIFF20: “ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI”

By Mr. Will Wong

Following-up on her Oscar-winning work in If Beale Street Could Talk, Regina King makes her Feature directorial debut at TIFF ‘ 20 with ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI, which though set in the past, still asks very timely questions facing the world today.

The Film is set one night in February 1964 uniting real-life friends and icons Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) as they celebrate the former’s win in the boxing ring, crowning him Heavyweight Champion of the World. What ensues is hard-hitting dialogue which digs deep into some of the issues facing their community and where they stand in the big picture as important figures.

Based on Kemp Powers‘ Play of the same name, King is working with some tremendous talent with this Ensemble and with these great minds within the confines of a swanky hotel room, discussions get intense, heated and at once humorous. Clay is about to be renamed Muhammad Ali and is about the announce to the world that he has converting to Islam, but not without some hesitation. Brown after a successful career in Football, is about to accept a role in a Western film which would lead to a successful acting career with high-paying roles. Cooke navigates his world as a Pop Star, but is longing to sing about something more meaningful. Malcolm X as a prominent figure of the Civil Rights movement and Spokesman for the Nation of Islam, is about to get assassinated.

The Film poses some thought-provoking discussion within the Black community about how the world is perceived differently between those who are light-skinned versus dark-skinned; what it means for a Black Entertainer to be paid well when it comes at the cost of their dignity and their community; or what it means to be revered publicly, but not to be welcome into someone’s home because of the colour of one’s skin.

One poignant scene in particular has Ben-Adir‘s Malcolm X in a chilling plea to his brothers that still resonates to this day amidst the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. He states that there is no more room for standing on the fence anymore with black people dying on the streets every day. “Either you stand on this side with us or that side against us”, he says. Another moment in the Film talks to White Privilege and how a black person is expected to feel indebted to a white person who wasn’t horrible to them. This falls in-line with the current thought that it isn’t enough to be “nice” and that what is required is that we be actively be Anti-Racist.

King succeeds largely in this superb first Feature, giving us a tightly-written and directed Film which while set almost 60 years ago today, has some uncannily-relevant messaging that needs to be revisited today.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI screens TIFF ’20 as follows:

Fri, Sep 11
Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView
7:45pm

Sun, Sep 13
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
Streaming in Canada. Available from:
6:00pm

Wed, Sep 16
TIFF Bell Lightbox
4K

#SUNDANCE: “CLEMENCY”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Prison Warden, Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard), starts slipping away from her husband after several years of carrying-out executions at a maximum security prison.

Clemency is a fresh and emotional take on the Prison Drama. It is a character study primarily of two people: the warden and death-row inmate Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge). Writer-Director Chinonye Chukwu has created an absorbing and heartbreaking feature that subtly poses ethical questions while following characters who are trying to find redemption. Both Actors, Woodard and Hodge, translate the internal torments of their characters into visual struggles. Woodard is a force-of-nature as Williams. From the opening scene until the last, you watch more of her slowly slip away the further her profession takes her. And Hodge is a scene-stealer who leaves a lasting impression.

Clemency screens at Sundance on Jan 27 at 6PM at Library PC, Jan 29 at 12:15PM at Eccles PC, Jan 31 at 12PM at Temple PC, Feb 1 at 6:30PM at Rose Wagner SLC, and Feb 2 at 8:30AM at Egyptian PC.

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN ADVANCE PASSES TO SEE “WHAT MEN WANT”

Paramount Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to a screening of WHAT MEN WANT. The screening takes place in Toronto on Monday, February 4, 2019.

Synopsis:

Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is a successful sports agent who’s constantly boxed out by her male colleagues. When Ali is passed up for a well deserved promotion, she questions what else she needs to do to succeed in a man’s world… until she gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts! With her newfound power, Ali looks to outsmart her colleagues as she races to sign the next basketball superstar, but the lengths she has to go to will put her relationship with her best friends and a potential new love interest (Aldis Hodge) to the test. WHAT MEN WANT is the latest comedy from director Adam Shankman (HAIRSPRAY) and producers Will Packer and James Lopez (GIRLS TRIP), co-starring Tracy Morgan, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Josh Brener, Tamala Jones, Phoebe Robinson, Max Greenfield, Jason Jones, Brian Bosworth, Chris Witaske and Erykah Badu.

 

Trailer:

 

Artwork:

 

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!

Paramount Pictures Canada release WHAT MEN WANT Friday, February 8, 2019.

 

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)