Anthony Ramos
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF “TWISTERS”
Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of TWISTERS on Monday, July 15, 2024 at 7 PM.
Toronto:
Scotiabank Theatre
Montreal EN:
Cinema Banque Scotia
Vancouver:
Scotiabank Theatre
Synopsis:
This summer, the epic studio disaster movie returns with an adrenaline-pumping, big-screen thrill ride that puts you in direct contact with one of nature’s most wondrous—and destructive—forces.
From the producers of the Jurassic, Bourne and Indiana Jones series comes Twisters,
a current-day chapter of the 1996 blockbuster, Twister. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the Oscar® nominated writer-director of Minari, Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing), Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick)and Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) as equal forces, with opposing motivations, who come together to try to predict, and possibly tame, the immense power of tornadoes.
Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Carter, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi (Ramos)to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better.
As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler, Javi and their crews find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.
Twisters features an exciting new cast, including Nope’s Brandon Perea, Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Harry Hadden-Paton (The Crown), David Corenswet (We Own This City), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), Tunde Adebimpe (Leave the World Behind), Katy O’Brian (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Nik Dodani (Atypical), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Paul Scheer (Black Monday).
From Amblin, Twisters is directed by Lee Isaac Chung and is produced by Oscar®nominee Frank Marshall (Jurassicand Indiana Jones franchises) and by Patrick Crowley (Jurassicand Bourne franchises). The screenplay is by Mark L. Smith, writer of the Best Picture nominee The Revenant, from a story by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion), based on characters created by Michael Crichton & Anne Marie Crichton. The executive producers are Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, Thomas Hayslip and Ashley Jay Sandberg. Twisterswill be distributed by Universal Pictures domestically and by Warner Bros. Pictures internationally.
Genre: Disaster Epic
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Harry Hadden-Patton, David Corenswet, Daryl McCormack, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O’Brian, Nik Dodani, Kiernan Shipka, Paul Scheer
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Screenplay by: Mark L. Smith
Story by: Joseph Kosinski
Based on characters created by Michael Crichton & Anne Marie Crichton
Producers: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley
Executive Producers: Steven Spielberg, Thomas Hayslip, Ashley Jay Sandberg
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City in the comments. Tag a friend who you’d like to bring along with you. Enter as many times as you wish. You can also enter on your IG and X accounts as well!
Rules and regulations here.
Universal Pictures Canada release TWISTERS in theatres July 19, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ADVANCE PASSES TO SEE “TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS” & PRIZE PACK
Paramount Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to attend an Advance Screening of TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS! One lucky winner also will get this amazing Prize Pack!
ADVANCE SCREENINGS:
TORONTO
Date: Monday, June 5th
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
*Doors open at 6:20PM.
MONTREAL ENGLISH
Date: Monday, June 5th
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Cineplex Cinemas Forum
*Doors open at 6:20PM.
Date: Monday, June 5th
MONTREAL FRENCH
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Cineplex Cinemas StarCité
*Doors open at 6:20PM.
VANCOUVER
Date: Monday, June 5th
Time: 7:00PM
Location: International Village Cinemas
*Doors open at 6:20PM.
EDMONTON
Date: Monday, June 5th
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton
*Doors open at 6:20PM.
Synopsis:
Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Indicate your City in the comments there. Re-Tweet the below also for another chance!
Enter for a chance to win Advance Passes to see #TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts and win an epic Prize Pack!https://t.co/GZ4Q4ukt2u pic.twitter.com/Wr3EZjKBcZ
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) May 26, 2023
Rules and regulations here.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
#SXSW: FIRST LOOK AT “TRANSFOMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS” STATUE UNVEILING
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS had a huge debut at SXSW ’23 with the unveiling of character statues at Porsche House! Stars Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback and Toby Nwigiwe were in Austn for the big presentation!
The statues will be touring the world with upcoming stops in LAS VEGAS, CHICAGO, AND NEW YORK CITY, plus SAO PAULO, SINGAPORE, SYDNEY, MADRID, BERLIN, LONDON, MEXICO CITY and TOKYO.
SYNOPSIS:
Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformer – the Maximals – to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023.
Some Snaps from the event:
(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures Canada/Getty Images)
#INTERVIEW: “IN THE HEIGHTS”
After 13 Tony Award nominations and four wins, Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s Musical IN THE HEIGHTS, based on the Novel by Quiara Alegría Hudes, is ready to be seen by the world. A dazzling love letter to the people of Washington Heights in New York City, the story centers on a bodega owner named Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) who is in a relationship with Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), but longs to go to the Dominican Republic to reconnect with his roots. Vanessa works at a beauty salon but dreams of a career in fashion. We meet also Nina (Leslie Grace), finishing her first year at Stanford, but what her proud family and the tight-knit community don’t know is that she is dropping-out. Through Latin rhythms, Hip-Hop and breathtaking choreography, stories of love, dreams and the uphill battle immigrants and descendants of immigrants face, are told through this Jon M. Chu-directed Adaptation of this beloved Musical.
We had the pleasure of chatting with Chu and several cast members in advance of the Film’s eagerly-awaited release, including:
LESLIE GRACE – Nina
DAPHNE RUBEN-VEGA – Daniela
DASCHA POLANCO – Cuca
GREGORY DIAZ IV – Sonny
OLGA MEREDIZ – Abuela Claudia
JIMMY SMITS – Kevin (Nina’s father)
See the Trailer:
Was ask Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Ruben-Vega and Dascha Polanco about the experience of working with Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Gregory: I think the combo of Jon, Lin and Quiara, their minds are just so creative and you see the bigger picture that I know for me personally, I could never really see at first when it came to the Film. Jon is just great and thinks on a such a big spectrum. If there was a scene where I was struggling to reach that point that I wanted to get to, he would take me to the side and tell me one, two or three things and immediately I was like, ‘Yeah! That’s what I wanted.’. Lin and Quiara, it’s such a beautiful story they’ve crafted. I think it’s really evolved from the Broadway production.
Daphne: For me it was one of the first movies where the Director brings you in and has a conversation with you and shows you the Mood Board and the skeleton of the story and so forth.
Dascha: At first I was wondering, the Director’s calling me in… I was wondering if I still had a job or not! (laughs) And it was like, ‘Oh! You want me to see what the sets are going to be like and what I’m thinking, what you want me to bring to life and what my thoughts are.’. That doesn’t really happen, especially when we do this for a while and IN THE HEIGHTS was really that. Everybody was included. We had a set vision, but wanted to incorporate what everyone artistically can bring forth. In that regard, Jon was really careful of – to stay respectful and authentic to the community and beyond. So as an Actor, I then understood how necessary it is for you to be included and feel it, but when you’re actually doing it, it makes sense.
Daphne: Jon‘s just a Homie, a guy who’s so approachable. And that allows us to have a conversation. So we’re no longer just the Talent, we’re the participators in a collective experience. With Jon, Lin and Quiara leading the way, we feel comfortable that we can bring our A-Game and trust them.
Olga Merediz’s performance as Abuela Claudia, the woman who helped raise Usnavi and many of the kids in the neighbourhood, delivers the Film’s showstopping moment. She embodies what it meant to be an immigrant in a country that speaks a language she can’t. Having originated the role both off and on Broadway, we ask what different approaches she took in the Film.
Olga: So much to talk about. I’m so happy you were touched. She touches me. When I think of Abuela Claudia, I think of women like her, like your mother. I just tried to maintain her dignity even though she went through so much. There’s a big difference between the stage and the Movie because Jon Chu really just broke the barriers of the Fourth Wall and his visual genius allowed me to just to be in it and for him to all around me create that magical world of Paciencia y Fe (Patience and Faith) – which is the number I sing. I just wanted to make her into this quintessential matriarch we all wanted in our lives, whether you had a wonderful mother or not, because that’s complicated. So I took a little bit of my mother, my aunties, my grandmothers and I wanted to give her that giving nature where the people in the community could go to her for advice, or wisdom, or a cooked meal, or just to rest their heads. And I’m humbled that I was able to have this incredible journey with this character from workshops, to readings to off-Broadway to the Movie.
Jimmy Smits and Merediz are asked where this Film ranks in their careers.
Olga: This is number one for me. It’s a climactic point in my career and life.
Jimmy: I have been fortunate to have been in a couple ensemble pieces throughout the decades and we always feel this is the one that’s going to break through. But then there’s always that one or two. The difference is – and I think this relates to so many topics, not just in the Latinx community. And now that we’re coming out of this pandemic, where the world got jolted and we had to think about other social things that relate to inclusivity, this is gonna be a little bit of joy that I think the audiences are really gonna relate to because of the universal themes. Not just because of the specificity of the culture. We’re trying to be as authentic, spot-on and positive as possible. Because it’s time. Because the population in both Canada and the U.S. are changing and different, but are the same having immigrants come with a dream. Whether you’re from Ireland or the Caribbean, you want community and you want your children to do better than you. Am I thinking about the home that I left, or the new home that has all of those things? I think this resonates really well in the Film and I’m hoping audiences will take this little bit of joy and go with it!
We ask Melissa Barrera and Leslie Grace about landing the gig of a lifetime here and the fantastic vocal work we hear, and what it took to get to that level.
Leslie: The gig of a lifetime. I felt so many times I felt unworthy of the experience because I felt I was being spoiled. I was reminded every day by my lovely castmates, ‘Yo! It’s not always like this!’. And so I was walking around like I was in Disney World every day. And even in production when we were sweating and sometimes bleeding on each other learning all these dance steps, it just felt like home and I just feel so fortunate and blessed to have gone through this process. So much of our hearts are in this. They are our stories. We finally get to tell what feel like our stories on the big screen and in a feature film, so it is the gig of a lifetime with amazing people.
Melissa: We both had really long casting processes. It took us over a year from the first time we auditioned. She auditioned, I sent a tape and then over a year I got called-in and she also over a year later got called-in, so it was a long process. But I think for both of us, it was perfect because it gave us time to prepare. For Leslie she was like, taking acting classes because she was an incredible singer already. And for me, I needed to work on my voice, so I had the time to take voice lessons and really feel comfortable with the material because Lin writes really hard songs to sing! (laughs) For me it was that, nailing the vocal aspect.
Leslie: And that you did, darlin’!
Melissa: But I think the amount of time, the timing was perfect because it let us get to where we needed to take on these roles.
At the heart of IN THE HEIGHTS’ story is community, but also the love stories. We ask the two stars how they built that believable chemistry that jumped-off the screen.
Leslie: It’s all real. We were just on Zoom for the first couple weeks together and every time each of us started to talk, we’d cry. Just having these people in your life, it’s not something everyone gets to experience and it’s not every day you come across people you just met and feel like you’ve known your whole life. If we had just done the experience of this Movie and nobody ever really saw it – which would be sad – the experience alone changed our lives. Sometimes you do a movie, waiting for everyone to see it so your life will be changed. But there’s a before and after for me in my life, after doing this Film with Melissa, Anthony, Corey, Jon, Lin and all the family. So that joy you feel from the screen is real.
Melissa: I think we were lucky we got such a long rehearsal period. We got ten weeks. During those ten weeks, we spent a lot of time together bonding over our frustrations, bonding over not getting Choreography. And going into a corner and wanting to cry, wondering if we were ever going to get this! All of that being there for each other really brought us so close and we became family. So the love and the chemistry that you see is real. We got so close that we became family and I think in a way it was perfect. These characters grew-up together and knew each other their entire lives. They live in this neighbourhood and it’s like a tight-knit community and for that to feel so real, I think we needed to have that in real life.
Leslie: You definitely can’t fabricate that in a Movie like this which has so much heart.
We ask Jon M. Chu how as a Taiwanese-American from the West Coast, what are some of the conversations and questions he had to ask when coming into a Film like this, which is so deeply-embedded within the Latinx community and set on the East Coast?
Jon: I had so many questions, even the question ‘Should I be doing this?’. And I think that’s a fair argument to have. What a great argument to be able to go back and forth on. But the fact they allowed me to ask stupid questions was huge. I couldn’t understand things like, ‘The blackout in this show is a really big deal, but we get blackouts all the time, what’s the thing?’. Lin and Quiara explained ‘You don’t know how one feels when the plug goes out and you don’t know when you’re gonna get it back and you’re the last person to get it back. And that’s what power is essentially about. And I was like, ‘So is it all negative and do bad things happen?’. And they were like, ‘Actually it’s the opposite. It’s about love. When God pulls that plug, you turn to the people you take care of and who take care of you.
So this brilliant night that was supposed to happen – this brilliant dinner – never happened because of a fight. And in the end it did happen because they turned to Abuela Claudia for safety and they all came together and had this moment. In a weird way, I look at right now. The world has gone through a really tough year where we feel isolated and we turn to all the people that we care about the most. Usnavi actually says that in the Movie. Once you get there, how do you get back up, how do you get back out? Daniela goes out and does her last makeover for the evening for the neighbourhood and says, ‘Believe in yourself, you are beautiful. You never needed me for the Air Conditioning for your hair to be done. Grab your flag and be proud and dust yourself off, and you have each other!’. This is the message that the world needs right now and how appropriate that the neighbourhood is Washington Heights showing the world how to survive, how to get back up and it’s going to guide the world out of darkness and into the next light.”.
See our Chat on Video:
Warner Bros. Canada release IN THE HEIGHTS in theatres and on-demand Thursday, June 10 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “IN THE HEIGHTS”
From the genius mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda comes IN THE HEIGHTS! Check-out this brand-new look at the eagerly-awaited Musical coming soon to HBO MAX.
Synopsis:
Lights up on the vibrant and tight-knit community of Washington Heights… where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big. From Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Jon M. Chu, In the Heights stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, and Jimmy Smits. Turn up the volume. This summer, we’ll be singing along with #InTheHeightsMovie. In theaters and streaming exclusively on HBO Max June 18.
See the Trailer:
IN THE HEIGHTS arrives Thursday, June 10, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: HBO Max/Warner Bros.)
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “HAMILTON”
Here’s your first look at HAMILTON, coming soon to Disney+!
Synopsis:
An unforgettable cinematic stage performance, the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” combines the best elements of live theatre, film and streaming to bring the cultural phenomenon to homes around the world for a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. “Hamilton” is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, “Hamilton” has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, the film transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way. With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and direction by Thomas Kail, “Hamilton” is inspired by the book “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow and produced by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller, with Sander Jacobs and Jill Furman serving as executive producers. Filming was produced by RadicalMedia. The 11-time-Tony Award®-, GRAMMY Award®-, Olivier Award– and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical stars: Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Jonathan Groff as King George; Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton; and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton.
See the Trailer:
HAMILTON arrives on Disney+ Friday, July 3, 2020.
(Photo/video credit: Disney)
#FIRSTLOOK: “HAMILTON” THE FILM OF THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION
For the many of us who still haven’t see HAMILTON, Disney will be releasing a Film version of the 11-time TONY Award-winning Musical.
The live-capture Film breaks new ground, transporting its audience into the world of a Broadway show in a new way. The Cast in the Film will include Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award® nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.
The Film was shot in June 2016 at at The Richard Rodgers Theatre.
HAMILTON will stream on Disney+ Friday, July 3, 2020.
(Photo credit: Joan Marcus)
TIFF18: “MONSTERS AND MEN” REVIEW
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After premiering earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Monsters and Men comes to TIFF this week and is just as timely and ferocious as it was nine months ago. The film tells the story of three men from different walks of life dealing with the fallout of a Black man being shot dead by the police in their community.
In a year where we have already seen films like Blindspotting and BlacKkKlansman tackling racial injustice, Monsters and Men may seem like a simple retread. But Writer/Director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s blistering debut feature is anything but. For 95-minutes, Green envelopes us in the chaos, outrage and uncertainty of what these communities are facing when innocent men are killed. It never panders to the audience, and its gritty authenticity makes it all the more startlingly relevant and at times, increasingly difficult to watch. Performances from everyone are absolutely terrific no matter how long they are on-screen, but the lead work from Anthony Ramos, John David Washington and Kelvin Harrison Jr. is among some of the best of the year.
Monsters and Men screens Thursday, September 6 at 9:00 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Friday, September 7 at 2:30 PM at Winter Garden Theatre and Friday, September 14 at 2:30 PM at Winter Garden Theatre.
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