Today, ahead of their inaugural Upfronts presentation on May 14, 2024, Prime Video announced it has ordered The Better Sister to series from Tomorrow Studios. The series stars Emmy award-nominated Jessica Biel (The Sinner, Candy) and Emmy award-nominated Elizabeth Banks (Call Jane, Pitch Perfect), who will also serve as executive producers. Olivia Milch (Ocean’s 8) and Regina Corrado (Mayor of Kingstown) will serve as showrunners and executive producers on the series, with Craig Gillespie (Pam & Tommy) as director and executive producer. The series is a co-production between Tomorrow Studios and Amazon MGM Studios. The series will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The Better Sister is an electric thriller, based on the novel by bestselling author Alafair Burke, who will also be consulting on the series, about the terrible things that drive sisters apart and ultimately bring them back together. Chloe (Biel) moves through the world with her handsome lawyer husband Adam and teenage son Ethan by her side while her estranged sister Nicky (Banks) hustles to make ends meet while trying to stay clean. When Adam is brutally murdered, the prime suspect sends shockwaves through the family, laying bare long-buried secrets.

“Beyond being an enticing thriller full of twists and turns, The Better Sister is a gripping story about family feuds and forgiveness,” says Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “The brilliant duo of Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks are sure to bring these characters to life in the most authentic way alongside Olivia, Regina, Craig, and the talented team at Tomorrow Studios. The series is in the best hands to bring Alafair Burke’s original IP to life for our global Prime Video customers.”

“We are ecstatic to be adapting Alafair Burke’s captivating novel into a television series with Prime Video; this has been a true labor of love for the entire team at Tomorrow Studios,” said Marty Adelstein, Tomorrow Studios Founder/CEO, and Becky Clements, President/Partner. “The intricacies of sisterhood at every age are a dynamic we are all excited to explore inside of a taut thriller. It is a privilege to be working with showrunners as talented as Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado on the first project in our new venture with incomparable director and EP Craig Gillespie. We all feel so lucky to have landed Jessica and Elizabeth as our starring sisters and collaborators – a tour de force matchup in this propulsive new series.”

“I’m excited to be re-teaming with Tomorrow Studios on this taut psychological thriller,” said Craig Gillespie, director and executive producer. “When I read Olivia and Regina’s propulsive scripts, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with these two world class actresses for the first time. Watching them as rivaling sisters is going to be a blast.”

“We are so grateful to Tomorrow Studios for supporting us as we’ve explored the world of this family,” said Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado, executive producers and showrunners. “Craig Gillespie, who tells vital and bold stories of people willing to go to extremes, brought the perfect vision for the series. And we couldn’t feel luckier to have Jessica and Elizabeth, who have awed us with their rich and layered work, as partners bringing these sisters and their secrets to life.”

Emmy-nominated actor and producer Jessica Biel is known for her acclaimed roles in The Sinner, Limetown, The Illusionist, Candy, and dozens of feature films and series. Up next, Biel has signed onto star opposite Ethan Hawke and Daniel Radcliffe in Batso, the true story of a trio of trailblazing climbers who, in the early 1970s, took on the most difficult route up iconic peak El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Biel will play Beryl Knauth, a brilliant climber in her own right and Warren’s romantic partner. Most recently, Biel starred in the true crime limited series Candy as infamous ax killer Candy Montgomery. Her performance went on to earn a Hollywood Critics Association TV Award nomination. Prior to this, Biel starred in season one of The Sinner, which earned her Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Actress as well as nominations for her role as executive producer. She also starred in Limetown opposite Stanley Tucci. An Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor known for her work on the big and small screens, Biel’s films have earned more than $800 million at the box office worldwide. Movie credits include Hitchcock; The Illusionist; New Year’s Eve; Valentine’s Day; and The A-Team.

Actress, producer, writer, and director Elizabeth Banks is known for roles in both comedy and drama, as well as film and television. Her work includes stand-out performances in projects including The Hunger Games franchise, Love & Mercy, The LEGO Movie and Mrs. America. She is also a three-time Emmy nominee for her recurring roles in 30 Rock and Modern Family. On the production side, Banks made her directorial debut in 2015 with Pitch Perfect 2, and produced the Pitch Perfect franchise through her production company Brownstone Productions, along with her husband Max Handelman. Brownstone Productions’ slate includes multiple film, television and digital collaborations across various networks and studios, including the critically-acclaimed comedy Shrill, starring SNL’s Aidy Bryant and Bumper in Berlin. Banks produced and directed comedy-thriller Cocaine Bear and produced MGM’s cult-hit Bottoms. She recently starred in the feature drama Call Jane alongside Sigourney Weaver and in The Beanie Bubble alongside Zach Galifianakis and Sarah Snook. Upcoming, Banks will star in A Mistake directed by Christine Jeffs and Skincare directed by Austin Peters.

Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado are executive producers and showrunners. Series director Craig Gillespie and Annie Marter are executive producers through Fortunate Jack Productions. Additional executive producers include Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, and Alissa Bachner through Tomorrow Studios (One Piece), stars Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel, and Michelle Purple. The series is produced by Tomorrow Studios (an ITV Studios partner) and Amazon MGM Studios.

Mr. Will x Universal Pictures Home Entertainment want to give Readers a chance to win COCAINE BEAR on Blu-ray!

Synopsis:

From Director Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect 2), comes Cocaine Bear, the “wildly entertaining” (the Mary Sue) story inspired by the time an actual bear did cocaine. The comedy-laced, high-octane film phenomenon stars Keri Russell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Margo Martindale (American Crime Story), and the late Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) in “a thrilling binge of adrenaline” (TheWrap). The ‘Maximum Rampage Edition,’ loaded with behind-the-scenes extras including an alternate ending, deleted scenes and gag reel, will be yours to own on Digital May 9, 2023 and Blu-ray™ and DVD May 23, 2023 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE).

Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild dark comedy finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.

‘MAXIMUM RAMPAGE EDITION’ EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES TO OWN ON DIGITAL, BLU-RAY & DVD:
Alternate Ending
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Gag Reel
All Roads Lead to Cokey: The Making of COCAINE BEAR – Meet the hilarious ensemble brought together to bring the movie of what is soon to be the world’s most famous bear to life.
UnBEARable Bloodbath: Dissecting the Kills – From rigging to special effects makeup, to some of the actors doing their own stunts, we’ll get a bears-eye view into some of COCAINE BEAR’s hilarious and gory kill scenes.
Doing Lines – Cast and filmmakers read lines from the script to COCAINE BEAR, which was a work of art unto itself.
Feature Commentary with Director/Producer Elizabeth Banks and Producer Max Handelman

FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., with Margo Martindale and Ray Liotta
Music Supervisors: Julia Michels, Julianne Jordan
Score By: Mark Mothersbaugh
Edited By: Joel Negron ACE
Production Designer: Aaron Haye
Director of Photography: John Guleserian
Executive Producers: Robin Mulcahy Fisichella, Alison Small, Nikki Baida
Produced By: Phil Lord p.g.a., Christopher Miller p.g.a., Elizabeth Banks p.g.a., Max Handelman p.g.a., Brian
Duffield p.g.a., Aditya Sood p.g.a.,
Written By: Jimmy Warden
Directed By: Elizabeth Banks

TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY:
Street Date: May 23, 2023
Selection Number: 1000823431 (CDN)
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 16:9 2.39:1
Rating: Rated R for bloody violence and gore, drug content and language throughout.
Subtitles: English, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (DTS Digital Surround 5.1), and Latin American Spanish (DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1)
Run Time: 01:35:21

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: May 23, 2023
Selection Number: 1000823430 (CDN)
Layers: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 16:9 2.39:1
Rating: Rated R for bloody violence and gore, drug content and language throughout.
Subtitles: English, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish
Languages/Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 01:35:21

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Rules and regulations here.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to see the wild COCAINE BEAR from Director Elizabeth Banks!

Advance screening will be held Wednesday, February 22, 2023 in:

• Toronto: Scotiabank Theatre at 7 pm
• Montreal: Scotiabank Theatre at 7 pm

Synopsis:

Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild thriller finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.

Cocaine Bear stars Keri Russell (The Americans), Emmy winner Margo Martindale (The Americans), Emmy winner Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Kahyun Kim (American Gods), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) and newcomer Scott Seiss.

Directed by Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect 2) from a screenplay by Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen), Cocaine Bear is produced by Oscar^® winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. The Machines) and Aditya Sood (The Martian) for Lord Miller, by Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman (Pitch Perfect franchise) for Brownstone Productions, and by Brian Duffield (Spontaneous). Robin Fisichella (Ma) will executive produce.

Genre: Thriller

Cast: Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristofer Hivju, Kahyun Kim, Christian Convery, Brooklynn Prince, Scott Seiss

Directed by: Elizabeth Banks 

Screenplay by: Jimmy Warden 

Producers: Phil Lord & Chris Miller, Aditya Sood, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Brian Duffield

Executive Producer: Robin Fisichella

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City in the comments there. Re-Tweet the below for an additional chance.

Rules and regulations here.

Universal Pictures Canada release COCAINE BEAR February 24, 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

This is insanity. And to think it actually is based on things that happened! See the new Poster for COCAINE BEAR. And no that isn’t snow.

Synopsis:

Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild thriller finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.

Cocaine Bear stars Keri Russell (The Americans), Emmy winner Margo Martindale (The Americans), Emmy winner Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Kahyun Kim (American Gods), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) and newcomer Scott Seiss.

Directed by Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect 2) from a screenplay by Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen), Cocaine Bear is produced by Oscar^® winners Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. The Machines) and Aditya Sood (The Martian) for Lord Miller, by Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman (Pitch Perfect franchise) for Brownstone Productions, and by Brian Duffield (Spontaneous). Robin Fisichella (Ma) will executive produce.

Genre: Thriller

Cast: Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristofer Hivju, Kahyun Kim, Christian Convery, Brooklynn Prince, Scott Seiss

Directed by: Elizabeth Banks 

Screenplay by: Jimmy Warden 

Producers: Phil Lord & Chris Miller, Aditya Sood, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Brian Duffield

Executive Producer: Robin Fisichella

Universal Pictures Canada release COCAINE BEAR February 24, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

By Mr. Will Wong

Set in the late ’60s as Chicago is about to witness a major political upheaval sparked by the assassination for Martin Luther King Jr.. CALL JANE tells the story of Joy (Elizabeth Banks), whom after becoming pregnant, faces a life-threatening condition. She decides to get an abortion, but is faced with great obstacles. She is able to find the support of the Jane Collective, an underground group of women who support one another in their fight for women’s rights and safer abortions. We see in Joy’s own abortion how risky the procedure is. Directed by Phyllis Nagy, whom wrote the Screenplay for Carol, the Film takes us back to a time of revolution when women demanded to be heard in their right to make decisions about their own bodies, and took matters into their own hands when they weren’t being heard.

The Film explores the dynamics of Joy’s life at home in her marriage to lawyer husband Will (Chris Messina) and how her growing involvement with the Jane Collective begins to present challenges in their relationship. This at a time when a wife is expected to be home for her family unconditionally. We also see bonds form in the collective among these women united in their values and a key figure in this is charismatic Virginia (Sigourney Weaver). From here, we really see Joy begin to find her greatest purpose as her world expands and mind opens.

Joy is our guide into the era in which the story is set and the secretive nature of the work that the Jane Collective do. In her, we feel and see the obstacles women faced and the weight they bore at the time (and still do), and Banks delivers an engaging, accessible performance in the lead role. This Film should makes a timely statement in the ongoing dialogue about women’s reproductive rights and deserves to be seen.

See CALL JANE at Sundance as follows:

It is the Year of Beanie! Apple TV+ have announced they will be streaming upcoming Feature THE BEANIE BUBBLE! This comes on the heels of recent HBO Max Doc BEANIE MANIA.

Synopsis:

The Beanie Bubble” is inspired by the story behind one of the biggest speculative crazes that blazed through American culture in the 90s. It pulls back the curtain on the absurdities and injustices of the American Dream — particularly the female relationship to it. It’s a celebration of the women who helped power Ty Warner’s success, whose strengths and good instincts shaped and amplified the phenomenon, but whose names are not on the Beanie Babies’ heart-shaped tags.

Kristin Gore (“Saturday Night Live,” “Futurama”) and Grammy Award-winner Damian Kulash (OK Go) will co-direct, with Emmy Award winner Zach Galifianakis (“Between Two Ferns,” “Baskets”), Emmy Award nominee Elizabeth Banks (“The Hunger Games,” “Love and Mercy”), Emmy and Critics Choice Award nominated, and Golden Globe-winner Sarah Snook (“Succession,” “Predestination”), and Geraldine Viswanathan (“Broken Hearts Gallery,” “Hala”) set to lead the star-studded cast.

More to come.

(Photo credit: Apple.TV+)

It was a star-studded weekend indeed in Toronto and adding further to it all were a couple stars we spotted returning back to the City to work! Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin) stars in Netflix Thriller AWAKE. The Series centers around a global event which wipes out all electronics, leading to people not being able to sleep and the chaos that results from this. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barry Pepper, Shamier Anderson and Gil Bellows also star, and the Product wraps end of September. We’ve always remembered Rodriguez to be incredibly-kind in our travels to New York seeing her there and also back here when she came to TIFF with Deepwater Horizon! And newsflash! She hasn’t changed.

We love Elizabeth Banks so much and were so surprised to see her back in town to work on F/X Mini-Series MRS. AMERICA, directed by Cate Blanchett. The Series documents an Activist’s fight against the Equal Rights Movement and boasts an incredible Cast led by Blanchett, also starring Tracey Ullman, John Slattery, James Marsden, Rose Byrne, Sarah Paulson, Uzo Aduba and several more, including Banks. We are so stoked to see Banks’ take on Charlie’s Angels (out November), which she helmed. She also continues to be an amazing Horse Racing ambassador and we hope to see her at the Breeders’ Cup this Fall if she’s done work on Mrs. America! We are so delighted to hear she loved going to Saratoga as a kid. And we just returned from our first trip there a couple weeks ago!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Box Office Queen Melissa McCarthy is back and this time as you’ve never seen her before. Check-out this new Trailer for THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS.

Synopsis:
No Sesame. All Street. Two clashing detectives, one human (Melissa McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together to solve the brutal murders of the former cast of a beloved classic puppet television show.

In theaters this summer. Brian Henson directs with a Cast including Maya Rudolph, Elizabeth Banks and Joel McHale.

See the Trailer:

VVS Films release THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS Friday, August 17, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to take Readers to see PITCH PERFECT 3!  Screenings take place Wednesday, December 20, 2017 as follows:

TORONTO
EDMONTON
MONTREAL
CALGARY
VANCOUVER
OTTAWA

Synopsis:
Now graduated from college and out in the real world where it takes more than a cappella to get by, the Bellas return in Pitch Perfect 3, the next chapter in the beloved series that has taken in more than $400 million at the global box office.

After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren’t job prospects for making music with your mouth.  But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.

Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins all return and are joined by additions including John Lithgow and Ruby Rose.

Trailer:

Artwork:

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Universal Pictures Canada release PITCH PERFECT 3 Friday, December 22, 2017.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Hot off the news that she’ll be filming in Toronto this August the new Paul Feig Thriller A SIMPLY FAVOR alongside Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick returns once again in this awesome action-packed new Trailer for PITCH PERFECT 3! It hits theatres this holiday!

Synopsis:
Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson headline the returning cast of Pitch Perfect 3, the follow-up to 2015’s blockbuster hit that took the honor of highest-grossing live-action movie-musical opening of all time. The eagerly awaited next chapter is led by series producers Paul Brooks of Gold Circle Entertainment and Max Handelman & Elizabeth Banks of Brownstone Productions. The film will be directed by Trish Sie (Step Up All In).

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release PITCH PERFECT 3 this Christmas!

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures)