Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts star in LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND. Today we get a new Official Trailer for this feature, premiering at the AFI Fest tomorrow night.
Synopsis:
In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world. Based on the National Book Award-nominated novel by Rumaan Alam, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND is produced by Esmail Corp, Red Om Films, and executive produced by Higher Ground Productions.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
By Amanda Gilmore
Ethan Hawke returns to the Director’s chair to explore the life and art of American Author Flannery O’Connor, who’s stunningly portrayed by his own daughter Maya Hawke.
Hawke and Co-Writer Shelby Gaines’s Script focuses on O’Connor’s life when she left New York City in 1950 and returned home to live with her mother Regina (a dazzling Laura Linney). It was here that she was diagnosed with lupus. At the time, getting this diagnosis felt like a death sentence. And that’s how O’Connor took it. Thus, she believed her time was limited to making the lasting mark she desired. Maya Hawke captivates as the Author grapples with her identity and her artistry.
Just like Hawke’s prior directorial ventures, Wildcat examines the artist’s way. He achieves this by blending O’Connor’s life with visual tellings of her short stories. He places her mother and those parts of her real life in the visual recreations of her stories. This creates the connection between life and art that O’Connor always claimed.
A highlight of Wildcat is the examination of the relationship O’Connor has with her faith. The Screenwriters spend significant time connecting the Author’s religion with the harsh judgement she places on herself for her dark imagination. The Filmmakers imply that this judgement halted the young author’s career early on. As the ending comes, O’Connor finally accepts her imagination for what it is and separates it from her relationship with God. She went on to become one of the most prominent writers of her generation.
Wildcat screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11 at 8:45 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre
Wednesday, September 13 at 7:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 11:30 AM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
One of the greatest love stories is finally being told. Hollywood Suite is pleased to be the exclusive Canadian outlet for the HBO Max Original and CNN Films documentary series The Last Movie Stars, a critically acclaimed documentary series directed by four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke. Each of the six hour-long episodes will premiere weekly on Thursdays beginning January 12, 2023, and will also be available to stream on demand the same day.
Directed by Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, this engaging docuseries celebrates the enigmatic personas, incredible talent, and captivating love story of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Partners on screen and in life, the pair’s unparalleled dedication to their craft, philanthropy, and one another is brought to life by readings of long-lost transcribed interviews with Newman, Woodward, and those closest to them. Hawke enlisted actors George Clooney, Laura Linney, Sally Field, Oscar Isaac, Karen Allen, Ewan McGregor, Sam Rockwell, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Zoe Kazan, and many others, to voice original interviews and explore details of Woodward and Newman’s relationship. The series also features Newman and Woodward’s daughters, who give touching insights into what made their parents’ singular careers, and relationship, so inspiring.
“It’s an honor to get to share Joanne and Paul’s inspiring life and love story with audiences. I’m thrilled that the film has found a Canadian home on Hollywood Suite,” said The Last Movie Stars director Ethan Hawke.
“The Last Movie Stars is an intimate portrait of classic Hollywood royalty,” said Sharon Stevens, Vice-President, Programming, Hollywood Suite. “With masterful direction from Ethan Hawke, one of the most iconic stars of this generation, the docuseries effortlessly weaves old Hollywood glamour with new Hollywood A-list stars, who deliver insights based on their own personal experiences on and off screen. The series fits beautifully within Hollywood Suite’s existing catalogue of films from the Golden Age of cinema to today, bringing historical context to film with a modern sensibility.”
The Last Movie Stars was executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, and Courtney Sexton, senior vice president for CNN Films. The documentary is produced by Emily Wachtel and Lisa Long Adler of Nook House Productions, Ryan Hawke of Under the Influence Productions, and Adam Gibbs. Mario Andretti is a co-producer on the series, and Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkmen) is the composer for the original score.
(Photo/video credit: Hollywood Suite/HBO Max)
Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Screening Passes to see THE BLACK PHONE.
Screenings take place as follows:
Synopsis:
The phone is dead. And it’s ringing.
Director Scott Derrickson returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse, with a new horror thriller. Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
Starring four-time Oscar® nominee Ethan Hawke in the most terrifying role of his career and introducing Mason Thames in his first ever film role, The Black Phone is produced,
directed, and co-written by Scott Derrickson, the writer-director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel’s Doctor Strange.
The film’s screenplay is by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill (Doctor Strange, Sinister franchise), based on the award-winning short story by Joe Hill from his New York Times bestseller 20th Century Ghosts. The film is produced by Derrickson & Cargill’s Crooked Highway and presented by Universal and Blumhouse. Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are producers on the film, which is executive produced by Ryan Turek and Christopher H. Warner.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. You also can Re-Tweet the Contest Tweet below for another chance! Please remember to indicate your City.
Enter for a chance to win Advance Screening Passes to see THE BLACK PHONE starring Ethan Hawke!
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) June 7, 2022
How: https://t.co/CSjGluJ0h0 pic.twitter.com/iG7YOXhpSy
Rules and regulations here.
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Universal Pictures Canada release THE BLACK PHONE in theatres June 24, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
Ethan Hawke returns to Horror in THE BLACK PHONE. See the new Trailer.
Synopsis:
The phone is dead. And it’s ringing.
Director Scott Derrickson returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse, with a new horror thriller. Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
Starring four-time Oscar® nominee Ethan Hawke in the most terrifying role of his career and introducing Mason Thames in his first ever film role, The Black Phone is produced,
directed, and co-written by Scott Derrickson, the writer-director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel’s Doctor Strange.
The film’s screenplay is by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill (Doctor Strange, Sinister franchise), based on the award-winning short story by Joe Hill from his New York Times bestseller 20th Century Ghosts. The film is produced by Derrickson & Cargill’s Crooked Highway and presented by Universal and Blumhouse. Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are producers on the film, which is executive produced by Ryan Turek and Christopher H. Warner.
Genre: Horror
Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone and Ethan Hawke
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Screenplay by: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
Based on the short story by Joe Hill
Producers: Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
Executive Producers: Ryan Turek, Christopher H. Warner
THE BLACK PHONE arrives in theatres June 2, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
By Justin Waldman
Disney+‘s latest Limited Series gives audiences a first time look at a brand- new Marvel character, Moon Knight. This is the first time that Marvel has given audiences a show that introduced a main character into the MCU via a show instead of a film. Moon Knight needs the span of a series to flesh-out his character and ideology, which might have been lost amongst the shorter runtime of a film. We get almost six hours to know his character and understand his powers.
The Series centers on Marc Spector/Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a worker at a museum in London, there is nothing exciting or particularly interesting about his character at first. That is until he comes home, and we see him shackle himself to his bed as he has a tendency to sleep walk and wander off. This is where things take a turn for the weird, as he becomes a completely different person and is somehow in Europe fighting mercenaries.
As the Show continues, we find out that Marc/Steven are actually a symbiote in essence for a Moon God named Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham) and he is really Moon Knight, a protector of secrets who ensures that evil does not reign supreme. Without giving away too much, Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) who is an assistant to the Egyptian god Ammit, who weighs peoples’ good and bad through touch, and if it turns out they’re evil (or are going to commit a heinous act) he kills them in the name of Ammit.
What works really well in Moon Knight are the performances from both Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke. Both manage to deliver on the chaos and passion their respective characters face, and even with the jarring aspects of the Show, they manage to hold our attention and make us crave more. Isaac plays in essence, three separate characters and delivering one of the most specific British accents, manages to deliver some sheer joy and unintentional chuckles. He captures Moon Knight‘s essence and makes him an unstoppable force. Hawke is quite possibly the most menacing he’s ever been on-screen. He proves that he can be terrifying and rather unnerving in his portrayal of Arthur Harrow but this captivates the audience and wants you to indulge further into the character and have a lingering sense of fear.
Moon Knight is risky for Marvel. It is unconventional and pushes the boundaries of what audiences are expecting from their properties. It almost feels hyperbolic to say that this is unlike any Marvel property audiences have seen thus far, because it is such a cliché to state that, however Moon Knight is unlike anything we’ve seen by Marvel. It refuses to adhere to linear storytelling. While there is a lot going on at times especially when switching between Mark and Steven, the risks paid off. It seems that going to smaller Filmmakers is the direction the Studio is going with, and honestly this innovation continues to help them thrive with their best output yet. Taika Waititi‘s Thor Ragnarok is a prime example of that, but so is the choice to have aboard Series Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. If this is the future of Marvel, investing in creative minds and letting them shine, and we will continue to get things like Moon Knight that break the mold, then it is a very promising future ahead.
MOON KNIGHT streams on Disney+ Wednesdays at 12am PT/3am ET starting with Episode One on Wednesday March 30th, 2022.
eOne Films x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to attend an Advance Screening of STOCKHOLM. Screenings are as follows:
Toronto – Wednesday April 10 – 7pm at Cineplex Varsity
Vancouver – Wednesday April 10 – 7pm at Cineplex Fifth Avenue (19+)
Synopsis:
Based on the absurd but true 1973 hostage crisis in Stockholm that was documented in the New Yorker as the origins of the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. The story focuses on a female bank clerk (Noomi Rapace) who falls for her captor, an unhinged American outlaw (Ethan Hawke) as she turns against the police and aids in his escape attempt.
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.
eOne Films release STOCKHOLM Friday, April 12, 2019.
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
When an ex-convict (Ethan Hawke) gets released from prison after 21 years for a petty crime he finds a baby in a dumpster which gives him a new lease on life.
First-time feature film Director and Writer Logan Marshall Green delves into the impacts of the three strike rule America used to have. He examines the psychological and societal impacts prison can have on those who’ve been newly-released. It focuses on one man in particular who is played captivatingly and to raw emotion by Hawke.
Adopt A Highway screens at SXSW on March 10 at 8:30 PM at Stateside, March 11 at 6 PM at Satellite Venue, March 13 at 5:30 PM at Rollins Theatre, and March 14 at 11 PM at Alamo Lamar E.
By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
It’s day four of the SXSW Festival and things are still moving a mile a minute. We attended two different Panels today that consisted of Actors and Producers of some of our favourite movies.
The first talk was from Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum who are here promoting their newest Film together called Adopt A Highway. It follows an ex-convict who finds a child in a dumpster and changes his life. The two spoke about working on prior projects together, such as Sinister and The Purge, and how Adopt A Highway is different from those. Blum stated that 80 per cent of the Films Blumhouse produces are of the Horror genre, while 20 per cent aren’t. His newest Film falls in the 20 per cent category. He said that he makes sure he really loves the content and the people working on the project if it is going to be outside of the Horror genre. The two also spoke about their long-time friendship, which even got Blum teary-eyed.
The second Panel was for the star and Executive Producer of the new Hulu show, Shrill. Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, a woman who wants to change her life but never her figure. Elizabeth Banks serves as Executive Producer and also attended the Panel. Banks had a lot to talk about in regards to the Show and her career from starting out as an actress to now producing and directing some of the most successful Film and TV Shows. “I am here for the revolution, that is women making more content,” she proudly pronounced to a huge round of applause. Banks also spoke about her upcoming Charlie’s Angels Film which she is directing, producing, writing and acting in! She said she doesn’t want to give too much away, but is really excited for it.
Then the Film Premieres began down at The Paramount Theatre once again tonight. First up was the newest Film from Director Chris Morris called The Day Shall Come. It stars Anna Kendrick, Danielle Brooks, Jim Gaffigan, Marchánt Davis and more. Before the Film started, the stars arrived and each spent time with their fans.
The final Film of the night was Good Boys which has a lot of Canadian talent attached to it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg produced the Film and Canada’s golden boy Jacob Tremblay stars in it. The Trailer for the Film also dropped today, and for those of you who have seen it, then you know this Film is going to be funny. And we can confirm it is the funniest Film we have seen at SXSW and in a while! The audience constantly was laughing or having “aww” moments during Good Boys. The boys charmed the audience in-person also in their Q&A.
Things begin to slow down a bit starting tomorrow as the Festival’s Awards Ceremony honouring those titles in competition, will take place in the evening.
This looks thrilling. Check-out the new Trailer for STOCKHOLM starring Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace and Mark Strong!
Synopsis:
STOCKHOLM is based on the absurd but true story of a 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis documented in the 1974 New Yorker article “The Bank Drama” by Daniel Lang. The film follows Lars Nystrom, (Ethan Hawke) who dons a disguise to raid a central Stockholm bank. He then takes hostages in order to spring his pal Gunnar (Mark Strong) from prison. One of the hostages includes Bianca (Noomi Rapace), a wife and mother of two. Negotiations with detectives hits a wall when (at the request of the Prime Minister) the police refuse to let Lars leave in a getaway car with the hostages. As hours turn into days, Lars alternates between threatening the hostages and making them feel comfortable and secure. The hostages develop an uneasy relationship with their captor, which is particularly complex for Bianca, who develops a strong bond with Lars as she witnesses his caring nature. This connection gave rise to the psychological phenomenon known as “Stockholm Syndrome.”
See the Trailer:
eOne Films release STOCKHOLM.
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
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