In addition to being a critical success, Toronto’s Shawn Mendes making his acting debut in LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE, also was a hit at the Box Office, grossing almost $90 million domestically. The Musical Comedy now is available from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada on Digital, 4K Ultra HD™, BLU-RAY™ and DVD, giving us something to cheer for this Holiday season!
LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, is an adaptation of the popular children’s story of the same name, centering on a young boy named Josh (Winslow Fegley) who moves to New York City with his family, only to struggle fitting-in. That is until his life changes when he discovers Lyle (Mendes), a singing crocodile – who has a little bit of stagefright – up in his attic. Their neighbour Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman) is about to put a finish to their friendship, tired of all their racket. Soon, Josh, his family and Lyle‘s resurfacing owner Hector (Javier Bardem) find themselves in a fight to keep Lyle safe.
So much of LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE leans on the Music and lead performance by Mendes and he thrives in this transition to Cinema. I mean this was only a natural progression after his 2020 Netflix Documentary IN WONDER and also a series of initiatives with TIFF. Mendes, you’ll be pleased to know, thrives in this debut thanks also to some fantastic songs from Hitmakers Justin Paul and Benj Pasek. These are the guys who brought us the Music of The Greatest Showman and La La Land, so obviously we love this. Just heartwarming, and a perfect Holiday watch with the family!
Bardem is not to be outdone here, a perfect pairing to Lyle‘s big heart and personality. But Fegley who actually is no stranger to Toronto having filmed Nightbooks and 8-Bit Christmas here, absolutely shines as Josh. And let’s not forget also Scott McNairy and Constance Wu as Josh‘s parents. Kudos to Casting.
Special Features:
DVD BONUS MATERIALS
SPECS
Run Time: 106 minutes
Rating: G
4K Ultra HD: Feature: 2160p Ultra High Definition / 2.40:1 | Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby True HD 7.1 compatible) | Audio Description Tracks 5.1 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray™: Feature: 1080p High Definition / 2.40:1 | Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA | Audio Description Tracks 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: Feature: 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen | Audio Description Tracks 5.1 Dolby Digital
After their acclaimed work together in BEING THE RICARDOS, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem join forces again and have been added to the Cast of upcoming Animated Musical Feature, SPELLBOUND.
More details:
Kidman will be voicing the role of ‘Ellsmere,’ the kind and just, yet hyper-precise Queen of Lumbria; and Bardem will voice ‘Solon,’ the boastful yet big-hearted King of Lumbria. Together, they are the parents of ‘Princess Ellian’ (voice by West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler), who they join on her daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms them into monsters and threatens to cover Lumbria in darkness forever.
Also joining the cast is multi-award winner John Lithgow (“Sharper,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Bombshell”), who will provide the voice for ‘Minister Bolinar,’ and Jenifer Lewis (“The Princess and the Frog,” “Black-ish,” “I Love That For You”) who will provide the voice for ‘Minister Nazara Prone,’ both royal advisors to Princess Ellian. Ellian seeks out The Oracles of the Sun and Moon, voiced by Nathan Lane (“The Lion King,” “The Producers,” “The Birdcage”) and Emmy Award winner André De Shields (“tick, tick…BOOM!,” “Hadestown,” “Extreme Measures”), to break the spell on her parents and the kingdom. Throughout her journey, Ellian meets several characters who help her, including ‘Callan,’ a young nomad, voiced by Jordan Fisher (Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between,” “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You”).
“Spellbound” is directed by Vicky Jenson (“Shrek”) and written by Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin and Linda Woolverton. The original score and songs for the film hail from Academy Award-winner Alan Menken, with song lyrics by Glenn Slater. Chris Montan serves as executive music producer. John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and David Lipman are producing for Skydance Animation.
More to come. Apple TV+‘s first-ever Animated Feature, LUCK arrives on the service August 5, 2022.
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in BEING THE RICARDOS! Here’s your first glance at the Trailer!
Synopsis:
Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear, and cultural taboos in Academy Award®-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage, and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy. Featuring J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda.
BEING THE RICARDOS in theaters on December 10th, 2021 and globally on Prime Video December 21st, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Prime Video)
TIFF ’17 very much continues to be alive and kicking at its halfway point. We admit it, we’re drained but we look forward to the pace calming down tomorrow.
The Birks Diamond Tribute honouring the accomplishments of Canadian Women in Film. Held on the scenic rooftop of the Spoke Club, the gathering brought to us by Maison Birks and Telefilm Canada was a who’s-who and who’s next in the industry. Diverse honourees this year include Ellen Wong, Amanda Brugel, Mina Shum, Shailyn Pierre-Dixon and Sherry White. We are so honoured to have been one of 27 selected jurors across Canada! Hover left and right to navigate the slideshow.
Annette Bening and Jamie Bell are getting praise for their performances in Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. We spotted the pair who play lovers in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. We spotted them out earlier doing the rounds and both were gracious to stop for fans! Huge fan of Bening!
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Luke Evans‘ star continues to rise especially with his fantastic work in Beauty and the Beast. He is at TIFF ’17 with Professor Marston and the Wonder Women tonight, a timely Film which comes off the recent Box Office record-setting success of the superhero on which it centers. Australian Actress Bella Heathcote also is here for the Film and looked lovely for her Premiere!
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Javier Bardem continues to be amazing TIFF ’17 with starring roles in mother! and Loving Pablo, plus an In-Conversation slated.
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Lean on Pete is the one Horse Racing Film of TIFF ’17. Buzz came out of Telluride Film Festival for its star Charlie Plummer who finds himself in a quarter horse. Chloë Sevigny plays a jockey in the Drama. Both stars were kind to stop despite Sevigny joking that nobody knew who she was!
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THE ESCAPE stars a talented duo of Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper and premiered tonight TIFF ’17!
#TIFF17: #GemmaArterton at #TIFF2017 with #TheEscape. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival
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We love the international component of TIFF in that we get to see stars who normally aren’t based stateside here. Adele Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Colour) and Matthias Schoenaerts graced the Red Carpet at Ryerson Theatre tonight for Racer and the Jailbird and despite being late, they introduced their Film and came back out to greet fans one-by-one. Amaze!
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While they weren’t really ones for Selfies, Don Johnson and Vince Vaughn were at Ryerson Theatre tonight for BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99.
#TIFF17: #DonJohnson at #TIFF2017 with #BrawlinCellBlock99. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival
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Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
It has been well over 12 hours since I watched Darren Aronofsky’s mother!, and I am still processing everything that happens within its 115-minute running time. Aronofsky has never been one to make films with easy interpretations, but mother! is far and away his densest movie to date.
The less you know about mother!, the better. But the plot revolves around a woman (Jennifer Lawrence) who lives with a famous poet (Javier Bardem). His house was destroyed, and she is helping to remodel and put it back together. But when unexpected guests arrive, things begin to get strange.
mother! is wrapped in layers of subtext and varying ideologies. It is at times frustrating to watch because Aronofsky is throwing so much at the screen at once, creating a nightmarish fever dream of a movie that goes to some shocking and bizarre places. But what it lacks in coherency, it more than makes up in astounding visuals and exquisite sound design. And at the heart of all the chaos is Lawrence, putting in an incredible performance that needs to be seen to be believed.
Paramount Pictures Canada will screen mother! at TIFF ’17 at the following times:
Sunday, September 10 9:15 p.m. Princess of Wales
Monday, September 11 11:30 a.m. Elgin Theatre
Wednesday, September 13 9:30 a.m. Princess of Wales
TIFF ’17 will be remembered as one of the most electrifyingly star-studded Festivals in many years and today is exactly why!
Names don’t come any bigger than Angelina Jolie who walked her first of two Red Carpets this afternoon. She produces Animated Feature THE BREADWINNER and humbly came out to grace not only the Red Carpet but walk the line of Fans stopping for photos and autographs along Yonge Street in front of Winter Garden Theatre. We were among the lucky! What a thrill! Don’t miss her at her Premiere for well-reviewed Documentary FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER tomorrow!
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Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence also drew a large crowd at TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX for the Presser for Darren Aronofsky‘s well-reviewed mother! While there was no sign of Michelle Pfeiffer today, Javier Bardem and Ed Harris later would walk the Red Carpet after being absent at the Film’s Presser. We even got a photo with Lawrence although tragically, flashes going off would wash out the Photo! Devastation!
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THE SHAPE OF WATER continues to garner tons of Oscar buzz with Festival Creative Director Cameron Bailey touting it as his fave! We spotted its friendly cast today including two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins, winner Octavia Spencer, nominee Richard Jenkins and Doug Jones. Hawkins is getting a lot of early buzz for her work.in this Toronto-made Fantasy by Guillermo del Toro. No signs of Michael Shannon however!
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We loved seeing Julianne Moore out earlier as she promoted George Clooney‘s SUBURBICON. We didn’t see Clooney though who was snuck-in, although we hear he has been really fantastic and giving to fans at TIFF ’17!
Sam Rockwell is back at it in the City, a place which work has brought him to many times, returning to TIFF with THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI.
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Dave Franco stars alongside brother James Franco in hilarious THE DISASTER ARTIST, based on THE ROOM star Greg Sestero‘s Memoir about working on that Cult Classic! He was in a bit of a rush today but we hope to see him around tomorrow as the Film premieres then at Midnight Madness.
James McAvoy consistently delivers and we were thrilled that he was able to make it in this year as we’ve wanted to meet him since we saw The Last King of Scotland, which also premiered here back in 2006. He’s here for SUBMERGENCE and was gracious sporting a bald look for his X-Men: Dark Phoenix role which he is shooting now in Montreal.
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(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Everyone’s talking about intriguing TIFF ’17 selection mother!, the latest from Black Swan Director Darren Aronofsky, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. We want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
Synopsis:
A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. For an extra chance, Re-Tweet this Tweet at @mrwillw.
Paramount Pictures Canada release #motherMovie Friday, September 15, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to attend a special Advance Screening of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES at Scotiabank Theatre 7:30 PM, Monday, May 15, 2017. There will be prizes and giveaways that night also!
Synopsis:
Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” a rip-roaring adventure that finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win and prove you’re a deserving Fan, “like” this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and answer for us under the comments there: In the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, who is the first character to say the phrase “dead men tell no tales” and in what Film?
For an extra chance, “favourite” this Tweet at @mrwillw.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES Friday, May 26, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)
©Disney
Academy Award-winning Actress Penélope Cruz is every bit as charming in-person as she is on the big screen. Although, rushed upon arrival of her new Romantic Drama Twice Born, she did promise to come out and sign some Autographs afterward. Unfortunately though, she first agreed to taking a Photo before her Handler advised there was no time left and then she later told me she had to go. Heartbreak!
Cruz‘s Husband Javier Bardem also currently is in-town doing promotion for his Documentary, Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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