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WORLD-FAMOUS SELFIES

julianne moore

#EDITORSNOTE: MR. WILL STAR SIGHTINGS 2021

We’re lucky to have even have had the chance to partake in any star-spotting this year given the circumstances we’ve been in! And even though what we got was a reduced version of TIFF ’21 this year, we’re still thrilled that talent still came through, while production on various Series and Films also continued around town this year. And as always we’re happy to go as close as the talent want to get, ensuring safety first. One day we’ll look back and call this our “Masked Era”.

While this is only a fraction of the quantity of star sightings we’ve had in the past, we did our best to do what we do safely. Some exciting names still passed through Toronto in 2021 and we were there!

I’d have to say it was epic that Toronto’s Simu Liu exploded onto the international stage as a mega star for his work in Marvel Studios’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. Not only was it amazing catching-up in person – he actually remembered my name – we also got a quick interview with him! Other names like Rebecca Ferguson, whom we’ve admire for quite a while, came through for TIFF ’21 and we’re glad we finally got to meet her properly! And when do we not get excited to see Jessica Chastain in-town? One of our highlights was getting a Selfie with Mila Kunis, whom we love, together with beanie bright and early in the AM? While concerts were scaled back quite a bit this year, we’re happy to have met some emerging names on the international scene who actually happen to be Canadian, like Mustafa the Poet and BBNo$! And how cool was it that hot off his venture into space, earning him the distinction of oldest person ever to go to space, William Shatner came to Toronto for Fan Expo Limited Edition?

Let’s take a walk down memory lane!

See some of our favourite star sightings of 2021, in no particular order!



While we will wait a bit for these case counts to go down, we look forward to Toronto being the star-studded City it once was once again!



Mr. Will

#TIFF21: DAY TWO SIGHTINGS: CLIFTON COLLINS JR., CLINT BENTLEY, BEN PLATT, JULIANNE MOORE AND THE CAST OF “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

Press has begun for many of the Films premiering at TIFF ’21 and since Red Carpets aren’t public this year, we have to use a bit more creativity getting that snap! No worries, we’re managing!

We spotted the Cast of DEAR EVAN HANSEN out and about today as they did the rounds and captured a few lovely moments among Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Danny Pino, Nik Dodani and Director Stephe n Chbosky!


We also were thrilled to attend the Premiere of Clint Bentley‘s JOCKEY which had won much acclaim at Sundance, winning Clifton Collins Jr. the award for Best Actor. Collins and Bentley were at TIFF ’21 today to premiere the Film at Scotiabank Theatre, giving the audience to understand an authentic story about the world of Horse Racing and what it’s like to be an aging athlete. Bentley tells the audience he is actually from a family involved very much with the industry. Don’t forget to check our running TIFF ’21 link here for the Review.



We also finally saw Pablo Larrain‘s SPENCER starring Kristen Stewart and were floored! So much detail and a super portrayal of Diana by Stewart. While our Review is coming shortly, here is a short thread on Twitter I Tweeted:



We are positively exhausted. Going to rest-up early for along day ahead including the TIFF Tribute Gala bright and early!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#TIFF21: “DEAR EVAN HANSEN” REVIEW

By Mr. Will Wong

While many Broadway plays have been given the Big Screen treatment, not all have succeeded. Fortunately, Stephen Chboksy‘s DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the real deal!

The deeply-heartfelt coming-of-age story centers on Evan (Ben Platt) who finds himself caught in a spiraling lie after a classmate’s family confuses him aa their son’s secret best friend. The problem is they were never actually friends.

The Musical explores the aftermath of a tragic loss, how we construct the truths we want and at what cost this comes. And ultimately what it means to find your own truth.

Headlined by an outstanding reprised performance by role-originating Platt, the Film is a visceral journey. The odd thing is while many read the humour as Comedy, I could feel his Evan‘s deep anxiety and pain, which was truly palpable.

Supporting turns from Amy Adams, Julianne Moore and Kaitlyn Dever are deeply-affecting. The glue that binds it all is that mesmerizing Soundtrack by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul.

Chbosky ambitiously covers a lot of ground but nails it! Fans are going to love this wonderful translation.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN screens at TIFF ’21:

Thu, Sep 09
IN-PERSON
Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Premium
5:30pm

Thu, Sep 09
IN-PERSON
Roy Thomson Hall
Premium
7:00pm

Thu, Sep 09
RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place
8:30pm

Thu, Sep 09
DIGITAL PREMIERE SCREENING
digital TIFF Bell Lightbox
Premium
Availability: Canada
9:00pm

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ADVANCE SCREENING PASSES TO SEE “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

We are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN! The Film is the TIFF ’21 Opening Night Gala! Screenings take place on September 22, 2021 in the following cities:

Toronto: Cineplex Cinemas Varsity, 7:00 pm
Montreal: Scotiabank Theatre, 7:00 pm

Synopsis:

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).

See the Trailer:

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance. You must be following.



Rules and regulations here.

Univeraal Pictures Canada release DEAR EVAN HANSEN September 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW FEATURETTE FROM “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

TIFF ’21 Opening Night Gala DEAR EVAN HANSEN is a highlight for many and here is a new Featurette which asks its stars about its theme of being found.

Synopsis:

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.  

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).

Universal Pictures Canada release DEAR EVAN HANSEN in theatres September 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: “LISEY’S STORY”

By Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

There are plenty of Novels that get adapted into Features or Miniseries and down the road the author of the original text comes out against the final Hollywoodized version of their product. Stephen King is rather famous for disliking adaptations of his own work, even when the Hollywoodization is regarded as a classic, King still opposes. When watching some of the more recent King adaptations, there is usually a lot to be desired still, however with Apple TV+’s Lisey’s Story there is very little more to desire after the eight episodes. This is in part due to the fact that King adapted his own work and legendary Director Pablo Larrain directed the Series, but it hits the bullseye precisely.

Lisey Landon (Julianne Moore) lost her literary genius husband, Scott (Clive Owen) and decided to try and move on with her life and leave his unpublished works as such. Unfortunately for Lisey, a stalker Jim Dooley (Dane DeHaan) cannot accept that Scott’s work will go unpublished and starts to torment and stalk Lisey. As this progresses, it gets more intense and terrifying for Lisey as she is a caregiver for her sister, Amanda (Joan Allen), who needs around the care attention for her mental health. Lisey is helped by her other sister, Darla (Jennifer Jason Leigh) with Amanda but has her own griefs and traumas to process as well.

What makes Lisey’s Story so captivating is the story. King brilliantly interweaves flashbacks of Lisey remembering her romance with Scott, the modern day and supernatural occurrences. The way the story comes together is seamless, full of suspense, awe, and thrills. Pablo Larrain also masterfully directs this rich tapestry of words with such ease and brilliance that audiences will be captivated throughout the Series. The entire Show is engulfed in beautiful storytelling, visuals and direction that is sensational.

With any strong direction and storytelling only so much can be accomplished without a powerhouse Cast, and thankfully for Lisey’s Story everyone brings their A-Game. Moore astounds as Lisey, trying to process her PTSD of losing her husband, while being tormented by her stalker and flashbacks she so desperately tried to move on from. Clive Owen playing Scott, trying to help Lisey through his puzzle in helping her process her grief is nothing shy of captivating. However it is Dane DeHaan who gives a career best performance, as his performance is chilling, haunting, and terrifying. He embodies the darkness of King excellently and does not shy away from becoming the monster he was written out to be.

When there is a hauntingly brilliant Script, beautiful direction, and superb acting the final product is nothing short of fantastic. Lisey’s Story may start off with a lot of supernatural elements begging the audience to suspend belief briefly, but the payout and deliverance of the final product is more than worth the time. Sheer ingenuity and execution makes Lisey’s Story another phenomenal entry into the Apple TV+ catalogue and an adaptation King himself can approve of Lisey’s Story streams on Apple TV+ now.

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN CINEPLEX GIFT CARD TO SEE “SPIRIT UNTAMED” IN THEATRES

Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to #win a Cineplex Gift Card to see SPIRIT UNTAMED in theatres.

Synopsis:

An epic adventure about a headstrong girl longing for a place to belong who discovers a kindred spirit when her life intersects with a wild horse, Spirit Untamed is the next chapter in the beloved story from DreamWorks Animation. 

Lucky Prescott (Isabela Merced, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) never really knew her late mother, Milagro Navarro (Eiza González, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), a fearless horse-riding stunt performer from Miradero, a small town on the edge of the wide-open frontier. 

Like her mother, Lucky isn’t exactly a fan of rules and restrictions, which has caused her Aunt Cora (Academy Award® winner Julianne Moore) no small amount of worry. Lucky has grown up in an East Coast city under Cora’s watchful eye, but when Lucky presses her own luck with one too many risky escapades, Cora picks up stakes and moves them both back with Lucky’s father, Jim (Oscar® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal), in Miradero.

Lucky is decidedly unimpressed with the sleepy little town. She has a change of heart when she meets Spirit, a wild Mustang who shares her independent streak, and befriends two local horseback riders, Abigail Stone (Mckenna Grace, Captain Marvel) and Pru Granger (Marsai Martin, Little). Pru’s father, stable owner Al Granger (Emmy winner Andre Braugher, Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine), is the best friend of Lucky’s father. 

When a heartless horse wrangler (Emmy nominee Walton Goggins, FX’s Justified) and his team plan to capture Spirit and his herd and auction them off to a life of captivity and hard labor, Lucky enlists her new friends and bravely embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to rescue the horse who has given her freedom and a sense of purpose, and has helped Lucky discover a connection to her mother’s legacy and to her Mexican heritage that she never expected. 

Spirit Untamed is the next chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved franchise that began with the 2002 Oscar-nominated film Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron and includes an Emmy-winning TV series. The film is directed by Elaine Bogan (Netflix and DreamWorks Animation Television’s Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia) and is produced by Karen Foster (co-producer, How to Train Your Dragon). The film’s co-director is Ennio Torresan (head of story, The Boss Baby), and the film’s score is by composer Amie Doherty (Amazon’s Undone, DreamWorks Animation’s Marooned).

See the Trailer:

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Re-Tweet this Tweet below also for an extra chance. You must be following.



Rules and regulations here.

SPIRIT UNTAMED is in theatres June 4, 2021.

*Please ensure you exercise caution in observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre.*

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

Coming this September, this is your first look at the Trailer for the screen adaptation of DEAR EVAN HANSEN!

Synopsis:

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.   Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman). Featuring Grammy winning songs, including the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever” and “Words Fail,” Dear Evan Hansen stars six-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams, Oscar® winner Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Colton Ryan (Apple TV+’s Little Voice), Nik Dodani (Netflix’s Atypical), DeMarius Copes (Broadway’s Mean Girls) and Danny Pino (NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

DEAR EVAN HANSEN arrives in theatres September 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW”

We were beginning to wonder what happened! Thrilled to hear THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW is arriving soon on Netflix. See the new Trailer!

Synopsis:

Anna Fox (Amy Adams) is an agoraphobic child psychologist who finds herself keeping tabs on the picture perfect family across the street through the windows of her New York City brownstone. Her life is turned upside down when she inadvertently witnesses a brutal crime. Based on the gripping, best-selling novel and adapted by Tracy Letts, shocking secrets are revealed and nothing and no one are what they seem in this suspenseful psychological thriller starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julianne Moore.

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW arrives May 14, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “SPIRIT UNTAMED”

Check-out the new Trailer for SPIRIT UNTAMED!

Synopsis:

An epic adventure about a headstrong girl longing for a place to belong who discovers a kindred spirit when her life intersects with a wild horse, Spirit Untamed is the next chapter in the beloved story from DreamWorks Animation. 

Lucky Prescott (Isabela Merced, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) never really knew her late mother, Milagro Navarro (Eiza González, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), a fearless horse-riding stunt performer from Miradero, a small town on the edge of the wide-open frontier. 

Like her mother, Lucky isn’t exactly a fan of rules and restrictions, which has caused her Aunt Cora (Academy Award® winner Julianne Moore) no small amount of worry. Lucky has grown up in an East Coast city under Cora’s watchful eye, but when Lucky presses her own luck with one too many risky escapades, Cora picks up stakes and moves them both back with Lucky’s father, Jim (Oscar® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal), in Miradero.

Lucky is decidedly unimpressed with the sleepy little town. She has a change of heart when she meets Spirit, a wild Mustang who shares her independent streak, and befriends two local horseback riders, Abigail Stone (Mckenna Grace, Captain Marvel) and Pru Granger (Marsai Martin, Little). Pru’s father, stable owner Al Granger (Emmy winner Andre Braugher, Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine), is the best friend of Lucky’s father. 

When a heartless horse wrangler (Emmy nominee Walton Goggins, FX’s Justified) and his team plan to capture Spirit and his herd and auction them off to a life of captivity and hard labor, Lucky enlists her new friends and bravely embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to rescue the horse who has given her freedom and a sense of purpose, and has helped Lucky discover a connection to her mother’s legacy and to her Mexican heritage that she never expected. 

Spirit Untamed is the next chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved franchise that began with the 2002 Oscar-nominated film Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron and includes an Emmy-winning TV series. The film is directed by Elaine Bogan (Netflix and DreamWorks Animation Television’s Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia) and is produced by Karen Foster (co-producer, How to Train Your Dragon). The film’s co-director is Ennio Torresan (head of story, The Boss Baby), and the film’s score is by composer Amie Doherty (Amazon’s Undone, DreamWorks Animation’s Marooned).

See the Trailer:

SPIRIT UNTAMED arrives in theatres June 4, 2021 via Universal Pictures Canada.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

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