The 94th annual Academy Awards returned once again to Dolby Theatre as Cinema’s most prestigious night had altered course during the Pandemic. Taking top honours was Sian Heder‘s CODA, taking Best Picture. The Film is the first-ever Film with a predominantly Deaf Cast to win Best Picture. It premiered at Sundance in 2021, before selling to Apple for a record $25 million, proving a smart investment. The Film written and directed Heder, is based on the 2014 French coming-of-age film La Famille BĂŠlier, centering on a young woman who is the child of deaf parents.
In addition to winning Best Picture, CODA also won Heder Best Adapted Screenplay and Troy Kotsur would take Supporting Actor.
Other major winners included Will Smith for his work in KING RICHARD, landing him Best Actor, proving third time’s the charm after having been nominated thrice for an Oscar.
Jessica Chastain gained much momentum in recent weeks, taking Best Actress for her portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker in THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. This also was her third time being nominated for an Oscar, proving once again that third time’s the charm!
Best Director went to Jane Campion for THE POWER OF THE DOG, which was seen as the favourite to win Best Picture. She has the distinction of being the third woman ever to win the category.
Hosted by a Trio of Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, the night was not without drama. Funnyman Chris Rock when presenting Best Documentary, poked fun at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s baldness which landed him a slap on-stage from eventual Will Smith, in defense of his wife.
#Oscars | Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock In The Face On Oscars Stage After Jab At Wife Jada Pinkett Smithâs Appearance https://t.co/6TZkI48QNh pic.twitter.com/ibpffmh2Mc
â Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 28, 2022
Things got lighter as this year’s In Memoriam took an uplifting turn with a gospel choir paying tribute to among others Ivan Reitman, Sidney Poitier and Betty White.
Some of the evening’s standout looks at the Oscars:
Holy mother of God. Lupita Nyong’o in Prada. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/G2VU4JgVOB
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
Jessica Chastain in Gucci channeling Hollywood Magic Hour. Stunning. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/sjunjKXCwX
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
Wilmer Valderrama looks s👀 good in Dolce & Gabanna. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/NswTRuM5LC
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
The look of a winner. Ariana DeBose confident in Valentino pantsuit. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5naNw1E39q
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
One went shirtless. One wore a shirt. Zendaya and TimothĂŠe Chalamet at the #Oscars for DUNE. pic.twitter.com/6yld0ZWhpn
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
A friggin’ Rockstar. Live for Kristen Stewart. Don’t care what the Academy thinks. She has won the night. Chanel has done amazing work tailoring her looks all Awards Season. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/JRNYXxEkgk
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent. Beautiful, simple. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/PgTuXnrEaQ
â MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022
Complete list of winners below:
Best Picture
âBelfastâ
âCODAâ (Winner)
âDonât Look Upâ
âDrive My Carâ
âDuneâ
âKing Richardâ
âLicorice Pizzaâ
âNightmare Alleyâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
âWest Side Storyâ
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, âThe Eyes of Tammy Fayeâ (Winner)
Olivia Colman, âThe Lost Daughterâ
Penelope Cruz, âParallel Mothersâ
Nicole Kidman, âBeing the Ricardosâ
Kristen Stewart, âSpencerâ
Best Actor
Javier Bardem, âBeing the Ricardosâ
Benedict Cumberbatch, âThe Power of the Dogâ
Andrew Garfield, âTick, Tick, Boomâ
Will Smith, âKing Richardâ (Winner)
Denzel Washington, âThe Tragedy of Macbethâ
Best Director
Kenneth Branagh, âBelfastâ
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, âDrive My Carâ
Paul Thomas Anderson, âLicorice Pizzaâ
Jane Campion, âThe Power of the Dogâ (Winner)
Steven Spielberg, âWest Side Storyâ
Best Original Song
âBe Aliveâ from âKing Richardâ
âDos Oruguitasâ from âEncantoâ
âDown to Joyâ from âBelfastâ
âNo Time to Dieâ from âNo Time to Dieâ (Winner)
âSomehow You Doâ from âFour Good Daysâ
Best Documentary Feature
âAscensionâ
âAtticaâ
âFleeâ
âSummer of Soulâ (Winner)
âWriting with Fireâ
Best Adapted Screenplay
âCODA,â Sian Heder (Winner)
âDrive My Car,â Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe
âDune,â Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
âThe Lost Daughter,â Maggie Gyllenhaal
âThe Power of the Dog,â Jane Campion
Best Original Screenplay
âBelfast,â Kenneth Branagh (Winner)
âDonât Look Up,â Adam McKay, Story by McKay and David Sirota
âKing Richard,â Zack Baylin
âLicorice Pizza,â Paul Thomas Anderson
âThe Worst Person in the World,â Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
Best Costume Design
âCruellaâ (Winner)
âCyranoâ
âDuneâ
âNightmare Alleyâ
âWest Side Storyâ
Best International Feature Film
âDrive My Carâ (Winner)
âFleeâ
âThe Hand of Godâ
âLunana: A Yak in the Classroomâ
âThe Worst Person in the Worldâ
Best Supporting Actor
CiarĂĄn Hinds, âBelfastâ
Troy Kotsur, âCODAâ (Winner)
Jesse Plemons, âThe Power of the Dogâ
JK Simmons, âBeing the Ricardosâ
Kodi Smit-McPhee, âThe Power of the Dogâ
Best Animated Feature
âEncantoâ (Winner)
âFleeâ
âLucaâ
âThe Mitchells vs. the Machinesâ
âRaya and the Last Dragonâ
Best Visual Effects
âDuneâ (Winner)
âFree Guyâ
âNo Time to Dieâ
âShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsâ
âSpider-Man: No Way Homeâ
Best Cinematography
âDuneâ (Winner)
âNightmare Alleyâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
âThe Tragedy of Macbethâ
âWest Side Storyâ
Best Supporting Actress
Jessie Buckley, âThe Lost Daughterâ
Ariana DeBose, âWest Side Storyâ (Winner)
Judi Dench, âBelfastâ
Kirsten Dunst, âThe Power of the Dogâ
Aunjanue Ellis, âKing Richardâ
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
âComing 2 Americaâ
âCruellaâ
âDuneâ
âThe Eyes of Tammy Fayeâ (Winner)
âHouse of Gucciâ
Best Production Design
âDuneâ (Winner)
âNightmare Alleyâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
âThe Tragedy of Macbethâ
âWest Side Storyâ
Best Editing
âDonât Look Upâ
âDuneâ (Winner)
âKing Richardâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
âTick, Tick, Boomâ
Best Original Score
âDonât Look Upâ
âDuneâ (Winner)
âEncantoâ
âParallel Mothersâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
Best Live Action Short
âAla Kachuu â Take and Runâ
âThe Dressâ
âThe Long Goodbyeâ (Winner)
âOn My Mindâ
âPlease Holdâ
Best Animated Short
âAffairs of the Artâ
âBestiaâ
âBoxballetâ
âRobin Robinâ
âThe Windshield Wiperâ (Winner)
Best Documentary Short Subject
âAudibleâ
âLead Me Homeâ
âThe Queen of Basketballâ (Winner)
âThree Songs for Benazirâ
âWhen We Were Bulliesâ
Best Sound
âBelfastâ
âDuneâ (Winner)
âNo Time to Dieâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
âWest Side Storyâ
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
While they were not televised this year, the 79th edition of the GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS took place tonight in private at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In response to some controversy over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s lack of diversity and business practices, plus also COVID-19 considerations, the event was scaled back, without stars in attendance this year.
Winning top honours this year in the Film categories were THE POWER OF THE DOG, taking Motion Picture – Drama, Director (Jane Campion) and Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and also WEST SIDE STORY which took Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Actress (Rachel Zegler) and Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose).
In the Television categories, HBO‘s SUCCESSION took top honours for Series Drama, plus Actor in Series Drama (Jeremy Strong) and Supporting Actress – Television (Sarah Snook).
Some surprises in the Motion Picture – Drama Actor and Actress categories with Will Smith defeating THE POWER OF THE DOG‘s Benedict Cumberbatch among others for his work in KING RICHARD, and BEING THE RICARDOS’ Nicole Kidman beating-out favourite Kristen Stewart for SPENCER.
Here are a list of winners:
âThe Power of the Dogâ | WINNER
âBelfastâ
âCODAâ
âDuneâ
âKing Richardâ
Will Smith (âKing Richardâ) | WINNER
Mahershala Ali (âSwan Songâ)
Javier Bardem (âBeing the Ricardosâ)
Benedict Cumberbatch (âThe Power of the Dogâ)
Denzel Washington (âThe Tragedy of Macbethâ)
Nicole Kidman (âBeing the Ricardosâ) | WINNER
Jessica Chastain (âThe Eyes of Tammy Fayeâ)
Olivia Colman (âThe Lost Daughterâ)
Lady Gaga (âHouse of Gucciâ)
Kristen Stewart (âSpencerâ)
âWest Side Storyâ | WINNER
âCyranoâ
âDonât Look Upâ
âLicorice Pizzaâ
âTick, TickâŚBoom!â
Andrew Garfield (âTick, TickâŚBoom!â) | WINNER
Leonardo DiCaprio (âDonât Look Upâ)
Peter Dinklage (âCyranoâ)
Cooper Hoffman, âLicorice Pizzaâ
Anthony Ramos, âIn the Heightsâ
Rachel Zegler (âWest Side Storyâ) | WINNER
Marion Cotillard (âAnnetteâ)
Alana Haim (âLicorice Pizzaâ)
Jennifer Lawrence (âDonât Look Upâ)
Emma Stone (âCruellaâ)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (âThe Power of the Dogâ) | WINNER
Ben Affleck, âThe Tender Barâ
Jamie Dornan (âBelfastâ)
CiarĂĄn Hinds (âBelfastâ)
Troy Kotsur (âCODAâ)
Ariana DeBose (âWest Side Storyâ) | WINNER
Caitriona Balfe (âBelfastâ)
Kirsten Dunst (âThe Power of the Dogâ)
Aunjanue Ellis (âKing Richardâ)
Ruth Negga (âPassingâ)
Jane Campion (âThe Power of the Dogâ) – WINNER
Kenneth Branagh (âBelfastâ)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (âThe Lost Daughterâ)
Steven Spielberg (âWest Side Storyâ)
Denis Villeneuve (âDuneâ)
âBelfastâ| WINNER
âBeing the Ricardosâ
âDonât Look Upâ
âLicorice Pizzaâ
âThe Power of the Dogâ
âDrive My Carâ (RyĂťsuke Hamaguchi, Japan) | WINNER
âCompartment No. 6â (Juho Kuosmanen, Finland)
âThe Hand of Godâ (Paolo Sorrentino, Italy)
âA Heroâ (Asghar Farhadi, Iran)
âParallel Mothersâ (Pedro AlmodĂłovar, Spain)
âEncantoâ | WINNER
âFleeâ
âLucaâ
âMy Sunny Maadâ
âRaya and the Last Dragonâ
âDuneâ â Hans Zimmer | WINNER
âEncantoâ â Germaine Franco
âThe French Dispatchâ â Alexandre Desplat
âParallel Mothersâ â Alberto Iglesias
âThe Power of the Dogâ â Jonny Greenwood
âNo Time to Dieâ from âNo Time to Dieâ (Billie Eilish; written by Eilish, Miles Ale, Finneas OâConnell) | WINNER
âBe Aliveâ from âKing Richardâ (BeyoncĂŠ; written by BeyoncĂŠ Knowles-Carter, Dixson)
âDos Oruguitasâ from âEncantoâ (SebastiĂĄan Yatra; written by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
âDown to Joyâ from âBelfastâ (written and performed by Van Morrison)
âHere I Am (Singing My Way Home)â from âRespectâ (Jennifer Hudson; written by Jamie Alexander Hartman, Hudson, Carole King)
âSuccessionâ | WINNER
âLupinâ
âThe Morning Showâ
âPoseâ
âSquid Gameâ
Jeremy Strong, âSuccessionâ | WINNER
Brian Cox, âSuccessionâ
Lee Jung-jae, âSquid Gameâ
Billy Porter, âPoseâ
Omar Sy, âLupinâ
Michaela JaĂŠ Rodriguez, âPoseâ | WINNER
Uzo Aduba, âIn Treatmentâ
Jennifer Aniston, âThe Morning Showâ
Christine Baranaski, âThe Good Fightâ
Elisabeth Moss, âThe Handmaidâs Taleâ
âHacksâ | WINNER
âThe Greatâ
âOnly Murders in the Buildingâ
âReservation Dogsâ
âTed Lassoâ
Jason Sudeikis, âTed Lassoâ | WINNER
Anthony Anderson, âblack-ishâ
Nicholas Hoult, âThe Greatâ
Steve Martin, âOnly Murders in the Buildingâ
Martin Short, âOnly Murders in the Buildingâ
Jean Smart, âHacksâ | WINNER
Hannah Einbeinder, âHacksâ
Elle Fanning, âThe Greatâ
Issa Rae, âInsecureâ
Tracee Ellis Ross, âblack-ishâ
âThe Underground Railroadâ | WINNER
âDopesickâ
âImpeachment: American Crime Storyâ
âMaidâ
âMare of Easttownâ
Michael Keaton, âDopesickâ | WINNER
Paul Bettany, âWandaVisionâ
Oscar Isaac, âScenes from a Marriageâ
Ewan McGregor, âHalstonâ
Tahar Rahim, âThe Serpentâ
Kate Winslet, âMare of Easttownâ | WINNER
Jessica Chastain, âScenes from a Marriageâ
Cynthia Erivo, âGenius: Arethaâ
Elizabeth Olsen, âWandaVisionâ
Margaret Qualley, âMaidâ
O Yeong-Su, âSquid Gameâ | WINNER
Billy Crudup, âThe Morning Showâ
Kieran Culkin, âSuccessionâ
Mark Duplass, âThe Morning Showâ
Brett Goldstein, âTed Lassoâ
Sarah Snook, âSuccessionâ | WINNER
Jennifer Coolidge, âWhite Lotusâ
Kaitlyn Dever, âDopesickâ
Andie MacDowell, âMaidâ
Hannah Waddingham, âTed Lassoâ
Awards Season will culminate in the 94th annual Academy Awards, which take place Sunday, March 27, 2022.
(Photo credit: 20th Century Studios)
While it felt the latter part of 2021 was rather hectic on the release side for films, it certainly was a memorable, although sometimes chaotic year in Cinema. As we saw several films which should’ve surfaced in 2020, banked for our enjoyment on the big screen this year, it makes it even more challenging to narrow down our favourites. Truly, the Films that made the cut in 2021 truly were outstanding as they had to shine amongst a quality slate of releases.
Though it seems we’re making one step forward and two steps back in making it through this Pandemic, we were so happy to have been able to be back in theatres once again and enjoy a hybrid version of the Toronto International Film Festival. For that we are grateful and we look forward to sitting in a theatre once again, full capacity with popcorn and drink in-hand, even if not yet.
Team Mr. Will break down their favourite releases of 2021 for us and as always, it is an exciting and eclectic mix. Films like CODA, ROADRUNNER, NINE DAYS, C’MON C’MON and MASS might not be on all Critics’ Top Tens, but they fared well among the Team and found a home with us. If you’re still deciding what to see or are on the fence about, let us help you out!
So grateful for this amazing family of Writers and their esteemed opinions and hard work delivering for us year-round.
I think Cinema is at its best when it entertains, increases empathy and enlighten us. The films in my Top Ten check those boxes for me. However, 2021 is filled with impactful Cinema and my list could easily be 20! Other films I love are Awards Season favourites King Richard, Belfast & Spencer. This list was made before viewing A Hero, Parallel Mothers & Cyrano.
The Worst Person in the World & Petite Maman would be below but they release in 2022. Keep an eye out for them!
Top Ten Narratives (in alphabetical order):
Câmon Câmon
CODA
Drive My Car
Judas & the Black Messiah
The Lost Daughter
Nine Days
Passing
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick⌠BOOM!
West Side Story
Fav Docs (in alphabetical order):
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing With Fire
In a near-tie for my favorite this year: two Documentaries attempting to process recent history. Life in a Day revisits the original 2010 experiment, sourcing thousands of hours of amateur footage from across the world shot on a single day in 2020 that might as well represent the era. Spike Lee‘s NYC Epicenters–a four part miniseries available on Crave–looks at every major New York disaster since 9/11 up to the present moment with absolutely crushing clarity. Sidenote: Netflix‘s ‘Turning Point‘ gives 9/11 some much-needed context as the inciting incident in a much broader tragedy for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. Bo Burnham’s Inside grapples with our collective quarantine routine, and though I have misgivings about how accurate it is to Burnham‘s real experience of the pandemic–dropping it a bit further down the list–I cannot deny the singular power of his music to bring meaning to our perpetually sealed-off lives. In third–and the first narrative on the list–The Last Duel failed to connect with the Box Office but succeeded in keeping me locked at a 70° angle as I untangled the all-too-familiar cycle of assault, denial, and public scorn told from three distinct perspectives, brought together by a relentless, titular duel more explosive than anything Ridley Scott has ever yelled at a journalist. Dune could not be less connected to our present, so it was nice to become ensnared in its deadly world with the most well-integrated Visual Effects I’ve ever seen. Roadrunner and C’mon C’mon are both stories of Documentarians who live their work. For Joaquin Phoenix, it’s a spiritually healing act. For Anthony Bourdain, it’s a bit more complicated. Spencer synthesized Diana‘s tragedy into a devastating weekend of pheasant hunting, pea soup and Jazz. Sidenote: ‘Diana the Musical‘ is worth a Netflix skim for a horrific glimpse into yet another way of defining her story. The Green Knight revitalized title cards–along with reflections on destiny and death. And Annette finally put an end to our cultural obsession with selfish toxic male stars–j/k!
2021 was the year I capitulated, when it came to the Movies. I firmly believed that they HAD to be seen on a big screen to even be considered worthy candidates to make my personal âBestâ list. To me, VOD always stood for movies that studios deemed unworthy of a theatrical release and streaming services were like HBO: good stuff but, like HBO movies, should not be considered Oscar-worthy. My feelings came crashing down when I saw my first movie in a darkened theatre when we were finally allowed to do so. It was the Documentary âRoadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdainâ. It was also the 107th movie I had watched this year. The final nail in the coffin was when I was given the choice to see âThe Eyes of Tammy Fayeâ in the theatre or to stream it and I chose the latter.
Whittling down the 288 titles I watched in 2021 to my Top Ten was no easy task! And apologies to the movies I havenât seen yet (The Lost Daughter, Drive My Car, A Hero, Parallel Mothers and The Green Knight) that could have made the list and those that I could not squeeze-in (Annette, Flee, Belfast, Being the Ricardos, Donât Look Up, In the Heights and Passing).
What a mess 2021 has been, we thought we couldnât possibly still be in this god damn pandemic anymore but here we are. Thankfully, even through the endless, and I mean ENDLESS delays we got some content this year that was absolutely incredible. Only one movie on this Top Ten list only played the festival circuit, and I cannot stress enough that it must be viewed when it comes out. Everything on this list deserves its placing, and if you havenât seen some of these picks, please please please go and see it to warm your Cinephile heart. I present to you my top 10 of 2021. May 2022 bring forward some other excellent Cinema!
Alone With You Green KnightNote: at the time of publication I have not seen Drive My Car, or Parallel Mothers.
Happy New Year everyone, and Bon Cinema!
Were we wrong thinking 2021 would be better than 2020? While it was not nearly as much of a dumpster fire, there is still so much wrong and so few lessons learned. I loved being able to experience movies in a theatre again, yet am depressed at how few people turned up for anything that did not involve Marvel characters (though I did enjoy some of those ones too). Fingers crossed we can lose the increasingly annoying âExclusively in Theatresâ rhetoric at some point in 2022. All of that said, I was able to experience a whole world of titles at digital festivals and likely saw more movies this year alone than I have in previous years (or at least compared to all the years I have tracked on Letterboxd!). So it was not all doom and gloom.
Here is a look at my ranked Top 10 list of titles that had a profound effect on me, inspiring my creativity endlessly in a year where I felt so little, followed by alphabetical lists of 2020 films I could not see until 2021 and a few festival favourites waiting for proper release.
2020 Favourites That Were Available This Year
Minari
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Saint Maud
Unreleased Festival Favourites
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
Catch the Fair One
The Fallout
Petite Maman
Sundown
Three things we always look for in a great film. One, it has to take us on a real journey and there’s gotta be something at stake that’s meaningful. It doesn’t matter how big the stakes are. It is the Director and Actors’ jobs to make it feel like the journey they are going on matters. Two, we love it when an Actor transforms and we laud bravado in a performance. Three, we want to feel something when we walk away from a film. These Films meet all the criteria for me. Whether it be Kristen Stewart’s transcendent performance as Diana in Spencer which we’re still obsessed with, or what it means for a father to go for broke because he believes so much in his daughters in King Richard, or films like Zola and Red Rocket which pushed the envelope giving us a glimpse into the lives of Sex Workers, my eyes were opened and sometimes welled-up from some of the masterful work I saw in my Top Ten.
Don’t forget to check-out highlights from our 2021 Star Sightings in Toronto here!
1. SpencerTo another amazing year in Film ahead! Thank you for continuing to join us!
Team Mr. Will
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE scares aware the competition with a $40.5 million opening this weekend from 4,315 theatres for Sony Pictures. The third installment in the original Franchise gets 61% on the Tomatometer.
In second is Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS with $10.8 million for Disney from 4,055 theatres. Over three weeks it has grossed $135.8 million in North America.
Third goes to CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG with $9 million from 3,628 theatres for eOne Films/Paramount Pictures, a two week tally of $33.5 million.
Fourth spot goes to KING RICHARD, based on the life of Venus and Serena Williams‘ father Richard, with $6.5 million from 3,302 theatres for Warner Bros. It gets 92% on the Tomatometer.
Rounding-out the Top Five is DUNE with $3 million for Warner Bros., a total five week run of $98.2 million.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win Cineplex in-theatre passes for two to see KING RICHARD. Believe me this, this true story of Richard Williams and his daughters Venus and Serena (yes, that Venus and Serena!) is a must-see.
Our Review here.
SYNOPSIS:
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Picturesâ âKing Richard follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (âAli,â âThe Pursuit of Happyness,â âBad Boys for Lifeâ) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (âMonsters and Menâ).
Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
Aunjanue Ellis (âIf Beale Street Could Talk,â TVâs âQuanticoâ) plays the girlsâ mom, Oracene âBrandiâ Williams, Saniyya Sidney (âHidden Figures,â âFencesâ) stars as Venus Williams, Demi Singleton (TVâs âGodfather of Harlemâ) stars as Serena Williams, with Tony Goldwyn (the âDivergentâ series, TVâs âScandalâ) as coach Paul Cohen and Jon Bernthal (upcoming âThe Many Saints of Newark,â âFord v Ferrariâ) as coach Rick Macci. The ensemble also includes Andy Bean (âIT Chapter Twoâ), Kevin Dunn (the âTransformersâ films, HBOâs âVeepâ) and Craig Tate (âGreyhoundâ).
Green directed âKing Richardâ from a screenplay written by Zach Baylin. The producers were Tim White and Trevor White under their Star Thrower Entertainment banner, and Will Smith under his Westbrook banner. Isha Price, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, James Lassiter, Jada Pinkett Smith, Adam Merims, Lynn Harris, Allan Mandelbaum, Jon Mone and Peter Dodd served as the executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Elswit (âThere Will Be Bloodâ), production designers Wynn Thomas (âDa 5 Bloods,â âHidden Figuresâ) and William Arnold (âThe Hate U Giveâ), Oscar-nominated editor Pamela Martin (âThe Fighterâ), and two-time Oscar-nominated costume designer Sharen Davis (âDreamgirls,â âRayâ). The music is by Oscar-nominated composer Kris Bowers (âSpace Jam: A New Legacy,â âA Concerto is a Conversationâ). A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Star Thrower Entertainment Production, A Westbrook Production, A Keepinâ It Reel Production, âKing Richardâ is slated for release on November 19, 2021 in theatres.
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet below for an extra chance!
Enter for a chance to win Cineplex Passes to see #KingRichard.
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) November 17, 2021
How: https://t.co/hBwJyFAIG9 pic.twitter.com/qpsNrlM7Ha
Rules and regulations here.
NOTE: Winners will only be contacted through this official account. Do not accept friend requests from others asking for you to provide your personal information.
See KING RICHARD in theatres November 19, 2021.
Read our highlights from the Press Conference for KING RICHARD here.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)
By Mr. Will Wong
One of this year’s most powerful Dramas is before us. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, KING RICHARD is the true story behind Richard Williams, father of Tennis icons Venus and Serena. The Family-Sports Drama chronicles their uphill battle from their life in Compton to securing a place among Tennis’ elite. Will Smith plays the role of Richard, the often misunderstood mastermind behind the Williams Sisters’ success, supported by some superb performances by Aunjanue Ellis as wife Oracene, Saniyya Sidney as Venus, and Demi Singleton as Serena.
We couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday than to sit-in on the Press Conference for KING RICHARD. In attendance were:
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams talk about the surreal experience of seeing their family portrayed on-screen.
Venus: “I think it’s super-emotional. I’ve seen the Trailer, read the Script and every time I watch it, my eyes get watery. I think it was amazing seeing the family atmosphere on the set and how much Demi and Saniyya really acted like me and Serena. I saw them holding hands and it was so sweet! I’m so proud of what everyone has accomplished. It’s pretty surreal to be honest. They really understood our family and portrayed us in a way that was really us and we’re really proud of that.”.
Serena: “No words describe it better than just surreal. To see these incredible Actresses and everyone behind it who put this all together about our dad, his journey because of myself and my sister. Wow, are we really something? It really is super-surreal for me and then to have Will to play my father in the way he just embodied Richard Williams, it just took the Film to a whole new level. It’s so emotional, it’s well-done and a brilliant piece of work.”.
Will Smith talks about what appealed to him most about playing Richard Williams.
Will: “We were talking earlier and there was an interview that Venus was doing when she was 13 or 14 and Richard Williams snaps on a reporter. I saw that in real time and the look on Venus‘ face burned an image on my heart because that’s how I wanted my daughter to look when I showed-up. The interview had really changed my parenting at the time. It was like she had a lion. She was so confident and comfortable that her lion wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. And I fell in love with Richard Williams. That was 20 something years ago. When the opportunity to be a part of this came-up, the first thing I knew I wanted was to show a father protecting a daughter like that to the world.”.
Tim White is one of the Film’s Executive Producers and talks about KING RICHARD‘s long journey to the big screen.
Tim: “I had played Juniors Tennis and sort of knew the story of Richard Williams a little bit and it was something that always really stuck with me, this image of 1999 at the Lipton Championships, him holding up a sign that said ‘I TOLD YOU SO’. Around 2014-2014, Trevor and I started talking about this as a potential idea for a movie. We were both just incredibly inspired by the family’s relentless pursuit of this dream. We started to meet with Writers and for a couple years with 25-30 Writers and found out that there are a thousand different ways to tell this story. It wasn’t until we met Zach that we really zeroed-in on exactly what this was. It was really that Script that started the process of this Film actually becoming real. We sent the Script to Will, Isha and really at that point began to bring this to life.”.
Aunjanue Ellis delivers a powerful Grand Slam as the Williams Sisters‘ mother Oracene. She long has been an acclaimed veteran of the screen (When They Can See Us, Birth of a Nation) and admits she felt like she’s done something right in her career for it to lead her to this coveted role today.
Aunjanue: “I want to say that I give a whole lot of credit to these Filmmakers. They insisted that Miss Oracene not be in the shadows. To do something where we did not see her as a Co-Conspirator of this crazy dream would have been dishonest. We tried to give her the presence she deserved to have because that was the truth.”.
KING RICHARD introduces us to a couple brilliant young talents in Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton as Venus and Serena, respectively. The two talk about bringing authenticity to their roles, and we learned that Saniyya is left-handed and had to learn to play Tennis like Venus on the off-hand.
Demi: “To bring everything together and make it feel as real as possible, I think Saniyya and I just did a lot of research. That was really important to us that everything we did was real because this is not our story, this is theirs. We searched the internet and had Miss Isha there.”.
“The first time I got to speak to Serena was when they surprised us on set. That was such a fun day. They spoke to us about everything but tennis. They spoke about their life and childhood, the people that they dated growing-up. (The Panel laughs) We just got to speak to them as people. It was really fun to get to know that side of Serena.”.
Serena: “We wanted to make sure we were portrayed in the right way.”.
Saniyya: “I was so nervous meeting Venus for the first time. We had such great conversations not about tennis, but just them as people. I’ve looked-up to them too since I was little. It was very important to let people know how big of a heart Venus has. We had such an amazing experience on this set, getting to create this family, not just with my Cast but everyone behind the camera. They made us feel so comfortable. I was excited to try tennis. It was great.”.
Venus: “What was interesting was one of the coaches was someone we went to the Macci Academy with. It’s such a small world that ended-up happening. I think it really connected getting the girls ready for this role.”.
Jon Bernthal is a real revelation as coach Rick Macci and he talks about what he identified with most in KING RICHARD.
Jon: “It’s such an incredible honour to be a part of this family and beautiful story! To me there’s nothing more important in my world than my babies. Parenthood is the most important job, it’s the hardest job and a job you’re never gonna get perfect. For me, the thing I connected with in Rick, talking to some of the folks who played for him, talking to him and talking to Serena about him, was that he loved the game and made it fun. I think that was something with Richard that you could get behind, as weird and quirky as he was with his mustache and hair, you could still get behind this guy.”.
Director Reinaldo Marcus Green talks about the process of making this Film and thought often about his mother.
Reinaldo: “I was on the tennis court once before that, I am a baseball player and in making a movie, I wanted to make a movie that my mom could see. She understands what family, what love is. She understands what struggle is. I made this Movie for folks like my mother who could see this and enjoy it and still understand what’s happening and not get lost in the technical aspects of the sport. We honed-in on what aspects of tennis we needed to tell this story. When we were talking about ‘open stance’, which Venus and Serena used to revolutionize the game of tennis, we had to be specific about that. Let’s talk about how we could use that in the Film to shape the tennis sequences.”.
“Not every film has everyone love each other when you call ‘cut!’. As we know, we were roping each other just to get it in. It is a testament to how much fun we created on the set with Will and Aunjanue being the backbone of the family, not only in the Film, but on-set. They created an environment for everyone to excel and it was amazing.”.
Tony Goldwyn plays Paul Cohen, a coach who played a formative role in the Williams Sisters’ success getting into the Juniors.
Tony: “It was really interesting. Zach‘s Script was one of the things that appealed to me and in this contentious relationship with Richard, there is this playfulness to it and a mutual respect. I found the real Paul Cohen and had long conversations with him. I asked him about his relationship with the Williams family and Venus and Serena. And I asked about the approach he took teaching tennis because I just wasn’t sure. It’s a very intense, high-octane thing. What I want to say is that it’s about family and making it something joyful even though it’s super-intense. He expressed this love for the family and this incredible admiration for Richard, so it validated what I saw in Zach‘s Script. Whatever disagreements they had, was offset by the fact that this man is fighting and advocating for his kids, and Oracene too. For me, my first day on-set, with all the sisters, it was almost like there was some type of a magnet and I thought, ‘This was easy, because this is a family!’. It was seamless when they were on-camera and when they weren’t.”.
Will Smith talks about playing Richard Williams, comparing it to his own experience as a father.
Will: “When I take-on a role I do it to explore something. It was a new idea for me aligning with your children versus directing your children. It was a very, very different concept and approach that was magical in the Williams family that the rules were set, but the rules that were established were divine. So faith was at the center and it was a collective journey we were going on. It wasn’t as a parent, ‘I know and you don’t, so you’re gonna do as I say!’. It was somewhat what eye-opening for me. My father was very military when I was growing up, the kids don’t get a vote. You do what’s established for you. There’s some benefits to that mindset, but this was a very different thing.”.
Zach Baylin talks about not making the Film about chronicling the Williams Sisters’ successes, but more so about giving us an authentic glimpse at their family life and journey.
Zach: “I think that was the big effort. It was going to be a gripping family story that’s not just a SportsCentre package about moments we all know. If we were really gonna get to know the family, we really needed the intimate moments. We collectively had found the architecture of where the Movie is going. It was really about digging-in and doing research, finding the little things that this family did. I wrote first draft of the Script and thought it was pretty good, but sat down with everyone and asked what was it really like in the van, dinner table with Richard. That’s what really brought it to life, not just chronicling greatest hits. It’s a inside look at every moment.”.
Isha Price serves as a Producer on KING RICHARD, but also happens to be Venus and Serena‘s sister. She was on-hand during filming to ensure scenes were captured as authentically as possible as an accurate reflection of her family.
Isha: “It was definitely a journey, this persistence of Tim and Trevor in wanting to tell the story of my dad and not have it be one of vilification, but one of who he was as a father and what he wanted to do, and how the family came together to be able to do that. When it was understood that was what we wanted to happen, it became a lot easier to get behind it. Then was the process of going to my family after reading the Script. There’s this opportunity, there’s this Script, it’s a little raw. There’s definitely things we can finesse and get right. This person is behind it and we have a lot of respect for Will. He wants to get it right and won’t do it unless we bought into idea of doing of what this could be and doing it right and being ourselves. That took some time.”.
“That vilification aspect is still out there. Being able to trust this Filmmaker and this Production Team and everyone can do it the right way. Often time in the sport, you get one chance at it. To make sure it was told right, it was fair and honest. It really displayed the integrity we always tried to have as a family. It took some time to get there with my family. There’s a little bit of distrust as you can imagine being in public eye for so long. To be written about at young age and not have people understand what our family dynamic is like and get asked, ‘Are they close? Do they fight off the court?’. Years and years of that we built-up a bit of distrust. We got there because I did trust that as long as there was gonna be a footprint there – and I might have gotten a couple people upset – it was important for me because I had a responsibility to my family to make sure this story was told right. To have willing participants on this journey with this entire Cast and Production Team wanting to do it right, is why the story is what it is. Everyone had a hand in wanting to get this story right and tell this real hero story of what he was able to do, but also the foundation that my mom was able to lay and be sure that part of the family was there. That was the part we wanted to make sure was right. There are no words for how Aunjanue got it and made sure her presence was felt.”.
Venus and Serena tell us what they hope young girls watching can take away from the Film.
Venus: “Anything is possible and to always believe in yourself, never doubt. Doubt does nothing for you. The time you spend doubting is the same time you can spend believing in you. As a family you can achieve anything. This is a Family film. Even if you don’t understand tennis, you understand family. Surrounding yourself with family can take you higher.”.
Serena: “You really do have to believe in yourself that anything is possible. There’s nothing wrong with setting your goals high. The sky is literally the limit.”.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release KING RICHARD in theatres November 19, 2021.
Read our Review here.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)
KING RICHARD is the true story of Tennis icons The Williams Sisters and their father. Check out the brand-new Trailer for the Film!
Synopsis:
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Picturesâ âKing Richard follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (âAli,â âThe Pursuit of Happyness,â âBad Boys for Lifeâ) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (âMonsters and Menâ).
Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
KING RICHARD arrives in theatres November 19, 2021 via Warner Bros. Canada.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros.)
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