The NYC Premiere of MERCY took place last night at Lincoln Square’s AMC.
In attendance: stars Chris Pratt, Kali Reis, Chris Sullivan, and Kylie Rogers with director/producer Timur Bekmambetov, writer Marco van Belle alongside producers Charles Roven, Robert Amidon and Majd Nassif
Details:
Amazon MGM Studios Presents
An Atlas Entertainment / Bazelevs Production
A Film by Timur Bekmambetov
INT-MERCYTTNew.png
Only in Theaters January 23, 2026
In the near future, a detective (Chris Pratt) stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he once championed, before it determines his fate.
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Written by: Marco van Belle
Produced by: Charles Roven, p.g.a., Robert Amidon p.g.a., Timur Bekmambetov, p.g.a., Majd Nassif, p.g.a
Executive Producers: Mark Moran, Todd Williams
Cast: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Suspense, Drama
Rated: PG-13 for violence, bloody images, some strong language, drug content and teen smoking
Amazon MGM Studios and Mr. Will are thrilled to give readers a chance to attend a special Advance Screening of MERCY in Toronto and Vancouver on January 21, 2026.
MERCY – Toronto Screening
*presented in 3D*
Date: Wednesday, January 21
Location: Cineplex Yonge-Dundas and VIP
Film Start Time: 7:30PM
MERCY – Vancouver Screening
*presented in 3D*
Date: Wednesday, January 21
Location: Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver
Film Start Time: 7:30PM
Synopsis:
MERCY is a high-concept suspense thriller starring Chris Pratt as a detective accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an advanced A.I. judge that he helped create.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or IG. In the comments, indicate your City. Tag a friend in comments you’re taking. Multiple entries allowed!
Rules and regulations here.
MERCY is in theatres January 23, 2026.
(Photo/video credit: Amazon MGM Studios)
In the near future, a detective (Chris Pratt) stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he once championed, before it determines his fate. Amazon MGM Studios release MERCY in January 2026, here’s a new Trailer.
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Written by: Marco van Belle
Produced by: Charles Roven, p.g.a., Robert Amidon p.g.a., Timur Bekmambetov, p.g.a., Majd Nassif, p.g.a
Executive Producers: Mark Moran, Todd Williams
Cast: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Suspense, Drama
Also, see a brand-new Featurette from MERCY:
A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE is in select theaters October 3, 2025 in the UK, select theaters globally October 10, 2025 and on Netflix October 24, 2025. Today we get a new Trailer for this latest from Kathryn Bigelow.
ABOUT A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE:
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
Written By: Noah Oppenheim
Produced By: Greg Shapiro, p.g.a., Kathryn Bigelow, p.g.a., Noah Oppenheim, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Brian Bell, Sarah Bremner
Director of Photography: Barry Ackroyd, BSC
Production Designer: Jeremy Hindle
Costume Designer: Sarah Edwards
Editor: Kirk Baxter, ACE
Music By: Volker Bertelmann
Sound Design By: Paul N. J. Ottosson
Co-Producers: Jeremy Hindle, Sumaiya Kaveh, Luca Borghese
Casting By: Susanne Scheel
Cast: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, with Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke. Also starring Malachi Beasley, Brian Tee, Brittany O’Grady, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Willa Fitzgerald, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kyle Allen, Kaitlyn Dever.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto and Vancouver a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of DUNE: PART TWO.
Screenings take place as follows on February 28, 2024:
Toronto
7:30 PM
CPX Scotiabank
Vancouver
7:30 PM
Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver
SYNOPSIS:
The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on “Dune: Part Two,” the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning “Dune.”
The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka,” “Call Me by Your Name”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Malcolm & Marie,” “Euphoria”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Avengers: End Game,” “Milk”), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (“Elvis,” “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (“Black Widow,” “Little Women”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter,” “Hairspray”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Léa Seydoux (the “James Bond” franchise and “Crimes of the Future”), with Stellan Skarsgård (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”).
“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Herbert’s novel. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.
Villeneuve is again collaborating with his “Dune” creatives: Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser; Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette; Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker; Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is again on hand to create the score.
“Dune: Part Two” was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film is slated for a March 1, 2024 worldwide release from Warner Bros. Pictures.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and in the comments, tell us your city! Share this on X or IG for an extra chance!
Rules and regulations here.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release DUNE: PART TWO only in theatres March 1, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)
Paramount Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Passes to an Advance Screening of eagerly-awaited MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE!
Screenings take place July 6, 2023 in
TORONTO
MONTREAL (ENGLISH)
MONTREAL (FRENCH)
EDMONTON
VANCOUVER
Synopsis:
In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and in the comments tell us which City you’re in. Re-Tweet this Tweet or click “share” on this Post on Facebook for an extra chance!
Enter for a chance to #win passes to an Advance Screening of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE.https://t.co/BrxXwO15qe pic.twitter.com/DOwMi4lFop
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) June 26, 2023
Rules and regulations here.
Paramount Pictures Canada release MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE July 12, 2023.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
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
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
I was not supposed to see DUNE at TIFF ’21. I had my schedule planned and practically laminated going into Labour Day weekend. So when I received a message regarding seeing DUNE and potentially having the opportunity to interview Director Denis Villeneuve, I had to stop what I was doing and re-evaluate that meticulously planned schedule. It is not every day that you have the chance to interview the beloved Canadian Director and Oscar-nominee behind films such as Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario and Incendies after all.
When I finally caught my breath and arrived at an early screening of the Film a few days later, all I could think about was the years of anticipation and fan excitement that came along with it. I had never read the book and only had a passing knowledge of David Lynch’s film from 1984. I was unsure what to expect, but knew I was in the hands of a master Filmmaker whose exquisite attention to detail and epic scope made for one of the must-see films of the Fall. Villeneuve has not just made his knockout Science Fiction opus with DUNE so much as he has created a fascinating piece of art that will please die-hard fans and newbies to the story.
Villeneuve graciously took some time to take myself and other roundtable Journalists through his process over a Zoom call during the first weekend of TIFF. He discussed how French Comic Artists and childhood heroes Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Philippe Druillet, who brought him to tears when he met them at DUNE’s Premiere in Paris, inspired his visual sense and style. He also assured us that there was no Director’s Cut of the Film, but admitted that he is “a bit tired” planning the next parts of the DUNE series, which include potential follow-up films and a TV Show.
Here are a few other things we learned during our group chat:
What was your biggest challenge in creating DUNE and doing Frank Herbert’s Novel justice?
VILLENEUVE: “I think the biggest challenge was to make sure that someone who read the Book will recognize the world they saw in their mind as they were reading the Book, a bit like when I saw Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I was like how did [he do it]? I had the impression that he had brought a Documentary film crew into my mind, shooting the images I had seen as I was reading the Book. I was very impressed by The Lord of the Rings, and…the goal [in making DUNE] was to try to bring some of the description from Frank Herbert [to life and] be as close to the spirit of the Book. To feel that at least have one image that some hardcore fan will say ‘Oh, that looks close to what I had in mind!’ I feel like we made an act of humility, trying not to bring our vision but more bring Frank Herbert’s vision to the screen. That’s what the big challenge was [as well as wanting] to make sure that someone who had never read the Book will not feel lost and will feel that they are welcome in the Movie and that it will be understandable to a wide audience.”.
“To find that equilibrium between those two [groups] was not easy to do and that was one of the most difficult things to do for this adaptation. I will say the fact that we split the Movie in two parts makes it easier because it means [I was able to] keep elements for the [potential] second movie, but I had to make strong choices. One of them was that my adaptation would focus on Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, and that it would be at the very heart of the movie and will make other characters less present. I could not bring everything or the Movie would get crushed under the pressure of so much information.”
What themes and ideas inspired you to adapt the novel now?
VILLENEUVE: “Good Science Fiction means that it necessarily will be a criticism of reality, or at least a mirror of reality. There are several topics being explored by the Novel that I feel became more relevant as time passed by. I think the novel is more relevant to today’s world than it was when it was written [in 1965]. The impact of Colonialism is still totally relevant to today’s world, the overexploitation of natural resources, the danger of blending politics and religion together – it’s all subjects that are very relevant…and more importantly, the environmental crisis. It’s something that Frank Herbert foresaw in the ’60s. He was worried about the change in climate at that time. You can still find interviews of Herbert’s concern about the change and impact of humans on the environment.”
What was the process you and your team took to create the visuals of DUNE?
VILLENEUVE: “I asked my team to do an impossible task – to at least at first, dream about the Movie, to try to go back to the roots of what they saw when they read the Book. To try to be more within the relationship of the subconscious, the dream state, rather than to go and do research on the Internet or be influenced by other artists. Of course, in saying this, it is a bit impossible because we are the product of multiple influences and we are filled with images coming from the outside but I tried…to say to my close partners, ‘Let’s dream together. Let’s try not to find references. Let’s try as much as possible to go deep inside ourselves.’ At least, that’s what I did at the beginning in order to try and find something that will feel kind of new to the audience.”.
What are your thoughts on the current theatrical landscape and if we will get to see a Dune: Part II?
VILLENEUVE: “I am very optimistic about the future of Theatrical Cinema – we shouldn’t say Theatrical Cinema, we should just say Cinema. [The big screen is] part of the language. It’s not being nostalgic talking about the big screen, it’s at the very centre of what Cinema is which is to receive a visual story in the most immersive way [by] bringing a group of human beings together. I hope the first movie will be well-received and will trigger enough enthusiasm to convince Warner Bros. and Legendary to do the second part, but I’m no prophet…I think that in the long term we will [still] be watching [movies in] theatres. As long as Cinema is with us, there will be theatres to show it.”
We also had the opportunity to speak to the incredibly candid and lovely Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Chalamet’s mother Lady Jessica Atreides in the Film. She spoke highly of her Director, the behind-the-scenes team who designed the sets and costumes, and expressed to everyone in our roundtable just how much she “really, really wants to do” Dune: Part II.
What was it like acting alongside this incredible Cast that includes Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya?
FERGUSON: “Zendaya is huge and hopefully if we do a second one, she will appear more in it. But of the Cast list, I have to say I was in awe of Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and I mean, David Dastmalchian and Stellan Skarsgård and there are many more to [add to] that list. [It was] an honour. An absolute honour. But I think also, doing a film with Denis without knowing the Cast – you know it’s going to be good. It was more a matter of unravelling little Christmas gifts. So Timmy [Chalamet] was the first who was cast. I think I was the second, and then gradually it was sort of a ‘And look who we have here! And look who we have here!’ It was just wonderful.”.
How would you describe the balance between masculinity and femininity in the film?
FERGUSON: “We need to break down what masculinity and femininity is in 2021…Women had no power [in older times] as they do now and yet we’re not even close to what it is to be equal. But they were seen as [being] much more powerful, right? We needed to create the balance and the structure [in DUNE]…it couldn’t be equal. I keep saying this as well, which is an odd thing to say, but the film wouldn’t work with an equal gender neutral position. It is about motherhood. It is about the men making the decisions. But overall, the women are the umbrella. Look at The War of the Roses. Look at the Medieval Times. The men were out in the battlefields, you know slashing and having their jolly old time. The women were plotting the household to create stronger alliances. And this is an on-going theme, isn’t it? What I think Denis did and what he wanted to do was defibrillate the fact that these human beings had powers because of necessity and reason. One of the things we talked about was the gender neutralness of the stillsuit and what it represents. I love that it serves purpose and that it doesn’t just look feminine [or] masculine – it is just a suit for survival.”
How did your acting process on DUNE differ from films like Mission: Impossible and Doctor Sleep?
FERGUSON: “I want different things all the time, otherwise I’d be bored…My process changes because I’m working with new directors. [They] ask of new energies. Tom [Cruise] has such an energy and rush about him that with Mission, it’s a huge film with huge sets, huge stunts and huge energy, and it is just go, go, go all the time. And character-driven as well. But there’s no stillness. You’re never really breathing, which is why they’re so amazing. Denis’ process is finding that complete stillness, finding the drama within character and just dropping them in a set that could eat them up. He finds the juxtapositions of scope and scale. So that just becomes a very different process. And on Doctor Sleep, I just ate kids you know?”
Stay tuned later this week for our full review of DUNE!
Warner Bros. Canada release DUNE in theatres on Friday, October 22, 2021.
*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre*
We’ve hit peak starpower at TIFF ’21 and even with Red Carpets and talent scaled back there’s still plenty enough to keep us busy!
The 2021 TIFF Tribute Gala took place earlier today at Roy Thomson Hall with this year’s Honourees taking the stage to accept their awards. Those in attendance included:
Jessica Chastain — TIFF Tribute Actor Award supported by the Tory Family
Benedict Cumberbatch — TIFF Tribute Actor Award
Denis Villeneuve — TIFF Ebert Director Award
Alanis Obomsawin — Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media supported by Participant Media
Ari Wegner — TIFF Variety Artisan Award
Danis Goulet — TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by L’Oréal Paris and supported by MGM
Dionne Warwick — TIFF Special Tribute Award
We caught some special moments as the stars arrived and we even saw Benedict Cumberbatch and Dionne Warwick share an embrace. R&B Legend Warwick, here for Documentary DON’T MAKE ME OVER, shared that she admittedly was a little starstruck seeing Cumberbatch, whom she admires for her work on SHERLOCK, which she was obsessed with streaming during the Pandemic! Cumberbatch is receiving tons of Oscar buzz for his work in Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG. Review here.
Chastain and Villeneuve, both busy with Press Days today for their respective films THE FORGIVEN and DUNE, made time to walk over to the fans, snapping Selfies and signing autographs. Chastain was stunning in a colour block Moschino outfit!
The Awards air Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 7pm ET on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app in Canada.
Some Snaps:
Several other Premieres took place across the City including MONTANA STORY which stars Owen Teague and Haley Lu Richardson, which many are commending for its heart and compassion. We spotted the stars and Co-Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, Ubering about with the Film’s stars earlier. Review to come shortly.
One of our greatest highlights finally is a moment with Rebecca Ferguson, whom we admire so deeply. This chameleon of an Actress has won acclaim for her work on the Mission: Impossible Franchise, The White Queen and more popularly, The Greatest Showman. Oh yeah, her! Ferguson stars in DUNE, which premiered at Ontario Place‘s Cinesphere and will be busy with Villeneuve with a day of press in support of the hotly-anticipated October 22, 2021 release. Review here.
One parting note, I attended a screening of Edgar Wright‘s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO and it was incredible! My thoughts below…
How amazing Wright even threw me a “like”!
We decided to take it easy tonight, wrapping early. Tomorrow will be pretty much the last day we’ll be out snapping content with more of a focus on the Films after Monday. Who knows, I might even have a little special sidekick out with me tomorrow!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
By Mr. Will Wong
We are thrilled to have attended an exclusive unveiling of the new Trailer for DUNE, coming to theatres this October. As part of the event, select Media got to preview approximately 20 minutes of this Fall’s most eagerly-awaited cinematic event.
We got a sense of the world that Canadian Director Denis Villeneuve had built for this Film and the central themes the Film explores. Our first impression is that the Film goes to even darker, more intense places than we might have thought initially. The Film explores life on the planet Dune, inhabited originally by the Arrakis. Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) acts as steward of the land, which is the source of the world’s most valuable substance called Spice, which can extend lives, provide great enlightenment and fast travel. Sandworms make the task rather challenging for them and with Leto‘s son and heir Paul (Timothée Chalamet) in line for succession, we see him doubting his ability to carry-on his father’s legacy as he becomes fixated seeing Chani (Zendaya), an Arraki native, in his dreams. Which side will Paul and his Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), his father’s concubine, take?
The central themes of right to land and resources eerily is coming to the forefront at an opportune time, as we reflect on and confront some uncomfortable truths right here in Canada.
Celebrated Composer Hans Zimmer has the important role of crafting the world this Film takes place in with Villeneuve through music and sound. He notes that a primary focus of the Film was to draw strength to the powerfulness and richness of the female characters. “We spent months defining sounds, creating new sounds and pushing the envelope, doing crazy experiments with crazy instruments”, says Zimmer. “Denis and I are trying to invite the audience to come experience something and have their own personal experience. That was for us the reason to make this Film.”.
New Trailer:
Warner Bros. Canada release DUNE October 22, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)
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