Based on the best-selling Memoir, WILD is set to make a splash this forthcoming Awards season.  Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée who brought us Academy Award-winning DALLAS  BUYERS CLUB, the Film is a chronicle of one woman, Cheryl Strayed, and her 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe. 

Expect this to be at TIFF ’14.  Will this be the Film to get Witherspoon her second Oscar?

Official Artwork:

Watch the official brand-new Trailer here. 

Fox Searclight release WILD this Fall.

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searclight)

“I did not kill my Wife. I am not a Murderer.”

 The first official Teaser Trailer for David Fincher‘s GONE GIRL at long last has surfaced and if this doesn’t say Awards Season, then I don’t know what does! Set to Elvis Costello‘s She (covered by Richard Butler of The Psychadelic Furs), this intriguing Trailer leaves much to the imagination, capturing perfectly the chaos surrounding the speculation that Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) has murdered his Wife of five years (Rosamund Pike).

Based on Gillian Flynn‘s Best-selling Thriller, GONE GIRL  stars both Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris and Rosamund Pike.

Watch the Trailer:

20th Century Fox release GONE GIRL on Friday, October 3, 2014. TIFF Punters would say this is angled perfectly for a TIFF ’14 Premiere. What do you say?

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox)

It was a memorable year indeed! Join me as I recall some of 2013’s brightest moments in Celebrity, Film and Music with a Toronto twist! As a true Connoisseur of Pop Culture, I certainly was  spoiled with several delights this year on all three fronts.  Toronto  witnessed what could well be the strongest years this City ever has seen in terms of Star Power. Also, as an experienced Digital Photographer of sorts, I am sharing some of my favourite Snaps taken around the City this year too. If you’re a #NOFILTER kinda Guy or Gal, I apologize! A few of them are Horse-related, spending many of my weekends at scenic Woodbine Racetrack, my fave Place since Childhood to escape and recharge from the City.  Come Wongsters, let us walk down this luminous Memory Lane together!

TOP TEN SONGS OF 2013

2013 was solid for Pop Music  and I was thrilled to hear a return to great, strong melodies. What a year it was for Miley Cyrus who not only wowed us with We Can’t Stop, but slayed us hard with Wrecking Ball!  Coming in like a Wrecking Ball she managed to turn all eyes her way in a year which saw Albums released from some Marquee names like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more. Lana Del Rey put us in a state of euphoria this Spring with her chilling Ballad for The Great Gatsby, Young & Beautiful.  Flawless and timeless.  Mariah Carey and Miguel provided much of the Soundtrack for my early Summer with their gorgeous Collabo #Beautiful, while Robin Thicke undisputedly had the Song of Summer 2013 with Blurred Lines.  His Album of the same name easily is my favourite Disc of 2013.

1. Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
2. Lana Del Rey – Young & Beautitul
3. Mariah Carey ft. Miguel – #Beautiful
4. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
5. Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
6. Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell & T.I. – Blurred Lines
7. Capital Cities – Safe and Sound
8. Katy Perry – Roar
9. Icona Pop – I Love It
10. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Same Love

Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2013

I don’t recall a year in recent memory where the Films were quite as strong as this year.  It is as if Filmmakers have studied critiques, knew precisely what to avoid and owned it. Time after time I’d make it out to the morning Media Screenings and just when I thought I’d seen my favourite Film of 2013, another would come along and usurp the throne.  In all, AIDS Drama Dallas Buyers Club would leave the strongest imprint with Jared Leto touching the core of my soul with his phenomenal performance. 12 Years a Slave left me shaken and speechless and made it really tough to decide a Fave. Saving Mr. Banks truly affected and inspired me, moving me to tears and I could never forget Cate Blanchett‘s empathic portrayal of a Woman battling her own demons in Woody Allen‘s Blue Jasmine.  And yes, I really loved Spring Breakers.  James Franco is just on another level.

1. Dallas Buyers Club
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. American Hustle
4. Blue Jasmine
5. Saving Mr. Banks
6. Gravity
7. 42
8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
9. Enough Said
10. Spring Breakers

Watch the Trailer for Dallas Buyers Club below:

TOP CELEBRITY MOMENTS

It was a good bloody amazing year.  My experience in New York City seeing the Met Gala is unforgettable, as a revolving door of Celebrities came my direction. I didn’t even know which way to go or who to ask first for a Photo! TIFF ’13 brought me several amazing memories finally getting to meeting one of my favourite Actresses, Nicole Kidman – not to mention getting to meeting personal Heroes Seth McFarlane, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Baz Luhrmann and several more throughout the year.  My ultimate Highlight however was finally after 15 tries, getting my Lady Gaga moment in November!

As seen top to bottom, left to right in the above Collage are:

Supermodel Cara Delevingne, Shoe Visionary Christian Louboutin, Actress Mia Wasikowska, Actor Jesse Eisenberg, Actor Kit Harington, Astronaut  Chris Hadfield, Singer/Songwriter Lorde, Singer/Songwriter Robin Thicke, Television Personality/Actress Kelly Ripa, Domestic Goddess Martha Stewart.

Director Baz Luhrmann, Actress Emma Thompson, Singer/Actress Ariana Grande, Actress Léa Seydoux, Actress Adèle Exarchopoulos, Actress Toni Collette, Singer/Songwriter Lady Gaga,  Singer Kylie Minogue, Actress Nicole Kidman, Actress/Singer Selena Gomez.

Writer/Actor Mike Myers, Comedian, Writer/Actor Seth MacFarlane, Writer/Actor Seth Meyers, Writer/Actor Jim Carrey, Actress Dakota Fanning, Actress Taylor Schilling, Singer/Songwriter/Fashion Mogul Pharrell, Television Personality/Actress Rosie O’Donnell, Kentucky Derby-winning Jockey Joel Rosario, Breeders Cup Classic-winning Jockey/Actor Gary Stevens.

Spice Girl/Actress Mel B., Actor Armie Hammer, Actress Kerry Washington, Actor Sam Rockwell, Actor Nicholas Hoult, Actor Tom Hiddleston, Actor Adam Driver, Actor Josh Brolin,  Actor Daniel Radcliffe, Actress Dakota Fanning, Actor Sam Claflin, Actress Jena Malone.

TOP SNAPS

And now the ten best Photos of 2013 snapped through my lenses (Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Olympus E-PL5):

I truly am blessed and can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for us here in this sight-filled City of Tastemakers!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

We forever will love Cory Monteith, and that is why we are particularly eager to see All the Wrong Reasons, one of his final Films. After premiering to an emotional response at TIFF ’13, Pacific Northwest Pictures and Mr. Will Wong are proud to give Readers a chance to win Run of Engagement Passes to see All the Wrong Reasons.

The Drama-Comedy centers around four young Adults who deal with the aftermath of Trauma. Directed and written by Gia Milani, the Film stars a talented and distinctly Canadian Cast which includes Kevin Zegers, Karine Vanasse, Emily Hampshire and of course, Cory Monteith.

Watch the Trailer below:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. Increase your chances by sharing this Post with your Friends on Facebook or Re-Tweeting the below:

http://www.mrwillwong.com/allthewrongreasons @MRWILLW wants us to #win Run of Engagement Passes to see #CoryMonteith in #AllTheWrongReasons. In theatres 11/1.

See Mr. Will and some of the Stars of All the Wrong Reasons:

Myriad Pictures releases All the Wrong Reasons in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto on Friday, November 1, 2013. It opens in additional Cities in the following weeks.

(Photo/video credit: Pacific Northwest Pictures)

Following-up on the success of his 2009 Film Defendor, which also premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival,  Canadian Director Peter Stebbings is set to unveil his latest, Empire of Dirt  at TIFF ’13!

Official Synopsis:

Lena Mahikan (Cara Gee), a former Addict and Model, is now a single mother struggling to make ends meet in Toronto. True to her last name — which means “wolf” in Cree — if Lena senses danger, her instinct is to run. So, when her troubled and headstrong thirteen-year-old daughter Peeka (Shay Eyre) overdoses, attracting the attention of child services, Lena packs them both up and flees to her hometown in rural Ontario. There, reunited with her estranged mother Minnie (Jennifer Podemski, who also co-produced the Film), she is forced to face a past she has desperately tried to ignore.

See the official new Poster below:

Mongrel Media releases Empire of Dirt on November 22, 2013 in Canada. Those hoping to see it at TIFF, have two chances:

Friday, September 6, 2013 at 9:45 PM – Scotiabank 2
Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 9:15 AM – Scotiabank 14

(Photo credit: Mongrel Media)

HUGE NEWS!  After much speculation whom would win the coveted role of Bruce Wayne in Zack Synder‘s upcoming Superman-Batman Mashup Film speculated to film in Toronto early 2014, Warner Bros. has confirmed that Ben Affleck is set to star opposite Henry Cavill!

Synder said in a Statement: “(Affleck) has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a Man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned Crime Fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne,” said Snyder. “I can’t wait to work with him.”.

This upcoming Blockbuster builds upon a fantastic working relationship Warner Bros. has developed with Affleck, him having directed and starred in critical and commercial successes The Town and Argo, the latter which earlier this year won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

More to come and we couldn’t agree more with this choice!   Remember that time we met him at TIFF ’12?

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

So damn excited about this!  After missing my chance to see it at TIFF last September, Kristen Wiig‘s latest Film Imogene – now re-titled Girl Most Likely – soon gets a release. The Comedy (obviously!) centers around a Playwright Imogene (Wiig) who goes from being potentially huge to yesterday’s news.  She must return back home to New Jersey out of financial necessity and come to terms with accepting her roots and embracing her Family in order to get back to New York.

See the Trailer below:

See Photos here from last year’s Premiere of Girl Most Likely (formerly known as Imogene).

Girl Most Likely hits theatres Friday, July 19, 2013.

(Photo/video credit: Lionsgate Films)

Rock Icon Stevie Nicks descended upon Toronto in support of her new Documentary In Your Dreams, her latest Solo Disc, produced by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics).  Clocking in at over two-and-a-half hours, the Film takes us into Nicks‘ home, giving us insight into her creative process and challenges.

Nicks walked the Red Carpet at the Venue tonight, interviewing with a few select Outlets, before being met with warm reception as Vinyl Sleeves for her Rumours Album with Fleetwood Mac were thrust her way.  Only few were lucky enough to secure a Personalization, while several came away empty-handed.

Some were surprised to see our v. own Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) attending the Event and he was super-nice to stop for a quick Snap, telling me, “I love Stevie Nicks!” as he glanced over at her in awe on the Red Carpet.

Snaps below:

In Your Dreams screens at TIFF Bell Lightbox between April 16-18, 2013 at 8:30 PM.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

We all know Guillermo del Toro loves Toronto, but he really walks the walk in a recent Chat with Collider where he confirms that his next couple Projects are slated to Film in Toronto. Call this City del Toronto if you will. With his epic Pacific Rim, filmed here last Winter, recently greenlit for a Sequel we learned that both his upcoming FX TV Series, based upon his and Chuck Hogan‘s Trilogy of the same name The Strain, begins filming later this year throughout early next year. It is set in a World where Vampires rule and Humans are enslaved. Following that, the likes of Jessica Chastain, Emma Stone Mia Wasikowska, Benedict Cumberbatch Tom Hiddleston and again Charlie Hunnam (who stars in Pacific Rim also) may be here as early as next Spring to begin Production on Crimson Peak.

del Toro tells Collider:

“We’re shooting The Strain in Toronto, Crimson Peak in Toronto, and I love Toronto so much. We’re basically moving there for a couple of years at least. It also has the best cinematheque in the world, the Lightbox. TIFF is amazing, and I’m doing a Hitchcock series every December there. We’re going to do it every December for films by Hitchcock, talking to the audience about them, and doing a little class if you would. It’s a great community.”.

About Crimson Peak, del Toro is v. vague, but does reveal to Total Film:

“It’s the turn of the century. So it’s at the turn of the century and half of the movie takes place in America, and the other half takes place in a crumbling mansion in Cumbria (Northwest England). And basically it’s a ghost story and gothic romance, trying to subvert the rules of the usual gothic romance.”.

Not only did I get to work on Pacific Rim for a week last year doing Background Work, I caught-up with del Toro last Winter as he hosted one of those mentioned Alfred Hitchock Master Classes at TIFF Bell Lightbox.  Here’s a  hint, he quite literally loves that Building and adores Luma, dining there frequently.

Although some finishing touches were applied early March in Toronto with Re-shoots, Warner Bros. at long last releases Pacific Rim on July 12, 2013. I’ll be posting a Post about my week on-set following the release – stay tuned!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Since hearing about it at TIFF, I’ve been itching what seems like forever now to see Spring Breakers, Writer/Director Harmony Korine‘s Dramedy about four Spring Break-obsessed College Girls who decide to rob a store to fund their vacation. After getting caught and thrown in jail, they are bailed-out by a Gangster named Alien who enlists their help for a special task, introducing them to his dangerous world of Crime.

Korine tells Interview Magazine last Summer that he was inspired to create Spring Breakers after spending many of his vacations simply Skateboarding, so this is Project gave him an opportunity to make-up for what he missed growing-up.

Despite few having reviewed it, the Film has garnered some raves from Critics so far at Rotten Tomatoes, earning a not-at-all-disgraceful 62% on the Tomatometer.

I am intruged by its Cast which includes Rachel Korine (Wife of Harmony), Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens, Heather Morris and James Franco in yet another odd choice of role for the Oscar-nominated Actor.

VVS Films releases Spring Breakers on Friday, March 29, 2013.

I may have met some of the Cast for Spring Breakers over the years:

(Photo credit: VVS Films/Mr. Will Wong | Video credit: VVS Films)