Paramount+ today announced that it has greenlit a new thriller titled Ascent, starring Emmy®, Grammy®, Oscar® and Tony® Award-winning actress, Viola Davis and created by Tony Award winner and three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Skyfall, Gladiator, Michael, Penny Dreadful). Logan will serve as showrunner and executive producer alongside executive producers Michael Aguilar (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Kidding, The Departed), and Davis and Julius Tennon for JuVee Productions.

Produced by Paramount Television Studios, Ascent is slated to begin production in Los Angeles in 2027.

Ascent is a character-driven thriller set in the dangerous world of global corporate crisis and damage control. Davis will play elite corporate fixer Catriona Vail, who must weaponize the ruthless skills that have made her indispensable to billion-dollar clients when her estranged daughter is in danger.

Viola Davis said: “I am overwhelmingly excited about this journey with the great John Logan. We won the lottery with this one! Work in which both story and character are bold, awe inspiring and deeply unique is why I became an artist. We at JuVee are deeply grateful to John Logan, Michael Aquilar, and Paramount. We are ready to create magic!”

“Viola Davis doesn’t just take on roles; she transforms them. Catriona Vail is an incredibly complex character and Viola is exactly the generational talent to bring her to life,” said Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+. “With John Logan and Michael Aguilar behind the camera, Ascent is high-stakes television at its best.”

“We are honored to support the vision of our exceptional creative partners: John Logan, Michael Aguilar, and Viola Davis,” said Matt Thunell, President Paramount Television Studios. “We celebrate bold, original ideas, and the icing on the cake is being able to shoot Ascent here at home on the Paramount Lot in Los Angeles.”

The series will premiere globally exclusively on Paramount+.

This announcement follows greenlights for additional new Paramount+ series including the Clueless sequel event series with Alicia Silverstone returning as Cher Horowitz, Laird starring Kenneth Branagh, and 9/12 starring Jeremy Strong, both from Paramount Television Studios, as well as Fear Not starring Anne Hathaway, and Discretion starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning. Paramount+ also recently renewed record-setting series Dutton Ranch and The Madison.

About Paramount+:

Paramount+ is the global flagship streaming home of premium original series and entertainment from some of the most enduring brands in television to subscribers around the world. Drawing on decades of beloved IP, Paramount+ also features a diverse offering of live sports, feature films, news and series from across the Paramount portfolio including CBS hits like Marshals and Tracker, all BET Original Series, the Avatar animated universe from Nickelodeon and more. It is a key pillar of the Direct-to-Consumer division at Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), whose portfolio spans Paramount Pictures, Pluto TV, and Skydance Animation, Games and Sports divisions. For more information, visit www.paramount.com.

Today, Prime Video recently announced the April 10, 2025 premiere date for the upcoming film G20, an action-thriller starring Academy Award winner Viola Davis. Directed by Patricia Riggen, G20 follows U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Davis), who becomes the number one target after the G20 summit comes under siege. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country and safeguard world leaders. The film will be available to stream in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Today we get a new Trailer.

“This is Viola Davis as you’ve never seen her—heroically kicking tons of ass in a global thrill ride,” said Riggen. “With G20, I wanted to make the kind of classic, edge-of-your-seat action film that I’ve always been such a fan of, but one that draws on the high stakes of our modern and technologically advanced world we live in. I hope to give audiences an experience that will captivate them from start to finish.”

Alongside Davis, G20 stars Anthony Anderson as Derek Sutton, Marsai Martin as Serena Sutton, Ramón Rodríguez as Agent Manny Ruiz, Douglas Hodge as Oliver Everett, Elizabeth Marvel as Joanna Worth, Sabrina Impacciatore as Elena Romano, Christopher Farrar as Demetrius Sutton, and Antony Starr as Rutledge.

“G20 is a high-stakes action film with a lot of heart,” said producers Davis and Julius Tennon. “It boasts a fantastic ensemble cast, and is rooted in the fundamental drive we all have to protect the people and places that matter most to us,” said producer Andrew Lazar.

G20 was written by Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss, and Logan Miller and Noah Miller, with story by Logan Miller and Noah Miller. The movie is produced by Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., Viola Davis, and Julius Tennon. It is a co-production of Amazon MGM Studios and MRC with Mad Chance Productions and JuVee Productions also producing.

Hot off its #1 success at the Box Office, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of THE WOMAN KING on Blu-ray.

Synopsis:

The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for.

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

Rules and regulations here.

THE WOMAN KING will be available on Digital November 22, 2022 and on DVD and Blu-ray on December 13, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

Another exciting Premiere has been announced for TIFF ’22! Viola Davis stars in THE WOMAN KING, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees, Love & Basketball). Actress Maria Bello had a hand in co-creating the Story!

Synopsis:

The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for… 

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the story is by Maria Bello and Dana Stevens and the screenplay by Dana Stevens. Produced by Cathy Schulman, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon and Maria Bello, Peter McAleese serves as executive producer. The film stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and John Boyega. The action drama is co-financed by Entertainment One (eOne). 

Sony Pictures Canada release THE WOMAN KING September 16, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)

A new Trailer has just surfaced for MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman.

Synopsis:

Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.

Adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM celebrates the transformative power of the blues and the artists who refuse to let society’s prejudices dictate their worth. Directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the film is produced by Fences Oscar® nominees Denzel Washington and Todd Black. Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige and Dusan Brown co-star alongside Grammy® winner Branford Marsalis’ score.

See the Trailer:

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM arrives on Netflix December 18, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

New stills have surfaced from Chadwick Boseman‘s final Film, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, coming to Netflix this December!

Synopsis:
Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.

Adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM celebrates the transformative power of the blues and the artists who refuse to let society’s prejudices dictate their worth. Directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the film is produced by Fences Oscar® nominees Denzel Washington and Todd Black. Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige and Dusan Brown co-star alongside Grammy® winner Branford Marsalis’ score.

See some stills:

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM arrives on Netflix Friday, December 18, 2020.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

It was a star-studded second day at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and our Amanda Gilmore was out and about capturing all the excitement in between her screenings.

She tells us TROOP ZERO is the one to look out for next Awards Season as the feel-good Film produced by and starring Viola Davis premiered to rousing reception. Check out her Review here.

She also saw the Adaptation of popular Richard Wright Novel, NATIVE SON which sees Best Picture-winning Moonlight star Ashton Sanders back in the spotlight again. Her thoughts on the Film here.

Real-life couple Director Bart Freundlich and Oscar winner Julianne Moore team-up on a Remake of Danish film AFTER THE WEDDING, which also stars Michelle Williams. Amanda‘s review here.

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Amanda‘s Recap:

Throughout the day there were second screenings from films that premiered last night and into the afternoon and evening their were new premieres to come. One of those premieres was Shia LaBeouf’s screenwriting debut Film, which is semi-autobiographical, Honey Boy. When the Film finished, there was a strong applause and since then it has been on our radar. Another Film that premiered tonight was Screenwriter and Actor Mindy Kaling’s Late Night. This Film follows a female Late Night Talk Show Host, which is definitely something topical right now. It is one of the hardest tickets to get at this year’s Festival. Kaling has been a steady force within the industry since her days on The Office. Now IMDb has given Kaling the STARMeter Award today.

Out on Main Street, many stars were found walking, doing press and hitting some parties. Some people spotted today were Mindy Kaling, Nick Robinson, Julianne Moore, Jada Pinkett Smith, Malin Åckerman, Billy Crudup and more.

A majority of these actors opted to walk down the street to each of their interviews rather than taking a vehicle. And a lot of them took their time to stop for fans on the street even though a lot were running around to their next interviews.

Tonight also was the Sundance Kickoff Party that we were lucky enough to attend. The atmosphere was filled with high energy and conversations about the best films viewed so far. After overhearing conversations it is clear that many people loved Troop Zero, while others had a lot to say about Documentaries.

Check-out some of the awesome star sightings by Amanda in and around the hub of the Festival:

Ashton Sanders, Native Son

There is still a lot of Festival left! Tomorrow Zac Efron will be in town to premiere his Ted Bundy Biopic, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which just dropped its Trailer today. There is a lot of hype surrounding it so far at Sundance. There will be some star power hitting the Midnight Programme tomorrow night with Dakota Johnson and Armie Hammer’s new film Wounds. It is sure to be a day full of excitement and we look forward to bringing you all the latest, so stay tuned.

(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Troop Zero follows young alien believing Christmas (Mckenna Grace) as she rallies a group of child outcasts to join her in becoming a Birdie. None of them wants to be apart of the group, including their troop mama (Viola Davis), yet they agree when they hear they might have the chance to make a recording for NASA. This recording will be sent into outer space so that other life forms, if they exist, can hear them. All they have to do is win enough badges to become a Birdie and win the Birdie Jamboree.

This Film is the feel-good movie of this Festival. It has everything a great movie has and more. The tight, heartwarming and funny Script, written by Lucy Alibar, is a winner. Then there are the tremendous performances by the entire Cast. Grace is a superb force that further cements her rapidly-emerging career. Davis is at her best as the fearless and caring troop mama. Then there is Alison Janney who plays principal and rival troop mama Miss Massey. Janney undeniably is loveable which in turn makes this villain of a character funny and layered. The entire Cast work perfectly together, including the young cast, to bring this beautiful and endearing story to life. This is the Film that people will be talking about for the entire year.

Troop Zero screens at Sundance on Fri., Feb 1 at 6:30PM at Eccles PC, Sat., Feb 2 at 8:30PM at Prospector Square Theatre PC, and Sun., Feb 3 at 6:30PM at Rose Wagner SLC.

20th Century Fox Canada x Mr. Will want to take Readers to Toronto, Vancouver + Montreal to see Steve M^cQueen‘s WIDOWS! He’s the same Director who brought us Shame and 12 years a Slave!

TORONTO
Thursday, November 1 at 7:30 PM
Scotiabank Theatre

MONTREAL – English
Thursday, November 1 at 7:00 PM
Cinema Banque Scotia

MONTREAL – French
Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00 PM
Starcite Montreal

VANCOUVER
Thursday, November 1 at 7:00 PM
International Village

SYNOPSIS:
From Academy Award®-winning director Steve M^cQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. “Widows” is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. “Widows” also stars Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate there your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!

20th Century Fox Canada release WIDOWS Friday, November 16, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Widows follows four women who take up their deceased husbands’ next heist. It will have its World Premiere at TIFF ‘18 in the Galas Programme and is the follow-up Film to Director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave.

This Film is different from McQueen‘s previous Films, however it still hits all those important messages and has complex, layered characters that have made his Films so special. His Script, which he co-wrote with Gillian Flynn, has four rich female leads that are all unforgettable. Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Erivo as spectacular fireworks that explode on the screen. This one is not to be missed.

Widows screens at TIFF on Saturday, September 8 at 9:30 PM at Roy Thompson Hall, Thursday, September 13 at 9:30 PM at Princess Of Wales and Sunday, September 16 at 6 PM at Elgin Theatre.