Day: March 10, 2017

Categories
Awards

I’m very excited about one half of this hosting duo.

Bryan Adams, Russell Peters take over as Juno Awards co-hosts

TORONTO — Rocker Bryan Adams and comedian Russell Peters will co-host next month’s Juno Awards, replacing Michael Buble who continues to care for his three-year-old son who is fighting cancer.

The Junos have found success in the past by pairing hosts that were well-known to Canadians but shared seemingly little else in common.

Last year’s Calgary show was hosted by singer Jann Arden and “Amazing Race Canada”’s Jon Montgomery, while 1983’s gala was led by Burton Cummings and Alan Thicke, and the 2014 event had three musicians — Classified, Johnny Reid, and Serena Ryder — as hosts.

In Adams and Peters, the Junos have an unlikely comedic duo but two global stars.

Adams is a radio favourite with hits like “Summer of ’69” and “Heaven,” but he’s not usually a guy to host an awards show. His Juno connections are deep though, with 18 awards to his name, including multiple best artist, best album and best single trophies.

Peters has encountered the Junos a couple of times himself, even if he doesn’t have one on his mantle.

He hosted the 2008 show in Calgary and a year later in Vancouver, and he’s probably better acquainted with quick-witted banter than his counterpart.

Peters also has an upcoming TV series he might try to plug. “The Indian Detective” is currently in production and will premiere on CraveTV, which is owned by CTV’s parent company Bell Media.

Buble had lots of Juno experience too, winning several of the awards and hosting in past years, but the pop crooner chose to sideline his career last fall and exit other recent hosting duties to put his family first.

He pulled out as emcee of the Brit Awards last month, and released a statement saying his son Noah was “progressing well” from his treatment.

“The doctors are very optimistic about the future for our little boy,” he added.

The Junos will be held in Ottawa on April 2, with scheduled performances by artists including Alessia Cara, Arkells, Sarah McLachlan and Shawn Mendes.

Categories
Movies

Bring it on!!!

Zazie Beetz cast as Domino in Deadpool 2

Newcomer Zazie Beetz has beaten out the likes of Kerry Washington and Sienna Miller to land the coveted role of Domino in Deadpool 2.

The film’s star Ryan Reynolds shared the news via Twitter on Thursday.

The actor posted a photo of dominos spelling out the name ‘Zazie Beetz’, officially announcing the actress will take on the role of Domino, aka Neena Thurman, in the highly anticipated sequel.

Reynolds captioned the pic: “Domino Effect.”

The German native will portray the former mercenary who has the ability to manipulate luck. An expert markswoman, the comic book character eventually becomes a member of the X-Men mutant heroes.

Beetz is best known for starring alongside Donald Glover in the award-winning U.S. TV series Atlanta. The former stage actress also appeared in the Netflix anthology series Easy.

A number of notable actresses, including Miller, Washington, Moonlight star Janelle Monae, and Lizzy Caplan, were reportedly circling the role of Domino.

The new film will serve as a follow up to 2016’s acclaimed global hit Deadpool.

David Leitch, the filmmaker behind the recent John Wick: Chapter 2, is slated to direct the action comedy.

Categories
Awards

Well deserved, one and all!!

Michael J. Fox, Martin Short, Brigitte Haentjens win Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards

Actors Michael J. Fox, Martin Short and theatre director Brigitte Haentjens are the latest laureates of one of Canada’s highest arts honours: the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards.

Filmmaker Jean Beaudin and theatre artist Yves Sioui Durand are also among this year’s honourees.

The award recognizes the excellence and career achievement of Canadian performing artists, including actors, filmmakers, directors and musicians.

Edmonton-born Emmy winner Fox is best known for popular film and TV roles spanning three decades, including Family Ties, the Back to the Future trilogy, Spin City, Rescue Me and The Good Wife.

He’s also become an advocate for those living with Parkinson’s disease, with which he was diagnosed in 1991.

Hailing from Hamilton, Ont., Martin Short is one of Canada’s famed funny men, acclaimed for roles on both screen and stage, from SCTV to his Tony-winning turn in Neil Simon’s Little Me, from films such as Three Amigos, Father of the Bride and Mars Attacks to last fall’s TV musical Hairspray Live.

French-born Canadian director Haentjens has forged an avant-garde, provocative path in Quebec theatre over her career, which spans nearly 40 years and some 60 theatre productions. In 2012, Haentjens became the first woman named artistic director of French theatre at the National Arts Centre, a position she continues to hold today.

Montreal filmmaker Beaudin has won acclaim for creating gorgeous, memorable adaptations of Quebec literature and turning historical tales into successful films (gaining recognition at Cannes for J.A. Martin, photographe) and television series.

Hailing from the Wendake First Nations reserve near Quebec City, Sioui Durand is a pioneer of contemporary Indigenous theatre who has worked as a writer, actor, director and filmmaker over more than three decades. He founded Ondinnok, Quebec’s first French-language Indigenous theatre company, and has explored Pan-American Indigenous allegory, myth and history in stage productions that mix music, dance and powerful imagery.

The awards were established by former governor general Ramon John Hnatyshyn in 1992 and, for this 25th anniversary year, the recipient of his namesake award for voluntarism is Winnipeg executive and arts philanthropist William H. Loewen.

The classical music aficionado has a long association with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and, along with his wife Shirley, have also supported the Manitoba Opera, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg Chamber Music Association and other groups.

For the awards foundation’s mentorship program — which matches a past lifetime achievement honouree with a promising protégé — 2002 winner, former prima ballerina and National Ballet of Canada artistic director Karen Kain will mentor Toronto choreographer and dancer Robert Binet.

This year’s laureates will be honoured at a ceremony at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on June 29. CBC will live stream the gala and broadcast an hour-long special on June 30 at 9 p.m. ET.

Categories
Movies

Interesting…

Parks Canada rejects movie shoot in Rockies after learning of First Nations character

A movie production team was denied permission to shoot in the Rocky Mountain national parks after Parks Canada staff learned the film’s plot involved a First Nations gang leader.

“They expressed a real concern that this was not something they would favour,” said Mark Voyce, location manager for a film project that had been scheduled to start shooting later this month.

Voyce is working for Michael Shamberg, a film producer whose past credits include movies such as Erin Brockovich, A Fish Called Wanda, Garden State, Gattaca and Get Shorty.

Shamberg is currently working on a project called Hard Powder, a crime drama ostensibly set in a Colorado ski town.

Action star Liam Neeson is to play an honest snowplow driver whose son is murdered by a local drug kingpin. He then seeks to dismantle the cartel, but his efforts spark a turf war involving a First Nations gang boss, played by First Nations actor, musician and Order of Canada member Tom Jackson.

Director Hans Petter Moland had hoped to shoot scenes in Banff, the Lake Louise townsite and ski hill, and the Columbia Icefields.

“He was enamoured of the beauty of the Columbia Icefields,” Voyce said. “He was very stubborn in insisting that if we were going to come here, that it was to shoot parts of these films in the national park.”

Voyce, who has previously organized movie shoots in national parks from Newfoundland’s Gros Morne to Pacific Rim on Vancouver Island, said the team began the application process with Parks Canada in December. He said he believed that by last week, only a few details needed to be cleaned up and that permissions would be granted.

Then, late last week, came a phone call.

“They phoned and asked, ‘Is the leader of the rival gang in this picture First Nations?’ We said yes. That became an obvious last nail in the coffin for us.

“They didn’t want to offend anybody. They (said they) would get back to us, but they had grave concerns over subject matter. They told us that in almost exactly those words.”

On Monday, Voyce received a letter from Parks Canada listing eight requirements, including the possible need for an environmental assessment.

“We’re looking to start filming on March 20 and can’t really push our schedule,” he said. “That, frankly, is a death blow for us.”

Voyce said much of the information requested was included in the original application.

In an email, Parks Canada confirmed it has concerns over the script.

“The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation and nation-to-nation relationships with indigenous peoples, based on a recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership,” said the response from spokesperson Meaghan Bradley.

“In addition to some administrative details and outstanding documentation, Parks Canada’s commitment to reconciliation and respect for indigenous peoples was an important factor in the agency’s final decision on this matter. Parks Canada maintains the right to refuse applications that are not in line with Parks Canada’s mandate or operational priorities.”

Such decisions are made locally by staff at the parks where the request is made, said Bradley.

The decision was made despite a letter of support from Jackson.

“As a consultant to this production, I have taken a strong stance to ensure that the humility and integrity of First Nation roles do not cross the line of disrespect to my culture. I don’t feel my culture is insulted even slightly by the script,” he wrote.

“‘Hard Powder’ will be made regardless. The question is whether we deprive our own, or do we harvest for our own?”

Parks Canada receives many film requests every year and says it’s not possible to accommodate them all. The mountain parks have a long history with movie and TV production, running from 1954’s Marilyn Monroe-Robert Mitchum film River of No Return to scenes this year filmed for the popular series Game of Thrones.