TORONTO WELCOMES 4 "QUEENS" & A KING THIS SPRING/SUMMER

L to R: Lindsay Lohan, Abigail Breslin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lily Collins & Chloë Grace Moretz

Four "Teen Queens" and a King of Cinema will be in Toronto this Spring/Summer as we play host to several major Stars confirmed to film in our City! Which are you most excited about?

Lily Collins as confirmed by Deadline in March, will be taking on the Lead Role of Clary Fray in The Mortal Instruments.  The Film centers on her mission to find her kidnapped Mother, while discovering she is from a long line of Shadowhunters who protect the World from Demons. Harold Zwart, Helmer of Box Office hit The Karate Kid (2010) has taken over from Scott Stewart who right now is busy in the City prepping the SyFy Network's Defiance.  This is the first Adaptation in Series of six Novels by Cassandra Clare and is set to begin production this August.

The brilliant Abigail Breslin (whom we interviewed back in December) will be teaming-up with Splice Director Vincenzo Natali playing a Girl who along with her Family was murdered in their home in 1986, surfacing to warn her modern day counterpart.  She took to Twitter first expressing her excitement about the Venture, Tweeting on April 3, 2012: "SOO excited to start filming #Haunter and work with the director Vincenzo Natali!". Haunter begins filming mid-April.

As announced previously also Chloë Grace Moretz and former Teen Queen Lindsay Lohan are Toronto-bound too, with the former beginning work on a Carrie Remake and the latter beginning work on a Lifetime Television Movie about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, known tentatively as Liz & Dick.  As a bit of Trivia, Mirvish Productions presented Private Lives last Fall starring Kim Cattrall in role once played famously by Taylor and Paul Gross also in a role filled prior by Burton.  Burton also proposed to Taylor at the King Edward Hotel in the City back in January 1964 - wonder if they will be authentic and film that scene at the same Venue?

And as if that weren't exciting enough, the Ontario Media Development Corporation confirmed Friday that Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) will be filming An Enemy here in Toronto late May. Heartthrob Jake Gyllenhaal whom we met back in May 2010, will be playing a Dual Role in the Thriller based on the Novel, The Double by José Saramago.  Gyllenhaal's Character rents a DVD to find his exact Double in the Film, going out on a search to find him which turns both of their lives upside-down.  IndieWire was among the first broke the Story back in March that Gyllenhaal was being considered for the Lead Role.   

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W., Relativity Media & Universal Pictures)

ENTER TO WIN A "NEW YEAR'S EVE" MOVIE PRIZE PACK

New Year's Eve Official Artwork

Sofia Vergara. Ashton Kutcher. Michelle Pfeiffer. Lea Michele. Jessica Biel. Hilary Swank. Sarah Jessica Parker. Josh Duhamel. Katherine Heigl. Abigail Breslin. Zac Efron. Jon Bon Jovi. Robert De Niro. Alyssa Milano. What do all these Stars have in common?

Well, they all star in the Holiday Opus known as New Year's Eve from Director Garry Marshall.  The mega-Romantic Comedy, which tells the heartwarming stories of various Couples in New York City, opens in theatres December 9, 2011. Warner Bros. & Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven want to give you a chance to win a New Year's Eve Prize Pack, which includes the following:

2 Champagne Flutes

2 Party Favours

1 New Year's Recovery Kit

1 Ice Bag

2 Tins of Breath Mints

1 Jumbo Tote Bag

1 Pair of Run-of-Engagement Passes to see New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve Prize Pack

To qualify for the win, click "like" on this Post at Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven on Facebook or Retweet the following: RT @MRWILLW wants me to win a "NEW YEAR'S EVE" Movie Prize Pack.  http://tinyurl.com/7sc5zuc #MRWILLNYE  

Your deadline is December 8, 2011.  Toronto area Readers only, please.  Winners are responsible for pick-up.

Watch the Trailer for New Year's Eve:

INTERVIEW: ABIGAIL BRESLIN ON "NEW YEAR'S EVE"

Abigail Breslin

Director Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries) won over Moviegoers at the Box Office with 2009's megastar Opus Rom-Com Valentine's Day and is now ready to unleash his latest effort, New Year's Eve. The Movie intertwines the Love Stories of various New Yorkers, all leading up to the annual Ball Drop at Times Square. What defines this Film ultimately is its stellar Cast including headlining names like Hilary Swank, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, John Lithgow, Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel and its youngest Star, Abigail Breslin. The now-15 year-old Actress at the age of seven became the fourth youngest Actress ever to be nominated for the prestigious Oscar with her Breakout Role as Olive in Little Miss Sunshine.

Breslin, flying into Toronto from her hometown of New York City, sat down to chat with a small group of Journalists about her role as the rebellious Hailey in New Year's Eve.  This counts as her third collaboration with Marshall whom she likens to being "like a Grandpa" to her. Hailey's Storyline is about a 15 year-old Girl who sneaks-out on New Year's Eve to be with a Boy named Seth (Jake T. Austin) against the wishes of her watchful Mother Kate (Sarah Jessica Parker).

I asked Breslin what it was like bonding with iconic Sex and the City Star Parker to create a believable Mother-Daughter relationship. Believe it or not, Reality Television brought them together. She tells me, "It was a cold one-week April shoot, but we talked a lot about American Idol during filming and the whole 'who got voted off' thing.  It was fun!".  

Hailey at the price of rebellion gets her heart broken and I asked in real life how Breslin would handle seeing a Boy she likes kissing another Girl.  After pondering it, she says  "It's a tricky situation, so in real life I get where she's coming from.".  Demonstrating true holiday spirit in forgiveness, Breslin says "Seth is a good Guy in the Movie so I'd cut him a little slack in real life.".

Many wonder how Breslin can balance her thriving Acting Career and also just being a 15 year-old Girl.  The Actress currently is enrolled in Online High School, admitting at heart she's a "ten year-old boy", multitasking her affection for Computer Games (Oyunlar 1 is her favourite website) and Studies.  When she is with her Friends she states, "We never really talk about my Career. We mostly talk about Clothes and Guys and stuff like that.".  Breslin also credits her Mother Kim - her Manager - for helping her stay grounded clearly and organized, traveling with her when she films and Press Tours. "Once I get home from filming, I do regular things like clean my room and take the dogs out".

ABIGAIL BRESLIN AT TIFF WITH JANIE JONES

Abigail Breslin at Janie Jones After Party

David M. Rosenthal premiered his latest work Janie Jones tonight at Roy Thomson Hall as a Gala presentation. The film starring Abigail Breslin, is about a daughter of a Groupie mother who locates her biological Rock Star father to tell him that she is his daughter. The film also stars Elisabeth Shue who seems poised for a career revival and I caught Breslin on the Red Carpet of its After Party at Lobby tonight where she arrived with a can of Diet Coke in-hand.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

TIFF INSTYLE AND HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION PARTY PICS

Malin Akerman & Mr. Will-W.

Held traditionally towards the halfway mark of TIFF ever year, InStyle Magazine and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association throw a bash at the Windsor Arms Hotel, marking one of the biggest highlights of the Festival. 

The Hotel rolled out the Red Carpet and installed a Media Tent for its ultra-exclusive list of Celebrity Guests and everyone including hundreds of spectators out on the street got to join in on the festivities, giving Toronto a taste of Hollywood.  

Here's who showed up for some fun and Swag:

Abigail Breslin