Wonka: the new musical fantasy film directed by Paul King, who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Farnaby. It serves as a prequel to the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which was based on the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The film stars Timothée Chalamet in the titular role of Willy Wonka, following his early days as an unusual chocolatier. Also starring are Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Tom Davis, Olivia Colman and Hugh Grant. The film was released in theatres on December 15. I went to see the film today, on December 15, and it was a fun and colourful film to see. Timothée Chalamet can do anything, from dancing to singing, he does it all. The young Calah Lane is also amazing alongside Timothée and has a bright future in front of her. It’s a perfect film to go watch with the holidays coming up.
American Fiction: a new satirical comedy drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson, in his feature directorial debut. It is based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett and stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown. We follow Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from ‘Black’ entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish ‘Black’ book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and was released in limited theatres on December 15 with an expansion next week on December 22.
The Family Plan: a new action comedy film directed by Simon Cellan Jones and written by David Coggeshall. It stars Mark Wahlberg (who also produces under his production company Municipal Pictures) and Michelle Monaghan in the lead roles as Dan and Jessica Morgan. Dan Morgan is a seemingly normal family man, but was once the deadliest assassin in the world. When his past finally catches up with him, Dan takes his family on a ‘road trip’ to Las Vegas so he can confront the man who wants him dead, all while trying to keep his old life a secret from his wife and children. The film was released on Apple TV+ on December 15.
The Crown: Season 6: Part 2: the second part of the last season of The Crown is here. The series is coming to its end with the last six episodes that were released this week. The series traced the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 to the early 21st century. The sixth season is set between 1997 and 2005 and depicts the premiership of Tony Blair, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the early relationship of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. Starring in this season is an ensemble cast which includes Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Dominic West, Elizabeth Debicki, Olivia Williams, Khalid Abdalla, Bertie Carvel, Lydia Leonard, Andrew Havill, and Marcia Warren. The first four episodes of this sixth and last season were released on Netflix on November 16, and the remaining six episodes have also been released now on December 14.
Finestkind: a new crime thriller drama film written and directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega and Tommy Lee Jones. It follows two estranged brothers who hatch a deal with a Boston crime syndicate, which spells danger for the brothers and their father as well as a mysterious young woman. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on Paramount+ on December 15.
Yu Yu Hakusho: the new Japanese action fantasy adventure series which is a live-action adaptation of the 1990–94 manga series of the same name by Yoshihiro Togashi.. It’s directed by Shô Tsukikawa and stars Takumi Kitamura as the unruly Yusuke Urameshi, along with Jun Shison, Kanata Hongô, and Shûhei Uesugi. The story revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, a delinquent junior high school student who spends his days getting into fights. He dies after saving a child in a car accident and gets resurrected to serve as an investigator of the supernatural. The series was released on Netflix on December 14.
Six To See 
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