Have you ever wondered what Halo’s Master Chief would look like as an 18m (60ft) hologram? Well, now is your chance.
Paramount+ launched the uniquely towering ad in several cities, including Toronto, on Sunday, April 17th.
Each hologram display weighs 24 tons (roughly 21,772kg/48,000lbs) and features 126m of hologram gauze to display the image.
While it’s likely that the hologram was only visible from specific angles for a very short period, the shot of Master Chief standing beside Toronto’s iconic skyline is undeniably pretty cool.
Other cities where this rather tall Master Chief is available include Mexico City, Mexico, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Sydney, Australia.
Though it’s great to see the Halo series finally translated to the small screen, I find Paramount+’s take on the franchise difficult to watch because, as a long-time fan of the series, it just doesn’t feel like Halo. It’s more like a low-budget, Sci-Fi channel TV show closely tied to the iconic video game series.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
C’mon C’mon
A softspoken radio journalist goes on a cross-country trip with his energetic nephew.
C’mon C’mon was written and directed by Mike Mills (20th Century Women) and stars Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Woody Norman (Poldark).
Original Canadian theatrical release date: November 26th, 2021
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: March 24th, 2022 Genre: Black-and-white drama Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video in March can be here.
Apple TV+
Pachinko [Apple Original]
Follow a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland for a better life.
Based on Min Jin Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, Pachinko was created by Soo Hugh (The Whispers) and stars Youn Yuh-jung (Minari), Minha Kim (Main Street), Jin Ha (Devs) and Lee Min-ho (Boys Over Flowers).
It’s worth noting that the series was filmed in Vancouver.
Apple TV+ Prime Video premiere date: March 25th, 2022 (first three episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Drama Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
Une Affaire Criminelle (A Criminal Affair) [Crave Original]
A woman named Catherine fights to clear her son of murder as the major crimes investigator seems to be protecting someone else involved.
The series was directed by Quebec City’s Stéphane Lapointe (The Secret Life of Happy People) and stars Levis, Quebec’s Céline Bonnier (Far Side of the Moon) and Sherbrooke, Quebec’s Louis-Philipe Dandeneault (The Great Seduction).
Crave premiere date: March 23rd, 2022 Genre: Drama Runtime: Four episodes (43 minutes each)
Based on a true story, King Richard explores Richard Williams’ efforts to help his daughters Venus and Serena become pro tennis players.
King Richard was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men) and stars Will Smith (Ali), Aunjanue Ellis (When They See Us), Saniyya Sidney (American Horror Story) and Demi Singleton (Godfather of Harlem).
Original theatrical release date: November 19th, 2021
Crave premiere date: March 25th, 2022 Genre: Biographical drama Runtime: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Inspired by the popular Twitter account of the same name, filmmaker Ava DuVernay (Selma) hosts this series in which fellow directors like Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Aaron Sorkin (Molly’s Game) and Jon M. Chu (In The Heights) break down the iconic imagery of their films.
Crave premiere date: March 24th, 2022 Genre: Documentary Runtime: Six episodes (22 to 26 minutes each)
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Based on a true story, The Eyes of Tammy Faye chronicles the rise and fall of singer Tammy Faye’s televangelism career and marriage to Jim Baker.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye was directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) and stars Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Andrew Garfield (Tick,Tick…Boom!).
Original theatrical release date: September 17th, 2022 Disney+ Canada release date: March 23rd, 2022 Genre: Biographical drama Runtime: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u [Disney+ Original]
Directed by Stacey Lee (Live Fast, Draw Yung), this documentary profiles singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo as she goes on a road trip and recounts her experiences writing her debut album, Sour.
Disney+ Canada premiere date: March 25th, 2022 Genre: Biographical drama Runtime: 1 hour, 16 minutes
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ this month can be found here.
Netflix
Bridgerton (Season 2) [Netflix Original]
Viscount Anthony Bridgerton’s decision to marry puts him into conflict with his intended bride’s headstrong older sister.
Based on Julia Quinn’snovels series of the same name, Bridgerton was created by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy) and stars Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch), Simone Ashley (Sex Education) and Charithra Chandran (Alex Rider).
Netflix Canada premiere date: March 25th, 2022 Genre: Period drama Runtime: Eight episodes (54 to 72 minutes each)
Comedian Michelle Buteau (The Circle) narrates this docuseries that explores the complexities of women’s pleasure, featuring interviews with scientists, sex educators, therapists and more.
Netflix Canada premiere date: March 22nd, 2022 Genre: Documentary Runtime: Three episodes (48 to 55 minutes each)
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Paramount+
Halo [Paramount+ Original]
While the catalogue of the Canadian version of Paramount+ is missing many of the titles found on its American counterpart, one high-profile original has debuted on both: Halo.
That’s right — after years of development hell, the live-action TV series adaptation of Microsoft’s massively popular video game franchise is finally here.
Inspired but not directly adapted from the games, Halo follows the 26th-century war between United Nations Space Command and an alliance of advanced alien races known as the Covenant.
Halo stars B.C.’s own Pablo Schreiber (The Wire), Shabana Azmi (Khandar), Olive Gray (Half-Moon Investigations), Natasha McElhone (Californication) and Jen Taylor reprising her role as the voice of Cortana from the Halo games.
Paramount+ Canada premiere date: March 24th, 2022 (first episode, new episodes every week) Genre: Sci-fi Runtime: Nine episodes (around one hour each)
Specifically, entrants can snag a custom black Xbox Series S console with the video game movie’s versions of protagonist Sonic and antagonist Knuckles, as well as two controllers inspired by the hedgehog and echidna. However, these aren’t just your standard plastic gamepads — bizarrely, they’ve been given “textured” coatings to simulate Sonic and Knuckles’ fur.
On Twitter, fans were quick to point out that these hairy controllers won’t exactly mix well with palm sweat:
If the console and/or (frightening) controllers are your thing, you can enter for a chance to win them over on Twitter by retweeting this Xbox tweet with the hashtag #XboxSonic2Sweepstakes. This method of entry is available in many countries, including Canada. The contest ends on April 4th.
We might need glasses because these controllers look fuzzy.
Follow and RT with #XboxSonic2Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Sonic 2 Xbox Series S Custom Console and Controllers.
As the title suggests, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a sequel to 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which opened right before the start of the pandemic to solid box office performance and generally positive reviews.
In the new film, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) teams up with Tom (James Marsden) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) to stop Dr. Eggman (Newmarket, Ontario’s own Jim Carrey) and Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) from conquering the world with the Master Emerald. Notably, the sequel was primarily shot in Vancouver, just like the first film.
Meanwhile, Sega’s next game in the long-running Sonic video game series, Sonic Frontiers, is set to hit consoles and PC in late 2022.
Despite receiving lacklustre reviews, I’m still looking forward to the upcoming Halo TV series.
That said, until now, I assumed that I’d likely need to shell out some extra cash to subscribe to Paramount+, a streaming service that pales in comparison to its counterpart in the U.S, given the Halo TV show is exclusive to the platform.
According to a recent tweet from Halo series senior community manager John Junyszek, that won’t be the case — at least for the first few episodes. Just in time for the Halo TV show’s first episode on March 24th, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can get 30 days of Paramount+ for free. This offer launches on March 23rd.
Along with the Halo TV series, Paramount+ features Survivor, NCIS: Los Angeles, Seal Team and more.
After the 30-day trial, Paramount+ costs $5.99 in Canada. On the other hand, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for cloud game streaming. The service also includes Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.
Notably, Ymir, B.C.-born Pablo Schreiber (The Wire) is portraying iconic Spartanhero Master Chief, while Natasha McElhone (Californication) plays Spartan-II creator Dr. Catherine Halsey and Jen Taylor reprises her long-running role as the voice of the AI Cortana.
We get a glimpse at all of them here.
Halo is set to premiere sometime in 2022 on Paramount+ in the U.S. While that service is also available in Canada, its content lineup differs significantly from its U.S. counterpart due to the licensing agreements. It remains to be seen whether the series will also be on Paramount+ in Canada or on another service.
While there have been smaller live-action Halo adaptations in the past, Paramount’s series marks the culmination of a years-long effort from legendary director Steven Spielberg to bring the series to the big screen. At one point, it was set to be a movie, although it’s since shifted to a big-budget series. Spielberg remains attached as an executive producer.
It’s been a big few weeks for Halo. The iconic series celebrated its 20th anniversary in November, so Xbox has marked the occasion with the early release of Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer that month, and the full game, including the campaign, on December 8th. You can read more on the game in our review and interview with developer 343 Industries.
Film production company Paramount Pictures is readying to open their first European theme park in Alhama de Murcia, Spain, reports Attractions Management. The production company has partnered with Spanish firm Proyectos Emblemáticos Murcianos (Premursa) in order to make the park a reality.
Divided into four main areas – action-oriented Adventure City with a Titanic-themed ride, Woodland Fantasy for children, all-ages Rango’s West, and science-fiction-based Plaza Futura – the park will offer over 30 rides and two themed hotels. The entry area, Paseo Paramount, will also feature a School of Rock live music production.
"Paramount chose the Region of Murcia for this project because of the exceptional qualities that make it a popular tourist destination," said executive vice president Michael Bartok. "The support from the regional and local governments as well as Premursa is remarkable and we look forward to creating a world-class destination."
The theme park will be part of a $1.5 billion tourism project aimed at boosting the local economy, and is set to open in spring 2015. Along with the amusement park, the new development will include a 11.1 million square foot business and leisure complex with seven hotels, a casino and a convention center.
Variety reports that the film company DreamWorks is at the point of endorsing a contract with a new financer from India to start up a new company.
The Reliance ADA Group, located in Mumbai, will invest $500-$600 million in the new company, and expects to produce around 6 films per year. The company would be directed by the current CEO of DreamWorks, Stacey Snider, and Steven Spielberg would still play a key role.
With many projects already on the table, DreamWorks and Paramount will surely be required to work together, but under new circumstances. Additionally, DreamWorks Animation has agreed to stay with Paramount until 2012. The contract could be renegotiated in 2010.
One of the big producers at DreamWorks, David Geffen, is not expected to play a major role at the new company.
Although the two companies first announced that they would release their films in the two formats, they have changed their minds, and think it would be more advantageous to produce HD.
This decision was made after a study showed the advantage of choosing HD technology, notably the cost and ease with which they can put it in films.
The first DVD released in HD was Blades ofGlory, starring Will Ferrell and John Heder.
The contract will allow Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Aviator) to direct a variety of projects for film, DVD, and television.
Scorsese, who is currently working on a documentary about the Rolling Stones, has directed more than 40 films during his career. He has been nominated seven times for an Oscar.
The deal between Paramount and Scorsese comes just months after Paramount ended their 14-year partnership with actor Tom Cruise.
