Ben Stiller’s ‘Nutcrackers’ Charms Toronto Film Festival With Fart Jokes, Ballet Dancing and Surprise Introduction From Justin Trudeau
variety.comRebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter The Toronto International Film Festival kicked off its 49th edition with the world premiere of “Nutcrackers,” a crowd-pleasing fish-out-of-water comedy from director David Gordon Green and Ben Stiller in his first film role in seven years.
Stiller’s big screen homecoming wasn’t the only major return to TIFF. Star power is back, baby! Last year’s festival was hobbled by labor strikes that left actors and screenwriters on the picket lines and unable to promote their films.
So, it’s a huge relief to not only TIFF organizers but also studios and agencies (who were tasked in 2023 with drumming up excitement for movies without many boldface names in attendance) that A-listers like Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong’o, Selena Gomez, Elton John, Ana de Armas, Dakota Johnson and Mark Hamill scheduled to touch down in Toronto over the next 11 days.
It’s not just Hollywood that’s bringing energy to TIFF. At Thursday’s premiere, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise appearance and was greeted with a warm welcome.
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