Simu Liu The Farewell

Simu Liu is giving out 500 free tickets to watch a movie with him in Toronto tonight

Want to hang out with Simu Liu (and 499 friends) in Toronto this evening?

The Bay Street accountant-turned-Blockbuster film star, who was just announced as the star of Marvel's forthcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is inviting an entire theatre's worth of people to "come thru" and catch a flick with him at the Cineplex Cinemas Varsity tonight at 9:30 p.m.

"Hey Toronto, I know it’s late notice but I bought out a theatre and would love for 100 or so of you to join me for a screening of The Farewell starring my friend Awkwafina!!" wrote the Kim's Convenience star on Twitter Monday night.

Then, just over 20 minutes later, Liu announced that he was trying to buy out a second theatre.

"We now have over 500 tickets," he announced roughly an hour after that. "Come thru Toronto! Tomorrow 9:30pm Varsity VIP and the password is #GOLDOPEN."

The film Liu appears to be promoting needs little promotion at this point: It's already grossed an estimated sum of $1,674,997 in just two weeks, smashing the per-theatre average box office record previously set by Avengers: Endgame.

Written and directed by Lulu Wang, The Farewell – "a subtitled dramedy about a family’s bittersweet reunion in China," according to the New York Times — has been raking in rave reviews from fans and critics alike since it first hit the silver screen.

Liu isn't the first of the film's supporters to buy out a theatre for fans, either. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu did the same thing in New York over the weekend as part of what seems to be a growing trend for buzzy indie films.

Those interested in viewing the movie for free tonight — again, with the charming Simu Liu — simply need to show up at the Cineplex Cinemas Varsity and VIP inside the Manulife Centre at 55 Bloor Street West.

Tickets will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis, and the screening starts at 9:30 p.m. Good luck!

Lead photo by

Simu Liu


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