Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • Marvel Studios Provides Release Dates for Season 2 of ‘Loki’, ‘Echo’

    Marvel Studios Provides Release Dates for Season 2 of ‘Loki’, ‘Echo’

    2023 will be nearly half over before Marvel Studios first streaming series of the year, Secret Invasion, will hit Disney Plus. However, it looks as though the last quarter of 2023 will have plenty of Marvel Studios entertainment.

    Loki will begin streaming on October 6 and will be almost immediately followed by Echo. In an unprecedented move, Marvel Studios will drop all episodes of Echo on November 29th. It’s expected that the second season of Loki will consist of 6 episodes and while Disney has not officially revealed it, rumors have swirled for months that Echo will consist of five episodes.

    The move also puts Marvel Studios’ new releases back on Fridays, where they first began, after moving to Wednesdays for some time. Should Marvel Studios only release one episode of Loki per week, that puts the final episode out the same day as the planned release of The Marvels. The studio has yet to release an episode of a streaming series on the same day as a film, though they’ve released episodes of their series on the Wednesday before an opening weekend so it’ll be worth following along to see what strategy Disney decides to follow.

  • ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Headed to Disney Plus in June

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Headed to Disney Plus in June

    The top global box office hit of 2022 will finally hit Disney Plus next month. Via Empire, Disney has revealed that Avatar: The Way of Water will be available on their streaming service on June 7th.

    James Cameron‘s long awaited sequel raked in over $2.3B worldwide in 2022, earnings the top spot at the box office over a competitive field including Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic Park: Dominion which both totalled over $1B.

    The film has been available as digital media since March 28th but this marks the first time audiences will be able to watch it at home for no additional cost.

    Source: Empire

  • ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Director Calmatic on “Sampling” the 1992 Original

    ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Director Calmatic on “Sampling” the 1992 Original

    Don’t call it a remake. 20th Century Studios White Men Can’t Jump might share the name and premise of the 1992 Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson classic but it is unabashedly its own film. Jack Harlow‘s washed-up white dude, Jeremy, and Sinqua Walls‘ Kamal are still hustling on the streetball circuit of L.A. but the 2023 film is much more of a modern retelling than a remake. Infused with 21st-century sensibilities, the new film works as a wonderful homage to the 1992 original while comfortably and confidently forging its own path.

    After retelling another 1990s classic, House Party, director Calmatic dipped into the retelling well again for White Men Can’t Jump, just his second feature film. Known for his work as a director of music videos for stars such as Lamar Kendrick, Lil Nas X, Pharrell Williams and more, Calmatic saw the opportunity to bring an important part of the music industry to the project: sampling. Rather than attempting to remake a beloved film, Calmatic paid homage to the film by taking some of its best bits and making them their own, new thing.

    (L-R): Jack Harlow as Jeremy and Sinqua Walls as Kamal in 20th Century Studios’ WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by Parrish Lewis. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    “I got a hip-hop background, right? And so, I don’t like to say, like, we re-made a movie. I feel like we sampled a movie, right?“, explained Calmatic during the global press event for Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump. Calmatic extended the music analogy much further, saying “We took a couple of elements; you know what I’m sayin’? We chopped it up. We changed the pitch; you know what I’m sayin’? We reversed it a little bit. And then we put a whole new bassline, a whole new set of drums on it to make it feel current. And so, I feel like that’s what this is, right? This is, like, a dope flip, you know what I mean? So, I think, you know, they say things that are classic are things that are new that feel familiar.“

    For Calmatic, it was a balancing act of sampling the bits of the 1992 film that worked so well with allowing the 2023 film to find its own footing. “So, I think we had a bunch of new elements, new characters, new storyline,” he explained, “but we had to have some of those elements, some of those locations that are familiar to everyone, you know, kinda, you know, associates with the original film. So, Venice Beach, we had to keep Venice Beach in there, you know what I’m sayin’? We had to have, you know, the guy skating down the boardwalk, you know what I mean? We had to do this in Watts, you know what I’m sayin’? That court is iconic. That bridge, the Watts Towers, like, we had to keep that. And then, obviously the big, you know, flamethrower scene. That was the original location from the “I’m gonna go get my gun,” you know what I’m sayin’?“, said Calmatic, referencing the classic bit from Marques Johnson‘s Raymond.

    What’s clear is that while fans of the 1992 film will find those rhyming samples entertaining, Calmatic has made a film that doesn’t require any association with its namesake. That Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump can both stand on the shoulders of the classic and stand on its own is quite an accomplishment. White Men Can’t Jump debuts on Hulu May 19th.

  • Frontrunners Emerge for Key ‘Superman: Legacy’ Roles

    Frontrunners Emerge for Key ‘Superman: Legacy’ Roles

    With principal photography on Superman: Legacy set to kick off in just eight months, writer/director James Gunn has begun the process of casting. A series of trade reports have provided some insight into a list of potential frontrunners for some of the 2025 film’s key roles while also giving some more details about what to expect from the all-new, all-different DCU’s first feature film.

    Casting Kal-El

    It’s not unfair to say that whoever Gunn chooses for his Kal-El could make or break not only Superman: Legacy but also the fledgling DCU. Fortunately, Gunn has an uncanny knack for nailing key castings. Despite a list of monster names having auditioned for the Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn famously fought to have Chris Pratt in the role despite the star flubbing his audition. Dave Bautista probably owes his now acclaimed acting career to Gunn, Karen Gillan became a star as Nebula and Chukwudi Iwuji put together one of Marvel Studios’ best villainous turns as the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn knows talent and given he also knows Superman: Legacy inside and out, he knows exactly what he’s looking for in the next actor to wear the symbol of the House of El and according to the Hollywood trades, he’s getting close to finding his leading man.

    THR reports that after viewing audition tapes for the role of Clark Kent, DC Studios is preparing to screen test a handful of frontrunners. Topping that list are Pearl and House of Cards star David Corenswet and X-Men alum Nicholas Hoult, while Euphoria star Jacob Elordi and Andrew Richardson seem to have been among a larger group of earlier contenders that has since been thinned out.

    Finding Lois Lane

    When the star of your show is an omnipotent, god-like alien, it’s pretty important that he stay grounded. To that end, Gunn’s selection for Lois Lane is nearly as critical as that of Superman. Much like the casting of Sue Storm is essential for Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four, Gunn has to land a star as Lois. Despite being married to a nigh-invulnerable hero, it’s Lois who stands tall as the unshakable center of Superman’s life. Appropriately, Gunn has put together quite a list of stars for the role.

    The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan, Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor, Sex Education star Emma Mackey and neo scream queen Samara Weaving have reportedly made their way through the early screening process. Brosnahan’s audition seems to have caught Gunn’s eye though multiple reports indicate the Emmy-award-winning actress may be just outside of the age range Warner Bros. Discovery has in mind for their new universe.

    The Big Bad

    While the trades have casually reported the news that the film’s antagonist will be Lex Luthor, it is the first confirmation that Gunn has chosen Superman’s oldest and most well-known foe to occupy his time in the first film. It’s simultaneously the most and least bold choice Gunn could make.

    After checking in with an unknown star of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on their interest in the role, Gunn is reportedly now meeting with Black actors for the role of “Apex.” While that’s just a code name, it does refer to a very recent iteration of the character who was an extremely powerful human/Martian hybrid.

    The reports indicate that the casting process for all three roles is expected to pick up steam after Memorial Day. It would certainly be in DC Studios’ best interest to have the cast of Superman: Legacy introduced on stage in two months at SDCC ’23 and given Gunn’s history with the convention, that wouldn’t be a surprise.

    Sources: THR, Deadline, The Wrap

  • First ‘Fast X’ Reactions  Praise Jason Momoa’s Villain

    First ‘Fast X’ Reactions  Praise Jason Momoa’s Villain

    With the passing of the social media embargo for Universal’s latest installment in the Fast & The Furious franchise, Fast X, but expiring yesterday, journalists and critics who attended early screenings of the film began rolling out their opinions. Though the first wave of reactions indicate that Fast X may be a bit disappointing to fans of the high-octane franchise, most everyone agrees that a new addition stole the show.

    Jason Momoa joined the franchise as Dante Reyes, the son of Fast 5 Hernan Reyes who was killed by Dwayne Johnson‘s Hobbs. And while he might be playing Reyes, it sounds like Momoa is really just letting all his Momoaness out in Fast X.  Forbes critic Simon Thompson says Momoa’s “perilous peacocking” stands out in the “stupidly entertaining” sequel.

    Cinema Blend’s Eric Rosenberg compared Momoa’s Reyes to the Joker, calling him ” a gleeful psychopath” and part of the reason the film gets the franchise “back on track.”

    https://twitter.com/eeisenberg/status/1657143615276064774?t=wxlejC0ugv5U6TBEUHzvwQ&s=19

    io9 veteran critic Germain Lussier joined in singing Momoa’s praises, saying his performance is “God-level.” However, Lussier was much less impressed with Fast X, calling it “the worst” film in the series.

    Insider correspondent Kirsten Acuna hints at a potentially divisive film while also hyping it up as Universal’s Infinity War.

    Though she enjoyed the film, Acuna also noted that Fast X is a mid-tier Fast franchise entry while also boarding the Momoa praise train.

    Given Momoa’s charismatic Reyes is drawing such rave reviews and the film is likely to continue to ludicrous, over-the-top action fans have embraced, Fast X is likely to be a hit when it opens in theaters May 19th!

  • Disney Reveals Where the Events of ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Fall on the MCU Timeline

    Disney Reveals Where the Events of ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Fall on the MCU Timeline

    With the arrival of Spider-Man: Homecoming on Disney Plus comes the revelation of where the events of Tom Holland‘s first solo outing as the Web-Head falls on the MCU timeline. As it turns out, it’s right where most folks have believed it belonged all along.

    According to the “Marvel Cinematic Universe in Timeline Order” category located in the Marvel section of Disney Plus, the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place in between the events of Black Panther and Doctor Strange. Both Black Panther and Homecoming spin out of Captain America: Civil War which introduced both T’Challa and Peter Parker into the MCU so the events of their solo films taking place near each other chronologically has always made sense.

    The debate of whether to watch Marvel Studios films in release or chronological order has been ongoing for some time which makes every new addition to Disney Plus a point of interest for MCU fans. Though these timelines may not be “official”, an official timeline is coming later in 2023. In September Random House will publish Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline, written by Anthony Breznican, Amy Ratcliffe and Rebecca Theodore-Vachon in collaboration with Marvel Studios. It’s likely that the timeline will delve much deeper into the minutia of the MCU, revealing which projects–or events within them–took place simultaneously. Until then, the Disney Plus timeline is the best one we have!

  • Starz Sets ‘Heels’ Season 2 Premiere Date

    Starz Sets ‘Heels’ Season 2 Premiere Date

    It’s taken a bit longer than hoped, but Season 2 of Avengers: Secret Wars writer Michael Waldron’s excellent look into the world of professional wrestling is finally almost here! As part of a first look at Heels sophomore season, EW has revealed that the Spade brothers will be stepping back into the squared circle on July 28th. By the time the first episode airs, it’ll have been nearly two years since the Season 1 finale saw brothers Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) have a major falling out over Jack’s admission that he’s been a real-life heel all along.

    Season 2 will pick up right where the Season 1 finale left off, according to showrunner Mike O’Malley, who also plays rival wrestling promoter, Charlie Gully. “We pick up exactly where we left off in the finale, where Ace walks out of the ring, walks out of that hallway and just gets in a car and is like, ,F— this shit,‘” explained O’Malley. “And then Jack’s journey is, how can I demonstrate my contrition in active ways to my wife, to my colleagues, to my mother, to my brother, to my son? These acts of contrition are profound, but they have to be profound.”

    As O’Malley describes it, Ludwig’s Ace will go on a journey of self-discovery and have to come to terms with some parts of who he is that he just does not like. “In season 2, Ace has to go on a journey to realize that he has just been seeking applause and fame and recognition and doing that has made him somebody that he doesn’t like,” explained O’Malley. He continued, “He doesn’t like that he needs the applause so much that he breaks down in tears. He doesn’t like that his entire life has been built about trying to be a professional football player, and he didn’t make it. He feels like his whole life is a failure.”

    According to O’Malley, it doesn’t sound like Ace and Jack will have much free time on their hands to make up as Gully still fully intends to put Jack’s wrestling league, the DWL, out of business. As the actor puts it, the Spade brothers really are their own worst enemy in the fight against Gully and rightfully points out that they brought this on themselves. “I [Gully] didn’t even know who you guys were until you started trashing me on podcasts. You have created this circumstance,” explaining Gully’s perspective. “Everything that Jack does is due to his own character flaws. If he did not lie to Ace, he wouldn’t be in the situation with Ace. If he did not decide to punch Charlie Gully in the face as a way to deal with his problems with him, he would not be in the situation that he’s in now,” said O’Malley. “This season, you can kind of can see Gully’s point. You’ll see, he’s just a dad, he’s celebrating that his daughter got into college. He’s just trying to run a business, and the Spade brothers are being ridiculous.“

    It sounds like Season 2 of the wrasslin’ drama will come out swinging when it debuts at 10 PM ET on July 28th.

    Source: EW

  • REVIEW: ‘Crater’ Digs Deep into the Innocence of Youth

    REVIEW: ‘Crater’ Digs Deep into the Innocence of Youth

    In 2015, screenwriter John Griffin produced an unsolicited screenplay that drew rave reviews, finding itself with the fifth most votes on that year’s Black List, an annual list of Hollywood’s best, unproduced screenplays. Eight years and one major media merger later, Griffin’s screenplay, Crater, helmed by 13 Reasons Why and The Stanford Prison Experiment director Kyle Patrick Alvarez is set to hit Disney Plus and, as it turns out, the Hollywood execs were right about the potential in the script. Crater is an innocent and heart-warming coming-of-age story with hints of inspiration from genre classics such as Stand By Me, The Goonies and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

    Set on a lunar colony in the year 2257, Crater tells the story of Isaiah Russell-Bailey’s Caleb and the group of friends that help him fulfill a promise following the death of his father in a mining accident. Caleb enlists his group of friends–and a newcomer in Mckenna Grace’s Addison–to help him keep that promise and together they embark on a road trip across the moon full of fun, danger and discovery.

    On the moon, five teens take an unauthorized and adventure-filled road trip just before one of them is to be sent away on a seventy-five year journey to another planet, leaving behind his best friends.

    Description of Crater from the 2015 Black Lists
    (L-R): Orson Hong as Borney, Thomas Boyce as Marcus, Billy Barratt as Dylan, Isaiah Russell-Bailey as Caleb and Mckenna Grace as Addison in CRATER, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    The kids’ mission is simple enough: take Caleb on the road trip he had planned with his father before his untimely death. However, the situation becomes complicated when Caleb learns that the clock is ticking and that he’ll be leaving the moon for the paradise planet known as Omega in three days. Further complicating things is an impending meteor shower that will force the inhabitants of the lunar dome into a lockdown that will last…3 days. Caleb and crew make the decision to steal a lunar rover, hit the road and head to a place Caleb’s mother and father held dear: a crater that holds an unexpected treasure.

    Given that the friend group’s adventure takes up the vast majority of the film’s runtime, the chemistry among the actors had to be strong in order for the project to work; fortunately, the young actors work well together. While the key relationship is between Caleb and Billy Barratt‘s Dylan, each of the young core has more than ample opportunity in the spotlight. Grace is great in her supporting role as Addison, whose intelligence and emotional maturity help center the group during some more frantic moments and the odd couple buddy dynamic between almost-too-mellow Thomas Boyce‘s Marcus and Orson Hong‘s WAY-over-the-top Borney adds humor and heart to the story.

    (L-R): Isaiah Russell-Bailey as Caleb, Mckenna Grace as Addison, Thomas Boyce as Marcus, Orson Hong as Borney and Billy Barratt as Dylan in CRATER, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Though the threat of danger is ever present as the kids make their way to the titular crater, the road trip is really about what every road trip is about: rebellion, introspection and the journey towards self-actualization. Caleb’s impending journey to Omega weighs heavily on him as not only will he never see his friends again, but given he’ll be in stasis for 75 years during the trip, they’ll all have had an entire lifetime of experiences that he’ll miss. And so, Caleb and his friends let it all hang out on their last few days together.

    Who will Caleb be without his parents and friends on Omega? Who will his friends become without him? These questions are explored and answered so innocently and authentically that Crater will make you remember what it’s like to be a teenager again and just how much of who you are at that time is determined by who you surround yourself with.

    Source: The Black List

  • ‘Crater’ Star Isaiah Russell-Bailey Reveals Which Classic Coming-of-Age Movie Served as Inspiration for His Character

    ‘Crater’ Star Isaiah Russell-Bailey Reveals Which Classic Coming-of-Age Movie Served as Inspiration for His Character

    The Disney Plus original movie Crater tells the story of a group of friends who take a road trip across the moon in their last days together. With Isaiah Russell-Bailey‘s Caleb set to leave the moon following the death of his father, the group comes together to break all the rules and help Caleb fulfill a promise to his dad. Part road trip and part coming-of-age, Crater shines a light on just how important friends are during our most trying times.

    Written by John Griffin, Crater feels nostalgic despite being set hundreds of years in the future. The group dynamic featured in the film calls back to classics such as The Goonies, The Breakfast Club and even Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as the kids break all the rules and put themselves at risk to help their friend get where he needs to be. For a film starring a cast who were all born in the 21st century, Crater is definitely a throwback and according to Russell-Bailey, he had to do some homework and watch another 80s coming-of-age film before he found his inspiration for Caleb.

    (L-R): Isaiah Russell-Bailey as Caleb, Thomas Boyce as Marcus, Mckenna Grace as Addison and Orson Hong as Borney in CRATER, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Patti Perret. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    “I watched Stand by Me in preparation for this film,” said Russell-Bailey. “And I watched it to kind of see who Caleb related to in the film. And I felt like he related to, you know, River Phoenix’s character and Will Wheaton’s character. And I tried to add a bit of their characters to Caleb, so I could make Caleb more well-rounded, as a character. And I love Stand by Me and all those old adventure movies,” he explained.

    Adapted from a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner, 1986’s Stand By Me is a genre classic that follows a group of boys’ adventure searching for a dead body. Nominated for an Academy Award, Stand By Me is largely considered one of the best films not only of the 1980s but also of all time and seems to have clearly been an inspiration for Griffin’s script. Specifically, the film’s closing lines–“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”–seem echoed Russell-Bailey’s performance as Caleb in Crater. Griffins’ script for Crater was one of the top five best unproduced of 2015 according to The Black List, it won’t be surprising to see it join the ranks of coming-of-age classics once it starts streaming on Disney Plus on May 12th.

  • Dermot Mulroney, ‘Deadpool’ Star Brianna Hildebrand to Headline Horror-Thriller ‘Speed Demon’ (Exclusive)

    Dermot Mulroney, ‘Deadpool’ Star Brianna Hildebrand to Headline Horror-Thriller ‘Speed Demon’ (Exclusive)

    We’ve had snakes on planes and zombies on trains…now it’s time for Speed Demon. Scream VI and American Horror Story star Dermot Mulroney and Deadpool star Brianna Hildebrand are jumping on board Speed Demon, a wild new horror film from director Kevin J. Nelson.

    Set on a train bound for Rome, Speed Demon will pit Mulroney and Hildebrand’s Catholic priest/nun duo against a wily demon with designs on derailing the train and killing everyone on board. Nelson will work from a script by Domenico Salvaggio, whose work includes horror shorts Lotto 6/66 and Plastik Man and 2010’s feature film Die.

    Additional casting for Speed Demon is ongoing with production expected to kick off in New Jersey in late May or early June. Kevin Paulhus, Saleem Elmasri and John Marques will serve as executive producers for the project.