Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Spider-Man’ Re-Release Wins the Weekend as ‘Top Gun’ Passes $700M Domestically

    ‘Spider-Man’ Re-Release Wins the Weekend as ‘Top Gun’ Passes $700M Domestically

    It’s a crazy Labor Day weekend at the box office, as two long-running films have taken the top two spots. Strategically released, Sony gave Spider-Man: No Way Home a return to theaters hoping to crack the $2 billion mark with some more footage added in and the “More Fun Edition” tagged on. It went up against Memorial Day weekend surprise hit Top Gun Maverick which has been showing some incredibly impressive legs all summer.

    As of now, it seems that No Way Home re-release will take the weekend with $6M but Top Gun: Maverick‘s $5.5M is nothing to laugh at, especially as it has now passed the $700M mark. It’ll likely pass Black Panther in just a day or two and it’s unclear just how big its wings might continue to propel it. With 50% fewer theatrical releases, it may have been the one surprise hit to boost the total market alongside other big releases like Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions: Rise of Gru, and the few to make a splash this summer.

    Still, the weekend had a special offer for many as ticket costs were down quite a bit as a way for cinemas to test out the market. Quite a few films got a select boost as a result. Jurassic World: Dominion is inching its way to a potential billion, as it now stands at $994M. Mostly depends on how it performs overseas with Japan being the big decider here. Nope is still showing a stronghold and has pulled in $120M domestically, which is lower than expected but still a decent pull.

    Thor: Love and Thunder also saw a minimal drop of 8% and pulled in another $2.4M and has now pulled in over $750M worldwide with $340M domestically. While some still pretend the film was a failure of some kind, it has outgrossed its predecessor and still is among the higher-tier earners. Making more than the previous entry with its fourth entry isn’t a common occurrence in a franchise that’s been running for as long as it has. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s release is definitely going to be one to keep an eye on though.

    Source: Forbes

  • John Williams Reveals Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Theme from ‘Indiana Jones 5’ during Concert

    John Williams Reveals Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Theme from ‘Indiana Jones 5’ during Concert

    John Williams has been busy working on the music for Indiana Jones 5, which may be among the final scores he ever produces. It’s fitting given just how involved he was with the original and was just as much an integral part of making the franchise a cult classic. James Mangold is taking over directing duties for the upcoming fifth, and potentially last entry in the franchise. While news building up to D23 is still scarce, Williams has provided a sneak peek of his upcoming score during a concert.

    As shared by Twitter user @Naquicious, it seems that Williams decided to reveal the theme for Phoebe Waller-Bridge‘s character during his latest concert. Not only that, he shares that it was seemingly also coordinated with Mangold. As such, it reveals that the character’s name is Helena and luckily non participants get a chance to listen in.

    https://twitter.com/naquicious/status/1565930404070076417?s=21&t=4fYKA0ll1p6Mz60tQ2DqcQ

    It’s definitely a John Williams score and highlights the gravitas we can expect from his upcoming work. He’s always been on his a-game, as he recently worked with Lucasfilm to give Obi-Wan Kenobi a long overdue theme. The fact he will soon retire is a shame but he’s given some amazing work to the industry and many themes wouldn’t be the same without him. We’ll have to see if we get an updated version of the iconic Indiana Jones theme as well ahead of its release, but with D23 on the horizon, anything is possible.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Thunderbolts’ May Act as a Spinoff for ‘Black Widow’s Yelena Belova

    ‘Thunderbolts’ May Act as a Spinoff for ‘Black Widow’s Yelena Belova

    Ever since the announcement came that Marvel Studios is working Thunderbolts, it had many wondering what the team of villains and anti-heroes might consist of. Surprisingly, it seems that Deadline’s Justin Kroll has just dropped the news on Matthew Belloni’s The Town podcast, as he reveals it’ll act as a sort of spinoff for Black Widow‘s Yelena Belova, which means Florence Pugh may be at the forefront of the project. According to Kroll, she’ll also likely lead “Marvel’s Suicide Squad” and potentially hints at John Walker and Zemo returning in the film.

    [Florence Pugh] has got the Marvel superhero that’s already got a spin-off. Upcoming for her, actually, on that character is this Thunderbolts film, which is basically Marvel’s Suicide Squad. Hopefully, it has better results. But the concept is it’d be her leading the team of like Wyatt Russell’s [John Walker], Daniel Bruhl’s [Zemo], those anti-heroes that aren’t exactly good but aren’t exactly bad. So there’s that. And people seem to like the Yelena character.

    Justin Kroll

    Her role definitely raises some questions on what exactly this take of the Thunderbolts will look like. Florence Pugh is continuing to rise in her stardom so it seems like Marvel Studios is definitely not going to waste this opportunity to make her a strong focus on the MCU. There’s an interesting aspect that highlights her importance and potentially why she was part of the first film entry to kick off this new Multiverse Saga. We’ll see how this potentially will come together once more details on the film are revealed.

    Source: The Town via The Direct

  • Disney+ Teases Potential X-Men-Related Announcement for Disney+ Day

    Disney+ Teases Potential X-Men-Related Announcement for Disney+ Day

    There have been many theories about what we can expect from the upcoming Disney+ Day. Last year, we got a few announcements alongside official logo reveals. The big question for many is how much they’ll really show if D23 is right after but they might still use the chance to tease some Disney+ projects or even reveal some fun trailers. Plus, we’ll also get some new additions to the service to celebrate the occasion. Now, the official Twitter account is also seemingly teasing something X-Men related for the day.

    The interesting thing is that they’ve made a few day countdown posts, but this time around they highlighted the hashtag. The inclusion of Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine is definitely a curious choice but very unlikely is hinting at anything related to the 20th Century Fox era but there’s a chance we might get a teaser of some kind of the 90s animated series continuation X-Men ’97.

    Of course, to temper expectations, there’s simply a chance they are promoting the fact that they have all the 20th Century films on the platform. Disney+ has advertised itself as the “Home of Marvel” and is definitely living up to that name. Perhaps they’ll finally add X-Men: Evolution to the platform, which was a great animated series based on popular animated characters. We still have a week to wait until we find out what exactly they might be teasing or if it’s actually anything, but there’s a lot of fun to have to speculate ahead of such a big event from Disney.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Star Teases His Character is “Really Important” to the DCEU’s Future

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Star Teases His Character is “Really Important” to the DCEU’s Future

    There’s been some confusion on what the future has in store for the DC Extended Universe. The newly established Warner Bros. Discovery is leaving some rather harsh scars on its own production side with various projects being outright canceled or even taken down. Still, there are a few projects that might make it out, such as Xolo Maridueña‘s upcoming Blue Beetle film. In a recent interview, the actor revealed that he was told how important Blue Beetle, whose secret identity is Jaime Reyes, will be for the DC Extended Universe.

    He shared his experience after having a Zoom call with DC and what it was like getting another interview. “Why do these guys want to meet? What’s happening? I was so nervous. There’s so much riding on what they think about me.” He goes on to highlight what Walter Hamada, the president of DC Studios, told him about his character, as a way to also calm him down “Look Xolo. This role of Blue Beetle is going to be really important to this universe. We want to just make sure that whoever we go with is a real person and we’re not just hiring a face. It’s about more than what’s in front of the camera.”

    It definitely sounds like Maridueña was chosen for that very reason, as he’ll bring a certain humanity to the role and the universe. Similar to how Spider-Man commonly becomes that human anchor for the Marvel universe. Luckily, it seems that the project is still moving forward as Warner Bros. Discovery still believes in the project. It’s unclear if Reyes’ role in the DCEU will also remain the same as they rewrite the next ten years for the franchise but it would be a shame not to make use of it.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Star Was Consulted on ‘Captain America: New World Order’s Director

    ‘She-Hulk’ Star Was Consulted on ‘Captain America: New World Order’s Director

    There’s been a lot of excitement surrounding the many new project heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many were also anxiously waiting for an update on the long-rumored Captain America sequel. Back in July, we learned that Julius Onah would tackle the job as director for the film which would get the subtitle New World Order during San Diego Comic-Con. As it turns out one of She-Hulks‘ stars may have had a hand in helping get him the job.

    As it turns out, it seems that Marvel Studio was consulting on the director’s abilities with Tim Roth, who co-starred in Luce by Julius Onah. In an interview, it turns out that he’s only found out about his former director’s new job in the Marvel family and was quite excited for this new opportunity for him.

    Okay, let me tell you this. Julius is incredible. He’s an extraordinary human being and the story that we told… Again, it was my second time working with Naomi Watts, too. I love her. She’s one of the funniest humans you’ll ever meet, but Julius is extraordinary and I didn’t know that he was doing that. They came to me to ask me about him. And I wrote letters and stuff. I’m so glad if… You know what? They’re in safe hands. I’m so pleased, I didn’t know. You just told me, I didn’t know

    Tim Roth

    It’s great to see that Marvel Studios also consults with the many actors they’ve worked with and their history with various directors. Onah is an exciting addition as he’ll bring something new to the franchise that is generally going through chance with its new lead in Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson. It’ll be interesting to see how they explore the character’s new position in the world and continue where Falcon and the Winter Soldier left us off.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • New Line Cinema Teases the Return of ‘Friday the 13th’

    New Line Cinema Teases the Return of ‘Friday the 13th’

    In an age of legacy sequels and classic franchises getting a second chance, it always feels like a question of time before a franchise gets another reboot of some kind. Scream just recently managed to offer a new look at the iconic slasher Ghostface with a returning cast from the originals continuing the storyline. Now, it seems that New Line Cinema is teasing the return of another iconic horror icon.

    IN a rather simple Instagram post, New Line Cinema has posted what looks like a phone notification hinting at Jason Voorhees, the iconic slasher lead of the Friday the 13th franchise, sending a message through Instagram. It’s difficult to not take this as a tease that a sequel of some kind is in development. There’s been quite a few rumors that something was in development, even Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes working on a potential reboot of Friday the 13th after being involved with the 2009 remake.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch-SvR9pRnY/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

    Until now, the last time we saw Jason in action was in the 2009 version, which was directed by Marcus Nispel. What was actually quite a great new take on the franchise sadly didn’t quite make the splash many hoped it would at the box office and never got a sequel. Simply titled Friday the 13th, it was a perfect jumping-off for a new franchise but it never moved forward.

    Ironically, the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street faced a similar issue of reviving the cult classic but not getting the same critical reception. It also didn’t manage to continue the franchise but a potential successful remake of Friday the 13th could also see a new attempt to bring back Freddy Krueger as well. Considering Chucky got a second life with direct-to-DVD sequels and a TV series, horror is in a good place right now

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Loses Showrunner, Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Veteran for Season 2

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Loses Showrunner, Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Veteran for Season 2

    Here’s a shocking twist but the currently biggest show on television and streaming, House of the Dragon, has just lost one of its showrunners. Director Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down from the project. It seems the reason is mostly due to investing three years into the prequel series but it seems Ryan Condal will remain as the series’ now-sole showrunner moving forward. George R.R. Martin is still actively involved as a consultant.

    Sapochnik has shared the following statement on his departure:

    Working within the Thrones universe for the past few years has been an honor and a privilege, especially spending the last two with the amazing cast and crew of House of the Dragon. I am so proud of what we accomplished with season 1 and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally. As I do so, though, I am deeply comforted to know that Alan will be joining the series. He’s someone I’ve known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands. I am so glad to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team success and all the best with season 2 and beyond.

    Miguel Sapochnik

    Not all is grey, as Sapochnik has a first-look deal with HBO and will be developing other projects. He also still has an executive producer role on House of the Dragon. It also seems like they have added a new director for the upcoming second season, as Game of Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, will also join in with an additional executive producer role. He is set to tackle multiple episodes in the second season, but there’s no definite statement.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Regan Aliyah Joins Marvel Studios ‘Ironheart’ Disney+ Series

    Regan Aliyah Joins Marvel Studios ‘Ironheart’ Disney+ Series

    While Ironheart has been in production for some time, it looks like their casting announcements aren’t taking a break anytime soon. Deadline has just reported that XO‘s Regan Aliyah has joined the upcoming Disney+ series in an unknown role. There’s no word how big her role might be, but she’s joining a stacked cast that includes Dominique Thorne as Riri Wiliams, Alden Ehrenreich, Anthony Ramos, and many more.

    The series is shaping up to be one of the MCU’s most interesting, especially with recent reveals adding a few curious questions on how it connects to the wider MCU storyline. Leaks seemingly hint at her iconic armor being showcased in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever while set photos hinted at her still working on one during the Disney+ series as it has a much bulkier design in comparison.

    There have been theories that perhaps this show acts as a prequel leading into the event of the upcoming film, which would be a first. WandaVision was released ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness so it would connect to the series. Yet, this would be the first case that a series explores a character’s story before they joined the silver screen. Of course, we don’t know yet and can only theorize but it’ll be interesting to see once we get a first look at the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Paid a “Heavy Price” for the 90s X-Men Theme Song

    Marvel Studios Paid a “Heavy Price” for the 90s X-Men Theme Song

    The X-Men finally returned home when Disney purchased 20th Century Fox and while their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut is still some time away, we will still get the revival series for the 90s X-Men: The Animated Series titled X-Men ’97. Marvel Studios has used the iconic theme in some places to tease the eventual growing return of the mutants, but it seems getting their hands on it wasn’t so easy.

    As revealed during a panel at Pennsylvania’s Steel City Convention, consultant Eric Lewald hinted that they paid a “heavy price” to get the rights back to that iconic theme song. To use it for the upcoming X-Men revival series and in the MCU, they had to negotiate with a second person holding the rights according to Lewald, who stated that:

    “[The X-Men: The Animated Series theme song] wasn’t a done deal necessarily when they were producing the new show. The rights were all over the place. I think a secondary person had the rights to the music, so it was a negotiation for them. Obviously, you can’t do the new show without that song. But the guy selling it knew the same thing, so I’m sure it was a heavy price.

    Eric Lewald

    It’s no wonder that they’ve decided to use it as often as they could. While some made statements that it was for nostalgia bait reasons, it not only offers a memorable cue to connect any mutant joining the franchise but you’d also want to make use of something you paid quite a bit for.

    Source: ComicBook.com