Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Amandla Stenberg Confirmed for Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Amandla Stenberg Confirmed for Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    It’s sometimes crazy to think how long it takes for official announcements to make their way online after we first hear about a story. After first being hinted at back in December, there was a story about actress Amandla Stenberg joining the upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte. While things were quiet on the project, just as San Diego Comic-Con is making the rounds, Star Wars and Lucasfilm have confirmed her casting for the project.

    They don’t reveal any details, however, as we still don’t know what the exact story is about and what role she might be taking on in the Disney+ series. There have been a few rumors hinting that it’ll be a sith-based storyline; exciting for many wishing thee dark side of the Force getting a bit more attention.

    UPDATING

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Nope’ Kicks Off Strong With $6.4M in Thursday Previews, Jordan Peele’s Second Best

    ‘Nope’ Kicks Off Strong With $6.4M in Thursday Previews, Jordan Peele’s Second Best

    Yup, you read that right. Jordan Peele‘s latest film, simply titled Nope, has opened to a strong $6.4M in Thursday previews to kick off its summer box office run. There’s been a lot of mystery surrounding what may be Peele’s biggest budget title yet. Even during the pandemic, horror titles have done quite well and especially when it came to racking in quite a bit over their theatrical run.

    As of now, the predictions have its release somewhere between $45M and $60M if it manages to pick up the pace over the weekend. Expectations at the moment with that Thursday preview opening have it leaning towards the higher opening. It’s the third release for Peele and cost him quite a bit more from his previous sentries. Get Out had a $4.5M budget before Us was made for $20M. Nope, on the other hand, has a production budget of $68M.

    The $6.4M Thursday opening was lower than that of Us, which took in $7.4M and went on to pull in around $71.1M. Of course, there’s a chance the pandemic had some influence and critics weren’t raving about this entry as they did with previous ones. Nope also had some of the most obscure marketing we’ve seen from any summer blockbuster production, which may also have played a factor in people being uncertain. For now, we’ll have to see if the film’s opening may potentially still succeed expectations.

    Source: Variety

  • Disney+ in Early Negotiations for BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney+ in Early Negotiations for BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney has been growing smart in their Disney+ streaming venture. While they’ve become a bit reliant on their biggest IPs, Marvel and Star Wars, they have been slowly learning their lessons as they add more years in the streaming game. After not only expanding beyond the family-friendly approach as of late, they are also looking to stream big IPs from other ventures. Such as the reveal by Bloomberg that they are currently in negotiations with BBC.

    It seems that talks are in an early stage, but Disney is interested in acquiring the global rights to exclusively stream BBC’s flagship program, Doctor Who. One of the longest live-action series, which started back in 1963, has become a staple of science-fiction drama. The timing is also perfect, as the series is about to enter its next area with Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa set to take over as the next form of the Doctor. They would also broadcast the upcoming new season alongside BBC.

    As the deal is still in its early stages, it’s unclear if it’ll actually come together but it does highlight that the studio is slowly learning that they can’t purely rely on their own IP. While they have the biggest selection, especially after the purchase of 20th Century Fox and its subdivisions, there’s still a limitation to growing your core audience with a limited offering. There’s no detail if they’ll acquire every season of the show, but it would seem like that is their aim.

    Plus, they don’t have to produce everything, and having 50+ years of TV history to offer will definitely be something long-time fans will be looking forward to. Some international markets have Doctor Who through Netflix but only a limited amount of seasons are available. So, having one place to watch them all means people have some binging ahead of them.

    Source: Bloomberg

  • New ‘Fall Guys’ Leak Offers First Look at ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Crossover Map

    New ‘Fall Guys’ Leak Offers First Look at ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Crossover Map

    Fall Guys has recently found its way to consoles as free-to-play, which gave many the opportunity to check out what the insanity is just all about. With its loveable bean-like characters, we get a chance to join many other players in a unique take on the popular trend of battle royale games. Part Wipeout and Takeshi’s Castle, it has stood out for just the sheer amount of chaos each game comes with.

    Now, it seems that they have a crossover heading our way, as Fall Guys‘ leaker, Pancake, leaked an entire level that is part of this cooperation. The level will be titled Bean Hill Zone as a cute word play on the iconic Green Hill Zone, the level offers the usual Fall Guys insanity with some Sonic-inspired flair. The iconic bumpers are here and you’ll have a lot of fun jumping around on theem.

    The design looks great and coin collecting is a fitting combination for a Sonic the Hedgehog tie-in. We don’t know if we might see some more get added as well, but if this is a recurring map it’ll definitely make for a fun map people will look forward to. The game has certainly been an adventure for many who just want some fun and insanity. If you’re a Sonic the Hedgehog fan and enjoy Fall Guys, be sure to keep an eye out for it.

    Source: YouTube

  • Latest ‘Ms. Marvel’ Concept Art Reveals a Cut Sequence, Teases a Noor Temple

    Latest ‘Ms. Marvel’ Concept Art Reveals a Cut Sequence, Teases a Noor Temple

    Ms. Marvel has hinted throughout its entire season about a new dimension that is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Similar to how Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings revealed that a small pocket universe houses a bunch of mythological beings of Chinese mythology. The Disney+ show teased that there exists a crystalline world simply called the Noor Dimension. We only get a brief tease and a small gateway that comes with a heavy price.

    Yet, a new piece of artwork seemingly teases what the Noor Dimension might’ve looked like. While not confirmed, the crystalline and purple designs do seemingly hint at what may have been the dimension or a gateway into that world. Artist Emmanuel Shiu shares some beautiful art pieces that even hint at Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel herself, finding her way into this temple.

    https://twitter.com/emanshiu/status/1550171137790775296

    It really is a shame that they skipped this sequence, especially with how visually stunning it looks. Plus, if there was one thing the series sadly didn’t focus on enough, it would be the Noor Dimension and the Clandestine. While interesting early on, they rushed through their story and ended up getting sidelined by the end.

    There’s a chance that Kamran, and the still unexplained awakening of his abilities, could potentially lead to whatever the future has in store. They have seemingly set up their future exploration, especially with the surprising union between him and Red Daggers. Given their purpose, it could open up a lot of possibilities in exploring how it all connects.

    Source: Twitter

  • SDCC: Jim Lee Once Again Confirms There Are No Future Plans to Expand ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    SDCC: Jim Lee Once Again Confirms There Are No Future Plans to Expand ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    San Diego Comic-Con becomes an opportunity for fans to interact with the people they look up to. It also gives us insight into the future plans of DC Comics, Warne Bros., Marvel Studios, and more. During a panel featuring DC’s Jim Lee, a fan got the chance to ask bout the future of the infamous Snyderverse that many fans hoped would form after HBO Max’s release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Lee had the following to say:

    I work on the projects that are in development, right? So, I think the Snyder Cut was Zack’s vision realized and it was a really satisfying story told but there are no plans for additional work on that material.

    Jim Lee

    He did highlight that he was happy to support Zack Snyder‘s pitch for future entries that were showcased in an exclusive exhibit. So, for those that were hoping that Warner Bros. was secretly working on a Snyderverse sequel of some kind. His original vision for a potential trilogy will remain as a dream, and perhaps he’ll get a chance to release it in the form of a comic or book.

    The thing that is worth noting is that the Snyderverse movement has been put under scrutiny due to bot usage to further spread its message. While many are discussing just what the data provided truly means, there’s a lot we don’t fully know bout the story. Perhaps it’ll find its way online at some point in the future, but for now the HBO Max special will remain as something special.

    Source: Twitter

  • SDCC: First Look at Harvey Keitel’s Return to the ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

    SDCC: First Look at Harvey Keitel’s Return to the ‘National Treasure’ Franchise

    There’s been quite some excitement about what the future has in store with Disney+’s National Treasure spinoff. Many were sad that Nicolas Cage was not set to return in the series that has the subtitle Edge of History, but with a new generation of world adventurers looking for lost treasure, there’s always the chance they run across some familiar faces.

    As it turns out, the San Diego Comic-Con panel for National Treasure has unveiled that Harvey Keitel will return to the franchise. That is not all, as Twitter user @DAPs_Magic has shared a screenshot from the panel that offers our first look at the actor returning to the franchise after all these years.

    It’ll be interesting if they are starting to build up more cameos in future seasons. Cage is still the top choice to make a return and Keitel isn’t the only franchisee veteran to make a return, as Justin Bartha is also going to make his return from the original franchise. Disney+ has become focused on expanding its IP offerings beyond just Marvel and Star Wars, which still dominate its discourse. So, it’ll be interesting to see what surprises they might have in store for us.

    Source: Twitter, SDCC

  • Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Actor Shares BTS Image Teasing Shank’s Costume

    Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Actor Shares BTS Image Teasing Shank’s Costume

    We haven’t heard much from the upcoming live-action One Piece series in some time. While there was a recent quote from Netflix stating that it’s among their potential next generation of Stranger things-level franchises, things have gone quiet. We still don’t know how long production will continue, but with One Piece Day on the horizon, we may get some exciting new updates.

    Luckily, it seems that actor Peter Gadiot had some fun teasing us with an image of him in his costume as Shanks. The only twist is that he’s kept his look hidden with shadows on a beach. So, we don’t actually get to see what he looks like but @piece_live was nice enough to save the photo before it disappeared from his stories, which is our first true tease of what he may look like so far.

    https://twitter.com/piece_live/status/1550090655115972609

    Ironically, One Piece‘s creator has a habit of hiding characteer reveals with the help of shadows. So, it’s actually quite true to the original manga and does build up some excitemeent if we might get a reveal during One Piece Day. Though, it does seem unlikely as we’re still waiting for some more casting news regarding a few key missing characteres.

    Gadiot was one of the biggest reveals during One Piece‘s first ever direct on the future of thee franchise. The Netflix series has a lot of potential and with Tudum on the horizon, who knows what elsee we might see very soon. The timing is also perfect with rumors of Shank’s return to th emanga very soon.

    Source: Instagram via Twitter

  • SDCC: ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Directors Wanted to Stay True to the Original Game

    SDCC: ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Directors Wanted to Stay True to the Original Game

    After a long wait, we finally got a first look at the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film. With a surprisingly stacked cast, we take a look at the long-running fantasy world through the lens of the silver screen. While it’s not the first time that an adaptation was tackled, this may be the biggest budget one has ever received.

    Still, directing duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to reassure long-time players that this film still remains true to what the original games were all about. They highlighted how they tackled the story and to keep that feeling alive that you get with any other DnD round.

    D&D is not just a game… it’s about the feeling when playing the game and that’s what we tried to bring to the film.

    John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein

    The pen and paper game has gone through many iterations throughout the years, even being accused of summoning demons back in the 80s. Stranger Things gave it a new life as a main part of the game and even how they name the creatures from the Upside-Down throughout. It’ll be interesting to see how a movie adaptation could bring that feeling to life. They did highlight during the panel that they’ve worked closely to ensure their lore also remains true.

    It opens up the possibility that we may see a game master potentially voicing over their adventures. It could add some fun elements to twist up whatever they have planned. It’s uncertain if it’s a straightforward fantasy adventure or perhaps could even take a LEGO Movie direction midway through. For now, we’ll have to wait until it releases on March 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Black Adam’ May Set Up Multiple Justice Society of America Spinoffs

    ‘Black Adam’ May Set Up Multiple Justice Society of America Spinoffs

    Black Adam‘s upcoming film is going to do more than just change the power dynamic within the DC Extended Universe. Not only will Dwayne Johnson introduce us to the anti-villain counterpart of Shazam but also the Justice Society of America. Now, it was uncertain if they may have had some future plans in store for these characters, and luckily Dwayne Johnson wasted no time teasing what the future has in store.

    In an interview with Den of Geek, the Black Adam actor has revealed that their plan was always to honor the mythology of the characters from the comics while building up their stories, which may potentially expand into movies TV shows or anything else they might.

    The whole goal was that our film was going to set off a larger universe, where we were able to introduce the JSA and then also build from there. If audiences respond to these characters—which we believed that they would, and now we see that they do—we want to honor their mythologies and build out their stories on their own in terms of spin-offs, movies, TV shows, and things like that. That was always important.

    Dwayne Johnson

    It’s not too uncommon for projects nowadays to set up spinoffs and it’s interesting that they’ve already had it in mind when tackling the JSA. They don’t specify what direction they might take, especially as they won’t want to give away whatever may happen to the various members. So, we’ll have to wait a little longer until we find out what they have planned.

    Source: Den of Geek