Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber to Direct Live-Action ‘Voltron’ Movie

    ‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber to Direct Live-Action ‘Voltron’ Movie

    Voltron will make its way to live-action as a bidding war has sparked over who has the distribution rights to a new live-action feature. Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber is set to tackle the project as multiple streamers are in talks to get their hands on the project. The series has picked up in popularity since the release of the animated series Voltron: Legendary Defender. Surprisingly though, Netflix is currently not in the running, which is surprising given they distributed the animated series and have been on a hot streak with Anime adaptations.

    It seems that around two weeks ago, the film was pitched with a teaser reel by Thurber. He also co-wrote the script with Ellen Shanman. Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman are currently attached to produce alongside World Events Productions’ Bob Koplan, who currently hold the rights to the property. If the current rumors are to be believed, it may find a home by the end of the week.

    The popular animated series started back in 1984 with a simple concept. What happens if multiple lion bots fused together to become a giant robot. It originally was created by Toi Animation and has gone through many different iterations throughout the years including Lion Force Voltron, Vehicle Team Voltron, Voltron Force, and many more.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Moon Knight’s Mohamed Diab Shares His Thoughts on ‘Wonder Woman 1984’s Portrayal of Egypt

    ‘Moon Knight’s Mohamed Diab Shares His Thoughts on ‘Wonder Woman 1984’s Portrayal of Egypt

    The Egyptian director Mohamed Diab has been quite vocal in his thoughts about how other productions have depicted his home country. While he’s about to make his Hollywood premiere with the Disney+ series Moon Knight, he has been openly discussing his thoughts on other projects during the press tour. He first shared his thoughts on Black Adam‘s and now has gone on to share his thoughts on the sequence in another DC project, Wonder Woman 1984. The director had the following to say on how his country is portrayed in the film:

    I remember seeing Wonder Woman 1984 and there was a big sequence in Egypt and it was a disgrace for us. You had a sheik – that doesn’t make any sense to us. Egypt looked like a country from the Middle Ages. It looked like the desert.

    Mohamed Diab

    When the film was released, there was already quite a stir regarding the racist depiction of Egypt. Not only did it seem to mostly focus on stereotypical takes on the people from that nation, but even went as far as to portray the 80s version of Egypt in a questionable way. It makes sense for the director to share that sentiment, which has sparked quite the controversy quite some time ago.

    Source: SFX via CBR, National News

  • Den Den Murphy Episode 14 – Luffy’s Awakening & Live-Action Tease (w/ Fezz’s Nerdy Life)

    Den Den Murphy Episode 14 – Luffy’s Awakening & Live-Action Tease (w/ Fezz’s Nerdy Life)

    Suki and Joe have a special guest, as @FezzsNerdyLife joins them during break week to not only discuss what in the world is happening to Luffy, but also what the current tease for the live-action series might be hinting at.

  • First Look at Nicolas Cage as Dracula on ‘Renfield’ Set

    First Look at Nicolas Cage as Dracula on ‘Renfield’ Set

    Today is the day for set photo leaks, as right after a first look dropped for the live-action One Piece series, we now also got our first look at the upcoming Universal Monsters reimagination of Dracula titled Renfield. The story will focus on Dracula’s long-time assistant as he has a bit of a falling out with his former lord. Nicholas Cage was cast as Dracula, and People magazine got its hands on a first look at the film take on the iconic vampire.

    Image
    Image

    His design looks great, especially the whitened skin and you can clearly see he has some sharp nails. The red felt suit is a nice touch, as it feels like a modernized take of his outfit from Gary Oldman‘s taken the character. We know the series takes place in the modern-day, and it’s uncertain how big his role might be in the film. The blue lips are a fun addition to his design to highlight that he’s definitely a walking corpse.

    The casting of Nic Cage is still a perfect choice for a comedic take on classic vampire stories. He always brings energy to his projects that make him stand out no matter what. With the right director, he’ll definitely give a great performance, and the look is definitely promising a great role in Cage‘s future.

    Source: People

  • Latest Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Garp’s Ship

    Latest Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Garp’s Ship

    One Piece is the series that keeps on giving, as more set photos have leaked online. This time around, we get a good look at another new ship under construction. While only parts of the ship are finished, the figurehead is quite telling on what they are working on. While we only see half, you can clearly recognize the dog’s ears and nose. Plus, we also get the spiked collar as part of its design. The only part that is unsure if it makes it into live-action would be the bone the dog head is holding in its mouth. The images come courtesy of @OP_Netflix_Fan.

    The biggest aspect of this reveal is that it further solidifies that the cover stories from the East Blue, most notably the one involving Helmeppo and Coby, are going to be part of the upcoming series. The upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece will likely take liberties with how it approaches the original story. They may try to connect some story points to the overarching narrative, as they will adapt it to Western storytelling in some regards.

    Garp’s casting did make some waves in the community, as he is a character that doesn’t have a real role in the East Blue Saga. Plus, he doesn’t become that relevant to the story of One Piece until the Post-Enies Lobby arc, where his identity and connection to Luffy are revealed. It’ll be interesting to see if they will hint at it, or be a bit more straightforward with his role in the story. The inclusion of his ship does hint that there are definitely are some plans.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’ Delayed to Spring 2023

    ‘Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’ Delayed to Spring 2023

    As excited as we were for the upcoming releases of DC’s new slate of games, they have been hit with delays quite a bit. Gotham Knight‘s and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League were first showcased during DC FanDome back in 2020. While it seems that the former will finally release sometime later this year, sadly the next Rocksteady game has been pushed back once again until Spring 2023. The game’s director Sefton Hill, who worked on the Batman Arkham games, took to Twitter to confirm the delay.

    Delays have become commonplace throughout the industry at this point, as many are facing the troubles of working from home with limited resources. Rocksteady’s last release was back in 2016 with Batman: Arkham Knight. While we did get a VR game a year later, Suicide Squad is their biggest release in quite some time. It’s great that Warner Bros. gives them the time to work on it, but it also makes sense given the massive success that their ventures into the Arkhamverse have been.

    Gotham Knights, created by Warner Bros. Montréal, will be the successor to that series that mainly keeps quite a few of the iconic mechanics. Sadly, it seems like a direct continuation of the Arkham games won’t be happening anytime soon. Luckily, Suicide Squad does take place in the same universe. So, we’ll see if it may even set up something moving forward. The most interesting connection lies in that Arkham Origins set up a Suicide Squad storyline, but Deathstroke is noticeably absent in the roster. We’ll see how it may end up fitting into the storyline.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Netflix’s Live-action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Budget on Par with ‘The Mandalorian’

    RUMOR: Netflix’s Live-action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Budget on Par with ‘The Mandalorian’

    Netflix has been all-in with their upcoming live-action adaptation wave. We recently learned that their One Piece series will be the streamer’s biggest production “in scope and budget” as it continues production in South Africa. If a new rumor is to believe, their other major IP adaptation, Avatar: The Last Airbender, has also quite the budget behind it and continues a trend for Netflix’s dedication to their upcoming high profile adaptations.

    According to Avatar News, the upcoming series will have a budget of $15M+ per episode. As the first season is set to run with around eight episodes, that would put it at around $120M+ total budget. They can’t share an exact number, but it would definitely put it on par with shows like The Mandalorian, which had around $100M for its eight-episode season. Though it eyeing beyond $120M, it’ll likely be closer to the budgets that Marvel Studios gives its Disney+ productions.

    We still don’t know the exact budget for One Piece, but it’s also been speculated to be on a similar level. It was certainly higher than the one planned for Cowboy Bebop, which sadly ended up getting canceled. Netflix seems quite dedicated to these series and is planning high-budgets going in to build up a future season investment. Avatar: The Last Airbender is an extremely popular series and it makes sense they’d see the potential building upon the already existing fanbase. We’ll see if we get some teases from the ongoing production that hints at how they are tackling the adaptation moving forward.

    Source: Avatar News, Business Insider

  • Tom Hiddleston’s German Voice Actor Working on an Upcoming Marvel Movie

    Tom Hiddleston’s German Voice Actor Working on an Upcoming Marvel Movie

    Marvel Studios is a worldwide phenomenon and has been translated into many different languages. Sometimes, the dub actors also end up teasing some upcoming projects, such as the current case with Peter Lontzek, who is known for voicing Tom Hiddleston throughout his Marvel journey. While referencing he recently worked on the Loki series, he also ends the short interview with another German voice actor by confirming that he is currently working on a secret Marvel film. He doesn’t give away any details, but the translation is as follows:

    There is a new Marvel film that I am currently working on that I am not allowed to talk about.

    Peter Lontzek
    https://www.tiktok.com/@svenplatesynchron/video/7074233957042162949?_t=8QrbEYTtS33&_r=1

    He confirms that whatever project it is, he is currently working on it, which does help pin down what film he is talking about. July will see the release of Thor: Love and Thunder but given the storyline of the Disney+ series, it seems more likely that the secret project he is working on is the film that’s eyeing a release in a little over a month. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems like the most logical option, especially with rumors making the rounds early on that he might make an appearance in the project.

    It would be fun to see the TVA confront Strange, as he keeps getting captured by different multiverse-based organizations as a running gag throughout. It would also open the possibility of Kang the Conqueror making his appearance in the project. Perhaps, the events of this film will lead into the second season of the TVA-focused Disney+ series. The confirmation of him working on a project does add some excitement on what the future might have in store for the God of Mischief.

    Source: TikTok

  • ‘The Flash’, ‘Superman and Lois’, ‘Riverdale’ and More Get Renewal by CW

    ‘The Flash’, ‘Superman and Lois’, ‘Riverdale’ and More Get Renewal by CW

    The CW has always been known for renewing its scripted programs early. While we didn’t get the usual January confirmation, as the current climate things have changed a bit and it seemed like it may not be the one to lead the charge. Luckily, it looks like that tradition continues as the broadcast has renewed not one but seven of its scripted series. Deadline has revealed that they’ve given a new season order to their two DC series The Flash, as well as Superman and Lois. The ever-chaotic Riverdale is also set to make a return alongside All American, Nancy Drew, Kung Fu, and Walker.

    While the early renewals are a good sign, there have generally been discussions for the CW’s future. Nexstar, an affiliate group, is potentially eyeing the broadcast network and a new majority owner would change the renewal process as well as how streaming rights help boost its revenue stream. There are also quite a few series still on the bubble missing a renewal, such as the newly released Naomi, Legends of Tomorrow, Charmed, Batwoman, and more.

    The Flash is entering its ninth season and is now the longest-running series beating out Arrow which ended on its eighth. There’s no word if this might be the final season, or they might want to go for a nice round 10 seasons to end its run. Superman and Lois will return for its third season. Riverdale will join with its seventh season, but also uncertain if it’ll continue afterward. The biggest surprise with Nancy Drew, which was on the bubble even with a spinoff on the horizon.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Finds New Streaming Home on HBO Max Instead of Disney+

    ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Finds New Streaming Home on HBO Max Instead of Disney+

    Disney+ has become the home of all Marvel projects. While the Sony Spider-Man films are still noticeably absent, especially those that take place in the MCU, the service has recently been able to add the missing Netflix series. Yet, there is still one MCU-specific film that refuses to make its return home in the form of The Incredible Hulk.

    Decider has shared a list of projects heading to HBO and HBO Max in April. What stuck out is the Edward Norton-led film is included in the list. It’s uncertain if the film will finally make its move to join Disney+ anytime soon, as the production was originally distributed by Universal. They also seemingly owned the rights to the character for some time, but it’s unsure if Disney+ has actively been making deals behind the scenes to get the rights back to the film.

    For now, it seems that we’ll still have to wait to have the full MCU represented on the “Home of Marvel” according to the recent update. It does seem like Marvel Studios plans is to bring all projects that have the Marvel brand to the service at some point, especially with that Sony deal some time ago that still hasn’t born any fruit so far. Spider-Man is heading to the service at some point, but it’s uncertain just how long the wait will be.

    If The Incredible Hulk is getting added to HBO Max, it would indicate that some kind of deal was made with Universal. 20th Century films are still premiering on WarnerMedia’s service before they fully move over to Disney+ with the rights now belonging to the House of Mouse. We’ll see how exactly this unfolds and if the MCU will truly be united at some point.

    Source: Decider