Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Sequel Eyeing a Production Start Later This Year

    ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Sequel Eyeing a Production Start Later This Year

    Godzilla vs. Kong was the film to revive the box office after the pandemic kept the entire industry on its toes. At the same time, it even managed to revive the franchise that was facing a bit of a downward spiral in its box office performance. Luckily, its success not only led to Adam Wingard getting signed on for the next MonsterVerse entry but also led to Apple TV+ getting its hands on a spinoff series. After a long bout of silence, it looks like the sequel film is finally picking up the pace.

    It is currently eyeing a production start later this year and will return to Australia. Gold Coast and Southeast Queensland will once again become the home for the latest MonsterVerse film, making it the third time. It’ll receive $11.8M through the federal government with an additional $4.66M subsidy being offered through the state screen agency. Producer Eric McLeod had the following to say:

    The highly skilled crews, first-rate facilities, and unique locations make filming in Australia a great experience. The support from both the federal government as well as Queensland has always been critical to our success in achieving a high level of filmmaking and an unparalleled audience experience.

    Eric McLeod

    It’s crazy that we haven’t heard anything about the project in some time, and now it’s already eyeing a productions tart. We have no real idea what the future has in store for the franchise, but there have been hints that it may explore a storyline focusing on the aftermath for Kong rather than Godzilla, who kickstarted the franchise. It’s also strange they aren’t building up multiple entries, as there is a surprising amount of silence on the project. So, we’ll see if this announcement builds up to a potential reveal on its title and direction.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • ‘The Addams Family’ Veteran Christina Ricci Joins Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Series

    ‘The Addams Family’ Veteran Christina Ricci Joins Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Series

    The Addams Family is about to get a make-over with a new Netflix series that aims to reinvent the cooky family as part of a new murder mystery series focused on Wednesday Addams. Not only that, but it seems that the series has added Christina Ricci, who famously played the character in Barry Sonenfeld’s 1990 version of The Addams Family, has joined the series. Her role remains tightly under wraps, but she won’t be an older version of the character but rather a new one. She’ll join Jenna Ortega, who is taking on the titular role of the newest addition to Nevermore Academy. Catherine Zeta-Jones has already been cast as Morticia Addams and Luis Guzán is taking on the role of Gomez.

    The addition of a series veteran is a great touch, especially with how Ricci defined our modern understanding of the character. Her wanting to also join the project is a sign that it’s acting like a passing of the torch between the generations of actors that brought the character to life. When the series was first announced, there was actually a fan petition for her to take on the role before Ortega was cast. The actress has been busy, she joined Showtime’s Yellowjackets and also appeared in The Matrix: Resurrections.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘One Piece’ Twitter Teasing a Potential First Look at Netflix’s Live-Action Series for Next Week

    ‘One Piece’ Twitter Teasing a Potential First Look at Netflix’s Live-Action Series for Next Week

    The live-action adaptation of One Piece has started production some time ago after a long wait, but we’ve only gotten our real first look at the production through some leaked set photos. While we did get a first look at the Marines, the main cast has been hidden quite well so far. Many have been hoping to see what the cast would look like in their costumes, especially with how they’d tackle bringing their designs to live-action. Perhaps the latest tease by the official One Piece Twitter account may hint at some reveal heading our way.

    It first started off with a cryptic tweet stating “confidential” and the date of March 28th. While it didn’t say anything else on it, most speculated it might connect to the recent reveal from chapter 1043, as Luffy seemingly awakened his fruit to a new form. Speculation went wild on what exactly it might be, such as a potential figurine on Luffy’s new design or maybe something connected to it, as the date would match with the usual reveal.

    That all changed when a second tweet dropped. Not only did it confirm we are probably getting daily updates, as it is advertised as the second of six tweets, but also what it’s about. If you look closely, we have a picture of a real straw hat alongside what seems to be a part of some kind. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that the location shot is definitely from South Africa, where the series is currently filming.

    While we may only get brief glimpses as the rest of these tweets release, it seems like we might get our first look at the series or maybe even the cast in their costumes by March 28th. The timing seems fitting, as 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the series, and it would make sense to build up the production with a first look at the cast. It may also be the first “selling point” for many doubting the project and how faithful it might be to the original series. It’s unclear what exactly they might reveal, and it could also just be the first look at Iñaki Godoy‘s Luffy. Whatever it may end up being, it’s going to be fun to speculate as the week goes on.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Deadpool 3′ Will Be Marvel Studios’ First Non ‘Spider-Man’ Co-Production

    ‘Deadpool 3′ Will Be Marvel Studios’ First Non ‘Spider-Man’ Co-Production

    Here’s a surprising reveal, but it looks like Marvel Studios is starting to expand in new and interesting ways. Not only will Deadpool 3 be their first venture into R-rated fair, but they are also co-producing the film with Ryan Reynolds Maximum Effort Productions. It’s not their first time co-producing a film, as they also work alongside Sony to further expand their Spider-Man franchise. Still, this is a big step forward for Marvel Studios as they are no longer the main producer behind the project, and it’ll be interesting to see if others might also join them moving forward.

    Reynolds has taken a step back from his acting role to not only focus on some well-deserved family time but also further develop his footprint in the advertising and production world. He’s been actively involved in the development of Deadpool 3, which might also be the reason it might be the first to make that jump, especially as Maximum Effort was also involved with previous entries. We’ll see if Marvel Studios is also considering adding partners to other projects, as they continue to expand and may use the helping hand.

    If you’re wondering, the relationship with productions like The Incredible Hulk and the earlier days of the production before Disney purchased the company, Universal was a distributor but not a producer on the project. The same goes for projects like Iron Man, where Paramount Pictures was the distributor. So, while other companies were involved, they didn’t have an active production role to bring the project to life. That is why this is quite the move for Deadpool as an IP that fully belongs to Marvel Studios.

    Of course, the IP remains with Disney and Marvel Studios, but them opening up to others’ involvement may also showcase what they’ve learned from their time with Sony. The biggest benefit in this project is that Sony isn’t holding the IP of one of their biggest characters over their head, as that did briefly fall apart ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Luckily, they remained cooperative and ended up with one of the biggest releases of the entire pandemic. The future is going to be quite interesting from a creative and production side.

    Source: Forbes

  • Hall of Murphy: Episode 16 – ‘The Batman’ Review (w/ Hunter Radesi)

    Hall of Murphy: Episode 16 – ‘The Batman’ Review (w/ Hunter Radesi)

    John and Joe welcome Hunter to join them in talking all things The Batman, as they gush about Matt Reeves‘ new take on the Caped Crusader.

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Table Rework Adds New Missions and Supports New Players

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Table Rework Adds New Missions and Supports New Players

    It looks like we finally got a date for the next major update to Marvel’s Avengers. While it won’t include a new character, Crystal Dynamics has been hard at work trying to rebuild the game’s core mechanics to ensure the game flow is fully optimized. The next big step will be a rework of its war table, where players can choose their missions to play the game. The update patch 2.3 will arrive on March 24th and will see the grand return of Nick Fury to the Helicarrier. While it’s uncertain how exactly he made his way back, it looks like all will be clear next week. Still, here are some insights into the major changes.

    Let’s start off with Fury. He is now part of the Hellicarrier to guide players through the Avengers Initiative. He’ll replace JARVIS and Maria Hill’s narration in the beginning, in tutorial videos and missions. It’s mainly made for new players but old ones can catch up with him, but no details are given. It seems you can talk to him at the War Table to catch up. It would’ve been nice if there was an in-game reason for his arrival though given last we see him stuck in a time bubble.

    The general onboarding process has been updated. There are now multiple mission chains that help guide players on the Initiative. They took in the feedback that it’s a bit confusing. So, they are trying to ease in new players, especially given that the Marvel brand draws in players that might not have any experience with GaaS–was me included early on.

    They have changed the missions that are updated every 15 minutes. Now, Drop Zones and Threat sectors will always be available on the War Table. So, finding a new mission will be a much simpler affair moving forward. Yet, there will still be some mission types that are dependent on your power level. HIVES now only appear within specific regions, as each one also now comes with a suggested power level. That way, players will move on from one region to the next as they level up. They are as follows:

    • 1 – 25 Eastern Seaboard
    • 25 – 50 Pacific Northwest
    • 50 – 75 Utah Badlands
    • 75 – 100 Snowy Tundra
    • 100 – 125 Future Wastelands
    • 100 – 140 Wakanda

    Vaults are also no longer hidden if you don’t have access to the data necessary. It’s uncertain if the SHIELD bunkers will offer anything additional as a replacement moving forward. You’ll require a Daily Mission chain from the SHIELD terminal with Elite Vaults rotating weekly. Villain Sectors are also always visible on the War Table with them rotating daily. Elite Villain sectors also take on a weekly rotation.

    HARM Rooms also got a makeover, as the hero version has a base Power Level of 1. Now, the usual Challenges I to V are part of a rotation. So, they are part of the challenge mission chain but not visible once completed. Flashback Missions have also been rehauled, as they no longer end with a boss fight. Instead, they are now Wasteland and Wakanda Threat Sectors. Heroic Mission Chains (former Iconic Mission Chains) only appear when you’re playing the hero, it seems.

    The best part, we get some new missions: There’s a new Wasteland vault and we finally get the Taskmaster Villain Sector. It took him quite some time to show his face in the distant future after being taken down by a quick arrow. We’ll also get two new Drop Zones and a Threat Sector in the Future Wasteland. The only other location getting a new mission is a Threat Sector in the Snowy Tundry. Just happy that the wasteland is finally getting more than just two missions–not counting the second Maestro mission.

    The updates do sound quite promising even if new players might benefit the most from it. The core changes of the War Table highlight a new direction, as it streamlines a lot of the processes to get to missions. They have locked some specific missions like Mega Hives, the OLT, and Raid only until you unlock a specific level. So, you’ll be eased into the game a bit more. We’ll see if the same will be done with the gear, but this new direction does offer motivation to revisit the campaign again.

    Source: Play Avenger

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Adds Christopher Lloyd

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Adds Christopher Lloyd

    Star Wars franchise has just nabbed quite the veteran for the upcoming third season of The Mandalorian, as The Hollywood Reporter has just revealed Christopher Lloyd, famous for his roles in Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and so many other countless projects have joined the project. His role remains tightly under wraps, but he is meant as a guest star and won’t have a recurring role. It might be similar to The Terminator‘s Michael Biehn in the last season.

    The Mandalorian has truly become a special franchise as it continues to pull in quite a few veteran actors. Din Djarin’s story seems to resonate with quite a few, as well as the talent that is bringing their story to life. The series has already been in active development in California, and we just recently got a few set photos teasing the return of a fellow Mandalorian. So, we’ll see if the upcoming third season might manage to become even larger in size than the previous ones.

    Din Djarin’s story will pick up directly where it left off in The Book of Boba Fett. While it did seem rushed to have him and Grogu meet up again, especially in a spinoff story, it opens up a lot of opportunities and possible stories to explore in the next season. Grogu still has no control over his powers and may succumb to the dark side, or even teach Luke a lesson about the importance of allowing an emotional connection to make you stronger. Whatever it is, we’ll have to see once the third season drops on Disney+.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • First ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista

    First ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista

    It looks like we finally got a look at the returning Guardians from the set of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While we don’t see anything of the actual set, we do get a look at Pom Klementieff‘s return as Mantis and Dave Bautista‘s Drax. We don’t get a good look at Mantis’ design for the threequel, but it looks like Drax has finally accepted that he should wear a jacket. Of course, it could just be something he is wearing on his way to the set, but who knows what kind of trouble they are getting into that he’ll take the risk and put it on.

    https://twitter.com/guardiansupdate/status/1504923133584814080

    There have been a lot of hints that the Guardians as we know it will disband after the events of this film, especially with it being James Gunn swansong in the MCU before focusing more on his DC projects. We know very little about what the future has in store for this team, or even if any of these characters will exit the film alive. Bautista has also kind of hinted at his interest in moving on after the next film, even if he seemed to enjoy his time with Marvel. It’s not uncommon that some of the actors are open to leaving the franchise behind after enough time.

    There’s sadly not much to take away from these photos, but it’s great to know that production is still underway. Gunn has been cheekily sharing teases of Rick and Morty figurines showing up on his workspace. It almost seemed like he’s building up to something, but has been mostly just having fun sharing the fact that he’s still busy working on the film. He’s always been one of the more active users of Social media and we’ll see if he’ll share something from the set.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Ms. Marvel’ Merch Teases New Jersey Avengercon

    New ‘Ms. Marvel’ Merch Teases New Jersey Avengercon

    While we have gotten a few teases in the first Ms. Marvel trailer, merchandise has found its way online featuring a print that confirms the event all about Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It also seems to tease various events that visitors can try out during their visit like Hulk’s Rage Room, which are actually real things that you can visit–just without the Hulk branding. Of course, as it is Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel also gets highlighted as the “Cosmic Avenger.” The other posters also offer a better look at her new costume for the series, highlighting some doodles we saw from her active imagination in the trailer. The photos were found by @TimmyTakout.

    It’ll be interesting to see what other merchandise might find its way online, as something like Avengercon seems like the perfect idea to build creative merchandise around. It’s ironically not the first time such an event was used to introduce Ms. Marvel’s transformation into a superhero, as Marvel’s Avengers used a similar concept with A-Day. It’s funny to see two creative teams build a similar concept for their adaptation of the character.

    The first trailer has teased an exciting slice-of-life meets superhero series that’ll explore what it’s like to be a teenager wanting to become a hero. We still don’t know if any Avenger will make an appearance in the series, as you’d think one would appear during an event called Avengercon. Maybe they include some fun Easter eggs, like an actor that voices Iron Man or Captain America on an animated series to poke fun at the many Variants that are out there. We’ll see if the next trailer might offer a closer look at Avengercon.

    Source: Hot Topic via Twitter

  • Paul Dano Writing a New ‘The Batman’ Prequel Comic on Riddler

    Paul Dano Writing a New ‘The Batman’ Prequel Comic on Riddler

    The Batman finally released giving us a look at a superhero noir storyline, as Paul Dano‘s Riddler makes Bruce Wayne’s life a living hell. While we do learn quite a bit about the character, there’s a lot of history on how he created his elaborate traps and plans that we haven’t explored. Luckily, it seems that DC Comics had the same thought and revealed a new comic titled Riddler: Year One. Besides the cliché “YEar One” naming, what stands out is that the Riddler himself, Paul Dano, will be writing the storyline of the character he brought to life on the silver screen.

    The idea makes sense, and it seems very unlikely we’d get a spinoff series on HBO Max focused on the Riddler. So, it’s a great way to further explore his character and maybe even drop a few hints about his future in the newly established Batverse from Matt Reeves. As of now, only Colin Farrell‘s Penguin is getting his spinoff, as HBO Max officially announced it shortly after The Batman‘s release. We also know that another series is in development that will focus on Arkham, which originally was going to be about the GCPD but changed throughout production. It was the first series in development but seemingly production has been dragged out quite a bit. We’ll see what the cinematic future has in store for Dano‘s Riddler.

    Source: Twitter