Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Don’t Breathe’ Director Fede Alvarez Working on New ‘Alien’ Film

    ‘Don’t Breathe’ Director Fede Alvarez Working on New ‘Alien’ Film

    Ridley Scott has been hyping up the upcoming Alien spinoff series that’s heading to FX and Hulu. Most of his iconic film franchises are currently making the jump to long-form storytelling, which did add some concern that we might not get any new films for some time. Luckily, it seems that the franchise isn’t leaving its cinematic roots behind, as a new film has been announced by The Hollywood Reporter. Not just that, but Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez will take on the sequel.

    The horror veteran has also dipped his toes in classic franchises before, as he was one of the masterminds behind the Evil Dead remake from 2013. Scott is also returning to the franchise as a producer. Yet, the curious reveal is that this might not be a cinematic offering, as it seems to be part of the 20th Century’s goal to release ten films a year on its streaming service.

    There’s no word what part of the timeline the series might explore, but it does seem like it’s focused on the Aliens timeline rather than the Prometheus prequels. With a series on the horizon, it also seems like it’ll be removed from that storyline. We’re probably still quite some time away from this release. So, for now, we can only speculate what the future has in store for us with this franchise.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘The Batman’s Matt Reeves Confirms The Identity of [SPOILER]

    ‘The Batman’s Matt Reeves Confirms The Identity of [SPOILER]

    The Batman has finally found its way into theaters, as we get introduced to a very different cinematic take of the iconic character. Director Matt Reeves took a grounded take on the franchise to offer a refreshing direction for the characters, which also included quite a few curious teases for the future of the new franchise. Robert Pattinson has teased his interest in tackling a trilogy in this new take on the Dark Knight, but Reeves has confirmed one major addition.

    The rest of the article tackles a big spoiler from the film’s final moments. So, only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen The Batman yet.

    In the closing moments, Edward Nashton realizes that his original intention to break down Gotham has failed with Batman coming out on top. During this scene in Arkham, we are introduced to a fellow cellmate that has a very recognizable voice belonging to Barry Keoghan. We never get a good look at his design, but a familiar laugh hinted that this might be The Batman’s take on the Joker. Luckily, IGN shared a video interview where director Matt Reeves not only confirms it but also hints at his take of the character.

    You know because the movie is not an origin tale of Batman, but it’s his early days. It really is an origin tale for the rogue’s gallery characters. The scene is not meant to be there to say: “Here’s an Easter egg, the next film is X.” I don’t know that the Joker will be in the next movie, but I can tell you here is what you’re seeing is an early days version of the character, trouble is, as always, brewing in Gotham.

    Matt Reeves

    The most interesting addition is that he declares that this is a version of the character that he’s “a Joker that is not yet a Joker” and the design was molded after the character’s original inspiration, the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs. So, while it doesn’t mean we’ll definitely see the character appear. He also hints that the take of the character is a man with a disease that constantly is stuck smiling and the way this character would be shaped by it. “Life has been a cruel joke on him” was his biggest tease on Keoghan‘s character and we’ll see when he might make his appearance in a future entry.

    Source: YouTube

  • Sebastian Stan Shares His Thoughts on ‘Captain America 4’

    Sebastian Stan Shares His Thoughts on ‘Captain America 4’

    Not too long after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced Anthonie Mackie‘s Sam Wilson as the new Captain America of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fourth entry in the film franchise was announced. We haven’t heard much on that project since, but it has been a promising addition to see more of Wilson’s take on the heroic role. In a recent interview, Mackie’s co-star Sebastian Stan shared his thoughts on the upcoming sequel and made a curious Rocky Balboa comparison.

    But I’m very excited for that movie and I think he’s going to be great. He’s going to add a whole different feel to that idea. It kind of reminds me a little bit of Rocky, in some ways.

    Sebastian Stan

    In the past, there have been many hints that Wilson’s time in the cowl will be closer to an underdog story, especially with its stronger cultural exploration. We may have gotten a hint in the Disney+ series that’ll get expanded once the film releases. We’ve still been waiting for any updates or news on how far along the film is. Back in August, we reported that it may be eyeing a June production start. So, we might get some casting news in the coming months if that is still accurate.

    Source: Twitter via The Direct

  • ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Finds Its Villain in Alessandro Nivola

    ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Finds Its Villain in Alessandro Nivola

    Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man spinoff film focused on Kraven the Hunter has found its villain. Alessandro Nivola, who many might know from The Many Saints of Newark, has joined the project as its main villain. Sadly, there are still no details on which character he might be playing, but he joins a stacked cast that consists of Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, and Fred Hechinger. Aaron Taylor Johnson will take on the mantle of the main character.

    The J.C. Chandor directed film will explore the origin of one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains but there’s no word if the webhead might join at a point as well. Most of their spinoffs, like Venom or the upcoming Morbius, have mostly relied on references but didn’t actually feature a version of the friendly neighborhood Spideys.

    Venom was confirmed as part of the multiverse, which managed to separate the MCU version starring Tom Holland from the rest of the universe. Yet, Morbius‘ addition of Michael Keaton‘s Toomes has added some confusion to the mix, especially with one trailer explicitly referencing Venom. So, we’ll see if Sony has any plans in the near future.

    After their success with Spider-Man: No Way Home, it wouldn’t be too surprising that they’re all in with more spinoff films heading our way. With an all-star cast, the film does offer some possibility to explore the character of Kraven in a new way. Curious enough, early rumors hinting at him becoming the main antagonist of No Way Home, but guess the new multiversal direction fast-tracked the separate film franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • NBC’s ‘Quantum Leap’ Revival Adds Raymond Lee

    NBC’s ‘Quantum Leap’ Revival Adds Raymond Lee

    NBC is pushing forward on its remake of the cult classic sci-fi drama from the 90s, Quantum Leap. It looks like they have found their successor to Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) in actor Raymond Lee, who will take on the leading role of Dr. Ben Seong. His character will not only be a scientist but also a man of faith, as he is part of a new team trying to revive the project which saw the disappearance of Becket almost 30 years ago. The only tease for the film’s plot is that their experiment will see Seong get stuck in the late 1980s with amnesia.

    The series will take place in the current time with nods to the original with La Brea executive producers Steven Lilien and Bryan Wyndbrandt writing the script The original creator Don Bellisario is also involved alongside co-narrator Deborah Pratt. Universal Television is producing the project alongside I Have an Idea! Entertainment, Belisarius Productions, and Quinn’s House Productions.

    Lee has been busy with his work on AMC’s Kevin Can F*** Himself, which is going to come to an end in its second season. He also has worked on projects like Here and Now, Mozart in the Jungle, Made for Love, Scandal, and Prodigal Son. It’ll be interesting to see how his character steps into the shoes of Beckett and how they might twist the original concept in a way that adds more tension to his travel into the past.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Approached Park Seo-Joon to Join ‘The Marvels’

    Marvel Studios Approached Park Seo-Joon to Join ‘The Marvels’

    Back in June, a rumor dropped that South Korean actor Park Seo-Joon was cast in the Captain Marvel sequel, which would eventually take on the name The Marvels. There was no word on what role he may have taken on, but he was the second Korean actor to join an MCU project, as Ma Dong-Seok had a leading role as Gilgamesh in Eternals. The actor has been silent on his role, but has now given some insight into how he joined the film in an interview with The Guardian.

    When I first heard that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wanted to speak with me, I couldn’t believe it. I actually couldn’t believe it. I’m not someone who has a fear of challenges, but whether I am filming in South Korea or abroad, everything is a challenge for me. So, I did feel some nerves at first. But everyone was so helpful and welcoming that I was able to find my feet really quickly.

    Park Seo Joon

    So, it looks like he was approached by Marvel Studios for a role in the film. The actor is still not revealing which role he has in the upcoming film, which still is keeping many of its story elements under wraps. To be fair, there’s also a lot of time to go until it finally releases but we’ll see if the first trailer might give us our first hint at the South Korean actor’s role.

    Source: Guardian via The Direct

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Offers Best Look Yet at the Film’s Final Suit

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Offers Best Look Yet at the Film’s Final Suit

    Ryan Meinerding, who is the Creative Director and Head of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, took to his Instagram account to share a full look at the final costume worn by Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker in the final moments of the film. After leaving the Stark-designed costumes behind, his new costume was homemade but still took in some inspirations from not only his original costume but also the ones that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield wore.

    The design still looks fantastic, especially how it embraces the original red-and-blue that made the character iconic. While personally, the blue material stuck out a bit during the sequence, you can clearly see the inspiration and why they went in that direction. It is a shame that the films are moving away from the unique Spidey symbol they had throughout the initial trilogy, but it makes sense that he wants to rebrand after leaving everything behind.

    AS the costume is handmade by Peter Parker, we shouldn’t expect as many neat gimmicks in future entries. He’ll likely have to build whatever he needs to take on specific villains, but we’re still waiting for any clear news of what the future has in store for the character. Kevin Feige did hint that we’ll get a fourth entry in the franchise, but it’s still a question of time for when that might be.

    Source: Instagram

  • Krysten Ritter Revisits Her ‘Jessica Jones’ Look and Sparks Speculation

    Krysten Ritter Revisits Her ‘Jessica Jones’ Look and Sparks Speculation

    It’s been some time since we got our first hints that Krysten Ritter might return as Jessica Jones in the upcoming She-Hulk series. Yet, there was nothing that really hinted at her appearance. Charlie Cox‘s appearance as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the recent addition of the Netflix series on Disney+ added to the rest of the Marvel series’ cast potentially appearing. Now, a new series of photos hint at her returning to the classic Jones look.

    Hairstylist Melanie Jacobs shared a curious series of photos of Ritter, which has her in the same hairdo that she had during her time as the private investigator. Not only that, she is even wearing a very similar leather jacket in the photos with a purple shirt, one of the character’s recurring colors. You can check them out here:

    We can’t take this as a confirmation that she’s definitely returning, especially with the rumors hinting at a series that technically already wrapped production. Yet, it may hint at Krysten Ritter potentially returning to the role in another project. Otherwise, she may just have made the style her own and wanted to revisit it.

    Her potential return has been a popular theory as of late, and it’s unclear where she might make her return outside of the law-focused storyline featuring a new generation of Hulk. Ritter offered a great take on the character and it would be a shame not to see her return. Hopefully, Marvel Studios has some plans to announce in the near future to build on the momentum of the Netflix series joining Disney+.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘The Batman’ Kicks-Off With $21.6M Domestically, En Route to Become Warner Bros.’ Best Pandemic Opening

    ‘The Batman’ Kicks-Off With $21.6M Domestically, En Route to Become Warner Bros.’ Best Pandemic Opening

    It looks like the first numbers are in and even with a 3-hour runtime, The Batman is on its way to becoming a big player at the box office. As the pandemic still adds some uncertainty, Frank Pallotta has shared that the film managed to get $21.6M in its Thursday previews. Variety recently shared the film was on its way to a $125M+ domestic opening over the weekend and it is seeming more and more likely. As such, the film might become Warner Bros.’ best opening since the pandemic started and the second film to pass $100M at the box office over its opening weekend.

    It is worth noting that this isn’t the best opening weekend for a Batman film. That title still goes to The Dark Knight Rises with $30.6M. Yet, it’s slightly above The Dark Knight‘s and with hints at a strong international start, it may already be on its way to join the $1 million club. You also never know how strong the momentum carries over into the weekend, as some films also started dragging in more viewers through word-of-mouth. Rotten Tomatoes audience score is in the 90s and it seems to be quite the crowd-pleaser. So, it’s going to be an interesting weekend.

    Source: Variety, Variety, Rotten Tomatoes

  • New Look at Hot Toys Figure for Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Batman’

    New Look at Hot Toys Figure for Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Batman’

    Every time a new superhero-themed film releases, everyone is already keeping their eye out for the collectibles. Hot Toys has become a hot spot for great-looking figurines of the iconic characters and with the release of Robert Pattinson‘s The Batman, it was only a question of time before we get a good l.ook at the figurine. Luckily, Reddit user Rishav27Sarkar shared some photos from the Hot Toys Secret Base that offered a first look at the figurine’s full design, some of his gadgets, and even the inclusion of his motorcycle.

    Image

    Getting a closer look at the motorcycle does reveal the “bat” inspiration on the front of its design, as the film takes place in a more grounded reality without a lot of the flair that previous versions of the character had.

    r/hottoys - The Batman (Hot Toys Secret Base)

    It’s still one of the best designs for the Dark Knight to come out, especially with its armored plating-inspired design and the unique Bat symbol on the front. It still has that flair that you expect from a man dressed as a bat, while still keeping some elements of realism to it. We also see in the trailers that this new design helps him take on a few more bullets, which adds an interesting tension and question how long this armor will be able to hold up if he tries to block as many shots as he can. No matter the answer, this model is definitely a must-own for anyone who loves the film and Batman in general.

    Source: Reddit