Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Ethan Hawke’s Role in ‘Knives Out 2’ is Just a Cameo

    Ethan Hawke’s Role in ‘Knives Out 2’ is Just a Cameo

    Ethan Hawke has been quite busy as of late. Comic fans are excited to find out what his mysterious role might turn out to be in the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight. But that isn’t all he is working on, as he was also spotted on the set of Knives Out 2. It’s unclear what exactly his role is going to be, but there were many theories on what role he might potentially have. Turns out, he’s not really in the film that much according to his latest interview with ScreenRant. In it, he stated that:

    Knives Out 2, I just have a cameo in that movie. Don’t expect much from me

    So, it does open a curious question of what exactly a cameo would entail in a murder mystery. In a way, he may be the sequel’s victim that brings Daniel Craig’s, Detective Benoit Blanc, to join the unlikely party to uncover what exactly happened. Christopher Plummer took on the role of victim in the first film, where he had a minor role outside of the opening and a few flashbacks. So, he might have a similar role in the film.

    Yet, there’s also the chance that he really has nothing more than a brief cameo before he disappears. Perhaps his character might set up a third entry that is already in development as part of Netflix’s multi-million deal. It’s uncertain if director Rian Johnson wants to take a “cinematic universe” approach with the project, or will keep individual projects as a separate storyline with only Blanc acting as the connective tissue. Only the film’s release will give us a clear indication of where this new franchise is heading.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • Composer Natalie Holt Joins ‘Batgirl’ Production, Shares New Set Photo

    Composer Natalie Holt Joins ‘Batgirl’ Production, Shares New Set Photo

    Just yesterday, we got our first set photo from the upcoming HBO Max original film, Batgirl. The story about Barbara Gordon’s time in the iconic mantle will explore Gotham in a new way. Director Adil El Arbi shared the photo on his Instagram account, which teased Barbara’s future as a beat cop in the series. production is finally revving up in Glasgow and it looks like they’ll soon be joined by a new GCPD cop that has some musical talents.

    Natalie Holt announced back in September that she joined the HBO Max original to compose its soundtrack. After her incredible work on Loki, her addition was an exciting prospect that got many wondering what exactly she may add to this particular story. Of course, it’s too early to get a feeling for exactly that, but she did tease that she is now on set. Her tease might also hint that she’ll have a cameo as a GCPD officer in the series.

    https://twitter.com/filmmusicholt/status/1466099113720692739?s=21

    We might see others of the production team appear as cops whenever Barbara is going through her job. She likely is working for her father, which will add quite a bit of tension between them. So, who knows how nosy her colleagues are and appear in the background during their discussions. It’ll be interesting to explore her story from the perspective of a police officer, as she’ll definitely be active as Batgirl throughout the story. It could lead to an interesting conflict of interest. Here’s hoping we get more teases or even a look at Leslie Grace in costume from what was teased during DC FanDome.

    Source: Twitter

  • HBO Lost $30M on the Now Canceled ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Spinoff

    HBO Lost $30M on the Now Canceled ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Spinoff

    Here’s an interesting surprise. Long before House of the Dragons was in development, there were stories about a Game of Thrones spinoff in development. It makes sense if you consider how large the original was when it aired on HBO. While they are currently on a high with many projects finding development, their first attempt failed and was swiftly canceled after the pilot was showcased. We knew very little about the project but Bob Greenblatt, who was chairman of WarnerMedia, shared some insights in his new book Tinderbox. In it, he revealed that it cost them $30M to produce the “prequel pilot” before realizing that it wasn’t what they were looking for.

    They had spent over $30 million on a ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel pilot that was in production when I got there. And when I saw a cut of it in a few months after I arrived, I said to [HBO boss Casey Bloys], ‘This just doesn’t work and I don’t think it delivers on the promise of the original series.’ And he didn’t disagree, which actually was a relief. So we unfortunately decided to pull the plug on it. There was enormous pressure to get it right and I don’t think that would have worked

    Bob Greenblatt

    It’s not uncommon that some gambles don’t always pay out, but $30M is a considerable amount for just a pilot. After the success of the original series, they were all in for the spinoffs and would take the gamble to give the series a considerable budget. It’s curious they outright canceled the project rather than reworking it to fit, but the investment might’ve not paid off if they did.

    Source: IndieWire

  • AMC Orders Anne Rice’s ‘Lives of the Mayfair Witches’ to Series

    AMC Orders Anne Rice’s ‘Lives of the Mayfair Witches’ to Series

    AMC has been quite excited to bring Anne Rice’s many classic stories to life. Not too long ago, they greenlight a series based on the Interview With the Vampire storyline. Casting has been underway, but we’re still waiting for more details. Yet, AMC believes in their new projects and has now ordered Lives of the Mayfair Witches to series. It’ll be based on the Anne Rice novels of the sesame name with Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford joining as showrunners. Mark Johnson will executive produce the project alongside them.

    It’s not the first time we’ve heard about the project, as the first development news hit the web back in August. AMC Studios has opened up a writer room on the author’s famous line of books to develop direct-to-series orders and it’s certainly paying off. Spalding shared her excitement of adapting the series:

    The world of witches has fascinated and terrified for centuries, and yet Anne Rice’s particular lens on witches explored something new altogether – women who are powerful, and often brutal, and always committed to subverting our current power structures.

    Esta Spalding

    It’ll be interesting to see how they bring these stories to life and how they’ll continue on the various Rice adaptations. It’ll join the 2022 line-up that has been quite stacked with new projects and others coming to an end. AMC has been making strong pushes on building up their library to also support the streaming service AMC+.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Has Yet to Fully Utilize Fra Fee’s Kazi

    ‘Hawkeye’ Has Yet to Fully Utilize Fra Fee’s Kazi

    We’re only halfway through the latest Marvel Studios series on Disney+, but we’ve gotten a glimpse at the main players throughout the rest of the series. Yet, it’s also noticeable that an iconic part of the original My Life as a Weapon run. While teased in the first two episodes, Kaz Kazimierczak finally had an actual role in the story but he’s quite a departure from the comics. While still an interesting character, it seems like they are going down a different route with him.

    In the comics, Kazi was better known as the mercenary Clown. He’s shown to be quite ruthless and even emotionless while shooting down anyone he’s contracted to do so. He also doesn’t have a connection with Echo directly but was contracted by the Tracksuit Mafia and Wilson Fisk in the comics. He also normally wears noticeably absent clown make-up.

    With more hints going around that the Kingpin will make his appearance soon, and the “uncle” mentioned by Kazi, it seems he’s generally a part of the Tracksuit Mafia rather than a hired hitman. He’s also an emotional anchor for Echo, whose story was adapted for the series quite a bit to fit the overarching MCU. Yet, it feels like his role could’ve been replaced by almost any other character.

    So, there is the possibility that he may potentially be turning into the character we’ve met in the comics. Live-action adaptations of any kind tend to showcase origin stories to give characters arcs. The events of this storyline could end with Kazi taking on a new personality and covering his face with the clown make-up at some point. The show does highlight his role in the story and perhaps he is taking a backseat before taking over in a potential future storyline.

  • RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Leak Teases a ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Skin for Hawkeye

    RUMOR: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Leak Teases a ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Skin for Hawkeye

    Marvel’s Avengers has added a new feature for players wanting to spend their in-game currency to access new skins, emotes, and nameplates. The first one rolled out with the latest update and includes a Wakandan-inspired skin for Iron Man. Well, it seems that there might be an odd error that reveals the potential next shipment will include a Hawkeye skin based on Captain America: Civil War.

    In the shipment, you can see a description of what is included in the shipment you are offered for around 31 days. While it seems to be based on RNG elements, you always see what you are offered when hovering over the shipment. The previously mentioned Wakanda Iron Man skin is still showcased but the text has curiously changed to mention an MCU-inspired skin for Twitter user @JrSolarisGamer.

    https://twitter.com/JrSolarisGamer/status/1465783146797060102

    @PlayAvenger has offered a translation of the text that highlights it is based on the 2016 design and not just a skin called “Civil War” that could’ve been inspired by the comics.

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1465901381013979143

    We don’t have a visual confirmation so have to take it with a grain of salt for now, as it could be an adaptation of the text. Still, if it turns out true, it’s a great addition to the shipments that might also inspire people to play the game regularly. Plus, it highlights they aren’t restricting these skins to the marketplace and giving players a chance to get their hands on them through playing the game. It’ll be exciting to see what other skins we might see get added in the future.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3 Includes Kingpin Easter Egg

    ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3 Includes Kingpin Easter Egg

    The hints are getting more obvious that Wilson Fisk is making his grand return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only do we have the mention of a mysterious uncle and his short hand-cameo in Echo’s flashback, but there is quite an emphasis on his role moving forward when even Hawkeye hints that he’s someone you don’t want to get in trouble with. There’s one more tiny detail that may have added to his upcoming appearance.

    At one point in Echo’s flashback, she visits her father at his workshop. It’s the sequence where we find out how she connects to Ronin, the location they are at is given a rather curious name, Fat Man Auto Repair Shop. Now, it is more than just an additional tease of Fisk’s appearance in the series in a later episode but also is a great little Easter egg for fans of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

    In the animated series, the Kingpin never physically makes an appearance. Yet, there’s a brief mention by the Grim Reaper who calls him “Fat-Man.” Plus, it’s an ongoing joke by Spider-Man to mock NYC’s most dangerous criminal about his weight. So, it adds a fun layer to his potential arrival and what the series has in store for viewers. Given the number of teases throughout this episode, it seems likely that we might get our first official appearance next week, but the team behind Hawkeye might also be playing the long con as the teases rise in frequency.

  • Guillermo Del Toro and Netflix’s Horror Anthology Series Adds Rupert Grint

    Guillermo Del Toro and Netflix’s Horror Anthology Series Adds Rupert Grint

    Guillermo del Toro‘s next major project, the anthology Cabinet of Curiosities has found an additional actor for its series. It’s not just anyone, but Ronald Weasley himself, Rupert Grint, will join the already stacked cast. The project includes Essie Davis, Andrew Lincoln, F. Murray Abraham, Ben Barnes, Tim Blake Nelson, Luke Roberts, David Hewlett, and many more. It’s quite an impressive cast of many different talents that’ll explore different types of horror stories in the series. Del Toro is co-showrunner and executive producer on the project with Panos Cosmatos, Jennifer Kent, and Vincenzo Natali writing as well as directing episodes.

    Not much is known about the project outside of it exploring eight sinister tales, as Deadline puts it, that’ll showcase the different corners of horror. Del Toro has personally selected the writers and directors for the project to bring the vision to life. It seems Grint was on his radar for quite some time since his work on Apple’s Servant. So, he might have high hopes for the actor in bringing his role to life in the series. He is set to appear in the upcoming 20th Anniversary special for Harry Potter on HBO Max. We’ll see if anyone else is still in the pipeline to join the project before it enters production.

    Source: Deadline

  • Nicolas Cage Joins Universal’s ‘Renfield’ Movie as Dracula

    Nicolas Cage Joins Universal’s ‘Renfield’ Movie as Dracula

    Nicolas Cage seems like the actor who could appear in almost any project and you’ll never expect it. Well, he’s now joined Universal Studios’ attempt at reviving their monster franchises as the lord of darkness himself, Dracula in the upcoming film Renfield. He’ll be joined by Nicholas Hoult who’ll take on the role of the count’s iconic henchman.

    Chris McKay, fresh off the work on The Tomorrow War, will tackle the project. He is producing alongside The Walking Dead‘s Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan, and Sean Furst. The titular character was brought to life in Bram Stoker‘s 1897 novel, who becomes obsessed with his new lord as they end up depending on each other. It is teased as a modern-day adventure with a comedic tone, which makes sense given McKay‘s filmography. Of course, the addition of Nicolas Cage just adds to that very fact.

    It’ll be interesting to see if Universal is still focused on bringing a cinematic universe to life. While the Dark Universe failed to pick up steam after The Mummy, the more comedic approach might add an extra layer to the experience and make it stand out from other crossover franchises. They might even play on the cheesiness of the original films and bring that to life in curious ways.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: First Details on Next ‘Bioshock’ Leaks Online

    RUMOR: First Details on Next ‘Bioshock’ Leaks Online

    It looks like the long-teased next entry in the popular BioShock franchise may have leaked online. Twitter user @oopsleak (fitting name) has shared a curious document that seems similar to what the company Cloud Chamber has used for quite some time, as pointed out by ComicBook.com. It reveals a potential title for the next entry, which might be Bioshock: Isolation. It’ll explore an isolated dystopian city once again, but no details on how it might differ from previous entries. Here’s hoping the potential Q1 announcement next year comes true with a closer insight into the project.

    Some early job listings hinted that the next entry might take a very different approach for the latest installment. While you can explore the cities of Rapture and Columbia, there were quite a few restrictions. They are story-driven games that push you through a mind-bending narrative rather than just focusing on gameplay. So, it might add a new twist on how you experience this new dystopian city. The subtitle of Isolation might change but it’s a curious idea. Perhaps you are left alone in this new location and have to find your way out. So, an underground theme might take focus this time around. Here’s hoping the wait isn’t too long.

    Source: Twitter, ComicBook.com