Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • EXCLUSIVE: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Music Helped Shape the Characters of Encanto

    EXCLUSIVE: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Music Helped Shape the Characters of Encanto

    The upcoming coming-of-age fantasy story about a girl without powers living among a superpowered family will introduce us to the many facets of Colombian culture in Encanto. Directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush return to bring us a different kind of story with the help of songs written by Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s had a hand in various 2021 projects such as In the Heights, Vivo, and the upcoming release of Tick, Tick… Boom! So, it’s been a big year for him. Now that he is also lending his musical talents to the latest animated Disney film, it opens up the question of how much input he also had in bringing these characters to life beyond just their musical accompaniment.

    Luckily, our own Hunter Radesi had the chance to sit down with the directors of the film and discuss exactly that. When asked how much input Miranda had into bringing these characters to life, director Jared Bush offered some interesting insights into their approach to the music and even how they integrated the many sides of Columbian genres.

    He’s super super collaborative. That is one of the really great things about working with him. […] We would have these great deep character conversations. We knew with all these different characters that we wanted to get to know all of them, that we wanted to see different facets of them. But also that we wanted the music to separate and to give them an identity. And that music, even within the genres of Columbia, we wanted that to makes sense with the character that would be singing it.

    Jared Bush

    It’s really interesting how they try to use the different genres of music that exist in Columbia to make the characters stand out. He does also offer an example with the character of Luisa Madrigal’s song “Surface Pressure” which tried to explore her backstory. He highlights how writing the story is what grounded it was some real-life inspirations that were brought to life through music. It shows how many aspects make a film truly come to life.

    Encanto release on Nov. 24th. It is directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith. The film boosts an impressive cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, Rhenzy Feliz, Carolina Gaitán and John Leguizamo.

  • Netflix Casts Newcomer Eden Perkins as ‘Cowboy Bebop’s Radical Ed

    Netflix Casts Newcomer Eden Perkins as ‘Cowboy Bebop’s Radical Ed

    When the official cast has been announced for Netflix’s take on Cowboy Bebop, everyone wondered where was the popular character of Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivurski IV or better known as Radical Ed. Well, it turns out they were purposely keeping it a secret to unveil it after people may have binged the full season. Now, they took to Twitter to announce that newcomer Eden Perkins has been cast as Radical Ed in the series with a brief teaser below.

    They’ll join the new Cowboy Bebop: Unlocked after-show heading to YouTube on November 20th as a follow-up, where they’ll discuss the creation of the show. It’s still a bit of a strange timing to not even give the show a day or two, but Netflix seems to share these kinds of reveals quite early due to the expectation of people binging the show after its initial release. Still, it’s great to get the official confirmation on who is tackling this iconic role in the live-action take on the popular anime series.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Disney has been hard at work on the next animated project with Encanto. While it still has a lead character, the adventure this time around is all about family. So, instead of a small group of characters, we the next animated Disney film. If you compare with previous films, they always focused primarily on a lead with one or two supporting characters that helped her on her journey. The next project might be the first to have the family as an active part of the story, but it seems directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have played with the idea for some time.

    I mean, literally, from day one, we knew we wanted to tell a story with an extended family. […] We’ve tried many times to like: “Maybe there should be more family members.” And ultimately you’re like, “Nah, there’s just one person.”

    Jared Bush

    Jared goes on to compare it when he worked on Moana. Yes, her family played a role in the story but ultimately it was her “going on a boat, that’s just by herself.” He even highlights how they used their own family as inspiration when trying to think of the archetypes after finally committing to the idea.

    Who are these people gonna be? So early on, all of our research was really our own families. And we found these archetypes. Whether it’s, you know, like the black sheep of the family, or the golden child, or the responsible one, or the Mom, who heals with food. All of these things felt very familiar to us, and very relatable.

    Jared Bush

    They used that familiarity to build the Madrigal family and it was the voice actors that would then bring them fully to life. It’s always great to see how ideas that somehow ended up getting pushed back still find their way into a project. Plus, adding the special abilities of the family, which they decided on relatively fast based on the archetypes the family member represents, gave everyone a unique role within the story. It makes you wonder how many other ideas never made it into a previous project but might get to see the light of day sometime in the future.

  • ‘One Piece: Red’ Film Leaks Ahead of Announcement

    ‘One Piece: Red’ Film Leaks Ahead of Announcement

    While all eyes have been on the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece, the franchise is preparing for a big milestone with its 1000th episode just around the corner. So, many expected some announcements around that very milestone and it seems that we got our first tease of the next One Piece film. A logo has found its way online confirming the title of the next one being One Piece: Red with some very familiar marks in the D. It’ll be the 15th entry in the movie franchise that follows up on 2019’s Stampede. The next entry is eyeing an August 6th release with manga creator Eiichiro Oda’s official statement also finding its way online early.

    @ScotchInformer also provided a rough translation of Oda’s message for the film announcement:

    We’re making a movie!! I’m tired of drawing Old Men! Let me draw female character! The current character we’re working on it is like that! And that was the beginning. Did you know that the director Taniguchi Goro, who is standing opposite to the work of One Piece was actually the first person in the world to make Luffy into an anime? Now, we’ve got some news that’ll really surprise you coming up. The new movie, “RED”!! Please look forward to it as you imagine what it’ll be like!!

    There’s also a tease of the “female character” referenced in the message that is highlighted in a banner alongside the upcoming film’s logo.

    Image

    the mentioned Goro Taniguchi is directing the film with Kuroiwa Tsutomu writing the script. Oda, of course, is acting as a supervisor and producer on the series. It seems that part of these leaks was found in the source code of the official website potentially.

    There are quite a few theories that a Shanks-centric film might be canon to the story filling in a gap while the Straw Hat pirates are busy on Wano. It’s uncertain when the current arc in the manga might end, but with the August release, there’s enough time to set up Shank’s upcoming role in the story. He’s been teased quite a bit (especially in episode 955). It’s crazy to think he’s been around since the first chapter but has a very minor role so far in the story. As the series might be nearing its end, it makes sense that he would make his move soon. It’ll be interesting to see if this film explores Shank’s story, or if it involves our favorite pirates in some capacity.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Translation), Twitter, Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is a “Giddy Mixture” of Marvel and Raimi’s Style

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is a “Giddy Mixture” of Marvel and Raimi’s Style

    As soon as Sam Raimi took over directing duties from Scott Derrickson for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, many wondered what it might mean for the film. Not only is Raimi‘s Spider-Man film what kicked off the superhero boom alongside Blade, but he’s also quite famous for his work on horror films. As the Doctor strange sequel was teased frequently as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first horror story.

    So, he is the perfect choice to join the project to bring his flair from films like Evil Dead or Drag Me to Hell. There were some concerns that his directorial style might take a backseat for the overarching universe building, but actor Benedict Cumberbatch may have offered a tease of what’s to come.

    You have to wait and see. There’s a lot of Marvel and there’s a lot of Raimi as well. Raimi fans will hopefully not be disappointed. It’s a very giddy mixture, actually. And I think it’s, it’s a riot and it will live up to its title, a multiverse of madness for sure

    It certainly sounds like it’ll bring together the best of both worlds. The post-credit sequence from WandaVision made many questions if it was directed by Raimi due to the use of the camera chasing towards Wanda’s little cabin. There’s something iconic about his use of the camera and might make the horror elements in this multiversal storyline stand out even more. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the first trailer and a hint at what to expect.

    Source: The Playlist

  • Netflix Reviving Blockbuster Video as a Workplace Comedy With Randall Park

    Netflix Reviving Blockbuster Video as a Workplace Comedy With Randall Park

    It looks like Netflix has set their sight on a new series that got passed on by NBC again, as Randall Park will bring a workplace comedy to life all about the popular Blockbuster Video rental store from the United States. It is given a direct-to-series order of 10-episodes. Vanessa Ramos is writing the project. She has worked on quite a few popular series including Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’ll be joined by David Caspe and Jackie Clarke. Ramos shared the following:

    To say getting to make a show about a place I love, with my friends Jackie and David, and Randall Park as our star is a dream come true, somehow feels like an understatement. I could not be more grateful to Jim [Donnelly] and Megan [Macmillan] at Universal for supporting this project since day one and Tracey, Andy [Weil], and the whole team at Netflix for being on board with so many weird jokes.

    Vanessa Ramos

    The series will explore the life of the last Blockbuster Video that is trying to stay alive against all odds. It’s actually been developing for NBC since earlier this year but they passed on the project. It’s a reunion for Netflix’s Tracey Pakosta, who has worked with almost everyone involved in the project, as she also helped develop Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It sounds like a great idea and will make a great addition to Netflix’s ever-growing library of shows and films.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • REPORT: ‘Ahsoka’ Eyeing Spring 2023 Release on Disney+

    REPORT: ‘Ahsoka’ Eyeing Spring 2023 Release on Disney+

    Star Wars was quite the no-show during this year’s Disney+ Day. While Marvel and Pixar got their own 2021 special, the franchise of a galaxy far far away only had a brief tease of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. They already released The Book of Boba Fett trailer ahead of the celebrations. So, it left us wondering about all the other projects. Luckily, Bespin Bulletin might offer us at least some insight into what the plan is with The Mandalorian spinoff, Ahsoka and it looks like we might have a time window for its release.

    According to their sources, it seems that the series is planning a production that lasts until the fall of 2022. With that time window, the series is currently eyeing a 2023 spring release. It also seems that The Acolyte is eyeing a similar release window and will join in 2023. It’s uncertain if they’re the only series to the eye that year, as there are some uncertainties about what other projects might enter production due to nothing new getting announced.

    They go on to include a March 2022 production start according to Production Weekly. So, it would certainly manage the release window in 2023, as the fall production end would offer enough time to also finish up post-production work. Here’s hoping that we get a bit more information on what the future of Disney+ has in store for Star Wars.

    Source: Bespin Bulletin

  • Matthew Lillard Voicing Ultra Instinct Shaggy in ‘Multiversus’

    Matthew Lillard Voicing Ultra Instinct Shaggy in ‘Multiversus’

    Okay, he’s technically not called Ultra Instinct Shaggy but going by the initial trailer they are embracing the long-running joke. Still, it’s great to see Matthew Lillard continue his work as the popular Scooby-Doo character. After playing the character in the 2002 live-action version, he went on to become a mainstay in the franchise voicing him throughout most of the animated projects.

    He was only noticeably absent in the animated movie SCOOB! where Will Forte took over the role. Well, he’s returning for the role in the new Warner Bros. Super Smash Bros. clone titled MultiVersus. They announced his return as the character in a new tweet.

    They’ve added quite a few recognizable voices for the game, such as Maisie Williams returning to voice Arya Stark in the game. They even brought back other iconic voice actors to replay their roles from animated projects like Batman: The Animated Series, Steven Universe, and Adventure Time. The addition of Shaggy is a great touch given the long-running jokes about him secretly being the most powerful character across the multiverse.

    They even recently referenced the ongoing joke in Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms. The franchise’s mascot Scorpion suddenly gets grabbed by an empowered Shaggy with an aura around him and Scooby before they are hidden away by the Warner Bros. logo once again. It’s been a joke for quite some time and it’s great to see the company embrace it.

    Source: Twitter

  • Maisie Williams Reprises Role as Arya Stark in WB’s ‘Multiversus’ Game

    Maisie Williams Reprises Role as Arya Stark in WB’s ‘Multiversus’ Game

    After many rumors were hitting the web, we finally got the confirmation that Warner Bros. Multiversus game. The game will introduce a bunch of characters from various WB-owned projects like Scooby-Doo, DC Comics, Adventure Time, and more. Many voice actors are reprising their iconic roles, such as Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tara Strong as Harley Quinn, and many more. What is interesting is that while most of the cast has leaked some time ago, Game of Thrones‘ Arya Stark was a surprise addition. Not only that, it seems that Maisie Williams will also reprise the role she made famous in the HBO show for the new gaming franchise.

    It’s great to see Williams return in the role, as it adds some authenticity to the game. They went out of their way to bring back some of the voice actors that made these characters iconic back. The designs are probably the biggest highlight, as they gave every character something that reminds you of Pixar. It blends the live-action characters like Arya seamlessly into a world where she’s beating up Steven Universe or Bugs Bunny. They promised more character reveals in the future. So, here’s hoping we won’t have to wait long until we can play Ultra Instinct Shaggy.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hit-Monkey’ Creators Already Mapped Future Seasons

    ‘Hit-Monkey’ Creators Already Mapped Future Seasons

    Hit-Monkey has just been released on Hulu and it seems the creators behind the series, Josh Gordon and Will Speck, have quite the plans moving forward. The series is one of the few survivors of Marvel TV’s original The Offenders crossover plans. When the subsidiary was fused into Marvel Studios, we knew very little about these projects and if they’d even have a long-term future.

    It looks like depending on its success, there might be plans for up to 10 seasons. Not just that, they’ve already mapped out a second or third, which are “enormously detailed and drawn out” according to Gordon. In his full statement he highlights that:

    Certainly, the second and third seasons were enormously detailed and drawn out. We wanted the first season to work as its own complete meal and it really does sort of operate almost like an extended feature in that way, where it has a very strong beginning, middle and end and it does stand alone. But in terms of where these characters would go, including Lady Bullseye, there’s a lot to be had there.

    Josh Gordon

    We’re still waiting for a confirmed renewal for MODOK, which was well-received during its initial release. Yet, as we learned during Disney+ Day, their new animated projects are now given the Marvel Studios logo even if they aren’t MCU canon. So, Hit-Monkey still holds the “Marvel” title from Marvel TV’s era and we’ll see if they’ll be able to bring their future season ideas to life.

    Source: ScreenRant