Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Marvel Studios Currently Juggling 30+ Projects

    Marvel Studios Currently Juggling 30+ Projects

    Marvel Studios has always been an overachiever in the business. Not only did they build a connected universe on the silver screen, but decided to expand it through streaming on Disney+. Recently, they even ventured out into animation while adding new talent to continue their efforts to expand. We only get a glimpse into what they are working on with each grand announcement, which hopefully expands once Disney+ Day arrives.

    They also recently gave Victoria Alonso, who has been with the company since 2008’s Iron Man, a promotion. In an interview with 221radio, she offered some insight into her current schedule, which was brought to our attention through our very own Discord. While discussing her time on The Marvel‘s set, and lunch with Salma Hayek, she also offered a small window in just how many projects are currently in development over at Marvel Studios. After the interviewer asked if they were working on 35 projects, she corrected them with the actual number and that not everyone makes it out of some form of development.

    We are currently working on 31 projects, don’t add 4 more, please. (Laughs) It is a question about how are we handling multiple plates in the air at the same time, and the biggest thing is that sometimes the plates fall, and, you know, what are you going to do then? We want people to understand that the idea that we have, to tell these connected stories, it is important that the world knows that the characters we create, their stories have to do with how humans interact with each other.

    Victoria Alonso

    The number makes sense, as currently there are seven films alone in production, as confirmed by the President of Physical and Post Production, Visual Effects, and Animation Production. She did also highlight that they are venturing into animation more in the future. She also highlights that some might just not make it out of a specific step of development. It’s crazy to think how many projects they are currently working on, and the number might only continue to rise as time goes on.

    Source: 221radio

  • Alice Waddington to Adapt Dark Horse’s ‘Dept.H’ for Netflix

    Alice Waddington to Adapt Dark Horse’s ‘Dept.H’ for Netflix

    Netflix continues its ongoing adaptation spree, as Deadline shared that Paradise Hills‘ Alice Waddington has joined the upcoming adaptation of Dept.H. T.S. Nowlin, who penned The Maze Runner, will tackle the script with Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, and Paul Schwake of Dark Horse Entertainment producing. It’ll explore the story of how the death of a scientist leads his estranged daughter six miles below the ocean floor to uncover what lead to his untimely end. It becomes a race against the time as it might become her underwater grave.

    Dept.H was written and illustrated by Matt Kindt, which started under the Dark Horse banner back in 2015. Ever since their success with Umbrella Academy, they’ve been expanding their ventures with Dark Horse Entertainment, such as the recent announcement of Grendel. The streaming market has been quite competitive and it continues to grow with each new competitor.

    Netflix has been focusing more and more on developing well-known IPs to build its brand. Umbrella Academy proved that their model has some potential, and we’re seeing recent developments with them going beyond just Dark Horse. They are tackling live-action adaptations of popular Anime, such as the recent showcase of Cowboy Bebop. It’s going to be interesting to see how it continues to grow moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘No Time To Die’ Eyeing a 90M International Opening Weekend

    ‘No Time To Die’ Eyeing a 90M International Opening Weekend

    It hasn’t been easy for the James Bond franchise. Like many others, it faced countless delays due to the pandemic. The final entry in Daniel Craig‘s time as the British secret agent is nearing and the new marketing push has been highlighting that moment where the story that started with 2006’s Casino Royale comes to an end. As the film is set to release this week, the box office predictions are in and it’s looking good. It’s set to release in 50 markets overseas, which includes UK, Spain, Mexico, Japan, and many more. Even with its older demographic, it seems likely the film might pull in around $90M internationally.

    There’s always the chance this number can change, but for an early prediction it#s quite the win for the final entry. In the UK, it seems that Bond could be its biggest opening since the last summer before the pandemic started. Once the review embargo lifts, we’ll have a clearer picture of where the film is heading and if it manages to reach 2015’s Spectre‘s $123.5M. Currently, the film’s pre-ticket sales are even outperforming 2019 ‘s numbers by 10%.

    We’ve been seeing more recovery by the box office weekly. Dune even opened to a very formidable $77M internationally and it won’t release in the US until October. The big question mark is always a China release, which the film secured for October 29th. It’s going to be interesting if the last Craig-led project will dominate the box office to sign off the end of an era with a bang.

    Source: Deadline, Forbes

  • ‘What If…?’s Episode 8 Will Be Standalone But Lead Into the Finale

    ‘What If…?’s Episode 8 Will Be Standalone But Lead Into the Finale

    Ever since the first merchandise dropped for What If…?, we got the tease of a team-up. They were called the Guardians of the Multiverse and it let us know that the once anthology series might be more connected than we initially thought. The ending of the Party Thor episode introduced us to the threat that would bring the team together, a Variant of Ultron powered by the Infinity Stones. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Bryan Andrews also highlighted how they carefully mapped out the season to build up to this very point of the final episodes.

    It was designed to be a certain way, and some people have been vibing and savvy enough to notice that we’re slowly seeing more and more of the Watcher’s visual appearance as we move forward. And that was all orchestrated from the very beginning. It’s all now coming to an arrow’s tip point.

    Bryan Andrew
    What If...?

    Writer A.C. Bradley also confirms in the same interview that while the next episode is standalone, but will lead into the ninth and final for this season. She highlights that “you can watch 8 as a standalone, but 9 is – for once we answer the end tag.” They highlight the exploration of the Watcher’s role throughout the series and the imminent threat of Ultron, or the Supreme Leader, might push him to break his oath. With the recently released poster, we’ve come to learn that Ultron will take center stage in the next episode. So, we’ll probably recap his journey to gaining the stones and why he ventures out into the vast multiverse.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Filming in Iceland

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Filming in Iceland

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently busy filming since late July as it’ll close out the trilogy that started back in 2015. Director Peyton Reed has teased some of its production, such as its use of The Mandalorian’s famous Volume, where he also worked on the Disney+ series the second season. Back in February, we even heard that they are filming something in Turkey, as revealed by its Tourism minister at the time. After some digging, some crumbs also seem to be hinting that production is heading to Iceland.

    The company TrueNorth has a list of films and TV series they work with on their website. It offers production services to help overseas studios film in the Nordics, which includes Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Finland, and Iceland. TrueNorth has quite the filmography, as they’ve worked with The Mandalorian, Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow, Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga, and many more in the past. In one of their latest updates, it seems that Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s third entry is also working with the company. They are listed after Mission: Impossible 7, which recently wrapped up production. Of course, it doesn’t pinpoint where exactly they were filming, but IMDb might have just the answer we need if we take a closer look at their Location Management.

    The listing does include a supervising location manager for Iceland by the name of Thor Kjartansson. Taking a look at his page, he’s no stranger to working with Marvel Studios, as he also had the same role in Iceland for the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain America: Civil War. So, the updates may hint they are or already have filmed in Iceland. There’s a chance that production was done by the film’s second unit but either way the Icelandic landscape offers some beautiful backdrops for the upcoming threequel.

    Source: TrueNorth, Collider, IMDb, IMDb (Location Manager)

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Heading to Xbox Game Pass

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Heading to Xbox Game Pass

    Marvel’s Avengers had given its players various bonuses throughout the past month to celebrate its anniversary. We also had a free weekend for players from PlayStation, Stadia, and Steam to give the game a test run. Yet, there’s a surprising lack of announcement regarding Xbox. Even with the PS-exclusive Spider-Man on the horizon, the game is meant for all consoles. Well, it seems the reasoning for that silence has arrived as the game is heading to Xbox Game Pass as of September 30th. It’ll include all four story campaigns and players can jump directly into the War for Wakanda expansion. They also confirm future updates are also included for Xbox Game Pass members.

    The Xbox Series X or Series S players will also receive the optimized version of Marvel’s Avengers. So, it’s not restricted to a specific version of the game. The timing is also perfect as the One-Year Anniversary Celebration is coming to an end, as pointed out by the Crystal Dynamic’s Hunter Wolfe, as they’ll offer a Quad XP bonus from September 30th to October 4th. So, it’s a great opportunity for new and old players to catch up on leveling their heroes. This move also includes PC players, which may help push its numbers on the platform it seemed to struggle the most with a steady player base.

    It’s a big move by Crystal Dynamics, but the timing is fitting. They’ve just dropped their biggest DLC yet, and are currently reworking the base game. Once the raid starts, the Game Pass offering allows players on Xbox and PC to play with each other, which has been a challenge for players via Steam. As they are connected through the Xbox account, it’s a big step forward for the game and could boost it going into Year 2.

    Source: Xbox

  • ‘Shang-Chi’s Tony Leung May Have a Future in the MCU

    ‘Shang-Chi’s Tony Leung May Have a Future in the MCU

    Shang-Chi was one of Marvel Studios’ first attempts at a martial arts-inspired film. We got a lot of action and heart with the conflict between Shang-Chi and his father, Wenwu. As the leader of the Ten Rings, he had quite a reputation, but the story focused on the humanity behind his actions. He won’t win a medal for father of the year, but Tony Leung‘s performance made him one of the most memorable antagonists within the franchise. Sadly, it seemed like his time as part of the MCU was limited. Yet, a recent recording of the podcast They Call Us Bruce might’ve changed that.

    Journalist Jeff Yang, who acted as a cultural consultant on Shang-Chi, used the opportunity to discuss the recent Marvel release. In the podcast, he discussed the film and added some nitpicks he had about the film. One rather curious statement might’ve raised some eyebrows regarding Leung‘s future with the franchise. In the podcast, he states that:

    Given what they had in Tony Leung, I would have hoped that they would have made it a little more clear that he has other places to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ll just leave it at that

    Jeff Yang

    It’s not definite confirmation, but the way he highlights that “he has other places to be” makes you wonder if we’ll see Leung‘s return at some point. His character did meet a tragic end during the final clash of the film, but the way he moved on could still leave the door open for his eventual return. Plus, there’s a lot we still don’t know about the Ten Rings that could get explored in future sequels or even spinoffs.

    Of course, there’s the question if the actor is even interested in returning. There’s a chance that they may have changed their plans due to limited availability for a Western Hollywood franchise. Though in an interview with GQ, he did highlight his interest in Hollywood and the lack of a fitting role that kept him from joining any productions. As he now has the chance, he might have a larger role in the West moving forward. It would be a fun idea to give the secret organization its Disney+ series to explore its history and potential future within the MCU. Here’s hoping we might get a clearer picture once Disney+ Day arrives of what Marvel Studios has planned for the future.

    Source: Podbean, GQ

  • ‘Harley Quinn’s Liza Singer Joins Marvel Studios as an Animation Director

    ‘Harley Quinn’s Liza Singer Joins Marvel Studios as an Animation Director

    Marvel Studios is just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It continues to expand at an exponential rate and it seems they’ve added one more talent to their repertoire. Liza Singer, who has worked as a storyboard revisionist and artist for projects like Harley Quinn, Disenchantment, and DC Super Hero Girls, took to Twitter to announce she joined Marvel Studios in the role of director. She previously directed Paramount+’s The Harper House. So, she’s no stranger to the brand and is currently working on a feature High in the Clouds for Netflix and Gaumont Animation.

    https://twitter.com/LaserSinger/status/1442539635322671105

    Marvel Studios is truly all in with their upcoming animation projects, and her inclusion might hint that they’ve already had a few stories mapped out. We’re still waiting for any official announcements, which might happen during the upcoming Disney+ Day, but the timings are very different when it comes to animation. If they are starting work on it now, it might not see the light of day until 2024.

    What If..? is still currently airing on Disney+ with only two more episodes left to go. It’s uncertain if they’ll stick to this very distinct animation style or try out different ones as they expand. Hopefully, it is the latter, as it’s the one advantage the medium has and could help diversify Marvel Studio’s portfolio. There’s also the question if every project will be considered canon, or they’ll also create franchises that exist in the multiverse separate from the MCU.

    Source: Twitter, IMDb, Liza Singer

  • Chloé Zhao Talks ‘Eternals’ Inspiration from Greek and Roman Mythology

    Chloé Zhao Talks ‘Eternals’ Inspiration from Greek and Roman Mythology

    Marvel Studios is back in action with the recent releases of Black Widow and Shang-Chi. Yet, the year is far from over, as we still have two more films heading our way, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Eternals. The latter is an especially important entry, as it’ll expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a very unique way. We’ll explore the long history of the earth long before the Avengers joined in their fight against Loki.

    In an interview with Empire, director Chloé Zhao discusses the inspirations behind the upcoming film and how she loves “the idea of continuing to challenge the straight-forward morality we’re used to in the superhero genre.” It’s a great approach as we’ve seen it in the past as Shang-Chi made us take a different perspective on Wenwu’s motivations. She also highlighted that the story she’s woven is

    […] akin to stories of Greek and Roman gods, who live very human lives with human traits, rivalries, jealousies and frailties.

    Chloé Zhao

    The first trailers offered a glimpse into that very story and we can see these god-like beings trying to pretend they are “normal.” Kumail Nanjiani‘s Kingo is living amongst humans as a Bollywood star. His obsession with attention pushed him to live on Earth as a human but enjoying the riches and fame that come with the job. Speaking of, Empire also provided a brand new image of the Eternal member, which you can check out here:

    Image

    Source: Empire

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’s Production Gearing Up in South Africa

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’s Production Gearing Up in South Africa

    After a long wait, it looks like the upcoming One Piece live-action adaptation is slowly nearing a production start. We’re still waiting for any news regarding its take on the iconic manga from 1997. There are some concerns that the cartoony world created by Eiichiro Oda might not work in live-action. Netflix has recently promoted its Cowboy Bebop series by recreating the iconic opening, which does look quite fateful. So, there’s some hope for this project, especially with the original creator supervising it.

    Still, we know very little about the series. We were recently able to confirm that Marc Jobst would direct the pilot episode. It is now working under the production name “Project Panda.” It was a surprising change, as it initially was known as “Project Roger.” A recent Instagram story by showrunner Steven Madea‘s assistant Steven Cho revealed that he received some items in South Africa for the production. What sticks out is that the mailing includes the name “Afrika Project Panda Pty Ltd.” that we reported recently. It also includes the filming location at Cape Town Film Studios, where Raised by Wolves, Mad Max: Fury Road, and many more come from.

    It looks like whatever was delivered is required for the Studio 1. As the team is slowly moving its production to South Africa, it’s safe to assume that they are gearing up for production. It, hopefully, is also a sign we might get some casting news shortly. So far, we’ve only heard rumors that Ludi Lin is potentially up for the role of Zoro. Yet, we haven’t heard anything about the other Straw Hat pirates outside of Steven Maeda and his team staying true to their descriptions by Oda. The adaptation of East Blue will offer some iconic and easily recognizable characters from the franchise’s earliest outing. Here’s hoping we get a look at our favorite pirate crew and the Merry.

    Source: Instagram, IMDb