Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Cryptic ‘One Piece’ Tweet Teases an Upcoming Announcement

    Cryptic ‘One Piece’ Tweet Teases an Upcoming Announcement

    One Piece may have one last announcement before it wraps up its 25th anniversary. While we haven’t heard much on the various projects that are currently in development outside of a few trailers building up momentum for One Piece Odyssey’s release in January, it does seem like one more announcement is heading our way. The best part: it seems we’ll find out what it’s all about by tomorrow.

    A new cryptic tweet from the official account has included a “Coming Soon on 12 Dec 2022” tagline alongside.an image teasing a new logo that is close to the design of the original combined with a few changes alongside what seems to be Luffy’s straw hat below. It does include a link to “toei-anim.com” which may hint at something related to the anime.

    It seems highly unlikely that this is in anyway related to the live-action series or even the manga. There’s a good chance that this might be some new collaboration for some merchandise or even special art pieces based on the popular manga and anime series. They might also share some news on the next arc for the anime that is likely going to introduce a filler arc to let the manga run a bit longer so it doesn’t catch up too fast. Of course, it’s just speculation at this point but it’ll be interesting to see what is heading our way.

    Source: Twitter

  • SNL is the Reason ‘Avatar’ Changed its Logo and Font

    SNL is the Reason ‘Avatar’ Changed its Logo and Font

    Have you ever wondered why James Cameron‘s Avatar suddenly changed its logo and font? At the time, there was the righteous assumption that perhaps it was mainly done with Disney’s usual knack of marketing its projects but it seems that it was more a reaction to a joke by Saturday Night Live. Yes, you read that correctly, the SNL sketch starring Ryan Gosling jokingly referring to the font as Papyrus is one of the reasons.

    Producer Jon Landau got a chance to talk to Entertainment Weekly, where he reflected on the joke and even went on to highlight that the correct font wasn’t actually Papyrus but Toruk. It seems the fact that it had a very plain logo, the SNL sketch in combination with people questioning its actual cultural relevance inspired the need to establish a logo that screamed Avatar.

    When we realized that the movie was going to expand into a franchise and we’d have other IPs, we went out and created our own font that we’re now using, and we call it Toruk, and it’s available for people to use. But the Papyrus font is a fun thing, and I also love the fact that… it was certainly several years after the movie came out, and I guess it illustrated to people who were questioning Avatar’s cultural relevance that it was still part of the culture.

    Jon Landau

    Even with The Way of Water set to make a massive opening box office, and a secured but rare China release, the discussions are still making the rounds on how relevant this franchise truly is. The first film has the heavy burden of having to make $2B to be considered a success but there’s also the dead market at the moment that could drag it down. For now, we have to see what’ll happen once it releases next week.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Becomes Paramount’s Most-Watched Trailer Ever

    ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Becomes Paramount’s Most-Watched Trailer Ever

    Steve Caple Jr.’s upcoming Transformers film subtitled Rise of the Beasts has become one of Paramount’s most watched trailers. After dropping during CCXP in anticipation of the dangerous Marvel panel later in the day, we got our first look at the latest addition to the Transformers franchise; the first since Bumblebee back in 2018. It’s been 4 years since we last saw one of cinema’s biggest franchises dominate the market and they are back in style with some more animalistic friends joining the fray in June of next year.

    Not only is it making its grand return but also seemingly broke a record for Paramount, as the film’s first trailer pulled in 494M globally in its first week. That beats out even Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s 182M and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s 77M. 238M checked out the trailer within the first 24 hours, which is above any other theatrical trailer released by Paramount and only behind Avengers: Endgame‘s 268M and Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s 355.5M.

    Supposedly, it’s even the most shared trailer to date beating out Jurassic World: Dominion‘s 185K with 400K. For those wondering if this is a sign that Rise of the Beasts will domiante theaters, it’s not exactly an easy comparison drawn. Solo: A Star Wars Story once drew in massive trailer viewership and had a better first-day ticket sale than Black Panther but lost a lot of momentum, as pointed out by The Wrap. Yet, there’s likely a big curiosity about the return of the franchise, especially since Michael Bay‘s films dominated the box office back in the day and we haven’t seen one in quite some time.

    Perhaps the surprise drop combined with a “oh, this is back” element could’ve gotten word-of-mouth going but its box office will strongly depend on Paramount going all-in with its marketing. Bumblebee didn’t make as much as its predecessors did and it does seem like they are trying to pull back some elements from Bay into this sequel, but perhaps it was simply the insanity of “Bayhem” that truly had people going to theaters back in the day; looking for that thrill similar to Top Gun: Maverick early this year. We’ll know more once the next trailer drops and popularity remains building up into its June release next year.

    Source: The Wrap

  • James Gunn Swiftly Debunks Popular ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Casting Rumor

    James Gunn Swiftly Debunks Popular ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Casting Rumor

    The moment rumors hit the web that Bradley Cooper‘s Rocket would be joined by his love interest Lylla, everyone already had an idea who they’d want to play the character. Lady Gaga instantly became a fan-favorite to take on the role with even some rumors circulating online. The first poster recently dropped giving us our first official look at the film alongside the confirmation of her inclusion. Like clockwork, people started speculating once more and it seems director James Gunn silenced any more theories moving forward.

    To celebrate the release of the first trailer, James Gunn shared it on his personal Instagram account. Most shared their enthusiasm for the next Marvel entry and return of the popular band of intergalactic misfits. There were some, however, that used the opportunity to see if the actress voicing Lylla might have a name that ended with “ga” which the director swiftly denied without any further elaboration.

    Lady Gaga won’t be a stranger to the comic book world, as she’s set to take on the role of Harley Quinn in the upcoming Joker sequel: Folie á Deux. Yet, the casting of her as Lylla seems mostly inspired due to the chemistry that she and Cooper shared in the remake of A Star is Born. Ever since the film’s release, she’s ended up as a must-casting for the character and generally has become quite popular to appear alongside the actor. Yet, it seems that those that have imagined this happening, it seems

    Source: Instagram, The Direct

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Repeats the Original ‘Black Panther’s Box Office Record

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Repeats the Original ‘Black Panther’s Box Office Record

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has kept its position at the top of the box office, as the film has finally crossed $400M to do so. What stands out though is that while it’s a rough weekend for the box office, this marks Ryan Coogler as the first director to have two of his films stand at the top spot for five weeks consecutively; that back-to-back releases. The film did luck out with Wakanda Forever having no true competition until Avatar: The Way of Water that’ll release next weekend.

    One thing is clear though, Wakanda Forever is not going to scratch the $700M domestic or the $1.3B global from the original Black Panther in 2018. While some corners of the internet are calling it a flop, the film is far from it. Its success is quite commendable if you also consider it lost its main draw, the title star Chadwick Boseman, and a movie market that is simply not what it once was. Only in 2022 can a film that’s going to pass $800M be considered a flop of any kind; a fate cursed upon Thor: Love and Thunder just a few months back. As of now, Wakanda Forever stands at an impressive $767.8M and is the sixth-highest grossing movie of 2022.

    The big question on everyone’s mind is: what is going on? The weekend pulled in $38.5M and marks the second worst of the entire year followed by the soft opening back in January at around $35M. Sadly, with no real releases throughout the last few weeks, there’s simply no momentum or reason for people to go to the theater. We’ve seen some standout successes this year that still managed to revive the box office, such as Marvel Studios’ three massive openings, The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick‘s impressive legs, Jurassic World still showing its dominance, and even a Minion movie almost crossing a billion.

    Yet, the fall release schedule has been abysmal with minor releases and barely anything to draw audiences in. Black Adam did not reignite the spark that Warner Bros. hoped it could when it’s saving measures led to it only releasing two films for the rest of the quarter. Smaller releases did quite well like Violent Night‘s impressive hold at the second spot but Disney couldn’t give it a boost with its undermarketed Strange World animated film. Devotion went on to proof that Top Gun Maverick was more a lightning in a bottle rather than the new norm. There’s hope that the packed schedule for 2023 could bring some more life back into theaters, but 2022’s only remaining hope is Avatar: The Way of Water.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • Walter Hamada’s Original DCEU Plan for Henry Cavill’s Superman Revealed

    Walter Hamada’s Original DCEU Plan for Henry Cavill’s Superman Revealed

    Marvel Studios has been busy developing their own Multiverse Saga with Kang the Conqueror at its core, but it seems that DC had their own multiversal plans beyond just The Flash‘s upcoming release. While Walter Hamada is no longer involved with DC or Warner Bros, it seems his original plan was to develop a Crisis on Infinite Earths film but have Henry Cavill‘s Superman slowly build up that storyline through breadcrumbs in various movies.

    It seems likely that The Flash was going to unleash the multiveerse unto the DC Extended Universe with Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton‘s versions of Batman’s existing simultaneously. Ironically, it seems that Dwayne Johnson‘s own plans to make Black Adam a Superman rival and forcefully bringing Cavill back in the role may have also derailed those plans somewhat. Though, it’s uncertain just how far they mapped out the concept and if they were trying to test the waters.

    The idea to not give Superman a sequel but rather use him for cameos is curious–pretty much the Nick Fury for the DCEU. It may have also been a decision based around Cavill‘s booked schedule with The Witcher (ironic given recent developments) and the Enola Holmes movies. Once a Warhammer 40K or World of Warcraft project picks up any steam, he’ll likely throw his hat into the ring for those as well. So, even if he won’t truly return as Superman, there are many franchises that’ll definitely catch his attention.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Worked on the ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Pitch

    ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Worked on the ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Pitch

    Well, it looks like after all these rumors we finally know who was the one working on a potential sequel to Man of Steel. In Hollywood Reporter’s weekly Heat Vision blog, they’ve shared that their sources unveiled the news that Peaky Blinders and See creator Steven Knight was involved in pitching the Superman sequel. It seems that this pitch was initially made before James Gunn and Peter Safran joined the newly formed DC Studios to spearhead the franchise moving forward.

    There are sadly no details on what exactly the story was going to focus on, but it seems that Warner Bros. executives weren’t thrilled and “gave notes” that has become a common element. There’s also uncertainty if they even hired someone else to rewrite the project afterwards but it definitely was their dream to bring back Henry Cavill while it was still under Walter Hamada‘s supervision.

    The creator behind Peaky Blinders definitely is an interesting choice to bring the franchise back to life, and it would’ve been great to see what his original plans may have been. There are many questions if they would’ve stuck to the vision introduced by Zack Snyder, or try to go for a more hopeful version that is closer to how the character works in the comics. Either way, we may have a very different version at some pint in the future going by recent events.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • David Zaslav Pauses Netflix Dealings Over ‘The Sandman’ Season 2 Renewal

    David Zaslav Pauses Netflix Dealings Over ‘The Sandman’ Season 2 Renewal

    At this point, it seems like a safer question to wonder who Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hasn’t pissed off in the industry. Not only did he just save money on taxes by scrapping finished films like Batgirl and a Scoob! Holiday Special, but now he seems to have been quite vocal about his displeasure with other streaming deals. Ironic given that he seemingly is moving away from HBO Max to focus on outsourcing what they have to offer.

    The reaction seems to come from the contract as part of Netflix’s renewal of The Sandman for a second season. Zaslav is seemingly unhappy with how the deal is structured in how producers are paid across multiple months. They have quite a few projects with Netflix like Sweet Tooth, Manifest, You, and more. Instead of re-evaluating the contracts for future projects, he just outright has paused for any further deals to be made for finished shows moving forward.

    It’s strange, as it’s not only a business practice at this point but just didn’t agree with the terms already agreed upon. Zaslav is very hands on in the deal-making, for better and for worse going by recent experiences. Warner Bros. is also no stranger to strange payment models, and it does raise the question why this wasn’t reviewed before moving away from its own streaming service to outsourcing their projects moving forward. Here’shoping this doesn’t end up leading to consequences on any of their co-produced projects.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘Wonder Man’ Potentially Eyeing Late 2023 Release

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Wonder Man’ Potentially Eyeing Late 2023 Release

    Marvel Studios has been quite busy with the various films and TV shows. Among the many projects in the pipeline, their recently announced Wonder Man has become quite an exciting addition, as it not only focuses on one of Marvel comics’s Avengers that almost joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Nathan Fillion was set to take on the role yet now Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been cast in the iconic role. We are still waiting for when Marvel Studios gets ready to start development on the project, but a new listing may have hinted at their planned release date.

    Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Hawkeye‘s Andrew Guest is moving on from a consulting producer role to become the head writer and showrunner for Wonder Man. We still don’t know a lot about how they’ll tackle the characters powers and roots as a Hollywood star; here’s hoping for Marvel Studios to also venture out with some creative jabs at itself like they did in She-Hulk, Attorney at Law. Still, it seems a new listing on the WGA has revealed that the series is very likely eyeing a late 2023 release for its first season.

    The listing includes “2023-2024” and with the show already revving up its castings, such as recent reports on Bob Ordenkirk potentially joining, it does seem like a fitting timeline for when the show might release. Of course, we know that Hawkeye, which is listed for “2021-2022” wrapped up before the year ended, but it does fit with the timing that was initially expected. Of course, there’s always a chance that the project could get pushed back with everything on Marvel Studios’ plate but it does give us a window on all-in they are with this project.

    Source: WGA

  • ‘Doctor Strange’s Charlize Theron Shares How She Got Into the MCU

    ‘Doctor Strange’s Charlize Theron Shares How She Got Into the MCU

    Marvel Studios’ is no stranger to attracting fresh and veteran talent to become part of their Marvel Cinematic Universe. No matter the discussions online, they still have attracted some amazing talent throughout the years, such as the recent addition of Charlize Theron as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It wasn’t a major role, but they definitely set the seeds for some massive storylines featuring the sorceress.

    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress revealed just how she ended up being inspired and getting into the franchise. Surprisingly, it seems that she’s just a recent joiner of the franchise, and has seemingly been pushed by her Old Guard crew to check it out. Not only did she give it a chance, but it seems that she’s fallen for the franchise and ended up binging it to catch up.

    The simple answer to it is that it’s everything that I’ve said about Old Guard. If I can find the anchor, then I’m never going to be a snob about, like, ‘Oh, does this make me less of a powerful actor?’ I was ignorant, I didn’t know those [Marvel] movies well enough until a family who I consider, like, my adopted family had me watch them. They’re crazy Marvel fans, and I always used to make fun of them. Like, ‘Oh my God, you guys are such f-cking nerds.’ Then one spring break we rented a house and our kids were in a camp and they were like, ‘You need to fucking sit down and watch.’ So, we watched all the movies, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, they’re so fucking good.’ And the kids got in on it, too, and it was such an enjoyable ride. And there’s a mythology around it and it’s been thought out over decades with Clea, and I’m challenged by that. Like, how do you reinvent that? So, I’m excited, but I honestly don’t know what the fuck it’s going to be.

    Charlize Theron

    The experience Theron is sharing is surprisingly not uncommon for those that didn’t join the hype train early on and ended up only recently becoming part of its development. It’s interesting to see that her binging may have also become an inspiration to join the franchise, and here’s hoping that we’ll see more of Clea in the near future after her introduction in Multiverse of Madness.

    Source: THR