Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ Spinoff Focused on Michael Keaton’s Batman Scrapped in DC Studios’ Restructuring

    RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ Spinoff Focused on Michael Keaton’s Batman Scrapped in DC Studios’ Restructuring

    Everything is changing over at DC Studios, as the future of the former DC Expanded Universe seems quite uncertain. We’ve had the reveal that Wonder Woman 3 has lost its director Patty Jenkins, a Black Adam sequel seems unlikely at this point and so much more. Now, it seems a new rumor has popped up from Jeff Sneider that another project has been canned as James Gunn and Peter Safran restructure the new DC universe.

    It seems that The Flash and Birds of Prey‘s Christina Hodson has been working on a spinoff from The Flash that would’ve acted as a reboot of the original Michael Keaton-led Batman franchise. Keaton would further explore his character that is set to return in the upcoming film, though details on how the project would’ve explored his return remain uncertain. There’s also no word just how far they got with the script, as they may have just kicked around the idea before it was scrapped.

    It does seem more and more likely that The Flash might end up as a hard reboot for the DC Cinematic Universe moving forward, even if there are still no specific plans set by DC Studios’ new co-leads. Though, once the roadmap for the next ten years have been set, we might get a better look at what the future has in store for us.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • ‘Rush Hour’ Revival is Happening According to Jackie Chan

    ‘Rush Hour’ Revival is Happening According to Jackie Chan

    There has been a lot of talk over the years that we’d might finally get a return of the Rush Hour franchise. In an era of legacy sequels, it is surprising that the Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan-led film series hasn’t already been greenlit. Any streaming service would be quite excited to get their hands on such an iconic franchise. Chris Tucker has often alluded to talks about it potentially being brought to life, but we still haven’t heard a single thing.

    Well, it seems that Jackie Chan has given us an update, as they are still seemingly working on getting the project started. He doesn’t truly give away how far along they are on bringing the project to life, but mostly just that they are still actively working on getting Rush Hour 4 off the ground.

    We’re talking about Rush Hour 4 right now.

    Jackie Chan

    The original trilogy has been quite beloved and there’s always a lot of potential of returning to the characters of Lee and Carter. While we’ll likely still have to wait a while, the moment a director and writer are found, then we can truly get a feeling for when the wait will finally come to an end. For now, it’s great to know that Chan and Tucker are so behind the project and want it to return in style.

    Source: Variety

  • Reese Witherspoon Working on ‘Election’ Sequel for Paramount+

    Reese Witherspoon Working on ‘Election’ Sequel for Paramount+

    Tracy Flick is about to return in a new feature film for Paramount+, Tracy Flick Can’t Win. The film will be a sequel to the cult classic Election from 1999, which saw Reese Witherspoon in the role of Tracy Flick. She’s not the only familiar face, as director Alexander Payne is also seemingly back to bring the continuation to life. It’ll be an adaptation on the novel by Tom Perrotta‘s novel by the same name and Payne is set to write it alongside Tim Taylor.

    The story will return to Flick, who has now found herself as the assistant principal at a local public high school and continues to struggle on her way to the top. So, some things don’t seem to change that much for flick, but Witherspoon will return in the role and also act as a producer on the sequel for Paramount+. It’ll be interesting to see if they can recapture what made the original such a classic and if they might even find a way for Matthew Broderick to return as well.

    This return of Flick highlights once again that we’ve moved way from the pure remake phase in Hollywood towards a sequel legacy focus. Many iconic franchises are making a return one way or another, especially when it comes to streaming services desperately trying to get their hands on the next major project that’ll draw in new subscribers.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • DC Studios Still Hopes to Make ‘Wonder Woman 3’ as Patty Jenkins Exits Project

    DC Studios Still Hopes to Make ‘Wonder Woman 3’ as Patty Jenkins Exits Project

    Many wondered what exactly was the cause for Warner Bros. to pass on Patty Jenkins‘ third Wonder Woman film. They could’ve easily prepared the film for whatever they have planned under Peter Safran and James Gunn, but it seems that director Patty Jenkins has moved away from the project completely. According to Deadline, there were creative differences and this wasn’t purely on the new CEOs of DC Studios.

    In their report, they highlight that there were issues with the direction of the story given the issues that Wonder Woman 1984 faced when it released. As it turns out, Jenkins has seemingly just left after they rejected her initial pitch even as the team was open for her to rewrite the film and try again. As such, if they move forward with a new Wonder Woman film, it does seem like Jenkins will no longer be involved as a writer, director or producer.

    There’s also the question if her departure could lead to its main actress leaving the project behind. Gal Gadot has been quite a vocal fan of Jenkins‘ work but a recent post does seemingly hint that she’s excited for the future with or without the director. It would seem surprising if she’d completely drop the role of Diana Prince, but given recent reports there’s a lot of uncertainty with what exactly DC Studios has in store for the franchise’s revival plans. For now, we’ll have to just watch as everything unfolds.

    Source: Deadline

  • Leaked ‘The Acolyte’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Lee Jung-jae

    Leaked ‘The Acolyte’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Lee Jung-jae

    It looks like The Acolyte is already busy filming and it seems like the first set photos for the Star Wars series has already found its way online. The first batch of set photos have seemingly revealed our first look at Lee Jung-jae on the set, who is seemingly playing a Jedi going by his outfit. There were recent hints that the story is focused on a Sith, which means they could be the Jedi that are in the way or even the reason they turned to the dark side of the Force.

    The Acolyte might become one of Star Wars’s most exciting new series, as its the first project completely detached from the many legacy-oriented projects we’ve had so far. The Mandalorian started off as its own storyline until it started connecting with Star Wars Rebels and even featuring Mark Hamill‘s return as a de-aged Luke Skywalker. So, who knows if there might be ome bigger connections that haven’t been revealed quite yet.

    There is also Skeleton Crew, which may be hinting at the future direction for the studio as it slowly tries to unshackle from what came before. We still might have those shows that start to connect the mythos of this galaxy but Lucasfilm might be trying to explore projects they otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to do so. Even Andor, which is a prequel to Rogue One, mostly works as its own project but still has some connective tissue to the larger universe we’ve come to love over the years.

    Source: Daily Mail via Twitter

  • New ‘Wakanda Forever’ Concept Art Reveals Alternative Namor Designs

    New ‘Wakanda Forever’ Concept Art Reveals Alternative Namor Designs

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has made a big splash in theaters with the introduction of Talocan and its ruler, Namor. While the film was mainly exploring grief, it also explored the parallels between Wakanda and Talcon. It created a very grounded and emotional story with a complex antagonist that has the potential to do good and also more bad.

    Tenoch Huerta famously takes on the role in the film with a surprisingly comic accurate design. While they add many elements that reflect the characters Mayan roots, we still got his feet wings and the iconic green shorts. Yet, it seems they have played around with some alternative designs as revealed by concept artist Wesley Burt.

    You can already see the cultural inspirations in these early designs, and it seems like director Ryan Coogler knew exactly how he wanted to tackle the character of Namor. The fifth design actually showcases one that seems quite close to an armor he wore in the comics. So, they definitely also used his various runs as an inspiration but they ended up going with his more classic design.

    Namor feels like a major character that we can definitely expect to see sooner rather than later, but sadly there’s still no news on a potential spinoff. Recent reports did hint that they can’t actually produce a film due to the film rights still being with Universal; an issue he shares with Hulk. So, perhaps there’s a different project that might see Huerta return to the iconic role once again with perhaps a new design inspired by these earlier concepts.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘The Witcher’ Showrunner Denies Accusations by Former Writer

    ‘The Witcher’ Showrunner Denies Accusations by Former Writer

    Netflix’s The Witcher has been facing a rough patch as of late. While Blood Origins spinoff is just on the horizon, there still has been some questionable reveals from behind-the-scenes. First Moon Knight and former The Witcher writer Beau DeMayo reveals that the series’ writers room would openly mock the source material and Henry Cavill suddenly left the project, whose departure hinted at the project moving further and further away from its source material. Yet, now the showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich has seemingly debunked any of these accusations.

    I think if you watch…any interview I’ve ever done…including those with [Andrzej Sapkowski]…you’ll see that I am quite a fan of the books [and the games]. Do you believe…that when one person states something as fact, that it’s therefore fact? This particular thing is not a fact. I love the books. I’m shit at the games, but that’s me, not them. I’ve never mocked the books…The books are my entire livelihood, I have a great relationship with Mr. Sapkowski, and writers rooms are sacred and safe and — more than anything — supportive spaces. Don’t believe everything you read.

    Lauren S. Hissrich

    She also goes on to state that she respects former writer DeMayo and praises his work on the series, but it likely will only further push the divide. The big question remains if The Witcher can sustain its viewership without its main lead and if the upcoming spinoff doesn’t showcase the franchise potential to Netflix, who knows if the series might wrap up with Liam Hemsworth‘s run as Gerald of Rivia.

  • DC Studios’ James Gunn Semi-Confirms Recent Reports on ‘Black Adam’, Henry Cavill, and More

    DC Studios’ James Gunn Semi-Confirms Recent Reports on ‘Black Adam’, Henry Cavill, and More

    James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the new heads of a newly formed DC Studios. The question remained on what it might mean for the future of the franchise and generally for those projects that are still currently in some form of development. A recent report by The Hollywood Reporter has openly discussed that perhaps some things aren’t moving forward as first expected.

    Report indicated that not only did they pass on Patty Jenkins‘ third Wonder Woman film, but also won’t move forward with a Black Adam sequel; even as Dwayne Johnson desperately crunches the numbers to prove its a success. The biggest shock was also the fact that Henry Cavill may have returned briefly as Superman but is unlikely to do so once again. As Gunn is no stranger to openly discussing rumors and reports, he has taken to his Twitter to semi-confirm some aspects and debunk others.

    He also goes on to highlight that they are aware not everyone will be happy with their decisions, but that the transitional period is quite a rough one for any creative taking over an existing slate while mapping out its next ten years.

    DC is no stranger to some rather passionate fans about very specific franchise entries, and it likely won’t be an easy transition internally as well as externally. The big qeustion is that this move also puts a dark shadow over the upcoming projects and may add to the fact that The Flash may end up becoming a hard reset for the franchise after all.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Wicked’ Adaptation Adds Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible

    ‘Wicked’ Adaptation Adds Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible

    It seems like the casting for Wicked has continued, as The Hollywood Reporter has just revealed one more addition to the cast. The adaptation by Universal Pictures has now locked in MIchelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, who is the head of Elphaba’s school. Cynthia Erivo is set to take on the role of Elphaba with Arana Grande already ast as Glinda. Jeff Goldblum is also part of the cast as thee Wizard while Jonathan Bailey has been cast as Fiyero. The cast also includes SpongeBob Squarepants: The Musical’s Ethan Slater as Boq in the John M. Chu directed film.

    The film will be split up into two projects that are set to be shot back-to-back in January. So, we might see a few more casting announcements before Christmas rolls around. The first entry is already set for a release on December 25th, 2024. The sequel would be set for the Christmas of 2025. So, we’ll still have to wait quite a bit before we get a first look or even a tease of how they’ll adapt the iconic musical reinterpretation of The Wizard of Oz.

    Yeoh has been on a hot streak with quite a few franchise projects, and even her big role in this year’s biggest Awards contender, Everything Everywhere All At Once. She’s a legend in the industry and has picked up quite a bit of steam once again with her recent projects. She’s also set to arrive in Netflix’s upcoming The Witcher spinoff Blood Origin and who knows what other project she might already have planned.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Sony Inks Streaming Deal With Crave for ‘Spider-Man’, ‘The Equalizer’, and More

    Sony Inks Streaming Deal With Crave for ‘Spider-Man’, ‘The Equalizer’, and More

    While Sony’s handling of the Spider-Man IP has been quite questionable, they have their own strengths when contrasted with the streaming craze. Most big studios have been busy trying to build up their own competitor to establish themselves in the market. It’s not too surprising that Netflix would eventually have more competitors to contend with but there’s been anothger strategy that has become quite popular for some. Sony is leading the way by mostly handling its projects to other studios and has now seemingly added a new deal to its belt.

    In a report by Deadline, Canadian streamer Crave has inked a long-term deal with Sony Pictures that they’d get the first window rights to their upcoming blockbuster films after their theatrical and home entertainment runs. As such, it would be the exclusive streaming home for upcoming releases like Insidious, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Madame Web, and more.

    This deal also includes older projects and is committed to spotlighting the content with “elevated promotional campaigns, including in-product merchandising and experiential marketing initiatives.” It’s a big move for Crave to position themselves in the streaming market but does add more confusion on how exactly these deals affect the releases. Sony has also made deals with Netflix for first look and Disney+, which only recently got access to some of its missing Spider-Man films that were co-produced with Marvel Studios alongside their legacy collection. For now, we can only guess and have to keep an eye out how this might delay releases on other streaming platforms.

    Source: Deadline