Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Ana de Arma’s ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Adds Keanu Reeves

    Ana de Arma’s ‘John Wick’ Spinoff ‘Ballerina’ Adds Keanu Reeves

    The John Wick franchise is continuing to grow, as not only are we getting a TV spinoff that explores the early days of the iconic hotel chain but also a female-led spinoff only known as Ballerina as of now. It’s unclear if this new cinematic franchise will receive an original naming to tie it all together, but it does seem like the franchise’s iconic star, Keanu Reeves, is set to join the production of the upcoming spinoff.

    Collider has shared the news that he’s already in Prague filming to return as the iconic character that kicked off a new franchise. He’ll be joined by the returning Ian McShane with Ana de Armas being attached as this spinoff’s main star. Len Wiseman is directing the production based on a screenplay by Shay Hatten. There’s no word if this story is set after any of the John Wick titles, or potentially explores the early days of the hitman’s time as Baba Yaga.

    It’s crazy to think that a simple concept would end up growing to become such a massive franchise. Even the small horror film A Quiet Place is continuing to grow with its first spinoff in the works. So, we’ll see just how big this franchise can go, especially if Ballerina and The Continental end up being successes. There are many more hitmen out there in this neo-noir world. So, there are also many more stories that could be told that would still fit within the story we were introduced to all the way back in 2014.

    Source: Collider

  • Chris Pratt’s ‘Garfield’ Adds Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang

    Chris Pratt’s ‘Garfield’ Adds Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang

    Many will remember the upcoming animated Garfield film mostly for the memes that were generated out of the coincidence of Chris Pratt not only voicing this film#s main character but also the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie. It turned into a joke that Pratt was set to voice any character that was animated. Still, the film is moving forward and has added quite a cast since its initial announcement.

    Ving Rhames, Hannah Waddingham, Cecily Strong, Nicholas Hoult, and even Samuel L. Jackson have joined the production in various roles. Now, the new animated film has also added SNL’s Bowen Yang alongside Ted Lasso Emmy winner Brett Goldstein. David Reynolds of Finding Nemo fame has written the script with Paul Kaplan and Mark Torgove. The Emperor’s New Groove and Chicken Little director Mark Dindal is set to adapt it for the silver screen.

    The film will adapt the famous cartoon cat from Jim Davis, who made Jon Arbuckle’s life a living hell alongside the lovable dog Odie. In 2004, the first live-action. and animated hybrid was released with Bill Murray in the title role. The series has been going strong ever since it started in 1978, but even developed its rather curious fanbase online with the concept of Gorefield taking the adorable cat and adding some Lovecraftian elements to it. The upcoming film is very likely to stay away from that idea and offer a child-friendly film, it’s been an interesting rabbit hole exploring the cat’s influence on the internet.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • James Cameron Open to End ‘Avatar’ With Third Entry if ‘The Way of Water’ Bombs

    James Cameron Open to End ‘Avatar’ With Third Entry if ‘The Way of Water’ Bombs

    It’s hard to deny that James Cameron has been quite ambitious when it was first revealed that he was not only returning to the Avatar series but also had four more sequels in some form of development. After a long wait since the first film made box office history ever since it was released in 2009, The Way of Water is finally set to release next month in December. Cameron has already filmed the third entry and it seems that they may not move forward if the upcoming Avatar sequel bombs.

    In an interview with Film Total, Cameron discussed the possibility of not going forward with his five-film plan but rather wrapping up the story with its already filmed third entry. There’s no word if Disney is also setting its eyes on the upcoming release to set the benchmark on what to expect for the franchise, but it definitely seems like the record-breaking director is set to keep a close eye on how it performs.

    The market could be telling us we’re done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: ‘OK, let’s complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly’, if it’s just not profitable. We’re in a different world now than we were when I wrote this stuff, even. It’s the one-two punch – the pandemic and streaming. Or, conversely, maybe we’ll remind people what going to the theatre is all about. This film definitely does that. The question is: how many people give a shit now?

    James Cameron

    Cameron is very likely to not disappoint at the box office, especially as early projections already have the film set to break some records even if it might not get close to the first entry. Given that the four films have a billion dollars behind it, it’s no wonder that they hope to make some money off of the new entries and we’ll have to wait a bit longer before we know if a lot more Avatar is heading our way.

    Source: Film Total

  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Adds Sasheer Zamata and Eric André

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Adds Sasheer Zamata and Eric André

    It looks like the cast for the upcoming WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, continues to grow as we have some more casting news from Deadline. Sasheer Zamata, an alumna from Saturday Night Live, has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Not just that, it seems that Eric André may have also booked at least an episode of the show. Jac Schaeffer is developing the series as part of their new deal with Marvel and 20th Century, which will further explore the character of Agatha Harkness, who was introduced to Marvel Studios’ first Disney+ series with Kathryn Hahn in the role.

    There are still many questions surrounding what we may expect from a Disney+ project focused on the character of Agatha Harkness. There is hope that we get a better look at the magical corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the concept of witches feels like the perfect concept to combine Doctor Strange’s more bombastic look at magic with the horror elements we witnessed in Werewolf by Night.

    There’s definitely a lot of potential with the concept and hopefully, it also means that Hahn‘s character will have a bigger role in the MCU moving forward. Harkness was famously the babysitter for the children of Reed Richards and Sue Storm of Fantastic Four fame. It would certainly be a fun surprise if she somehow ends up appearing in the upcoming film, even if it’s just a minor role. Well, we’ll find out what exactly Marvel Studios has planned for the character once the series releases next year.

    Source: Deadline

  • Daryl Dixon’s ‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoff Adds 2 to Cast

    Daryl Dixon’s ‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoff Adds 2 to Cast

    The Walking Dead is coming to an end, long live The Walking Dead. As AMC has been busy promoting the end of its long-running series while also promoting the next generation with various spinoffs in some form of development. Among them is one focused primarily on Daryl Dixon. Norman Reedus is set to lead the series as his iconic character once again, as he seemingly finds his way to Europe.

    Now, the upcoming spinoff series has added two to its cast. Clémence Poésy from The Essex Serpent and Chernobyl‘s Adam Nagaitis will join the cast with the latter also once again returning to AMC after having appeared in The Terror. Little is still known about the spinoff series outside of it taking place in France as we explore a new corner of this zombie-infested world.

    Poésy is set to take on the role of Isabelle, the female lead of this project, who is a member of a religious group and ends up having to confront her dark past. Nagaitis will take on the role of a black market and nightclub owner that has made quite a living in the post-apocalypse. Melissa McBride was originally also going to have a big role in the series but opted out of the project. So, it’ll be interesting to see how they tackle her absence and generally what exactly would inspire Dixon to find his way across the Atlantic.

    Soruce: Deadline

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series as Hermes

    Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series as Hermes

    Many were excited when the announcement dropped that Percy Jackson and the Olympians were in development as a series. While many have a soft spot for the two films exploring the iconic books series by Rick Riordan, there still was some hope to finally see the entire series realized. Luckily, Disney+ has taken on the task of bringing the story of young Percy Jackson to life, as he uncovers his true heritage and enters a Greek mythology-filled world that he never knew existed.

    The production has been going on for quite some time and the only castings many have been wondering about who might take on the role of the iconic Gods of the Greek pantheon. After a long wait, it seems we finally have our first casting in that regard, as Lin Manuel Miranda has been announced to be taking on the role of Hermes in the Disney+ series.

    The main trio will consist of Walker Scobell as our titular hero, Leah Sava Jeffries in the role of Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood rounding out the cast played by Aryan Simhadri. The series has been quite impressive, especially when D23 gave us a first look at the series offering a very book-accurate depiction of Camp Half-Blood.

    The role was originally played by Logan Lerman, who famously took on the role in the two live-action films that were released in 2010 and 2013, which adapted The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. As the second film underperformed at the box office, it wasn’t able to move onward as there were plans to adapt The Titan’s Curse that never came together. Now that 20th Century Fox was purchased by Disney, it gave them the opportunity to bring us this new Disney+ series with a whole new cast.

    Source: Twitter

  • James Gunn Reacts to Ayer Cut Trending, Teases DC Studios’ Future Approach

    James Gunn Reacts to Ayer Cut Trending, Teases DC Studios’ Future Approach

    If there ever is one thing that stands out on Twitter (ignoring current events), it was the fact that the director and now co-CEO of the newly formed DC Studios, James Gunn, has always been quite vocal about stories that would end up trending online. He’d often shoot down rumors before they would start getting too much traction.

    In his new position, he can no longer be as vocal as possible with every little project he’s involved with, but with a sudden influx of #SaveLegendsofTomorrow and #ReleaseTheAyerCut hashtags on Twitter, he took to his personal account to share some insights into what fans may expect from the franchise.

    He goes on to highlight that their core focus remains on exploring the future storylines for the franchise and not just retelling stories that already existed. He highlights “telling the biggest story ever told across multiple films, television shows & animated projects,” which hints at the new DC Universe won’t just rely on live-action adaptations, as even Marvel moved away a bit from having direct influences from their new animated series.

    It’s definitely great to see James Gunn react to what is being discussed online, especially with the way the Ayer Cut discussions have spun out of the long-battled Snyder Cut. We likely will have to wait at least until next year or even 2024 to get a clear vision of what the future looks like for DC Studios’ line-up, especially with Gunn‘s work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 going on until the films May release. So, we’ll have to be patient.

    Source: Twitter

  • Water 7 Arc Will be Featured in ‘One Piece Odyssey’

    Water 7 Arc Will be Featured in ‘One Piece Odyssey’

    There were quite a few questions on what we should expect from One Piece‘s latest game that takes a new direction. Unlike the previous game, One Piece is once again exploring the concept of a Straw Hat-focused RPG titled One Piece Odyssey. The story sees our favorite pirates trapped on an island after their ship the Thousand Sunny is surprisingly destroyed.

    There were some worries that the game may restrict the team to a rather simple island without much variation. Yet, we were then surprised with the reveal that you’ll be visiting memories of the Straw Hats crews throughout the adventure. That not only confirmed various new locations and storylines to revisit, but it also opened up the question of what storylines may find their way to the story. So far, we only knew about Alabasta but now it seems Water 7 Arc is also going to be playable.

    In a tweet shared by @newworldartur, they include an interesting scan that reveals the information on One Piece Odyssey‘s next playable level. It offers the first tease of Kaku’s appearance, who’ll likely be a boss in the storyline, and it also seems that Franky’s original pre-time skip design will be available. It’s unclear though if the character is the one we know from the main storyline, or the straw hats meet a version from their memories.

    This new showcase is very likely also going to be followed by a new trailer. The game is set to release in January to kick off the year and is also still part of the 25th anniversary of One Piece. So, we’ll likely find out more once the next trailer drops and gives us a good look at how the adaptation may twist the original story, as it’ll feature Straw Hats that have already lived through these events.

    Source: Twitter

  • Tenoch Huerta on the Challenge of Tackling Namor as an Antagonist in ‘Wakanda Forever’

    Tenoch Huerta on the Challenge of Tackling Namor as an Antagonist in ‘Wakanda Forever’

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever is just around the corner, as it not only continues where the previous left off but also opens up the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a new corner, the introduction of Talocan. Tenoch Huerta is set to take on the role of Namor, who is a major player in the comics but is taking on a more antagonist role in the sequel.

    With the prospect of the character being more than just your run-of-the-mill Marvel villain, the actor and director Ryan Coogler had a tough challenge to find the perfect balance on how to explore the character’s story. Huerta opened up on the challenge in the official press conference for the upcoming Marvel Studios release.

    It is tricky, when you have a character like this, because you are the antagonist. You gonna destroy something that is not just in the story, but the people, you know? The people outside. A lot of people feel identification with Wakanda, and I’m include myself in Wakanda, and the narrative and representation and everything. So, now I have to play the bad guy who destroy [laughs], or try to destroy that legacy. And but at the same time, I think Ryan, the script, and, you know, he found a way to make it human, to justify why that people do that kind of thing.

    Tenoch Huerta

    The character taking on Wakanda and the challenge of still keeping a chance of people rooting for the character even after he attacks Wakanda, a place they’ve become familiar with and connected throughout the years. He highlights the beauty of the story by exploring grief from different perspectives, as the story explores “two characters, taking different directions with the grief and the threat” that faces them. In turn, it makes the core of the story quite human.

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ is a Cinematic Ocean of Potential

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ is a Cinematic Ocean of Potential

    The following article exploring the potential cinematic potential of Netflix’s One Piece adaptation was inspired by chatting with some great people on the Discord fan page for the live-action adaptation. If you want to join the conversation, you can check out their Discord by clicking here or following @OPLAfandom on Twitter.

    Netflix has been anxiously looking for its next major hit by investing quite a bit into upcoming projects. Right now, Jonathan Entwistle has been quite busy developing a cinematic universe based on the popular Saban superhero team, the Power Rangers. They are actively looking for their next Stranger Things, as it not only became quite the rating hit in its fourth season but also is now set to build its own cinematic universe. With three candidates on their radar to take that duty, it does seem like the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece may be exactly what they are looking for.

    As of now, showrunners Matt Owens and Steve Maeda are working on the first season of the series with no announcement of future seasons hinted at so far. There have been talks of the budget for this series to potentially rival Marvel Studios’ outings, which hints at the hope for this project to become a tentpole of the streaming service. So, it does seem safe to assume that there’s hope to build more out of just the base series once the newly formed Straw Hat pirates enter the Grand Line.

    Netflix’s upcoming series will be an ambitious adaptation of a series that is currently still running and has over 1,000+ chapters under its belt. Eiichiro Oda has become well known for his ambition and love for worldbuilding which is reflected in his work. Even as we visit various islands alongside the Straw Hats’ journey, we also meet others that are following along on their very own journeys. These have commonly been slowly revealed with each new chapter release.

    The first season will seemingly include the cover story focused on Helmeppo and Coby’s adventures becoming Marines, as they’ve also announced the casting of Garp who doesn’t directly appear in the original East Blue Saga. Yet, there are some other stories that may not fit into the overarching storyline to further develop characters that become especially relevant later down the line. One of the most recent cover stories even managed to tie directly into the events that are unfolding in the story.

    In a way, some stories might be worth their own exploration as spinoff series or specials from the main storyline. Portgas D. Ace’s story after reuniting with Luffy in Alabasta could act as a bridge to his future appearance while also exploring his backstory as a member of the Whitebeard pirates. It would help further establish characters that usually only get a short amount of screen time while further building the mystique of who they are and what role they have in the story.

    There’s also the aftermath exploring what the Baroque Works members are up to after Alabasta, which could become its own project. While there’s no necessity to create a cinematic universe based around One Piece, the original manga sets up enough opportunities to do so. The Grand Line is filled with possibilities and it wouldn’t be too surprising if the potential of expanding this series might be a selling point for Netflix.

    If cinematic universes are what streamers are looking for nowadays, One Piece has the most potential based on the existing material alone. Its creator is also involved with the project and they could potentially establish their own stories that further expand the world we live in. Perhaps getting a chance to explore the different sides of the Marines with a series that introduces some of the recurring members we meet throughout the Straw Hat journey.

    The biggest challenge the series will face is establishing a completely new island with its own politics, history, and so much more. Perhaps taking some of that weight off by using spinoff projects to build up some elements that could muddy the experience. We don’t need to know the full structure of the Marines’ internal hierarchy if another project already covers the details through the lens of a member building his path through the ranks; potentially even hinting at a story element we wouldn’t see until further down into the New World.

    While the direction of this series also strongly depends on how popular the first season ends up being, there definitely is a potential to do so. The upcoming live-action adaptation will set the groundwork for where this project goes and how it adapts the original manga series. If the first season is a success and viewers end up falling in love with the world, there’s a lot more to show them why they should stick around to uncover all secrets of the Grand Line.