Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Fool’s Theory Developing a Remake of ‘The Witcher’

    Fool’s Theory Developing a Remake of ‘The Witcher’

    The Witcher is back, literally. While work has begun on a fourth entry of the iconic gaming franchise by CD Project Red, developer Fools Theory is actively working on a remake of the first entry. It is the project that was hinted at with the codename Canis Majoris and will be developed in Unreal Engine 5 according to the new announcement. they also unveiled the logo for the Remake, which teases the firey return of the game that started it all.

    If you’re wondering if the game will release anytime soon, it is only in its early stages of development. Veteran Witcher staff are working on the project under the banner of the Polish studio Fool’s Theory with CD Projekt Red still having full creative supervision of the project. Studio head Adam Badowski had the following to say about the game’s development:

    The Witcher is where it all started for us, for CD PROJEKT RED. It was the first game we made, ever, and it was a big moment for us then. Going back to this place and remaking the game for the next generation of gamers to experience it feels just as big, if not bigger. Collaborating with Fool’s Theory on the project is just as exciting, as some of the people there have been previously involved in The Witcher games. They know the source material well, they know how much gamers have been looking forward to seeing the remake happen, and they know how to make incredible and ambitious games. And although it will take some time before we’re ready to share more about and from the game, I know it’ll be worth the wait

    Adam Badowski

    Given that the first Witcher game was released in 2007 and was a far cry from what the series would develop into, it’s also a great chance fo those that didn’t get a chance to play it. Plus, with the hype surrounding the Netflix series, it’s a perfect time for the franchise’s return.

    Source: The Witcher

  • Charlize Theron Teases Clea’s Return to the MCU

    Charlize Theron Teases Clea’s Return to the MCU

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow with many new iconic characters from the comics making their debut throughout the Phase 4 entries. While there are still quite a few questions on what the future has in store for them, there are a few that seemingly may have a bigger connection to the overarching plot of the Multiverse Saga. One of those characters is the recently introduced Clea, who appeared as a surprise cameo in the post-credit sequence of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    Charlize Theron is taking on the role, but there hasn’t been any announcement or hint on when we might expect her in a future project. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, she didn’t give away any details but did play around teasing that she is definitely going to return to the MCU at some point in the future.

    Let’s just say I have some work to do… I don’t quite know who she is yet, but I will.

    Charlize Theron

    Her introduction in the MCU was certainly a random addition that many might not have quite understood, especially with how fast the post-credit followed up the events that finished the film. It’ll be interesting to see how they explore her ties to Dormammu or even if we get a sequel to Doctor Strange that leads into the new Avengers films. The Multiverse Saga has only just begun and there are many possible routes where she could return.

    Source: Jimmy Kimmel via The Direct

  • ‘True Detective’ Season 4 Adds Three to its Cast

    ‘True Detective’ Season 4 Adds Three to its Cast

    HBO has been quite busy with quite a few adaptations on the way. While all eyes at the moment are on The Last of Us adaptation, they are already continuing their work on the fourth season of True Detective. With the subtitle Night Country, the anthology series will see Jodie Foster and Kali Reis taking the lead this time around. Now, the project which will be run by Issa López, has added to its cast with Aka Niviâna, Joel D. Montgrand, and Isabella Star Lablanc joining the production.

    The story will explore the long winter nights in Ennis, Alaska as six men vanish after working on an Arctic Research Station. Foster will play the role of detective Liz Danvers alongside Reis‘ Evangeline Navarro. Niviâna will take on the role of Julia, who is Navarro’s sister who is battling demons. Montgrand is taking on the role of Navarro’s love interest Eddie Qavvik, who is a local musher. Danvers’ stepdaughter Leah will be played by Lablanc.

    It’s definitely looking to be another promising entry in the anthology, which followed a different set of detectives each season. The first entry made quite a splash with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in the leading roles. It’ll be interesting to see what they may add to this project and how it’ll stand out from the previous entries.

    Source: Deadline

  • Seth Rogen’s ‘Sausage Party’ Returns With New Series

    Seth Rogen’s ‘Sausage Party’ Returns With New Series

    You read that title correctly, Seth Rogen‘s adult-animated film about talking grocery items is about to make a return. This time around, the story continues in an eight-episode TV series that’ll be titled Sausage Party: Foodtopia. It’ll stream on Amazon Prime Video but story details are being kept under wraps. The announcement from Rogen on Twitter highlights the returning cast of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Edward Norton, and more.

    Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg shared the following joint statement on the new series announcement.

    Film used to be the superior art form to television, and we humbly reached the pinnacle of what can be achieved with film in our remarkable opus, Sausage Party. But now that film is completely dead and TV is the forever-king of entertainment, we’ve decided to continue the epic adventures of our culinary crew in the soon-to-be-legendary televised masterpiece Sausage Party: Foodtopia.

    SethRogen and Evan Goldberg

    The series will act as a sequel to the 2016 film, which followed the story of the sausage Frank, voiced by Rogen, and his love for the hot dog bun Brenda, played by Wiig. Curiously, it does seem like Salma Hayek is not returning for this series, as she played Teresa del Taco in the film and had a significant role. It’ll be interesting to see how they adapt this as a series, especially with its raunchy humor and the shock value of the original concept no longer being its main selling point. Perhaps humans will try to take back the grocery store that the food items took over, or some infighting due to their believes could lead to more carnage. Whatever it may be, it looks like we’re going to find out in 2024.

    Source: Twitter, IGN

  • REVIEW: First 2 Episodes of Netflix’s ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Offer a Promising Start

    REVIEW: First 2 Episodes of Netflix’s ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Offer a Promising Start

    The first two episodes have been released for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities and they offer a window into what the future of this horror anthology will bring to the table. The concept of horror anthologies is nothing new, may it be in TV form with The Twilight Zone, the V/H/S film franchise, or The ABCs of Death. There’s something special about exploring the genre from many different perspectives that explore the genre in many different ways. Luckily, Cabinet of Curiosities already teases that the series will offer exactly that.

    We are given two distinct episodes with Guillermo Navarro‘s Lot 36 and Vincenzo Natali‘s Graveyard Rats. The only true connection point is that each episode opens with Guillermo del Toro offering a small tease of what’s to come in the episodes with a trinket hinting at what the individual episodes have to offer. It’s a great little homage to classic horror anthologys where the host sets the right mood and del Toro is definitely the person you want to tell you what fears are heading your way.

    Lot 36

    Navarro‘s Lot 36 explores the story of Tim Blake Nelson‘s Nick. A man owing money to the wrong people and desperate enough to ensure he can make a quick buck off of forgotten storage units. The story is mainly carried by Nelson‘s performance as he offers us a man that is constantly on edge and just taking it out on the rest of the world. He’s definitely not meant to be likable but with the knowledge of it being a horror story, who knows what demonic things may be heading his way. Luckily, the episode offers a slow but satisfying build-up.

    The episode is best explained as a showcase of consequences. It uses an underlying mystery about a strange man performing strange rituals in front of his storage unit to make you question what may be included but doesn’t truly show all its cards. Making use of the base concept, a lot of what is hidden away in this storage unit hints at where the story is heading. The only drawback is that as great as the ending is, it goes by fast. The pay-off is definitely there in spades but it did feel like it could’ve used a bit more time to build tension.

    With a core mystery being the building blocks of the slow burn, it was a shame it didn’t build upon that some more. Just like Nelson‘s character, the ending wanted to get it done with. Even if the pathos was satisfying, there still is that feeling that it ends just as it’s getting good. It’s a very grounded story that has a great escalation, it just hit a satisfying ending a bit too early. Even so, it’s a great first episode and you can definitely see this was a passion project. Even with little scares, it’s definitely a memorable way to kick off an anthology.

    Graveyard Rats

    The second entry by Natali, Graveyard Rats, sees David Hewlett‘s Masson try his best to take care of his graveyard by stealing from the many patrons that remain buried there. The opening is actually a fun diversion as he stops two grave robbers only to turn out to be one himself. Just like Nick, we have another character down on his luck, who is desperately trying to get his hands on anything he can sell to get out of his debt. It’s a shame the general motivation for both episodes being baseline the same but the vibe is what makes this entry stand out.

    The project still isn’t as scary, it does act as a more comedic take on the genre. It doesn’t fully go Army of Darkness, but you can feel like there’s some fun with the project. Hewlett is a blast as the character and the project offers some really beautiful shots that are that perfect little “extra” to make it stand out from the previous entry. We also get to explore the character going through more of a journey, as things just continue to escalate for him.

    As the name implies, the core story is about rats, and without really spoiling anything, it does take a sudden left turn towards the end; a bit of a déjà-vu. It technically could’ve done without but it does add a bit more fun mythology to this one-off story. Who knows if perhaps they could revisit it similar to how Love, Death and Robots had a sequel episode to a previous season. Still, the main focus of the story is still prevalent, and plays around with some really great imagery and the fears that any of us.

    It still doesn’t quite scare you as much as it could, but it makes for a great little story. I do wish that the second entry would’ve been more distinct from the previous episodes but it still is tonally and visually distinct to distract from those surface-level similarities. If this is the direction they are going with this series, it’ll definite must-watch for anyone who loves the genre and wants to see some fun directions with it.

  • ‘Joker’ Sequel Not Part of DC Studios, Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Franchise Uncertain

    ‘Joker’ Sequel Not Part of DC Studios, Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ Franchise Uncertain

    The news not too long ago broke that Warner Bros. Discovery has found its new head(s) of the newly founded DC Studios. Walter Hamada’s former DC Films now has two co-CEOs in The Suicide Squad director James Gunn and long-time producer Peter Safran. Of course, the studio’s plans, at least what WBD CEO David Zaslav imagines, will create its own cinematic universe moving forward. So, it opens the question of what that means for other entries in the franchise such as the Joker sequel and Matt Reeve‘s The Batman franchise.

    Todd Phillips‘ upcoming Joker: Folie á Deux will not be supervised by the newly formed CEO duo but rather fall under the supervision of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. As such, it seems very likely that this project will act independently from the other DC projects, especially as it mainly explores a unique take on a familiar character. Matt Reeves‘ The Batman universe however is the biggest question mark to date. While we just got the news that they are moving forward with an Arkham Asylum-based series, it seems that its place in the universe is still uncertain.

    We might have to wait a bit before we find out any actual details on what the future of the DCEU will look like; if it’ll have that name moving forward. The Batman will likely continue given the recent success of the first film’s entry with Penguin’s spinoff already starting production. It does seem like they won’t be rebooting the entire franchise but use the current projects as a jumping-off point. Black Adam just released and various other projects are already ins some form of development. So, we’ll have to see if they are just waiting for The Flash to reboot the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘The Staircase’ Creator Joins ‘The Batman’s Arkham Asylum Spinoff as Showrunner

    ‘The Staircase’ Creator Joins ‘The Batman’s Arkham Asylum Spinoff as Showrunner

    We’ve long wondered what exactly is happening with The Batman spinoff series focused on Arkham Asylum. While Colin Farrell‘s Penguin spinoff has recently started picking up speed, it seems that the untitled Arkham series is finally moving forward. Variety has shared that the creator of The Staircase, Antonio Campos, has joined the production as its showrunner. He will also act as executive producer and director for the series but only if his version gets the greenlight.

    It should be noted that he’s the third writer to join the DC project, which has been announced all the way back in 2020. It originally started as a show focused on Gotham PD before it slowly merged into a project focused on the iconic insane asylum of Gotham. Terence Winter was originally attached to the project before Joe Barton took over, which was the point it took its current direction.

    Matt Reeves is still attached to producing the series and he had hinted at it being a horror series that takes place in the same universe. There’s still no word if we should expect this project potentially acting as a sequel to the events of the first film or even as a prequel, especially with the untold story of how Barry Keoghan‘s Joker ended up in Arkham. Whatever direction the project takes, it’ll definitely be interesting and we’ll see if the project even starts rolling the cameras at some point.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Nun’ Sequel Adds Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose

    ‘The Nun’ Sequel Adds Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose

    2022 has been quite a successful year for horror franchise revivals. Not only did we get the third entry of the new incarnation of Halloween, but even saw Scream return with a new sequel to quite the success. It’s been a good year for long-running horror franchises and The Conjuring is ready to expand upon its spinoff, The Nun.

    The sequel to the 2018 blockbuster release was based on a story written by James Wann and directed by Corin Hard, who adapted it based on a script by Gary Dauberman. The sequel’s plot still remains under wraps, but Taissa Farmiga will reprise her role as Sister Irene, who witnessed the events from the first film alongside the priest played by Demián Bichir. She will be joined by Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose in the sequel.

    Michael Chaves will direct the sequel after his work on The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which is the seventh entry in the franchise and has made quite a splash at the box office. As of now, The Conjuring franchise has already passed $2 billion worldwide and is the highest-earning horror franchise of all time.

    The scrapped is based on Akela Cooper, who also worked on M3GAN but the project has gone through some revisions by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing. Currently, The Safran Company and Atomic Monsters are set to produce with Wan once again serving as a producer on the project alongside Peter Safran.

    Source: Deadline

  • BREAKING: James Gunn and Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios

    BREAKING: James Gunn and Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios

    DC has been desperately looking for Kevin Feige to lead their DC division to rival that of Marvel Studios. Up to this point, it didn’t seem like anyone was truly interested in the job, mostly due to the current development with Warner Bros. Discovery. Still, it seems their long search has not resulted in one but rather two new leads for the division.

    James Gunn and Peter Safran have been tapped to lead the DC’s future film, TV, and animation slates. They will act as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, which was recently led by Walter Hamada under the title of DC Films. It’s definitely a curious development and we’ll see just how big their role will be under CEO David Zaslav, who is seemingly cutting down projects left and right. For now, it seems they have a four-year deal for now.

    It seems that the two have been spotted for some time on the Warners lot meeting with Warner Bors. film co-chair Michael De Luca, but most assumed it could be for future projects. As it turns out, they have some bigger projects in mind. Though Gunn‘s role as co-CEO does raise the question of what his future as a director will look like. He is returning for Peacemaker Season 2, but he may have to pull back with the new workload on his back.

    The title of DC Studios will likely pull in even more comparisons to Marvel Studios, but the question remains what exactly the plans are? At the moment, the studio still has multiple projects that take place in their own dimensions within the cinematic multiverse, but there’s no clear goal or if they will try to establish a “mainline” universe as the Marvel Cinematic Universe did. For now, we’ll have to see once actual plans come together.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter, Twitter

  • ‘Black Adam’ Pulls in Fall’s Strongest Weekday at the Domestic Box Office

    ‘Black Adam’ Pulls in Fall’s Strongest Weekday at the Domestic Box Office

    The fall has not been kind to the box office, as there have been barely any releases to keep cinemas afloat. Yet, there’s a lot of hope that Black Adam has a chance to do exactly that and it does seem like the latest DC flick is doing numbers for Dwayne Johnson‘s usual fare. While the weekend went beyond the initial expectations with a B+ CinemaScore, it still had a strong Monday showing.

    Pulling in $67M over the weekend, the film has the best weekday release for this fall season with $4.5M, which is ahead of Smile‘s $2.98M on a Tuesday. As of now, the film stands at $71.5M total in four days. The release also beat last year’s Halloween Kills‘ $2.7M and Dune‘s $1.75M, which was released on Peacock and HBO Max alongside its theatrical release.

    The film also manages to pass other Dwayne Johnson-led projects like Central Intelligence with $4M, Jumanji: Next Level‘s $3.58M, Jungle Cruise‘s $3.7M, and others. It only hasn’t beaten out Hobbs and Shaw, which leads his weekday numbers with $5.87M and San Andreas‘ $4.8M. Yet, the film is already ahead of the Fast and Furious spinoff and will be the ultimate test of just how much staying power his film has with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the horizon ready to take a big bite out of its omentum.

    Source: Deadline