Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Jared Kirschenbaum

  • ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Rounds Out Cast With Fionnula Flanagan and 10 More

    ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Rounds Out Cast With Fionnula Flanagan and 10 More

    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel that will follow 18-year-old Cornelius Snow in the 10th Annual Hunger Games, has added eleven actors to its roster. Tony Award nominee Fionnula Flanagan, as well as Isobel Jesper Jones, Flora Li Thiemann, Honor Gillies, Eike Onyambu, Konstantin Taffet, Burn Gorman, Scott Folan, Carl Spencer, Michael Greco, and Daniela Grubert have joined the cast.

    The film is led by Tom Blyth, who will play a young Coriolanus Snow, and Rachel Zegler, who plays tribute Lucy Gray Baird from the impoverished District 12. Other announced stars include Josh Andrés Rivera, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jerome Lance, Ashley Liao, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples, Hiroki Berrecloth, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.

    Flanagan has signed on to play Grandma’am, young Coriolanus Snow’s strict grandmother. Jones will play Mayfair Lipp, the daughter of the mayor of District 12. Thiemann will portray Livia Carden, mentor to a tribute from District 1. Meanwhile, Gillies, Onyambu, and Taffet have all signed on as Barb Azure, Tam Amber, and Clerk Carmine – members of the Convey, a group of nomads in District 12. Additionally, Gorman, Folan, and Spencer will be portraying Commander Hoff, Beanpole, and Smiley – Peacekeepers sent by the Capitol to District 12. Lastly, Greco and Grubert are set to portray Strabo Plinth and Mrs. Plinth, wealthy parents to Sejanus Plinth, Coriolanus’s best friend.

    The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was written by Hunger Games writer Suzanne Collins and was published in 2020. The book is set 64 years before the events of the Hunger Games. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who helmed the franchise’s Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two. The most recent screenplay for the film has been developed by Michael Lesslie and the film is currently set to be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Pachinko’ Star Joins Apple TV+’s ‘Godzilla’ Monsterverse Spinoff

    ‘Pachinko’ Star Joins Apple TV+’s ‘Godzilla’ Monsterverse Spinoff

    Apple TV+ and Legendary Television’s untitled Godzilla series is adding to its cast. According to Deadline, Pachinko star Mari Yamamoto has joined the cast of the monster series, tentatively titled Hourglass. The series is set in the aftermath of the battle between Godzilla and the Titans in San Francisco. It follows a family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets that link them to the secret organization, Monarch. It will also directly connect to Legendary’s Monsterverse.

    While details on her role are under wraps, Yamamoto joins a cast that already includes Anna Sawai (F9: The Fast Saga), Ren Watabe (461 Days of Bento), Kiersey Clemons (Transparent, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown), and Elisa Lasowski (Versailles). Yamamoto previously worked with Sawai on the Apple TV+ series Pachinko, where they played Hana and Naomi, respectively. The series also stars father and son acting duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell in unknown roles.

    Matt Shakman, who directed Marvel Studios’ WandaVision for Disney+, is set to direct the first two episodes of the series. Shakman will also serve as an executive producer on the series. The still-untitled series hails from Chris Black (Outcast, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Matt Fraction (Hawkeye), who co-created the series. Black will also serve as the showrunner of the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • Five Cases We’d Love She-Hulk to Litigate in the MCU

    Five Cases We’d Love She-Hulk to Litigate in the MCU

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is set to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first foray into legal comedy. And in typical procedural fashion, there will most likely be a new court case every episode or two. With that being said, here are 5 potential court cases that Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, could litigate in her Disney+ series or any of her future appearances in the MCU. Dun-Dun!

    Case #1: Rhodes v. Hammer

    This is something that’s been done in the comics, but it could be a lot of fun in the MCU. Especially because, while they constantly like to hint at its existence, they’ve never really explored in-universe superhero merchandising to its fullest potential. In the comics, Kingpin owns the merchandising rights to Spider-Man. While Kingpin and Spider-Man wouldn’t be the right characters to do this with here, there is a different hero that’s been on the Avengers, whose enemy could realistically take over their merchandising rights. Honestly, it could actually be really fun to have Justin Hammer purchase the merchandising rights for War Machine.

    There could be a Stark Industries fire-sale where Justin Hammer manages to scrounge together some money to secure the rights to sell merchandise based on the War Machine. Hammer can go all out on running the property into the ground, all the while making a huge profit. Rhodes can reach out to She-Hulk for help going up against Hammer in court, suing to get the War Machine merchandising rights back. However, Hammer can retort, claiming that it was he who created the War Machine to begin with. Most of the design choices of the War Machine suit were his, as Rhodes and Stark were using a plain old Iron Man suit. Therefore, they would not be selling War Machine merchandise without Hammer in the first place. It could be a lot of fun.

    Case #2: The Innocent Bystander

    Remember in Doctor Strange when, after discovering that the Hong Kong Sanctum had fallen, Strange uses the Time Stone to reverse time? Well, it could be funny to see a civilian who was brought back to life after being killed in the Hong Kong Sanctum attack try to collect his own life insurance, since he technically died. Now, this guy can be well-meaning and have good intentions. Maybe he is down on his luck and needs some money. So, he goes to She-Hulk with a brilliant idea: he is going to sue his insurance company, making the case that even though he is alive now, he did die, so they should give him his life insurance money. It’s something that could even be further examined with those that disappeared as part of the snap, only to come back and find their lives had forever changed.

    Case #3: Crimes of the Widows

    A black widow needs to prove that she was under mind-control when she committed a murder. Mind-control has been a fixture of the MCU since Phase 1, with characters such as Bucky Barnes and Hawkeye being forced to carry out horrible acts while under another’s command. This could be a great opportunity to examine whether or not someone should be held responsible for crimes they’ve committed while under mind-control; something the MCU has never fully acknowledged. While this could also work with Bucky, it would probably be best suited for a black widow, since there’s not really a lot of record of what they’ve done, making it easier for different crimes and assassinations to be pinned on them.

    One black widow could be forced to stand trial for a murder they committed while under mind-control, and She-Hulk would have to come up with a way to prove this to the jury, as well as convince them that she should not be held responsible. Bucky could be brought in to testify as a character witness, explaining how mind-control works. She-Hulk could even mind-control an unconvinced member of the jury; a fun way to persuade them that mind-control is real.

    Case #4: What Makes a God?

    After an Asgardian breaks a local law, She-Hulk could defend them on the basis that you cannot sue a “god.” This would be a great opportunity to explore the nature of “godhood” in the MCU, especially after Thor: Love and Thunder failed to really examine what makes an Asgardian – or any other “deity” in the MCU for that matter – a “god.” Maybe the Asgardians can be a little more sympathetic in this situation. Perhaps the Roxxon Energy Corporation wants to force the Asgardians off of New Asgard so they can dig for oil. She-Hulk can defend the Asgardians and their land, claiming that wherever they are currently is technically sacred ground because they are all “gods” of a religion that did use to exist. There is plenty of room for them to play around with this concept.

    Case #5: Hammer v. Stern

    Justin Hammer sues to get out of jail, making the case that he was manipulated by Hydra member Senator Stern. There should be more Justin Hammer in the MCU, so why not throw him into She-Hulk: Attorney at Law? And this one’s interesting because Hammer was working with Senator Stern, played by Garry Shandling in Iron Man 2. They were on the same side and the Senator seemed to be propping Hammer up. And it turns out that the Senator was working for Hydra. Now, it’s unclear if everyone working for Stern was part of Hydra, how many people knew about this, or if Hammer even knew about this at the time. However, Hammer can use this as an opportunity to get the charges on him dropped in the process, putting what remains as one of the MCU’s biggest unanswered questions to rest.

    Justin Hammer can say that Stern, being a member of Hydra, tricked him into unwillingly participating in Hydra activity, by convincing him that stopping Tony Stark was the right thing to do for the country. Hammer can claim that he didn’t know Stern was a secret evil Hydra Nazi, but ultimately, he was using this as the grounds for why he should be released from jail. Hammer is able to BS his way through the legal system, but She-Hulk can advise that part of the condition of his release be that there needs to be an Avenger looking after him. She appoints Rhodey as his custodian, which could perfectly set up Justin Hammer’s return and play out in Armor Wars.

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres on Disney+ August 18, 2022.

  • ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Adds Viola Davis

    ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel Adds Viola Davis

    Lionsgate has added yet another big name to the cast of its upcoming Hunger Games prequel, titled Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winner Viola Davis has joined the cast as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head game maker of the 10th annual Hunger Games.

    Dr. Gaul is as cruel as she is creative and as fearsome as she is formidable. Snow’s savvy as a political operator develops in no small part due to his experiences with her as the games’ most commanding figure.

    Francis Lawrence

    Davis – who will next be seen in The Woman King – joins a cast led by Tom Blyth, who will play a young Coriolanus Snow, and Rachel Zegler, who plays tribute Lucy Gray Baird from the impoverished District 12. Other announced stars include Josh Andrés Rivera, Peter Dinklage, and Hunter Schafer, Jerome Lance, Ashley Liao, Knox Gibson, Mackenzie Lansing, Aamer Husain, Nick Benson, Laurel Marsden, Lilly Cooper, Luna Steeples, Hiroki Berrecloth and Jason Schwartzman.

    The Hunger Games films have always been elevated by their exceptional casting, and we are thrilled to be continuing that tradition with Viola Davis as Volumnia Gaul. Her formidable and powerful presence will add layers of complexity and menace to this story.

    Nathan Kahane

    Hunger Games franchise producer Nina Jacobson adds what it’s like of adding Viola Davis to the cast of the ambitious prequel.

    From the beginning, Viola has been our dream for Dr. Gaul because of the finely layered intelligence and emotion she brings to every role. A brilliant and eccentric strategist, Gaul is instrumental in shaping a young Coriolanus Snow into the man he will become. We are incredibly fortunate to have an actor with Viola’s extraordinary range and presence to play this pivotal role.

    Nina Jacobson

    Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes hits theaters on November 17, 2023.

  • Zelda Williams’ ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Adds ‘Stranger Things’ Alum And More

    Zelda Williams’ ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ Adds ‘Stranger Things’ Alum And More

    According to Deadline, Carla Gugino, Liza Soberano, Joe Chrest, and Henry Eikenberry have been added to the cast of Focus’ Lisa Frankenstein. They joined previously announced cast members Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton. The film, in which actor-filmmaker Zelda Williams will be making her directorial debut, was scripted by Juno‘s Diablo Cody. The film will follow Newton as an unpopular high school student in 1989 who accidentally re-animates a handsome Victorian corpse – played by Sprouse – during a lightning storm. She then starts to rebuild him into the man of her dreams, using the broken tanning bed in her garage.

    Per Deadline, Chrest, who best known for his role as Ted Wheeler on Stranger Things, will be portraying Newton‘s character’s father Dale. However, details as to the others’ roles haven’t been disclosed. Gugino was recently seen in Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as films like Gunpowder Milkshake and Gerald’s Game. Model and actor Eikenberry and Filipino-American actress, model and singer Soberano – best known for their roles in Euphoria and Alone/Together, respectively – will both make their Hollywood feature film debut in Lisa Frankenstein.

    Along with penning the script, Cody will serve as a producer on the film alongside Mason Novick who is producing for MXN Entertainment. Jeff Lampert serves as an executive producer, while Focus Features’ Vice President of Production and Development, Michelle Momplaisir, serves as the creative executive on the project. Though the film has entered principal photography in New Orleans, a release date has not yet been announced.

    Source: Deadline

  • DC’s ‘Strange Adventures’ Anthology Series Cancelled According to Kevin Smith

    DC’s ‘Strange Adventures’ Anthology Series Cancelled According to Kevin Smith

    Another casualty of the massive turnaround from Warner Bros Discovery, it has now been confirmed that the studio has stopped development on their Strange Adventures show for HBO Max. Announced in late October of 2019, Strange Adventures was shaping up to be a Twilight Zone-esque anthology that would’ve served as “cautionary tales set in a world where superpowers exist.” The 1-hour drama, which was to be executive produced by Greg Berlanti, would’ve involved characters from all over the DC Universe.

    Kevin Smith, who had previously collaborated with Berlanti, directing episodes of The Flash and Supergirl, revealed on Hollywood Babble-On that he had been working on an episode of Strange Adventures alongside Supergirl writer Eric Carrasco. This episode, which Smith had intended to direct, would have centered around Jimmy Olsen and Perry White being taken by Bizarro to Bizarro World. Additionally, they were looking at Nicolas Cage to play the character of Bizarro. However, according to Smith, the project has been canceled and will not be moving forward at the studio:

    “It feels like what was once, to me, a promising future of we are going to see a bunch of DC stuff on HBO Max; MORE DC stuff than we would see theatrically, including shit like Strange Adventures…gone! All of it is just f—king gone now. I got a call the other day from Eric before all of this story broke and he was just like “Strange Adventures is officially dead,” and I was like “What the f–k, are you serious?!” I know we haven’t heard from them for a while, but I guess this goes in parts with the new moves with David Zaslav. But good lord, I thought Strange Adventures being a causality kind of made sense to me. Nobody necessarily knows these characters; it sounded like an expensive show.”

    Strange Adventures‘ cancellation is indeed in line with the array of projects getting nixed by Warner Bros. Discovery. Notably, Batgirl was scrapped despite being in the post-production process and $78 million already being spent on it. Wonder Twins, a project also slated for HBO Max, was canceled earlier this year as well. And at the pace in which David Zaslav has been clearing house in terms of previously announced projects in development, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume more projects will meet an untimely end before they move any further.

  • ‘The Santa Clauses’ Adds Laura San Giacomo to its Cast

    ‘The Santa Clauses’ Adds Laura San Giacomo to its Cast

    Laura San Giacomo, who was last seen in Barry and NCIS, is the latest actor to board Disney Plus’ The Santa Clauses limited series. The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting San Giacomo has joined the series as La Befana, a Christmas Witch from Italian folklore. Per the outlet, San Giacomo‘s La Befana is said to deliver treats to good children on the morning of the epiphany.

    The Santa Clause limited series will see Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin/Santa Claus prepare to turn over the title ahead of his 65th birthday.

    “Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s suddenly starting to lose his Santa magic, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the North Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.”

    Deadline

    San Giacomo joins the previously announced Allen, as well as Elizabeth Mitchell and David Krumholtz, who reprise their roles as Mrs. Claus and Bernard the elf from the original films. The series will also star Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, Devin Bright as Noel, Austin Kane as Cal, Matilda Lawler as Betty, Rupali Redd as Grace and Kal Penn as Simon Choski.

    The limited series is helmed by Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt, whom San Giacomo worked with on Just Shoot Me. As of this writing, the series does not yet have a premiere date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Kurt and Wyatt Russell Cast in Apple TV+ and Legendary’s ‘Godzilla’ Spinoff Series

    Kurt and Wyatt Russell Cast in Apple TV+ and Legendary’s ‘Godzilla’ Spinoff Series

    Apple TV+ and Legendary Television’s untitled Godzilla series is adding to its cast. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kurt and Wyatt Russell have joined the cast of the monster series, tentatively titled Hourglass. The series is set in the aftermath of the battle between Godzilla and the Titans in San Francisco. It follows a family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets that link them to the secret organization, Monarch. It will also directly connect to Legendary’s Monsterverse.

    While details on their roles are unknown, the father and son join a cast that already includes Anna Sawai (Pachinko), Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons (Transparent, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown), and Elisa Lasowski (Versailles). The series will also be the first time that Kurt and Wyatt Russell have acted in the same project in over 2 decades. In the 1998 film Soldier, Wyatt played a young version of his father’s character. The Russells have also been featured in (separate) projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kurt played Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, while his son portrayed John Walker, a.k.a. the U.S. Agent in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+.

    Matt Shakman, who directed Marvel Studios’ WandaVision for Disney+, is set to direct the first two episodes of the series. Shakman will also serve as an executive producer on the series. The still-untitled series hails from Chris Black (Outcast, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Matt Fraction (Hawkeye), who co-created the series. Black will also serve as the showrunner of the series.

    Source: Twitter, THR

  • Samuel L. Jackson Has Begun Work on ‘The Marvels’ Reshoots

    Samuel L. Jackson Has Begun Work on ‘The Marvels’ Reshoots

    Reshoots have become a common occurrence for any Marvel Cinematic Universe project. So, it’s no surprise that the cast and crew of The Marvels have returned to give the production another go. Nick Fury actor Samuel L. Jackson has revealed that he has begun working on reshoots for the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel in a recent Instagram post. However, Jackson does not offer any details on the reshoots.

    As previously mentioned, it is pretty common for Marvel projects to enter some form of additional photography. The purpose of these reshoots is usually to assist the production team by adding elements that either could not get filmed due to scheduling conflicts, or that would help to streamline the project. The majority of modern blockbusters are screen tested, allowing the teams to get a sense for how audiences react, which they use to tweak the film.

    The Marvels is an interesting type of sequel, as it technically continues what was set up in Captain Marvel back in 2019, while also incorporating two characters that were introduced in Disney+ shows. Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani are set to make their MCU silver-screen debut as Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan respectively in the film.

    So, it is going to be quite the challenge to bring these projects together while still keeping the story focused on whatever threat they are going to face. But with recent rumors suggesting the film will partially be a musical, fans can expect a wild ride when The Marvels hits theaters on July 28, 2023.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Drops By 68% in its Second Weekend

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Drops By 68% in its Second Weekend

    Fans have all been keeping a close eye on where exactly Thor: Love and Thunder would end up in its second weekend. After quite the drop on its second Friday at 80%, the film still managed to pull in $46 million at the domestic box office. That makes for a 68% drop, which is higher than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ 67% drop. Still, the film grossed higher than its estimated $130 million, pulling in $144 million during its opening weekend. It’s also the same drop that Black Widow faced in its second weekend, as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    The follow-up to 2017’sThor: Ragnarok now stands at $233.2 million in its second weekend and is about to cross the half billion mark worldwide. Globally, the film stands at $498 million. However, despite opening higher than Ragnarok‘s $122.7 million, Love and Thunder was not able to out-gross the film’s second-weekend earnings of $57 million. The drop could be an indicator moving forward if this remains a trend. The 68% drop is similar to that of other summer superhero blockbusters, such as Man of Steel (67.9%) and Fantastic Four (68.2%). And with Top Gun: Maverick raking in $1.2 billion, it is clear that Marvel is getting beaten at the box office this summer.

    It seems that general audiences are not connecting with Thor: Love and Thunder as much as they did Thor: Ragnarok. CinemaScore has given the film a general audience consensus of B+, compared to Ragnarok‘s A. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also received a B+, and ended up grossing $950 million worldwide. Only time will tell if Love and Thunder will have the same momentum.