Murphy's Multiverse

Author: John Sabato

  • Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah Set to Direct ‘Batgirl’ for HBO Max

    Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah Set to Direct ‘Batgirl’ for HBO Max

    Batgirl is a film that’s been dragged along with the DCEU since the days before Justice League. Joss Whedon was once attached to direct the project and a while back Christina Hodson, writer on Birds of Prey and the upcoming DC film The Flash, penned a script for the film but all went quiet since then. Now it’s being reported by The Hollywood Reporter that directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who recently wrapped on the upcoming Disney+ series Mrs.Marvel, have been tapped to direct the film surrounding the character, intended for release on HBO Max.

    The project is set to be produced by Kristin Burr, who previously worked on Cruella, and shared just how excited they are to bring the character to life. “With Batgirl, we hope to take the audience on a fun ride and see a different side of Gotham” and continued with “Christina’s script is crackling with spirit. Adil and Bilall have an excited and joyous energy which is infectious, making them the perfect filmmakers for this Batproject. And I’m just psyched I get to be part of the DC universe, which is super cool.”

    Barbra Gordon could be just what the DCEU needs to fill the bat-shaped hole that’s plagued it since Ben Affleck’s exit. The character was notoriously absent from the recent Birds of Prey film in which she is generally depicted leading. The film in question mentions that Batman has in fact gone missing and is currently awol. This could be just the inspiration that Barbra needs to suit up as the newest caped crusader.

    Batgirl currently has no release date and has yet to cast its lead. There is also no word on is J.K. Simmons will return as Commissioner Gordon, following his brief appearance in 2017’s Justice League.

    SOURCE: THR

  • Animated ‘Injustice’ Film In Development

    Animated ‘Injustice’ Film In Development

    Many fans always wondered what would happen if the DC Universe got turned upside down. What would happen if Superman embraced a darker side? The various Crisis events in the DC universe did tease this potential, but it wasn’t until NetherRealm Studio that went all-in with their Injustice franchise. The fighting games pitted villains and heroes alike to see who would be the last one standing. Its story was a standout when the first entry, Injustice: Gods Among Us, released in 2013. Now, WB Home Entertainment announced they are developing an animated film based on the Injustice franchise. We didn’t receive any details on the project, but we can expect an advanced sneak peek available in the upcoming release of the Batman: The Long Halloween Part II animated film.

    With the film getting announced out of nowhere, there’s little to no information on the project. Warner Bros has not announced any plot details or casting as of now. The film could be an animated retelling or be part of their new choose-your-own-adventure animated films. WB Animation released an animated retelling of Under The Red Hood that gave the viewer a choice on how the events unfolded

    The games did something similar. In the ending of Injustice 2, you were given a choice that resulted in one of two endings. One resulted in Superman getting banished to the Phantom Zone while the other saw him combine with Brainiac. As a consequence, he built an army to protect Earth and continue his rule overall. The games had an amazing roster to play with and we can expect a lot of familiar faces in the upcoming film. Here’s hoping the sneak peek offers more details on what to expect.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Camrus Johnson Suits Up as Batwing in New ‘Batwoman’ Set Photos

    Camrus Johnson Suits Up as Batwing in New ‘Batwoman’ Set Photos

    Throughout Batman’s long-running history in comics, there’s always been a constant theme of family. Since the introduction of Robin, his family has grown exponentially with the inclusions of characters like Batgirl, Huntress, and Batwoman. CW’s adaptation of Batwoman has embraced this concept and continued to expand the series’ family since the first season. After Ruby Rose‘s departure, Javicia Leslie took over the role through the character of Ryan Wilder, who previously made her comic debut in Batgirl #50. It looks like they plan on adding more to this universe’s bat family. They recently introduced the character of Stephanie Brown, and it looks like one original member finally gets to don a cape of his own.

    Since season one, Camrus Johnson has acted as Batwoman’s man in the chair. He was acting behind the scenes as Batwoman’s Oracle and even took a few pages out of his father’s book by upgrading her gear. It looks like his time in the chair is finally over as brand new set photos have found their way online revealing the actor in a Batwing costume.

    For those unfamiliar with the character, he is the son of Lucius Fox. In the comics, he is currently the second person to hold the mantle of Batwing. Lucas made his debut with the mantle in 2013’s Batwing #19 through Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray‘s work. He has been a recurring character in Gotham since his debut. He was also a master of mixed martial arts and skilled detective who wears a suit equipped with a powerful arsenal of weapons and gadgets, all while being able to fly. It is great they are taking a page out of the comics and giving Johnson a chance to don the suit in live-action. It’ll be interesting to see how they introduce it and if he might be keeping it a secret from the rest of the group.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘The Batman’ Merchandise Offers New Look at Paul Dano’s Riddler

    New ‘The Batman’ Merchandise Offers New Look at Paul Dano’s Riddler

    The Riddler has been one of Batman’s greatest rogues ever since the character debuted in Detective Comics #140 back in 1948. He was famous for his mind, one that rivaled even the wit of the caped crusader, putting his detective skills to the test in a constant storm of riddles that all lead back to Edward. When word got out that actor Paul Dano would be playing the character, fans were stricken with joy. The actor’s performances in Prisoners and There Will be Blood made him the perfect choice for a cunning as well as obsessed Riddler.

    The DC FanDome trailer offered a brief glimpse at the character’s redesign. Luckily, new merchandise from the upcoming film offers a closer look at Dano‘s Riddler, which was previously shrouded in thick shadows. The calendar includes a closeup of the character’s mask. It is a complete reinvention of the Batman rogue. He is famous for his green question-mark-covered clothing, domino mask, and top hat. Modern renditions ditched most of those staples, and he would reduce his wardrobe to a green shirt. This rendition of the character is sporting a full face mask, only revealing his eyes. The image reveals that he is wearing glasses underneath those goggles. 

     

     

    More graphics from the merchandise include a few more Riddler-centric months. They include the phrases “My Life has Been a Riddle” and “Unmask the Truth,” hinting at a new angle for the character. In a scene from the trailer, we hear him tell Bruce that “He’s a part of this,” adding to that theory. It feels like he could act as an anti-hero in a city like Gotham, where crime and corruption know no better home. Could this version of the Riddler be a byproduct of that society, which uses violent methods to expose the dark secrets Gothams held for years to come?

    Of course, the merchandise won’t give away every secret the film has in store for us. We cannot wait to see this rendition of the character and what Dano has to offer for the interpretation. It looks like the character has an ulterior motive that may tie directly into Bruce Wayne’s family heritage. We’ve theorized there might be a connection to build up Scott Snyder‘s Court of Owls storyline, which you can read here. Hopefully, in the coming months, we’ll get a new trailer offering a closer glimpse at what the future may hold.

    Source: Erik

  • Jason Momoa Reveals He Co-Wrote ‘Aquaman 2’

    Jason Momoa Reveals He Co-Wrote ‘Aquaman 2’

    2018’s Aquaman took one of the oldest as well as most prominent characters in DC and rose the character to new heights. For years, he was always the butt of the joke, as many saw him as a glorified lifeguard with a social life that consisted of marine life. The first film saw the return of Jason Momoa as the titular Atlantean hero after his debut in a brief sequence in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He was the product of two worlds, a relationship that never should’ve been. In the franchise’s first entry, he teamed up with Mera and Vulko to find the Trident of Atlan and unite the seven kingdoms that once made up Atlantis.

    Following the film’s critical and financial success, a sequel was quickly greenlit with James Wan returning to direct. While plot details for the upcoming film are still under wraps, Momoa recently shared some interesting tidbits on The Drew Barrymore Show on the film’s production:

    After we ended the first one I went in with my writing partner and we dreamed up the second one and we went in and pitched the idea and the best thing I can give you is that I love it so much that I participated in the writing of it. And so, we did the first treatment and then James and our original writer David finished it off and all of our hearts are in it. Instead of just like getting a script and doing that like you are 100% being encouraged by your director and co-writers so that’s exciting for me and I’m excited to go over there. I leave in July and we start filming.

    Momoa being much more hands-on with the upcoming sequel shows just how important this role is to him. He also confirmed that filming on the anticipated follow-up begins this summer. Hopefully, we’ll get more casting news on the rest of the sequel’s cast as we get closer to the production start.

    If you want to check out the original interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, you can check it out here:

     

    Source: YouTube via Heroic Hollywood 

  • Leslie Odom Jr. Joins Upcoming ‘Knives Out’ Sequel

    Leslie Odom Jr. Joins Upcoming ‘Knives Out’ Sequel

    There is no stopping Ryan Johnson‘s upcoming Knives Out sequel. Throughout the last few days, we’ve been getting one casting announcement after another. It looks like his next entry in the Netflix-owned franchise will feature another stellar all-star cast. With production set to begin in Greece sometime this summer, casting on the project has kicked into full gear. Following his recent Oscar nomination for their work in One Night in Miami, actor Leslie Odom Jr is set to join the cast of the upcoming sequel in an undisclosed role.

    Odom joins the likes of recent additions such as Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, and Edward Norton in what’s undoubtedly going to be a cast that’ll definitely rival that of the first. The sequel to 2019’s Knives Out will instead release exclusively on Netflix. This development comes after it was announced in a massive $400M+ deal that they’d acquired two sequels. In it, we got the confirmation that writer and director Rian Johnson will return alongside Daniel Craig.

    The sequel currently has no set release date as production on the film has yet to begin. The film was once again written by Johnson who will produce the project alongside Ram Bergman. There have been no hints at what direction the film will go or even what kind of setting we can expect. If they are filming in Greece, we can expect a story taking place in that region. Perhaps Benoist Blanc’s vacation gets disrupted by a sudden case of murder?

    Source: THR

  • Mark Strong Not Returning for ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’

    Mark Strong Not Returning for ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’

    The first Shazam film followed Billy Batson’s journey into becoming a hero and facing his first real supervillain, Thaddeus Sivana. The character was played by Mark Strong and left quite an impression. After the credits rolled, he was visited by the sentient caterpillar Mr. Mind in jail, which led to many of us assuming they would become the main antagonists in the sequel. The recent castings have pointed the sequel in a different direction and in a recent interview with Den of Geek, Strong confirmed that he would not be returning for the sequel.

    I literally spoke to the producer last night, because I saw that Zach Levi tweeted that they’re about to start shooting in Atlanta. Doctor Sivana isn’t in Shazam! 2. What’s happened is, I think Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu and perhaps someone else — they’ve got some female villains in. And to be honest with you, I’m very happy to take a back seat to some female villains and let them have a go, because judging by the work that Emma Thompson and Emma Stone have done in Cruella, it’s about time.

    It’s entirely possible Sivana and Mind could return in a future project. They may be assembling the Monster Society of Evil behind the scenes so that they have a fighting chance against the newly founded Shazamily. Shazam: Fury of the Gods will release in 2023 and will see the additions of Luci Liu and Helen Mirren in antagonistic roles.

    Source: Den of Geeks via Heroic Hollywood

  • ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Boyd Holbrook and Shaunette Renée Wilson

    ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Boyd Holbrook and Shaunette Renée Wilson

    The highly anticipated fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise is currently in development and is currently rounding out its cast. Many new faces are set to join Harrison Ford in what would be his first appearance as the character since 2008’s Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. Plot details for the upcoming film are still under wraps for the first film in the series to not be directed by Steven Spielberg, as the honor of the role will go to James Mangold, best known for his work on Logan and Ford vs Ferrari.

    It’s now being reported that Indiana Jones 5 has added Boyd Holbrook, best known for his work in Narcos and Logan, and Shaunette Renée Wilson, known for her work on The Resident and in Black Panther, to its ever-expanding line of talent. This news comes following the announcement that German actor and star of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thomas Kretschmann had joined the project in an unknown role. The roles for Holbrook and Renée are both under wraps as well while  Mangold still meets with talent for the upcoming project before getting behind the camera sometime this summer.

    Indiana Jones 5 is currently set to be released on July 29th, 2022. The cast of the upcoming film also includes Madds Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in undisclosed roles alongside Ford’s iconic explorer.

    SOURCE: Deadline

     

     

  • Netflix Adds Edward Norton to ‘Knives Out’ Sequel

    Netflix Adds Edward Norton to ‘Knives Out’ Sequel

    The first Knives Out film was a smash hit, sporting an all-star cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana De Armas, Daniel Craig, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Chris Evans, and Michael Shannon. The film grossed over $300M, and it seemed like a sure thing it’ll get a sequel. A while back, Netflix announced that they closed a $400M deal acquiring the rights to two more installments in the Knives Out franchise. The follow-up films would see the return of Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc. Rian Johnson will also return as writer and director on the project.

    Yesterday, we received news that the Destroyer, Dave Bautista, will join the project in an unknown capacity. It looks like it was just the beginning, as we’ve learned that Edward Norton, best known for his roles in films such as Fight Club and Birdman, will also have a role in the upcoming film. It looks like it’ll be another star-studded cast.

    Plot details for the upcoming film remain under wraps as production on the film aims for a summer start in Greece. It’ll be interesting to see how Johnson shifts the story this time, as the first film did such a great job of reinventing the classic Whodunnit. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the film is its new setting. The first film found us set within an old family home filled with bickering relatives. Now it seems we will be taken to a new and much more exotic location, as the world becomes Johnson‘s sandbox.

    Source: THR

  • Gail Simone Confirms Involvement in Millenium’s ‘Red Sonja’ Film

    Gail Simone Confirms Involvement in Millenium’s ‘Red Sonja’ Film

    Development on the upcoming reboot of Red Sonja has begun with the project recently casting its lead in Hannah John-Kamen. Kamen joins director and co-writer Joel Soloway and writer Tasha Huo. Story details on the project have remained scarce but will most likely follow the origin of Sonja and how she came to be the sword-wielding heroine. Red Sonja has been a popular comic character since her inception, created by Roy Thomas, she first appeared alongside Conan The Barbarian in Conan The Barbarian #23. The character was later brought back to life by Gail Simone, most known for her work on Batgirl and Birds of Prey.

    Simone‘s work on the character began with Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues. It would continue with the character with Art of Blood and Fire, The Forgiving of Monsters, and an anthology series surrounding the character, properly titled Legends of Red Sonja. From the announcement of the film, Simone expressed immediate interest in the project, immediately taking to Twitter with eagerness.

    With the film recently moving closer and closer to starting production, fans immediately took to Twitter asking Simone what her thoughts on the upcoming project were. Upon the waves of comments and questions, Simone casually revealed that she’d been a consultant on the project since “almost day one!”

    Simone‘s involvement in the film is definitely a great addition to the project considering her runs on the character are some of the most beloved by fans. The project currently has no release date and has yet to add any additional members to its cast.

    Source: Twitter