Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Nicole

  • ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Will Premiere in November

    ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Will Premiere in November

    As production continues, Paramount+ has announced that its Criminal Minds reboot, Criminal Minds: Evolution, will premiere in time for the holidays. The 10-episode series will debut on the streaming network on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24th, with two episodes. The remaining eight episodes will then drop weekly on Thursdays, until its mid-season finale on Thursday, Dec. 15. Following its holiday break, Criminal Minds: Evolution will return to wrap up its first season on Thursday, Jan. 12 new episodes dropping weekly through the finale on Thursday, Feb. 9. 

    In the past, Criminal Minds saw the team solve the case usually by the episode’s end. In the revival, though, the series is expected to take a more serialized approach. Per the logline, Evolution will see the team “come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.”

    Criminal Minds: Evolution hails from showrunner Erica Messer, who worked on the original hit series. Production on the revival is currently underway. The series stars the returning cast of Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster. Joining the cast is Zach Gilford, who will portray Elias Voit, an analyst for a cyber-security firm who has a dark side and an obsession with death. 

    Source: Deadline.

  • The Cast of ‘Avatar’ on What They Love About the Films

    The Cast of ‘Avatar’ on What They Love About the Films

    Back in 2009, when Avatar flew into theaters, no one expected the James Cameron flick to become the megahit it would go on to be. Now, thirteen years later, the cast is readying for the release of the film’s long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water. Before the sequel hits theaters in December, however, Avatar will return to theaters for two weeks to allow new fans to experience the film on the big screen in 4K High Dynamic Range.

    To promote the upcoming re-release, Cameron gathered alongside the cast for a virtual press conference to discuss the franchise — both past and future. While the writer and director had plenty to say regarding how Avatar impacted blockbusters, the cast got a chance to talk about the films as a whole and why they enjoyed working on them.

    According to actor Stephen Lang, he is just grateful to have been a part of such a talented group of people. “I think I’m proud to be just part of a team of such talented, creative, generous people,” he explained. “And I think over the years that we’ve been together and apart and together, we’ve been able to kinda maintain a collegial and a forward kind of feeling amongst us. And that kind of, you know, spirit. That kind of team spirit I guess is something that I feel so pleased and gratified to be part of. And I’m just proud to be on the team.”

    While Michelle Rodriguez, who is also busy starring in the Fast & Furious franchise, it all comes down to the effort put into the storytelling. The actress feels that Cameron has put so much “mind and attention” into the storytelling, which she doesn’t feel is as valued by society these days. “I feel like Jim’s decision to tell this story is a decision also to show love and respect for life. And I feel like that’s rare,” she explained. “And I’m proudest of just being a part of that. Because I feel like it’s not done enough, you know? And for it to be as impactful as it was says a lot.”

    Sigourney Weaver, who has a long history of working with Cameron, noted she loves the character she gets to play most of all. She notes that Cameron is a bit of a scientist himself, which helped him create the character of Dr. Augustine. “I guess I’m proud that I got to play Dr. Augustine who is a scientist.  A woman scientist.  And Jim had given the world, the audience, and certainly my character this whole universe of a new flora and fauna, taking it so seriously… And so I was so proud to be part of the science of this so that you’re not dumbing down something for the mass audience.”

    Last but not least was Zoe Saldaña, who explained her excitement over belonging to a group she has much in common with and feeling as though she belongs. She also explained getting to work with Cameron has been a great experience because he’s “not an elitist,” but more of a “curious” person. “I got an opportunity to belong to a group of people that, you know, that I just, I feel I have so much in common with… You know, like jigsaw that you’re searching to belong,” she explained. “And you meet the ultimate curious person who’s Jim, and he extends, he shares, he’s curious. He’s not an elitist. And I just, you know, you get to be an artist.  I was given an opportunity, and I honestly feel that I ran with it. And then to be able to come back to that opportunity, it feels like it’s the gift that continues to give.”

    Avatar will be temporarily removed from Disney+ ahead of its re-release in theaters. The re-release will be for two weeks only beginning on Sept. 23rd and will see the film available in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range. Written and directed by Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. The film was produced by Cameron and Jon Landau. The long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, will finally be released in theaters this December, just in time for the holidays.

  • James Cameron on How ‘Avatar’ Impacted Blockbusters

    James Cameron on How ‘Avatar’ Impacted Blockbusters

    When Avatar first hit theaters in 2009, no one could have imagined how big the film would become. Avatar would go on to set the record for the highest-grossing film of all time, passed Titanic‘s gross in a little over a month, and set records for how quickly it hit $500 million and above. To date, Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.8 billion worldwide. Now, ahead of the long-awaited sequel’s release in December, Disney’s 20th Century Studios is set to re-release Avatar for a limited two-week engagement, allowing fans to see the movie in a brand new light.

    To promote the upcoming re-release, writer and director James Cameron was on hand for a virtual press conference, where he recalled Avatar‘s impact on Hollywood. While Avatar was certainly not the first film to use highly advanced computer effects, Avatar did help Hollywood and audiences embrace 3D – at least for a brief moment in time. Although plenty of films failed to successfully make use of 3D technology, Avatar had been shot with a 3D digital camera and went on to earn best cinematography at the 82nd Academy Awards.

    I think that there was a…  I would say that the 3D was embraced in general for a period of time.  I mean, Avatar won best cinematography with a 3D digital camera.  No digital camera had ever won the best cinematography Oscar before.  And then two out of the three subsequent years, the same cameras were used by the cinematographers that won the Oscars.  So you’ve got three out of four years where digital cinematography was embraced by the Academy. And all three-all three of those films, three out of four, Oscar winners for four years, were in 3D.  So, and then 3D has sort of, appears to most people to sort of be over.  But it’s really not over.  It’s just been accepted.  It’s just now part of the choices that you face when you go to a theater to see a big blockbuster movie.  So you could choose to see it in 2D, choose to see it in 3D, generally speaking these days.  So I liken it to color.

    Cameron

    Cameron goes on to compare the use of 3D to when color was first introduced in movies. While some might’ve attempted the technology prior to Avatar, there is no denying 3D films became popular following the release of Avatar in 3D. Cameron, of course, acknowledges that the 3D format has seemingly died down, but with the release of Avatar: The Way of the Water this December, perhaps that could change yet again.

    When color first came out, it was a big deal.  People used to go see movies because they were in color.  You know, and I think around the time of Avatar, people went to see movies because they were in 3D.  Nobody’s gonna go see a movie today because it’s in 3D.  It’s all the other factors by which we choose a film.  So I think, you know, it had an impact on the way films were presented that’s now just sort of accepted and part of the zeitgeist and how it’s done.  Terms of long-term cultural impact, well, I guess we’ll find out if people show up for Avatar 2.

    Cameron

    Avatar will be temporarily removed from Disney+ ahead of its re-release in theaters. The re-release will be for two weeks only beginning on Sept. 23rd and will see the film available in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range. Written and directed by Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. The film was produced by Cameron and Jon Landau. The long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, will finally be released in theaters this December, just in time for the holidays.

  • James Cameron on the Decision to Re-Release ‘Avatar’

    James Cameron on the Decision to Re-Release ‘Avatar’

    After numerous setbacks, Avatar‘s long-awaited sequel, The Way of the Water, is finally set to hit theaters this December. However, before The Way of the Water finally hits the big screen, Avatar is set to return for a limited run in 3D. While this won’t be the first time Avatar has been re-released into theaters, there’s a good reason behind this re-release. During a virtual press conference to promote the re-release, writer and director James Cameron explained why they’ve decided to release the film again.

    Well, look, I mean, it’s been, you know, 12 years since the release, and so basically if you’re kind of under 22 or 23 years of age, it’s very, very unlikely that you’ve seen the film in a movie theater.  Which in a way kinda means you haven’t seen the film.  I mean, we authored the film for the big screen, for the giant screen, in 3D.  And now we’ve remastered it in 4K, in high-dynamic range and some 48-frame-per-second sections in the film.

    James Cameron

    Released in 2009, Avatar has gone on to become one of the most successful films of all time. The film focused on a paraplegic Marine who is sent to the moon Pandora on a mission but soon finds himself feeling torn between his orders and protecting the place he believes to be his true home. Avatar managed to amass an astounding haul of $2.743 billion at the worldwide box office. $749.7 million of that came from the states, while the other $1.993 million came from international markets. The film remains the highest-grossing movie of all time.

    Avatar will be temporarily removed from Disney+ ahead of its re-release in theaters. The re-release will be for two weeks only beginning on Sept. 23rd and will see the film available in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range. Written and directed by Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. The film was produced by Cameron and Jon Landau. The long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, will finally be released in theaters this December, just in time for the holidays.

  • Tony Gilroy Explains the Inspiration Behind ‘Andor’

    Tony Gilroy Explains the Inspiration Behind ‘Andor’

    When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted in theaters in 2016, no one expected to see the series continue years down the line. Especially not leading man Diego Luna. However, Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, had an idea on how to expand upon Cassian Andor’s story. During the virtual press conference for Andor, Gilroy was asked about his inspiration behind the Disney+ series, and the showrunner explained he wanted to be able to showcase the complexities of the character before the events of Rogue One.

    I think the main idea is we have a character in Rogue One.  And we know where he ends up.  And we know how accomplished and complicated he is.  And the idea that we can do a story that takes him literally from his childhood origins and walk him through a five-year history of an odyssey that takes him to that place, during a revolution, during a moment in history in a place where huge events are happening and real people are being crushed by it, the fact that we could follow somebody as an example of a revolution all the way through to the end, that was the walk-in for me. 

    Being able to showcase Andor and his life leading up to the revolution was ultimately the selling point for Gilroy. While the series has a ton of characters, including some we’ve already met previously, the series ultimately focuses on Andor and the difficult times and decisions that are made leading up the events of Rogue One – just on a “big canvas.”

    And Gilroy isn’t the only one excited to be expanding upon the character of Andor. Luna was quick to note how much he enjoys working with Gilroy, who he calls someone he admires, and how exciting the prospect of Andor is because it’s not just about a specific event.

    First of all, just the chance to be back working with this family, getting to do more stuff with Tony, which is someone I admire, and I love his company and, and collaborating with him is amazing.  So just being back felt great.  But I think Rogue One is a film about an event, you know?  You don’t get to know those characters.  You don’t get to understand exactly where they come from, what needed to happen. 

    Luna

    Star Wars: Andor will debut with three episodes on September 21st. The remaining nine episodes will then drop weekly on Disney+.

  • CONFIRMED: Sony Moving Ahead With a New ‘Karate Kid’ Movie

    CONFIRMED: Sony Moving Ahead With a New ‘Karate Kid’ Movie

    Back in August, we exclusively revealed that Sony Pictures was moving ahead with a new Karate Kid movie. Now, the studio has officially announced a release date for the untitled Karate Kid movie, which is being called a return to the original franchise. Per the outlet, the new Karate Kid movie will hit theaters on June 7th, 2024. While no further details were made available, it’s expected that the kid will serve as the teacher in this new installment.

    From what we could gather, the new film will center on a teenage boy named Li. The young student is said to be small for his age, but tough, smart and scrappy. Li is said to be a skilled fighter and a student in Beijing who finds his life uprooted after his mother moves them to Brooklyn, New York. After meeting Mia, a student from his high school, and her father, Victor, at a local pizza restaurant, he’ll soon find his life has changed yet again – for the better.

    It’s interesting to see how The Karate Kid has become a franchise of its own over the years. Netflix has seen a lot of success with the spinoff series Cobra Kai which further explored the characters from the original films by taking a closer look at where they are all these years later. This isn’t even the first remake of the film as Jaden Smith had the leading role opposite Jackie Chan back in 2010, which didn’t pick up as much momentum as the original did.

    With Cobra Kai going into its sixth season, it remains to be seen whether or not that series will tie back into the new Karate Kid film. However, with a release date set, perhaps we’ll soon learn more about the newest installment.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ Gets a Theatrical Release

    ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ Gets a Theatrical Release

    Originally developed as an HBO Max original movie, it looks Magic Mike is taking to the big screen once again. Deadline reports that Magic Mike’s Last Dance is officially heading to theaters on February 10th, 2023 — just in time for Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl weekend. The date is one Warner Bros. Discovery already had on its schedule.

    Unfortunately, those hoping for a day-and-date release will be disappointed. The outlet reports there will be a window between theatrical and HBO Max, with PVOD in between. The move shouldn’t be too surprising as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has made it clear he’d rather get films into theaters than develop them for HBO Max. And while never a huge franchise, the Magic Mike films did pull in an impressive amount, having grossed a combined $285.6 million at the global box. While that number might seem on the lower end, it’s important to note these films were produced for $7 million and $14 million, respectively.

    Magic Mike’s Last Dance stars Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Caitlin Gerard and Gavin Spokes. The film was written by Reid Carolin and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Gregory Jacobs, who directed Magic Mike XXL, is on board as a producer this time around.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Charlie Barnett Joins ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Charlie Barnett Joins ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Charlie Barnett is the latest actor to head to a galaxy far, far away. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Barnett has signed on for the Star Wars series The Acolyte. While details regarding Barnett’s character are currently unknown, the outlet states his role is likely a supporting one. Should a deal make, Barnett’s casting would make for a Russian Doll reunion, as the show’s co-creator Leslye Headland is the showrunner on The Acolyte.

    Barnett joins a rather impressive cast that includes Amandla Stenberg, who is toplining the show, along with Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place). Outside of Russian Doll, where Barnett stars as Alan Zaveri, the actor has appeared in Arrow and You.

    The Acolyte is being described as a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a “galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging Dark side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.” The project was first announced in April 2020, with Lucasfilm finally confirming the series in December 2020.

    Russian Doll‘s Leslye Headland will serve as the series director, writer, executive producer and showrunner on The Acolyte. As of now, the series does not yet have a premiere date on Disney+.

    Source: THR.

  • REVIEW: ‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ Season 2

    REVIEW: ‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ Season 2

    Fate: The Winx Saga quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular titles when Season 1 was released in January 2021. It wasn’t without controversy, though. The series is an adaptation of the animated series, The Winx Club, and fans of the original show were quick to note that the Netflix series had seemingly whitewashed some of the characters for live-action. Criticism which some of the actors took to heart. Now, with Season 2, the series seems keen to try to do better by being more inclusive, and ultimately, these decisions help to carry an otherwise uneven season.

    The second season of Fate: The Winx Saga picks up after the events of Season 1. The students of Alfea College are adjusting to life at school with headmistress Farah Dowling (Eve Best) still missing and Miranda Richardson‘s Headmistress Rosalind seeking to take back control. She’s strict, secretive and focused on Bloom because she’s the first fairy to transform at Alfea College in a long time. Sadie Soverall‘s Beatrix and Ken Duken‘s Andreas remain by her side as she seeks to right the “wrongs” of Dowling. Unfortunately for her, though, Bloom and the girls are not on board with her secrecy and the mysterious disappearance of Dowling. Eager to seek answers, Bloom and the others will have to take risks that could ultimately cost them everything.

    Fate: The Winx Saga Season 2 is a lot better than the first season. But there is one issue the writers seem to continue to struggle with. Bloom remains the least interesting character of the group, which is unfortunate given her powers and what she’s meant to be capable of doing. It’s frustrating because it’s not the actress that fails in the role. Abigail Cowen gives her all to Bloom’s story. The problem is in the writing. It feels like Bloom’s story is never going to change. She has the dragon flame, yes, but when will she be able to be more than the fairy with the dragon flame? Allow the character to grow instead of making her reckless, leaving those around her to constantly clean up her mess. Thankfully, the other girls are fascinating.

    Season 2 sees the rest of the girls spread their wings – pun intended. Aisha (Precious Mustapha), Musa (Elisha Applebaum) and Terra (Eliot Salt) all get a chance to shine. Especially Aisha, who was often used to drive the plot forward in Season 1 by “snitching.” Season 2 allows her to become a fully realized character. She’s allowed the chance to be an actual student and, more importantly, an actual teenager. The first season made Aisha out to be a goody two shoes who had no problem snitching on her friends. Her entire identity was the upstanding student who dared not to be reckless like her friends. This season, though, she’s allowed to have faults, she’s allowed to have relationships outside of the girls. It’s a much-appreciated change. The same can be said regarding the others, too. Terra and Stella, especially, feel as though they’ve grown tremendously since the first season. The only character to feel poorly conceived is Beatrix, who doesn’t change much from the first season. She’s a frustrating character who truly sees no real character development; it’s hard to decipher who she truly is as the show still remains unclear of who she is until the very last episode of the season. As for the boys? Some of them make strides this season, but honestly, they’re around more so to serve the plot than to truly become their own important characters.

    As for the story, well, this is where Fate: The Winx Saga struggles a bit. Overall, it’s a strong season, sure, but there are plenty of issues throughout that do pull it down quite a bit. The fight scenes are still incredibly short; it usually takes a matter of five minutes for someone to come out on top and it’s always rather predictable. More importantly, though, the story has not changed much since the first season. Which is frustrating because by season’s end? There’s still plenty we don’t know regarding questions brought up during the first season. Should a third season be ordered, there’s sure to be plenty of new and exciting stuff to cover judging by the ending, however, the season does often feel like filler because it doesn’t advance nearly as much as it should. With that in mind, the character moments this season make for a strong sophomore effort. The young cast gives it their all, delivering some stellar moments in an otherwise uneven season.

    Is it the best sophomore season of a Netflix series? Far from it. Is it still enjoyable? Yes.

    While there’s still plenty of things Fate could do better, it does make an effort to try to be more inclusive this season. That, of course, does not make up for the casting issues many brought up during season one, but there is an obvious effort being made this time around and it doesn’t feel forced, which is a nice change.

  • REVIEW: ‘Do Revenge’ is a Good Exploration of Female Friendships

    REVIEW: ‘Do Revenge’ is a Good Exploration of Female Friendships

    It’s hard to imagine, but before Thor: Love and Thunder, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson first made a name for herself with the MTV series, Sweet/Vicious. The short-lived series was critically acclaimed and focused on two girls named Jules and Ophelia who set out as wannabe vigilantes to make abusers on their college campus pay for what they’ve done. Robinson would then go on to direct a romantic comedy titled Somebody Great for Netflix which saw the film’s leading lady seek one last adventure with her best friends as she struggles to deal with a breakup. All of these projects have one central theme at hand: female friendships. It’s one of Robinson’s strongest abilities as a writer – it’s something that we even get to see in Love and Thunder with Jane and Valkyrie. However, Do Revenge might just be Robinson’s best effort yet.

    If one were to judge Do Revenge simply by the film’s trailer, they’d more than likely bill it as yet another teenage drama. But that isn’t necessarily the case. It’s so much more than that. The film centers on Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), two students who seemingly have nothing in common but will soon find they’re all they have. Simple concept, right? Sure, but what Robinson manages to do with said concept is impressive. Drea is an IT girl – she’s dating the most popular guy at school, she has three friends who follow her every command and she’s on track to get into Yale. Unfortunately, just as things seem to be going perfectly for Drea, everything seemingly falls apart. Enter Eleanor. She’s the complete opposite of Drea. After a traumatic event, she struggles to fit in and make friends and she’s eager to try to move beyond her past. At least, until she meets Drea.

    As the title would suggest, both girls are on a mission for revenge in the film. This is where Do Revenge begins to pull from Robinson’s work on both Sweet/Vicious and Someone Great. It shouldn’t work as well as it does, and yet, Do Revenge is a movie full of thrilling surprises. This isn’t just another teen movie. It’s about friendship, identity and growth. There are some serious issues addressed in Do Revenge, and while admittedly handled with a lighter tone than perhaps required, Robinson and Celeste Ballard (Sweet/Vicious) don’t shy away from the screwed-up way society responds to such screwed-up scenarios in the end.

    Mendes and Hawke are fantastic in Do Revenge. They have such good chemistry on screen that it helps sell the relationship with ease. For those only familiar with Mendes from Riverdale, Do Revenge is proof that she’s capable of more than the CW series has shown her to be capable of doing. She’s great in the film overall, but she truly shines when it comes to the emotional moments. While Hawke steals the show from the moment she arrives on screen. Much like her father, the young actress has a magnetic presence on screen, and she slips into the role of Eleanor with skill. Of all the characters featured in the movie, it is Hawke’s Eleanor that goes on the most rewarding journey and it’s hard to imagine another young actress that could’ve successfully tackled the role as well as Hawke. She’s fantastic.

    That isn’t to say the film isn’t without its faults. While a fun watch, sometimes, Do Revenge fails to properly handle the traumatic storylines it introduces. When the tone should be more serious, Do Revenge takes a more comedic approach. Thankfully, by the movie’s end, the film does get itself back on the right path, but those bumps in the third act? They are quite uncomfortable and hard to ignore while experiencing them.

    Overall, Do Revenge is a good story about female friendships and the many issues women face in society. It’s campy at times, but in those moments when the film is sure of itself and its characters? It shines brightly. Revenge might not always be the answer, but in this case, it is best to Do Revenge.