Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Nicole

  • Amazon Orders a Third Season of ‘Upload’

    Amazon Orders a Third Season of ‘Upload’

    After a long wait, Season 2 of Upload is now available on Amazon Prime. More importantly, though, a third season of the series has been ordered by the streamer.

    It was announced today that Amazon has given a third season order to its hit series, Upload, starring Robbie Amell. The series tells the story of a twenty-something-year-old man, Nathan Brown (Amell), who finds himself adjusting to life in the afterlife following a mysterious car accident. The first season premiered in 2020 to critical acclaim, but the second season, unfortunately, took nearly two years to debut.

    After a cliffhanger of a season, Upload will return with (hopefully) more answers for fans eager to see what will become of Nathan and the others. The half-hour series hails from Greg Daniels, who has worked on titles such as Parks & Recreation, King of the Hill, and The Office to name a few.

    Read our review of Upload Season 2 here.

    Source: Twitter, Deadlinie

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Surpasses $500M Worldwide

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Surpasses $500M Worldwide

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has officially surpassed $500 million at the worldwide box office.

    On Monday, the latest Marvel Studios blockbuster crossed the $200 million mark at the domestic box office after earning $13.3 million. And now, the film has hit yet another major milestone. As of Tuesday, the Doctor Strange sequel managed to cross $500 million at the worldwide box office. More impressively, though, it is nearing $300 million at the international box office – a feat it looks likely to accomplish by the end of the day.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is expected to dominate the box office in its second weekend with little to no competition outside of Firestarter. Experts predict the film will pull in approximately $74 million, for an estimated 60% decline in its second outing. The only true competition Strange faces is Top Gun: Maverick, which will fly into theaters over Memorial Day weekend. That film is expected to open with anywhere between $70-$100 million in its opening weekend.

    When Multiverse of Madness opened, it managed to score the second biggest worldwide start for a Hollywood movie in the Pandemic era with a stunning $449.4 million worldwide debut – $187 million domestically and $262.4 million internationally. The film also secured the fourth biggest opening ever for the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Not bad considering its predecessor finished its theatrical run with $677.7 million worldwide.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now in theaters.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Descendants’ Getting a Disney+ Spinoff

    ‘Descendants’ Getting a Disney+ Spinoff

    The Pocketwatch, currently a working title, will serve as a sequel movie to the Descendants. Like those films, The Pocketwatch will be a music and dance-filled original movie. While the Descendants films featured the teenage children of some of Disney’s most iconic villains, The Pocketwatch will take audiences down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, as made famous by Alice in Wonderland.

    The Disney+ original movie will feature seven new songs, as well as Disney classics. It’ll also feature Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, as well as Chloe, the perfectionist and athletic daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming. The synopsis suggests the two will need to work together to save Wonderland.

    In order to prevent an impending coup in Auradon – one that looms during the celebration of a new royal baby – Red must join forces with Chloe to travel back in time, via the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, to stop an event that would lead to grave consequences.

    The film will be directed by Jennifer Phang, who has helmed titles such as Half-Life and Advantageous, from a script by Dan Frey and Russell Sommer (Magic: The Gathering). Production designer Mark Hofeling returns for The Pocketwatch, as well as producer Gary Marsh and casting directors Alexis Frank Koczara and Christine Smith Shevchenko. Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, gave the following statement on the new spinoff:

    With a captivating script and Jennifer Phang’s directorial vision, we’re setting a new high bar of creativity and imagination, with a movie that ups the ante on story, song and dance to entertain young viewers, their families, and the global fan base that grew up with the aspirational story of ‘Descendants.’ We join them in anticipation as we prepare to deliver a great new entertainment experience to Disney+.

    Ayo Davis

    The Descendants proved to be a huge success for Disney. Not only did the Disney original movies nab powerhouse ratings with each new installment, but the first two movie soundtracks have been certified gold, and nearly 7 million dolls and 9 million books were sold based on the franchise. It remains to be seen whether or not any cast members from the original films will return, however, Disney seems hopeful The Pocketwatch will capture the same buzz as its predecessor.

    Production on The Pocketwatch will kick off this fall.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Scream 6’ Brings Back Four More Cast Members

    ‘Scream 6’ Brings Back Four More Cast Members

    The sixth installment of the Scream franchise has secured four more cast members.

    It was announced today that Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega will return for the sixth Scream film. The actors will reprise their roles from 2022’s Scream, joining the recently confirmed Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers. As it stands, final girl Sydney, as played by Neve Campbell, is not yet confirmed, although the actress has been approached about the project.

    Scream 6 will see Sam (Barrera), Mindy (Brown), Chad (Gooding) and Tara (Ortega) leaving Woodsboro in an attempt to start a new chapter in their lives. The characters, though new, have ties to some of the most iconic characters in the Screamfranchise. Ortega and Barrera star as sisters in the franchise, but Barrera’s character, Sam, is actually the biological daughter of Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis. While Gooding and Brown play twins in the franchise and are related to Jaime Kennedy’s Randy Meeks.

    The sixth Scream film will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. The project will be produced by Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak. Kevin Williamson, who penned the first Scream film, is also on board as a producer.

    Principal photography on Scream 6 is slated to kick off this summer. The film is set to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.

    Source: Variety.

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Crosses $200 Million Stateside

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Crosses $200 Million Stateside

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continues to dominate at the box office.

    The latest film from Marvel Studios has already crossed $200 million at the domestic box office after earning $13.3 million on Monday. This brings the film to $200.7 million domestically as of yesterday. That’s well ahead of the first film, which finished its domestic run with $232 million in 2017. Multiverse of Madness’ numbers are on par with what Avengers: Age of Ultron did on its first Monday in 2015, which saw the film earn about $13.2 million and pulled that title through to $204.4 million after four days. 

    Going into its second weekend, box office experts are expecting a 60% decline for the film with estimates looking for a 3-day haul of approximately $74 million. With little to no competition, outside of Universal/Blumhouse’s Firestarter remake, the film should be able to retain the top spot at the box office for a second week and perhaps even longer. The biggest competition Multiverse of Madness will face will be over Memorial Day weekend when Top Gun: Maverick flies into theaters with estimates currently seeing the film looking to rake in between $75-$100 million over the course of its opening weekend.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness should cross the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office by the end of the week. And it should easily top its predecessor – which finished with $677 million worldwide – by the end of its theatrical run. How high the film flies, however, remains to be seen. For now, fans can relive the Multiverse of Madness in theaters.

    Source: Deadline.

  • May Calamawy on Her Dream MCU Team-Up

    May Calamawy on Her Dream MCU Team-Up

    With the final episode of Moon Knight, May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Egyptian superhero: Scarlet Scarab. Since the character’s debut, fans have been wondering what future awaits the Scarlet Scarab, and whether or not we’ll get to see her sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen what plans Marvel Studios has in store for the character, but Calamawy has some ideas of where she’d like to take the character.

    In an interview with Inverse, the actress revealed that, while she has yet to hear of the character’s on-screen future, she has ideas of characters she’d like her to meet. “I love Dr. Strange, that would be cool,” she said. “Blade would be cool because I’ve worked with Mahershala Ali and I think he’s so wonderful. And then, I love all the women. I love Agatha. I feel like in the beginning, I used to love anyone that was kind of a villain like Nebula. I found them so complex. But honestly, it really depends on the story. I kind of want to be with all of them.”

    For Calamawy, while she doesn’t know if Layla will get to join any of those heroes on the big screen, she is thrilled just to be able to portray the Egyptian hero. While she knows the hero might not be as important to everyone, Calamawy hopes fans can at least recognize what Layla stands for. “To really step into what’s true for me has taken a lot of courage. And, I know not everyone is going to look at Layla and go, I relate to that woman, but what I hope is that she becomes a testament of being true to you. Because that’s going to always be every single person’s superpower.”

    All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Inverse.

  • ‘Never Let Me Go’ to Receive Television Adaptation

    ‘Never Let Me Go’ to Receive Television Adaptation

    Never Let Me Go is heading to the small screen.

    The critically acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go, is being developed as a series for FX. This will mark the second adaptation of the novel following the 2010 film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. The FX series is being developed by The Nevers writer Melissa Iqbal.

    Never Let Me Go tells the story of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, students at the exclusive Hailsham boarding school in the English countryside. As these characters move into adulthood, they come to know the reality they’ve known all of their lives is a lie. They’ve been told they’re special for their entire lives, and when they finally come to understand why, it reshapes them and their time together.

    The film version of Never Let Me Go wasn’t a box office hit. It only earned $9.9 million on a $15 million budget. It was directed by Mark Romanek from a screenplay by Alex Garland. Interestingly enough, DNA Films and Fox Searchlight, both of which were behind the feature film, will produce the television series.

    As it stands, no cast is attached to the project.

    Source: Deadline.

  • F. Murray Abraham on Khonshu and ‘Moon Knight’

    F. Murray Abraham on Khonshu and ‘Moon Knight’

    While Oscar Isaac is the star of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight, there’s no denying how well F. Murray Abraham does at injecting life into the god Khonshu. In a brand new interview with Marvel, the Academy Award-winning actor discusses what it was like to bring the character to life and how he became involved with the project. Per Abraham, he was approached by Marvel Studios directly to voice the character, which was a pleasant surprise for the legendary actor.

    “They approached me, they called me. I don’t know how they got around to it, but I was delighted because I thought it was fun.” Abraham went on to explain what caused him to ultimately take the role, noting he loved the surprises it offered. “The idea that these creatures that keep appearing out of mythology seem absolutely plausible. I think that’s part of the magic of the piece. It’s all vaguely possible. Going to Egypt and going to the tombs and to the pyramids, it makes it kind of a reality, I think. What do you think?”

    The actor, who came onto the project late, also revealed Marvel hadn’t told him much about the character when he was approached. Instead, the studio opted to show him some of what they’d done already and asked if he’d be able to come up with a voice for the character of Khonshu. “It’s an outrageous character as far as I’m concerned. I hate to say this, because, well, it’s an actor’s ego, but I think he’s just one of the very loveliest characters in the whole piece.”

    For the actor, the most exciting part of it all was that he got to play around with the voicework. He was able to provide feedback and rerecord if they felt there was a better way to approach some of the lines. It was an overall very collaborative process that he was glad to be a part of.

    While a second season hasn’t been announced, Abraham is more than ready to return to the character should more seasons occur. For him, he views Moon Knight – and super heroes – as a glimmer of hope in an often less than hopeful world. “In this poor old world that we’re living in, finally there are truly Super Heroes. To use that old expression in other, modern terms, these Super Heroes really are trying to accomplish good. That’s so important. I can’t tell you how important that is. It makes things a little more hopeful. And we could surely use some hope these days, don’t you think?”

    All six episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Marvel.

  • ‘Dirty Dancing’ Sequel Nabs ’Warm Bodies’ Director

    ‘Dirty Dancing’ Sequel Nabs ’Warm Bodies’ Director

    The Dirty Dancing sequel has found its director.

    Deadline has announced that Jonathan Levine will direct the sequel for Lionsgate. Levine, of course, is perhaps best known for directing films such as Warm Bodies and 50/50. The long-awaited sequel to the 1987 hit, Dirty Dancing, will be brought to the Cannes market next week by Lionsgate and will reportedly feature a mix of music from the original and 90s hip-hop.

    Levine spoke exclusively to Deadline and revealed that the sequel, also titled Dirty Dancing, will be a coming-of-age romance much like the first film. The sequel will center on a young woman at the original summer camp that’ll see Baby’s own journey intertwine to create a “multi-layered narrative.” Along with serving as a director on the film, Levine also co-wrote the sequel along with Elizabeth Chomko (What They Had).

    As it stands, Jennifer Grey, who starred in the original, is the only cast member attached to the film. However, the team behind the sequel reportedly has a “shortlist of names” to play the lead character. It’s expected that the cast will consist of name actors and a slew of newcomers. “We are about to talk to people and are exploring that,” Levin told the outlet. “The most important thing for us was having Jennifer on board. She is an invaluable collaborator. We’re going to try to involve as many people from the original as is appropriate. We want to be respectful in every way.”

    Dirty Dancing starred Grey and the late Patrick Swayze. While it was never a critical darling, the original film is beloved and has spawned countless sequels and even saw a made-for-tv adaptation in 2017 that starred Abigail Breslin as Frances “Baby” Houseman.  

    Production is expected to kick off later this year for a 2024 release.

    Source: Deadline

  • Tom Hiddleston on Loki’s Bisexuality: “It was definitely important to all of us.”

    Tom Hiddleston on Loki’s Bisexuality: “It was definitely important to all of us.”

    While Marvel Studios has made strides to improve its own screen representation, it’s hard to deny the LGBTQ+ representation has been rather lacking. The studio, however, has been working to right its former wrongs with the inclusion of America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to the on-screen kiss between Phastos and his husband in Eternals. Unfortunately, though, while these instances have been relatively well-received, one attempt at inclusion wasn’t received nearly as well.

    Loki, which stars Tom Hiddleston, saw the character come out as bisexual in its first season. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Hiddleston was asked what it was like to bring the character to the small screen. The actor noted he was excited for the opportunity, explaining he wanted to retain the integrity of the character in the move from the big screen to the small screen. He also noted how important it was to confirm the character’s bisexuality. “I also hope Loki coming out as bisexual was meaningful to people who spotted it. It was a small step, and there’s further to go. But it was definitely important to all of us.”

    The reaction to Loki’s bisexuality revelation has been mixed since the series debuted. While many were excited to see the character confirm his sexuality, some felt it wasn’t handled all that well. Still, as Hiddleston notes, it was a small step that is important even if there’s still plenty of work to be done.

    Filming on Season 2 of Loki will be kicking off soon. For now, fans can enjoy Hiddleston’s trickster on the small screen with the first season of Loki now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: The Guardian.