Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Torbjorn Frazier

  • REVIEW: A Sometimes Messy ‘Carnival Row’ Pulls It Together for a Solid Second Season

    REVIEW: A Sometimes Messy ‘Carnival Row’ Pulls It Together for a Solid Second Season

    After a long wait following its first season, Carnival Row returns to Amazon Prime Video for ten final episodes to conclude the story. The titular city continues to escalate its boiling tensions built around prejudice towards the immigration of mythical beings. After an extended hiatus, the audiences should be curious to follow if the conclusion to the epic fantasy series will be worthwhile. Having seen the entirety of the second season, the conclusion of Carnival Row will likely be well-received among already-existing fans of the series. However, there are noticeable faults that will hold back the quality for anyone who may be on the fence about one of Prime Video’s marquee series.

    Something worth discussing in season two of Carnival Row is how the pandemic adversely affected its production. Filming for the show faced multiple extended pauses following its start in November 2019 which meant it didn’t fully conclude until September 2021. With that information in mind, one can understand how the narrative pacing issues came to be, though as time passes, it will be harder for audiences to use this notion as a crutch for some faults with the show’s ending. 

    A potential silver lining for the extended production time is that the visual effects for Carnival Row are top-notch. The creative team behind this season put what was likely an extremely high budget from Amazon Studios to optimal use. This is especially the case with the mysterious monster who quickly should rise to the ranks of great fantasy villains for audiences.

    One major credit that Carnival Row deserves is its high-quality acting. Across the board, the ensemble cast predominately provides strong performances that help level the characters for the audience despite the fantastical nature of the story. In particular, Karla Crome soars as Tourmaline Larou in an elevated role from season one that places her right in the heart of the main plot throughout the ten episodes. The pairing of David Gyasi and Tamzin Merchant’s Argeus Astrayon and Imogen Spurnrose also provides many highlights for season two of Carnival Row. And one would be remiss not to mention how well Darius Sykes, played by Ariyon Bakare, fits in a supporting role to elevate his scene partners. This is especially the case in providing Orlando Bloom’s Philo with a stronger sense of relatability throughout his story.

    Even though Carnival Row is home to various great acting performances, the writing and directorial teams struggle to unify these performances into what feels like a cohesive television season. The most predominant flaw in these ten episodes is how disparate most plot threads are for most of the runtime. The issue is especially the case with Argeus and Imogen’s characters who are geographically and narratively distant from anything of significance to the main story for more than half of the final season.

    And even for the storylines based directly on the location of Carnival Row, the two protagonists in Orlando Bloom’s Philo and Cara Delevigne’s Vignette seldom connect for most episodes. The separation between the two plays into themes of issues between the reunited relationship, but there are critical moments in the plots for both characters that would’ve been resolved if Philo or Vignette simply communicated more often about their plans. Anyone who enjoyed the developed relationship between Philo and Vignette in season one is likely to be disappointed in this component of season two.

    In addition to the disparate nature of various storylines, their pacing is another issue season two of Carnival Row faces. Multiple important threads move slowly for the first three-fourths of the season but reach radical turning points towards the endgame that don’t appear in line with what got set up in earlier episodes. Audiences also will find a critical component of Philo’s character set up to be an important lynchpin ignored throughout most of the conclusion. It ultimately leads to a notion of if Carnival Row was always meant to only last two seasons. The scripting for the show would’ve been better served if the creative team divided the show into a solitary second season followed by a concluding third.

    But even with a rushed ending, audiences will greatly feel the stakes of the conclusion once it begins to be set into motion. While pacing for numerous threads is inconsistent, they all are successful in building towards an epic conclusion by the final few episodes. And the issues of disparate storylines are erased by the time of the last few episodes. The close of the series provides some truly unexpected moments through its willingness to kill off lead characters as needed for a robust ending.

    The process of setting up the finale is ultimately emblematic of Carnival Row’s final season as a whole. There are noticeable issues in how audiences reach their destination, but there are equally enough dynamic elements that it shouldn’t be considered a bad ending. Season Two of Carnival Row earns its stripes as a landmark Amazon Prime Video series.

  • ‘Spider-Man Noir’ Series in Development for Amazon Prime Video

    ‘Spider-Man Noir’ Series in Development for Amazon Prime Video

    A new wrinkle into the Spider-Verse is taking place at Amazon Prime. It has been revealed that a live-action series for Spider-Man Noir is moving forward at the streaming service with Oren Uziel is set to serve as a writer and executive producer for the new project. In addition, Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Amy Pascal have worked on developing the project and will also be working as executive producers.

    The new Spider-Man Noir series is part of the partnership between Sony Pictures and Amazon Prime Video to create shows based on Spider-Man characters currently owned by the former. It will be the second of its kind with Silk: Spider Society well into development under showrunner Angela Kang.

    The series will be based in 1930s New York City and follow a grizzled version of Spider-Man. Not much is currently known in terms of narrative details for Spider-Man Noir, though according to sources with Variety, the main character of this series will not be a Peter Parker variant. This assumedly eliminates any connection from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, as Nicolas Cage played the Peter Parker version of the Noir-themed Spider-Man.

    Spider-Man Noir will be notable as the first project in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe to have a live-action version of the titular character, even if it’s based in a separate universe. This comes after being built around an array of Spider-Man’s villains thus far.

    No word has been given on when audiences should expect Spider-Man: Noir to release on Amazon Prime Video.

    Source: Variety

  • Director Matt Shakman Updates ‘Fantastic Four’ Production Schedule

    Director Matt Shakman Updates ‘Fantastic Four’ Production Schedule

    The road to Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four draws closer to reality. In an interview with The Wrap, director Matt Shakman confirmed that production for the film adaptation of Marvel’s First Family is scheduled to begin in early 2024. This period would be a logical production window as the film is currently set to release on February 14, 2025. Though with release date delays that have become commonplace for Marvel Studios, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for audiences to expect the film to have at least one more delay in release.

    Matt Shakman being hired to helm Fantastic Four comes after previously directing the entirety of the acclaimed WandaVision series for Disney+. His work on the inaugural Marvel Cinematic Universe streaming project got him hired to work on a Star Trek feature film sequel for Paramount. But the offer of the Fantastic Four forced him to relinquish his role on Star Trek. Shakman spoke about this decision and his motivations with Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four.

    Movies have different journeys and momentums and schedules are a little bit mercurial, and so when the ‘Fantastic Four’ opportunity came up, it was just too hard to pass up, and to go back home to Marvel, a place that I worked on ‘WandaVision’ at, with those people who are wonderful collaborators. It’s really a family there and to be able to go back and tackle something that I truly love, and they’re very similar in some ways: they both were launched in the ’60s at the same time, they’re both about optimism and looking to the stars and technology can solve everything and they’re about family too — the family you have, the family you make. So they’re aligned in many ways and speak to my heart and equally, so I’m excited to be working on ‘Fantastic Four’.

    Matt Shakman

    This quote should pique the interest of fans of the Fantastic Four. Matt Shakman’s excitement about the themes of family and exploration is key to successfully adapting Marvel’s First Family. They’re also concepts that weren’t adeptly explored in the previous film adaptations of the team. If Shakman’s creative vision for the team can be capitalized on, fans should have a lot to be excited about in 2025 with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Then in terms of the 2024 production start, it should further confirm the notion that audiences won’t learn of an official cast till the second half of 2023. A big reveal at San Diego Comic-Con seems to be an ideal time for the pageantry of such an occasion.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Percy Jackson and The Olympians’ Wraps Season One With New Set Video

    ‘Percy Jackson and The Olympians’ Wraps Season One With New Set Video

    Production on the first season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians has officially wrapped. The announcement was made via a Twitter video featuring actor Walker Scobell, who plays the titular character in the new series. Percy Jackson and The Olympians will also star Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood respectively. The series was created for television by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz and is based on the young-adult novel series authored by Rick Riordan.

    The show’s first season will be based on the first novel of the series, The Lightning Thief. The novel previously was adapted as a 2010 film for 20th Century Fox. The Percy Jackson and The Olympians series aims to be a more faithful adaptation of the novel, and will hopefully be a more successful venture than the mixed bag of a film franchise. If successful, Percy Jackson and The Olympians could likely have the cultural staying power in the young-adult genre that the Harry Potter films held in the first decade of the 2000s.

    With production having just now wrapped for the first season, it would be logical to predict that the series will air at the start of 2024. However, there’s no official word on a release window.

    Percy Jackson and The Olympians will release exclusively on Disney+. The first will be comprised of eight episodes.

  • James Mangold in Talks to Write and Direct ‘Swamp Thing’ at DC Studios

    James Mangold in Talks to Write and Direct ‘Swamp Thing’ at DC Studios

    Following the official slate announcement of DC Studios’ Chapter One, James Gunn and Peter Safran are continuing their news with a major revelation. Elite filmmaker James Mangold is in early talks to both write and direct the upcoming Swamp Thing film. This would be a return to the world of superheroes for Mangold following his Academy Award-nominated work on 2017’s Logan. The director is also in the process of working on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is set to release this summer.

    James Mangold provided a brief tease of interest for Swamp Thing via Twitter this morning. James Gunn has retweeted the textless image, which is now followed by the news of this potential partnership.

    When announced yesterday, Swamp Thing was described to be the most tonally different project of DC’s Chapter One. However, Gunn and Safran confirmed that the character would be an integral part of the interconnectedness of the DC Universe. Allusions were made to how a character like Rocket Raccoon successfully fits into Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame for example.

    The notion of James Mangold being hired for Swamp Thing would be a massive coup for the young branch of Warner Bros Discovery. It would go a good way in establishing DC Studios as a true Hollywood player for creatives. And if the film is successful and is allowed to be made in Mangold’s image, it will further the thesis Gunn set for DC having storytelling as its king.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Andy Muschietti to Remain with DC Studios After ‘The Flash’

    Andy Muschietti to Remain with DC Studios After ‘The Flash’

    With the first batch of DC Studios’ Chapter One slate officially confirmed, fans of the superheroic universe can now anticipate the new direction the studio is taking. However, before James Gunn and Peter Safran take complete control of DC Studios, four films from the old regime remain scheduled to release this year. Arguably the most anticipated of them is The Flash, which serves as the ultimate reset point for the DC Universe between the old guard and the new. 

    The film has been having a tumultuous road to its release thanks to the controversial nature of lead Ezra Miller, which almost led to the cancellation of the project. Despite the troubles behind the scenes, the film remains scheduled, and those in the know have gone as far as to say that The Flash has the potential to be one of the strongest superhero films ever made. This high praise seemingly has come from the hard work of director Andy Muschietti, and it appears he will remain working with the studio despite the turnover of regimes. James Gunn has confirmed this to be the case.

    We’re very close with Andy and Barbara (Muschietti), the director and producer. And he’s one of the guys that he’s going to be doing some more stuff for us. And he’s just done something really spectacular with that movie.

    James Gunn

    It’s an assuring sign for potential fans of The Flash to see the high praise for Muschietti and the film he directed. If the film is as successful as it’s been teased to be, it will be interesting to follow which pieces will be folded into James Gunn’s long-term plan. This includes the controversial Ezra Miller, whose future involvement in the DC Universe remains coy per Gunn and Safran’s quotes from yesterday (as with several other original actors from the DCEU).

    The Flash is to release in theaters on June 16, 2023. You can also read about the newly announced DC Studios projects here.

    Source: Comicbook.com 

  • ‘Bad Boys 4’ Officially Announced

    ‘Bad Boys 4’ Officially Announced

    Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have announced their official return to the Bad Boys franchise for another feature film. The untitled sequel, which is in the early stages of pre-production at Sony Pictures, will see the return of the directing duo of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Chris Bremmer has written the script for the new movie. The announcement was made via an Instagram video post from Will Smith featuring himself and Lawrence.

    This new film will come after Bad Boys For Life, which was one of the final pre-pandemic theatrical releases in 2020. The film earned $426.5 million at the global box office, which prompted Sony to confirm that a fourth project would enter development. Nothing is currently known about what this new endeavor will entail for detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett.

    The new Bad Boys film will be notable for being one of the first major film releases starring Will Smith following his incident at the 2022 Academy Awards. The star actor was considered to be placed on a proverbial “blacklist” through the cancellation of various projects Smith was signed on for. Though with numerous names in Hollywood working despite more serious transgressions, it makes sense that Will Smith will be gradually folded back into the upper echelon of Hollywood blockbuster movies.

    Source: Variety

  • DC Studios Reboot to Focus Heavily on Younger Actors

    DC Studios Reboot to Focus Heavily on Younger Actors

    With James Gunn in the process of relaunching the DC Universe for the big screen, many have wondered what specific direction the filmmaker will take for this world of superheroes. In an interview with Insider, Dave Bautista confirmed he won’t be playing the role of Batman villain Bane in the new universe because Gunn is looking to start a youth movement. This shouldn’t come as a surprise based on how early Gunn is with developing anything for his cinematic vision. Though the star actor further elaborated on why he won’t be in the role, which establishes a key conceit for Gunn’s master plan.

    I have had conversations with James about that, but I think the direction he’s leaning in, completely rebooting that whole universe, he’s starting from scratch and starting younger and fresher and I think you need to do that. I think for the DC Universe to be revived, you need to start from scratch, and I think you need to start with younger actors. You need to start to plan for the next 15 years, and I just don’t think you can do that with me.

    Dave Bautista

    The notion of using young actors for key roles shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s a logical decision that seemingly guarantees the ability to have a long-term narrative plan for the DC Universe. Gunn would be borrowing from how the Marvel Cinematic Universe developed and still maintains itself as the strongest film franchise currently running. Having a long-term plan will help DC move past the issues that have plagued Warner Bros for the past decade, and will allow for fruitful culminations in the long term.

    Gunn‘s ability to successfully craft a long-term cinematic universe may ultimately make or break DC’s place in the superhero movie industry. If Gunn nails it, the age of superheroes on the big screen will expand even further into the 21st century.

    Source: Insider

  • SLAMDANCE REVIEW: ‘Waiting for the Light to Shine’

    SLAMDANCE REVIEW: ‘Waiting for the Light to Shine’

    While 2023 will be home to various marquee theatrical blockbuster-event movies, the world of independent cinema remains primed to stay strong in the new year. And one notable entry is set to provide a fresh spin that hybridizes the “coming-of-age” and “reunion” film subsections. Premiering at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival, Waiting for the Light to Shine will serve as the directorial debut for Linh Tran. The screenplay was written by Tran, alongside Jewells Santos and Delia van Praag. And the small ensemble cast consists of Jin Park, Joyce Ha, Qun Chi, Sam Straley, and Erik Barrientos. 

    The film follows five friends of various connections spending a weekend at a vacation house that subtly forces some to confront their lots in life through cold winter walks and ample amounts of marijuana. While watching, audiences will likely view Waiting for the Light to Shine as a less political but more culturally diverse inversion of Return of the Secaucus 7. The deviation naturally comes from the characters making internal self-revelations that could disassemble these friendships before a future reunion.

    Linh Tran adeptly weaves a resonating and modern story about the internal struggles that plague young adults in finding their true identities. Waiting for the Light to Shine accurately and poignantly depicts the highs and lows of youthful experience. Viewers will tangibly feel the weight of the character’s sobering hangovers in the third act. Waiting for the Light to Shine is further elevated through Jin Park’s powerhouse performance as Amy, who essentially serves as the film’s protagonist. Park perfectly plays a tragic figure stuck between being internally tormented by her past and struggling to find an identity for her future. The evolution that her friendship with Joyce Ha’s Kim goes through is the crux of the weekend getaway and is the strongest narrative element to boot. In addition, the themes of depression and otherness are explored in interesting facets as ancillary plot points.

    The film ultimately isn’t a perfect take on this story in Tran’s directorial debut. The few issues predominately come from various instances of unnatural lines of dialogue present. The screenplay is generally strong but would have likely been its best version with a few more touch-ups. Though in the film’s defense, the actors play some of the lines adeptly into the nervous energy pertinent to people in the dawn of their true adulthood. As well, the concept of presenting a film through hardline vignettes partially hurts the flow of the story. This is a movie that shines in the moments when it moves past the static nature of one-on-one conversations. The faults of the film are predominately present in the first act of the film, in which it takes too long to establish the group’s character dynamics with each other. Waiting for the Light to Shine markedly improves after this point, and one could wish the film could’ve reached that point sooner.

    Though beyond these specific qualms, Waiting for the Light to Shine is a film worth seeing if one can do so. This is especially the case with a project created on an approximate $20,000 budget and with it serving as an independent film debut for many involved with the project. One can hope that the film can serve as a launching point for future stories from these young, diverse voices.

    Waiting for the Light to Shine made its Slamdance debut on Sunday, January 22.

  • RUMOR: Ryan Gosling a Front-Runner for ‘Fantastic Four’ Role

    RUMOR: Ryan Gosling a Front-Runner for ‘Fantastic Four’ Role

    A new potential front-runner has emerged for a role in Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four adaptation. The Hot Mic Podcast has shared a new rumor that Hollywood A-Lister Ryan Gosling is in line for a lead role in the 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe project. It wasn’t specified which role Gosling would potentially be playing. Though based on the rumor, Ryan Gosling would be a logical choice to play Mister Fantastic in the film. The actor likely wouldn’t match well as any other member of the Fantastic Four and doesn’t have the European heritage to best play a role such as Doctor Doom.

    The actor has a strong track record as a leading man in marquee films in the 21st century and has the acting abilities to pair greatly with any current lead of the Marcel Cinematic Universe. In addition, the 42-year-old is of the right age to play the father figure in Marvel’s first family for what would likely be a trilogy of films alongside a handful of crossover appearances.

    A notable caveat with a rumor like this is that audiences likely won’t have an official announcement for casting for some bit of time. Being a 2025 release, Fantastic Four likely won’t begin production until early 2024. And with that in mind, one shouldn’t expect an announcement till at least the second half of 2023. An event like San Diego Comic-Con (taking place in July) would be a probable and logical time to expect this sort of reveal. Rumors like these remain fairly a superfluous, yet interesting thought experiment for fans in the meantime before more concrete information is locked in.

    Source: Hot Mic Podcast