Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘The Conjuring 4’ Lands Director Michael Chaves

    ‘The Conjuring 4’ Lands Director Michael Chaves

    The Conjuring is coming to an end. The Hollywood Reported revealed on Friday that Michael Chaves will direct The Conjuring 4. The film is expected to serve as the final film in the mainline franchise. This marks a return for Chaves, who previously directed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. He also directed The Nun II, which takes place within the world of The Conjuring. Also returning to the franchise is David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who wrote the screenplay and previously penned the third film alongside franchise creator, James Wan.

    Details are being kept under wraps regarding the fourth installment, however, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are expected to return as Ed and Lorrain Warren. Production on the movie looks set to kickoff over the summer in Atlanta.

    The Conjuring, which was released in 2013, quickly turned into a hit franchise when the movie pulled in $320 million at the worldwide box office. A huge feat for a film produced for just $20 million. Over the years, New Line has crafted a Conjuring film franchise that includes the Nun films, the Annabelle films, and The Curse of La Llorona.

    As of now, The Conjuring 4 does not yet have a release date.

    Source: THR

  • Dan Trachtenberg to Direct New Predator Film ‘Badlands’

    Dan Trachtenberg to Direct New Predator Film ‘Badlands’

    Dan Trachtenberg resurrected the Predator franchise with 2022’s Prey. Now, 20th Century is handing him the keys to the kingdom. Multiple trade reports have confirmed that Trachtenberg will direct another film in the franchise titled Badlands.

    While the end credits of Prey set up the possibility of a direct sequel to that film, Badlands is NOT that sequel though 20th Century is still developing that project with star Amber Midthunder in mind to return. Instead, Badlands, which was co-written by Patrick Aison, will feature a new female lead and be set in the future. Production is expected to kick off this July.

    Trachtenberg is also reportedly now 20th Century’s Predator curator with “a host” of projects based on the franchise in the works.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Prequel in Development at HBO with ‘The Batman Part II’ Writer Onboard

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Prequel in Development at HBO with ‘The Batman Part II’ Writer Onboard

    Steve Jobs once said “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” HBO must have taken those words to heart as they continue to push the story of Game of Thrones further into the past of Westeros. According to THR, HBO is developing a series around Aegon I Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros. Mattson Tomlin, who co-wrote Matt Reeves‘ The Batman Part II is penning the prequel for HBO.

    Aegon’s Conquest will be the third Game of Thrones franchise spinoff since the original ended its run in 2019. House of the Dragon‘s sophomore season is set to stream this summer and production will begin soon on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, a series based on the Dunk and Eggs stories.

    In the expansive history of George R.R. Martin’s fictional world detailed in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, Aegon’s Conquest took place roughy 110-130 years before the events of House of the Dragon and over 400 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Aegon’s Conquest refers to the invasion and subsequent unification of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros by Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, riding on their dragons. Their rule solidified the Targaryens’ control over the realm for nearly three centuries. Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, carries the blood of Aegon through her father, Aerys II Targaryen, also known as the Mad King. This familial connection links Daenerys to the great legacy of her ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, and his conquering dragons.

    About Aegon’s Conquest

    Prelude to Conquest: Aegon’s Landing and the Birth of Ambition

    Aegon Targaryen, along with his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys, embarked on an audacious journey to Westeros with their dragons and a modest army. Their arrival marked the beginning of a saga that would reshape the continent forever. Born of Valyrian blood and wielding the power of dragons, Aegon’s ambition knew no bounds. With dreams of forging a unified realm under his rule, he set his sights on the fractious Seven Kingdoms, determined to bend them to his will. As the last scion of House Targaryen, Aegon carried with him the legacy of his ancestors and the weight of destiny, driven by a singular purpose: to carve out a new empire amidst the chaos of warring kingdoms.

    Harrenhal’s Fall: Dragonfire and the End of an Era

    Aegon’s first conquest was the legendary Harrenhal, seat of House Hoare. King Harren the Black’s defiance met a fiery end when Aegon’s dragons reduced the imposing castle to ashes, heralding the dawn of a new era in the Riverlands. The destruction of Harrenhal sent shockwaves throughout Westeros, demonstrating the devastating power of dragonfire and the futility of resistance against Aegon’s might.

    Storm’s End and the Baratheon Legacy

    The Stormlands fell next to Aegon’s might as he clashed with King Argilac the Arrogant. The decisive Battle of the Last Storm saw the defeat of House Durrandon and the rise of House Baratheon, with Orys Baratheon earning both the lordship and the hand of Argilac’s daughter. With Storm’s End secured and House Baratheon firmly established, Aegon strengthened his foothold in the southern regions of Westeros, laying the groundwork for his further conquests.

    Conflagration in the Reach: Victory at the Field of Fire

    The fertile fields of the Reach became the battleground for Aegon’s ambitions as he confronted the armies of House Gardener. The Field of Fire witnessed the unparalleled might of Aegon’s dragons, resulting in the submission of House Gardener and the ascension of House Tyrell as stewards of the Reach. With the Reach firmly under his control, Aegon solidified his position as the preeminent power in southern Westeros, setting the stage for his conquest of the western kingdoms.

    The Westerlands and the Last Stand

    Aegon’s conquest culminated in the Westerlands, where King Loren Lannister and King Mern IX Gardener made their final stand. The Battle of the Mander sealed their fate, with House Lannister and House Gardener meeting their demise and paving the way for House Stark and House Tully to rise as paramount rulers. With the fall of the last remaining kingdoms resisting his rule, Aegon’s dominance over the Seven Kingdoms was complete, ushering in a new era of Targaryen supremacy.

    Legacy of the Conquest: The Targaryen Dynasty and Beyond

    With the Seven Kingdoms united under his rule, Aegon the Conqueror was crowned King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, marking the dawn of the Targaryen dynasty. His reign laid the foundation for centuries of Targaryen rule, shaping the fate of Westeros for generations to come. Aegon’s conquest would echo through the annals of history, leaving an indelible mark on the realm and setting the stage for the turbulent events that would follow in its wake.

    Aegon’s Conquest Resonates Through the Ages

    Aegon’s conquest remains a defining chapter in the history of Westeros, a testament to the power of ambition, courage, and the relentless pursuit of destiny. From the ashes of conflict rose the Iron Throne, forging a new era of unity and turmoil that would echo throughout the annals of time. As the Seven Kingdoms united under the banner of House Targaryen, the stage was set for centuries of intrigue, betrayal, and struggle for power, ensuring that Aegon’s legacy would endure for generations to come.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Reacher’ Season 3 Grabs Two New Series Regulars

    ‘Reacher’ Season 3 Grabs Two New Series Regulars

    Amazon Prime’s Reacher remains a hit for the streaming service and with a third season already in production, a pair of actors have joined the cast.

    According to a trade report, 80s Brat Packer Anthony Michael Hall (Halloween Kills, The Dead Zone) and Sonya Cassidy (The Man Who Fell to Earth) have signed on for recurring roles in Season 3.

    Based on a series of novels by author Lee Child, Reacher follows the exploits of Alan Ritchson‘s title character, a former Army Intelligence Officer who has taken to walking the Earth and stumbling into wrongs that need righting. Season 3 will reportedly adapt the novel Persuader, which finds Reacher paired with the DEA to take down Zachary Beck, a major criminal involved in some big time wheeling and dealing.

    According to the trade report, Hall will portray Beck–which puts him right in punching distance of Reacher–and Cassidy will play a DEA agent by the name of Susan Duffy–which puts her in reach of another of Reacher’s appendages.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Wynonna Earp’ Sets Out for Vengeance at Tubi

    ‘Wynonna Earp’ Sets Out for Vengeance at Tubi

    Wynonna Earp is back and seeking vengeance. It was announced on Thursday that Wynonna Earp is set to return for a special thanks to Tubi. The special, which is titled Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, will be 90-minutes long and hails from the show’s creator, Emily Andras. Melanie Scrofano will return as the titular character alongside Tim Rozon (Doc Holliday), Dom Provost-Chalkley (Waverly Earp) and Katherine Barrell (Nicole Haught). The 90-minute special is set to be directed by Paolo Barzman.

    Per Vanity Fair, the special will take place shortly after the series finale, allowing fans to see where their favorite characters are at now. “Doc and Wynonna have been on an adventure, and Waverly and Nicole have been at home in [the Earp hometown of] Purgatory, doing their thing. I think it’s going to be really interesting to see, hopefully, what gets everybody home—maybe facing a challenge they’ve never faced before, something pretty intense,” Andras teased. “It’s all your favorite—hopefully—character moments, but also a little bit about growing up and sort of, like, being who you are now and earning all your choices.”

    While the special is a continuation of the SyFy series, Andras feels it’s newbie friendly. In fact, she hopes it’ll serve as a “gateway drug,” allowing audiences to discover the cult-favorite series which is streaming on Netflix in the US. Wynonna Earp: Vengeance, is one of the few original scripted projects to land at Tubi. It joins The Nevers, the Joss Whedon series that aired the first half of its lone season on HBO.

    Based on comic book characters crated by Beau Smith, Wynonna Earp first debuted on SyFy in 2016 and ran for four seasons before being canceled in 2021. A fifth season of the series had originally been ordered but never came to fruition. It is worth noting the fourth season had issues behind-the-scenes, with struggles to secure funding from producers IDW Entertainment. Syfy ended up putting up funds to ensure the fourth season was completed, but the network was unable to help produce a fifth season.

    As of now, the special doesn’t yet have an air date.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • What’s in Marvel Studios Future? Bob Iger Gives Fans an Intriguing Update

    What’s in Marvel Studios Future? Bob Iger Gives Fans an Intriguing Update

    When Disney launched its own streaming platform, the company’s big-name studios were expected to carry the bulk of the load. The sky, it seemed, was the limited for Lucasfilm, Pixar, Disney Animation and Marvel Studios as fans expected projects on the level of HBO’s Game of Thrones and Neflix’s Stranger Things to roll out on the regular. Marvel Studios took the lead, announcing a slew of streaming projects that would introduce new characters and tell the stories of existing characters between their appearances in the MCU’s films. However, after a global pandemic and several less-than-well-received projects (both streaming and theatrical), Bob Iger returned to Disney and pumped the brakes.

    For Marvel Studios, Iger’s return came with a mandate to produce fewer projects, give the ones they were producing room to breath before the next one arrived and to make sure fans were getting the quality they’d come to associate with the name. During Disney’s most recent investor conference call, Iger explained his vision for Disney moving forward and singled out Marvel Studios while doing so.

    “I’d say we’re leaning a little bit more into sequels and franchises,” Iger told investors. “I think given the environment and given what it takes to get people out of their homes to see a film, leaning on franchises that are familiar is actually a smart thing.” To that end, Disney revealed an animated sequel to Moana and gave updates on Toy Story 5, Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2. In the past few years, Disney has had several films that failed to find an audience in theaters. While some projects such as Strange World found new life on Disney Plus, others didn’t draw much of an audience there. Relying on familiar brands may help but it is only one part of Iger’s strategy.

    “In our zeal to greatly increase volume partially tied to this wanting to chase more global subs for our streaming platform, some of our studios lost a little focus,” explained Iger. “So the first step that we’ve taken is that we’ve reduced volume, we reduced output, particularly in Marvel.” For fans who’ve been tracking things Marvel-related very closely, Iger’s comments come as no surprise. Multiple projects, including Daredevil: Born Again and Captain America: Brave New World, were subjected to intense scrutiny that led to creative overhauls on both projects. Additionally, multiple projects that were reported to be in development have been put on the back burner while news on new projects has never been harder to come by than it is now.

    What does this mean for the future of Marvel Studios? While the studio certainly won’t stop including new characters in projects, it’s likely that as the Fantastic Four and X-Men start to move into the spotlight, successful franchises such as Thor, Doctor Strange and Captain America might remain prominent. Branding of projects may also change moving forward. Captain Marvel was wildly successful at the box office in 2019; however, Marvel Studios chose to brand the sequel as The Marvels rather than Captain Marvel: cool subtitle or Captain Marvel 2, neither of which would have impacted the story but may have drawn a few more casual fans to theaters.

    Whatever the case, it’s likely to be some time before fans really feel the impact of Iger’s change. As of now, Marvel Studios’ 2024 slate is fairly bare and there’s no certainty that all of their projects planned for 2025 will make their release dates. To that end, Deadpool 3–which fans should get their first look at during the Super Bowl–will be carrying the burden of high expectations for the studio this year.

  • BTS Photos Provide the Best Look Yet at Charlie Cox’s New Suit in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    BTS Photos Provide the Best Look Yet at Charlie Cox’s New Suit in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    After recent photos and videos from the New York City set of Daredevil: Born Again revealed the first look at costumes for Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, fans have been in an uproar as the scene in question may have featured some significant spoilers. A day later, filming in NYC proved to be the gift that keeps on giving as new BTS pics taken during daylight hours have provided the best look yet at the bright red suit Cox was sporting in those scenes.

    The new suit is certainly far brighter than any of the suits seen during the three seasons of Marvel Television’s Daredevil. While the cowl and belt seem fairly similar to the one seen during his appearance on She-Hulk, it’s clear the chest and abdominal areas are brand new. Of interest are the blue dots on DD’s arms, stomach and back. Given he’s been in a fight with Bullseye, it’s very possible these are spots where either wounds or even knives (Bullseye was carrying a significant number of throwing knives on his gear in the set photos) will be added during post-production.

    It’s also of note that while some of Daredevil: Born Again will be set during the MCU’s present day, the scenes captured around Josie’s bar may be set at some point in the MCU’s past. There’s been plenty of rumor and speculation that Matt will have “retired” from being Daredevil following some traumatic events. It’s very possible those events may have unfolded right before everyone’s eyes on the streets of NYC with Bullseye taking out a close friend of two of Matt’s.

    We’ll all have a while to wait before finding out as the first part of Daredevil: Born Again isn’t expected to stream until 2025.

  • Florence Pugh Gives an Encouraging Update on ‘Thunderbolts’

    Florence Pugh Gives an Encouraging Update on ‘Thunderbolts’

    When it was first announced by Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, at SDCC ’22, Thunderbolts was slated to hit theaters on July 26, 2024. Last December, star Wyatt Russell joked that production on the film had almost begun production “14 times”; however, for a multitude of reasons, Thunderbolts won’t make that date as production on the film has still yet to get underway. Despite reassurances from Russell that cameras were set to roll in March or August, fans on social media have expressed plenty of concern about the status of the film, especially after Steven Yeun, who was set to play Sentry in the film, dropped out of the project early in January. Though the role was quickly filled with Top Gun: Maverick actor Lewis Pullman, the son of living legend Bill Pullman, it turns out fans aren’t the only ones who had concerns about the film ever getting started.

    While talking with ET about the upcoming Dune sequel, one of the film’s stars, Florence Pugh, shared her own experience with all the delays before confirming she’s heading to Atlanta to begin work on the project very soon.

    “It kind of feels like it still might not happen because of the amount of times it has been paused, which is just a natural feeling,” explained Pugh. “But I’m going straight after this. When we’re done with press, I’m going to Atlanta and start doing some prep and do a bit more press with you guys, and then I’m off – I’m shooting.”

    “When we shot Black Widow, we thought we were going to shoot the next movie relatively sooner than we did, and it’s just been this thing that’s been looming, that we’ve been waiting to shoot at some point in the future, and now it’s finally happening, so it feels surreal, but it’s coming back. Yelena’s coming back.“

    Originally a fairly direct sequel to 2021’s Black Widow, Thunderbolts has evolved a bit over time as several different writers have taken a crack at the script. While it’s still Widow-heavy (two members of the Thunderbolts squad and a third member of the cast–maybe a fourth– are returning to roles they played in Black Widow), the film will also follow threads begun in The Falcon and The Winter Solider and Ant-Man and The Wasp.

    Thunderbolts is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

  • Disney Sets Release Dates for ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Frozen 3,’ ‘Toy Story 5,’ and ‘Zootopia 2’

    Disney Sets Release Dates for ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Frozen 3,’ ‘Toy Story 5,’ and ‘Zootopia 2’

    During Disney’s Q1 2024 earnings call with Bob Iger, the studio unveiled a slew of new release dates. In a surprising move, the studio revealed that it has been hard at work on a sequel to Moana, with the sequel confirmed to hit theaters on November 27th, taking the place of the previously Untitled Disney Animation film set for that date. The studio also unveiled a short teaser for Moana 2, which can be viewed below.

    Along with news of the Moana sequel, Disney also confirmed Frozen 3 is coming in 2026. Coming in strong with more sequels, Disney also revealed that Zootopia 2, the long awaited sequel, will be released on November 26th, 2025. While Toy Story 5 is officially in the works for a 2026 release date.

    Updating…

  • ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ Heads to Disney+

    ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ Heads to Disney+

    Taylor Swift is heading to Disney. Disney’s Bob Iger revealed during the company’s Q1 2024 investor’s call that Swift’s The Eras Tour will stream exclusively on Disney+. The new version, which is titled Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), will include “Cardigan” and four other songs that were not present in both the theater version and VOD version of the concert film.

    “The Eras Tour has been a true phenomenon that has and continues to thrill fans around the world, and we are very excited to bring this electrifying concert to audiences wherever they are, exclusively on Disney+,” Iger said regarding the news.

    The Eras Tour, which Swift released exclusively through AMC Theaters, has proven to be one of the biggest box office surprises of 2023. The concert movie not only went on to earn over $261.1 million worldwide at the box office, but has also become the top-grossing concert documentary movie of all time.

    The Eras Tour is set to hit Disney+ on March 15th.

    Source: THR.