Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Bad Boys 4’ Gets a New Title (Exclusive)

    ‘Bad Boys 4’ Gets a New Title (Exclusive)

    Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are suiting back up as Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey, bad boys for life who ride together and die together, in a fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise. The new film, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, was announced earlier this year and has been filming in Atlanta for some time. With production drawing to a close, a new title has emerged for the project.

    Following up on incorporating Burnett and Lowrey’s motto (we ride together, we die together…bad boys for life) into the title of the third film in the series, Bad Boys for Life, the fourth film in the franchise will be called Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

    While there’s no release date for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, it seems safe to say the wait for it will not be as long as the wait between the second and third films in the franchise. When El Arbi and Fallah resurrected the series in 2020, it had been 17 years since Michael Bay‘s Bad Boys II had been in theaters. With the new film set to wrap production later this Summer, it seems likely that Sony will roll the fourth feature film into theaters some time in 2024.

  • ‘Fast X’ Revs Up Massive $319M Worldwide But Slows Down Domestically

    ‘Fast X’ Revs Up Massive $319M Worldwide But Slows Down Domestically

    It looks like Fast X is still making a splash internationally, as while it didn’t beat the previous entry domestically, it has revved up quite a bit of momentum at the global box office. It highlights that some franchises may face their own slowdown but that isn’t always the case for every single market, especially with how some viewed the international development in Eastern markets for MArvel Studios’ more sci-fi-oriented filmmaking in the last few years.

    Still, Fast X has pulled in $318.9M worldwide, which is a good start even if it only pulled in $67.5M domestically. The international bow makes it the second largest release of the year with The Super Mario Bros. Movie still holding on to the top spot at $377M. Though, it is the third-highest opening for a Fast and Furious film. Still, it had the biggest international opening of any film so far.

    The film actually had an impressive opening in China at $78.3M, which after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also surprised might be a hopeful sign that the market is warming up to external films again. Though domestically, the film received a B+ CinemaScore, which commonly hints at a more positive but mixed reception and it is a lower opening than F9 during the pandemic.

    There is, however, one major issue this film is going to face and that is its hefty production budget. While during the pandemic many film budgets have spiraled out of control with the old $200M now hovering around $250M, Fast X has a bit of a bigger challenge ahead. Even with a massive opening this year, the film has to make quite a bit of cash due to costing $340M.

    That means, the film would have to make at least $640M just to cover its production budget and potentially around $850M to be considered profitable. while its international legs could be a factor, it’s still a long way to know if this film was worth its investment. To put it in perspective, the film costs more than Avengers: Infinity War and 10M less than Avatar: The Way of Water. So, the second weekend will be vital to see how far the franchise’s engine truly will run.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap via The Direct

  • More BTS Photos from ‘Captain America 4’ Tease New Setting, More Serpents

    More BTS Photos from ‘Captain America 4’ Tease New Setting, More Serpents

    With principal photography on Captain America: New World Order having shifted out of the studio this past week, photographer Christopher Oquendo has staked out the Brown Airport location of the production and shared several rounds of excellent behind-the-scenes material. The photographer’s latest shots have unveiled not only a new setting for the film but also some more members of the villainous Serpent Society.

    It turns out the Serpent Society has its own private jet, complete with some gold and green accents that look like they match the costumes worn by WWE Superstar Seth Rollins and an as-yet unidentified co-star from a prior batch of set photos. While set photos never provide much context, it seems safe to say that the Serpents have used their private jet to make their way to Cancun, where their fight with Captain America and Falcon is likely to take place.

    In addition to revealing a new setting for the fourth entry in the Captain America franchise, the most recent set photos also provide a shadowy look at another member of the Serpent Society. It’s expected that there will be five of them in the film (Asp, Bushmaster, Cobra, Constrictor and Diamondback), and, at the moment, it’s still unclear which one of those Serpents will be played by Rollins; however, the photographer–who may be working with some additional information–teased that the shadowy member of the team might be its leader, King Cobra.

    It’s not clear what role the Serpent Society plays in the film just yet but given the amount of time spent on the production on this particular set of scenes, it’s safe to say they at least have a fairly large role in the film and will occupy quite a bit of Captain America and The Falcon’s time! Captain America: New World Order is currently slated for a May 3rd, 2024 release.

  • Winona Ryder Rocks a Familiar Look in Set Photos from ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    Winona Ryder Rocks a Familiar Look in Set Photos from ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    It took 35 years to get it off the ground but production on the sequel to the 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice is underway. Director Tim Burton is returning to the world of The Ghost with the Most for the sequel, reuniting with stars Michael Keaton, the lovely Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder who played the titular bio-exorcist and iconic goth girl Lydia Deetz, respectively. Cameras have been rolling on the sequel for over a week and now the first behind-the-scenes look at Ryder has hit the internet!

    Yep, that’s Lydia Deetz! Ryder’s return to the role came complete with looking damn near identical to the character’s memorable late-80s look from the original. Ryder has had an incredible second act to her career with her role on Stranger Things putting her back in the spotlight and now, in this legacy sequel, she’ll be stepping back into one of her most famous roles over three decades later.

    While next to nothing is known about the plot of the film, it will star Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter and Willem Dafoe as an afterlife cop. Justin Theroux and Monica Bellucci have also signed on for the sequel, which is currently set for a September 6th, 2024 release.

  • ‘Fast X’ Heading for a Soft $66M Opening Weekend with a B+ CinemaScore

    ‘Fast X’ Heading for a Soft $66M Opening Weekend with a B+ CinemaScore

    It’s looking more and more like blockbuster fatigue is showing its fangs, as even the latest entry of the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X, is kicking off its domestic run softly. Louis Leterrier is directing the latest entry in the franchise that came in with a soft B+, which means the action hit is getting some mixed reviews from audiences. It’s the same grade that F9 got previously during the pandemic but it’ll be curious to keep an eye on what this means for its box office.

    The film took in $27.5M and is currently 8% behind F9. With a B+ score, it seems like the film is likely going to roll out around $66M over the weekend. That of course isn’t great with Vin Diesel recently trying to promote that he’s decided they’ll spin out a trilogy out of Fast X, which originally was setting up the final entry to the franchise. It’s hard to say if the two-year wait and the overall soft embrace of the previous entry may have played a key factor in its box office.

    https://twitter.com/CinemaScore/status/1659788311685128192

    Outside of Super Mario Bros. Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, big releases have been struggling a bit this year. The latter is also showing another stronghold with a 46% drop even going up against this direct competition from Universal. Mid-budget investments have performed better than expected in April as people were preparing for the summer, but perhaps we’re about to face an average 100M opening moving forward with the franchise going above or below depending on the marketing push behind, as even former franchise giant, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, is only projecting around a $40M opening weekend.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Mortal Kombat 1’ Leak Confirms Heroic and Bloody Additions

    ‘Mortal Kombat 1’ Leak Confirms Heroic and Bloody Additions

    Mortal Kombat 1 dropped its first trailer in style with a lot of fanfare. It already has many wondering who else might join the roster of the September release, and it seems that Amazon Italy may have accidentally leaked who will be part of the first Kombat Pack. It seems that the recent rumors are true and we’re getting some bloody good heroic additions for this R-rated game that has seen horror icons and 90s stars.

    According to Amazon Italy, Mortal Kombat 1’s Kombat Pack 1 (say that ten times) will include some familiar characters from the franchise’s past. The list includes Quan Chi, Ermac, and Kenshin’s son Takeda. While Takeda is a curious addition given the reboot technically would bring back Kenshin first rather than his son given the timeline, that isn’t the thing that likely had everyone’s eyes on it.

    The game will continue the tradition of including third-party characters and it seems they are going in a heroic direction this time around. Given the rise in R-rated superhero offerings, it’s not a surprise but the additions are quite interesting. We have Invincible’s Omni Man, DC’s Peacemaker, and The Boys‘ Homelander included in the list.

    Homelander was a fan-favorite addition given his unhinged behavior in the Amazon series. Ironically, the inclusion of Omni Man also adds fuel to the fire of finally getting to see these two Superman-inspired characters to prove which one is more powerful. Though, we don’t know which version of Homelander is going to be brought to the game, as they could either go with the comic design or Antony Starr’s version. They did bring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone to life in Mortal Kombat 11. So, anything is possible if they have the rights.

    Source: GameSpot

  • ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Opens to Inauspicious Reviews from Cannes

    ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Opens to Inauspicious Reviews from Cannes

    Harrison Ford‘s swan song as Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Junior has been the source of significant buzz since it was revealed that James Mangold was brought on board to helm the film. Trailers and promotional material for the film continued to generate excitement for the film ahead of its June 30th wide release; however, after debuting at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film’s place in the franchise is already being called into question.

    While it’s not all doom and gloom for the fifth entry in the series, early reviews that have been made available via Rotten Tomatoes will certainly cause some concern. Though it’s currently just a small sample size of 26 reviews, only 50% of those who have reviewed the film have had primarily positive things to say about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

    (L-R): Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Lucasfilm’s INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    While it’s not typically the kind of fare that debuts at Cannes, it is a bit shocking that Ford’s farewell to the character has been so harshly hit. Obviously, at 50%, it’s currently split right down the middle in terms of positive and negative reviews; however, even some of the more positive takes on the film echo some of the negative review’s concerns. Though AwardsWatch’s Ben Rolph calls Dial of Destiny “a thrilling, action-packed swan song for the iconic character“, the Playlist’s Robert Daniels firmly states that “some relics should just stay buried,” calling into question if the new film was necessary. “The jokes, the zest and the exuberance just aren’t there,” said BBC’s Nicholas Barber, adding to that narrative, “so instead of a joyous send-off for our beloved hero, we get a depressing reminder of how much livelier his past adventures were.”

    Fortunately, most critics, including Geoffrey Macnab from the Independent, are quick to praise the film’s star in his last turn as Indy. “Harrison Ford is the hero of the hour. He never loses either his scowl or his doggedness. He plays even the flimsiest scenes with conviction and dry humour. His performance carries the movie.” Rolph, who gave the film a B score, added that Ford’s performance in Dial of Destiny is “a fitting end to one of cinema’s greatest action heroes, and one of the most iconic roles of his career, with this film.” With the film set to be screened at least a few more times ahead of its premiere, the Rotten Tomatoes score will certainly change. The only question is whether or not that will be for the best.

    Source: Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’ Sequel Finds its Jade in ‘You’ Star

    ‘Mortal Kombat’ Sequel Finds its Jade in ‘You’ Star

    Simon McQuoid is back in the director’s chair for the Mortal Kombat sequel. The film will pick up where the last one ended, as the team heads out towards the actual tournament that wasn’t really touched upon in the first film. While we recently heard Karl Urban has been in final negotiations to play the role of Johnny Cage, it seems one more iconic character is set to return.

    The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled that Tati Gabrielle, who appeared in You and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, has joined the sequel to the 2021 streaming hit. She’ll take on the role of Jade, who is the bodyguard of Princess Kitana in the original gaming series.

    For now, Jessica McNamee and Josh Lawson are expected to reprise their roles from the original. It’s uncertain who else might join as of now and what direction the story might take. It’ll likely take some cues from Mortal Kombat 2 and 3 given how much ground they will try to cover with this storyline.

    For now, we can only speculate as there has also been no mention of Hiroyuki Sanada returning as the iconic Scorpion. His bout with Sub-Zero was the highlight of the first film and there’s still a lot more story left to tell going into a sequel. Of course, he’s not technically the “main” character but was a big draw to many fans even with the gaming franchise. He was the highlight of the poster so it’ll be interesting to see if they try not to be too dependent on him.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Resident Evil’ Actor Joins Live-Action ‘One Piece’ as Don Krieg

    ‘Resident Evil’ Actor Joins Live-Action ‘One Piece’ as Don Krieg

    Probably among the biggest missing pieces in the East Blue Saga was Don Krieg. The main antagonist during the Baratie arc was surprisingly absent in most of the cast announcements for the live-action One Piece series heading to Netflix sometime this year. After a long wait, it seems that he has finally been uncovered as Resident Evil and Raised by Wolves actor Milton Schorr is playing the iconic admiral of the Krieg Pirates, as uncovered first by @OP_Netflix_Fan and the One Piece Live Action discord.

    Krieg was among the many iconic villains that left quite an impression in the East Blue saga, especially with him being the first one to hint at the dangers of the Grand Line, Luffy’s main goal in reaching by the end of the saga. He also sets up a showcase of just how dangerous the world can be and that you can’t always trust everyone you come across.

    The only major member of his team missing is Gin, who plays a vital role in introducing Sanji’s main character arc. We might see his casting finally get confirmed at a later date, as most of these castings aren’t from Netflix directly but rather from the actors confirming their appearances through their personal CVs. So, who knows if they even planned to announce anyone else in the near future or just jump straight into the trailer and poster.

    Source: ArtistsOne

  • BTS Video Provides the Best Look Yet at Sam Wilson’s Underwhelming New Costume in ‘Captain America 4’

    BTS Video Provides the Best Look Yet at Sam Wilson’s Underwhelming New Costume in ‘Captain America 4’

    As page-to-screen adaptations go, the first Captain America costume Sam Wilson sported in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is truly about as good as it has gotten for Marvel Studios. Pulling off a white costume goes against one of the old-school principles of costume design, but Michael Crow and his crew were more than up to the challenge, putting Anthony Mackie into one of the MCU’s best costumes. As production continues on Captain America: New World Order, it seems the studio decided they could not leave well enough alone and, as seen in previous set photos, decided to craft a new, more traditional Captain America costume for Mackie’s Wilson. Those low-resolution set photos only caught bits and pieces of the suit but now a new behind-the-scenes video has provided a little better look at the new drip.

    The video comes from footage taken at Atlanta’s Brown Airport by the same user who has provided the first looks at Wilson’s suit, Danny Ramirez‘s Joaquin Torres’ Falcon suit and WWE Superstar Seth Rollins‘s Serpent Society villain and looks as though it’s been taken during a stunt rehearsal.

    While it’s still a low-resolution look, it’s by far the best look yet at Sam’s new suit…and it’s uninspiring. Gone are the white accents on the chest, shoulders and sleeves and the result is what looks like Sam borrowed one of Steve Roger’s old costumes. Let’s hope that Sam’s other suit is just at the cleaners during this scene and this isn’t the new look for the all-new, all-different Captain America.