Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Atlus Teasing “Exciting News” for ‘Persona’ Fans in Upcoming Livestream

    Atlus Teasing “Exciting News” for ‘Persona’ Fans in Upcoming Livestream

    There’s something funny about how Atlus loves using Persona concerts to announce projects. The thing is, there’s now a live stream announcement for the Blu-Ray release of the Persona Super Live performance, and also hinted at “exciting news” for the franchise to arrive during the broadcast. It’s a way to get people to check it out on April 9th but it raises the question of what exactly they might mean.

    Now, to temper expectations that are likely going to flare up as we’ve been desperate for any news on the rumored Persona 3 Remake and especially Persona 6. The 25th Anniversary also teased something one could describe as exciting going by early teases, but we ended up getting a bunch of merchandise as part of the announcements.

    Yes, we did get the remasters of Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax but they didn’t quite give us a hint at the future. Maybe this Blu-Ray release is a way to balance that out and add some big news at the tail-end of the showcase. It’s also their way of establishing their own little Nintendo Direct equivalent but we should not expect anything big for now.

    Source: GameRant, Persona Central

  • Disney Finds its Lilo for the Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Adaptation

    Disney Finds its Lilo for the Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Adaptation

    So far, we only knew that Zach Galifianakis has joined the upcoming live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch, but it seems they have finally found one of their leads. Newcomer Maia Kealoha has been cast in the role that’ll bring the 2002 version to a new generation with director Dean Fleischer Camp of Marcel the Shell With Shoes On fame. The script is based on work by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright.

    The news was first reported by Knight Edge Media and is now confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. The story seemingly is set to stay quite true to the original adaptation, which saw the story of an alien experiment make his way to Earth and ending up as the adoptive dog of a local Hawaiian girl named Lilo. Their bond is what defines the heart of the story in addition to the beauty of Hawaii adding that additional charm.

    It’ll be interesting to see who might give Stitch his iconic voice. Chris Sanders played the character in the original film and given he’ll very likely be a fully CG character, he could potentially return to the role. Though, they might also find an A-list celebrity to bring the character to life. Perhaps Chris Pratt wants to nab one more voice-acting gig after The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the upcoming Garfield movie.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Knight Edge Media

  • Simu Liu Talks Potential ‘Shang-Chi’ Sequel

    Simu Liu Talks Potential ‘Shang-Chi’ Sequel

    We’re still waiting for the official confirmation that Shang-Chi‘s sequel is on the horizon. Outside of quite a few rumors, Marvel Studios has been surprisingly shy about announcing one even as the first entry was quite the critical darling. It also was the first sign of strong legs for the studio that it hasn’t quite enjoyed since the pandemic recovered.

    Still, the film’s star Simu Liu has shared his thoughts on what it means to tackle a sequel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially after introducing the world to this unique corner of the universe. He also highlights that he hopes they can “still afford Michelle Yeoh” after her major Oscar win for Everything Everywhere all at Once.

    Going into a sequel feels exciting. It doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s a pressure to perform or a pressure to exceed. It feels like we’ve established a world and there’s just something really nostalgic and exciting about returning to that world that we’ve spent so much time ideating on and thinking about. And then, we’re getting to revisit some things, but also show the viewer new things. We’ll deliver all of the amazing action that we were celebrated for on the first movie, but then also hopefully explore new sides of Shaun’s character and the characters around him. That is, of course, if we can still afford Michelle Yeoh. She’s on top of the world and just the queen of everything.

    Simu Liu

    It’s strange to think how much time has passed since the film was released in theaters. There was something special about this kung fu-inspired project, and here’s hoping we get quite a few more. There’s also the rumor of a potential 10 Rings Disney+ spinoff they might be working on. So, we’ll see if we get more out of the Shang-Chi corner of the MCU.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Director Reveals How They Got [SPOILER] to Cameo

    ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Director Reveals How They Got [SPOILER] to Cameo

    The following article contains a major spoiler for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. So, only continue at your own risk if you haven’t watched the film.

    Dungeons & Dragons is a very self-contained story with an already stacked cast including Hugh Grant, Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and more. Yet, there’s a fun little cameo in the middle of the film that further explores Rodriguez‘ character of Holga Kilgore. We learn that she gave up everything for her love but not being able to let go would push them further apart.

    The funniest part, the cameo of her tiny lover was nonother than Bradley Cooper. It’s a very out-of-nowhere cameo that is perfect and it’s funny how Cooper keeps playing small characters in big-budget releases. Especially as we’ll see him return as Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in just a few more weeks.

    So, the question on everyone’s mind might be how they managed to get this A-list character to join the production. Well, it turns out that director John Francis Daley. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Daley reveals he sent him an unfinished film to convince him to join.

    Well, I co-starred with Bradley [Cooper] on the show KitchenConfidential when I was 19 years old, and we appreciated each other’s careers from afar after that experience. And so when this opportunity came up, we knew we wanted someone to inhabit the role that brought with it this sense of gravitas and just full-on acting chops. So I don’t remember who it was that pitched Bradley, but the second I heard the name, I thought, “Oh, let’s go for it.” So we sent him a copy of the unfinished film and he loved it. So he was ready to jump on board, and it was such an awesome day.

    John Francis Daley

    It was a great little surprise to see him in this tiny role. not only was it one of the funniest jokes in the film seeing Olga’s preference for men but having Cooper‘s sincerity in the role gave us one of the most heartfelt moments in the film.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Matt Shakman’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Adds ‘Avatar 2’ Writer

    Matt Shakman’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Adds ‘Avatar 2’ Writer

    Josh Friedman of Avatar: The Way of Water and Snowpiercer fame has found his next project, and it’s quite the big one. It seems he is joining the upcoming Fantastic Four film that’ll be the first arrival of Marvel’s first family in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’ll join director Matt Shakman in what may be one of their most ambitious projects yet.

    It’s a big get for the studio given he was part of one of the biggest releases in 2022. Previously, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were attached to write. Friedman joining may be a hint that they are moving further away from the pure comedic direction the project may have had given their involvement with various comedies. Friedman is more serious in tone with his tone and, bigger yet, a huge sci-fi veteran.

    He was involved with Steven Spielberg‘s War of the Worlds, created the Terminator spinoff series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and more. Given the announcement dropped now, he has likely been involved with the project for a few months now. We also recently found out that Thunderbolts also added a new writer in Beef‘s Lee Sung Jin. Some may not remember but this is very much a pre-pandemic Marvel movie. Outside of a handful of writers, they had a variety of people work on the scripts before releasing a film. So, perhaps something for the “quality over quantity ” crowd.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Rolls the Dice to Take Down ‘John Wick 4’

    ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Rolls the Dice to Take Down ‘John Wick 4’

    This weekend will see an interesting battle between fantasy and gun-fu, as Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is rolling out in theaters worldwide. After pulling in a good $5.6M in previews at the domestic box office, the film is trying its luck on potentially dethroning last weekend’s big hit, John Wick Chapter 4. As of now, the film is eyeing an opening between $30M to potentially $40M but tomorrow’s numbers will give us a clearer picture.

    John Wick 4 is heading towards a stronghold in its sophomore weekend with around $36M expected. Though given its popularity it might even go higher as well. The only issue for Dungeons & Dragons lies in the fact that it has quite a steep $150M production window. So, it will have to bank on good word-of-mouth to keep it going as the summer box office is just around the corner with quite a line-up.

    March generally has been a strong month with some break-out releases on small to medium budgets like Creed 3, Scream 6, and John Wick 4. While Shazam Fury of the Gods floundered and didn’t even have a big opening like Ant-Man 3, it’s great to see some strong showings after the pandemic years making many wonder what the future holds for theatrical experiences.

    If the Chris Pine project manages to pull in some strong word-of-mouth and heads to the $40M opening, it might have a chance to balance its softer opening throughout the coming weeks. But, interestingly, it’s not too different from Shazam: Fury of the Gods which had a smaller budget of $100M but opened to $30M. Perhaps it’s not quite superhero fatigue but blockbuster fatigue in the off-season.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Confirms the Identity of Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invastion’ Character

    Marvel Confirms the Identity of Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invastion’ Character

    The identity of Emilia Clarke‘s character in the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series, Secret Invasion, has been the subject of rumors and speculation since it was announced that the actress had joined the project. She’s been said to be playing Veranke, Abigail Brand and, more recently, said to be a Skrull named G’iah by insider Daniel RPK. Not everyone can be right…or can they?…but now Marvel Studios has made it official via a special look at the series from Vanity Fair.

    As shared by Daniel RPK, Clarke is playing the Skrull G’iah, the daughter of Talos, who audiences first met in 2019’s Captain Marvel. “Remember when Ben [Mendelsohn] was there with his wife and daughter? She’s the little Skrull girl grown up. She’s his daughter,” revealed Secret Invasion star Samuel L. Jackson. The character of G’iah was first introduced in Marvel Comics in 2019’s Meet the Skrulls, which has long been rumored to have partially inspired Marvel Studios streaming series.

    While the identity of Clarke’s character may not be a huge surprise (Marvel Studios made it pretty clear at the end of Captain Marvel that the character would return in some way), her role in the project might be: she’s part of an extremist group of Skrulls, led by Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik, who believed Talos had failed them, decided to stop waiting to find a new home and have begun taking over Earth. “It’s hardened her for sure. There’s a kind of punk feeling that you get from this girl,” said Clarke of growing up amidst the Kree-Skrull War as the daughter of a Skrullian leader. “She’s a refugee kid who’s had Talos for a dad, you know what I mean? Maybe the fact that we didn’t know he had a kid up until this point tells you everything you need to know about their relationship. There is a lot of angst and pain and anger and resentment. The group themselves are kind of anti-Talos.“

    These people promised a lot of stuff a long time ago, and not a lot has happened. So understandably, a certain amount of resentment has been built. There’s a lot of emotions that live within her, and there’s a lot of confrontational aspects to her character that have come from circumstance. You understand why she has the feelings that she does.

    Emilia Clarke

    Secret Invasion will certainly paint these extremist Skrulls in a different–and much more comic-accurate–light than in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home where they were victims of an ongoing war and even allies to humanity. Now that Gravik’s extremist faction is ready to move to the next step of their takeover of Earth, having G’iah and Talos on opposite sides will make for a very compelling arc when the series hits Disney Plus in June.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • ‘Green Knight’ Director David Lowery Helmed an Episode of ‘Skeleton Crew’

    ‘Green Knight’ Director David Lowery Helmed an Episode of ‘Skeleton Crew’

    Jon Watts‘s Star Wars streaming series, Skeleton Crew, wrapped principal photography some time ago but news about the show’s stable of directors is only just now trickling out. After it was recently revealed that Academy Award-winning directors The Daniels were behind the camera for one episode, it’s now been confirmed that David Lowery directed an episode of the series as well.

    One Take News originally shared the news of Lowery’s association with the show, news that was quickly confirmed via THR’s Aaron Couch. Lowery has worked with Disney before, first on 2016’s Pete’s Dragon and recently on Peter Pan & Wendy, which will stream on Disney Plus in April.

    Skeleton Crew, like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, is set during the New Republic era of the Star Wars timeline. That largely unexplored timeframe, set between the fall of the Empire and the rise of the First Order, has proven to be fertile storytelling ground so far under the purview of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. Skeleton Crew will star Jude Law and, according to Lucasfilm, “tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home.”

    Source: OTN

  • Latest BTS Photos from ‘Captain America 4’ Provide First Look at Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross, Tim Blake Nelson’s Villainous Leader

    Latest BTS Photos from ‘Captain America 4’ Provide First Look at Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross, Tim Blake Nelson’s Villainous Leader

    Harrison Ford and Tim Blake Nelson were the latest actors to be captured on the set of Captain America: New World Order. The set photos, courtesy of Just Jared, show Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns.

    A close look at Nelson shows the actor sporting a touch of green, indicating that the scenes shot today probably involved a mix of practical and VFX to run the actor into the villainous, gamma-infused Leader!

    News of Nelson’s return as the Leader was first announced back in September 2022 as part of Marvel Studios’ D23 presentation. The actor first portrayed the character in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. This will mark his long-awaited return, following rumors that initially had the character set to appear in She-Hulk. As for Ford, reports of his casting first circulated in October 2022. They were quickly confirmed, with the actor officially taking over the role of Ross for late actor William Hurt.

    The film, which sees Anthony Mackie take over the mantle of Captain America, is in production now. It is being directed by Julius Onah and will hit theaters on May 3rd, 2024.

    Source: Just Jared.

  • ‘Beef’s Lee Sung Jin Joins Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’ as Writer

    ‘Beef’s Lee Sung Jin Joins Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’ as Writer

    Here’s an interesting surprise, while the upcoming adaptation of the iconic villain team Thunderbolts is preparing to film later in June, the announcement has just dropped that Lee Sung Jin, the creator, and showrunner of Netflix’s upcoming Beef series, has joined the production as a writer.

    He is taking over writing duties from Black Widow‘s Eric Pearson, who was initially attached to the project. This would mark his first writing credit on a feature film, however after working on various shows like Tuca & Bertie, Dave, and Silicon Valley. It does reunite the writer with Steven Yeun, who has joined Thunderbolts in an unknown role and was one of the main leads in Beef.

    I’m rewriting it. It’s the whole squad again. Jake asked me if I would come on board. I probably should have taken a break, but there’s a lot of themes and exciting things about the movie that I couldn’t help but sign on.

    Lee Sung Jin

    He goes on to highlight how different it is working on a project for Marvel Studios with director Jake Schreier‘s spearheading the project.

    It’s truly an honor to be part of a Marvel thing, but it is very different. One, it’s not my project, it’s Jake’s. It’s such a large scope and scale that the type of writing is very different. At the same time, the process feels the same, I’m still talking to Jake every day. … I think once you find the squad of people you love and trust and are so talented, you do everything you can to keep working with them.

    Lee Sung Jin

    While there have been more additional rewrites happening for Marvel Studios’ films, this is actually closer to how they functioned in Phase 3. Most of their films went through a variety of writers before they started filming and we’re seeing that extra layer of attention to ensure the script is as tight as it can be.

    Thunderbolts will be their first attempt at a new ensemble team since Eternals, which didn’t quite hit it with audiences as they may have hoped. Still, the team will include some fan favorites and characters we haven’t seen in some time. The only question remains how long Jin has already been involved with writing and if they’ll have the script finalized before filming starts later this year.

    Source: Variety