Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Scream VI’ Stabs Up Franchise’s Best Thursday Previews

    ‘Scream VI’ Stabs Up Franchise’s Best Thursday Previews

    It looks like the sixth entry of the Scream franchise has opened big, as the film pulled in $5.7M in Thursday previews, which would make it the biggest ever for the franchise. It’s also set to expand its theater count on Friday from 3,125 to 3,675 with a chance at a powerful $35M to $40M opening weekend.

    As such, it would take the top spot from the last entry which also opened a strong $34M during the pandemic. Scream VI is set to break that record and is on track to move closer to the $40M if it continues at this rate. As such, it might have a good chance to blow past the film’s $138M worldwide total, which was already impressive on a tiny $24M budget.

    The only question is if this film can stab Michael B. Jordan‘s Creed III from the top spot, which it dominated last weekend with an overperforming $58M opening. Though it does seem likely that it’ll beat it unless the boxing film has some impressive staying power for viewers that just couldn’t get enough the first time around.

    The only depressing opening is Adam Driver‘s new sci-fi film 65 which earned an okay $1.2M in previews and isn’t likely going to set the weekend ablaze. Reviews aren’t kind to the film either, as it has a critical score of 30% and an already rotten Audience Score just as it entered the weekend.

    Source: The Numbers, Variety, Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Early Projections Eyeing $100M+ Easter Opening

    ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Early Projections Eyeing $100M+ Easter Opening

    The long-awaited return o Super Mario to the silver screen is almost upon us. While they took a safer route and avoided a live-action take on the classic plumber and his brother Luigi, The Super Mario Bros. Movie offers a fantastical look at the iconic Mushroom Kingdom through the lens of Illumination’s animation style.

    It’s avoided the usual trappings of that production studio so far with some impressive trailers and very promising visuals highlighting just how involved Nintendo was in bringing their biggest mascot to life. Now, early projects are already seeing some positive development for the April release.

    As it stands, the film is likely to open somewhere between $71M to $105M. The project is hard to truly pin down on just how successful it’ll be but seems like a very possible front-loaded must-see for those growing up with the character. Chris Pratt‘s casting as the main character though has softened some expectations as the Social Media buzz is surprisingly lower than what was expected.

    Though game adaptations aren’t always box office hits, Illumination has quite a strong track record with how they push their projects. Just last year, Minions 2: The Rise of Gru made a huge splash in theaters and adds to the potential that this film’s release with an iconic mascot as Mario offers. For now, we can only see how media buzz increases as we get closer to the film’s release.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’ May Have Found its Cinematographer

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’ May Have Found its Cinematographer

    We’ve long been wondering what Marvel Studios has planned for their unique take on Blade. There hasn’t been much news on the project that seemingly went through quite a turbulent production cycle before any cameras got rolling. Once it lost its initial director Bassam Tariq, it seemed like the project might end up getting pushed back further and further away. Then we heard that they are completely reworking the script with Beau DeMayo‘s involvement rumored before Michael Starrbury was confirmed.

    It took some time before Mahershala Ali‘s Blade truly picked up steam once Lovecraft Country director Yann Demange was confirmed as the new director. The film is still set to start production sometime this year and Cosmic Circus may have uncovered some more from the project hinting that the cameras might get rolling sooner rather than later. According to them, Matthew Libatique has joined the project as its cinematographer.

    What is interesting is that this isn’t his first Marvel project. LIbatique not only worked on Venom but also was the director of photography on the original Iron Man. He’s also been quite busy with his work on the recent releases of The Whale and Don’t Worry Darling. He also was involved with the DC film Birds of Prey, and has quite an extensive resumé. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to this gothic take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whatever it may be, here’s hoping that the film starts rolling sooner rather than later.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios to Cast a Jewish Actor for ‘Fantastic Four’s The Thing

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios to Cast a Jewish Actor for ‘Fantastic Four’s The Thing

    In the world of Marvel Studio’s castings, the discussions surrounding the Fantastic Four might have been the most trailblazing. Everyone is excited to finally know who will play Marvel’s First Family in their first Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptation. After a decent comedy spin and a dreadful reimagining, it was time to see these iconic characters reunited once again as part of a bigger universe.

    Ever since the project lost Jon Watts as a director, many were wondering what the future might hold for the project. WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman took over the project and hinted that castings have yet to truly being. Many rumored front runners have found their way online for Mr. Fantastic with some hoping to see the return of John Krasinski after Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, or rumors surrounding Penn Badgley, Dev Patel, and countless others.

    Now, it seems that we have a new rumor stirring the pot but this time for the casting of The Thing, better known as Ben Grimm. While no specific name is set, The Hot Mich’s Jeff Sneider has shared that Marvel Studios is actively looking to cast the role with a Jewish actor. They also considered going for a person of color but are focusing on Grimm’s heritage potentially in the casting process.

    That would make him the second openly Jewish character in the franchise after Oscar Isaac‘s Marc Spector in the Disney+ series Moon Knight. Though, there was some controversy in how it was portrayed in that series, which didn’t ignore it but skimmed over some parts that many felt were important to the character.

    Still, we now has the question remaining of who they might cast for the role. The Direct pointed out that Jason Segel might be a popular choice, and has also been among the many rumored for a part in the Fantastic Four film. It’ll be interesting to see if this new rumor might spark a new wave of

    Source: YouTube via The Direct

  • Matt Shakman Rumored to Have Struck Fantastic Deal with Marvel Studios

    Matt Shakman Rumored to Have Struck Fantastic Deal with Marvel Studios

    Following his work on WandaVision, Marvel Studios turned to director Matt Shakman to take the lead on their Fantastic Four project when original helmer Jon Watts departed. With Fantastic Four now casting ahead of a 2024 start of production, news comes that Shakman may already be lined up for a pair of Marvel Studios projects in addition to the film.

    During a segment on the Hot Mic Podcast, Jeff Snieder indicated that Shakman may be Marvel Studios choice to lead a Disney Plus streaming series focused on the Silver Surfer and is lined up to direct a portion of the Disney Plus streaming series Vision Quest. While there has been no official word from Marvel Studios concerning a Silver Surfer project, a Special Presentation introducing the character has been rumored for some time . Vision Quest, on the other hand, is known to be in the works and is reportedly headed into production in 2024.

    Shakman has a strong background in TV beyond WandaVision, having worked on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Given Vision Quest is all but guaranteed to be a sequel to WandaVision, Shakman’s participation in the series would provide an opportunity for narrative continuity and consistency to be present in the new series.

    Source: YouTube

  • Jenna Ortega Circling a Role in ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    Jenna Ortega Circling a Role in ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega is looking to stay within the Tim Burton universe. It was revealed on Thursday that the actor is currently circling a role in Beetlejuice 2. A deal has not been officially set, however, should one take, Ortega would play the daughter of Lydia, the character originated by Winona Ryder in the original movie. Burton is expected to return as the director for Beetlejuice 2, while Michael Keaton is expected to return as the titular character. The sequel, which has been in the works for a long, long time, will finally kick off production in either May or June in London.

    Beetlejuice 2 would serve as a reunion between Ortega and Burton. The duo worked together on the first season of Netflix’s Wednesday, which was renewed for a second season back in January. It’s currently unclear if Ryder will return for the sequel, although the actor was attached to the project as of a year ago.

    Beetlejuice, which was released in 1988, also starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jordan and Catherine O’Hara, earned an impressive $80 million on a $15 million budget. Talks of a sequel being in the works have been ongoing since 2017, however, this marks the closest the film has come to entering production. As of now, the movie does not have a release date.

    Source: THR.

  • Fewer Sequels, More Avengers in Store for the MCU

    Fewer Sequels, More Avengers in Store for the MCU

    As Bob Iger continues to reign in the free-spending gunslingers behind Disney’s big brands, fans of those brands continue to wonder what the future will hold. During an appearance Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Iger gave some indication of what the future of Marvel Studios may hold.

    On the heels of a pair of sequels that weren’t the critical darlings that Disney had hoped they’d be, Iger indicated that Marvel Studios may reevaluate their approach to sequels.

    There are 7,000 characters, there are a lot more stories to tell. What we have to look at at Marvel is not necessarily the volume of Marvel stories we’re telling but how many times we go back to the well on certain characters. Sequels typically work well for us. Do you need a third and a fourth, for instance, or is it time to turn to other characters?

    Robert Iger

    It’s hard not to read between the lines of Iger’s comments and think about Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The former has been widely criticized for taking the wrong lessons from its much more successful predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok while the latter has been under fire for its drop-off at the box office.

    It’s not all bad news for Marvel Studios, though. Iger is confident that the future, which he loosely defined as the “next five years”, holds a lot of promise.

    There’s nothing in any way inherently off in terms of the Marvel brand. I think we just have to look at what characters and stories we’re mining. If you look at the trajectory of Marvel in the next five years, there will be a lot of newness. We’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise with a whole new set of Avengers, for example.

    Robert Iger

    Interestingly enough, that newness includes the scheduled MCU debuts of the Punisher, Blade, Deadpool, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, none of whom are new to the superhero landscape, only the MCU; so roughly in the sense that a used car is new to you, though not truly new. Beyond that, characters such as Sentry, Wonder Man and Nova are known to be making true debuts, so it will be worth tracking which of Marvel’s 7,000 other characters get the opportunity to make the jump to the MCU.

    Iger’s comments on a “new set of Avengers” is also worth some thought. After having four Avengers films weaved throughout the Infinity Saga, each serving as “Phase enders”, the studio chose to reserve the Multiverse Saga’s Avengers films for Phase 6. With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars set to end the Multiverse Saga, the expectations placed on those films is already staggeringly high.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘From Blood and Ash’ Series in Development at Amazon

    ‘From Blood and Ash’ Series in Development at Amazon

    Amazon is developing a series based on the best-selling From Blood and Ash series. The news comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. The outlet revealed on Thursday that the streaming service is officially developing a series adaptation of author Jennifer L. Armentrout‘s From Blood and Ash series with producer Anne Cofell Saunders (The Boys) on board to adapt the books. Along with writing, Saunders will also serve as the showrunner on From Blood and Ash. She’s set to executive produce the series along with Armentrout and Luke Ryan and Sascha Hecks of Chaotic Good Studios.

    “We are thrilled to work with Anne and Amazon Studios, who have the vision and creative capacity to bring every corner of this phenomenal world Jennifer has created to life. Our heroine, Poppy, and the characters that surround her in this rich world are the elements that expand and perpetuate properties into franchise entertainment.”

    Ryan and Hecks

    From Blood and Ash tells the story of Poppy, a young woman who is chosen at birth as The Maiden of her kingdom who will Ascend and bring in a new era of peace and prosperity. The series currently consist of four books, with the fifth installment, A Soul of Ash and Blood coming in July. Armentrout also wrote a spinoff series, Flesh and Fire, which will see the third book release in December.

    Source: Amazon.

  • Amazon Gives Two Season Order to ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’

    Amazon Gives Two Season Order to ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’

    After HBO Max passed on Batman: Caped Crusader back in August, the animated series has successfully found a new streaming home. The Hollywood Reporter announced on Thursday that Batman: Caped Crusader has received a two-season order from Amazon. According to THR, other streamers, including Hulu and Netflix, were interested at some point, but the series ultimately found a home with Amazon’s Prime Video.

    Batman: Caped Crusader hails from J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm. Legendary comic book writer Ed Brubaker is on the show’s creative team and is said to have helped run the writers room. The project was initially announced in May 2021, however, after Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav took over the company last year, he sought to make necessary cuts to save money. Axing Batman: Caped Crusader and shopping the project elsewhere was one of those cuts.

    The first season consists of 10 episodes. As of now, Batman: Caped Crusader does not have a release date.

    Source: THR.

  • New Details Emerge on ‘What If…?’ Season 2’s New MCU Character

    New Details Emerge on ‘What If…?’ Season 2’s New MCU Character

    The first season of Marvel Studios animated series What If…? was a hit with critics and audiences. A second season was already in the works by the time the first episodes hit Disney Plus, but nearly a year and a half later, no word on its release has been revealed. There have been some tidbits about what to expect, however, including the fairly major news that a brand new character will be introduced to the MCU in Season 2.

    The news, via Boardwalk Times, confirms the identity of the new character as Kahhori, who was recently leaked via a Funko product. According to the Twitter account, Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, will be the star of an episode that explores the impact of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy coming into possession of the Tesseract in pre-Colonial America.

    Additional details from Marvel.com describe the episode as a look what happens when “The Tesseract takes on a new life and a new mythology, transforming a lake into a gateway to the stars and leading Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, on a quest to discover her power.” Writer Ryan Little scripted the episode in collaboration with members of the Mohawk nation and the episode will “take place in the Mohawk language” and from the perspective of the Mohawk people. The episode will see Kahhori have to “live up to her name (which means she stirs the forest in Mohawk) to recruit powerful allies into the fight to save her people and change the course of history forever.”

    Though no official word has come from Marvel Studios at this time, insider KC Walsh recently shared a potential timeline for the release of the second season of What If…?. According to his sources, the show is tentatively set to debut in early 2024. As Marvel Studios looks to find a better pace with their streaming releases, no time frame (even those originally shared by Marvel) should be considered etched in stone at this time.

    Source: Marvel.com