Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • New Concept Art Reveals Scrapped and Gory Deaths in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    New Concept Art Reveals Scrapped and Gory Deaths in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    A Brand new concept art from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has caused quite a stir among fans. The artwork reveals an intense, graphic scene that wasn’t in the final cut of the film, as it showcases the death of our beloved Wong with his brain scattered on the ground. That is not all, as it also includes Mordo with a huge scratch mark on his face after fighting Scarlet Witch.

    The level of detail in the concept art is sure to leave a lasting impression and has fans speculating about what the movie would have looked like if this stayed as part of the original vision. This new piece provides a glimpse into the intense world of Doctor Strange and certainly leaves us wondering what mature Marvel films will be able to offer to viewers in the future.

    https://twitter.com/scarletwnews/status/1622026859704614913?cxt=HHwWgoCwzbi1zIItAAAA

    The head from Mordo is actually part of a deleted sequence that would’ve featured the Scarlet Witch decapitating the 616 version of the character as her way to intimidate Strange. It definitely would’ve made for an interesting way to set up the character but also would limit the use of Mordo in future projects as a result.

    It’s definitely interesting to see just how much Multiverse of Madness has changed since its original vision. We don’t know if the decapitation was part of Scott Derrickson’s original take on the character or if this is more in line with Sam Raimi‘s usual gory take on horror. It’s not uncommon for early versions of the scripts and artwork to push the boundary as much as possible, but it makes you wonder what didn’t make it past the brainstorming stage.

    Source: Twitter via ComicBook.com

  • Firaxis Games’ ‘Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ Was a “Commercial Flop”

    Firaxis Games’ ‘Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ Was a “Commercial Flop”

    Given the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many assume that anything with the Marvel logo slapped on it will be a commercial success in every way possible. Though, it’s not always definite that it’ll sell well, especially in the gaming market which is quite a bit more volatile depending on what type of game is being offered. Sadly, it seems that the ambitious card-based strategy RPG Midnight Suns could not benefit from the logo.

    In a tweet, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier shared that the CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, has seemingly pointed to Midnight Suns being a commercial flop even with its critical success highlighting the “release window” as a potential factor on what dragged the game’s success in the market down.

    https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1622707723480563721

    Going by this, an expectation for the game to build upon its post-credit sequence might be a pipedream. We still have three more DLC characters heading our way after the recent release of Deadpool. Midnight Suns isn’t going to wrap up and they haven’t announced that the project is shutting down, but it does seem safe to say that the DLC is all we’ll really get out of the game’s longevity.

    It’s such a shame but a card-based RPG was a tough sale from the beginning, as some online reactions to the game’s initial announcement had people a bit worried. The knockback system did offer some variety and its combination of exploring a central hub while taking on various missions offered variety, it also wasn’t truly marketed enough ahead of its release. Constant delays didn’t help matters much sadly but perhaps Firaxis still might give a sequel a shot.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Yellowstone’ to End, Sequel Series Planned with Matthew McConaughey

    ‘Yellowstone’ to End, Sequel Series Planned with Matthew McConaughey

    Here’s a big surprise, but it seems Yellowstone is coming to an end. The series is currently the top-rated drama and seemingly one of those shows that could continue for quite some time but co-creator and showrunner Taylor Sheridan has decided to end the current version of the show. Yet, it’s not the end of the Dutton saga as Matthew McConaughey is set to spearhead a sequel series.

    It seems that the reasoning behind this movie actually is due to its main star Kevin Costner. He has limited the number of days he shoots for the production to 65 days but seemingly pushed for even less in its current season. Yet even after winning best television actor in a drama series at the Golden Globes, he continued to want to spend less time in Yellowstone with only a week of shooting.

    The reason seems to be his involvement with the western epic Horizon, which he not only stars in but also is directing and co-wrote. Though, Costner plays the Dutton patriarch and is a major player in the series. Paramount has not offered any confirmation but praised McConaughey. It seems that nothing is quite set in stone as he is currently in negotiations. Sheridan‘s 1883 was also quite the success, so other Yellowstone spinoffs have all eyes on them as one of Paramount’s biggest TV franchises ever; even if it moves on from its main star.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Adds ‘Severance Actress

    ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Adds ‘Severance Actress

    The upcoming continuation of the iconic Planet of the Apes trilogy is moving full steam ahead, as the 20th Century Studios production has added one more member to its cast. The Hollywood Reporter has unveiled that Dichen Lachman, known for her recent work on the series Severance, has joined the production of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which will explore the aftermath of 2017’s War of the Planet of the Apes long after Caesar’s reign.

    In this continuation, we’ll explore two apes on their unique journey as one uncovers human technology and the other is on his way to find freedom. Though, a human woman seemingly becomes essential to his quest and has her own goals. Production is already happening in Australia and Lachman joins the rest of the cast which consists of Freya Allan, William H. Macy, Kevin Durand, and Owen Teague.

    As of now, Lachman‘s role remains unclear, but Lachman is a good get for the series. She was recently seen on Jurassic World Dominion as a black market dealer, and even voiced General Atitaya in Raya and the Last Dragon. She also made a big splash with her recent work on the Apple TV+ series though she’s also going to be busy filming the second season of Severance. So, she might have a supporting role in the Planet of the Apes sequel.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is Disney Plus’ Biggest Marvel Premiere

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is Disney Plus’ Biggest Marvel Premiere

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a success in more ways than one. While it didn’t topple Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the film has managed to become the second biggest release for the productions studio in 2022. Now, it seems the film is making even more waves as after the longest theatrical runs since the pandemic started, Wakanda Forever has become Disney+’s biggest Marvel premiere to date.

    The debut is measured by hours streamed in the first five days of its release. The film fittingly kicked off Black History Month on February 1st after breaking the 45-day plan that was established under Bob Chapek leadership, who was very streaming first in his strategy. It didn’t quite pan out and we’re seeing some developments to find a better balance but Disney must definitely be excited knowing just how much people loved the latest Marvel entry.

    It also is a good sign that people’s interest in Marvel is still strong as ever with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set to release in just a few weeks. Early predictions already have it as the biggest opening for the trilogy and have the potential to use its event status alongside the introduction of Kang the Conqueror. So, it’s going to be an exciting year for Marvel and we’ll see just how high the bar will be set in 2023 as the world continues to move on from the pandemic.

    Source: Twitter

  • Job Listings Hint at Multiplayer for ‘Ghost of Tsushima 2’

    Job Listings Hint at Multiplayer for ‘Ghost of Tsushima 2’

    It looks like Sucker Punch Productions is actively looking to implement multiplayer elements in an upcoming game. They are actively looking to hire a Senior Multiplayer Mission Designer and Senior Multiplayer Systems Designer. As pointed out by ComicBook.com, it’s an interesting ad if you consider that the only game we know of that they are working on is the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima.

    It doesn’t outright confirm that the sequel will have specific multiplayer functionality, but the first entry already included a functionality titled Ghost of Tsushima: Legends which allowed you to tackle various missions with friends or strangers online. Given how long they supported that functionality, it wouldn’t be too surprising they would want that option to return.

    Of course, we don’t know if the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima will be a straight-forward story game, or perhaps they are simply working on a multiplayer spinoff similar to the long-rumored The Last of Us: Factions game that has seemingly been in development hell for some time. It’s also not unusual for popular games to add these new functionalities, especially if they end up having some way to keep players engaged.

    Though it’s really curious that they may be hoping to expand the game early on, as Legends wasn’t added until later in the game’s runtime. So, we’ll see if this pans out or Sucker Punch might be working on a secret multiplayer title that hasn’t been officially announced as of now. Only time will tell, or at least E3 might.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Showtime and Paramount+ Fusion Leading to ‘Dexter’ and ‘Billions’ Spinoffs

    Showtime and Paramount+ Fusion Leading to ‘Dexter’ and ‘Billions’ Spinoffs

    The streaming industry continues to evolve as Showtime and Paramount+ are set to fuse. Such major changes also tend to lead to new developments such as Showtime reevaluating its future TV slate to also make use of how Yellowstone redefined Paramount’s overall approach to franchising. It looks like some recent and classic series are about to get a variety of spinoffs.

    The first big future plan lies with the series Billions. It seems that the finance drama is set to get up to four different spinoffs with rather fitting titles like Millions and Trillions planned. Another one is set to take place in Miami, but it’s unclear if they’ll go down the route of “Billions: Miami” like the classic CSI franchises.

    That is not all, as it seems they also want to develop a Dexter spinoff series that’ll focus on The Trinity Killer. It would explore the origin story of John Lithgow‘s character from the original series but it’s not the only one as there’s also another one focused on a younger Dexter in development.

    Spinoff series are all the rage right now and have a proven track record to draw audiences to check out their streaming services. It’s also a safe bet when costs start piling on for these new projects, though the question is just how popular some of these projects might be if they rush out multiple spinoffs. Even Game of Thrones had to slow down its ambitious goals once they finally released House of the Dragon.

    Source: Wall Street Journal

  • HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Will Air Fifth Episode Early

    HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Will Air Fifth Episode Early

    HBO’s The Last of Us just ended its fourth episode on quite the cliffhanger, but fans won’t have to wait that long to see how it plays out. The broadcasting network has announced that the series’ upcoming fifth episode, titled Endure and Survive, will air early on Friday at its usual time slot, as opposed to its regularly scheduled Sunday programming. This change has been made to avoid competition with the NFL’s Super Bowl, which is currently scheduled to be air through Sunday evening. The Last of Us’ move from Sunday to Friday is, of course, a temporary one, as the show will resume its regular date and time with the following sixth episode.

    The Last of Us, an acclaimed television adaptation of the original 2013 video game, has grown its viewership with each passing episode but is likely smart to step out of the way for a ratings juggernaut like the Super Bowl. This year’s match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles is just the latest in a decades-long tradition of the NFL taking over late-night in early February, something most shows have been keen on moving away from since the beginning of its reign.

    The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the leading roles of Joel and Ellie, with Anna Torv, Merle Dandridge, Gabriel Luna, and Nick Offerman as supporting cast. Showrunner Craig Mazin also serves as a head writer alongside franchise creator Neil Druckmann, with Gustavo Santaolalla returning from the games to score.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: ‘Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Series Eyeing Late August Release

    RUMOR: ‘Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Series Eyeing Late August Release

    We’ve only recently got our first look at the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece and while the Internet is trying to figure out its thoughts on the project, we may already have our first hint at a potential release date. Netflix tends to focus on advertising its projects through short bursts, normally around two months ahead of a release like with Cowboy Bebop. But, it seems they are playing the long game this time around.

    According to What’s on Netflix, they heard we may see the release of One Piece at some point in August. Surprisingly, they even shared a rather specific release date as the series is eyeing a potential drop on August 31st, 2023. That would mark a Thursday, which isn’t uncommon for a big Netflix series though Wednesday released, fittingly, on November 23rd, a Wednesday. It also is exciting to know that they are promoting a show almost seven months, as we’ve heard more about this series than even the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series which started production ahead of this adaptation.

    The series sees original mangaka Eiichiro Oda as an executive producer with co-showrunners Steven Maeda and Matt Owens spearheading the project. If the release date is true, we might have to wait a bit until we find out as they commonly don’t confirm any specific release windows until shortly before. Plus, anything can change between now and then so we shouldn’t take it as a definite. Still, a late August release seems like a fitting way to end the summer season with a pirate adventure like no other.

    Source: What’s on Netflix, Twitter

  • M. Night Shyamalan’s Latest Dethrones ‘Avatar 2’ After 7 Weeks

    M. Night Shyamalan’s Latest Dethrones ‘Avatar 2’ After 7 Weeks

    Avatar: The Way of Water has enjoyed quite the free range at the box office. No one wanted to even get close to what was definitely one of the biggest releases in 2022 and as it nears the global take of Titanic, it seems the film has finally been dethroned. The interesting part is that the one to do so was Knock at the Cabin by M. Night Shyamalan. His film opened at $14.2M in 3,643 theaters but also marks the lowest opening for a Shyamalan film.

    It seems like audiences aren’t quite enjoying the film as it has received a C CinemaScore, which is slightly below Old‘s C+ just a few years ago., which opened with $17M. So, Knock at the Cabin hasn’t had that big momentum that you’d hope to have to go into the weekend, but it still managed to dethrone a massive blockbuster so that’s something. Globally, it also opened to a soft $7M though these kinds of films normally leg out with a C CinemaScore may hold back.

    That wasn’t all this weekend as an experiment to slash ticket prices to attract older audiences has seemingly paid off with 80 for Brady pulling in $12.5M and taking the second spot. You read that correctly, Avatar: The Way of Water dropped down to third with a still impressive $10.8M in its eight weeks after holding on to the #1 title for seven weeks in a row; something only the previous Avatar entry managed.

    It should be noted that the 80 for Brady film also had more viewers than Knock at the Cabin at 1.3M. While it’s lower at the box office due to the lower ticket prices, it’s a promising showcase of one of the struggles that cinemas have nowadays. The tickets are continuing to get more expensive and audiences are becoming pickier to make sure it’s worth their run. So, reliable films like a Marvel Studios entry or something with strong word-of-mouth tend to pull in audiences.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter