Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • James Gunn Reveals ‘Lord of the Rings’ Inspiration For ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Animation

    James Gunn Reveals ‘Lord of the Rings’ Inspiration For ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Animation

    James Gunn made a triumphant return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Designed as an ode to classic Christmas shorts, Gunn crafted a sweet, heartfelt, and authentic new entry in the Guardians mythos with all the proper trappings to ring in the season. Among these delightful tropes, as unexpected as it may have been, was a series of flashbacks done with a familiar animation style. Rotoscoping, a type of animation made popular by notable filmmaker Ralph Bakshi, is a process in which scenes are filmed in live-action and then traced onto animation cells. The result is a cartoon with a uniquely real-world feel.

    In a recent tweet, posted as a response to a fan on Twitter, director Gunn confirmed that the tribute to Bakshi was entirely intentional:

    Bakshi is known for a variety of films, but his most popular might be 1978’s lesser-known The Lord of the Rings adaptation. He also directed 1977’s cult classic Wizards, 1981’s adult film American Pop, and has worked on several cartoons, including the classic 1960s Spider-Man series. Bakshi’s work is well-known in the animation community, and it’s great to see Gunn introduce the style to a broader audience. The short segments of the Holiday Special ultimately allowed for several key moments in the series’ lore to be revealed. And the look of the rotoscope made them appear more memorable than if a traditional type of animation had been used.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney+, and Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5th, 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Willow’ EP Addresses the Madmartigan-sized Hole in the Disney Plus Series

    ‘Willow’ EP Addresses the Madmartigan-sized Hole in the Disney Plus Series

    The upcoming Disney Plus series, Willow is a nostalgic return to the fantastical lands of Tir Asleen and Galadoorn and the characters who inhabit it. The series is a direct sequel to the 1988 film of the same name and set 20 years after the events of it saw the evil Queen Bavmorda defeated by a band of people that included Willow and The Greatest Swordsman that ever lived, Madmartigan. However, while Warwick Davis returned to the role of Willow Ufgood in the series, there’s no sign of Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan, who played such an integral role in the film. During the global press conference for the upcoming series, Willow writer and executive producer Jon Kasdan talked about how Madmartigan’s absence helped shape the series into its final form.

    For Kasdan, the absence of the original film’s co-lead wasn’t a roadblock so much as the way to expand on his story by showing the impact it had on others, including his two children Kit and Airk, played by Ruby Cruz and Dempsey Bryk, respectively.

    It was always sort of going to be, right at the core of the story we were, we were telling. And it really had to be… but because we were telling a story that had so many young characters, and they were all sort of searching for their identity, the search for Madmartigan, and the question of what had happened to him was right at the heart of the story we were telling. And we knew that it would be woven into this quest in a fundamental way, really, to see where he was and what had become of him, and what he’d given up. Particularly for Ruby’s character, Kit, and for Dempsey’s character, Airk, in order to do good.

    Jon Kasdan

    Both Kit and Airk have taken their father’s near life-long absence from their lives very differently and when your father is the legendary Madmartigan, the hole left by his absence is a big one. Indeed according to Kasdan, it’s something the young heroes will deal with for the entire season.

    And that question sort of follows the whole season. And we always knew that we sort of wanted to pay it off in one way or another, and we had a lot of ideas about ways to pay it off and ways to leave it open.

    Jon Kasdan

    Though he’s not in the series, the tales of his deeds and adventures certainly play a large role thanks, in part, to the addition of a new character to the franchise. Amar Chada-Patel plays Thraxus Boorman, a warrior who shared an adventure or two with the Daikini Lady Lover and who Kasdan says was created out of need when Kilmer wasn’t able to be on set. And according to Kasdan, it provided an unexpected boost to the series.

    And one thing that happened, because Val himself wasn’t able to come out to Wales and work with us, was that we were a- we added this texture of a friend of Madmartigan’s, who could give us some clues about his whereabouts. And… and deepened the mystery around what happened to him, in a way that only actually extended the story we were already telling. So it was very satisfying, and it sort of prevented… it provided an opportunity for us to add a whole new element that we didn’t expect to the show.

    Jon Kasdan

    Fans of Kilmer’s character shouldn’t despair at the star’s absence from the series, however, According to Kasdan, he and Davis are just as eager for his return as fans.

    Madmartigan is still out there, I mean, I have had many conversations with everyone involved, and our feeling is, he is, he is out there to be found, should the day arrive. And I think Warwick and I would both love to see him pick up that sword again.

    Jon Kasdan

    Where is Madmartigan? What took him away from his family? Find out when Willow begins streaming November 30th on Disney Plus.

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Concept Art Reveals Alternate Designs for Namor

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Concept Art Reveals Alternate Designs for Namor

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced one of Marvel Comics oldest and most conflicted characters to the MCU in Tenoch Huerta’s Namor. Writer and director Ryan Coogler wanted to give Namor, who is the Prince of Atlantis in the comics, and his underwater kingdom a unique makeover. The result was the underwater city of Talokan, a Mesoamerican-inspired twist on Atlantis.

    While fans only see the finished look of Namor, Talokan and its people in Wakanda Forever, the design process takes hundreds of people thousands of hours with the majority of that work never being seen. Ultimately, dozens of designs don’t make the final cut of the film for whatever reason despite having just as much work put into them as the ones that do. Concept artist Anthony Francisco, whose look for “warrior” Namor was chosen for the film, released a series of alternate designs for the character via Twitter.

    Francisco’s tweets detail the incredible amount of work the artist put into the character, including researching multiple cultures and their histories. His description of how he finalized the design for Namor’s necklace, which was featured throughout the film, provides a fascinating insight into the creative process.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now in theaters.

    Source: Anthony Francisco Twitter

  • Marvel Studios Can’t Produce a ‘Black Panther’ Spinoff Focused on Namor

    Marvel Studios Can’t Produce a ‘Black Panther’ Spinoff Focused on Namor

    There’s been a lot of hype around Tenoch Huerta‘s incredible performance as Namor, the leader of Talocan and antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Many have hoped that this performance would kick off interest from Marvel Studios to get this character his own solo project, but sadly it seems that rights are still an issue for some of the Marvel characters.

    According to The Wrap, the rights are still not fully with Marvel Studios and are something from the pre-Disney era. When Marvel Comics was about to go bankrupt, they sold the rights to their characters to studios that would work on films. That’s how Sony and Fox originally got access to the pantheon of popular characters long before Marvel Studios was even a thought.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore has confirmed to The Wrap that the character can definitely return in a future project, but Disney is not able to produce a standalone project based around the character. It seems the rights are still with Universal, who also holds the rights to Hulk and was the reason that character never got a sequel since the Edward Norton film back in 2008.

    Sadly, this means we shouldn’t expect any further exploration of Talocan in a solo outing in cinemas or even Disney+. Perhaps they’ll find a way to bring the characters back as part of another project where he isn’t the main character but still has a major role. Of course, there’s also the chance that Disney sees the potential and is open to repurchasing the rights to the character; though that may be more difficult with a potentially higher price given his newly found popularity.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Filming Schedule and Details for ‘The Penguin’ Revealed

    Filming Schedule and Details for ‘The Penguin’ Revealed

    Following the release of The Batman in theaters earlier this year, fans have long anticipated what the future could have in store for the future of this world. While it may apparently be a bit of time before a theatrical sequel, Matt Reeves has been in the midst of creating multiple spin-off shows for HBO Max to follow different facets of Gotham City. One of which is The Penguin, which will focus on Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot trying to gain control of the crime syndicate of Gotham after the new opening power vacuum following The Batman. While not much has been known about when audiences should expect the series, new details have come to light about the production that should leave people interested.

    According to The Illuminerdi, The Penguin will be filming in New York City between January to August 2023. This is a logical filming location for the show given the city’s ties to mafia-based projects in the past. As well, this filming schedule would seemingly indicate that the anticipated Batman-based show won’t release on HBO Max until early 2024 at the earliest.

    As well, “Boss” will be the working title for the series, which fits with the central theme of attaining control of the Gotham crime syndicate. It’s recently been revealed that Cristin Milioti will be playing Sofia Falcone, the main antagonist of the series who will have recently been released from Arkham Asylum. She will be joined by her brother Alberto Falcone, who will be the new don of the family following the death of their father in The Batman, and other relatives Johnny Viti and Consigliere Milos Grapa. No actors have been attached to these roles as of yet.

    In addition, it’s been revealed that The Penguin will also cover family turmoil for the Cobblepots as matriarch Francis will be struggling with Lewy Bodies Dementia. This will force the main family to deal with losing control and stability from within.

    Ultimately, it will be interesting to follow if The Penguin can match the creative and commercial success of The Batman and help further build this new universe. It certainly would be helpful for James Gunn and the newly revamped DC Studios as they seek a fresh start for the franchise.

    Source: The Illuminerdi

  • CCXP Confirms Marvel Studios Plans for Next Week’s Event

    CCXP Confirms Marvel Studios Plans for Next Week’s Event

    Brazil’s annual comic-con experience, CCXP, has more often than not proven a source of self-made disappointment and frustration for Marvel fans. Returning as a live event in 2022, however, CCXP looks to be set to make at least a little noise that should satisfy those same fans. A tweet from the official CCXP account has confirmed that not only will Marvel Studios One-Above-All Kevin Feige be in attendance on December 1st, but he’ll also be bringing some friends and some info on at least a couple of projects with him.

    According to the tweet, Feige will be joined at the event by Peyton Reed, Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Jonathan Majors to hype Marvel Studios’ next theatrical release, Ant–Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The third film in the franchise, Quantumania is set to hit theaters on February 17th, 2023 and although the first trailer for the film hit social media at the end of October, it’s possible that a new look at the film debuts at CCXP. However, as often is the case, it’s possible that any new footage released may be a con exclusive and not be shared publicly for some time.

    In addition to Quantumania, CCXP will also feature something Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 related. A recent rumor indicated that Disney may be angling to have the first trailer for Vol. 3 ready to be in theaters by mid-December to play in front of Avatar: The Way of Water. While that hasn’t been confirmed, it makes sense that the studio would use the sequel, which is expected to have a monster opening weekend, to hype what’s likely to be one of 2023’s most anticipated films in Vol. 3.

    Given the panel will likely run nearly an hour, it’s also possible Marvel Studios might use it to hype other projects set to debut in the first half of 2023 such as Secret Invasion and Loki, which are slated to stream on Disney Plus in Spring and Summer, respectively.

  • Expect Plenty of Laughs Along with Adventure in the Disney Plus Streaming Series ‘Willow’

    Expect Plenty of Laughs Along with Adventure in the Disney Plus Streaming Series ‘Willow’

    1988’s Willow was a dark fantasy adventure dreamt up by a young George Lucas in 1972 before he ever put pen to paper for Star Wars. In 1986, the project began to come together with director Ron Howard, writer Bob Dolman and Lucas developing the script. Somewhere along the way, likely due to Dolman’s comedic chops, Willow became a far funnier fantasy film than contemporaries such as Kull and Labyrinth. Though it wasn’t a critical success, Willow developed a cult following and a fanbase that clamored for a sequel for over 30 years. That sequel will soon debut on Disney Plus and according to one of its stars, the spirit of the original lives on in the streaming series.

    During the global press conference for the upcoming streaming series, Warwick Davis, who reprises his role as Willow Ufgood, writer Jon Kasdan was able to embue Willow with the same sense of humor as the original.

    It’s important that we took that kind of ethos from the film, the humor, because that’s what really set ‘Willow’ apart from the other fantasy offerings of the 80s, was that it could look at itself and laugh and not take itself seriously. But also, as well as being a great kind of fantasy writer and sci-fi writer, Jon is also a very good comic writer as well.

    Warwick Davis

    While the 1988 film certainly wasn’t a full-on slapstick comedy, it was filled with laughs, often at the expense of Willow’s struggles with magic. In an attempt to recapture that magic, Dolman returned to write two episodes of the upcoming streaming series. Unfortunately, another source of comedic relief, Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan, is mysteriously absent from the series, though his presence is certainly felt throughout. The series is certainly much more light-hearted in tone than what fans have come accustomed to seeing in recent fantasy series such as Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power while still finding a nice balance of action as fans will find out for themselves when it begins streaming on Disney Plus on November 30th.

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Will Feature Plenty of Easter Eggs

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Will Feature Plenty of Easter Eggs

    The upcoming One Piece adaptation heading to Netflix will explore the East Blue saga, the early days of Monkey D. Luffy setting out to sea to become the pirate king. When the manga first was released in 1997, the world wasn’t quite set in stone when Eiichiro Oda started working on a manga that would end up running for over 25 years. So, a lot has happened and evolved ever since.

    In a new video, showrunner Matt Owens got a chance to tease a bit of what’s to come with the franchise while also reflecting on previous attempts at adaptation. While highlighting they won’t force any new additions that fundamentally change the characters, he did end the video highlighting his favorite part: Easter eggs.

    This is my favorite part of my job. Pay attention because the Easter eggs! Look at everything we know about the One Piece world now versus when the East Blue was being done. Watch for Easter Eggs! Pay attention to any wanted poster, newspaper, or a bit of dialogue. Pause things, screenshot!

    Matt Owens

    As he points out, we know a lot more now about where the franchise would head and it opens up many avenues to include small references to future events or characters. The inclusion of wanted posters while highlighting the Easter eggs means that we’re going to have to keep a very close eye on what this series might be hiding. Here’s hoping that we don’t have to wait too long until we get the first glimpse.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘One Piece’ Showrunner Teases a “Flirtatious” Sanji

    ‘One Piece’ Showrunner Teases a “Flirtatious” Sanji

    Things change in adaptation, but a good adaptation still stays true to the characters and their world. Yet, there are some aspects that don’t quite translate, especially when one takes cultural differences into account with manga or anime adaptations. Even with a popular franchise like One Piece, there are some aspects that might just not work when translated.

    While discussing if they’ll add romance elements to the series, showrunner Matt Owens also discussed how they approached the character of Sanji. He’s pretty much someone that does anything for a woman and has even been seen as a more controversial character with some moments souring his development; Thriller Bark comes to mind. So, the question was how would they bring this to live-action and it seems they are focusing more on the character simply being “flirtatious” according to Owens.

    In a way. Sanji is very flirtatious, he loves women but […] he’s not as much of a simp. He’s more a flirt than a simp.

    Matt Owens

    He highlights that they “tweaked it a little bit” and actor Taz Skylar will likely still keep the charm that made the character popular, but we shouldn’t expect his usual antics from the manga. They do also jokingly reference that we definitely won’t be seeing his usual heart-shaped eyes which are a classic manga trope. While Owens doesn’t give away too many details on how they approached the character, it definitely feels like they are keeping the spirit of the character alive but also toning down some aspects.

    Source: YouTube

  • Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Won’t Force Romance Between the Straw Hats

    Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Won’t Force Romance Between the Straw Hats

    Many adaptations make changes or add elements that try to enrich the world, or simply adapt them to the new format. We’ve seen in the past how Dragonball Evolution turned Goku’s relationship with Chichi into a high school romance early on in the film. While that adaptation is widely hated for straying completely away from the material, it wasn’t the last to make changes that alter facets of the project it’s adapting.

    In the case of Tomorrow Land and Netflix’s adaptation of One Piece, there was also some concern that we’d see new elements get added to this adaptation. Luckily, showrunner Matt Owens opened up on the fact that the show will not force romantic interests into the series, as he believes “that kills the characters” and equates the Straw Hats pirates to siblings in a video with influencer Nux Taku.

    The Straw Hats if you want to qualify their relationships in any way, are all siblings. It’s a family. There’s no romance between Straw Hats.

    Matt Owens

    They do jokingly reference Sanji, a character that seemingly has a crush on Nami and Robin throughout the original’s run, but it never leads to anything romantic. It’s refreshing to see Owens want to preserve the relationship of the Nakama aboard the Going Merry as it was in the original, especially not trying to force a romantic subplot into the story that doesn’t truly add anything outside of conflict. Shippers will still have their headcanons but it seems the show isn’t going to stray from the dynamic of the original manga.

    Source: YouTube