Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Pierce Brosnan on How Doctor Strange and a Fantastic Script Led Him to a Role in ‘Black Adam’

    Pierce Brosnan on How Doctor Strange and a Fantastic Script Led Him to a Role in ‘Black Adam’

    69-year-old Pierce Brosnan is already a legend. But as if having four Bond films under his belt, including 1995’s GoldenEye, and a memorable role in Mrs. Doubtfire and 94 episodes of Remington Steele weren’t enough to cement the Irish actor’s legacy, he can now check “superhero” off his list. Brosnan’s latest endeavor finds him starring alongside Dwayne Johnson and Aldis Hodge in DC’s Black Adam where he plays Kent Nelson, aka Doctor Fate. As Brosnan enters into his fifth decade as an actor, he remains busy despite having five children and three grandchildren. As it turns out, he might have his children to thank for his latest role.

    In an interview at Black Adam’s World Premiere, Brosnan explained how his son’s fascination with another comic book doctor, Doctor Strange, among other things, inspired him to take on the role of Kent Nelson in Black Adam.

    I loved Doctor Strange and my sons, who are comic book aficionados, would say, “Dad, Doctor Strange.” Well we all know who Doctor Strange his and he is epically brilliant. Benedict…But then you have the bookend to that and it’s Doctor Fate. And Doctor Fate is much-loved, one of the senior members of the sorcerer’s world. Jaume Collet-Serra is the director. Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam. The cast. The text. The script works on many different levels. I think it covers them in a very subtle way and sometimes on the nose culturally…politically…socially. And, more importantly, in a grandiose, epic, entertaining way.

    Pierce Brosnan

    DC comic fans will know that Nelson is just one of several characters to take on the mantle of Doctor Fate but is considered to be the most powerful to have ever donned the Helmet of Fate. While the character has previously appeared in DC-related media, it’s likely that Brosnan’s version will be the one that enters into the collective consciousness of pop culture. Whether or not that means he’ll return in the role again, or if another character from the comics assumes the mantle, remains to be seen. Either way, it’s another checkmark on the legendary Brosnan’s list of achievements.

  • ‘Fargo’ Season Five Fills Out Ensemble Cast

    ‘Fargo’ Season Five Fills Out Ensemble Cast

    The fifth season of Fargo is ready to go and the principal members of the ensemble cast seem to be on board. FX has added David Rhysdal, Sam Spurell, Jessica Pohly, and Nick Gomez to the cast of the ongoing series. Rhysdal is set to play Wayne Lyon, Spurrell will portray Ole Munch, Pohly will play Agent Meyer, and Gomez is playing Agent Gomez. Beyond the official character names, not much has been revealed about the nature of these new castings.

    The newest season in the Fargo universe will be set in 2019 in the upper Midwest of the United States, the standard and familiar setting from previous installments. The main premise is built around the question of “when is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?”

    Jon Hamm, Juno Temple, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are set to lead Season 5 as Roy, Dot, and Lorraine, respectively. Other notable supporting cast members for the season include Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris, and Richa Moorjani.

    Fargo has been a massive success in the television landscape since its debut in 2014. Following the release of the classic Coen Brothers’ film of the same name in 1996, Noah Hawley and his production team have overseen all of the previous four seasons and are currently working on the fifth. This project will look to be a bit of a bounceback for the franchise after the slightly less positive reception to the Chris Rock-led fourth season from 2020 (which still isn’t considered to be a “flop” in many senses).

    Source: Deadline

  • Dany Garcia on Easter Eggs and THAT End Credit Scene in ‘Black Adam’

    Dany Garcia on Easter Eggs and THAT End Credit Scene in ‘Black Adam’

    Black Adam stands to serve both as an introduction to a new cast of DC characters and as a bridge to the pieces of the existing DC Universe that Warner Bros. intends to keep on the board as they move forward. Dwayne Johnson’s Teth-Adam is innately connected to Zachary Levi’s Shazam, but the new film won’t feature Shazam. Rather, it features a modern-day version of the Justice Society of America lead by Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, characters who might well find themselves, or other versions of themselves, returning down the road. Meanwhile, Johnson has all but confirmed the return of Henry Cavill as Superman and he might not be the only character from another project who shows up.

    If it seems like a lot for one project, it is, but early word is that the film handles it wonderfully, working to respect what’s been done before while also setting up a different future than many might have imagined. In an interview at Black Adam’s premiere, Dany Garcia, who co-founded Seven Bucks Productions with Johnson, gave some insight into how they pulled it off and what fans might expect.

    I think they’re going to see all of the nods. They’re going to see the respect that we have for the character. They’re gonna find the easter eggs, and they’re gonna see an end credit that speaks to the past but acknowledges what’s to come.

    Dany Garcia

    As the greater DC Universe continues to face uncertainty in the wake of project cancellations, shifts in leadership and issues with some of their talent, it seems that Black Adam will be more than capable of holding down the fort now and in the future.

  • ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series Adds to Ensemble Cast

    ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series Adds to Ensemble Cast

    The upcoming series reviving the Fatal Attraction brand continues to round out its growing cast. The upcoming Paramount+ series has cast David Meunier and Dee Wallace in ensemble roles. Meunier is set to play Richard Macksey, a psychology professor with personal ties to characters in the series. Meanwhile, Wallace will portray Emma Rauch, a retired professional with a charming personality to those around her, sans main character Alex (played by Lizzie Caplan).

    The rest of the main cast includes the likes of Joshua Jackson, Amanda Peet, Alyssa Jirrels, Wanda De Jesus, Walter Perez, Toby Huss, Reno Wilson, and Brian Goodman. Alexandra Cunningham is serving as showrunner after having written the series from a story co-written with Kevin J. Hynes.

    Fatal Attraction is said to be a psychosexual thriller akin to the classic 1987 film and explore the themes of marriage and infidelity from a modern lens with different societal sensibilities. The series is a remake and reimagining of the film and not a continuation of the original Michael Douglas and Glenn Close-led project. For the series, the roles of Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest will be played by Joshua Jackson and Lizzie Caplan respectively.

    Filming for the series began during the summer of 2022. With that in mind, audiences should look to expect Fatal Attraction on Paramount+ to premiere at some point in 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Black Adam’ Writers on Bringing Lesser-Known DC Characters to the Big Screen

    ‘Black Adam’ Writers on Bringing Lesser-Known DC Characters to the Big Screen

    After being attached to the role for over a decade, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is finally set to debut as Black Adam in the character’s solo film later this month. The film will serve as an introduction to lesser-known characters like Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher and Hawkman. For the film’s writers, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, it didn’t matter whether or not these characters were well known – they simply wanted to introduce “great” characters on screen.

    While walking the film’s red carpet on Wednesday, Haines explained that introducing these characters was a collaborative effort. As he explains, it isn’t only about their screenplay, but it also comes down to the studio and the director sharing their vision for these characters.

    We think about these characters as, “Hey, here’s some great characters that hopefully an audience will enjoy. And of course we’re working with the studio and with Jaume, the director, and, of course, DJ, who is also super entrenched in this material, so really it’s a collaborative effort.

    Rory Haines

    While Haines noted the collaborative effort it took to really create these characters on screen, Noshirvani noted that the duo wasn’t really concerned with using well-known characters. Instead, it was all about taking characters they felt were generally great characters as they felt the audience would connect with them more.

    At the end of it, we’re not worried about how well-known they are, we just want to make sure they’re great characters first. Cause if they’re great characters, the fans will connect with them.

    Sohrab Noshirvani

    Black Adam is set to hit theaters on Oct. 21st. It is currently on track to earn between $70 million and $75 million.

  • ‘Black Adam’ Scribe Teases Potential Future Spinoffs

    ‘Black Adam’ Scribe Teases Potential Future Spinoffs

    After fifteen years of development, Dwayne Johnson’s superpowered passion project, Black Adam, is set to hit theaters. Set to introduce not only Johnson’s Teth-Adam but also four members of a modern-day incarnation of the Justice Society of America (Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone) and featuring the return of a couple of characters from previous DC projects, the film is laying the groundwork for a wide-range of opportunities to tell stories in the future. In an interview at the film’s premiere, writer Rory Haines was asked if fans should expect to see any additional projects spinning out of Black Adam.

    Hopefully so. DJ’s been working on this for 10 years. Obviously it’s well know…he’s not just an actor, he’s a producer, he’s a visionary himself. He has a lot of vision for this and I think fans are going to really love where he wants to go.

    Rory Haines

    Even though the film’s main plot seems set in the present, the very fact that the JSA shown in the film has a pair of legacy members opens up the potential for a JSA-centric project to be told in the past, present of future of the DC Universe. It’s also possible that solo projects for Hawkman or Doctor Fate could be on the horizon if the characters are well received. Of course, there’s great potential for a Black Adam sequel, perhaps featuring Superman or Shazam. Whatever the case, it remains clear that Johnson’s passion for the character, which was the driving force in seeing Black Adam made through all the changes over the years at WB, will shape what comes next for these characters.

  • Jake Choi Joins ‘Vacation Friends’ Sequel at Hulu

    Jake Choi Joins ‘Vacation Friends’ Sequel at Hulu

    After scoring Hulu’s biggest opening weekend for an original title back last year, Hulu is moving ahead with a sequel to Vacation Friends titled Honeymoon Friends. The film starred Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, John Cena and Meredith Hagner as two couples who meet while on vacation in Mexico, only to have their lives take a surprising turn after returning home. While details regarding the sequel are sparse, Deadline has confirmed that Jake Choi (Single Parents) has joined the sequel’s cast.

    Choi is said to be playing a hotel group exec named Yon. The character is described as being dour and confident and is said to talk a big game and make it a point to cut down Marcus (Howery) from the moment they meet. The duo eventually form a bond and become friends, but not without plenty of chaos along the way.

    Choi is perhaps best known for his role on ABC’s Single Parents where he starred as Miggy. Prior to that, he starred in Ry Russo-Young’s adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s young adult novel The Sun Is Also a Star. He recently wrapped production on World’s Best for Disney and is set to appear in Please Baby Please.

    Clay Tarver, who directed Vacation Friends, returns to direct Honeymoon Friends from a screenplay by Tom Mullen, Tim Mullen, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Hiram Garcia Teases the Ambitious Plans for Superman and Black Adam

    Hiram Garcia Teases the Ambitious Plans for Superman and Black Adam

    After keeping it secret for quite some time, Dwayne Johnson slowly let the cat out of the bag over the past couple of weeks during the lead-up to the premiere of Black Adam: Henry Cavill is back as Superman. With the Man of Steel’s return to the DC Universe coinciding with the arrival of superpowered anti-hero Black Adam, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the two might run into one another down the road. According to producer Hiram Garcia, when the two do meet, it won’t be only for a brief chat.

    If those guys cross paths, it’s really not just about a showdown…there’s much more we would want to do. We like to really think about the long game. And we like to think about some really interesting long-form storytelling with two characters that are so polar opposite but kind of from the same place in terms of power and approach. So if we are able to pull that off, some way, someday those guys cross paths, it’s not gonna be a quick thing. We have some big ambitions for that.

    Hiram Garcia

    Garcia and Johnson certainly seem to have the fans in mind as they look for a way to move forward the story of Teth-Adam and the shared DC Universe. Fans have been eager for Cavill to return to the role of Kal-El that he first inhabited in 2013 and, over the last few years following his appearance in Justice League, the hopes for that return seemed to dwindle. With Cavill back on board and firmly in the mix to mix it up with Black Adam in a sequel to one or another of their solo projects, it seems Johnson’s Seven Bucks production company is taking the lead in keeping the DC Universe on track for the time being.

  • Dwayne Johnson on Henry Cavill’s Return to the DC Universe

    Dwayne Johnson on Henry Cavill’s Return to the DC Universe

    As Dwayne Johnson’s career trajectory continued upward over the last decade and a half, one thing remained constant: his passion for Black Adam. First announced in 2007, the project has survived stops and starts in DC Universe, changes in leadership and changes in which characters and stories have been prioritized. Now as it’s finally about to be released, Black Adam seems set to serve as a jumping-off point for a new version of a connected DC Universe, but there’s one character that Johnson, and fans, have been eager to see back on screen.

    Henry Cavill made his debut as Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, which once upon a time seemed to be the jumping-off point for a DC Universe shaped by Zack Snyder. However, following appearances in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, Cavill was absent from other projects and with no development on a Man of Steel sequel, fans had all but given up hope on his return as Kal-El. Johnson, however, never did. In an interview with ET at Black Adam’s premiere, Johnson seemingly confirmed the return of Cavill as Superman and discussed why it’s so important to have him back.

    The whole goal and initiative of Black Adam was to build out the DC Universe by introducing not only Black Adam but the entire JSA. 5 new superhero characters in one movie and also, as I have been saying all along, there’s an ethos we at Seven Bucks have…Seven Bucks Productions…myself, my co-founder, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia and that is we’ll always put the fans first. Audience comes first. So, for years, audiences have been so passionate and vocal about…we’ve established Black Adam as the most powerful and unstoppable on our planet…but the fans have been so passionate about, as we have been, where is the most unstoppable force in the universe? Where is he? Well, just like I fought hard for Black Adam for fifteen years, Dany has been fighting for six years, Hiram has been fighting for six years, fifteen years. We’ve all been fighting for this moment, so I will say this: welcome home.

    Dwayne Johnson

    Rumors have swirled for months that Black Adam would see Cavill return to the role of Superman and Johnson’s all-but-confirmation here has to be exciting for fans, not only for this film but for the future, which Johnson has also spoken about recently. Let’s hope it doesn’t take 15 more years before we see the two titans share the screen again!

  • DC’s ‘Legion of Super-Heroes’ Sets its Cast

    DC’s ‘Legion of Super-Heroes’ Sets its Cast

    DC has set its cast for its animated Legion of Super-Heroes movie. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Meg Donnelly (The Winchesters), Harry Shum Jr. (Shadowhunters), Darren Criss (Glee), Matt Bomer (White Collar), and Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) have joined the cast.

    Donnelly will voice Supergirl/Kara, Shum Jr. will voice Brainiac 5, and Criss will lend his voice to the Man of Steel, Superman. Bomer, who currently stars in DC’s Doom Patrol series, is on hand to voice The Flash, while Ackles has been set as Batman. Also cast in the film are Cynthia Hamidi as Dawnstar, Gideon Adlan as Phantom Girl, Ely Henry as Bouncing Boy, Robbie Daymond as TimberWolf & Brainiac 4, Yuri Lowenthal as Mon-El, Eric Lopez as Cosmic Boy & Chemical King, Darin De Paul as Brainiac & Solomon Grundy, Ben Diskin as Arms Fall off Boy & Brainiac 2, Victoria Grace as Shadow Lass, Jennifer Hale as Alura, Daisy Lightfoot as Triplicate Girl and Zeno Robinson as Invisible Kid & Brainiac 3.

    The synopsis for the film hints at Kara struggling to adjust to her new life on Earth after the loss of Krypton, and her life at Legion Academy.

    The story picks up as Kara, devastated by the loss of Krypton, struggles to adjust to her new life on Earth. Her cousin, Superman, mentors her and suggests she leave their space-time to attend the Legion Academy in the 31st century, where she makes new friends and a new enemy: Braniac 5. Meanwhile, she must contend with a mysterious group called the Dark Circle as it searches for a powerful weapon held in the Academy’s vault.

    Jeff Wamester (Green Lantern: Beware My Power) directs the film from a script by Josie Campbell (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous). The animated film, which hails from Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, is slated to be released next year.

    Source: THR.