Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Taissa Farmiga Returning for ‘The Nun 2’

    Taissa Farmiga Returning for ‘The Nun 2’

    Taissa Farmiga is coming back for more. Deadline has confirmed that the actress will return as Sister Irene in The Nun 2. Farmiga will join the previously announced Storm Reid, who was cast in an unspecified leading role.

    The Nun was a prequel spinoff from The Conjuring 2 that focused on Bonnie Aarons as a demonic nun. The film took place in a monastery in 1952 and focused on a priest (Demain Bchir) and a young nun (Farmiga) as they sought to fight the nun’s evil possessions. While The Conjuring films are incredibly popular, The Nun has actually become the highest-grossing Conjuring film to date, having earned $365.55 million worldwide at the box office.

    The script was penned by Akela Cooper, with Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing stepping in recently to do another pass on the screenplay. Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) will direct The Nun 2, while James Wan will once again produce through his Atomic Monster banner alongside Peter Safran and his The Safran Company banner.

    Farmiga is currently filming Season 2 of The Gilded Age for HBO. It’s unknown when she’ll wrap filming on that project, however, filming on The Nun 2 is set to kick off this month for a Sept. 8, 2023 release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘The Rings of Power’ Begins Production on Season 2

    ‘The Rings of Power’ Begins Production on Season 2

    Production on Season 2 of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power, is officially underway. Filming kicked off on Monday at Bray Studios just outside London. While the first season of The Rings of Power was filmed in New Zealand, Season 2 moved to the U.K. because it was deemed more economical. It’s also said that Amazon is seeking to build a multi-show hub in the United Kingdom, which helped to play a role in the decision.

    News that Season 2 is in production comes after it was revealed The Rings of Power topped the streaming charts for its debut week with 1.3 billion collective minutes viewed. Those numbers came directly from Nielsen and were based on two episodes at the time. The first season will air the penultimate episode of its debut season this week. Along with the news that Season 2 is in production, it was revealed that Círdan, one of the oldest and wisest elves, will be joining the series, although the role has not yet been cast.

    The Rings of Power currently stars Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir, Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn, Charlie Vickers as Halbrand, Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo, and Markella Kavenagh as Nori Brandyfoot.

    Source: THR.

  • Anders Holm Joins ‘Godzilla & The Titans’ Series at Apple

    Anders Holm Joins ‘Godzilla & The Titans’ Series at Apple

    Anders Holm is the latest to join the cast of Apple TV+’s Godzilla & the Titans series. The news was revealed by Variety on Monday morning, with the outlet reporting that Holm has signed on for a major recurring role in the series. Further details regarding his role are currently unknown. He joins an impressive cast that includes Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett, Elisa Lasowski, Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell and Mari Yamamoto.

    The series, which does not yet have an official name, follows the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that managed to level San Francisco. Following the revelation that monsters are real, the series will explore one family’s journey to uncover “buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.” The upcoming series hails from Legendary Television and is part of the ever-expanding Monsterverse franchise. Chris Black and Matt Fraction co-created the series and will serve as executive producers on the project, while Black will serve as the showrunner.

    Holm is perhaps best known for his work on the Comedy Central series, Workaholics. He has also appeared in The Mindy Project and Netflix’s Inventing Anna. He can next be seen in The Muppets Mayhem on Disney+.

    Matt Shakman, who helmed WandaVision for Marvel Studios, is on board to direct the first two episodes. As of right now, no planned release date has been announced.

    Source: Variety.

  • BREAKING: Michael Waldron to Write ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    BREAKING: Michael Waldron to Write ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    After laying the groundwork for the MCU’s major multiversal event in Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, writer Michael Waldron has signed on the write the script for Avengers: Secret Wars. Waldron joins writer Jeff Loveness, who will pen Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, as writers of the tandem of Avengers films set to debut in 2025.

    First officially revealed at SDCC ’22, Avengers: Secret Wars will serve as the capstone to Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga when it hits theaters on November 7th, 2025. According to a trade report, Waldron became the front runner for the job over the past month, in part because of the trust he’d built up with the studio over their past two collaborations.

    As far back as Loki, Waldron teased the potentiality of a connection between that project and Secret Wars, which only lived in the minds of fans at the time. Now all that remains for the studio is to complete its search for a director to allow them time to work with Waldron on the script.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ryan Coogler on Bringing Namor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    Ryan Coogler on Bringing Namor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    One of Marvel Comics’ oldest characters is making his MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Namor, the Sub-Mariner first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1939 and has remained present as a hero, anti-hero and even outright villain over the years. From the footage seen over the course of two trailers, Namor certainly looks like the antagonist of the Black Panther sequel and while his origins have been greatly changed from the comics, director Ryan Coogler made sure that some of his trademark features remained.

    In an interview with EW, Coogler explained that while developing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, he wanted to “lean into” the character’s comic book origins even while creating a new take on Namor. Now the emperor of the hidden kingdom of Talocon-as opposed to Atlantis-the MCU’s Namor is steeped in new mythology while staying true to his iconic look from the comics.

    I think with making these types of movies, you’ve got to lean into the weird stuff, or you risk missing what makes it fun. He’s got really unique features and things that don’t necessarily go together. He can breathe underwater, obviously, but he’s got these little wings on his ankles. He’s got pointy ears and walks around in his underwear. It’s all fun, man.

    Ryan Coogler

    The latest trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever certainly leans into that weird stuff as it shows Namor taking to the air to attack the Queen’s location and to avoid projectiles from a Wakandan ship. Given the character’s comic book history with Wakanda and the looks of the trailer, it appears that Coogler has stayed true to the character’s nature as well, making him an incredible threat to the nation.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters November 11th.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Trailer Teases an Ancient, Evil Artifact

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Trailer Teases an Ancient, Evil Artifact

    As is often the case with Marvel Studios, the second trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave audiences a little more insight into the plot of the upcoming film. The new trailer featured quite a bit more dialogue, giving audiences an idea of what Wakanda is up against in the film as the hidden kingdom of Talocan, led by Namor, comes into conflict with them. One bit of dialogue spoken by M’Baku, however, stood out as particularly interesting as it opens the possibility of one of Marvel Comics’ most dangerous artifacts making its mark on the MCU.

    Speaking to a group of Wakandans, M’Baku explains that the people of Talocan don’t refer to Namor as either king or general, but rather “K’uk’ulkan, the feather serpent god.” While Ryan Coogler went to great lengths to create a new origin for Namor, one that strayed away from the comic books’ Atlantean heritage, Namor’s title calls to mind an artifact that has ties to an Elder god and has caused quite a bit of chaos over the years.

    Before the Great Cataclysm drove their kingdom below the sea, ancient Atlanteans created the Serpent Crown. The crown served as a vessel for the power of the Elder god, Set, who created an entire race of Serpent-Men to do his evil bidding in ancient times. The Serpent Crown has popped up in the comics on several occasions and, needless to say nothing good comes of it. It’s found its way back to Atlantis several times, including recently when Namor wore it in the event Atlantis Attacks.

    Could the helmet seen on the MCU’s Namor be the Serpent Crown? And if so, is it just an Easter egg or could it become the same type of cursed artifact it’s become in the comics? It’s an interesting thought but one that we’ll have to wait to flesh out as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn’t hit theaters for another 5 weeks.

  • Anthony Mackie Comments on the Possibility of a Chris Evans Return in ‘Captain America 4’

    Anthony Mackie Comments on the Possibility of a Chris Evans Return in ‘Captain America 4’

    Upcoming Marvel Studios feature Captain America: New World Order will mark Anthony Mackie’s first time leading an MCU film as the Star-Spangled Avenger. Sam Wilson takes over the mantle from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers in the wake of their last team-up effort in Avengers: Endgame and the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. By all accounts, Evans, who also said goodbye to the MCU, has been unlikely to bring back his original Captain America character anytime soon.

    Following Marvel Studios’ recent D23 presentation, Mackie joked that Sebastian Stan gets Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent in the upcoming Thunderbolts and expressed his desire to see Evans return in some manner. However, in a recent interview, Mackie had a more sobering take on the potential return, expressing Evans’ own views on where his future with Captain America rests.

    Mackie discussed the possibility of Evans reprising his role as Steve Rogers in an interview with E! News, and he made a joke about how little Evans is focused on the MCU now:

    Chris is so far gone from Marvel. Like, Marvel is not even in his radius. He’s so far gone. He’s enjoying life. He’s like an old retired dude.

    Anthony Mackie

    While a return in New World Order seems unlikely, an eventual Evans return is still unknown, especially with major cross-over films like Avengers: Secret Wars in the works. But, for the time being, Sam Wilson will shine as Captain America in the post-Infinity Saga MCU.

    Captain America: New World Order will be released in theaters on May 3, 2024.

    Source: E! News

  • New ‘Madame Web’ BTS Image Offer First Look at Crew Merch

    New ‘Madame Web’ BTS Image Offer First Look at Crew Merch

    While all eyes are on Marvel Studios, there are still quite a few projects over at Sony hoping to capture that same light. Morbius couldn’t quite keep the same momentum that Venom and its sequel did; leading to some uncertainty if they might shift their plans to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Still, they have projects in some form of production like Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web.

    The latter actually is currently filming and has many rumors surrounding what direction it might potentially take. While nothing has been confirmed, it definitely has a lot of hopes to tell a unique tale within the Spider-Verse but there has been a lack of updates. While nothing major, it seems that a new photo from Madame Web’s crew has found its way online featuring them wearing some crew merch with a new logo. The image has been shared by u/Parking-Balance111 on Reddit.

    The Madame Web crew and their hats from the movie MadameWeb
    byu/Parking-Balance111 inMarvelStudiosSpoilers

    It should be noted that crew merchandise isn’t something officially licensed by the studio. Commonly, it’s used as a thank you gift using elements from the Internet highlighting elements from the project. There’s some likelihood that this new logo is based on something someone found online. It’s unclear though if this is something used for the production crew while they are filming, or if it’s already a present as they slowly wrap up.

    Still, it’s great to see that filming is coming along. We’ll hopefully get some kind of hint at what exactly Sony is going for with Madame Web, especially with them giving a minor supporting character their entire film. It still feels uncertain what Sony is going for, as they still never confirmed which Spider-Man is part of their universe and what they hope to accomplish besides a potential Sinister Six team-up, as hinted in Morbius‘ post-credit sequence.

    Source: Reddit

  • Latest ‘Wakanda Forever’ Merch Focuses Teases Namor’s Iconic Battle Cry

    Latest ‘Wakanda Forever’ Merch Focuses Teases Namor’s Iconic Battle Cry

    While a lot of discussions surrounding Marvel Studios’ upcoming Black panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, focused on how they’ll juggle whoever may take on the mantle, there’s one more big element they are making sure no one forgets. The sequel will act as the introduction of Namor the Submariner into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it seems he’s getting quite the spotlight in some of their latest merchandise reveals. Among them is the confirmation that he’ll also get to use his iconic battle cry “Imperius Rex.”

    As shared by @NamorNews, we get a bunch of new designs highlighting the three main members of the MCU’s take on Atlantis. We see some familiar artwork of Attuma, Namora, and Namor but the newest addition is the fact that his battle cry is added to some of the designs. It’s the first time we’ve seen it used and it may confirm that we’ll get the shout at least once during the upcoming film.

    It’s great to see the elements they are taking from the comics. Even while they changed the character’s cultural background, it opened up the concept to stand out while still pulling in elements from the character’s comic origin. Marvel and director Ryan Coogler managed to even get his iconic green pants as part of his design with the little feet wings hinted at in the first trailer. Here’s hoping that the next trailer potentially offers a bit more from the character and shows us how dangerous he’ll be when facing against the nation of Wakanda.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Smile’ Surprises With $22 Million Opening, ‘Bros’ Stumbles

    ‘Smile’ Surprises With $22 Million Opening, ‘Bros’ Stumbles

    Paramount’s latest offering put a smile on the faces of moviegoers this weekend. Smile, directed by newcomer Parker Finn, pulled in an impressive $22 million over the weekend. The movie earned $8.2 million on Friday, which includes the $2 million the movie pulled in from Thursday previews. Smile‘s performance is all the more impressive considering the film had a modest budget of $17 million.

    Smile, which stars Sosie Bacon, focuses on a therapist who meets a graduate student that has recently witnessed a gruesome suicide. Soon after, she begins experiencing frightening experiences she can’t explain. In order to survive, she’ll need to confront her past in order to escape her horrifying new reality. The film also stars Caitlin Stasey, Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert and Kal Penn.

    The only other new release this weekend, Bros, failed to take off at the box office. The movie took in $4.8 million this weekend, well under expectations for the film. Smile managed to come in fourth place, beneath Don’t Worry Darling and The Woman King. The former, of course, took in $7.3 in its second weekend, bringing its 10-day domestic haul to $32.8 million. While the latter, The Woman King, came in third with $7 million from 3,504 cinemas, bringing its domestic haul to $47 million. Coming in fifth was the Avatar re-release which took in $4.7 million from 1,860 theaters for a 10-day domestic total of $18.1 million.

    Source: THR.