Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘One Piece’ Cinematographer on Making Netflix’s Live-Action Version Distinct from the Anime

    ‘One Piece’ Cinematographer on Making Netflix’s Live-Action Version Distinct from the Anime

    There’s a lot of pressure for the live-action One Piece team to bring this iconic manga series to life. Not only will they be compared to the original work but also any other adaptation out there, most notably its anime. Still, it’s not an undertaking that is taken lightly and it seems cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker prepared quite a bit to bring this series to life.

    In an interview with the Filmmakers Academy, she reveals how she consulted with cinematographer Paul Cameron of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as well as some grips that worked on Life of Pi to get a better feeling for how she can film with boats. She also revealed that she had her crew for six weeks ahead of production, which just wrapped today.

    She has also actively prepared for the project for around three months in advance to prepare how she can tackle the project. In the interview, she confirms that she was mainly responsible for the “first block of production, which amounts to 62 days” as she worked alongside director Marc Jobst on the project. In the interview it was highlighted how they tried to make it stand out from the anime.

    They wanted it to stand out on its own and not just be a carbon copy of the anime. Together, they referenced different films along with photography and the look of the show. 

    She still did her homework as she actively watched 1,000+ episodes of the anime alongside her son, who’s seemingly a fan. She also seemingly read the manga to her kid in the past, which adds an extra connection to the project. She highlighted the following in regard to how they set it all up.

    There will always be fans and critics. You can’t please everyone but at the heart of it, the most important thing is the story. And if the story isn’t there, and that doesn’t grab the viewers, it doesn’t matter what you do. We can only hope that we’re going to gain a new audience and people that find it fascinating and interesting.

    Nicole Hirsch Whitaker

    It definitely sounds like she had quite a bit of fun working on the live-action One Piece series, and making it stand on its own feet to “gain a new audience” is exactly the right approach. While these projects are made for fans alike, it’s always a trouble to fall into familiar territory that pays more tribute to fans but doesn’t ease in new viewers. So, it’ll be exciting to see how they approached the series and added their own visual touch to make it stand out from the rest.

    Source: Filmmakers Academy

  • Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series Wraps Production

    Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series Wraps Production

    It’s hard to believe but Netflix’s upcoming live-action One Piece series has officially wrapped production. We’ve first heard about it all the way back in 2017 when Eiichiro Oda revealed that they were starting work on the project but it wouldn’t truly start production until 2022. It’s been a long road but even more so for showrunners Steven Maeda and Matt Owens.

    To celebrate the wrap-up, Maeda took to his Twitter account to share some photos from his time in Cape Town, as well as look back at the family he won through the time they worked on thee production. Of course, he also shared his hopes that this series will get picked up for another season which many of us share.

    Owens took to his Instagram account to share some fun pictures from his time in South Africa while also playing on the “the One Piece is real” meme making the rounds.

    That’s not the end of it, as the main star himself, Iñaki Godoy, has also announced he’s wrapped up his work on the production and is sharing what he learned from portraying a character like Monkey D. Luffy.

    There’s a lot of hope for this adaptation to break the curse that many have seen in the past. One Piece is an important franchise for many and has been running for 25 years, which is already impressive considering its entire story is from a singular person. With a recent boom in popularity in the Western markets, we may see the franchise get a second life even after dominating the world market with France and Japan alone.

    Source: Twitter, Instagram

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Believes ‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out of Proportion” by the Media

    Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Believes ‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out of Proportion” by the Media

    There have been many discussions surrounding the decision of Warner Bros. Discovery in regards to Batgirl, and it seems like their CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels has quite a strong opinion about how it was portrayed online. According to him, it was “blown out of proportion” during the Bank of America Media, Communications, and Entertainment Conference. He had the following to say in regards to how the media has discussed it, as he believes “media likes to talk about media.”

    Media likes to talk about media, I guess. We have healthy relationships with talent, and we are offering one of the best platforms for anyone in the creative space.

    Gunnar Wiedenfels

    It’s certainly a high statement if one considers that Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock fall wasn’t because of a singular film. Plus, it’s vague enough to avoid any of the pitfalls that surrounded osm of the rather questionable decisions made, especially with not naming any talent involved with the project but speaking in broad strokes.

    Wiedenfles highlighted that they’ll continue to conduct “significant investments” on content but there is quite a bit more to this story. The sudden drop of animated originals and original HBO Max films from the platform revealed a rather questionable decision to save on taxes. There has not been a statement on any of the creatives that worked on Batgirl and for now the future still seems quite unsure.

    Source: Deadline

  • Home Office and Higher VFX Demand Led to Marvel Studios’ Increase in Leaks

    Home Office and Higher VFX Demand Led to Marvel Studios’ Increase in Leaks

    Many have noticed that throughout COVID, a lot more things have leaked from the normally super secret house of Marvel Studios. The company was well-known for keeping things tightly under wraps but much has changed in the last few years. COVID and a rise in home office have become one of the sources of their dismay as of late, at least according to a new report by The Hollywood Reporter.

    They have shared that quite a few leaks have happened not because people are sharing them directly from home but rather curious family members or friends get a quick snapshot. They also highlighted how their dependency on smaller studios also led to a rise in demand, which also meant schooling a lot of new people and scattering their offerings across more vendors. Of course, scattering their footage also didn’t help from things finding their way online.

    That didn’t stop them from their usual strict guidelines according to an anonymous source for THR, as they still tried to keep a tight lid as usual even during these difficult times:

    I had to go through a whole training course to make sure that I know exactly what I need to do and where to report [anything suspect.

    Anonymous VFX Artist

    There has been an increase in security since the COVID leaks from Marvel Studios, especially surrounding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which seemingly had the least information hit the web so far. It’s seemingly the return for many to their office that has helped even if some things still might find their way online in the future.

    Kevin Feige has openly discussed the leaks and focused on keeping the experience alive with or without knowing ahead of time. So, we’ll see how much finds its way online with future releases or if merchandise remains our main source for first looks at projects.

    Source: THR

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Actress Teases More Law-Focused Future for the Disney+ Series

    ‘She-Hulk’ Actress Teases More Law-Focused Future for the Disney+ Series

    As She-Hulk: Attorney at Law continues its run on Disney+, much speculation has arisen about where the plot of the series will go next. The fourth episode, which premiered earlier today, left off with Jennifer Walters having a lawsuit filed against her by a newly released Titania over the trademarked name of “She-Hulk”. Audiences who are anticipating a continued focus on the legal aspects of the series from this revelation should be excited for what’s in store. Actress Ginger Gozaga, who plays the role of Jen Walters’ best friend Nikki, spoke with TVLine about what audiences can expect for the second half of the series.

    Yes, that hot legal action with pens and highlighters that you’ve all been asking for! [Laughs] The show is now definitely switching into what it looks like when you have petty, idiot supervillains and superheroes who are either antagonizing you or need to be represented by you. The thing about working in a superhuman law division is we can represent anyone, so we get comic book characters that haven’t entered the Marvel Universe yet, that you haven’t seen in any of the trailers. And you get to see the idiocy of the ridiculously fun superheroes who have legal trouble and may or may not listen to their attorneys. I’m really excited for people to see these guest stars that are in the comic books.

    Ginger Gonzaga

    Based on what Gonzaga has described, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is fully swinging into the perspective of the “legal comedy” that the series was initially previewed to be. Specifically, a legal battle between the characters of She-Hulk and Titania could very well become a more central arc that the show can take on for the remainder of its first season. This is something that Jameela Jamil seemingly alluded to as early as the red carpet premiere of the series.

    Ultimately, fans of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will have to wait till next week to find out more about this direction of the series as the fifth episode is set to premiere on September 15 on Disney+.

    Source: TVLine

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’ Director on Paying Homage to Ray Harryhausen

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’ Director on Paying Homage to Ray Harryhausen

    With the Cars on the Road series hitting Disney+, we finally get a chance to discuss some of the fun additions. Earlier concept art even dating back to last year’s Disney+ hinted at an episode including the duo of Lightning Mcqueen and Mater in prehistoric times. As it turned out, the episode also was a way for the animation team to pay tribute to Ray Harryhausen‘s claymation era.

    In an exclusive interview with the creative team behind Cars on the Road, Steve Purcell shared the initial inspiration for tackling this episode and why they decided to include a tribute to Harryhausen. Plus, he praises his animation team for managing a way to bring that unique animation type to live in a new medium.

    I think in that case it was really specifically wanting to see that and I think it worked because it’s in a dream environment. It helps to separate that world from the regular world but I had this itch I wanted to scratch. I wanted to see this world animated in that style and I thought our animator’s swung for the fence and they hit it.

    Steve Purcell

    Furthermore, he also highlighted that they used the opportunity to pay homage to Harryhausen with the way they animated the prehistoric T-rex-inspired car.

    There’s a little homage in there where the dino kind of let’s go and waits for a minute and then snaps him up again. It goes back to any kind of dinosaur movie from the 30s or 60s.

    Steve Purcell

    It’s great to always see how these stories come together and use the opportunity to pay tribute to the animations that paved the way to the modern era. It also sounds like a unique challenge for the animators that wanted to add a special flair to what the Disney+ series has to offer.

  • ‘Uncharted’ Creator’s Marvel Game Is Rumored to Be A WW2 Captain America Game

    ‘Uncharted’ Creator’s Marvel Game Is Rumored to Be A WW2 Captain America Game

    Last year, a report surfaced saying that Uncharted creator Amy Hennig was working on a AAA Marvel under her new company, Skydance Games. While no other information was divulged in the report, the game was described as a “narrative-driven, blockbuster action-adventure game, featuring a completely original story and take on the Marvel Universe.”

    A Twitter account is claiming that the game Hennig is working on is a Captain America-Black Panther adventure set in WW2. Regarding their track record, said Twitter account is also claiming they leaked Matt Shakman directing Fantastic Four ahead of The Direct so take as much salt as you will.

    Should this story be true, this won’t be the only Black Panther game in development as EA is reportedly working on an open-world Black Panther game set in Wakanda. Nonetheless, a WW2 game starring Captain America game seems like the kind of story-driven game a visionary like Hennig would work on. While it’s not being developed by Naughty Dog, a Captain America-Black Panther with the gameplay and graphical fidelity of the Uncharted games would be incredible.

  • Lee Jung-Jae Joins ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Lee Jung-Jae Joins ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Squid Game actor Lee Jung-Jae is heading to a galaxy far, far away.

    Deadline reports that the actor has signed on to The Acolyte as the male lead. The news comes days before the Emmys, where Jung-Jae earned a history-making nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his work on the Netflix series, Squid Game. This will mark his first major studio role following the success of Squid Game. Further details surrounding the actor’s role in The Acolyte are currently unknown. Jung-Jae joins the previously announced Amandla Steinberg and Jodi Smith-Turner.

    Russian Doll‘s Leslye Headland will serve as the series director, writer, executive producer and showrunner on The Acolyte. According to Deadline, Headland has been working closely with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy on the series, including the show’s casting. The series is said to take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.

    Jung-Jae’s casting is a huge win for Lucasfilm and Star Wars as the actor has been highly sought after since the success of Squid Game.

    The Acolyte was first announced in April 2020 by Variety, with Disney officially confirming the series in December 2020. It’s currently unknown when production will kick off, but with D23 right around the corner, perhaps we’ll continue to learn more about what looks to be Lucasfilm’s most promising Star Wars series.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Hulu Sets Premiere Date for ‘Solar Opposites’ Halloween Special

    Hulu Sets Premiere Date for ‘Solar Opposites’ Halloween Special

    Hulu has announced a Halloween special for Solar Opposites.

    The streaming service will premiere the Halloween special, A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special, on October 3rd. The special promises to prove that “sometimes, alien life can be spooky.”

    Solar Opposites, which was co-created by Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty) and Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty), focuses on a “family” of four aliens who are forced to adapt to life on Earth. Korvo (Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) are eager to fix their ship and leave Earth behind, noting the pollution and consumerism, while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) have fully embraced life on Earth, including television and junk food. The show’s third season premiered on Hulu back in July.

    This marks the second Halloween special for Roiland, as Hulu is also set to debut a Halloween special for The Paloni Show. That special will be titled The Paloni Show! Halloween Special! and will hit the streaming service on October 17th.

    News of the Solar Opposites Halloween special was first announced during the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con over the summer. The series was renewed for a fourth season back in June 2021, however, it’s currently unknown when Season 4 will hit Hulu.

    The first three seasons of Solar Opposites are now streaming on Hulu.

    Source: Deadline.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’s Steve Purcell Talks Exploring New Sides of Familiar Characters

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’s Steve Purcell Talks Exploring New Sides of Familiar Characters

    Cars on the Road will take the unlikely duo of Mater and Lightning McQueen out of Radiator Springs out into the world. The new Disney+ series offers a new perspective on these characters and the world they live in. It’s a simple concept that also uses the opportunity to pay tribute to many films and franchises that have come before.

    In an exclusive interview with Steve Purcell and the creative team behind the project, he reveals that the main idea of a road trip was the first concept that came together. He also highlighted the excitement of taking these well-known characters and introducing them into new scenarios.

    I think the road trip idea came first and then we started adding the sort of baggage of what kind of place it would be fun to see them in, because what we love about the characters: We know what they’re going to be like so what would they be like here or be like here, and so I think that’s what was cool about working on this.

    Steve Purcell

    Purcell went on to highlight that the idea of blending these stories with different genres or even paying tribute to iconic films came naturally afterward. They started adding them to the different locations once they had the high concept together. He also highlighted that the initial pitch also included many more episodes that could’ve potentially explored similar ideas.