Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Creative Team Discusses THEE Episode 3 Cameo

    ‘She-Hulk’ Creative Team Discusses THEE Episode 3 Cameo

    One of the biggest talking points coming out of the latest episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the cameo appearance of Megan Thee Stallion. While the news was spoiled on social media just a few days prior to the episode release, it still has served as a pleasant surprise for a number of viewers. While sitting down with Entertainment Weekly, various members of the creative team discussed the process of how the star rapper’s cameo came to be. Head writer Jessica Gao talked about the challenge of deciding who would best fit this role and the relatively surprising name who pitched the idea of Megan Thee Stallion.

    We didn’t even know that we could dream that big. When we wrote the script, all we knew was we needed to have a female celebrity who was very famous, very successful, and very beautiful. But we didn’t know if it was going to be an actress, or a model, or a musician. And depending on who it was, we knew we’d probably have to tweak the story a little bit to fit whoever we ended up casting…Jameela (Jamil) one day floated the idea of Megan and the moment she said that, and the moment we realized that that could be a possibility, we were like, ‘Stop everything. That’s it. The conversation’s done. We only care about Megan now. And if Megan will do it, then that settles it.‘

    Jessica Gao

    From this, it’s clear how much of an influence Megan Thee Stallion has had on the cultural zeitgeist and her epitomizing what the show was looking for in that role. Director Kat Coiro further elaborated on what made Megan a massively exciting option for the show’s creative team.

    The character was scripted as a celebrity who never in a billion years would we believe would date Dennis Bukowski. When Jameela suggested Megan, we all lost our minds. She’s perfect on so many levels, just as a beautiful young celebrity who would never date Dennis Bukowski, but also as a powerful woman who embodies a lot of what She-Hulk embodies. And then it was a little cherry on top that Tatiana (Maslany) is the world’s biggest Megan fan. As soon as that name came up, there was nobody else.

    Kat Coiro

    The further notion of Tatiana Maslany being a massive fan of Megan Thee Stallion certainly helped elevate the scene in portraying Jennifer Walters’ undying adulation towards the rapper. And as learned in the interview, the feeling of love was mutual with Megan Thee Stallion towards Marvel Studios.

    We found out that Megan loves Marvel and superhero stuff, so it was incredible. It really came together very quickly, and we didn’t even have time to stop and just stand in awe at the fact that this was actually happening. It was everyone’s dream come true, especially Tatiana.

    Jessica Gao

    Ultimately, the appearance of Megan Thee Stallion in this past episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law provided a large source of levity for not just the characters on screen, but the creative time sitting behind it. The third episode of the Disney+ was officially released on Thursday, September 1st.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Harry Potter’ Actor Joins Cast of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

    ‘Harry Potter’ Actor Joins Cast of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

    Actor Brendan Gleeson, who portrayed Alastor ‘MadEye’ Moody in the Harry Potter films has joined Todd Phillips’ sequel to 2019 Joker.

    The sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, will see Joaquin Phoenix return as clown turned angry clown, Arthur Fleck. Phoenix will be joined in the film by Lady Gaga, who is reported to be playing Harley Quinn. Zazie Betts is also reportedly returning to reprise her role from the first film.

    Production on Joker: Folie à Deux is expected to begin this December ahead of an October 2024 release. Early rumors suggest that the film will be set in Gotham’s infamous Arkham Asylum and that it will be, at least in parts, a musical. The trade reporting Gleeson’s inclusion in the film was unable to discern a role for the well-known Irish actor.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Loses Showrunner, Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Veteran for Season 2

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Loses Showrunner, Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Veteran for Season 2

    Here’s a shocking twist but the currently biggest show on television and streaming, House of the Dragon, has just lost one of its showrunners. Director Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down from the project. It seems the reason is mostly due to investing three years into the prequel series but it seems Ryan Condal will remain as the series’ now-sole showrunner moving forward. George R.R. Martin is still actively involved as a consultant.

    Sapochnik has shared the following statement on his departure:

    Working within the Thrones universe for the past few years has been an honor and a privilege, especially spending the last two with the amazing cast and crew of House of the Dragon. I am so proud of what we accomplished with season 1 and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally. As I do so, though, I am deeply comforted to know that Alan will be joining the series. He’s someone I’ve known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands. I am so glad to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team success and all the best with season 2 and beyond.

    Miguel Sapochnik

    Not all is grey, as Sapochnik has a first-look deal with HBO and will be developing other projects. He also still has an executive producer role on House of the Dragon. It also seems like they have added a new director for the upcoming second season, as Game of Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, will also join in with an additional executive producer role. He is set to tackle multiple episodes in the second season, but there’s no definite statement.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Regan Aliyah Joins Marvel Studios ‘Ironheart’ Disney+ Series

    Regan Aliyah Joins Marvel Studios ‘Ironheart’ Disney+ Series

    While Ironheart has been in production for some time, it looks like their casting announcements aren’t taking a break anytime soon. Deadline has just reported that XO‘s Regan Aliyah has joined the upcoming Disney+ series in an unknown role. There’s no word how big her role might be, but she’s joining a stacked cast that includes Dominique Thorne as Riri Wiliams, Alden Ehrenreich, Anthony Ramos, and many more.

    The series is shaping up to be one of the MCU’s most interesting, especially with recent reveals adding a few curious questions on how it connects to the wider MCU storyline. Leaks seemingly hint at her iconic armor being showcased in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever while set photos hinted at her still working on one during the Disney+ series as it has a much bulkier design in comparison.

    There have been theories that perhaps this show acts as a prequel leading into the event of the upcoming film, which would be a first. WandaVision was released ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness so it would connect to the series. Yet, this would be the first case that a series explores a character’s story before they joined the silver screen. Of course, we don’t know yet and can only theorize but it’ll be interesting to see once we get a first look at the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Paid a “Heavy Price” for the 90s X-Men Theme Song

    Marvel Studios Paid a “Heavy Price” for the 90s X-Men Theme Song

    The X-Men finally returned home when Disney purchased 20th Century Fox and while their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut is still some time away, we will still get the revival series for the 90s X-Men: The Animated Series titled X-Men ’97. Marvel Studios has used the iconic theme in some places to tease the eventual growing return of the mutants, but it seems getting their hands on it wasn’t so easy.

    As revealed during a panel at Pennsylvania’s Steel City Convention, consultant Eric Lewald hinted that they paid a “heavy price” to get the rights back to that iconic theme song. To use it for the upcoming X-Men revival series and in the MCU, they had to negotiate with a second person holding the rights according to Lewald, who stated that:

    “[The X-Men: The Animated Series theme song] wasn’t a done deal necessarily when they were producing the new show. The rights were all over the place. I think a secondary person had the rights to the music, so it was a negotiation for them. Obviously, you can’t do the new show without that song. But the guy selling it knew the same thing, so I’m sure it was a heavy price.

    Eric Lewald

    It’s no wonder that they’ve decided to use it as often as they could. While some made statements that it was for nostalgia bait reasons, it not only offers a memorable cue to connect any mutant joining the franchise but you’d also want to make use of something you paid quite a bit for.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Rick and Morty’ Creators On Track to Release “a Season a Year”, Stating it Could “Run Forever”

    ‘Rick and Morty’ Creators On Track to Release “a Season a Year”, Stating it Could “Run Forever”

    Rick and Morty fans have been quite excited to get their hands on the latest season. The next season has been teased with the simple tagline “Wormageddon” as they started promoting what’s to come once the series returns for its sixth season. Back in 2018, the series was ordered for 70 new episodes by Adult Swim but it looks like the creators believe that the series “could run forever” in an interview with The Wrap.

    Justin Roiland got a chance to talk about what the future might have in store for Rick and Morty. They seem to be at a point where the series could continue for quite a bit longer than the already established deal.

    I think the show could run forever. The show could run as long as we want it to.

    Justin Roiland

    Dan Harmon, who co-created the show with Justin Roiland, pointed out that they never conceived it with a fixed endpoint, which is why they can imagine it running for as long as it needs to.

    As far as the longevity of the show, to me, it just feels infinite. That’s kind of the easy part. And I think that might be the cause of some frustration on the fans’ part, because my original commitment to just, I think a good TV show is one that lasts 1000 episodes. You don’t design a paper airplane to land at a certain spot a certain distance for you. A good paper airplane is the one that stays in the air forever, and that’s impossible but you fold it in a way that that’s the goal.

    Dan Harmon

    If you’ve wondered what that means for the future. Well, it seems that the team is at a point where they can commit to a season every year, which is a far cry from the long waits in-between releases in the earlier seasons.

    This is the strangest thing I’ve ever said about the show and it still feels unreal to say it, but we’ll be doing a season a year now. I still don’t understand how that’s possible. But that’s why it never happened on my watch. [Showrunner] Scott [Marder] is able to keep us on a schedule that mostly involves being so ahead of schedule that we can actually release things in a timely manner.

    Dan Harmon

    It’s definitely a departure from where the series started and time will tell how it continues going on similar to The Simpsons. In the same interview, they even make a comparison but highlight that it depends on “if the network wanted and if the fans wanted.” So, as long as people continue to return with each new season we’ll likely see a lot more of it moving forward.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Servant’ Star Joins ‘The Omen’ Prequel

    ‘Servant’ Star Joins ‘The Omen’ Prequel

    Horror prequels seem to be the new trend right now. Orphan just recently got a prequel and it seems that 20th Century is interested in attempting something similar with The Omen. Deadline has just reported that Apple TV+’s breakout star Nell Tiger Free has joined the upcoming prequel, set to be titled First Omen, in a leading role. The actress has just made her mark with her work on Servant and is joining Arkasha Stevenson‘s feature directing debut. Tim Smith will rewrite the project together with Stevenson.

    David S. Goyer and Keith Levine are producing under their production label Phantom Four with Gracie Wheelan overseeing the project. It’ll act as a prequel to the 1976 classic, which made $60M domestically and followed the story of an American ambassador that believed his 5-year-old child is the Antichrist.

    There are no details on exactly how they’ll tackle this project but it does seem likely that they’ll follow another family facing a similar challenge. Perhaps they’ll take a different direction and potentially explore how the Antichrist was brought into the world. Some cult exploration could make for a fun storyline and make it stand out from the story it’s leading into, but there’s a chance it may simply take the classic and repeat the storyline with a new family.

    Source: Deadline

  • Kyra Sedgwick and Elsie Fisher Sign on for Season 2 of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

    Kyra Sedgwick and Elsie Fisher Sign on for Season 2 of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

    Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty has added two more to its cast. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) and Elsie Fisher (Barry) have signed on for Season 2. While details regarding their roles are being kept under wraps, the outlet was able to confirm the duo will be recurring guests in the upcoming season.

    The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the book series of the same name by Jenny Han. It follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin, played by Lola Tung, as she finds herself in a love triangle with two brothers (Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno). While the love triangle is a big part of the series, it also focuses on relationships between mothers and their children, as well as the lasting power of friendships, especially among females. The book series is made up of three titles: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer.

    Sedgwick and Fisher join a cast that includes Tung, Briney, and Casalegno, as well as Jackie Chung, Rachel Blanchard, Sean Kaufman, Alfredo Narciso, Minnie Mills, Colin Ferguson and Tom Everett Scott.

    Han, of course, is the author behind the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before books which were successfully adapted by Netflix. The streamer has even recently ordered a spinoff series, titled XO, Kitty. Han will serve as a co-creator of the Netflix series alongside Sascha Rothchild. She’ll also be serving as a co-showrunner on The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 alongside Sarah Kucserka.

    Source: THR

  • HBO Max Renews ‘Harley Quinn’ for a Fourth Season, But With a New Showrunner

    HBO Max Renews ‘Harley Quinn’ for a Fourth Season, But With a New Showrunner

    It’s been a bit doom and gloom over at HBO Max as one series after another has seemingly been taken down or axed wherever the streaming service could. The direction by Warner Bros. Discovery made many wonders what exactly they are hoping to do with the service, especially with a fusion planned with Discovery+. In a way, it hinted at the future of Warner Bros. streaming venture to be less serialized dramas and comedy but more reality TV. Luckily, it seems not everything is lost along the way.

    The popular and creative R-rated comedy series Harley Quinn has officially been renewed for a fourth season. While many feared it could be facing a similar fate as other DC projects have as of late, it seems that David Zaslav and his team are quite happy with the viewership the show pulls in. This is quite exciting news, especially with the uncertainty for DC’s future with HBO and HBO Max, as it seems not every show will be lost in the process.

    Though not everything remains the same, it looks like the series will have a new showrunner. Writer Sarah Peters will take over and continue the series after writing a few episodes throughout its first seasons and also acting as a consulting producer. Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern are stepping down from the role. It’s unclear if they are potentially moving on to a different project in this universe like the confirmed Kite-Man project which is unclear if they are moving forward with it.

    Source: Twitter, THR

  • The Morning After Huddle: August 31, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: August 31, 2022

    Welcome to your Wednesday edition of the Morning After Huddle! Did you catch your breath yet? It’s been a wild few days in the NFL.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • After all the drama, the San Francisco 49ers are keeping Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The team does not have a trade partner for the Quarterback. This is leading the team to keep him and restructure his salary. Jimmy has a new deal with a base of $6 and a max value of $15.45 million. This is far from the ideal situation. The 49ers likely help themselves by restructuring his contract. Perhaps a trade partner becomes available.
    • Next up, Jon Gruden is back and he apparently, has something to say. Gruden claims that, despite the mountain of evidence saying otherwise, he is not the man portrayed in his emails. Gruden says he is a ”good person” who attends church. He goes on to say he has made some mistakes and is hopeful he gets another chance. Here’s the thing: you can be all of things and still be honest about the prejudiced and blatantly racist things said. If this was said via email, imagine the things said behind closed doors. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
    • Finally, your Key Signings and Trades Roundup:
      • TRADE:
        • The New Orleans Saints are sending Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles for a pick in 2023 and 2024
        • The Raiders are sending Cornerback Trayvon Mullen to the Cardinals for a conditional seventh-round pick
      • Full Slate of League Moves from Tuesday

    Thanks for checking in with us, teammates. We’ll see you tomorrow for more news and insights you want to know with the Morning After Huddle.