Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Watchmen’ Showrunner Shares His Thoughts on Marvel’s Expansion

    ‘Watchmen’ Showrunner Shares His Thoughts on Marvel’s Expansion

    There’s been a lot of discussions surrounding Marvel Studios’ recent expansion. Fans of the franchise have been enjoying a smorgasbord of offerings with fan-favorite characters getting a chance at a live-action adaptation, which wouldn’t happen in any normal circumstance. Yet, some also feel like the franchise is watering down its offerings with the Disney+ series and releasing up to four or five films a year.

    Well, Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof shares the latter sentiment, as he highlights his own personal taste when it comes to media. In an interview with Variety, he highlights his own personal feelings towards franchises; something that has gotten quite popular from many more veteran members of the cinematic landscape.

    It’s always going to be hard because once you’ve got someone’s attention, you want to keep it. And so the idea of letting it go and not knowing if you’re ever going to get it back again is sort of like it’s antithetical to the way that we’re wired.

    Damon Lindelof

    He also gives that he believes that less is more in this case, as he’d love to see more memorable projects. Yet, he also makes the point that he simply likes things to end, one aspect of how he approached Watchmen that some believed could get a sequel season but remained a limited series after all.

    From a slightly sort of more cynical standpoint, this is a business. It’s an industry. And if you make a couple of great Marvel movies, the instinct is, ‘We need to make more Marvel movies, and we need to expand this.’ And I have this sort of interior feeling of like, ‘Wow, I wish they made less because it would make each one that came out a little bit more special. But I watch all of them…People don’t want things to end. I do.

    Damon Lindelof

    Lindelof also makes sure to point out that he doesn’t blame Marvel for doing what they are doing. It simply makes sense and he’s not innocent in working on franchising as well given his experiences with Star Trek and Prometheus.

    I don’t begrudge them the right to keep it going. I’ve made prequels and sequels and reboots, so I can’t be a hypocrite and say, ‘God, come up with an original idea.’ Meanwhile, I’m making two ‘Star Trek’ movies and ‘Prometheus.

    Lindelof

    Damon Lindelof‘s points are definitely fair as something being short-lived tends to get a different view than when they continue going on. Phase 4 has been hit with criticism even by long-time fans due to hitting that sophomore slump that any long-running show or franchise tends to hit. There is a fun addition to this story, however, as Lindelof actually highlighted that he actively watches all these projects on his personal Instagram account, which adds an interesting bit of levity to the discussion

    So, it seems that Lindelof is also a fan of the franchise and it’s a shame that this may have been committed from the interview. He also goes on to highlight praise for Ms. Marvel as “one of the best things I saw on any network, streamer or movie screen in the past year. Originality masked in I.P… and a cultural authenticity that dares the entire industry to rise to it“

    Source: Variety, Instagram

  • Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Finds its Rika

    Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Finds its Rika

    Things have been a bit quiet on the live-action One Piece front, as we have heard very little on the production as of late. There have been some potential teases, but official news has slowed down quite a bit since Netflix’s Geeked Week. To be fair, it was quite the showcase with an actual set video and even quite the cast reveal.

    While things still remain a bit quiet until Tudum, we did get a little something to tide us over. Young actress Kamdynn Gary took to her Instagram and TikTok to reveal she has joined a production in South Africa. Now, it instantly made the connection to One Piece which she would then go on to confirm is going to play Shell Town’s Rika.

    For those that may not know, Rika is actually an important character early on as she was the one to feed Zoro while he was forced to starve for killing Helmeppo’s dog. We learn that he did exactly that to save her from the rabid dog, and would even get a small cameo in a cover story during the post-time skip. We haven’t seen her since and it’s unclear if Eiichiro Oda might revisit her character at a later point, but she definitely was memorable during her short time in the East Blue Saga.

    Source: Instagram

  • Russo Brothers Set Impressive Ensemble Cast for ‘The Electric State’

    Russo Brothers Set Impressive Ensemble Cast for ‘The Electric State’

    The Russo brothers are moving full steam ahead with their next film for Netflix. Deadline reports that a slew of top talent has boarded the duo’s film, The Electric State. Michelle Yeoh, Stanley Tucci, Jason Alexander, Brian Cox and Jenny Slate will star alongside Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown in the film.

    Joe and Anthony Russo will direct the film from a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The brothers will also produce the project with Mike Larocca through their AGBO banner. Chris Castaldi and Patrick Newall are also on board as producers for The Electric State, while Angela Russo-Otstot, Jake Aust, Geoff Haley, Markus and McFeely are executive producing. The movie is based on the illustrated novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag. It is set in a retro-futuristic past and follows Brown’s orphaned teen as she traverses the American West with a robot companion and an eccentric drifter in search of her younger brother. While it is unclear who Yeoh, Tucci, and Alexander will play, Deadline states that Cox and Slate are expected to voice CGI characters in the film.

    Ever since leaving behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Joe and Anthony Russo have quickly crafted a new home for their projects at Netflix. Extraction, which stars Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, proved to be a success for the streamer and production on its sequel recently wrapped. And the brothers have already confirmed both a sequel and a spinoff film to their latest effort, The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues

    Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues

    As Ezra Miller’s very public downward spiral continues, Warner Bros. is now reportedly weighing their options with how to proceed with their $200M+ Miller vehicle, The Flash. After being charged with felony burglary, Miller was in the news again when it was reported that a mother and her three children who had been staying with Miller are now missing and being searched for by child’s services in Vermont. With Miller continuing to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, Warner Bros. is said to be considering three options with The Flash.

    According to THR, while it is not the studio’s first choice, they have come to the realization that should Miller’s erratic and headline-grabbing behavior continue, they will have to bury the film and eat its massive budget. While this is not their first choice nor their preferred option, it is the first time during Miller’s spree that reports out of the studio indicate it’s a possibility. At the other end of the spectrum, should Miller seek help and come forward with a public apology, the studio is willing to move forward with the film and allow Miller limited opportunities to promote it. In between those two ends is an option where the studio releases the film and keeps Miller away from press entirely, and then recasts the character moving forward, a move that has been the subject of fan speculation and discussion for months.

    According to the report, a recast and reshoot for The Flash would be impossible because Miller plays several characters in the film and “is in almost every scene.” Even as Warner Bros. has canceled several projects and looks to the future, their decision to move forward with The Flash, which was first announced in 2014, seems informative. Fans of long speculated that the movie could serve as an opportunity to “reboot” the continuity of the existing DC Universe and with the studio’s newly announced direction, it does seem a likely option.

    Source: THR

  • First ‘American Horror Story’ Season 11 Cast Members Revealed

    First ‘American Horror Story’ Season 11 Cast Members Revealed

    2021 saw the return of American Horror Story for its tenth season following the pandemic setting the series production back and forcing dramatic changes to the season as a whole. The ‘Double Feature’ theme was met with lackluster reactions as both storylines felt rushed and unsatisfying as neither was given the time be fully fleshed and in the end it was just the best they could make of the situation. However, the cast for the season, featuring familiar faces, was incredibly strong and now some are confirmed to be returning for Season 11.

    Deadline has confirmed that Season 11 will see the return of Billie Lourde, Zachary Quinto, Patti Lupone and Isaac Cole Powell. Newcomers to the anthology series include Sandra Bernhard, Joe Mantello, and Charlie Carver, all of whom have worked with series co-creator Ryan Murphy on his many other projects.

    It’s still unknown just what the theme of this season is but set photos seem to hint that it could be set during the 1970s and in New York City. The eleventh season of American Horror Story is currently set to premiere later this year.

    SOURCE: Deadline

  • Zoe Terakes is the Latest Actor to Join the Cast of Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’

    Zoe Terakes is the Latest Actor to Join the Cast of Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’

    Nearly a month after reports first surfaced of Zoe Terakes joining the cast of Ironheart, Deadline has confirmed the Wentworth actor is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The outlet revealed Terakes’ casting late on Wednesday evening, confirming the actor will be playing a key role in the series. Further details surrounding Terakes’ role remain unknown.

    The actor’s casting is incredibly noteworthy as Terakes is both transgender and non-binary. With still a long way to go regarding LGBTQ+ presentation within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the addition of Terakes is a step in the right direction. Terakes most recently starred in Wentworth and Nine Perfect Strangers. They can next be seen in a film titled Talk to Me where they’ll star as a character named Hayley.

    Terakes is the latest to join the cast of Ironheart joining leading lady Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Manny Montana, Alden Ehrenreich, and Shea Couleé. Ramos, as long rumored, was confirmed to be playing The Hood in Ironheart after set photos surfaced earlier this week, while Ehrenreich has long been rumored to be playing the son of Obadiah Stane, Ezekiel “Zeke” Stane. Details regarding the roles of the rest of the cast are currently unknown, although recent rumors suggest Couleé could be playing none other than Shade.

    Production on Ironheart is currently underway in Atlanta.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Marvel Studios’ Disney+ Attracts a New Audience for the MCU

    Marvel Studios’ Disney+ Attracts a New Audience for the MCU

    With the Disney Earnings Call taking place for their third fiscal quarter, the public has received notable updates on where Disney stands in terms of its current business operations. Notably, official word has been revealed for Disney+’s ad-supported model which is scheduled to launch at the end of 2022. As well, the streaming service has defied the company’s own expectations and has added over 14 million new subscribers in the fiscal quarter.

    When laying out components to the success of Disney+, CEO Bob Chapek specifically took time to reference Marvel Studios’ output of series over the past year and a half as a major point of success. What he states is quite interesting as he highlights that they have measured an audience that watch these series before any other Marvel offering on the platform, as shared by Alex Zalben on Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/azalben/status/1557467286457487361

    With this bit of information from Chapek, it paints a promising picture of the overall direction the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken in its fourth phase. It certainly seems to be the case that the audience that’s helped Marvel Studios produce some of the highest grossing films have followed them onto Disney+. And on top of that, the shows being able to attract new audience members that haven’t engaged with the Marvel Cinematic Universe prior is critical for the Disney-owned studio to maintain longevity moving forward.

    One could formulate the belief that the distinctly different genres that Marvel Studios has been able to adapt as a series (namely with the likes of WandaVision and Ms. Marvel) have become a large factor in its success. And with the upcoming release of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which will be Marvel’s first foray into the “legal comedy” genre, it remains to be seen how the new series will impact the subscriber base of the still-young streaming platform.

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is scheduled to premiere its first episode on Thursday, August 18.

  • New ‘Loki’ Set Photo Offers a Look at Sylvie’s New Suit

    New ‘Loki’ Set Photo Offers a Look at Sylvie’s New Suit

    It looks like new set photos have found their way online for the upcoming second season of Loki. It’s the first series to get an additional season and we already got some teases from the Disney+ series’ set. The first photos we got revealed the return of Sophia Di Martino‘s Sylvie in an old McDonalds uniform while Tom Hiddleston’s Loki seemingly joined the TVA once again.

    Now, a new set photo has surfaced that reveals that same sequence where she was seen at a McDonalds but this time around is wearing an updated version of her suit. Its design seems quite close to what she wore in the last season. The biggest difference seems to be the golden half ring around her neck which is even more damaged than previously.

    There are still a lot of questions hanging in the air about how exactly Sylvie finds her way out of He Who Remains’ home and if she has taken on a new role to look over the multiverse. perhaps the existential crisis of her actions being foretold led to her just giving up and trying to live a very quiet life. Kang’s role is also unclear in the upcoming film, as the big bad for the next Avengers movie will let his presence be known throughout and the multiverse is nowhere close to slowing down.

    Source: Weibo

  • Neve Campbell Speaks Out on Exiting ‘Scream 6’ Over Pay Dispute

    Neve Campbell Speaks Out on Exiting ‘Scream 6’ Over Pay Dispute

    The new Scream film caught many by surprise when it offered a fresh new take on the iconic franchise. Legacy sequels are currently all the rage and it was exciting to see it perform as well as it did for long-time horror fans. As it also became a surprise hit at the box office, a new installment wasn’t too surprising. What did catch many off-guard was that long-time star Neve Campbell was moving away from the franchise.

    Speculation went wild on the reasoning behind her departure before first reports hinted that it was due to a pay dispute. Hollywood still struggles with payment inequality for non-male actors. Now, the actress has spoken out on why she decided to leave the franchise behind.

    I did not feel that what I was being offered equated to the value that I bring to this franchise, and have brought to this franchise, for 25 years. And as a woman in this business, I think it’s really important for us to be valued and to fight to be valued. I honestly don’t believe that if I were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise over 25 years, that the number that I was offered would be the number that would be offered to a man.

    Neve Campbell

    It’s definitely heavy to hear the troubles she’s going through considering how she would go on to shape the franchise over the years. Campbell was one of the defining factors that made Scream what it is today, and her absence will be felt in the upcoming sequel. It makes you wonder if the draw will be the same without Neve Campbell when long-time fans return.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Disney+ Beats Expectations and Adds 14.4M New Subscribers

    Disney+ Beats Expectations and Adds 14.4M New Subscribers

    It looks like the streaming market isn’t taking a nosedive after all. Netflix and HBO Max have been low expectations; especially the former continuing to lose subscriber count. The same fear existed with Disney+ but it seems that they managed to pull it to their advantage as they just reported that they’ve added 14.4M subscribers, which is ahead of their predicted 10M. As such, the stock is up 6% as a result and its revenue continues to be driven by its parks offerings.

    Bob Chapek, the current CEO of Walt Disney, has shared the following statement on their third fiscal quarter:

    We had an excellent quarter, with our world-class creative and business teams powering outstanding performance at our domestic theme parks, big increases in live-sports viewership, and significant subscriber growth at our streaming services. With 14.4 million Disney+ subscribers added in the fiscal third quarter, we now have 221 million total subscriptions across our streaming offerings. We continue to transform entertainment as we near our second century, with compelling new storytelling across our many platforms and unique immersive physical experiences that exceed guest expectations, all of which are reflected in our strong operating results this quarter.

    Bob Chapek

    Unlike most, Disney has a diversified portfolio that can counterbalance any scares with the booming streaming business. Plus, the confirmation that an ad-supported model of Disney+ will hit the US in December also adds to the excitement on what exactly the future may hold for investors. Of course, the price hike to $10.99 for an ad-free version might rub som the wrong way.

    Chapek promised investors in late 2021 that they’d reach 230M+ subscribers by September of 2025. It’ll be interesting to see if that continues to rise or if we should expect a slow-down anytime soon. They also expect Hulu and ESPN+ to become profitable by then as well.

    Source: Deadline