Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Won’t Guarantee 45-Day Theatrical Release Window Anymore

    Warner Bros. Discovery Won’t Guarantee 45-Day Theatrical Release Window Anymore

    The 45-release window was a controversial one, as many feared that streaming demands are pushing films out of theaters. While some films revel in their long-running theatrical release, it has offered the opportunity for others to not only pull in a strong box office run but also a high view count to boost the various streaming offerings. While Disney+ is seemingly sticking to it, Warner Bros. Discovery may have other plans moving forward.

    To say that the shake-ups over at Warner Bros. Discovery have been bizarre is to only paint one picture. While the previous group strongly focused on growing its new streaming service with HBO Max, the current one is moving away from the foundation that was laid out. A part of that is the reveal that they are no longer guaranteeing that they will adhere to the modern 45-day release window. So, we might see many big-budget projects make use of a longer running time as much as possible.

    Streaming hasn’t run its course just yet, but we are seeing some bumps along the way. More and more competitors have entered the market creating some concerns among investors. We’re likely seeing a realigning of strategies due to the events that have unfolded since the pandemic died down. The post-pandemic era has set a new precedent and we’re seeing many business decisions hit a snag along the way. It’s not uncommon and with Netflix losing its subscribers for the first time since it started, we’re simply seeing a new era as people slowly embrace leaving their homes once again.

    Source: Decider

  • New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Offers Closer Look at Green Goblin’s MCU Design

    New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Offers Closer Look at Green Goblin’s MCU Design

    There’s always something fun about getting a look behind the scenes on projects. Marvel Studios goes through quite a few concepts and ideas as they finalize whatever design they are trying to nail for the adaptation of a popular character from Marvel comics to live-action. In a new batch by artist Phil Saunders gives us a good look at the updated designs for Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin.

    Willem Dafoe was a fantastic addition o the cast and gave us one of his best performances as the iconic character. While he doesn’t get a fully realized costume from the comics, they play around with a concept that feels like the perfect middle blend of his original Spider-Man costume with some updated design choices. Here’s an image of him on his glider:

    And another gives us a detailed look at the design, such as how damaged parts of his suit are covered with wrappings from the former purple hoodie that would add that final comic-accurate touch from the comics.

    the design definitely might go down as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best, especially given the ties to nostalgia for many that grew up with the original Spider-Man films by Sam Raimi. It was an experience to see some iconic villains return alongside former Spider-Men and it might not be something that could be so easily replicated dueto just how special this franchise is. We’ll see if perhaps Avengers: Secret Wars brings back some familiar faces.

    Source: Art Station

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Prey’ Star Dakota Beavers Wants to Play a Jedi

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Prey’ Star Dakota Beavers Wants to Play a Jedi

    Being the second lead in a Predator film as the first project in a resume is a hell of an entrance to make but Dakota Beavers brings all the might of a true action star in Prey. As Taabe, the warrior-chief brother of protagonist Naru, Beavers brings a performance that is unlike any of the previous male protagonists of the franchise.

    Speaking to Murphy’s Multiverse about the pressures of starring in a Predator film, Beavers seemed relatively confident in his take on the character.

    It was easy to get spooked about since it was my first project. But it was also so different that I could comfortably be myself. Those men in the first movie had such strong voices and presence. I wanted Taabe to carry that with him. That strong and masculine air. But the film was different enough to where I could put myself enough in it and not worry about what people think.

    When asked whether he wanted to follow up his impressionist Prey performance with something in the vein of Marvel and Star Wars, the idea got him excited.

    I would be on Cloud 9 to play something like that. Like a Jedi or a Star Wars bounty hunter. I would be all over that.

  • ‘The Santa Clauses’ Adds Laura San Giacomo to its Cast

    ‘The Santa Clauses’ Adds Laura San Giacomo to its Cast

    Laura San Giacomo, who was last seen in Barry and NCIS, is the latest actor to board Disney Plus’ The Santa Clauses limited series. The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting San Giacomo has joined the series as La Befana, a Christmas Witch from Italian folklore. Per the outlet, San Giacomo‘s La Befana is said to deliver treats to good children on the morning of the epiphany.

    The Santa Clause limited series will see Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin/Santa Claus prepare to turn over the title ahead of his 65th birthday.

    “Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s suddenly starting to lose his Santa magic, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the North Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.”

    Deadline

    San Giacomo joins the previously announced Allen, as well as Elizabeth Mitchell and David Krumholtz, who reprise their roles as Mrs. Claus and Bernard the elf from the original films. The series will also star Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, Devin Bright as Noel, Austin Kane as Cal, Matilda Lawler as Betty, Rupali Redd as Grace and Kal Penn as Simon Choski.

    The limited series is helmed by Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt, whom San Giacomo worked with on Just Shoot Me. As of this writing, the series does not yet have a premiere date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Prey’ Was Originally Supposed to Be Entirely Filmed in Comanche

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Prey’ Was Originally Supposed to Be Entirely Filmed in Comanche

    Prey has the distinction of not only being the best Predator film in thirty but also the first major motion picture to have a Comanche dub. But the dub, which is available to watch on Hulu, wasn’t always a dub. Early plans for the film featured a script that was to be performed in the language. But as the development went on, the idea was scrapped.

    We spoke to Prey director Dan Trachtenberg and he gave insight as to why it was changed during development

    The initial concept was for all of it to be in Comanche. But as the story evolved, we found that there was a great mixture of languages and made this decision to not have subtitles. As new characters and languages come into the story, you’re always linked to Naru and her experience of it. What sounds foreign to her, will sound foreign to the viewers as well.

    Dan Trachtenberg

    When asked about whether the Comanche dub is the essential version of the film, producer Jhane Myers had this to say.

    For me, yes. But this is the type of movie you should watch twice. So I recommend you watch it in Comanche and English.

    Jhane Myers

    Even though Prey is amazing as it is, a version of the film with the actors performing in Comanche would be a totally immersive experience. Nonetheless, the Comanche dub is described by Trachtenberg as “a little more sophisticated than perhaps our memory of watching dubbed movies.” So even the dubbed version is already going to be a lot more special than generic dubs.

  • ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Star Opens Up About Acting Opposite a Different Hulk Actor

    ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Star Opens Up About Acting Opposite a Different Hulk Actor

    The upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law marks the grand return of Tim Roth in the role of Emil Blonsky. He’s only the second actor from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk to join production; following the late William Hurt as General Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Civil War. With such a time gap, it was quite the change for the actor, who opened up about the experience in an interview with Forbes to promote the upcoming project, Resurrections.

    While he continues to not give away any details on his exact role, he does look back fondly at The Incredible Hulk; even calling it a “big budget indie” as it was in development before the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly came together. He did highlight it was quite the adjustment jumping back into the fray of this franchise.

    Coming back, I didn’t know what to expect. Once I started shooting on it, I didn’t know how to go about my business, and it was a bit disconcerting. Tatiana Maslany is incredible, and She-Hulk is a comedy, and she’s bloody good at comedy but, to be fair, she’s pretty, pretty good at everything When Mark Ruffalo showed up to do his stuff that I was involved in and saw the two of them interacting, it was a penny drop moment for me, and I went, ‘Oh, that’s what we’re doing. Oh, okay,’ and then I knew what to do. Basically, on the first segment I was involved in, I got some serious direction from them about we go about our business there, and then it was all playtime. It was a lot of fun.

    Tim Roth

    He also jokingly added how unique it was to star opposite Mark Ruffalo, who is the second actor in the franchise to take on the mantle. The 2008 Hulk film originally had Edward Norton in the iconic role before he passed after some creative differences heading into The Avengers. It seems that he and Ruffalo had quite a bit of fun with that fact on set.

    Yeah, I was like, ‘You’ve changed.’ (Laughs) It’s kind of fun. We used to hang around and muck about between takes, and we had a nice time. I very much respect Mark as an actor, so even under those bizarre and wonderful circumstances, that one was a treasure.

    Tim Roth

    It definitely sounds like he had quite a lot of fun with the project, which adds to the uniqueness of joining after so long. Not only is it a straightforward comedy but also a very different kind of project that is heading to Disney+ exclusively. So, it’s going to be exciting if that behind-the-scenes energy also carried over into the streaming series.

    Source: Forbes

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director Hints at Marvel Studios’ Plans for Hercules

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director Hints at Marvel Studios’ Plans for Hercules

    The post-credit stinger for Thor: Love and Thunder felt like a return to form for the Marvel Studios franchise, as it finally introduced a new character that would have a big role moving forward. In it, we saw that Russell Crowe‘s Zeus survived having his own lightning bolt shot through his chest and sending his son out to kill Thor for what he’s done. As it turns out, the son he’s talking to (he’s had quite a few in Greek myth) is non-other than Hercules, played by Brett Goldstein.

    While many believed it may be a hint at the next entry for the Thor franchise, it does seem like they may have other plans for the Greek demigod, as hinted by Love and Thunder‘s director Taika Watiti. he highlighted that his inclusion was an idea from Marvel Studios directly and that he’ll likely “won’t be invited to come and be a part of.”

    And then [Louis D’Esposito?] is like, we’re gonna introduce Hercules, and um, that made no sense to me, I didn’t even know that was a character in Marvel, but um, apparently it is, and um… It was good, I know it’s opening up a whole new thing, uh, which I won’t be invited to come and be a part of, but I’m happy for everyone who loves Greek Gods.

    Taika Waititi

    That last line certainly sounds like a jab at many that have been openly displeased with his adaptation of the popular Norse God of Marvel myth. The more comedic direction has rubbed quite a few the wrong way and it seems to still stand out among the already comedy-heavy Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    His future with the franchise is uncertain and it’ll be interesting if they would make a follow-up, especially with how the latest film ended. No matter what direction they might go, it still looks like the future is full of opportunities and new characters for Marvel Studios.

    Source: Reddit via The Direct

  • Kevin Feige, Edgar Wright, and James Gunn Reached Out to ‘Batgirl’ Directors Over Sudden Cancelation

    Kevin Feige, Edgar Wright, and James Gunn Reached Out to ‘Batgirl’ Directors Over Sudden Cancelation

    It’s been a tough week for Batgirl‘s creative team. Warner Bros. Discovery has pulled a bizarre move by writing the entire film off for taxes, which costs $90M to produce and was nearly finished. Given their work on Bad Boys For Life and Ms. Marvel, it seemed bizarre for many that a film directed by Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah wouldn’t be able to live up to any standards. Still, Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav saw the “right” decision to protect the DC brands.

    What wasn’t the right decision was that the team wasn’t even informed until the news first broke through the New York Post. Even Walter Hamada, the CEO of DC Films, only found out as the decision was already made during a screening of Black Adam without even being consulted. Now, director Adil El Arbi shared an e-mail they received from Marvel Studios director Kevin Feige on the matter painting a very big contrast between the way it’s being handled by executives of different corporations.

    Feige sending out this e-mail is definitely a showcase of a closer relationship with talent over at Marvel Studios, but also simply a showcase of kindness that anyone would need if their passion project is just pulled to save money. The film business has always found a balance between the two sides, but Warner Bros. Discovery current moves are certainly more business than artistic, adding pressure to future talent potentially joining any future project.

    He wasn’t the only one to reach out, as it seems that the Batgirl director’s were also given support by James Gunn and Edgar Wright, who famously lost their own passion projects. While for different reasons, there are always going to be moments where things just don’t come together creatively as intended. But, this case is less a creative difference but a bizarre move by a company to save as little money as possible.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • Michael Rosenbaum Confirms Return as Martinex in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Michael Rosenbaum Confirms Return as Martinex in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    It seems there may be a full-blown Ravager reunion in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It was confirmed in November that Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone would reprise his role as Stakar Ogord, a high-ranking member of the Ravagers and leader of Yondu Udonta’s former squad, from 2017’s Vol. 2, and now it looks like he won’t be alone. Michael Rosenbaum recently took to his Instagram to reveal he would be returning as Martinex, the sparkling Plutonian, in Marvel Studios’ intergalactic threequel.

    The actor shared the news by posting an image of his character from the unreleased trailer that played for fans at San Diego Comic-Con. He captioned the photo, “See a familiar face in the new GOTG trailer?”.

    Rosenbaum is a longtime friend and frequent collaborator of director James Gunn, so it’s not a big surprise that he would appear in the creative’s next project. However, his appearance combined with Stallone’s would indicate at least part of the movie will pay off the Vol. 2 post-credits scene that involved the original Ravagers. When last fans saw the group, they had reunited on Ogord’s ship after years apart, mourning the loss of Michael Rooker’s Yondu and gearing up to “steal some shit”.

    If the whole team is truly back, that would mean Vol. 3 could also see the return of Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord, Ving Rhames as Charlie-27, and Miley Cyrus as Mainframe. This would put Yeoh in the unique position of playing two Marvel Cinematic Universe characters concurrently, after also appearing prominently in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5th, 2023.

    Source: Instagram

  • EXCLUSIVE: Amber Midthunder on ‘Prey’s Impact on Indigenous Representation

    EXCLUSIVE: Amber Midthunder on ‘Prey’s Impact on Indigenous Representation

    The Predator brand is undoubtedly the biggest draw of Prey. One of the great things about the brand is that it can be used to tell all kinds of stories. In Prey, the Predator brand is used to examine the lives of the Comanche nation as they try to live their lives in a world that is changing by the minute. The film’s cast is made up of primarily indigenous talent, making it a huge watershed moment for a Hollywood production.

    Murphy’s Multiverse spoke with star Amber Midthunder and asked what her industry hopes were for the representation in the film.

    That’s the thing about this movie I’m most proud of. I think it’s an obviously entertaining and incredible movie. It’s beautiful and all the things but I’m personally proud of the representation element and what that does. All the projects you mentioned are working together to show that indigenous people, filmmakers, and actors can make shows and films that are entertaining and relatable. We’ve been storytellers for a long time. We have something valuable to add not just in this arena but in any. There’s also the fact that whenever you see a period piece film, I can’t think of one where you get to see native people be people. People that you relate to and are intelligent. People that have a variety of personalities. You often see somebody be really savage or be over-spiritualized or one-dimensional so I’m proud of that as well.

    Prey is the latest in a line of projects with native talent working in front and behind the camera; Reservation Dogs is one of FX’s most acclaimed shows and Marvel Studios is working on Echo, which stars a Cheyenne character. Prey is a hell of a film with a hell of a cast. Should audiences flock to Hulu to watch the greatest Predator film in 30 years starring an indigenous lead, it could mean truly great things for representation.