Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • The Morning After Huddle: August 2, 2022

    Morning, teammates! It was definitely a manic Monday as Judge Sue Robinson released her recommendations for the suspension of one Derrick Deshaun Watson.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • Though clearly disturbed by the evidence presented to her, six games is what Judge Robinson ruled in response to Deshaun Watson’s violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Her ruling hinges largely on the fact that the current PCP does not give credence to her to rule beyond her recommendations. Watson and his camp are not expected to appeal and are standing by the decision. The Browns released a statement relaying much of the same info. The assumption is that the NFL will likely appeal. (I have thoughts, but for the sake of today and the pending appeal, I’m going to hold my thoughts – if you’re even remotely curious about how I might respond, you can read my previous piece: Deshaun Watson: What It All Means)
    • Keeping with quarterback news, Joe Burrow returned to Training Camp today after being out for an emergency appendectomy. Hopping over to Arizona, Kyler Murray has tested positive for Covid 19 and will be out for at least 5 days. That’s quite the week for Kyler. (At least the Cardinals can feel confident he has plenty of time to study film during his time away. Too soon?)
    • Finally, your Key Signings Roundup:

    Thanks for catching up on all things NFL with us. We’re back tomorrow with more things you want to know. 

    ICYMI: Monday – August 1, 2022 Edition

  • James Gunn On Where’The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Falls Among MCU’s Phases

    James Gunn On Where’The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Falls Among MCU’s Phases

    Coming out of Marvel Studios’ marquee panel at San Diego Comic-Con over a week ago, one of the major talking points was the confirmation of the full line-ups of both Phase Four and Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, one project which was curiously omitted from either lineup was the previously announced The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special . Despite Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 holding a major presence at the event, no update on the holiday special was provided. 

    Director James Gunn took to Twitter to give some updates on the special, including its placement in the MCU timeline. Gunn officially referred to the upcoming holiday special as the “epilogue” to Phase Four.

    This bit of news seems obvious on a surface level with the special debuting in the limbo period between Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (the end of Phase Four) and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (the start of Phase Five). Even still, it will be interesting to follow how Marvel Studios officially notates the holiday special. If it never receives an “official” placement in an MCU phase, it could be an omen that these one-off specials aren’t as distinctly canonically tied to the ongoing Multiverse Saga. In theory, this would be in line with how the Marvel Studios Animation wing has seemingly been sectioned off from the ongoing narratives of the live action MCU projects.

    However, there is still the possibility that Marvel Studios distinctly withheld The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special from San Diego Comic-Con to instead spend time discussing the project at the D23 festivities in September. This could pair well with the assumed official reveal of Marvel Studios’ Halloween-based special coming later this year. Ultimately though, this subject is likely a continued indicator of the general banality of phase delineation and that people generally overthink the distinct meanings of them beginning and ending.

  • Colin Farrell Talks ‘Penguin’ Series, ‘The Batman 2’

    Colin Farrell Talks ‘Penguin’ Series, ‘The Batman 2’

    In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Colin Farrell briefly talked about the forthcoming Penguin series he’s attached to star in for HBO Max. Earlier this year, reports suggested the spinoff series would kick off production in June. That, of course, did not occur. Now, with Farrell beginning work on the Apple TV+ series, Sugar, Farrell is hoping to film The Penguin soon. As he told Entertainment Tonight, The Penguin should start filming come the new year.

    And Farrell is more than ready to don the Penguin prosthetics once again when it comes to The Batman 2. When asked if he’d be up for returning for the sequel, Farrell was more than enthused at the possibility of returning. “Oh my god, you kidding me?” He teased. “It’s so much fun, are you joking [with] me? I’ve been around the block man. That was an easy sport, I mean…it was a joy.”

    Matt Reeves, who directed and co-wrote The Batman, is also working on The Penguin. While he will not be directing episodes of the series, Farrell did tease Reeves is all over the series. Per Farrell, Reeves is helping to structure the scripts and help select the director(s) for the project. “He’s so obsessive about what he does, but he’s all over The Penguin as well. I mean, he’s not gonna direct it but he’s all over the structure of the scripts and who’s gonna direct them. And so, it’s exciting.”

    News of The Penguin series first surfaced in September 2021. It wouldn’t be until March 2022 that the project was confirmed to be in development by the folks at DC. Agents of SHIELD veteran Lauren LeFranc serves as the showrunner on the series. As of now, it does not have a release date.

    Source: Entertainment Tonight via Variety.

  • Zombie Apocalypse ‘As We Know It’ Finds its Cast

    Zombie Apocalypse ‘As We Know It’ Finds its Cast

    It looks like an upcoming horror comedy As We Know It has found its cast, as it has added quite a few comedic veterans to headline the project. Oliver Cooper, known for his work on Project X, 30 Rock‘s Chris Parnell, and Jackie Brown‘s Pam Grier have joined the project to face a late 90s nuclear zombie apocalypse. The story follows the story of James Bishop who is facing a breakup and is trying to finish his book before the apocalypse arrives.

    They aren’t alone, as they also added Mike Castle and Taylor Blackwell, alongside a TikToker by the name of Danny Mondello. In the directing chair is Josh Monkarsh and the production has already started production during the end of July. It’s going to wrap up in early August and is based on a script by Monkarsh, who co-wrote it alongside Christopher Francis and Brandon DePaolo. It does sound like it could be a fun time and it’s not the first horror comedy to take a look at the apocalypse through the lens of comedians.

    Unlike Seth Rogen‘s This Is The End though, the actors aren’t playing themselves but they are sticking to a fictional storyline. Still, the cast does sound promising and it’ll be interesting to see how it comes together. Comedy is subjective and they may add their own spin fo the concept. There’s no word if this will also be a mostly adult comedy, as zombies aren’t strangers to more PG-13 fare as well but with the popularity of R-rated comedies it would seem strange they’d not stick to it with the base concept.

    Source: Variety

  • Dolph Lundgren Sets the Record Straight on ‘Creed’ Spinoff

    Dolph Lundgren Sets the Record Straight on ‘Creed’ Spinoff

    You’d think the announcement of a Drago spinoff focusing on the father-son duo by the same name spinning out of Creed would mostly have a positive place in media coverage. Yet, it seems that it hit quite a soft spot with Rocke himself, Sylvester Stallone who publicly spoke out against the franchise’s producers due to a rights ownership discrepancy. Now, Dolph Lundgren has “set the record straight” in regards to what exactly is going on and that he’s also in touch with Stallone in an interview with Variety.

    Just to set the record straight regarding a possible ‘Drago’ spinoff. There’s no approved script, no deals in place, no director and I was personally under the impression that my friend Sly Stallone was involved as a producer or even as an actor. There was a press leak last week which was unfortunate. In touch with Mr. Balboa – just so all the fans can relax…There ya go.

    Dolph Lundgren

    So, it does seem it’s in very early stages and it may not happen given the circumstances; at least not with the returning cast. Plot details remain uncertain and if there’s no approved script, it might be in a very early stage of development. So, we’ll have to see how or when this project even comes together. It’s good to see that Lundgren is in touch with Stallone and offers some insights, as the former Rocky star has pointed to the producers of the franchise as “parasites” in a recent Instagram post. He’s actively condemned the Winkler family in the past and it’s interesting

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Adds Valorie Curry, Susan Heyward, Ups Cameron Crovetti

    ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Adds Valorie Curry, Susan Heyward, Ups Cameron Crovetti

    The fourth season of The Boys has added a couple of new faces to its cast, while also upping another actor’s role in the series. The Emmy-nominated series has upped Cameron Crovetti, who plays Homelander’s son Ryan, to a season regular for Season 4. While Valorie Curry and Susan Heyward have joined the series as Firecracker and Sister Sage, respectively. Both will be series regulars in the upcoming season.

    Curry has starred in The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn, as well as shows like The Tick, The Following, Veronica Mars and House of Lies. While Heyward has starred in shows like Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, and the short-lived Playstation live-action take on Powers based on the graphic novels by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.

    The Boys is based on the bestselling comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The TV series hails from Eric Kripke who works as a showrunner, writer and executive producer on the series. He produces the hit series alongside Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver. Season 4 of The Boys does not yet have a release date, although production is expected to begin soon.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Amazon Sets Release Dates for its Film Slate

    Amazon Sets Release Dates for its Film Slate

    Amazon’s Prime Video has unveiled a slew of release dates for some of its biggest movie titles, including the Harry Styles-led My Policeman. Deadline was able to exclusively reveal the release dates, as well as a mini synopsis for each project. According to the outlet, a fair amount of the films will see their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival, like My Policeman and Lena Durham‘s Catherine Called Birdy. While a couple of the films have already debuted at Sundance, including Nanny from Nikyatu Jusu and Run Sweetheart Run from Shana Feste.

    My Policeman, starring Styles, will hit theaters on October 21st and then move to Prime Video on November 4th. My Policeman is a tale of forbidden romance and changing social conventions. It follows a relationship between three people – Tom, the policeman, a teacher named Marion, and museum curator Patrick – and their journey throughout the decades. It was directed by Michael Grandage from a script by Ron Nyswaner and is based on the book by Bethan Roberts.

    While Sylvester Stallone‘s Samaritan will debut on Prime Video on August 26th. The film focuses on a thirteen-year-old boy named Sam Cleary, played by Javon Walton, who suspects that his reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith (Stallone) is a “legend hiding in plain sight.” That legend would be none other than the super-powered vigilante, Samaritan, who was thought to be dead after a firey warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis. However, Cleary has a plan to coax his neighbor to reveal his true identity. The film hails from director Julius Avery and also stars Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco and Moises Arias.

    Something from Tiffany’s, a film we previously announced was happening here on Murphy’s Multiverse, will debut on Prime Video on December 9th. It stars Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Smith Sampson, Ray Nicholson, Shay Mitchell, Leah Jeffries, Jojo T. Gibbs, Javicia Leslie, Chido Nwokocha, Stephanie Shepherd and Michael Roark. The project is an adaption of the Melissa Hill novel of the same name. It tells the story of two men who find themselves shopping at Tiffany’s for the women in their lives. Gary, one of the men, is merely looking for a charm bracelet, while Ethan is looking to purchase an engagement ring. When a mix-up is made with the shopping bags, the two couples will find their lives intertwined.

    Other release dates include Nanny on December 16th, following a limited theatrical run kicking off on November 23rd, Run Sweetheart Run on October 28th, and Catherine Called Birdy will hit theaters on September 23rd before moving to Prime on October 7th.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Milo Manheim Joins the Paramount+ Adaptation of ‘School Spirits’

    Milo Manheim Joins the Paramount+ Adaptation of ‘School Spirits’

    Milo Manheim is set to join Peyton List in the Paramount+ adaptation of School Spirits. The young adult drama is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Nate & Megan Trinrud and Maria Nguyen. It is being produced by Awesomeness Studios.

    School Spirits (working title) will follow List’s character as she finds herself stuck in the afterlife and goes on to investigate her mysterious disappearance, alongside a group of other students that are also stuck in limbo from her school. The book is being published next year through Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books. The series hails from Oliver Goldstick, who worked on Netflix’s Bridgerton. Goldstick will serve as the showrunner as well as an executive producer along with Nate and Megan Trinrud, who actually penned the pilot script. Max Winkler, who has helmed episodes of American Horror Stories and New Girl, is directing the pilot episode.

    While List is playing the lead character, Manheim will play Wally, who is described as a “lovable ghost from the 1980s who in his glory days was a star high school football player.” The young actor is perhaps best known for his work on Disney’s hit Zombies films, which recently released its third installment on Disney+. Prior to starring in the Zombies films, he also appeared in The Conners and American Housewife. As for List, she’s best known these days for starring in Netflix’s Cobra Kai as Tory Nichols.

    Source: Deadline.

  • The CW’s ‘The Flash’ Will End with Season 9

    The CW’s ‘The Flash’ Will End with Season 9

    In not-so-surprising news, the CW has confirmed that The Flash will end with its upcoming ninth season.

    Eric Wallace, who took over as showrunner on The Flash with Season 6, confirmed the show’s end in a statement to the press. He thanked the cast, writers, producers and crew throughout the years for all of their hard work, while celebrating Barry’s long-running story on the small screen. “Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor and spectacle. And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race,” Wallace said. “So many amazing people have given their talents, time and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world.”

    Speculation that The Flash would be canceled began earlier this year when it was revealed that leading man Grant Gustin was renegotiating a deal for just one more season. News that was later followed by the revelation that Candice Patton was also looking to sign on for just one more season, too. Of course, news that the CW would also be going up for sale didn’t help to stop speculation. After news of the potential sale hit, the CW began canceling shows left and right, including Legends of Tomorrow and Batgirl. Thankfully, unlike those two shows, fans of The Flash will get a chance to see storylines receive a proper ending.

    While its views continued to drop throughout the years, The Flash still remained one of the CW’s most-watched shows in its eighth season, averaging around 1 million viewers and ranking among its most-streamed series on digital platforms. In its absence, it’ll leave behind Superman & Lois, Gotham Knights, and Stargirl, three DC Comics projects that are separate from the former Arrowverse that once ruled the network.

    The Flash‘s ninth – and final – season will conclude with a 13-episode run next year as part of The CW’s midseason roster. Production on Season 9 will kick off sometime next month.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Prey’ Share One of Their Worst Experiences on Set

    ‘Prey’ Share One of Their Worst Experiences on Set

    Producing a film is never easy, especially something like Prey which takes you out of the modern world into a time that had its own unique challenges. Survival is essential and if you’re being haunted by the Predator, you will use every chance you have at your disposal. During the official press conference for Prey, the cast and director bonded over what may be one of their worst experiences, filming in a stinking mud pit.

    While discussing the tribulations of filming during COVID, director Dan Trachtenberg brought up how unexpected the “smell fo that mud pit” was that they used during filming. Main actress Amber Midthunder highlighted how “that smell is in my nose forever” before thanking the director. He surprisingly shared that it seemingly didn’t smell at first but something about it interacting with human

    Yeah, the haunting thing about that is that it didn’t smell at all before anyone got in it. And then as soon as human flesh entered that zone, suddenly, some chemical reaction happened and it was horrifying.

    Dan Trachtenberg

    Midthunder jokingly points out that it wasn’t because of her as she “was not the first one in there.” It’s definitely always interesting to find out what actors and the team on set have to go through when filming sequences, especially something involving something that seems simple like a mud pit. It also sounds like they made the best of it to ensure we get an iconic sequence featuring it as Midthunder‘s Naru faces off against an unlikely foe.