Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Sylvester Stallone Speaks Out Against ‘Creed’ Spinoff to Double Down on ‘Rocky’ Right Issues

    Sylvester Stallone Speaks Out Against ‘Creed’ Spinoff to Double Down on ‘Rocky’ Right Issues

    The Rocky franchise is growing, and series star Sylvester Stallone isn’t happy about it. It was announced recently that MGM would be developing a spin-off film centered around the infamous Drago family, with Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu reprising their father-son roles as Russian fighters Ivan and Viktor Drago from Rocky IV and Creed 2, respectively. Robert Lawton is set to write the script, with Irwin and David Winkler producing. Stallone, who has been actively involved with the creative process of nearly every Rocky and Creed installment, will seemingly not be part of the project.

    The actor took to his Instagram just days ago to confirm some beef between himself and the Winkler family, calling David Winkler “painfully untalented” and his father Irwin “parasitical”. There is apparently an ongoing dispute between Stallone and the Winklers over the rights to Rocky, with the former claiming that the latter is holding hostage what should be his. The announcement of Drago only further set Stallone off, with the 80s icon returning to his social media for another vicious takedown:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgp9UqLpgAx/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

    Stallone is best remembered as the lead role in the Rocky films, but the creative also wrote every installment and directed all but two of the films. He also helped co-write the first two Creed movies. The upcoming third Creed will be the first without his direct contributions, although his role as producer indicates the project is happening with his blessing.

    Source: Instagram

  • First Set Video of Prime Video’s ‘Fallout’ Series Teases a Familiar Location

    First Set Video of Prime Video’s ‘Fallout’ Series Teases a Familiar Location

    The last time we heard anything of the live-action adaptation of Fallout by Amazon Prime Video was back in June when they added Kyle MacLachlan to the cast. While things have gone silent, it seems that they are already setting up some iconic locations from the gaming series for the adaptation. Now, a new video has surfaced teasing the production getting ready to showcase the post-apocalypse with a rather familiar location.

    The video is quite short and shared by @frankpappalardo on his TikTok account. While it doesn’t reveal much, it does give us our first look at the series take on the iconic Super Duper Mart, we also see that they are definitely sticking to the traditional dusted version of a post-apocalypse.

    @frankpop89

    #frankpop #fallout #series #movieset #SAHD

    ♬ original sound – frankpop89

    It’s great that they are using iconic locations, and it’ll help highlight that this is definitely a Fallout adaptation. The trouble with the amount of post-apocalypse storylines nowadays is that it’s difficult to find a concept that makes you pop. Luckily, the Fallout franchise always had a charm that was uniquely it’s own and perhaps we’ll get more teases of iconic landmarks from the various gaming entries. We still don’t know where in the United States (if at all) that’ll take place. So, future set photos could give us further hints where this entry will take place and if it’s a location familiar to fans of the gaming franchise.

    Source: TikTok

  • ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Star Teases His Take on the Spider-Man Villain

    ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Star Teases His Take on the Spider-Man Villain

    Sony has been pushing forward with its Marvel franchise and is hoping to capitalize on the iconic rogue’s gallery of everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. While we’ve recently focused a lot on Madame Web, Sony’s answer to Doctor Strange, there’s also the live-action adaptation of Kraven the Hunter in the future.

    Taylor Aaron-Johnson will take on the iconic role of Spidey’s most human foes, especially the one with the darkest storyline in Kraven’s Last Hunt. With rumors making the rounds online, the actor got a chance to tease what we can expect from his take on the character in the upcoming Sony game in an interview with ComicBook.com.

    I can’t confirm any details or anything. And also, I guess that was probably a little taken out of context and then run. I mean, I think you know what I meant what really stated was that he was a protector of the natural world I said and he’s a conservationist, which is probably more accurate, and then should have stopped there, full stop, shouldn’t have gone on beyond that because, yeah I think you know you really got to understand, yeah, he is a hunter and from that world of hunting and there’s so many aspects.

    Aaron Taylor-Johnson

    He also shares that there’s something that he found fascinating about the character and promises that this version of the character is definitely “going to be the hunter that we all want to see.”

    What I love about that character is that what is he humanizing is that he has flaws, right? Kraven is a beautiful character. Sergei Kravinov is a beautiful character because it’s someone who’s really understanding themselves and has flaws. This is a character that was built ages ago and it’s in a new time and era, but yeah, is he going to be the hunter that we all want to see? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely

    Aaron Taylor-Johnson

    Many are still a bit confused about what to expect from the character, especially if they will try to humanize him in the upcoming project. The challenge is in how they then set him up as a future villain for whatever version of Spider-Man they plan on including. We’ll have to wait until the film eventually releases and potentially teases further connections.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Michael Mann Offers First Look at ‘Heat 2’, With the Words “Coming Soon”

    Michael Mann Offers First Look at ‘Heat 2’, With the Words “Coming Soon”

    Heat was one of those heist films that left quite an impression. For many, it was quite an iconic entry of the genre that would also set the path for future films trying to imitate it. Though while many were focused on the fact that he has been working on a sequel novel by the name; teasing it also acts as a prequel, he also had recently teased that he’s working on a film based on Heat 2.

    Well, it turns out that he jumped into production quite fast as Mann has shared a new picture on Twitter which seemingly hints that he already started working on filming the sequel. There’s always a chance he is making a trailer for the novel release, but given he teased that the Heat sequel is already underway just last week, it wouldn’t be surprising if he already started work on it.

    The “coming soon” is an interesting surprise and in a sea of legacy sequels performing quite well at the box office, its timing couldn’t be better. Given just how long it’s been since the first film was released–1995 to be exact–there might be a crowd waiting for one of the US’ most iconic criminal dramas.

    There’s no word if Al Pacino or Robert De Niro might return in one capacity or another, but a director like Mann is surely going to get together a very talented group of actors to bring the film back to theaters in style. If Top Gun Maverick is anything to go by, it’ll be interesting to see just how well this legacy sequel might perform.

    Source: Twitter, Playlist

  • UFC Fighter Joins ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    UFC Fighter Joins ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe has scored itself a true contender, as UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has reportedly joined the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The news comes from MMA Fighting, who had the fighter’s casting confirmed to them after UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier let the info slip at Usman‘s recent UFC 277 weigh-in show.

    It’s not currently known who “the Nigerian Nightmare” will be playing in the film, but his appearance will mark the first time Usman works on the silver screen. No matter the capacity of his role, debuting in a Black Panther project should come as a full-circle moment for the champ and his career. Several years ago, Usman uploaded a drawing of himself in full Wakandan gear to his Instagram:

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to follow events in the titular nation following the death of Chadwick Boseman‘s King T’Challa. The former monarch’s family and friends will be challenged by the invading forces of Tenoch Huerta‘s aquatic Namor and his undersea army, as it’s determined who will next take the throne of Wakanda. Ryan Coogler returned to write and direct, with Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, and Letitia Wright all reprising their roles from the first film. Dominique Thorne will also make her debut as the tech prodigy Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart, in the sequel.

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11th, but fans can see Kamaru Usman defend his title against Leon Edwards first on August 20th.

    Source: MMA Fighting

  • ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Director Teases ‘Quantumania’s Will “Do Some Things Differently”

    ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Director Teases ‘Quantumania’s Will “Do Some Things Differently”

    It’s crazy to think that we’re about to get the third entry in the Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise. Not only did it go through quite a few changes, but San Diego Comic-Con highlighted how this film will be the one to tease the true Kang the Conqueror’s arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will be the one to build up where the entire arc is heading; ironic how the introduction of the Quantum Realm did the same for Avengers: Endgame.

    In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he did hint that the threequel will potentially head into some new territory, especially in regard to the size of this franchise. Up until now, it was on the smaller side for the MCU and it seems they wanted to go big with the third entry.

    Well, I think we were thrilled to get to do a third Ant-Man movie and do a trilogy. And we knew if we were gonna do that we wanted to do some things differently. We really wanted to take a hard left turn and make a movie that was even more epic, but still progress the story of these family dynamics.

    Peyton Reed

    He also teases what we can expect from our favorite characters, who are facing some new challenges as a result of Lang’s absence during the five years leading into Endgame.

    And everything that’s going on between Scott and Hope and Cassie… Cassie, who’s now 18 years old, and maybe Scott doesn’t quite know how to relate to her as an adult, because he lost those five years from the events of Endgame

    Peyton Reed

    It definitely will shake up the dynamic, but it’s great they want to keep the “family” at the heart of the story. No matter what realm they entered, it still was about the familial relationships everyone shared throughout. So, it just wouldn’t be the same without it, especially going into a story that will be much grander in scale.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Secret Invasion’ Actor Hints at New Writer for Reshoots

    ‘Secret Invasion’ Actor Hints at New Writer for Reshoots

    Reshoots aren’t uncommon for Marvel Studios, and it’s no surprise that their latest Disney+ series Secret Invasion is doing the same. Yet, a new statement by actor Christopher McDonald, who joined the series some time ago, revealed that the production may have added an additional writer to the project. While he doesn’t name anyone specifically or how he got involved, but it does seem like they are getting ready to add some new elements to the reshoots.

    His statement in the interview with Awards Focus not only highlights that he’s quite “amped” about the series and teases that they may be adding some more depth with the reshoots. Perhaps they are also using this opportunity to mix things up, as you never know who to trust in a Skrull invasion.

    The director Ali Selim is fantastic, and it’s a delight to play this storyline because it’s really, really good. We’re actually heading back to London on Tuesday to do additional scenes. They’re doing reshoots in a way that’s making the story better. Apparently, there’s a new writer in there. He’s amped it up, and the series is going so much deeper than before.

    Christopher McDonald

    It’s certainly interesting but not unheard of that they have a new writer join the project. Of course, this doesn’t mean that anyone is leaving the project without any actual confirmation. Rather, it may be that scheduling conflicts kept a writer from joining production; let’s not forget COVID is still a thing. In a way, they may have needed someone to join in to help out with the reshoots, but also add some new perspectives potentially to keep everyone guessing which direction the Skrulls invasion is truly going.

    Source: Awards Focus

  • Venom Heading to Disney+ Brazil in August

    Sony’s Disney+ expansion continues as it looks like Disney+ Brazil is going to add the Spider-Man spinoff Venom to the service on August 5th. We’ve seen quite a few key markets add Spider-Man-related projects throughout July and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down anytime soon. So, if you live in Brazil and have been looking forward to seeing the film again the chance will be here soon.

    August is going to be quite stuffed for Disney+, as we not only have one but two Marvel TV series premiering–though one is a small animated project filled with Groot adorableness–and a new Star Wars series focused on Cassian Andor. The third season of High School Musical: The Series: The Musical is also releasing episodes, which has been one o the few shows still around since the streaming service premiered.

    Venom is already slowly starting work on its third entry into the franchise. It’s still crazy to think that the franchise is technically connected with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Spider-Man: No Way Home revealed that he ended up in the Marvel-owned franchise before being booted right out of it again. Who knows if he might get another chance to battle Spidey in another visit to the MCU in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Sony is still moving forward with its Spider-Man franchise without the wallcrawler actually ever showing up, but there’s a chance that Madame Web could potentially be the one to set up his introduction. Though, there’s a chance that a multiversal storyline is what connects every project moving forward. No matter what, Disney+ is getting its hands on some fun projects and expanding its filmography.

    Source: Disney Plus Brasil

  • ‘Koala Man’ Executive Producers Preview Upcoming Series

    ‘Koala Man’ Executive Producers Preview Upcoming Series

    Hulu will be the home to the latest creation from the mind of animator Michael Cusack, a rising star within the field based on the cult followings from various recent projects. Koala Man follows middle-aged dad Kevin and his not-so-secret identity, whose only superpower is a burning passion for following the rules and snuffing out petty crime in the town of Dapto. During the past weekend’s San Diego Comic Con events, Murphy’s Multiverse had the opportunity to sit down with Cusack, alongside executive producers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez to discuss the upcoming series.

    Michael Cusack and Benji Samit discussed how this project serves as a major step towards creating a project appealing to a more general audience, but also maintaining the goal of keeping the content of the show generally in line with the content of Cusack’s previous work.

    Koala Man is the experiment in doing something more mainstream, more for a broad audience. But still trying to keep that edge that I had on YouTube and with other projects. But seeing how to marry that with something that’s a bit more serialized.

    Michael Cusack

    I sort of took it as a mission to take Michael (Cusack)’s Youtube, AdultSwim energy…which is also funny and good, but bringing it to a half-hour family sitcom adventure, superhero thing. To bring in a bigger audience and widen it, but also not lose sight on what makes Michael uniquely Michael.

    Benji Samit

    One element of this series that stood out during the interview was the creative team discovering a surprisingly emotional core to the show that has helped define Koala Man as a truly distinct entity in the universe of Michael Cusack projects and adult animation at large. Executive Producers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez both discussed this topic.

    We’re also really proud that the show is weirdly very optimistic and very emotional…Koala Man really loves his family, and really loves his town, and really cares about other people in a kinda earnest, almost naive kind of way sometimes. I think there is a sweetness to the show that is a little bit unexpected in the adult animated space.

    Benji Samit

    One of the cool things with the show is that it kinda sneaks up on you that it’s a superhero adventure. And that by the end of the season, you’re like ‘I’m really invested in the story of what’s happening and I really didn’t expect that’. And that was intentional on our part. That was something that we really spent a lot of time talking about. I think a lot of the time, the more seriously that you take something, the more funny it is and that it can actually offer it at the same time. And I think that this has been a real experiment in that. So at least for me, when I watch the finale, I’m emotionally moved.

    Dan Hernandez

    Koala Man is produced by 20th Television Animation and will be released on Hulu. The main cast consists of Michael Cusack, Hugh Jackman, Rachel House, Jarrad Wright, Claudia O’Doherty, Michelle Brasier, and Natalie Tran. And this past Thursday’s San Diego Comic-Con panel confirmed the additions of Sarah Snook and Demi Lardner to the principal cast. 

    This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.

  • ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ Fetches $2M+ at Thursday Box Office

    ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ Fetches $2M+ at Thursday Box Office

    DC League of Super-Pets is off to a decent start. The animated flick pulled in $2.2 million in Thursday night previews from 3,200 theaters. Industry estimates have had the film eyeing a $25-$30 million opening this weekend when it opens across 4,300 theaters. That would prove to be a strong opening for the film, it would also be ahead of 2018’s Teen Titans GO! To the Movies which only opened to $10.4 million.

    Of course, DC League of Super Pets will have some stiff competition going into the weekend. While it is expected the film will dethrone Nope from the top spot at the box office, Top Gun: Maverick is still performing well and Minions: The Rise of Gru is still doing decent business at the box office. In fact, The Rise of Gru recently passed the $300 million mark at the domestic box office – an impressive feat, especially given it is an animated flick released during the pandemic.

    The film, which was reportedly produced for $89 million, follows Krypto the Super-Dog, Superman’s dog who is voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is tasked with rescuing his owner, along with Kevin Hart’s Ace. While reviews have been mixed and the film is currently sitting on a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, that likely will not hinder the film’s box office potential, especially with Johnson and Hart attached. 

    Nope, which topped the box office with $44 million last weekend, is expected to pull in between $17-$18 million in its second weekend. Of course, as word of mouth continues to grow for Jordan Peele’s third feature film, it’s possible those numbers could go higher. Should that be the cast, Nope could stop League of Super-Pets before it truly gets a chance to take off at the box office.

    DC League of Super-Pets is now playing in theaters.

    Source: Deadline