Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Now Tops Paramount’s All-Time Box Office List

    ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Now Tops Paramount’s All-Time Box Office List

    As of Tuesday evening, Top Gun: Maverick has passed $600 million at the domestic box office. The film is currently sitting at $601.9 million domestically and $595.6 million internationally. That brings the film to a stunning total of $1.2 billion globally.

    Reaching $600 million at the domestic box office is an impressive feat, even without an ongoing pandemic. As it stands, Top Gun: Maverick ranks as the 12th in all-time North American ticket sales, behind Incredibles 2 ($608 million) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($620 million). It’s more than likely the film will surpass Incredibles 2 shortly, as the film continues to perform well for Paramount despite its competition at the box office. It is also entirely possibly the film will surpass Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Avengers ($623 million) when all is said and done.

    Along with crossing $600 million, Top Gun: Maverick has become Paramount’s highest earner at the North American box office to date, surpassing Titanic’s $600.7 million domestic haul – that total, of course, does not include the money earned from the film’s various re-releases, which have since brought it to $659 million. 

    “For 110 years, Paramount Pictures has produced and distributed some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history, including the all-time classic ‘Titanic,’ which marks its 25th anniversary this year,” Brian Robbins, Paramount’s president and CEO said in a statement to the press. “‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a phenomenal motion picture, and we take deep pride in celebrating this tremendous achievement alongside Tom Cruise, our filmmakers and cast, our marketing and distribution teams, and, of course, all the new and original ‘Top Gun’ fans, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible.”

    Top Gun: Maverick has become a box office phenomenon since its release over Memorial Day weekend. Even now, nearly two months after release, the Tom Cruise-led flick remains in the top three releases, having pulled in another $15.5 million from this past weekend. With no signs of stopping, Maverick seems likely to continue smashing records before its run is complete.

    Source: Variety. 

  • First Look at Sylvie from the Set of ‘Loki’ Season 2

    First Look at Sylvie from the Set of ‘Loki’ Season 2

    When we last saw Sylvie in the season finale of Loki, she had just unleashed all manor of chaos by killing He Who Remains. By killing He Who Remains, the Laufeydottir allowed for uncontrolled expansion of the multiverse and for the possibility of Kang the Conquerer to come into power. Struck with the implications of what she’d done, Sylvie fell to the floor of the Citadel at the End of Time.

    With Season 2 of Loki now underway and set pics from the UK leaking out, it was only a matter of time before fans got a glimpse of what Sylvie has gotten up to since killing He Who Remains and, just as you’d expect, she went to McDonald’s. Set photos have hit Twitter that show Sophia Di Martino accompanied by Tom Hiddleston’s Loki leaving a McDonald’s in what appears to be the 1970s.

    Without context, the most interesting thing about the photos is certainly that Sylvie’s lunch seems to be in an era-accurate non-biodegradable container. This is the second set of set photos that seem to be set in the 70s, raising the question of what is so central to that decade that it will be the setting of at least one episode of the second season.

    Loki Season 2 is expected to hit Disney Plus sometime in 2023.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Director Expected the Reaction to the Disney+ Series’ VFX

    ‘She-Hulk’ Director Expected the Reaction to the Disney+ Series’ VFX

    There have recently been some statements from employees working on Marvel Studios’ projects highlighting they let the industry. There always has been a certain level of complaint in regards to Marvel’s use of effects work that has become a recurring theme on Twitter for one reason or another. She-Hulk, the first Disney+ series with a fully VFX-created character, has drawn in quite the attention. Director Kat Coiro offered some insight into how they tackled the project and sat down with SFX to discuss the internet’s reaction.

    Surprisingly, she stated that they’ve expected the reaction, especially with how different the character is from Hulk or other CG characters. In the comics, she originally was meant to not just be a bulky version of Jennifer Walters, but rather highlight a different aspect of the character. It’s something that they wanted to highlight with her design.

    It really is taking the design and asking, ‘Are we getting those facial expressions and those nuances of reaction I think a lot of the reactions have to do with the fact that she is so different than anything we’ve seen. When you think of Thanos or Hulk, they have a grisliness and a harshness and a bulkiness to them that is just so different. And when you just see a little pop of her, it’s almost shocking because we haven’t seen it before.

    Kat Coiro

    Coiro reveals that she worked quite closely with Victoria Alonso, who is Marvel Studios’ President of Physical, Post Production, VFX, and Animation at Marvel Studios to bring She-Hulk to life. She highlights how they approached the character and ensured that they keep the emotional reaction and the actor’s performance alive through the effects work.

    She has such an incredible eye, and to me a lot of that eye comes from this very emotional gut reaction that she has, which is backed by decades of technical expertise,” she explains. What I think is so cool is she keeps this real emotional reaction to the VFX. Watching her work has taught me so much about why something works and why it doesn’t; why does it go into uncanny valley? And it always comes back to the actor’s performance and capturing that.

    Kat Coiro

    We haven’t gotten a new trailer since the initial release, which has been curious considering it’s set to premiere next month. While some still want the series to be postponed for them to continue working on the effects, we’ll have to wait and see how far they’ve gotten with the effects work. Corridor Digital, a YouTube channel of experts that famously analyzes VFX in the industry, has highlighted that the effects work isn’t getting the recognition it would deserve as well as how YouTube played a big factor in downgrading its quality.

    You can check out their video on She-Hulk here:

    Source: SFX, YouTube

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Costume Designer Hints at Dormammu and Clea Connection

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Costume Designer Hints at Dormammu and Clea Connection

    Dormammu may have been defeated by the end of Doctor Strange, but his presence is still looming large over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The feared ruler of the Dark Dimension did not appear in this year’s magic sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the film’s mid-credits scene included the surprise reveal that his niece, Charlize Theron‘s Clea, would play a big role in the future of the franchise. Not to be outdone by the many wacky elements in the film, Clea makes her grand debut memorable by popping up out of nowhere in quite the extravagant ensemble.

    During a recent interview with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast, Marvel Studios costume designer Graham Churchyard explained that, despite his absence from the movie, Clea’s dread uncle was actually a huge inspiration behind her over-the-top look. After all, the two are related, and if her backstory is anything like the comics, most of her fashion sense comes from a lifetime in the murky depths of the multiverse’s spookiest dimension. Yet, according to Churchyard, the original designs for Clea had her fitted in less aggressive attire:

    Well, that was Ian Joyner and John Staub and all those amazing guys at Vis Dev, with all those illustrations. And we made that whole costume in London, but we never met her, so that was quite traumatic in itself. And then I sent that out to LA and did a couple of Zoom fittings with her and then resolved a few things with the whole amazing costume team at the Marvel warehouse, and then two or three fittings later, that was it. She was on set. But the inspiration, oh my God, that would take another whole interview by itself because that went from someone who was sort of a gardener in the dream scape in the multiverse, to then this sort of warrior, a warrior from another dimension. And she is Dormammu’s kind of daughter, niece from the Dark Dimension. So all of those things were immensely inspiring to her costume.

    Graham Churchyard

    It’s interesting to hear Churchyard mention the word “gardener”. Clea has always been more of a warrior than anything, but the fact Marvel toyed with giving her a more pacifist design could be an indicator of the plans they have for her in future projects. Either way, it’s good to hear that the studio kept her classic familial relations in mind when coming up with her vibe. It’s probably a good sign fans will get to see Theron face down the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest foe somewhere down the line.

    Source: Comic Book

  • ‘Madame Web’ Star Confirms Production Start on Sony’s Latest Marvel Movie

    ‘Madame Web’ Star Confirms Production Start on Sony’s Latest Marvel Movie

    Many are still scratching their head on what exactly a Madame Web film would be about. While the character is a mainstay in the Marvel universe, or rather the Spider-Verse, it does seem strange to focus a story on a character that was mainly there for exposition. Either way, Sony is in full force on the project and according to actress Sydney Sweeney, they may have already started production.

    In an interview with Variety, the actress shared that she has already started working on Madame Web alongside her co-stars, which consists of quite the stack cast. Dakota Johnson will play the titular role, and they are joined by Isabel Merced, Emma Roberts, Tahar Rahim, Celeste O’Connor, just recently Mike Epps, and more.

    Currently I’m filming Madame Web. And I can’t really say anything about my character, but I’m very excited. My first Marvel movie. So it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of training and just prep work to get into it.

    Syney Sweeney

    With even hints that Madame Web may even have Marvel Studios backing it, the project could potentially tie into the multiverse storyline currently being told. It would be quite fun if they end up connecting this to whatever the studio currently has planned, and use it as a gateway to introduce characters they’d otherwise never get around to. Of course, we can only speculate but with Sony’s habits, you never know what a new Spider-Man universe entry might mean moving forward.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘Solo’ Star Alden Ehrenreich

    ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘Solo’ Star Alden Ehrenreich

    Alden Ehrenreich is heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Per Deadline, the actor has joined the cast of Ironheart, which is currently in production in Atlanta. Details surrounding who Ehrenreich might play are currently unknown.

    Ironheart follows Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, a genius college student who goes on to be the first to develop a suit of armor as advanced as Tony Stark. Thorne will make her debut as Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters later this year. 

    Ehrenreich joins a cast that includes Thorne, Anthony Ramos (Hamilton), Manny Montana (Good Girls), and Harper Anthony. Rumors have suggested that Ramos is playing The Hood, which could mean that Ehrenreich is playing Obadiah Stane’s heir, Zeke Stane, who is expected to appear in the series, too.

    Chinaka Hodge serves as the head writer on the Disney+ series, while Sam Bailey (Brown Girl) and Angela Barnes (One Day at a Time) are on board to direct episodes of the show. Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler is on board as a producer as part of his overall deal with Disney. 

    While a release date has not yet been announced for Ironheart, it is thought the series will hit the streaming service sometime next year.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hawkeye’s Hailee Steinfeld to Return in a Future MCU Project

    ‘Hawkeye’s Hailee Steinfeld to Return in a Future MCU Project

    Many have been wondering what the future has in store for some of the characters from the Disney+ show. Moon Knight’s future is still in question with no clear hint at where we can expect Oscar Isaac‘s return. The same goes for the recent introduction of Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop. We’re still waiting for an announcement for a potential season two of Hawkeye, but it seems that We’ll see her in another project.

    According to Variety, Steinfeld is set to return in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe project. They don’t give away any exact information or even if we should expect either a film or Disney+ series, but it does seem they aren’t done yet with Kate Bishop. There’s also the question of if she might be joined by Jeremy Renner‘s Clint Barton, as she is still an archer in training.

    Of course, there are the theories that Marvel Studios is building toward a Young Avengers Disney+ show or film. That would seem like the perfect place to reintroduce her and maybe even as her way to join the cinematic side of Marvel Studios’ offerings. With a big name like Steinfeld, it makes sense they’d want to have her return in one form or another.

    For now, we still have to theorize but San Diego Comic-Con, D23 and Disney+ Day are on the horizon. Perhaps we’ll get some announcements that offer a glimpse into the future of where Marvel Studios is heading, especially with the hope for confirmation on what the Phase 4 endgame is building towards.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘Loki’, ‘Hawkeye’, and ‘What If…?’ Nab Emmy Nominations

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Loki’, ‘Hawkeye’, and ‘What If…?’ Nab Emmy Nominations

    Emmy season has started and while Marvel Studios isn’t topping the board this time around after the success with WandaVision, which did only end up winning a few actual awards, they are still going to be present this year. We already reported on Moon Knight drawing in an impressive eight nominations but that#s not the only series to draw in Emmy’s attention.

    Hawkeye got a bit snubbed this year with only two nominations. They have been nominated for Best Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series as well as Best Stunt Performance. Loki, however, was able to draw in six nominations in total with Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, Best Music Composition, Best Original Main Title Theme Music (well deserved), and Best Sound Editing. What If…? has also received three nominations, which include a posthumous nomination for Chadwick Boseman, Outstanding Animated Program for the Doctor Strange episode, and one for Jeffrey Wright as the Watcher.

    All three shows were quite well received by critics and have left their impression upon the MCU with some unique concepts. Loki stands out for telling a story out of time while Moon Knight was the most standalone since the original Iron Man. In a way, Hawkeye gave us the most grounded of all the Marvel Studios storylines as Clint had to take down a mafia.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous Emmy Nomination for ‘What If…?

    Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous Emmy Nomination for ‘What If…?

    With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the horizon, it’s been on many minds how much the Marvel Cinematic Universe won’t be the same without Chadwick Boseman‘s T’Challa. He’s certainly left a landmark performance and we still got to hear his voice in the animated What If..? series for Disney+ sometime after his passing. Now, the Emmys have revealed their nominations and it turns out that Boseman has received one posthumously for his performance in the Disney+ series.

    He’s not the only one, as Jessica Walter has also been nominated for her work in animation, as she gave a memorable performance in Archer even 12 seasons in. The season bid farewell to the actress who gave us one of the most memorable mothers in animation. She and Boseman are both nominated with this becoming Walter’s sixth overall nomination.

    The nomination for Chadwick Boseman will count as his first, which is fitting timing given how many of the team behind What If…? paid tribute to his work on the series and in the MCU. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has been quite vocal about not recasting the actor in their universe, and it has led to some uproar online but it’s uncertain just how the mantle of Black Panther will be carried on. For now, it’s a nice touch for him to receive this nomination for his hard work on the project.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Nabs 8 Emmy Nominations

    ‘Moon Knight’ Nabs 8 Emmy Nominations

    Emmy nominations are officially out and, while Marvel Studios didn’t see a ton of nominations like last year, Moon Knight did walk away with quite a few. In total, Moon Knight earned 8 nominations, two of which were for the fantastic stunt work done on the limited series.

    Moon Knight was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes, Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series/Movie/Special (Original Dramatic Score), Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series/Movie/Special, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology series or Movie, Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series/Limited or Anthology Series/Movie, and Outstanding Stunt Performance.

    Interestingly, while Variety accidentally tweeted out that leading man Oscar Isaac received a nomination for his work on Moon Knight, it looks like the actor was nominated for another project. Per the Emmy’s website, Isaac was nominated in the Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category for his work in Scenes From a Marriage – not Moon Knight.

    While Moon Knight’s nominations are a far cry from the nominations WandaVision received, it’s still great to see the series acknowledged in some shape or form. All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+. As it stands, a second season has not been officially announced.

    Source: Television Academy.