Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Michelle Yeoh is Joined by ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Co-Star in ‘American Born Chinese’

    Michelle Yeoh is Joined by ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Co-Star in ‘American Born Chinese’

    The cast of the new Disney+ series American Born Chinese continues to grow, as it has now added Stephanie Hsu in a guest-starring role. The series will reunite her with Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who worked on the indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once. The series will adapt the graphic novel of Gene Luen Yang, which explores the struggles of a teenager named Jin Wang (Ben Wang), as he tries to balance being at high school as an immigrant child. His meeting with foreign exchange student Weih-Chen, played by Jim Liu, will change his life as their worlds collide.

    Hsu will take on the role of the Goddess of Stones, Shiji Niangniang. She works in a jewelry shop with her magical doll. Yeoh is playing auntie Guanyin, who is trying to help her nephew navigate American school life, but also hiding the fact that she is the Buddhist bodhisattva of Compassion. Quan is taking on the role of Freddy Wong, who is a fictional character from a 1990s sitcom.

    The project is quite an exciting one, as it further explores some interesting concepts of identity and our place in the world. While it will include some mystical elements, the original graphic novel kept its strong focus on its two leads, as they explore what it’s like having similar backgrounds but different upbringings. It will be exciting to see how they also take elements from the original, as live-action adaptations still try to keep some visual flourishes from the things they are adapting.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Scream 6’ Brings Back Four More Cast Members

    ‘Scream 6’ Brings Back Four More Cast Members

    The sixth installment of the Scream franchise has secured four more cast members.

    It was announced today that Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega will return for the sixth Scream film. The actors will reprise their roles from 2022’s Scream, joining the recently confirmed Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers. As it stands, final girl Sydney, as played by Neve Campbell, is not yet confirmed, although the actress has been approached about the project.

    Scream 6 will see Sam (Barrera), Mindy (Brown), Chad (Gooding) and Tara (Ortega) leaving Woodsboro in an attempt to start a new chapter in their lives. The characters, though new, have ties to some of the most iconic characters in the Screamfranchise. Ortega and Barrera star as sisters in the franchise, but Barrera’s character, Sam, is actually the biological daughter of Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis. While Gooding and Brown play twins in the franchise and are related to Jaime Kennedy’s Randy Meeks.

    The sixth Scream film will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. The project will be produced by Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak. Kevin Williamson, who penned the first Scream film, is also on board as a producer.

    Principal photography on Scream 6 is slated to kick off this summer. The film is set to hit theaters on March 31, 2023.

    Source: Variety.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Included a Kang Reference

    ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Included a Kang Reference

    Loki set up the big bad of the multiversal conflict in He Who Remains, who is actually a Variant of Kang the Conqueror. We did get a good look at a statue of Jonathan Majors wearing the iconic look from the comics. We know he’ll make an appearance in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel but was surprisingly absent in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Though, it seems that he was originally going to be referenced in Moon Knight according to head writer Jeremy Slater.

    There was a line in the script, and I don’t know if it survived. I can’t remember. But there was a line where, I think Steven, is sort of rattling off some Egyptian history that he has locked away in his brain, and he did mention Rama-Tut. I don’t remember if that scene, if that line is still in the show or not. But it was that small, it was him mentioning a list of famous pharaohs or something like that. But that was Nick Pepin, one of our executives at Marvel, that was his idea to sort of slip that in there as a fun Easter egg.

    Jeremy Slater

    There was a visual reference that was still included that seemed like it was taken from the comics, but you don’t get a good enough look at what it is. The fact we may explore Kang’s time as Rama-Tut would be quite interesting, and hopefully, we’ll see a lot more of his many Variants in the future, as He Who Remains was only one of many. For now, we’ll have to wait but Kang’s future role in the MCU is definitely going to be an exciting one.

    Source: The Direct

  • Taika Waititi Praises Russell Crowe’s Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Taika Waititi Praises Russell Crowe’s Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Some time ago, Russell Crowe flat out talked about his role as Zeus in the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Thor: Love and Thunder. While the trailers are still keeping his face a secret, they did tease their take on the Greek’s God of Thunder. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Taika Waititi praised his friend and teased that the film will feature “a way you’ve never seen Russell before.” He goes on to highlight that:

    I consider Russell a friend, and I forget that there are some friends I have who are really incredible at what they do. [laugh] When I was on set with Russell, I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s right! You’re Russell Crowe! You’re a really amazing actor.’

    Taika Waititi

    It’s definitely great to see him enjoy his work with his friends and it definitely was Waititi’s connections that probably convinced Croew to give the film a shot. It’s unclear what exactly his future is going to be in the MCU, especially if he appeared as a god in a film that features Gorr the God Butcher. Though, hopefully, we get to enjoy the confrontation between Thor and Zeus, who both wield lightning and thunder. It wouldn’t be too surprising if they try to one-up each other while they share the screen.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Taika Waititi Describes ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ as a “Midlife Crisis Film”

    Taika Waititi Describes ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ as a “Midlife Crisis Film”

    Thor: Love and Thunder‘s trailer promised a very different kind of film, as Taika Waititi takes Thor down a more personal story. Even as he travels the galaxy with the Guardians, he’s slowly losing his warrior spirit and is trying to take a step back. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director talks about how the film stands out from his last entry, Thor: Ragnarok.

    Ragnarok felt a bit like a party. It was quite festive. This one is still fun, and it’s got moments of being over the top, but thematically, it’s about something a bit deeper than the last film. It’s not a serious film, and it’s not a drama, but we do deal with ideas that I think a lot of humans deal with — universal themes about love and loss and our place in the world. Everyone sort of asks this question in the film: What is your purpose? What is the reason that you’re a hero, and what do you do when you have these powers.

    Taika Waititi

    Waititi goes on to highlight how different his approach was towards Thor: Love and Thunder, as he views it as a “midlife crisis film” for Thor, which was hinted at in the trailer.

    It’s sort of like a midlife crisis film, really. That’s the question we ask everyone: Are we doing the right thing, and are we doing all we can in the world? I think right now, while the world is still healing from this pandemic, it’s a good question to ask. It’s like, well, are we doing enough to look after each other and to look after ourselves.

    Taika Waititi

    It’ll certainly be an interesting idea for a storyline, especially as we already explored PTSD with Iron Man 3. A story about a hero facing his midlife crisis, especially one that also further explores a romantic outing for that hero, could make for a very different style of story. The trailer already hints at it being a very different kind of Marvel film, which continues Phase 4’s re-exploration of its heroes in a post-Endgame world. Here’s hoping the next trailer offers a better look.

    Source: EW

  • ‘West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose Joins ‘Westworld’ Season 4

    ‘West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose Joins ‘Westworld’ Season 4

    Westworld has hit the jackpot, as they have added West Side Story actress and Oscar winner Ariana DeBose in the fourth season. The actress has been on a hot streak after winning a Golden Globa, a SAG Award, and an Oscar for her performance as Anita in the Steven Spielberg remake of the classic musical. So, it’s no wonder that any project is trying to get her to join and it seems Westworld won out.

    Sadly, details on her character remained undisclosed, but she will have a recurring guest star role throughout the series’ upcoming season. The news is also perfectly timed, as we just got the teaser trailer for the fourth season, which is given a vague description as “a dark odyssey about the fate of sentient life on earth.” The trailers highlight just how far the series came from its initial season of a robot-filled Western holiday park.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-0MwZPWKD4&feature=emb_title

    DeBose is a fantastic addition and it’ll be interesting to see how her character plays into the story. She joins an already stacked cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth, and Thandiwe Newton. We’ll see if we get more teases and cast additions as the show continues to build up to its upcoming season’s release.

    Source: THR, YouTube

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Crosses $200 Million Stateside

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Crosses $200 Million Stateside

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continues to dominate at the box office.

    The latest film from Marvel Studios has already crossed $200 million at the domestic box office after earning $13.3 million on Monday. This brings the film to $200.7 million domestically as of yesterday. That’s well ahead of the first film, which finished its domestic run with $232 million in 2017. Multiverse of Madness’ numbers are on par with what Avengers: Age of Ultron did on its first Monday in 2015, which saw the film earn about $13.2 million and pulled that title through to $204.4 million after four days. 

    Going into its second weekend, box office experts are expecting a 60% decline for the film with estimates looking for a 3-day haul of approximately $74 million. With little to no competition, outside of Universal/Blumhouse’s Firestarter remake, the film should be able to retain the top spot at the box office for a second week and perhaps even longer. The biggest competition Multiverse of Madness will face will be over Memorial Day weekend when Top Gun: Maverick flies into theaters with estimates currently seeing the film looking to rake in between $75-$100 million over the course of its opening weekend.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness should cross the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office by the end of the week. And it should easily top its predecessor – which finished with $677 million worldwide – by the end of its theatrical run. How high the film flies, however, remains to be seen. For now, fans can relive the Multiverse of Madness in theaters.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Writer Reveals a Surprising Inspiration for the Illuminati

    ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Writer Reveals a Surprising Inspiration for the Illuminati

    *SPOILER WARNING*

    By now, it’s pretty widely known that the Illuminati appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The superhero team were teased in the final trailers for the film, but the exact part they played in the plot remained a mystery until the full movie hit theaters. When the group was ultimately introduced on screen, audiences were ecstatic. They seemed mighty, confident, and unbeatable. Patrick Stewart made a triumphant return as Charles Xavier; John Krasinski surprised everyone with his debut as Reed Richards; and Anson Mount was finally able to bring Black Bolt to the big screen. Then, after only a few moments of glorious screen time, every single one of them died.

    Screenwriter Michael Waldron recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss some of his choices while developing Multiverse of Madness, and the Illuminati were among the central topics. He revealed the inspiration behind the team’s role in the film, and how their scenes played out, came from another famous sequel released in 1986:

    I was watching Aliens a lot as I was writing. Because just tonally this movie is a thriller and a [feature-length] chase. I just love how Aliens goes to great lengths to tell you how badass the space Marines are – and then they just get slaughtered. Then you are really scared of the Xenomorphs for the rest of that movie, and that’s what I wanted to accomplish with Wanda. At the end of the Illuminati sequence, I hope you were truly terrified of the Scarlet Witch. It’s been awesome being in the theater hearing the cheers, then the gasps and the groans. [Laughs] I mean, you know, people were feeling something at the movies. That’s good!

    Michael Waldron

    The tactic was definitely successful, with Wanda’s single-handed killing of Earth-838’s Mightiest Heroes instantly solidifying her as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest threats. Head to the theater now and relive one of the most talked-about moments in Marvel movie history, and bring a friend to see if Waldron‘s writing strategy works just as well on them.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • May Calamawy on Her Dream MCU Team-Up

    May Calamawy on Her Dream MCU Team-Up

    With the final episode of Moon Knight, May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Egyptian superhero: Scarlet Scarab. Since the character’s debut, fans have been wondering what future awaits the Scarlet Scarab, and whether or not we’ll get to see her sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen what plans Marvel Studios has in store for the character, but Calamawy has some ideas of where she’d like to take the character.

    In an interview with Inverse, the actress revealed that, while she has yet to hear of the character’s on-screen future, she has ideas of characters she’d like her to meet. “I love Dr. Strange, that would be cool,” she said. “Blade would be cool because I’ve worked with Mahershala Ali and I think he’s so wonderful. And then, I love all the women. I love Agatha. I feel like in the beginning, I used to love anyone that was kind of a villain like Nebula. I found them so complex. But honestly, it really depends on the story. I kind of want to be with all of them.”

    For Calamawy, while she doesn’t know if Layla will get to join any of those heroes on the big screen, she is thrilled just to be able to portray the Egyptian hero. While she knows the hero might not be as important to everyone, Calamawy hopes fans can at least recognize what Layla stands for. “To really step into what’s true for me has taken a lot of courage. And, I know not everyone is going to look at Layla and go, I relate to that woman, but what I hope is that she becomes a testament of being true to you. Because that’s going to always be every single person’s superpower.”

    All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Inverse.

  • London Thor, More Join Cast of ‘The Boys’ Spin-off

    London Thor, More Join Cast of ‘The Boys’ Spin-off

    In the time since the the first spin-off for The Boys was announced, a second, animated anthology spin-off, Diabolical, was put into production and released, featuring an all-star team of talent. The original spin-off is still forthcoming, but creative issues have slowed down its arrival, including the studio moving on from original showrunner Craig Rosenberg, and replacing him with Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas.

    Along with the exit of Rosenberg, the project saw a few previously announced actors who were attached to the project depart. Some left due to scheduling issues while others had their roles completely reworked and just didn’t fit the type any longer. Reina Hardesty was one of the most recent departures, choosing to move on after her role was reworked. Deadline has announced that London Thor will be replacing Reina as one of the leads in the spin-off.

    In addition to Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, and Shelly Conn are also joining the project as series regulars. As of right now Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway and Maddie Phillips remain attached as initially announced members of the cast.

    The casting news means the series is getting closer to heading into production, but at the moment there’s still no timeframe for its release. Fortunately, the third season of The Boys is set to hit Amazon Prime with a three-episode premiere on June 8th.

    SOURCE: Deadline