Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Disney+’s Website May Hint at Star Heading to the US

    Disney+’s Website May Hint at Star Heading to the US

    Disney+ has entered the competitive streaming market as the “family-friendly” offering filled to the brim with iconic IPs from the Disney library. Purchasing 20th Century Fox helped them expand it, but the limitations were starting to show themselves. Netflix and Amazon don’t have that restriction and can reach a wider audience as a result. We’ve seen Disney start to break away from its initial focus with some of its Hulu offerings, Black-ish, Grown–ish, The Wonder Years, and the Korean original series Snowdrop, heading to its service. Yet, there’s a chance they might be considering adding the Star branding to their US market.

    As noticed initially by What’s on DisneyPlus, the US home page featuring the bundle offerings of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ include a visual highlighting its offerings from the streaming service. Yet, what stands out is that the Star logo has also been included. There’s a chance that the service might be moving away from being split up into three but rather meld it into the Disney+ branding.

    Of course, the oddity of the Star branding being included lies in the fact that Hulu mainly takes over that function in the US. It’s unclear if they might test the waters with its inclusion, especially with a lot of confusion with what shows are being offered to the US or Europe. Star was launched last year for European markets and some Hulu series, such as the upcoming The Kardashians series, getting Disney+ branding but only for the European markets. The image has been taken down since but it’s inclusion is still curious if it’s nothing more than just an odd mistake.

    There have been hints that they are trying to include more products into their flagship streaming service, and it does open up the question of how far they might go with the new plans. Hulu now offers ways to directly access ESPN+ – another separate streaming service. They’ve also been testing live-streaming options which add to the possibility of Disney trying to diversify themselves from other streaming services more and more. We’ll have to wait but we might not find out until the next Investor’s Day presentation or even Disney+ day later this year.

    Source: Disney+ via What’s on DisneyPlus, Verge, The Direct

  • Batman and Cyborg Were Cut From ‘Peacemaker’s Justice League Cameo

    Batman and Cyborg Were Cut From ‘Peacemaker’s Justice League Cameo

    The Peacemaker finale was filled to the brim with surprises for fans. The one that stood out to many was the surprise appearance of a few Justice League members. Towards the end of the episode, we saw Superman, Aquaman, Flash, and Wonder Woman arrive just as the battle with the butterflies had come to an end. It looks like Jason Momoa was the only one actually on set, while Ezra Miller filmed his scenes on the set of Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3. It turned out Wonder Woman and Superman were played by doubles, explaining they were hidden in the shadows. Turns out, there were a couple of other surprises that sadly got cut.

    A double, who worked on the Peacemaker finale, confirmed via a behind-the-scenes photo from his trailer that Batman and Cyborg were indeed set to make a brief appearance in the finale. He even shared an image on his Instagram of him wearing a Batman costume very similar to that worn by Ben Affleck throughout his tenure as the iconic DC character.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CaKpbLvJskM/?utm_medium=copy_link

    The curious aspect of their exclusion further hints at the characters confirmed with a future in the franchise were present in the short scene. Affleck’s iteration of Batman will make his final appearance in The Flash, while Cyborg’s future is unknown and doesn’t look to be returning anytime soon. There have been many theories on what the future holds for Superman though, as Henry Cavill also seemingly moved on from the role. perhaps his appearance hints at his return in the near future, but it’ll just leave us with a few questions for now.

    Source: Instagram

  • RUMOR: Jon Watts in Talks to Direct an Episode of the Mystery ‘Star Wars’ Series

    RUMOR: Jon Watts in Talks to Direct an Episode of the Mystery ‘Star Wars’ Series

    Here’s a rather curious story, as Discussing Film has unveiled that Spider-man: No Way Home’s Jon Watts may be in talks to tackle a Disney+ series. What’s interesting is that it’s not just any of the announced series, but the mystery project that has been teased as Star Wars‘ take on Stranger Things. They’ve also included that Jon Favreau would return to executive produce the project, which still has no title or official release date. We’ve recently heard that they are interested in starting production in June, which would make sense if they are actively looking for directors now.

    The director has quite a tight schedule moving forward, as he’s set to tackle the Fantastic Four film for Marvel Studios, has an Apple TV+ thriller that has no set production start. He’s no stranger to directing TV projects, as he also worked on Jeff Bridges‘ The Old Man project. He’s also not the first Marvel Studios director to tackle a Star Wars project, as – excluding Jon Favreau who started the Disney+ renaissance with The Mandalorian – Taika Waititi and Peyton Reed also were involved with the project.

    We still know very little bout this project with hints being that it takes place during the High Republic and will focus on a group of young kids. It was compared to Stranger Things for its approach. If production does start in June, we might get an announcement in the coming months, especially as Lucasfilm has been rather quiet on its upcoming projects. The only thing we know about is that Obi-Wan Kenobi will release in May. It would seem fitting they unveil their plans during May 4th’s Star Wars Day. We’ll have to wait and see.

    Source: Discussing Film

  • Original ‘Power Rangers’ Cast Not Involved With Upcoming Netflix Reboot

    Original ‘Power Rangers’ Cast Not Involved With Upcoming Netflix Reboot

    We’ve heard very little about the upcoming Power Rangers series that is currently in development for Netflix. Jonathan Entwistle was hired to create not only a new film but also various TV series that would establish a Power Rangers Cinematic Universe for the streamer. We’ve heard very little about it since, or even any timings for when we can expect its release, but a recent tweet may have hinted that the new adaptation won’t include the original cast.

    Amy Jo Johnson, who played the original Pink Ranger when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was released in 1993, took to tWitter to complain that a new “Power Ranger universe” wasn’t including the original actors. In a way, it implies that none of the original actors from the series that started it all have been contacted to consult on the project.

    It’s strange they wouldn’t consult them at all, especially Jason David Frank who has stuck with the franchise for quite some time now. Yet, there’s also the possibility they are trying to go in fresh as this might be a more adult take on what’s come before. It seemed like they may be adapting the Shattered Grid storyline, which re-popularized Power Rangers in the modern consciousness but that multiverse storyline would benefit from the original actors’ involvement.

    Her tweeting it is certainly strange, and we’ll see if more comes out of this, but for now, we can only speculate. Amy Jo Johnson has been busy as of late, as she made a name for herself as a director, most notably directing an episode of Superman and Lois. So, it would be a shame if she didn’t get a chance to direct an episode of the new Power Rangers franchise and leave her stamp on the new generation.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Atlanta’ Season 4 Will End the Series

    ‘Atlanta’ Season 4 Will End the Series

    Donald Glover’s critically-acclaimed and Emmy-winning series Atlanta is finally returning with its third season on March 24, 2022. Fans have waited a long time, as the second season of the series premiered back in May 2018. Unfortunately, they are also getting some bad news, as Atlanta will officially end with Season 4.

    Glover, the star, producer, director, and writer of Atlanta originally wanted to end the series after its second season. However, the creator and FX ultimately made plans for a third and fourth season. Unlike the dramatic break between seasons that we saw between Seasons 2 and 3, Seasons 3 and 4 have already been shot and will release back-to-back. So, while Season 3 premieres this spring, Season 4 will follow it up in the fall. The fact that the series’ end is now so near in sight is maybe an even bigger blow to the fandom. However, Glover does not think fans have anything to worry about. As he told the Television Critics Association:

    Death is natural…I feel like when the conditions are right for something, they happen, and when the conditions aren’t right, they don’t happen. I don’t feel any longevity. Because then things start to get weird. The story was always supposed to be what it was. And the story, it really was us. Everybody in that writers’ room, everybody on set. It really was what we were going through and what we talked about. … I think it ends perfectly.

    Donald Glover

    Glover previously exited his previous arrangement with Disney and FX to enter into a contract with Amazon in 2021, but he insists the decision to end Atlanta was unrelated. Atlanta boasts an incredible range of talents, from Glover himself to LaKeith Stanfield, Eternals‘ Brian Tyree Henry, and Zazie Beetz. Here’s looking forward to the final half of the amazing series–hopefully, the ending is as perfect as Glover promised.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Peacemaker’s Finale is HBO Max’s Best Performing Single-Day Release

    ‘Peacemaker’s Finale is HBO Max’s Best Performing Single-Day Release

    Peacemaker just wrapped its season finale, and it looks like the show is quite the success for HBO Max. James Gunn took to Twitter to not only thank the fans for their love towards the project but also to highlight that it was the biggest single-day performance for an original production. It was able to even pull in 44% more viewers than the premiere episode, which isn’t a common occurrence with these streaming series.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1494772448503508995

    It’s crazy to think how such an unknown character has managed to rise up the ranks, especially as the first DCEU-connected original show. John Cena and the entire cast offered a very down-to-earth experience that redefined our look at heroism in a series that tricks you by making you think it’s just a comedy. Seeing that the finale was able to push even stronger numbers than its initial premiere is quite impressive, as most shows see a drop in viewership over their runtime.

    Still, it continues to prove that weekly releases are an asset for most shows, as each week Peacewalker was the buzz of the town. Netflix still remains firm with its binge approach but also forces its hands into offering a lot of content within smaller time windows. Who knows, perhaps the development will push all streaming services to embrace the weekly schedule.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Will Premiere With Only One Episode

    ‘Moon Knight’ Will Premiere With Only One Episode

    While we have known Disney+’s upcoming Marvel Studios project Moon Knight will premiere on March 30, 2022, the streaming service has not always been upfront with how many episodes any given Marvel show will drop on its premiere date. Hawkeye famously started with two episodes ahead of The Book of Boba Fett‘s release, but it looks like we might finally have gotten an answer on their next release.

    Disney has recently revealed that Moon Knight will have a one-episode premiere. The series is set to have six episodes total, meaning that new episodes of the Oscar Isaac led MCU installment should release on Wednesdays from March 30 until May 4. Disney+ is apparently dodging the two-episode premiere strategy it used for WandaVision and Hawkeye. This also places the Moon Knight finale only a couple of days before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness theatrical release.

    Moon Knight follows Steven Grant, who discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. The series will revolve around Spector’s titular costumed alter ago and his relationships to various Egyptian gods. Kevin Feige has stated that the series will be a “tonal shift” from other MCU entries and will keep much of the violence and brutality from the comics.

    Source: Disney via The Direct

  • RUMOR: ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ RPG and MMORPG in Development

    RUMOR: ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ RPG and MMORPG in Development

    Avatar: The Last Airbender has quite a few big years ahead. Netflix is working on a live-action series, Nickelodeon formed a new production studio that primarily focuses on the franchise, and it looks like a new rumor is hinting that some more games are also in some form of development. Avatar News, who have shared some insights on various projects in the past, has revealed that not one but four projects are currently in development.

    The big news story is that one of the projects is hinted at as a “console RPG” but it’s uncertain what the gameplay style might end up being. Action RPGs are quite popular and would fit the universe, but it’s uncertain if they might go a similar route to Hogwarts Legacy, but they believe that it may include characters from the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

    The second project is an MMORPG. No more details could be shared, but it seems these projects have been in development for some time. These two projects joined one mystery title and the Square-Enix mobile game that was announced some time ago. If the rumor is to believe, we might get more details in the near future as they might be quite far into development at this point.

    I have high hopes for an RPG in this universe, especially if you can master different types of bending. A high-budget action RPG would be a fitting game addition as you start to master the different techniques. They don’t know who might be involved with the projects, but there are definitely some studios that would offer a fantastic game based on the franchise. So, here’s hoping that announcement truly is just around the corner.

    Source: Avatar News

  • Peter Billingsley Finds His ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel Family

    Peter Billingsley Finds His ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel Family

    The upcoming legacy sequel A Christmas Story Christmas sees the return of Peter Billingsley in the role of Ralphie. The story follows an adult version of the character, who is trying to give his children that special Christmas he had all that time ago. While we recently learned that a few of the cast are returning, it looks like the film has found his family as Erinn Hayes, River Drosche, and Julianna Layne join the production as his wife and two kids.

    It’s still cute to see this Christmas classic return and it’ll be interesting to see if his children will end up as the main protagonists of this story similar to how Billingsley was back in the day. Of course, they may echo quite a few iconic moments, such as the pink bunny suit. The only trouble with these legacy sequels lies in the fact that they tend to get overshadowed by nostalgia. So, here’s hoping the classic can pave its own path without being weighed down by the original.

    Source: Deadline

  • Walton Goggins joins Amazon’s ‘Fallout’ Series

    Walton Goggins joins Amazon’s ‘Fallout’ Series

    Video game adaptions have become quite popular lately, as Sony continues its march into adapting some of its most beloved titles through Playstation Productions. Amazon is also throwing its hat into the ring with an upcoming series based on the popular Fallout franchise. The series is still in development but looks to be moving along quite well, as it has added its very first cast member.

    Variety is reporting that Walton Goggins has joined the upcoming series in a lead role. It’s currently under wraps as to who Goggins is playing but sources close to Variety claim that he will be taking on a character based on the Ghouls from the games. It’s unknown if he will be playing a pre-existing character or an original but he would make a mighty fine John Hancock.

    Just last month, Amazon announced that Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner were set to serve as co-showrunners on the project. The studio had also tapped Jonathan Nolan to direct the first episodes and will be serving as an executive producer alongside Lisa Joy, who is best known for her work on HBO’s Westworld. The series will be produced under Kilter Films.

    Production on Fallout is set to begin sometime this year. Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios and James Altman of Bethesda Softworks will serve as executive producers on the series. No release date for the project has been set just yet and no further casting details have been revealed, but this might only be the beginning of their announcements.

    Source: Variety