Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Empire Shares More of Bill Sienkiewicz’s Moon Knight Designs Based on the Disney+ Series

    Empire Shares More of Bill Sienkiewicz’s Moon Knight Designs Based on the Disney+ Series

    There’s a certain tradition when it comes to superhero cinema. As we near the official release, Empire tends to release a new cover that teases the project alongside a unique collector’s cover. Moon Knight naturally followed this tradition with a full look at his costume and an amazing design by Moon Knight veteran artist Bill Sienkiewicz. Now, Empire has released some of the artwork before he nailed the final look that was shared as the exclusive subscriber cover for the magazine.

    The first two are certainly quite a bit different from the design he ended on, but it highlights just how much detail has gone into bringing the live-action version to life. Most superhero adaptations tend to add details to the character designs, which were commonly minimized for the purpose of making the life of an artist on a project easier.

    It’s kind of a great design to see how well it translates to artwork even if it’s a bit of a departure from the character’s original design. We cannot wait to see what the character will look like in action, especially with the trailers teasing some great action and a suspenseful take on a self-discovery storyline for Steven Grant. No, wait I mean Marc Spector. Or was it something else? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

    Source: Twitter

  • China Once Again Welcomes Superhero Films Back With ‘The Batman’ Approved to Release

    China Once Again Welcomes Superhero Films Back With ‘The Batman’ Approved to Release

    The Batman truly is an international star, as The Hollywood Reporter revealed the film has been signed off to release in the Chinese market. It’s the first to do so in quite some time. Matt Reeves‘ upcoming film will find its way into the Eastern market on March 18th. It’ll follow a release in Taiwan and South Korea on March 2nd. The biggest advantage for the release of this film in this market lies in that there’s no HBO Max simultaneous release, as the country is infamous for piracy. So far, the only other Chinese approved releases are Death on the Nile, the 2018 Woody Allen film A Rainy Day in New York, and Uncharted.

    Many other releases were facing some trouble finding their way to the market with 2021 only seeing a handful making their way East. Spider-Man: No Way Home was actually hinted at getting releases in the market for some time, but it looks like this article confirms that it simply never got approved. There probably were just rumblings, but it’s not like the film had to rely on that market as it continued to break records during its ongoing release.

    The Batman is promising a 3-hour noir-inspired take on the iconic DC character and has a good chance to be another release to redefine how powerful superhero films are at the box office. It’s unclear what surprises Reeves‘ rendition of the character might have in store for us, but we’re only a few more weeks away until it finally releases in theaters.

    Source The Hollywood Reporter

  • Tom Holland’s ‘Uncharted’ Eyeing a $30M+ Opening Weekend

    Tom Holland’s ‘Uncharted’ Eyeing a $30M+ Opening Weekend

    While everyone’s been busy talking about the Peacemaker finale and the release of Horizon: Forbidden West, cinemas were also filling up again for Tom Holland‘s next release, Uncharted. While it didn’t quite convince our very own Hunter Radesi, whose review you can read by clicking here, it looks like the film is still off to a decent start at the domestic box office. It took in $3.7M in its Thursday previews and is on its way towards a $30M+ opening weekend.

    The film was already released last week in select international markets to a strong start with $22M. That was only in 15 smaller markets and we’re still anticipating the numbers from its current state internationally. The origin story of the popular Naughty Dog franchise takes a different approach, as director Ruben Fleischer brought together Holland as the character of Nathan Drake alongside Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan.

    It’s not the strongest opening for a big blockbuster film, and we’ll see if it’ll perform stronger internationally. Video game releases have had the tendency to have stronger openings in global markets, but the bigger question is how strong the legs are for this project. You’d think a Holland-led project would dominate this shortly after the release of Spider-Man, but it might be a bigger testament to just how strong the Marvel character’s grip is on the box office.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin Talks ‘House of the Dragon’ as Production Wraps

    ‘Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin Talks ‘House of the Dragon’ as Production Wraps

    It feels like yesterday when we first ran the story on the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff focusing on the Targaryens. Fittingly titled House of the Dragon, the upcoming series will see a new all-star cast further explore a dragon-filled Westeros. Creator of the original novels, George R. R. Martin took to his personal blog to share that pöroduction has wrapped on the series and also that he’s seen the rough cuts. His blog states that:

    I have seen rough cuts of a few of them, and I’m loving them.Of course, a lot more work needs to be done. Special effects, color timing, score, all the post-production work. But the writing, the directing, the acting all look terrific. I hope you will like them as much as I do. My hat is off to Ryan and Miguel and their team, and to our amazing cast.

    It’s always great to hear the creator of a franchise praise an upcoming adaptation. As this is the first spinoff for the franchise, there’s some concern if it can recatch the magic that made it a tentpole HBO series that it is, especially avoiding the mistakes from later seasons. The casting has already been quite promising and who knows just how deep the lore in House of the Dragon will get explored once it releases eventually.

    Source: George R. Martin’s Blog

  • FX President Confirms ’Archer’ and ’It’s Always Sunny’ Are Here To Stay

    FX President Confirms ’Archer’ and ’It’s Always Sunny’ Are Here To Stay

    Some shows just don’t know when to end, and others maybe never should. FX President Eric Schrier seems to believe his network is home to two of the latter, as indicated by recent statements made to Deadline. The television boss was asked about FX’s long-running sitcoms It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Archer, both of which have crossed the threshold of at least a decade on the air.

    Having just finished it’s 15th season, Sunny has broken the record to become the longest running live-action comedy in history. The honor was previously held by The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet at 14 seasons. The show, which stars Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney, and Danny DeVito as miscreant owners of a South Philly bar, has three more seasons on it’s current renewal. While some would believe they could be the final installments in the Sunny saga, Schrier seems to think there may still be more for the series:

    It’s interesting with that show. The guys have been doing it for so long. As long as they feel that they creatively can maintain its vibrancy, they want to continue to do it. Creatively, the show is excellent, and we think the last season was as strong as ever. The fans love the show, so we’ll keep going as long as as they want to keep it going.

    Eric Schrier

    Archer is now entering it’s 13th season, and many have begun to question just how long it can continue to last. This uncertainty was recently accelerated by the unfortunate death of one of the show’s main stars, the incomparable Jessica Walter. However, Schrier says there are no current plans to end the series, citing other legendary animated sitcoms as evidence of its longevity:

    It’s not designed to be the last season. I think we feel really good about the scripts, they’re animating them now for the next season. We’re waiting to see how the creators feel about how long it should progress. We’re very enthusiastic about that show and its continued longevity. When you have an animated half-hour like that, it can continue on, as you can see with The Simpsons, for a very long time. Archer still does great for us and people love it and the fans love it. So as long as they can keep doing it and maintain the quality, we’ll want to support it.

    Eric Schrier

    Archer season 13 premieres on FX sometime this fall.
    Source: Deadline

  • Tom Hanks Boards ‘Here’ Adaptation, Reuniting With Zemeckis & Roth

    Tom Hanks Boards ‘Here’ Adaptation, Reuniting With Zemeckis & Roth

    It’s a Forrest Gump reunion on Here.

    Tom Hanks is reuniting with Robert Zemeckis and Eric Roth, who he previously worked with on Forrest Gump, in an adaptation of the graphic novel Here from writer Richard McGuire. The news was first revealed by Deadline with the outlet stating that studios and streamers are hot for the package, although no clear winner has been announced. As always with packages as hot as this, a deal will likely be made relatively soon. 

    Here was published in 2014 and centers its story in the corner of a single room, focusing on the many people who inhabit it over years, from between the years 500,957,406,073 BC and 2313 AD. McGuire’s Here is based on the legendary 1989 comic strip of the same name. The graphic novel is an expanded take on the original comic strip.

    Zemeckis will direct the adaptation while Roth will pen the script.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Life is Strange’ Adaptation in the Works at Amazon

    ‘Life is Strange’ Adaptation in the Works at Amazon

    Amazon Studios is about to cash in on the expensive business of video game adaptations on TV. The company has reportedly signed a first-look deal with dj2 Entertainment, a production company that has an impressive catalog of video game development deals under its belt. Among those games is Life is Strange and Disco Elysium, both of which dj2 Entertainment is reportedly interested in adapting. In a press release, dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri Johnson had this to say: 

     The dj2 team has long believed that video games would one day serve as incredible source material for stories told in television and film, and that it was only the lack of love and respect for the artform which previously held successful adaptations back. Moreover, it is truly an honor to have Prime Video as our platform partner. A partner who truly supports us, as well as our grand ambitions, for telling the best international gaming stories with no limitations in how high we may collectively aim.

    The dj2 Entertainment deal isn’t Amazon’s first pact with a major gaming company. It was announced last year that the streamer was eyeing to make a live-action Mass Effect series for EA. And if the recent Rings of Power trailer was any indication of just how much money Amazon is willing to shell out to adapt popular IPs, then this deal may be for the best. If Paramount+ could do it for Halo, why can’t Amazon?

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Peacemaker’ Episode 8 – “It’s Cow or Never”

    REVIEW: ‘Peacemaker’ Episode 8 – “It’s Cow or Never”

    After a six-week run, the first season of Peacemaker has come to an end with “It’s Cow or Never.” The series has seen some highs as James Gunn has yet again taken the comic book genre and flipped it on its head. This time he tackled one of DC’s most unknown characters, Peacemaker. The highly anticipated finale has finally arrived and proves why Gunn told people to avoid Social Media at all costs. The only question remains: did the finale live up to the rest of the show?

    Keep in mind, this review contains massive spoilers of the finale. So, only continue at your own risk.

    The Peacemaker finale does not waste a second, as we jump straight into the action. Our unlikely team is on their way to take down the “cow” teased during the previous episode’s final moments. John Cena‘s Peacemaker has gone through quite a bit in the past twenty-four hours, such as being betrayed by a friend and killing his father. That would obviously affect anyone’s mood with the betrayal of Adebayo hitting him especially hard. He proceeds to make fart noises over her attempted apology highlighting his childish way of handling these kinds of situations.

    One of the running jokes this season is that Peacemaker constantly rags on Economos, such as mocking his beard. It all built up to a surprising somber moment after he briefly tried to infiltrate the Butterfly’s hideout. While it felt a bit silly given the stakes of the story, it did give us some great character growth for everyone left on the team. It was a heartfelt moment that was important to build up the final confrontation.

    Peacemaker’s journey this season, strengthened by John Cena‘s performance is what truly carried the series. His work on the series is stunning, as he offers a strong emotional range from a character that once killed an entire village of people without batting an eye – no, we won’t talk about Rick Flag. The finale uses his character development to push his old belief in direct contrast to the lessons he learned throughout and what it means to have friends.

    The series doesn’t want to fully turn him into a boy scout just yet, as the final moments reveal his father is still haunting him. This is an element torn right from the comics but given a psychological twist. This time around isn’t the soul of his father living in his helmet, but a personification of his regrets. He also isn’t joining any superhero group, as the amazing surprise cameo by the Justice League gave him a moment to curse them out on being late and focusing on what is truly important.

    One of the series’ biggest strengths lies in how it uses parallels to further develop its characters, especially with Smith and Adebayo. They have similar parental situations and had to realize that they might not be as good as they once believed. After he was forced to face his father head-on, she decided to do the same by revealing Amanda Waller’s ties to Task Force X. Not only is it a way for her to make up for planting the diary but also to confront her demon. Plus, it got us a cameo by the always-amazing Viola Davis.

    The finale may have featured one of the series’ best action sequences. It highlights just how much effort has been put into the choreography of the series, as the all-out assault being played alongside the series’ theme song “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” gave us some memorable moments. We even get Peacemaker wielding a shield to play on the ongoing joke of him being a “douchy” version of Captain America.

    Ther is one oddity in this series that remains even in the final episode, Judomaster. While he provided some incredible beatdowns – Nhut Lee offering a fun performance throughout – he didn’t really provide that much to the series. He just showed up and kicked ass. There wasn’t much of a character arc outside of his love for snack food. The only reason he wasn’t a butterfly was revealed due to him buying into their vow, but it may be something that the now-confirmed second season might further explore.

    The first season of Peacemaker was truly something special and the finale offered a tense, fast-paced, and incredibly well-put-together 45-minute episode. James Gunn continues to be a powerhouse in the genre of comic book adaptations, and it’s no wonder DC wants to develop more projects. If this episode is anything to go by, the DCEU will be shaken up quite a bit moving forward, and I can’t wait to see more of John Cena in this role.

  • ‘Star Wars’ Veteran John Williams Returns to Compose ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Theme

    ‘Star Wars’ Veteran John Williams Returns to Compose ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Theme

    It looks like it is official, as after quite a few rumors hinted at the iconic Star Wars composer John Williams would make his return to the classic universe. It seems they were right as Variety has confirmed his return and that he’ll be creating the theme for Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series. It’s fitting, as he was involved with the original prequel trilogy that defined Ewan McGregor‘s take on the character, and it’s been two years since he completed work on the ninth film of the franchise.

    He has supposedly recorded it last week with the Los Angeles orchestra. It’s noteworthy that he is willing to tackle this project, as it is his first TV project since 1985’s Amazing Stories. and the NBC Olympics theme. The composer won an Oscar for his work on 1977 original and has been nominated for its five sequels over the years. He also was heavily involved with the theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story and Disneyland’s Galaxy Edge theme park. He even won a Grammy for the latter.

    The composer just turned 90 a few days ago and continues to work to this day. It’s an admirable dedication to his craft, as he composed Steven Spielberg’s next film The Fabermans, and is involved with the fifth Indiana Jones. His inclusion in Obi-Wan Kenobi also adds that extra touch as this series is a bridge between the prequels and A New Hope, for which he created a theme for Alec Guinness time with the character. So, it’ll be exciting to hear what he has in store for us.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Batman’ Cast Listing Hints at Barry Keoghan’s Mysterious Role

    ‘The Batman’ Cast Listing Hints at Barry Keoghan’s Mysterious Role

    It was back in 2020 when Warner Bros. and DC brought the very first DC Fandome event to screens all around the world, highlighting anything and everything DC Comics. The Batman took center stage at this event with the very first trailer. It was during Fandome that we found out Eternals‘ Barry Keoghan had joined the film. Yet there was no word on who he might end up playing. It looks like a new casting list may have added some weight to a rumor going around on who he might be playing.

    If you want to go into The Batman spoiler-free, then please do not continue.

    When he was first added to the cast, he was listed as Stanley Merkel, a GCPD officer. It seemed like a surprisingly small role for the well-established actor. It wasn’t until the rumors started making the rounds that there is more to Keoghan‘s role. A new cast listing for the film has appeared and the actor is included in a new role simply known as “Unseen Arkham Prisoner”. The fact he would play an “unseen” character further makes you wonder who he might be playing.

    Now, there’s more to this listing that may further add to who he might be playing. Mike Marino, who did the prosthetic work for The Penguin is also listed as doing work for Keoghan‘s character, which would be weird considering he’s listed as unseen. Why go through the work to design his look if you’re not going to use it on screen.

    Recent rumors have swirled suggesting that he is actually playing the Joker, who has already been locked away by this new version of Batman. They could be lifting elements from The Killing Joke when early in his career, the Caped Crusader stopped the Red Hood gang at Ace Chemicals with their red herring falling into a vat of chemicals. That person turned out to be the Joker.

    Source: Twitter