Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • BREAKING: Saul Zaentz Co. Looking for a Buyer of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’s Film and Gaming Rights

    BREAKING: Saul Zaentz Co. Looking for a Buyer of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’s Film and Gaming Rights

    Well, Hollywood is going to turn into a bidding war for the rights of Middle Earth, as Saul Zaentz Co. has decided to sell their Tolkien holdings. As such, it means the movie, merchandising, gaming and live events rights to his properties will go on sale. ACF Investment Bank is currently handling the sale with an estimated $2 billion as its current predicted value. The timing of course comes hot off the heels as Amazon started promoting their upcoming original series Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Amazon currently leading the pack on purchasing the rights, which is fitting given their current work.

    It’s quite the sell if any of the major names currently can get their hands on it. Netflix has been hunting franchise after franchise to create their own extended IP library. So, one of the most iconic fantasy franchises will definitely be on their radar yet given the close relationship, Amazon seems like the likeliest buyer.

    If you’re wondering why Warner Bros. isn’t involved, the rights returned to Zaentz Co. last year, as the rights ran out for not producing any projects involving the Tolkien books. It seems that the overall interest in developing more projects had sold the company on selling the rights, especially as Amazon made a deal directly with the Tolkien estate for their series.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Power of the Dog’s Kodi Smit-McPhee Passed on Playing ‘Kraven the Hunter’s Chameleon

    ‘The Power of the Dog’s Kodi Smit-McPhee Passed on Playing ‘Kraven the Hunter’s Chameleon

    It looks like today’s a day all in the name of Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man spinoff, Kraven the Hunter. Not only did Russell Crowe join the production, but we also got a confirmation that the rumor of actress Jodie Turner-Smith joining the production was sadly untrue. Now, it seems that an “almost” casting was revealed, as Jeff Sneider shared the news that Kodi Smit-McPhee has seemingly passed on the role of Chameleon, who was rumored to appear in the film back in June. It seems that it was due to scheduling conflicts that he couldn’t further pursue the role.

    It sadly happens quite frequently that some actors can’t tackle various roles due to projects overlapping. We’ll see if we get an announcement soon about who ended up taking the role. The character also is a fitting addition, as the initial article teased that most of the cast will consist of the titular character’s family. Well, Chameleon is actually his half-brother named Dmitri Smerdyakov. It’ll be interesting to see if he might end up as the main antagonist of the story, as both brothers end up in an ongoing conflict. We’ll see if we get more news in the near future.

    Source: Twitter

  • Jodie Turner-Smith Has NOT Joined ‘Kraven the Hunter’ as Calypso

    Jodie Turner-Smith Has NOT Joined ‘Kraven the Hunter’ as Calypso

    It was back in July when first rumors made their way online that actress Jodie Turner-Smith would take on the role of Calypso Ezil in Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man spinoff, Kraven the Hunter. It turns out those rumors were not true, as The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit confirmed that she has not joined the cast after running the story of Russell Crowe joining the project. It’s uncertain if they are still actively looking to find an actress to take on the role of Calypso, but it was pointed out most of the parts will consist of Kraven’s extended family.

    Calypso is a voodoo priestess who had a lot of joy in manipulating Kraven and was one of the causes that led to his eventual suicide. Her powers were derived from sacrificing her younger sister which gave her the ability to control Curt Conners. She was one of the few people that almost managed to kill Spider-Man, but he managed to survive and take her out. Yet, she was seemingly dead until she would make a return in trying to resurrect Kraven and ended up facing off against Daredevil.

    Source: Twitter

  • Anthony Ramos Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’, Large MCU Role Teased

    Anthony Ramos Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Ironheart’, Large MCU Role Teased

    One of Marvel Studios’ most under-the-radar new projects has finally begun adding to it’s cast, and it’s starting off with a strong addition. Deadline is reporting that Anthony Ramos, frequent Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborator and star of both In the Heights and Hamilton, has joined the cast of Ironheart in an undisclosed role. Sources claim the part will be reminiscent of Jonathan Majors‘ participation in Loki, with an appearance in a Disney+ series setting Ramos up for an even larger role in the MCU’s future. Whoever his character may end up being, it will only add to the actor’s promising future in the industry. Once a supporting player in A Star is Born, the performer has also been tapped as a lead in the next Transformers film.

    Ramos joins a cast that so far only includes Dominique Thorne in the titular role. First officially announced at Disney’s 2020 Investor’s Day presentation, the live-action show will follow the life of a genius, teenage MIT student Riri Williams as she invents her own high-tech suit of armor and follows in Tony Stark’s footsteps. It’s unknown when the character’s solo series will hit the small screen, but fans won’t have to wait too long for her to make a grand debut in the MCU. Reports indicate that Williams will make her first appearance in November when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters. Musician and poet Chinaka Hodge has been tapped to serve as the head writer for Ironheart, which will likely drop sometime after Disney+ premieres Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel.

    Source: Deadline

  • Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ Film Adds America Ferrera

    Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ Film Adds America Ferrera

    Margot Robbie has found her co-star for the upcoming Barbie film, as Deadline has just announced that America Ferrera has joined the production that also features Ryan Gosling. Greta Gerwig is hired to direct the film that’ll bring the classic doll toy to life on the silver screen. There was no word what her role is, as Warner Bros. continues to keep the production’s plot a secret but there are teases it won’t be the typical story you might expect featuring a plastic doll.

    It’s being produced under LuckyChap Entertainments with Robbie also having a producing role. Mattel’s Robbie Brenner is also involved alongside Heyday Films’ David Heyman. Ferrera has been quite busy, as she is currently set to make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. She also recently worked on a few episodes of Netflix’s Latinx dramedy Gentefied.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle a project focused on Barbie, as many adaptations on popular toy lines have taken a strong meta-narrative direction. Great Gerwig‘s involvement certainly is a promising addition that may push the project into a new direction that will certainly surprise us. So, we’ll have to wait and see once production finally starts.

    Source: Deadline

  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Adds Russell Crowe

    Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Adds Russell Crowe

    The upcoming Kraven the Hunter film is starting to prepare for production, as it is currently eyeing a release on January 13th of 2023. As such, it seems the production has finally started expanding its cast and the first to join is no other than Maximus himself, Russell Crowe. His role is still unannounced, but it seems that most of the cast will consist of Kraven’s family members, which might flesh out the character in curious ways. It may be a hint that we’ll explore most of the character’s childhood and find out what turned him into the greatest hunter there ever was.

    J.C. Chandor will direct the upcoming film that is based on a screenplay by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk. Long-time Spider-Man producer Avi Arad is also returning alongside Matt Tolmach. The details still remain uncertain about the project and just how they aim to tackle the character’s origin story. It continues Sony’s focus on expanding Spider-Man‘s franchise without the titular wall-crawler. So, who knows if they might embrace a crossover with the Sinister Six.

    We’re still awaiting the release of Morbius which has been confusing viewers on its continuity due to the trailer including references from across the Spider-Man franchises. They have also recently started work on a Madame Web-focused film, which is still a curious addition to their offerings. Though, it is the same company that wanted to explore an Aunt May origin story.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Artwork Teases Green Goblin Joining the Final Fight Earlier

    New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Artwork Teases Green Goblin Joining the Final Fight Earlier

    Spider-Man: No Way Home has been all the rage since its release back in December. It’s no wonder given how the nostalgia-filled project managed to cement an emotional strong film that was made for fans, newcomers, and anyone in between. Illustrator Marek Okon took to Twitter to share some of the artwork realizing the events from the film with his latest focusing on the finale featuring all three Spider-Men facing off against some familiar foes.

    The artwork looks great and it’s a nice touch of seeing all three versions of the iconic hero swinging side-by-side into battle. The curious addition is that the Green Goblin may have originally had a bigger role earlier in the climax, as he is seen here while Elektro and Sandman are still active. It’s difficult to make out but he also may have kept his original mask as well. In the film, he ends up joining at a later time after everyone else has been taken down already.

    The illustrator also shared some artwork featuring the Mirror Dimension, which was Doctor Strange’s way of keeping Peter Parker from running away with the Deus Ex Machina that could’ve sent the villains home. It gave us some great visuals throughout their confrontation and it seems there were some additional ideas like using a small town as the backdrop.

    It’s always impressive to see the many ways films are interpreted early on before they finalize designs or the direction. Still, the backdrops remained mostly unchanged and still remain as some of the most memorable within the MCU’s legacy. It’s still surprising to think that a rebuilt Statue of Liberty would make for such an effective background.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode Titles Have Seemingly Leaked

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode Titles Have Seemingly Leaked

    It’s almost frustrating to think that we would have gotten Ms. Marvel last year if things turned out as originally planned. The show was one of the Disney+ shows to film early, only for it to be delayed due to uncontrollable circumstances. Currently, the show is undergoing a round of reshoots that hint at key story points in the season. Beyond that, there’s not much information known about the season arc. However, a posting on TV Time seemingly has the episode titles of Ms. Marvel listed, which may give us a sense of what’s going on.

    The first episode is aptly titled Kamala Khan: Embiggen! which may dispel those worrying rumors that her iconic embiggening powers would be altered for the show. Lockin’ Jaws is a reference to everyone’s favorite teleporting mutt, Lockjaw. The Woman I Look Up To reads like a Carol Danvers-centric episode, highlighting Kamala’s admiration for the character. My Faith is evidently about Kamala’s Islamic faith, a crucial aspect of the character.

    It’s hard to pinpoint just how true these titles are given the inaccuracy of the countdown listen. Some of them undeniably sound suspicious. Based on the countdown, the first episode seems to be dropping on May 13th, which is a Friday. The Marvel shows on Disney+ usually drop on Wednesdays, which rules out certain details of this supposed leak.

  • ‘The Book of Boba Fett’s Krrsantan and Fennec Shand to Join ‘Fortnite’

    ‘The Book of Boba Fett’s Krrsantan and Fennec Shand to Join ‘Fortnite’

    Here’s a pleasant surprise ahead of The Book of Boba Fett‘s finale, as it looks like that besides the titular former bounty hunter, we’ll also get Fortnite skins for Fennec Shand and the show’s new addition in the form of Krrsantan. You can check out the first look as shared early by @iFireMonkey:

    They also shared the new image that is being used to promote the two character’s additions with Boba Fett lurking in the background. It seems that they don’t have a loading screen currently, but could end up getting added later on.

    That’s not all, as it seems that Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand gets her own teaser trailer with a small cameo from The Mandalorian and his iconic line “This is the way!”.

    https://twitter.com/iFireMonkey/status/1491200544303890436

    The designs look great and fans of the Disney+ series will definitely check out the additions. It’s crazy to think how big Shand’s role was since her minor appearance in the first season of The Mandalorian, but it just shows how any character can grow if given enough time. Krrsantan is also a great addition, especially with him finally making his way into live-action after being introduced through comics. We’ll see who else might get added in the near future.

    Source: Twitter

  • Hulu Ending ‘Love, Victor’ With Season 3

    Hulu Ending ‘Love, Victor’ With Season 3

    Sadly, it looks like the YA Hulu series Love, Victor will be ending with its upcoming third and final season, which will premiere on June 15th. It seems that the announcement was initially done at the Television Critics Association. The series was initially planned as part of Disney+’s launch line-up, but was surprisingly deemed “too adult” for the family-focused streaming service and moved to the Disney-owned Hulu. No word has been shared on why it was decided to end the series with its upcoming third season.

    The project was a spinoff of Love, Simon that focused on a new student to Creekwood High, Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino). It follows the same core narrative, as our protagonist uncovers his sexuality and trying to embrace who he truly is. The titular Simon (Nick Robinson) from the original series also had a recurring role as Victor’s mentor throughout the series. Of course, college on the horizon adds that additional pressure.

    The writers of the original film, Isaac Aptaker, and Elizabeth Berger, took on the role of executive producers and got developed by 20th Television, as it became part of Disney Television Studios. It’s a shame that the heartfelt series is ending after only three seasons, but it seems that they may manage to end it on their own terms without building up a season 4 only to get the axe. It may even open the possibility of more spinoffs focusing on other characters moving forward. Perhaps Victor may grow into someone else’s mentor.

    Source: Deadline