Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Nearing End on Reshoots

    ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel Nearing End on Reshoots

    In the latest Heat Vision blog entry on The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Couch shares some bits from Spider-Man: No Way Home’s carpet as many of the actors involved reflect back on their work. Of course, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong‘s appearance in the film alongside characters from Sam Raimi’s original trilogy, there are some fun connections to be had. Raimi has now taken it upon himself to bring the Doctor Strange sequel to life that’ll explore the madness of the multiverse.

    In November we learned that the team entered production once again for extensive reshoots to “realize the full potential of the film” and it seems that they may finally be nearing completion of the additional photography. In the latest piece by the Hollywood Reporter, they got a chance to interview Wong on what the Raimi film might offer to audiences.

    I’ve been marveling at his vision, his take. His overall resolve, as well. We were shooting in the middle of a pandemic and it was almost like, Doctor Strange and the Menace of the Multischedule. We were literally filming in a quantum way. There is no plan A. There’s a B and a C and then a D. Your mind is running all over the place. I have no doubt it’s going to be something fantastic

    Benedict Wong

    It’s still exciting to think about what the upcoming sequel might have to offer to audiences and what they may have added throughout their reshoots. Loki introduced us to the concept of the multiverse within the MCU and we even saw those rules get broken in Ultron’s power grab during What If…?. Here’s hoping the first look won’t be for too long anymore to see just how mad the multiverse will end up being.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Jungle Cruise’ Boost Disney+ in November

    ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Jungle Cruise’ Boost Disney+ in November

    Disney+ has been seeing quite a bit of growth that made it a strong competitor. While Netflix still dominates the market, especially in the United States, the offerings based on existing IPs have been a strong marketable focus for the Disney-owned service. Marvel Studios and Star Wars offerings are at the forefront, but there is a stronger shift since their big cinema releases are making their way to the platform.

    Exactly that happened in November, which saw a strong showing by Disney+ with the Disney+ Day releases of Shang-Chi and Jungle Cruise playing a big role. On top of it all, Hawkeye was released in the same month offering a lot to viewers. We did hear it had the lowest viewed premiere from all Marvel Studios series on the platform, but it still was quite close to WandaVision back in January. It’ll be interesting to see how the finale might perform after the confirmation of Vincent D’Onofrio‘s return as Kingpin.

    Overall, Disney+ has grown to a competitive size within a short period of time. It’s uncertain what the future has in store for it, as they try to find new ways to grow, but expansion is still at the forefront of most of these offerings. Netflix also has the advantage of beings years in the market but has been pushing much more to expand its IP collection. We’ll see what the future has in store for this competitive market.

    Source: Nielsen

  • Danny Elfman to Compose Tim Burton’s ‘Addams Family’ Spinoff

    Danny Elfman to Compose Tim Burton’s ‘Addams Family’ Spinoff

    It looks like Tim Burton is ready to work with his long-time composer once again for the upcoming Netflix series, Wednesday. Danny Elfman will lend his talent to create the themes and score the various episodes alongside Bates Motel‘s Scott Bacon. The series was ordered back in February, which will take a very different take on the classic franchise. Instead of family comedy, it’ll explore Wednesday Addams’ time as a student at Nevermore Academy. There she’ll end up trapped in a supernatural-infused mystery. Burton is set to direct multiple episodes and also is acting as an executive producer alongside showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar.

    It’s still a very unique approach to the iconic franchise, but with Burton‘s involvement, it seemed like a promising new take. We’ll see how gothic the project will go, but Elfman‘s inclusion is a motivating factor. His work always adds a little something special and it’ll definitely add the vibe that’ll make it stand out. They’ve always been a strong team since they worked on projects like the original 1989’s Batman, Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland remake, and many more.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Matthew Vaughn Open to Tackle a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    Matthew Vaughn Open to Tackle a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    Matthew Vaughn is currently promoting his latest film, The King’s Man, which acts as a prequel to his popular Kingsman franchise. It seems though that before he brought the iconic franchise to the silver screen, he was in love with the idea of tackling a project for Lucasfilm, especially as part of the Star Wars franchise. Screen Rant got a chance to ask about his interest in potentially tackling a project, while also looking back at the sequel trilogy’s release by Disney.

    If you’d asked me that 10 years ago, I would have given Kingsman to Lucasfilm for free to get a go shooting a Star Wars film. So yes, I would have loved to [have] done a Star Wars film, which was part of the Skywalker saga, is all I can say. It sort of feels like that’s been decimated, or whatever the word is for that thing. But yeah, Star Wars is a really important movie to me. I mean, I thought I liked films, and then I saw Star Wars…So, never say never…So the answer is, if they really wanted a new, proper Star Wars film, a proper one, a Star Wars movie that could be its own thing, I wouldn’t say no, just have a go with a lightsaber…So, I don’t know. When they were looking for a director for the next Indiana Jones, it did pique my interest.

    He’s made quite an interesting statement on the case of the sequels and their quality. Plus, his love for LucasFilm highlights how deep their films have become a part of our cultural consciousness, especially with many of us growing up with it. He continues to highlight that:

    I was like, “Oh my God, to make an Indy would be great.” But Star Wars, yeah, I think out of all the IP I’m not involved with, Star Wars would always get my attention. If they rang — they’ve never rang me up, they’ve got no interest in working with me, just to be very clear. I think I’m probably a little bit too — what’s the word? — Maverick, maybe? But I promise, if I did it, I would do — I’m not saying no one tries to make a good film, a bad film — but I would be meticulous on trying to protect the legacy of something that I fell in love with movies for. So the answer is a very long-winded answer. But yes, I’d like to.

    Star Wars is definitely an interesting project to tackle for any director given its many influences that establish a unique take on space operas. We’ve also slowly seen them expand into new ventures like Star Wars: Visions, which might be a sign they are expanding in unique ways. Though delays have recently also hinted at a lot of discussions internally. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for the franchise and hopefully, Vaughn gets a chance to make a dream come true.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finds Its Azula, Kyoshi, Suki, And More

    Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finds Its Azula, Kyoshi, Suki, And More

    The news of live-action adaptions gets met with very mixed reactions, as tackling a video game or animated series in this new format comes with many limitations. Fans are interested to see just how Netflix handles their live-action adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender, especially when you consider the first attempt from 2010 getting panned by critics and fans alike. This time around, it’s going to be a series, which works in its favor to explore the original’s story while also exploring new paths to really make the series stand on its own.

    Showrunner Albert Kim and Netflix revealed some new casting today, which will surely excite fans of the original. Elizabeth Yu has been announced as Azula, the ruthless princess of the Fire Nation and sister to Prince Zuko. Maria Zhang has been cast as Suki, leader of the Kyoshi warriors and love interest of Sokka. Yvonne Chapman will play Avatar Kyoshi, who preceded Aang and will likely help guide him on his journey. Finally, Casey Camp-Horinek will play Gran Gran, Sokka, and Katara’s grandmother.

    Azula’s addition is a bit surprising and might be premature. Many fans of the show are probably scratching their heads, as Azula does not play a big role in Book One of the series and only briefly shows up in the background at the very end. This feels like a situation that Netflix could’ve kept quiet and saved for a season finale stinger or post-credit scene. Yet, there’s a good chance that the series might include her earlier on to introduce one of their biggest threats early.

    Source: Twitter

  • A ‘Kick-Ass’ Reboot Is Happening

    A ‘Kick-Ass’ Reboot Is Happening

    It’s not common to see a director decide to reboot his own franchise but Matthew Vaughn is not one to make common choices. A few years ago, he talked about the possibility of doing a spin-off of Kick-Ass, the Mark Millar-penned hit comic that Vaughn brought to the mainstream with its gung-ho violence and superhero satire, with a brand new character named Patience Lee. Now, the director has confirmed that a reboot is ready to happen.

    We’ve got a big reboot of Kick-Ass in two years. Big reboot. It’s so fucking nuts that I can’t talk about it. But we’ve got that ready to go. All the rights revert back in two years and then we’re going to reboot it where people will be like, he is insane.

    The original Kick-Ass premiered at a time where the concept of a successful R-Rated superhero film was unheard of. A decade later, the superhero movie landscape is now in a completely different place where violent superhero films and shows are very successful. To see a brand new take on Kick-Ass should be interesting to see given all the changes the industry has seen.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Noticeably Absent in Disney+’s 2022 Line-up

    ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Noticeably Absent in Disney+’s 2022 Line-up

    Disney+ just released a special teaser including every series and film that’ll release on the platform in 2022. It finally confirmed that I Am Groot, the animated spinoff of the Guardians of the Galaxy, would premiere next year. Yet, there’s one noticeable absence in the line-up. After teasing that What If…? is planned as an annual release, there’s no sight of the series’ confirmed the second season in the released teaser list. It’s uncertain how far along they are on the second season, but it would seem we shouldn’t expect it until the earliest of 2023.

    Of course, there’s the possibility that they are prioritizing one animated project per year, as such they gave I Am Groot the release spot. They might also announce it as a later addition at one point down the line, but it is curious that there’s no mention of it. They might’ve decided to change-ups strategies, as producing an entire season every year for the series might be a much larger uptaking than initially expected. We’ll see if any other announcements arrive later on, as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is also absent in the listing. So, we’ll see if this is a definite list or we’ll see some changes throughout the year.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Off to a Strong International Start, Eyeing $300M+ Opening Weekend

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Off to a Strong International Start, Eyeing $300M+ Opening Weekend

    Well, the numbers are certainly showing an impressive start for the third entry in the MCU Spider-Man franchise. While Far From Home was the first to break the $1 billion milestones, it seems like No Way Home is going to follow shortly after. It already was proving its potential through its record-breaking pre-sales, its rollout in international markets is continuing that very trend. Deadline first reported that it already grossed $5.28M in Korea, which puts it 11% ahead of 2019’s Far From Home release, which was the film’s second-biggest market behind China. It’s also dominating France and will release in select markets as of Friday, such as the Netherlands, India, Germany, and more.

    Some markets are even accommodating their release windows, such as the Netherlands opening early due to a 5 PM curfew. U.S. numbers haven’t arrived yet, but it seems that it made around $50M+ in its Wednesday previews alone and is definitely going to nab around $300M+ at this rate. Of course, COVID restrictions could become an influencing factor, as pointed out, but there’s always the potential it goes beyond it if it continues down this path. Overseas projects have it at $160M to $180M, but there’s potential to go higher if the pandemic codicils don’t hamper its development. Charlie Jatinder shared some insight into how the markets are performing:

    Especially, the UK numbers are impressive, as it pulling in £7.2M in comparison to this year’s most successful release in the country, No Time to Die, managed to earn around £100M with an opening consisting of £4.5M. So, it looks like the film will definitely have strong legs internationally at this rate.

    We’re still waiting for more data on how the domestic market has performed, but its Wednesday numbers are already quite impressive and signal good things. Even as the Omnicom scare is making the rounds, there’s still some hope that it’ll hold strong and we can expect a generally strong performance. Will it pass $1 billion? There’s some hope it might be the first to do so since the pandemic started, but we’ll have to see how its weekend starts developing as word-of-mouth spreads.

    Source: Deadline, Twitter, Twitter (UK)

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘I Am Groot’ Confirmed for 2022 Release on Disney+

    Marvel Studios’ ‘I Am Groot’ Confirmed for 2022 Release on Disney+

    A new teaser has dropped teasing the upcoming 2022 line-up. We’ve seen quite a few included, such as the recently announced Eternals release date, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and many more. Yet, there’s an interesting surprise thrown into the mix, as it looks like the Groot-focused Guardians of the Galaxy series, I am Groot, is also slated to release next year. The logo is included in the end as you see the various shows and films from the next year getting promoted. It’s a bit of a surprise as it wasn’t given much focus during Disney+ Day unlike the other projects, but it’s definitely an exciting surprise.

    James Gunn has also taken to Twitter to confirm this announcement that was sneakily included in their 2022 line-up.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1471534234976370697

    It’s great to finally get a confirmation on when the series releases. Surprisingly, there was no mention of the The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which would release ahead of its third entry. Perhaps it’ll be made available in January or around New Year to celebrate the holidays and all its intergalactic diversity. We know very little about I Am Groot outside of it going for a hyper-realistic animation style to bring Baby Groot back into the fold. So, here’s hoping we might get a tease in the near future.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter

  • Marvel Legends “Defender Strange” Confirms a Third Strange Variant in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Marvel Legends “Defender Strange” Confirms a Third Strange Variant in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    For some time now, Marvel Studios has unfortunately allowed the first look at characters from many of their upcoming projects to come from either merchandise leaks or pre-orders. That is again the case for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as first looks at new wave of Marvel Legends and a Target Exclusive have now made their way online.

    Of great interest is the Target Exclusive “Defender Strange” figure. The presence of the figure confirms not only a previous leak relating to upcoming Funkos, but also leaked plot points about the upcoming film. In both cases, “Defender Strange” represents a THIRD variant of Stephen Strange present in the film.

    “Defender Strange” joins normie Strange and Strange Supreme (who is reportedly seen briefly in the first look at Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness attached to Spider-Man: No Way Home) as variants of the character that appear as the film explores the multiverse. Strange Supreme was first seen in What If…? and “Defender Strange” seems to be based on the character’s look in Matt Fraction’s Defenders. With a trip through the multiverse ahead, there’s no telling how many variants might appear!