Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Netflix Shares ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Set Photo as Production Starts

    Netflix Shares ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Set Photo as Production Starts

    It looks like the turbulent developmnet hell surrounding Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has come to an end. Hot off the heels of casting Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai and Paul Sun-Hyung as Uncle Iroh, the streaming service announced on their Twitter profile that they’ve officially entered production with a cute picture of the cast on the set. Sadly, they aren’t showing anything quite yet but it’s great to know that after its turbulent history, such as the creators existing the showing last year over creative differences, they are finally at a point for the series to kick-off filming.

    Showrunner Albert Kim also shared his excitement on finally entering production on this project on Twitter:

    The cast certailny looks excited and overall casting has been quite promising. It’s uncertain how long they might be in productiona nd when we can expect thes eries to release. Considering it’ll be effects heavy, we might have to wait for some time before we get too see their take on these iconic animated characters. Still, it’s good to finally get a confirmation that the project is moving forward and here’s hoping they’ll tease the cast in their costumes in the near future.

    Source: Twitter

  • Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Cast as Uncle Iroh in Netflix’s ‘Avatar’

    Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Cast as Uncle Iroh in Netflix’s ‘Avatar’

    Avatar is one of the most beloved animated series of all time. It tells the story of Aang, the very last Airbender, as he travels the four nations with his companions and masters all four elemental bending techniques. The show returned to Netflix last year and brought back a wave of nostalgia for many, who soon remembered Netflix was in development on a live-action adaption, piquing the interest of many.

    In the past couple of weeks, the adaption has begun adding to its cast, some known and some new to the scene. An addition that all have been waiting for is the role of Uncle Iroh, the uncle of Prince Zuko, and one of the series most important and loved characters. The Mandalorian and Kims Convenience Star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has been officially cast in the role of Uncle Iroh. Along with that casting, Ken Leung has joined as Admiral Zhao with Lim Kay Siu cast as Monk Gyatso.

    It’ll be interesting to see how the series adapts the first book and if it changes any backstories to better fit within the shorter episode run. The series has been pretty on the spot with its recent castings, and Lee as Iroh is quite a great addition.

    Lee, Leung, and Siu join Gordon Cormier as Aang, Dallas Liu as Zuko, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Kiawentiio Tarbell as Katara, and Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai. Albert Kim will serve as showrunner on the series following the departure of original series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino.

    Source: The Wrap

  • HBO Max to Reunite ‘Harry Potter’s Original Trio for ‘Return to Hogwarts’ Special

    HBO Max to Reunite ‘Harry Potter’s Original Trio for ‘Return to Hogwarts’ Special

    It looks like a new era has begun for Harry Potter. While Warner Bros. has been busy working on the third entry of Fantastic Beasts, it seems HBO Max has some additional plans. The streaming service will release a special for New Years Day titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts that’ll welcome back the original Harry Potter cast of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.

    It’s not surprising that they’re adding an anniversary special, as the streaming service saw quite the success with their FRIENDS reunion special. The feature is described to “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations.” Director Chris Columbus will also make a return alongside cast members from across all eight entries of the popular Harry Potter films.

    It’s crazy to think that it’s already been 20 years since the first film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone released in theaters. For those that don’t have access to HBO Max, it’ll also be made available on TBS and Cartoon Network in the spring of 2022. So, there will be an opportunity to check it out next year.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Didn’t Allow ‘Hit-Monkey’ To Use Bullseye In Series

    EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Didn’t Allow ‘Hit-Monkey’ To Use Bullseye In Series

    Marvel TV’s last bastion Hit-Monkey premieres tomorrow on Hulu, ending the department’s near-decade-long stint with a brutal and violent spectacle. The show is filled with lots of gore, emotion, and features a handful of Marvel characters that some comic readers may recognize. Characters like Silver Samurai, Fat Cobra, and Lady Bullseye all make memorable appearances all throughout.

    One character that almost made the cut, however, was the original Bullseye. Once again, the old adage of corporate mandates hijacking creative visions took place, prohibiting showrunners Will Speck and Josh Gordon from using the fabled Daredevil character. In our exclusive interview with the directing duo, they said:

    Yes, Bullseye. Bullseye was in the original issues of Hit-Monkey and that was who we originally thought we would use but for various reasons, we couldn’t. But Marvel offered us Lady Bullseye instead and we thought, ‘Wow. That’s so much more interesting since she’s a character we haven’t seen much of yet.’ We were thrilled that we got that pivot.

    These things happen a lot with Marvel TV. Jeph Loeb and co. want to use a character for their shows but the powers that be at Marvel Studios veto it for reasons related to their own plans for the characters at hand.

    In this instance, this could’ve been a case of Marvel not wanting to touch anything that had to do with the Netflix clause that prohibited the use of characters from their shows for an X amount of years, though the production timeline might say otherwise. Interestingly, this could also very well be a mandate from Marvel Studios as Kevin Feige begins to get his hands on some of Marvel’s most famous street-level characters.

  • Hailee Steinfeld Describes the Emotional Moment She Landed Her ‘Hawkeye’ Role

    Hailee Steinfeld Describes the Emotional Moment She Landed Her ‘Hawkeye’ Role

    With Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye set to premiere next week, people are anxious to see what’s next for Clint Barton. The introduction of his co-archer Kate Bishop is also exciting fans more so than ever, as actress Hailee Steinfeld is already getting rave reviews for her performance as Kate. While Marvel Studios executive producer Trinh Tran has previously said that Steinfeld was the Studios’ “go-to girl” for Kate Bishop, the actress recently opened up to Cosmopolitan about the emotional moment she learned that she landed the role:

    When I found out I got the job, I was actually pulling up to set on Dickinson. My driver got out of the car and went to open my door and I held it shut because it was like, “I need a moment.” I hadn’t gotten a “you got the job” call in a minute. My mom was on the phone and I started crying in the back seat of the car. I was like, “Wow, this is so wild.” I was trying to wrap my head around how different it was going to be from Dickinson and how ready but anxious I was about the whole thing.

    Hailee Steinfeld

    The actress landing the role was arguably emotional for fans as well. Rumors upon rumors floated around regarding whether or not Steinfeld had signed on for the role. Multiple project delays affected her ability to take the job, but eventually, it was clear that Steinfeld would be taking her place in Hawkeye after we got the first photos and videos of her on set. While audiences will be able to judge for themselves when Hawkeye drops on November 24th, it seems likely that Steinfeld’s turn as Kate Bishop is a casting that will be celebrated all-around.

    Source: Forbes, Cosmopolitan

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Will Test Kate Bishop’s Relationship With Her Mother

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’ Will Test Kate Bishop’s Relationship With Her Mother

    We’re only a few weeks away from Hawkeye‘s release on Disney+. The series will take a more grounded approach with our titular hero taking on mobsters rather than planet-destroying space tyrants. Clint Barton’s series will also see him take a young protégé under his wing, Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop. The series will explore their dynamic and the importance of family. While Barton is struggling to make it home on time for the holidays, Kate is juggling her relationship with her mother.

    In a teaser for the series, we briefly saw the archer trying to explain to her mother that she is important in solving an Avengers-level threat. Vera Farmiga will bring her mother, Eleanor Bishop, to life and has been highlighted in the trailers so far. It’s interesting to note that she died in the comics during a visit to Colorado with her husband Derek raising Kate and her sister Susan. It was a big part of her character development in the comics, which the MCU will add a new spin on it. Hawkeye producer Trinh Tran offered some insight into why they made the change in an exclusive interview with our own Charles Villanueva

    We haven’t had many opportunities to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the MCU. I’m not saying that hasn’t happened, but it’s just there hasn’t been too many of that. And what I find interesting is that there is a lot of, I guess, fresh territory that we can go to for the relationship for the two of them.

    Trihn Tran

    Many Marvel stories indeed focus on the dynamic between fathers and their children, such as Thanos and Gamora, Ego and Star-Lord, and many more. So, it’s a great move to use this opportunity to explore a mother-daughter dynamic, especially as she highlights how Kate’s personality adds that extra layer that’ll test their relationship.

    She thinks she knows what is best for Kate, but Kate is you’ve seen in the comics is sometimes hard-headed, and she speaks her mind and she is not afraid to do so. And there could be opposing opinions in who she is. So, I think that, like I said, is a more personal, more emotional between the two characters that we wanted to explore in this particular direction for the both of them.

    Trihn Tran

    There’s a possibility that this change was also inspired to explore the darker side of her family’s history. Given what we learn about the character in the comics, they might want to also further establish their dynamic before the story hits a more dramatic turn.

  • Latest HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Set Photos Offers a Closer Look at Jackson City

    Latest HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Set Photos Offers a Closer Look at Jackson City

    We’ve gotten a glimpse of HBO’s production of their live-action adaptation of The Last Of Us. Early in October, we got a look at a post-apocalyptic city that showcases their attention to detail in bringing the games to life. Now, new photos have found their way online teasing a very familiar landmark in the Naughty Dog franchise, Jackson City. The Wyoming safe haven played an important role in both games. In the first, we visit Tommy, Joel’s brother, in this town during the cross-country tour. The self-sustaining town would play a vital role in the opening act of the sequel. So, its inclusion makes sense and it’s great to see this many practical sets bringing it to life. The pictures are provided by Russell and Russell Design Studios, who turned the Canadian city of Canmore into Jackson.

    The weather also hints at this story taking place during the winter, especially around the holiday season with some other photos teasing a giant Christmas tree.

    We’re seeing a great level of practical work bringing this series to life throughout these set photos. It’s a great touch, as it adds to the harsh reality that our duo is about to face on their cross-country storyline. Of course, the fact they built Jackson opens up the possibility that we’ll see a similar storyline from the first game and the introduction of Tommy. His original voice actor, Jeffrey Pierce, did join the project but as an original character, as Agents of SHIELD’s Gabriel Luna takes on the role in the live-action series opposite of Pedro Pascal‘s Joel.

    Source: Instagram, Instagram (Tree)

  • ‘Batgirl’ Adds ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Cinematographer John Mathieson

    ‘Batgirl’ Adds ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Cinematographer John Mathieson

    Barbara Gordon is set to make her DC extended universe debut after quite a bit of time in development hell. The film looks to be taking inspiration from Batgirl: Year One as well as the Batgirl of Burnside storyline. The HBO Max original movie landed the directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who most recently worked on the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. It seems the films added yet another Marvel Studios veteran to its crew, with Arbi announcing the projects found has found its cinematographer.

    In one of his Instagram stories, he announced that John Mathieson, whose previous works include Gladiator, Logan, and Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness has joined their film’s production. This is an interesting development considering the Doctor Strange sequel is currently slated to begin reshoots in the coming weeks that are considered to be quite extensive and time-consuming. So, joining Batgirl might imply that once Doctor Strange wraps up, he’ll join the DC project shortly after.

    Plot details on the film are still being kept under wraps as the DCEU continues its expansion. The film is set to be one of the first projects that will air exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service. It’ll also be joined by a project focused on Blue Beetle. Plot details and a release date for the film are still unknown as the film is set to start production in Glasgow. Batgirl is set to star Leslie Grace as the titular hero alongside Jacob Scipio, J.K. Simmons reprising his role as Commissioner Gordon and Brendan Fraser as Firefly.

    SOURCE: Instagram

  • First Look at ‘The Art of WandaVision’ Artbook

    First Look at ‘The Art of WandaVision’ Artbook

    There’s a tradition with Marvel Studios films that an art book commonly follows at one point. It offers a look behind-the-curtains and how they bring some of our favorite characters to life. It was uncertain if the same is the case for the Disney+ series, but luckily it seems we got the answer we were looking for. Marvel Studios’ Director of Visual Development and Concept Artist Andy Park has shared the first look at an Art of WandaVision book with its cover highlighting Wanda’s transformation into the Scarlet Witch and her family from the Disney+ series.

    Park‘s artwork has always been impressive and showcases his love for detail. Scarlet Witch’s MCU design feels like the perfect blend of her comic outfit with a blend of practicality. There are always interesting secrets hidden in the many chapters of these Art of books, as they sometimes also hint at concepts that didn’t make it past the concept phase. There was artwork prepared for Doctor Strange wearing the Iron Man armor in Avengers: Infinity War and even some alternative designs for Spider-Man’s many suits throughout the MCU. It’ll be interesting to see what secrets this book includes.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mel Gibson In Talks To Direct ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ For HBO Max

    Mel Gibson In Talks To Direct ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ For HBO Max


    It turns out nobody is ever too old for this stuff. Mel Gibson is reportedly negotiating a return to the Lethal Weapon franchise that helped put him on the map. Only this time, he could be sitting in the director’s chair as well as starring in front of the camera. Deadline states that Gibson had long been developing a potential fifth installment in the buddy cop series with the previous director Richard Donner. After the latter’s passing earlier this year, Gibson decided he would take it upon himself to finish the project as a tribute to his longtime friend.

    Any potential plot details are currently being kept under wraps, and it’s unknown if Gibson or his famous costar Danny Glover will return to their iconic roles as well. What is known is that the film would premiere exclusively on HBO Max. The streaming service has been working hard to expand its portfolio of exclusive content, and adding a new Lethal Weapon would do wonders in bringing in a whole generation of viewers who grew up with the franchise. Gibson is currently working on the John Wick prequel series The Continental at Starz, so it’s likely any real production on Lethal Weapon 5 would have to wait until after that project wraps.

    Source: Deadline