Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘What If…?’s Lead Character Designer Joins ‘X-Men ’97’

    ‘What If…?’s Lead Character Designer Joins ‘X-Men ’97’

    Ever since the announcement came that Marvel Studios is reviving the popular X-Men animated series from the 90s. With the new title X-Men ’97, it’ll join a bunch of animated projects announced during Disney+ Day. After their first venture with What If…?, it was clear that they saw a future in this new direction and it seems some from that team are even joining the newer projects.

    What If…?‘s Lead Character Designer Amelia Vidal has shared on Twitter that she’s also carrying over her role in bringing the classic 90’s incarnations of the X-Men to life. It does open the question if she’ll return for an eventual third season of What If…? or she will juggle both projects moving forward. Still, it’s great to see the team continue to work with their talent and let them test out their talents on other projects.

    It’s great to see Marvel Studios venturing out of the MCU and developing projects that won’t be connected directly to the original franchise’s timeline. Of course, there’s always the chance it is part of the ever-expanding multiverse introduced in Loki. We’ll see how the projects develop but, for now, we’re getting a clearer picture of how long these projects may have been in development, such as artist Chase Conley promoting his love for the original series only to confirm his involvement recently.

    Source: Twitter

  • Scott Derrickson Open to Eventual Return to Direct Another Marvel Film

    Scott Derrickson Open to Eventual Return to Direct Another Marvel Film

    Doctor Strange is among Marvel Studios’ best films, not only introducing mainstream audiences to Stephen Strange but also for unlocking the magical side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film would eventually score a sequel with director Scott Derrickson and star Benedict Cumberbatch set to return in their respective roles. Sadly, just a few months after announcing Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness at SDCC, he left the project over “creative differences.”

    Just a few weeks later it was announced that Sam Raimi would be returning to the Marvel Universe to direct the sequel who is, of course, best known for his Spider-Man films as well as the Evil Dead franchise. Scott Derrickson is one of those directors who are very hands-on when it comes to fan interactions, especially on Twitter, and recently entertained a request from a fan to return to the MCU for another film. Of course, he played coy responding with a simple response:

    https://twitter.com/scottderrickson/status/1459586169998512129?s=21

    No one would be opposed to a return for the director, especially after his work on Doctor Strange but for now, it’s all just hypotheticals. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be undergoing “extensive reshoots” soon due to the pandemic affecting its production, but it currently is eyeing a release in May. It’ll be interesting to see if the director might return for an eventual third entry or even to tackle a brand new franchise.

    Source: Twitter

  • Kirsten Dunst Backtracks, Open to Return to the ‘Spider-Man’ Franchise

    Kirsten Dunst Backtracks, Open to Return to the ‘Spider-Man’ Franchise

    Spider-Man: No Way Home has been filled with theories and rumors that it’s hard to know what is real anymore. It especially got heated when it seemed like actors from previous Spider-Man films were making a comeback. Early rumors included not just the main stars Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, but also some of their supporting cast like Kirsten Dunst‘s Mary Jane.

    In an interview with Total Film, she had openly denied being involved with the film. She also highlighted that she doesn’t actively watch superhero movies, including the latest renditions from Marvel Studios and Sony. So, she didn’t seem to show any active interest in these projects. Yet, in a new interview with Variety, she suddenly changed her tune and seemed open to reprising the role of MJ in a Spider-Man project during a screening at AFI Fest.

    I would do it. Why not? That would be fun. I would never say no to something like that. I’d be old MJ at this point with little Spidey babies.

    Why would this be a curious way to discuss the film? Well, Andrew Garfield did something similar some time ago. At first, he outright denied his involvement with the project only to suddenly leave the door open about potentially returning to the franchise. So, as they continue to get asked about the film, they tend to backtrack from their definite denial.

    It’s also not uncommon for actors involved with these projects to openly deny any involvement. Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Renner, and even recently Tatiana Maslany proclaimed their castings as nothing but rumors, which Dunst also openly did in the interview with Total Film. With the confirmed return of Alfred Molina, it’s still quite the possibility and the upcoming release will give us our definite answer.

    Source: Total Film, Variety

  • New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer to Premiere Next Tuesday

    New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer to Premiere Next Tuesday

    There have been many discussions and wars fought over when the next trailer would release for Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was already quite the discussion when it seemed like the initial one was getting postponed with each reference. Finally, after a long wait, we got a more definite release date as @BrandonDavisBD has shared that there’s a Spider-Man fan event next Tuesday, November 16th. It’ll be a trailer launch event so that fans can finally check out what is heading our way in December. There’s no definite release timing included.

    It’s been a long time coming, but it’s exciting to finally have a confirmed release date. They also avoided keeping it a secret and just randomly dropping it but rather being upfront about it. Of course, filling a theater for fans is a nice move but also a risky one considering the current situation with the pandemic. They do highlight COVID-19 safety registrations and there might be some surprises for those that manage to get in. Here’s hoping that the wait for the trailer online won’t take too long.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    Eternals‘ box office has been a highly debated discussion due to the film’s mixed critical reception. While it was behind expectations, it still managed to nab the fourth-highest domestic opening of 2021 with $71M. Of course, the first weekend is where any film builds its momentum and the question is how strong it can keep that top spot in the coming weeks. Well, it looks like the Friday numbers are in and the film faced a drop similar to Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The drop is around 75% that is a far cry from Shang-Chi‘s 67%. Still, it’ll very likely pass the $100M mark once the weekend is over.

    Eternals will take the top spot again in its second weekend, which is still a strong showing. What should be highlighted is that this film might not have strong legs as other projects, its international numbers may be giving it an additional boost. The numbers are also developing similarly to how July was right as the pandemic was only starting to slow down. The box office generally has a few milestones for various franchises, such as Dune also passing the $100M mark and the Venom sequel getting to $200M.

    Clifford the Big Red Dog will take the second spot but won’t give the latest Marvel Studios film much competition. It’s also been facing harsher critical reception but is doing better with audiences as a fun film for families to check out. So, it might be a quieter week but it’s very likely that Eternals will be dethroned once Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases next week.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Milestone), Box Office Mojo

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Farewell Amor’s Ekwa Msangi Directing an Episode of Showtime’s ‘Three Women’

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Farewell Amor’s Ekwa Msangi Directing an Episode of Showtime’s ‘Three Women’

    Showtime has been working on an adaptation of Lisa Taddeo‘s Three Women since 2019. The story of three women’s sexual and emotional experiences across the United States became a best seller in its debut. Even more impressing if you consider it was Taddeo‘s debut publication. The story of Lina, Maggie, and Sloane caught Showtime’s eye and it wasn’t until July that they gave it a series order with Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, and Betty Gilpin taking over the role of our main trio. We can now exclusively share that the production has added Tanzanian-American filmmaker Ekwa Msangi to direct an episode of the series.

    Msangi made a name in the industry for her work on the TV movie All My Friends Are Married, and her work on the film Farwell Amor back in 2020. Her work featured strong female leads exploring their place in the world, which makes her a perfect addition to the creative team aiming to bring Three Women to life. Her TV movie All My Friends Are Married explored women in their thirties trying to avoid turning into spinsters in New York City. Farewell Amor explored the story of an Angolan woman, as she bonds with a stranger through their love for dance.

    Taddeo spent around eight years working on the novel and explored the locations that are the focus of each character’s life. Lina is a suburban mother from Indiana while Maggie is a high school student from North Dakota. Sloane lives in the Northeast of the United States, where she has a very peculiar relationship with her husband.

    The episode is set to film late this year and into 2022. The series began production earlier this Fall and currently has no set release date.

  • ‘The Green Knight’s Director of Photography Worked on Disney+’s ‘Moon Knight’

    ‘The Green Knight’s Director of Photography Worked on Disney+’s ‘Moon Knight’

    Disney+ Day finally gave us our first look at Moon Knight. Oscar Isaac takes on the role of schizophrenic mercenary that becomes a brutal vigilante. We were given a brief teaser of the upcoming series that teases his fractured perception of reality with some beautifully done shots, especially when the camera pans into a room where Moon Knight is beating the hell out of someone. Luckily, it seems we also now know who’s involved with the project as The Green Knight‘s director of photography, Andrew Droz Palermo, announced his involvement with the DIsney+ series in an Instagram story during the Dsiney+ Day madness.

    It’s funny that he moved on from one Knight-focused project to another, but given that film’s visual fidelity, his addition is an exciting prospect. He’s also worked n a variety of other projects like 2017’s A Ghost Story and 2019’s The True Adventures of Wolfboy. He’s also worked on a few TV projects like Strange Angel in 2019, where he also worked as director of photography. He is sure to add an interesting visual style to make the series stand out from the rest alongside director Mohamed Diab.

    Moon Knight might be our first true window into the darker and mystical side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’ll be interesting to see. if the series might end up connecting to Mahershala Ali‘s upcoming Blade project that’ll introduce us to vampires. Marc Spector is no stranger to fighting supernatural beings and with his mind fractured, it might become quite the challenge to understand whatever he is facing is real or not.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Marvel Zombies’ Won’t Continue The ‘What If…?’ Episode

    ‘Marvel Zombies’ Won’t Continue The ‘What If…?’ Episode

    Disney+ Day offered some great surprises including the official announcement of an animated series adapting the iconic Marvel Zombies comic storyline. The timing was perfect as they were riding off of the popularity of the What If…? episode that introduced the concept into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The theories were that they’d continue where that episode left off, as a zombified Thanos took over Wakanda but it turns out they’re inspired by the comics and might take a different look at the flesh-eating heroes.

    Marvel Studios’ producer Brad Winderbaum discussed some of the new announcements, especially with their new animated ventures. He briefly touched upon the potential the return of the 90s animated X-Men project will offer with X-Men ’97 but also offered some insight into what Marvel Zombies will offer. In it, he may have confirmed that it’s not a direct continuation of Marvel Studios’ first introduction of the zombies.

    And then, of course, we revealed that we’re doing a series all about Marvel Zombies, continuing the universe that was set up in What If…? and just like the way Marvel Zombies was introduced in the Ultimates in the comics and then introduced a parallel universe of zombies that was explored and its own series, we’re doing a similar thing where we introduced in What If…? and now we’re going to take a look at that universe with a different lens.

    Brad Winderbau

    So, it seems that we’ll explore a different part of the multiverse where another zombie virus has spread, or they might stick to the What If…? timeline. His statement is vague because he confirms continuity, backtracks on it before connecting it again. He says it’s a continuation of that universe, but also says they’ll do something that the comics did. So, they might leave the origin of the virus the same, as the Quantum Realm does technically exist outside of the multiverse. So, maybe this is the current plan that changes as production continues.

    They also might want to explore this story in a way that isn’t shackled by pre-existing MCU canon and build their own storyline around the existence of superpowered zombies. They might also not want to rely on the 3D animation and give it a unique design. Sadly, the creator of the original comics, Robert Kirkman, isn’t involved with the project but they might consult him once production starts on it.

    Source: Marvel

  • EXCLUSIVE: Ally Maki and Director Dan Mazer on Making ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’

    EXCLUSIVE: Ally Maki and Director Dan Mazer on Making ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’

    Home Sweet Home Alone is finally now out on Disney+. A pseudo-sequel to the Macaulay Culkin duology, the film presents a familiar concept in a contemporary manner. We spoke to stars Ally Maki and director Dan Mazer on the process of bringing a classic franchise back to life and what it was like to work with up-and-comer Archie Yates.

    According to Maki, Mazer played a crucial part in fostering a working environment that allowed the cast to go crazy with improv.

    Ellie and Rob just led that set with such warmth and hilarity. And I think having Dan Mazer as our director, who did Borat and Ali G., he really created such a fun atmosphere where he let us do a lot of what we wanted and that created the bond we have as a cast. It was so much fun.

    There was so much improv. Something I would be like, “Wow! He’s really letting us go on and on.” There was some stuff that didn’t make the movie. I feel like Tim and I could have our own Home Alone short just because of all the scenes we filmed. We had so much fun.

    Dan Mazer is a writer known for some of the raunchiest, and as he put in our conversation with him, filthiest comedy films of the past two decades. He elaborated on his process as a comedic filmmaker and how he incorporated it with the cast he had for the film.

    In my casting process in whatever project I do, I like to make sure that the people I cast are funny in their own right that if we ever throw away the script, they can be brilliant. And obviously, in the stuff I’ve done with Sacha Baron Cohen, there’s so much improvisation. That’s the excitement of filmmaking; seeing what you can come up with on the day. And when you have Pete Holmes, Ally Maki, Kenan Thompson, Chris Parnell, as your supporting characters, not to mention Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper, as a comic director it’s like having a toy box.

    Archie Yates stars as Max Mercer, the Kevin McAllister analogue of Home Sweet Home Alone. Yates previously wowed audiences with his supporting role in the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit. Mazer revealed what it was like to work with Yates on his first big starring role.

    We were in the middle of our search looking for Max Mercer. I auditioned lots of really talented kids. And then I saw Jojo Rabbit and had a thunderous moment where I fell in love with Archie Yates. It was like he was born to be on a film set. He walks on with absolute authority and total confidence. He slipped into the role effortlessly and made it his own. He was a treat to work with.

  • ‘X-Men ‘97’ Producer Teases An Emotional Impact In New Show

    ‘X-Men ‘97’ Producer Teases An Emotional Impact In New Show

    X-Men ‘97 is Marvel Studios’ first X-Men production. As a continuation of the ‘90s animated series that many adults grew up with as kids, the show has an in-built fan base. The announcement along with creative collaborators and returning cast means there will be more opportunities to talk about the project with the public. Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios appeared on Marvel’s podcast This Week in Marvel to talk about some of their animation announcements. 

    Winderbaum suggested that the original animated series has been a “touchstone” for many filmmakers Marvel Studios had conversations with over the years. He also talked about how head writer Beau DeMayo pitched the show, teasing an emotional shift at the end of the ‘90s and an important event that seemingly frames the new series: 

    He pitched us a show that didn’t just honor the original series, but also brought it into the modern world and talked not only about the 90s, but about the emotional shift that happened at the beginning of the new millennium, and how the show is actually going to explore that and see how the characters change, you know, after a very impactful event. And he talked about the soap opera of it all and was really compelling to us, but also the true emotional stakes to these characters.

    Brad Winderbaum

    All of that seems like an intriguing set of circumstances with which to evolve the original series.  We’ll have to wait quite a while longer to see it play out as the show is set to release on Disney+ in 2023. As animation takes quite a while, it can perhaps be expected the show is already reasonably far into production so we might start to hear more from the creators soon! 

    Sources: Marvel