Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Marvel Studios Wanted to “Take Some Chances” With ‘Eternals’

    Marvel Studios Wanted to “Take Some Chances” With ‘Eternals’

    Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Eternals will explore a new aspect of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. For the first time, we’ll start at its beginnings and explore how the universe we’ve come to love sparked into existence. Indie director Chloé Zhao took over the reins of this ambitious project and it looks like they’ve tried their hands at a project unlike any other. In an interview with Toronto Sun, Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore highlighted this very fact, as he pointed out:

    It’s our most ambitious first film. Because of that we wanted to take a big swing. We wanted to take some chances and give audiences something that feels completely new

    Nate Moore

    It certainly is an ambitious project if you consider it introduces an ensemble cast of ten aliens that explore 7,000 years of MCU history. Of course, the ambition to break their own norm may also reflect in the highly debated Rotten Tomatoes score, which currently sits lower than that of Thor: The Dark World with 60%. It’s not uncommon for new ventures like these to become controversial due to their “love it or hate it” nature.

    In a way, the galactic direction for director Zhao also creates a new approach. Her work on The Rider and Nomadland showed a more down-to-earth approach to storytelling. It’s great to see Marvel Studios take a unique approach and even if it’s not a critic pleaser, there’s a chance the project will garner quite a bit of love from viewers for trying out something new.

    Source: Toronto Sun, Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Eternals’ Sequels Not a Guarantee for Marvel Studios

    ‘Eternals’ Sequels Not a Guarantee for Marvel Studios

    Marvel Studios has built up a collection of trilogies with their iconic heroes. Some ended their runs long before the Infinity Saga ended while others are only just continuing. Thor: Love and Thunder is their first attempt at going beyond the classic trilogy concept. So, with new entries on the horizon, it seemed like a logical next step is to build new franchises.

    Recent rumors already hinted at a Shang-Chi sequel, but there’s also the upcoming Eternals film. With a cast of ten main characters that spans 7,000 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe history, it seems like it’s made for a sequel. Yet. producer Nate Moore hints that there’s no guarantee we’ll get any sequels.

    It’s not something that is a must-have. Obviously, we have ideas of where we could go, but there isn’t a hard and fast rule where we have to have three of these things and this is the first.

    Nate Moore

    While some may make a connection with the recent discussions surrounding its Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s most likely a question of if the Eternals as such are going to have their own franchise or live on through others. Plus, it’s great for Marvel Studios to also give some films their unique voice and let them stand on their own. Not every new entry requires a trilogy or full franchise. Especially a project with 10+ protagonists that could expand into their own storylines separate from the group. It may become like an Avengers project in reverse, where we then continue our stories with the various members.

    Source: Toronto Sun

  • ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Eyeing Fall 2022 Release on Disney+ as it Rounds Out its Cast

    ‘Hocus Pocus’ Sequel Eyeing Fall 2022 Release on Disney+ as it Rounds Out its Cast

    Disney has long wanted to bring back the iconic Hocus Pocus film. A staple for many people’s Halloween, it was surprising that the House of Mouse waited this long before they’d greenlight a sequel. After all this time, it has finally happened as we got our first tease for the upcoming second entry and a confirmation that the Sanderson sisters will make a return. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will return in their iconic roles.

    Of course, they’ll get joined by some familiar faces which include Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Tony Hale, Hannah Waddingham, Juju Brener, Froy Guiterrez, Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen. Doug Jones is also set to return as Billy Butcherson in the upcoming sequel. The new entry is eyeing a Fall 2022 release on Disney’s streaming service. While I mentioned previously it’s surprising they didn’t create a sequel, it was a box office bomb at the time. Millenials revived the franchise later on as it skyrocketed in popularity.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they revive this franchise and stick to the set-up from the original. There’s always a chance that they’ll try to twist some of our understanding from the original franchise to add something unique to the story. Disney+ has become the home to various returning franchises such as Turner and Hooch, as well as the upcoming release of a new Home Alone entry. It’ll be interesting to see what other iconic franchises may make a return at some point.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Superman and Lois’ Showrunner Teases Season 2’s Villain

    ‘Superman and Lois’ Showrunner Teases Season 2’s Villain

    Superman and Lois‘ first season reinvented the way we see stories around the Man of Steel. This time around, Clark Kent is faced with the biggest challenge ever, raising two sons alongside his love Lois Lane. He did face off against some new foes like Adam Rayner‘s Tal-Rho. Of course, it opened up the question of what other villains he might face off against in the upcoming second season. Luckily, showrunner Todd Helbing offered a small tease when he was asked if we’ve heard of the next villain he’ll face.

    You have, yes. The only tease I will say is, in the same way that we took Morgan Edge and twisted the mythology a little bit—made him Clark’s brother and ultimately the Eradicator—we’re trying to go into the comic books to find lesser-known villains and reinvent them. We can introduce them and people can then go read the versions in the comics.

    Todd Helbing

    In the same interview, he also highlights that we haven’t seen the last of Tal-Rho either. So, it’ll be interesting to see how many villains he might end up facing in the upcoming second season. It’s great that they want to explore smaller villains that normally wouldn’t get a chance on the silver screen or generally in live-action. It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle it. Helbing also revealed that they recently pitched the second season to the studio. So, they are still in the early stages of getting the ball rolling on the project. So, we might not see any new updates for some time until they start entering production.

    Source: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Special Collector’s Issue via TV Insider

  • ‘Dune’ and ‘Halloween Kills’ Fend Off Newcomers at the Box Office

    ‘Dune’ and ‘Halloween Kills’ Fend Off Newcomers at the Box Office

    There was little to no competition for Dune and Halloween Kills this weekend.

    Denis Villeneueve’s Dune retained it’s top spot at the box office after pulling in another $15.5 million during the slow Halloween weekend – a 62% dip from last weekend. That is enough to bring the film’s domestic haul to $69.4 million after 10 days in release. The film also did well internationally, bringing in $21.4 million from 75 markets, including $33 from China. To date, Dune has earned $292.1 million at the worldwide box office.

    Halloween Kills came in second, pulling in $8.5 million during its third outing. So far, the film has earned $85.6 million domestically. Coming in third place is the James Bond film, No Time to Die, which took in another $7.8 million. The latest James Bond film has now surpassed $600 million at the worldwide box office after opening to $28.2 million in China.

    The biggest surprise of the weekend, however, didn’t come from one of the big titles. FUNimation’s My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission surprised everyone with $6 million from just 1,600 locations. (By comparison, Halloween Kills was still playing in 3,616 locations this weekend.)

    The biggest new release this week was Edgar Wright‘s The Last Night in Soho, which faltered at the box office with just  $4.2 million from 3,016 theaters. That is well below the $8 million box office experts estimated going into the weekend.

    Source: THR

  • Matthias Schweighöfer Was a Favorite During Test-Screenings as ‘Army of Thieves’ Was Already in Pre-Production

    Matthias Schweighöfer Was a Favorite During Test-Screenings as ‘Army of Thieves’ Was Already in Pre-Production

    Zack Snyder moved on from his DC franchise to establish a new universe over at Netflix. Taking another stab at the zombie genre, he twisted it in creative ways through Army of the Dead. The story explored an unlikely group of mercenaries that are pulling off a casino heist during a zombie apocalypse. In that team is the German named Ludwig Dieter played by long-time German star Matthias Schweighöfer.

    He’s made quite the name in the German-speaking market but now he had his big time to shine in the States when he joined Snyder’s new film and was going to lead its first prequel, Army of Thieves. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he talks about the scene where he tried his best to prove he’s part of the big leagues now.

    It was a ten-minute scene in the original version. It was huge. There was one moment where I knew, ‘OK, I’m in this film. It’s when Dave touches the blueprint, and I say, ‘Take your sausage fingers away, Mr. Big Hand.’ Dave started laughing. Zack started laughing. And I knew, ‘OK, welcome to the show.’

    Matthias Schweighöfer

    It seems he didn’t have much time, as he just met the director before this scene and had to perform to confirm his place in this new film. His character even became quite the popular character for many viewers. So, Schweighöfer’s casting was one of Snyder’s best moves yet he does confirm it was one of the more difficult roles to cast. THR’s Aaron Couch added on Twitter that he became a fan-favorite during test screenings just as Army of Thieves was already in pre-production.

    When Schweighöfer found out they were looking for a director, he threw his hat in the ring fresh off of his experience in the Amazon series You Are Wanted. The Snyders took a gander at it and it helped convince them he was the man for the job. So, once they got the green light, they gave him the call. The rest, as they say, is history.

    Source: Twitter, Hollywood Reporter

  • REPORT: Star Wars’ Ahsoka Will Enter Production This Winter

    REPORT: Star Wars’ Ahsoka Will Enter Production This Winter

    Production on Star Wars‘ Ahsoka looks to be entering starting soon.

    During a recent appearance on the Fatman Beyond podcast, writer and producer Marc Bernardin let it slip that production on Ahsoka is coming up. While discussing a short film he’ll be directing in December, Bernardin revealed he approached Rosario Dawson to appear in the project. Unfortunately, though, the actress made it clear she’s busy with another project at the time. “She was the first choice, and I wanted her very, very badly,” he explained. “She read the script and loved it, but she was like ‘Listen, I’m going to be in Manhattan Beach making a f—ing Star Wars show, and, uh, I can’t be in your short.’ Which I was like ‘Okay! That checks out!’”

    While he didn’t specifically namedrop Ahsoka, the Disney+ is well into the casting process. It was recently revealed that Hayden Christensen is set to reprise his role as Darth Vader in the series. He went on to state the series was in production, however, with The Mandalorian production underway, Dawson may be making yet another appearance on that series.

    The Ahsoka series is being written by Dave Filoni, while Jon Favreau is acting as a producer on the series. While little is known regarding the series, it’s speculated that Ahsoka supposedly takes place after Ahsoka meets with Din Djarin in The Mandalorian.

    Ahsoka was initially expected to enter production in 2022. As of now, a release date has not yet been unveiled by Disney+.

    Source: CBR

  • Miss Minutes Actor Tara Strong on Loki, Season 2 and More

    Miss Minutes Actor Tara Strong on Loki, Season 2 and More

    Marvel Studios’ Loki introduced plenty of new characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The most popular, however, was easily the addition of Tara Strong‘s Miss Minutes. As a character created specifically for the television series, fans were uncertain what to expect from the cartoon clock. However, by the season’s end, she quickly became a fan favorite.

    During a recent appearance at Fan Expo Canada, Strong briefly talked about her role as Miss Minutes and how she didn’t know what she was auditioning for in the beginning. It wasn’t until she was on a Zoom call with director Kate Herron and the Marvel Cinematic Universe team that she had an idea as to what she was auditioning for. “I actually didn’t know what I was auditioning for when I first read for Loki,” she said. “So I recorded one a little more like Siri, and then one a little bit less like that, and the one with the accent. And I didn’t even know exactly what it was until I was on the Zoom with Kate Herron and the rest of the MCU team.”

    Despite her excitement over the role, Strong admitted she didn’t think Miss Minutes would become as big of a deal as she has among fans. “I didn’t know was gonna be that big, and I honestly think it’s my favorite Marvel TV series ever,” she stated. “Like, here’s this animated character, we don’t know her backstory, she’s jumping into a very beloved universe, and people were like ‘oh my God, we love her!’ right away. So I’m so happy and it’s like this gift that keeps on giving that I didn’t know I ordered.”

    As to whether or not she’ll be returning for Season 2 of Loki? Strong is not willing to answer that just yet. “I actually can’t tell you, cause then I’d have to prune you!”

    The first season of Marvel Studios’ Loki is streaming now on Disney+.

    Source: The Direct

  • Kamala Khan Will Go ‘Beyond the Limit’ in a New Ms. Marvel Series This December

    Kamala Khan Will Go ‘Beyond the Limit’ in a New Ms. Marvel Series This December

    Kamala Khan will go beyond the limit in a brand new series launching this December.

    On Friday, Marvel Comics unveiled the first look at the forthcoming series. Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit is set after an explosion of interdimensional proportions at her cousin’s lab in Chicago. As Kamala’s world is turned upside down, and into a Bollywood set, she finds her powers are on the fritz. Unfortunately, it’ll be a race against the clock to figure out what is going on.

    The new series hails from New York Times best-selling author Samira Ahmend (Love, Hate and Other Filters) and features art by Runaways artist Andrés Genolet. The series will “carry Kamala to new heights” as she dives deeper into her powers and what ultimately makes her a hero.

    You can check out a sneak-peek at the forthcoming title in the below slideshow.

    “We’re definitely going to have some food in there, we’re definitely gonna have some pretty striking South Asian cultural elements that people are gonna see right off the bat in the series,” Ahmed said. “There are gonna be some familiar faces and fan favorites, but also some new faces… Willow and then Saladin have created such an incredible world. I’m just excited to explore it and even push it out a little further.”

    MS MARVEL: BEYOND THE LIMIT will hit shelves on Dec. 8.

    Source: Marvel

  • Jenna Dewan to Reprise Lucy Lane Role for ‘Superman & Lois’

    Jenna Dewan to Reprise Lucy Lane Role for ‘Superman & Lois’

    Jenna Dewan is returning as Lucy Lane.

    It was announced on Friday Dewan will reprise her role as Lucy Lane, a role she originated in CBS’ Supergirl, for Superman & Lois. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Dewan will recur as Lane in the CW series second season. Dewan, of course, first debuted as Lucy Lane in 2015 during Supergirl‘s debut season on CBS.

    Dewan appeared on Supergirl for a total of 13 episodes, with Season 1, Episode 20, “Better Angels” marking her final appearance. Interestingly enough, Dewan’s appearance as Lane on Superman & Lois will mark the first time the sisters appear on-screen together as Elizabeth Tulloch didn’t debut as Lois Lane until the 2018 Elseworlds crossover.

    This is the second Arrowverse actor to make the move to Superman & Lois, following David Ramsey’s John Diggle appearing in season one.

    The second season of Superman & Lois will premiere in 2022.

    Source: THR