Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Christopher McDonald Joins ‘Secret Invasion’

    Christopher McDonald Joins ‘Secret Invasion’

    Christopher McDonald, who played the iconic Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, has joined Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Secret Invasion. According to the trade report, the 66-year old McDonald will be portraying a newly created character with the potential to appear in other MCU properties down the road.

    Happy Gilmore' star Christopher McDonald avoids jail in DUI case | Fox News

    The production has been looking to cast an older male in one of two unfilled roles: a Tucker Carlson-esque news anchor role and a European spy so it’s possible that McDonald fits the bill for one of those two roles with the news anchor role making a bit more sense. Production on Secret Invasion is expected to kick off this August in the UK.

    McDonald will join Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, who will reprise their roles as Nick Fury and Talos, and MCU newbies Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Killian Scott.

    Source: Deadline

     

  • ‘Loki’ Head Writer Michael Waldron Teases ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Connection

    ‘Loki’ Head Writer Michael Waldron Teases ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Connection

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe has slowly changed throughout the years. Some stories were isolated while others would influence or have unforeseen consequences on the events of another. As Phase 4 starts to expand, we’re starting to notice that the stories being told are more interconnected than ever before. This appears to now have become the case with the release of Junes’ Disney+ show, Loki. According to Michael Waldron, the head writer for Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there could be a potential connection between the timeline shenanigans of both projects. In an interview with Total Film, Waldron teased the connection when discussing the Doctor Strange sequel:

    All of these stories, in their own way, are interconnected, and have ramifications. I think that certainly our aim with the Loki series was for it to have wide-reaching ramifications across the MCU moving forward. So, you know, was I having to clean up some of the messes that I made [with Loki]? Maybe so.

    In the past, we’ve theorized about how multiple projects could potentially tie into the coveted Multiverse of Madness besides the recent debut of WandaVision and the upcoming release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. With Loki delving into what occurs when variants alter the timeline and create branches into alternate realities, it seems as though the Sorceror Supreme could potentially have a lot on his plate by the time we reach the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness once it airs next year.

    Source: TotalFilm

  • Zack Snyder Reworking an Old ‘STAR WARS’ Script Into an Original Film

    Zack Snyder Reworking an Old ‘STAR WARS’ Script Into an Original Film

    It looks like Zack Snyder may be taking us to a galaxy far, far away. It’s just not the one you’re probably thinking of right now. The director is well-known for his forays into the world of superheroes, having famously tackled both Watchmen and Justice League over the course of his career. Now, Snyder is stepping away from established franchises and getting back to basics. Netflix recently released his first original feature in years, a zombie flick called Army of the Dead, and now the filmmaker has revealed he’s working on his next major project.

    He shared the first news while being on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Snyder confirmed his script was originally intended to be part of the Star Wars universe, telling a brand new story set in its own corner of the celebrated timeline. Unfortunately, the story concept, which was heavily inspired by Akira Kurosawa‘s Seven Samurai, never made it past Lucasfilm. So, Snyder has set out to restructure the script and rewrite it to become an original project.

    I’ve been working on it away from the ‘Star Wars’ universe, on my own, as a sci-fi thing…It’s still a sci-fi thing. It’s the same story. Now, I’m just going to let ‘Star Wars’ be ‘Star Wars.

    This isn’t the first time the director has mentioned playing in the Star Wars universe. In May, he shared his interest in a project but pointed out that he “wouldn’t survive” the process. His film also would not have been the first Star Wars story to take inspiration from Kurosawa or Seven Samurai, as franchise creator George Lucas is known to have often cited the film when it comes to Star Wars: A New Hope. It remains to be seen when or if Snyder‘s sci-fi movie gets a greenlight, but here’s hoping it happens sooner than later.

    Source: Happy Sad Confused, Cinemablend

  • ‘WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer Inks a 3-Year Deal With Marvel Studios and 20th Television

    ‘WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer Inks a 3-Year Deal With Marvel Studios and 20th Television

    It looks like WandaVision was a success, as Marvel Studios and 20th Television have signed a three-year deal with its head writer Jac Schaeffer. She will be developing projects for both companies with Marvel Studios’ entries being Disney Plus exclusive. Anything developed for 20th’s TV department will be made available for all platforms. She has quite the history with Marvel Studios, as she was also co-writer for Captain Marvel and was responsible for the script of the upcoming Black Widow film. It seems Marvel Studios is quite satisfied with her work and wants to continue their partnership. Interesting enough, there is no word if she might also be returning to film as part of the deal. Expanding her work to other platforms also gives her the freedom to explore new ventures outside of the ever-expanding comic book franchise.

    Schaeffer has worked on various projects with her writing debut being 2009’s Timer. She went on to write a screenplay for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure before working on Black Widow and WandaVision. She also directed her debut film, which she might want to revisit with a future project. There is currently no word on what project she might be tackling next, as there will naturally be rumors about a second season for Disney+’s first Marvel show.

    They could also spin it off into a completely new show, such as potentially exploring White Vision’s journey after the events of the film, which we even pitched an idea that you can check out by clicking here. No matter what direction they are taking, we are seeing that Marvel Studios’ investment into long-form storytelling has paid off. We’ve seen them explore more ventures, such as Ryan Coogler developing a Wakanda-based Disney+ series. Here’s hoping we see what series she might be be tackling in the near future.

    Source: Variety

  • First Details for HBO Max’s ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Film Revealed

    First Details for HBO Max’s ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Film Revealed

    It looks like Evil Dead is back, as Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are developing a brand new entry in the iconic franchise for HBO Max. The original released back in 1981 and is about to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It has been a mainstay in a popular culture far beyond the original trilogy with a 2013 remake and the Ash vs. Evil Dead series. Sadly, it seems the next entry won’t be heading back to theaters, as Evil Dead Rise will become an exclusive HBO Max series.

    This continuation will focus on two estranged sisters, played by Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan, whose reunion gets interrupted by flesh-possessing demons. The new entry will be directed by The Hole in the Ground‘s Lee Cronin, who will also write its script. Raimi shared his enthusiasm returning to the franchise:

    I’m thrilled to bring ‘Evil Dead’ back to its original home at New Line 40 years after the release of the first film. The company’s history as pioneers of horror speaks for itself. I’m equally excited to be working with Lee Cronin, whose gifts as a storyteller make him the ideal filmmaker to continue the enduring legacy of the franchise

    Campbell also shared his excitement for the two young actresses joining the franchise and the blood-soaked shoes they will have to fill. They haven’t mentioned if Ash Williams will have a role of some kind in the film, as he has been the face of the franchise. He even had a brief cameo in a post-credit sequence from the 2013 remake. It’ll be interesting to see what new direction the franchise is heading once it hits HBO Max.

    Source: Variety

  • Netflix’s ‘Sandman’ Adds Patton Oswalt, Stephen Fry, Jenna Coleman, And Many More

    Netflix’s ‘Sandman’ Adds Patton Oswalt, Stephen Fry, Jenna Coleman, And Many More

    When Netflix announced that it had begun development on an adaption of Sandman, people were both extremely optimistic and a bit cautious. The series would follow Morpheus, one of the seven siblings who represent an aspect of life. It includes Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destiny, Destruction, and of course Dream. These seven siblings were the children of Time and Night. They would be destined to serve their purpose until the end of time. So far, the series had only cast Dream at this point, and for a while, many had begun to wonder if any of the others would show up at all. Looks like that finally changed.

    Netflix took to Twitter to officially reveal more casting for its upcoming adaption, including some fan favorites. The series has cast Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Donna Preston as Despair, Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall, Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps, Niamh Walsh as Young Ethel Cripps, David Thewlis as John Dee, Kyo Ra as Rose Walker, Sandra James Young as Unity Kincaid, Stephen Fry as Fiddlers Green, and Patton Oswalt as Dreams Raven, Matthew.

    It appears as if the upcoming series is set to adapt the first volume of the character’s iconic run. The story follows people trying to capture Dream’s sister, Death. But instead, Dream is captured and imprisoned for 70-years. The story picks up following his escape as he sets off to reclaim some very powerful items he lost during his travels. As production starts, hopefully we get some pictures from set teasing the look of Netflix’s next big franchise.

    Source: Twitter

  • Amazon Buying MGM Studios to Further Expand Streaming Service

    Amazon Buying MGM Studios to Further Expand Streaming Service

    Amazon continues to expand into the film industry by purchasing long-standing MGM Studios for $8.45 billion. This marks the companies second-largest acquisition since Whole Foods in 2017. The move was already teased around a week ago, but now they made the move to continue their rapid expansion into streaming and the entertainment industry. They aim to leverage MGM’s filmography of 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Senior Vice President of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Mike Hopkins, gave the following statement:

    The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team. It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.

    Amazon has been investing quite a bit to strengthen its hold in the streaming market to keep up with competitors Netflix and Disney. It’s becoming quite a competitive market, especially with AT&T’s move to combining WarnerMedia with Discovery also enhancing their move forwards with HBO Max. It also aligns with the recent revelation that their new Lord of the Rings series costs a whopping $465 million to produce, which is one of the most costly television shows ever produced. They also expanded through NFL deals to broadcast Thursday Night Football. Their flywheel effect remains their main focus to expand Prime subscribers. Not only would it bolster their streaming offering, but also further supports new purchases directly in the eCommerce offerings of the site. It will be interesting to see what other purchases they have planned in the near future if they continue down this path.

    Source: CNBC

  • RUMOR: ‘Superman and Lois’ Director Lee Toland Krieger to Direct ‘Green Lantern’ Pilot

    RUMOR: ‘Superman and Lois’ Director Lee Toland Krieger to Direct ‘Green Lantern’ Pilot

    DC’s Green Lantern Corp has had a rough go of it ever since the live-action film hit screens all the way back in 2011. The big-budget film had hopes of spawning a franchise but got met with dismal reviews and flopped at the Box Office. It seemed like the Lanterns’ time on the screen has already passed. There were only bits of news teasing a new film. It all ended when DC announced that HBO Max began development on a series. It would span decades within the DC Universe, featuring Green Lanterns from across the DC Universe. The first castings found their way online and now we have our first tease of the production team.

    A new report states that the series may already be assembling directors for the first season. The Direct reports that Lee Toland Krieger, who previously worked on CW’s Superman and Lois, has been tapped to helm the pilot of the upcoming series. He also is lined up for more episodes. Having someone whose previous works within the DC universe is reassuring for fans, especially as Superman and Lois wowed so many fans with its cinematography on a limited budget to bring the Man of Tomorrow to the small screen.

    Green Lantern currently has no release date but will release exclusively on HBO Max. The series will span decades highlighting lanterns in each setting like Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Sinestro, and recently cast Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner and Jeremy Irvine as Alan Scott.

    Source: The Direct

     

  • Amanda Segel to Write ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Off ‘10,000 Ships’

    Amanda Segel to Write ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Off ‘10,000 Ships’

    HBO is busy producing its first spin-off based on its popular Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragons. It will explore the time long before the events that started in Winterfell. Yet, they have realized there is a lot of franchise potential to explore the different timelines and locations throughout its history. They are developing three other series titled Tales of Dunk and Egg, 9 Voyages, and 10,000 Ships. It looks like the latter of the series has entered some form of production, as Deadline uncovered that Amanda Segel, the co-executive producer of Helstrom and Person of Interest, will write the project titled 10,000 Ships. It will focus on the story of Princess Nymeria and her journey from Essos to Dorne.

    We’ve spent some time on the sea in various Game of Thrones episodes, but a full series focusing on it could be quite a curious challenge. HBO is moving forward with its various spin-offs with The Mentalist‘s Bruno Heller tackling the 9 Voyages project. It also may also run by the title Sea Snake and Flea Bottom. George R.R. Martin is also involved with the project’s development. There is still no further news on Tales of Dunk & Egg or the rumored animated series. It’ll be curious how they will release these series as we could see them switch out between them similar to how Disney+ goes from one series into the next. The expansion will continue to grow the history of Westeros in curious ways without relying on the original’s cast.

    Source: Deadline

  • CW’s CEO Opens Up About Failed ‘Powerpuff’ Pilot

    CW’s CEO Opens Up About Failed ‘Powerpuff’ Pilot

    It isn’t an easy process to get a brand new TV series. You have to pitch the concept to the production company, they then sign off on a pilot that would act as a proof of concept. It doesn’t get an early series announcement until that is signed off and commonly, the back nine episodes only are given if the show manages to garner an audience. Not every show gets a second chance, but CW’s live-action adaptation of the Powerpuff Girls got just that. Also, in an uncommon move, CW’s CEO, Mark Pedowitz, gave some insight on the move to rework the pilot.

    The reason we do pilots is sometimes things miss, this was just a miss. We believe in the cast completely, we believe in Diablo and Heather, the writers… in this case, the pilot didn’t.

    It is uncertain what was the cause for this decision, but he did confirm that it was too “campy” and felt out of place. It doesn’t help that there was a leaked script that may have hinted at the direction the original version of the pilot took. The series has a strong cast with the main trio being portrayed Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perreault. They will portray the once superheroic sisters that are in their twenties and disillusioned with the world. Their resentment for having wasted their childhood fighting monsters left them bitter in a world filled with modern technology. Sadly, we might never see the original pilot, but Pedowitz confirmed that they want to stay true to what made the original so popular and we will certainly see this live-action series at some point.

    Source: Deadline