Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Eyeing Q1 2021 Production Start

    ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Eyeing Q1 2021 Production Start

    Unlike most superhero films, the Shazam franchise has to stick to a much stricter schedule. Its cast of main characters is very young. Every year they don’t film, they will age quite rapidly. It doesn’t make director David F. Sandberg‘s job any easier. Especially the current pandemic made this issue even more apparent. So far, we only know the title of the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods. There was no mention of when they would start filming and how far along the script was. Luckily, actor Zachary Levi offered an update during an interview on Dan Fogler‘s 4D Xperience.

    They announced that we were gonna do a sequel pretty much right after we premiered. They knew we were tracking well enough, they were happy enough with the numbers. So they have been steadily and earnestly working on the script for the sequel and I think Q1 of next year is the idea.

    The film is slated for November 4th, 2022. So, starting filming early next year makes sense. It gives them enough time to also take delays or reshoots into account. Shazam! is also effects-heavy, so it will give them time to get them perfect. He does also confirm that anything can change given the current situation. With the 2022 release, we also don’t know if they will jump directly into filming the third installment. It hasn’t been renewed yet but it would make sense not to waste any time. Levi did point out that this sequel was a priority for the studio, so the third Shazam! film might already be on their radar.

    Source: YouTube via Comic Book

  • Major ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Announcements Confirmed for 2021’s 30th Anniversary

    Major ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Announcements Confirmed for 2021’s 30th Anniversary

    Sonic the Hedgehog is a rather interesting series to follow. It has quite a cult following even as the quality of its games has varied between titles. Sonic Mania was a personal highlight that returned to the series’ Genesis days. Playing a modern rendition of the original trilogy was quite the thrill. Sadly, Sonic Forces didn’t continue the trend. It ended up feeling rushed and aimless. Many were hoping that the next entry would correct the trajectory the 3D games were heading towards. There has been no news regarding a sequel to either game that was released back in 2017.

    Sega did confirm back in May that they have been hit by a delay due to the pandemic. In a stream, the PR team did confirm that they were originally going to reveal it during South by Southwest. Of course, the event got canceled and we never got any official announcement. It looks like we got our first sign of life of the Blue Blur. Next year is Sonic’s 30th anniversary. To build up some interesting for licensing deals, Sega published a spread in the European licensing magazine, LSB Europe.

    Looking at these numbers, Sonic the Hedgehog truly is quite the powerhouse franchise. It is also interesting to see the Sonic the Hedgehog film included, which got its Box Office run interrupted due to the pandemic. What we are focusing on is the 30th Anniversary confirmation. It includes the reveal that new games will be announced in 2021 alongside a major announcement. It’s quite interesting that they confirm multiple game announcements. Sonic Mania is a shoo-in for a sequel given its popularity. I would love to see the franchise return to the Sonic Adventure era. They may announce the games now so that they will be released during the franchise’s anniversary. The thing that stands out is the major announcement confirmed for next year. They might have some remakes or remasters planned for older games. Super Mario is similarly celebrating its 35th anniversary. Maybe I am just really hoping for a remaster of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, which was my childhood classic.

    Source: Issuu via Sonic Stadium, PC Invasion, Variety

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    This piece was originally published on August 18th. That day, a decision was made to take it down after fans became aggressive in their disbelief of it. With Labor Day being today, we wanted to share the original information again.

    As has always been the case, “What I Heard This Week” pieces should never be taken as more than rumors until they’re proven true or false.

    As mentioned here, Marvel Studios production crews recently returned to Atlanta to prepare for filming to resume or begin on several projects. Crews for the Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Solider, Loki and Hawkeye joined crew from the Untitled Spider-Man Sequel in constructing sets, getting the offices back up and running and preparing general pre-production routines in advance of the cast and directors heading back at an undisclosed date. Now, it looks like we might have a very good idea of just when they’ll roll cameras again and we should all be as hyped as this dude is when he high fives John Walker!

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Won't Release in August ...

    This isn’t one-size fits all info and, as I’ll detail after sharing the info, it could lead to two possible timelines, but it’s still worth a share. Cast members for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will begin arriving in Atlanta as early as this weekend (August 21st-23rd) to get ready to resume production. This doesn’t mean we should expect to see everyone in Atlanta this weekend because, as you probably know, the whole cast doesn’t always need to be everywhere all the time; however, this weekend will mark the beginning of their return meaning filming is just around the corner…though we can’t quite be sure how long it’ll take to round that corner.

    Given the ongoing pandemic, a return to Atlanta does not mean an immediate return to set for the cast, so there are a couple of options here. Option one would be that the cast lands in Atlanta this weekend, clears a quick result COVID test, gets ready to roll and starts filming next week…and that would make us all really happy; however, that might not be how it works out. Option two would be that the cast lands in Atlanta this weekend, goes into a 2-week self-isolation period, and begins filming after the September 7th Labor Day holiday. Unfortunately, I was unable to get clarification on whether or not the cast will be required to self-isolate or not, so I can’t tell you which option we’ll see, but I can tell you that we are almost there and, if things go well, we might even get to see The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in 2020.

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Tops UK Physical Sales Charts

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Tops UK Physical Sales Charts

    Marvel and Square-Enix are testing out a new market. Their recent release of Marvel’s Avengers is a service game. After their success with the single-player Spider-Man, they aim to expand this new entry as time goes on. The Avengers is a team of constantly changing members so it makes sense on paper. Naturally, these games are surrounded by quite a lot of controversy. It is certainly no stranger to it. No matter where one stands on it, the investment seems to be paying off for Marvel.

    Avengers has topped the UK physical sales charts. This does not take any digital sales into account. Those will be interesting as they’ve seen a massive increase over the year. To put it into perspective, it sold slightly more than Crystal Dynamic’s last game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. For another comparison, it had sold less than a third when compared to Spider-Man. Keep in mind that these games have a very different audience and selling point. The web-crawler is also quite the merchandising juggernaut. As such, these are mainly comparisons from a sales perspective.

    Avengers focuses on long-term investments. At the time, Spider-Man was the fastest-selling game in the UK. That is not an easy act to follow, especially as this console generation is nearing its end. These elements can have an influence on the reduced sale when compared. It’s closest comparison point would be BioWare’s Anthem. It was considered a disappointment with less than six million sales in its release year. We will see if Marvel’s latest foray into gaming will be able to prove as a lucrative investment. Of course, it also depends on Crystal Dynamics. If they fix the current major bugs and keep it updated, the game could stick in the charts for some time. There is also a good chance will see an extra push once Spider-Man is added to the game next year.

    Source: Games Industry, VG24/7, PC Games Insider

  • RUMOR: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Eyeing Jasjit Williams and Saager Shaikh for Key Supporting Roles

    RUMOR: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Eyeing Jasjit Williams and Saager Shaikh for Key Supporting Roles

    Just recently, we got the rumor that Marvel Studios’ upcoming Ms. Marvel series has found some directors. The Direct revealed that they signed Bad Boys For Life‘s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to direct at least one episode. Marvel Studios is still playing coy with any information for upcoming shows, as it is still difficult to predict how the pandemic will affect releases and productions. Still, looks like that wasn’t all that The Direct had uncovered from behind-the-scenes of the production. They now also claim that two actors are being eyed for importing supporting roles.

    Keep in mind that they can’t confirm any of the actor’s potential roles. We are also still waiting for some kind of announcement on who might end up playing the titular hero, Kamala Khan. So, keep this with a grain of salt and just speculation. The Direct is pointing out that actor Jasjit Williams may be playing Bruno Carrelli. He is a friend of Kamala in the comics, who is a potential love interest. Saagar Shaikh is rumored to be Aamir Khan, Kamala’s older brother.

    It would make sense that casting is underway, as the production is eyeing a production start by November. Delays are still a potential issue but, hopefully, we find out more about the cast once we near November. Ms. Marvel is a great addition to the franchise and cannot wait to see how they will approach her story. We still don’t know if they will embrace her identity as an Inhuman. If they do, it will be interesting how they introduce them. It will be interesting to see how they will differ from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans series.

    Source: The Direct

  • RUMOR: ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to Direct ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episodes

    RUMOR: ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to Direct ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episodes

    We’ve all been waiting for some news regarding Marvel Studios’ upcoming Ms. Marvel show. The character has been seeing a surge in popularity lately. She was among the core cast of Marvel Rising and is the main focus of Marvel’s Avengers’ Reassemble storyline. All that is missing is her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When Kevin Feige announced the show last year, we couldn’t wait to see how she will fit into Marvel Studios’ ever-expanding world.

    Hollywood Reporter did confirm that Brisha K. Ali would act as showrunner for the show last year. Now, The Direct is reporting that Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will direct at least one episode for the upcoming show. Both directors have confirmed that they’ve met with both Marvel and DC for some potential projects not too long ago. So, there is a good chance this may be officially confirmed once casting has been finalized. Until then, we can only see this as a potential rumor for now.

    Marvel news has been rather scarce. As most projects have been delayed indefinitely, it is uncertain when we could expect some official word from Marvel Studios. We are still waiting for the first foray into Disney+, as WandaVision or Falcon and the Winter Soldier are still on hold for now. Hopefully, we will get some signs of life soon. If productions are to start soon again, we hopefully will also find out who will play the iconic teenage Muslim superhero. Marvel Studios’ foray into streaming might be their most ambitious project yet and cannot wait to see what they have planned for us.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Direct, ComicBook.com

  • ‘Titans’ Alan Ritchson Cast as Titular Lead in Amazon’s ‘Jack Reacher’

    ‘Titans’ Alan Ritchson Cast as Titular Lead in Amazon’s ‘Jack Reacher’

    Looks like that rumored Hawk and Dove spin-off won’t be happening after all. Titans star Alan Ritchson has officially been cast as the titular character of Amazon’s Jack Reacher series. It is currently set to be written by Prison Break‘s Nick Santora, who will also serve as showrunner. Author of the original books Lee Child will serve as executive Producer alongside Christopher McQuarrie, Don Granger, Scott Sullivan, and Marcy Ross. Surprisingly, we haven’t heard much of this series since it started development around a year ago. Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke teased the potential the show has for Amazon’s streaming slate.

    Lee Child’s Jack Reacher book series is a global phenomenon with one of entertainment’s most well-known heroes, and a perfect fit for Amazon Studios’ slate of bold, character-driven series.

    This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the iconic novel character adapted. Tom Cruise played the titular character back in 2012. Now Executive Producer Christopher McQuarrie directed the original film before tackling the Mission Impossible films. At the time, there was quite a bit of controversy as Cruise physically was a far departure of the character’s description in the novel. Ritchson is closer to Reacher’s height so there might be less controversy over his casting. He is a great choice for the lead role. He was a standout among Titans large casts of characters. His performance as Raphael in 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was also one of the most memorable aspects of the latest film adaptation. Cannot wait to see what he brings as the lead in this series.

    Source: Collider

  • RUMOR: ‘Prince of Persia’ Remake Leaked Ahead of Ubisoft Forward

    RUMOR: ‘Prince of Persia’ Remake Leaked Ahead of Ubisoft Forward

    Prince of Persia is a rather fascinating series. Most might fondly remember 2003’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It laid the groundwork for many future third-person action-adventure games. Yet, the franchise has a long history. The first one was released back in 1989 for Apple II. It is crazy to think the last entry in the franchise was ten years ago. Forgotten Sands was as direct continuation of The Sands of Time. Afterwards, the franchise just vanished. Yet, if rumors are true, there is a good chance it might make a triumphant return.

    The next Ubisoft Forward on September 10th will give us another slew of reveals. Just recently, we reported that the game once known as Gods & Monsters had changed its title. So far, this is the only rumor that started circulating for the Forward event. That was pretty much it. Some weeks ago, a retailer  did list a Prince of Persia remake for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch but it seemed like a mix-up at the time. The lack of an Xbox release was rather strange. Yet, during the podcast Triple Click, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed that the “leaks” at the time may have been true. Ubisoft seems to be working on a Prince of Persia remake.

    It would be great to see this game return. Ubisoft Montreal has been very focused on Assassin’s Creed for many years. Returning to one of their biggest franchise releases would make for a great reveal during the event. There is also still the rumor of a new Splinter Cell release going around. Who knows, the upcoming Ubisoft Forward might be their biggest yet.

    Source: Ubisoft, Video Game Chronicle, Digital Spy

  • Warner Bros. CEO Committed to a Theatrical Release of ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’

    Warner Bros. CEO Committed to a Theatrical Release of ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’

    As studio productions restart and movie theaters start to open around in the world, the chaos of COVID-19 pandemic refuses to yield to the order trying to be reestablished. Today’s news that Robert Pattinson, the star of WB’s The Batman, tested positive just days after production got up and running again served as a stark reminder that while we’re all ready for the virus to go away, it’s not ready to relinquish its hold just yet. WB’s Tenet debuted in theaters last weekend and now, in the first intra-COVID box office battle, Disney’s Mulan will pilot a new strategy of opening in theaters where they’re open and on Disney Plus where they are not. While these two films go to bat, Wonder Woman 1984 is on deck after having shuffled its release date several times. While fans have wondered if the ongoing pandemic would push the sequel into homes given the relatively low number of open theaters. According to WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff, that’s not going to be the case.

    In an interview with THR, Sarnoff indicated that the studio currently has no plans to release the Gal Gadot sequel on PVOD if theaters aren’t widely open ahead of its current October release date. When asked if the film might move to the December slot currently held by Dune if the status quo doesn’t change, Sarnoff had this to say:

     

    We are still figuring out the strategy for all of our movies. We have quite a lot done. Obviously, Wonder Woman 1984 is up next. For now, it is where it is. Like I said earlier, certain movies deserve to be on the big screen. My belief is Wonder Woman is one of those.

    And so the studio remains committed to making sure the film, which recently debuted a new trailer at FanDome, gets a wide theatrical release, allowing fans to revel in the full glory of the Patty Jenkins helmed film. How long before you’d be ready to go see it in theaters? Let us know in the Disqus comment section!

     

  • ‘Batwoman’ Season 2 Officially Started Production

    ‘Batwoman’ Season 2 Officially Started Production

    Looks like CW is slowly starting its show’s productions. In an official tweet by Batwoman‘s account, Camrus Johnson and Nicole Kang shared a video from the set confirming that production has started for the upcoming second season. This will see a massive change with Javicia Leslie taking over the lead from Ruby Rose. It is good to see that Luke Fox and Mary Hamilton will remain as part of the main cast. They will help Javicia‘s character ease into her new role as Batwoman, while they uncover what happened to Kate Kane.

    The last season ended earlier due to the pandemic. Alice poisoned her closest ally, as Mouse was just about to leave her. Hush finally made his dream come true, as Alice gave him the face he always desired. Now, he looks like Bruce Wayne. Somehow he looks nothing like Kevin Conroy, who Kate seemed to recognize during the Crisis on Infinite Earth’s crossover. We get a tie-in to Supergirl, as Kate reveals she is still in possession of kryptonite that Cara entrusted to her.

    The ending kept a lot of storylines open. It is uncertain if Alice will return, as her relationship with Kate was the main focus throughout the season. We still don’t know why exactly Bruce Wayne left Gotham behind. There is the plot thread with the death of Lucius Fox potentially leading to a bigger mystery. It will be interesting to see how they tie everything together while making way for Javicia‘s to take over as the new Batwoman.

    Source: Twitter, Deadline