Murphy's Multiverse

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  • EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Kinney on Skipping Ahead to ‘Cabin Fever’

    EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Kinney on Skipping Ahead to ‘Cabin Fever’

    In 2021, Disney Plus rolled out Diary of a Wimpy Kid, an animated feature based on author Jeff Kinney’s best-selling and beloved 2007 book. At that time, Kinney told us that he hoped that his partnership with Disney would be fruitful enough that each of the now 18 books in the series would be adapted for the streaming service.

     I really hope we get to do lots of these stories because we’re really trying to do a good job and we’re not just spitting them out. We’re sort of really taking our time in crafting them and I love that so I hope we can tell lots of stories.

    Jeff Kinney on his hopes to adapt the entire Wimpy Kid series as animated features for Disney Plus

    A year later, an adaptation of Rodrick Rules, the second book in the series, hit the streaming service and Kinney indicated that an adaptation of the third book, The Last Straw, was already in development. All signs pointed to that adaptation being ready for a 2023 debut and yet, on December 8th, the streamer will release Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, an adaptation of the sixth book in the series. While talking with Kinney about the new project, we inquired as to what exactly transpired that led to change.

    “We were working on The Last Straw which is the third Wimpy Kid story in the timeline,” explained Kinney, “And then Disney said what would be really great is for us to do a Holiday Special. So we made this big switch pretty late in the day and we were able to put the movie together and get it out there in the world on time. It just felt like the right thing.“

    Kinney also shared that the rise in the number of streaming services has led to a renewed demand for holiday specials which were near and dear to his heart as a child. For the time being, it looks as though Kinney’s partnership with Disney will continue to produce one Wimpy Kid feature per year and with Kinney open to the possibility of creating original stories for the streaming service, there’s no telling just how far into the future things may continue.

    Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever debuts on Disney Plus at 12 AM PST/3 AM EST on December 8th.

    About Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

    Get ready for the Wimpiest Christmas ever! The original animated adventure, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, the latest animated movie based on Jeff Kinney’s wildly successful book series, will premiere December 8, 2023, exclusively on Disney+. The film is a hilarious and heartfelt holiday tale centered around everyone’s favorite disaster-prone middle school student.

    The winter holidays are turning out to be especially stressful for Greg Heffley this year. After
    accidentally damaging a snowplow while making a snowman with best friend Rowley Jefferson, Greg worries he won’t get the new video game console he so desperately wants for Christmas. To make matters worse, he gets snowed in with his family, including his grumpy older brother Rodrick and annoying younger brother Manny.

    Directed by Luke Cormican (Teen Titans Go!) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever features the voices of Wesley Kimmel (The Mandalorian), Spencer Howell (Ithaca), Chris Diamantopoulos (Beavis and Butt-Head), Erica Cerra (Power Rangers), and Hunter Dillon (Deadpool 2).

    The Characters

    Wesley Kimmel (The Mandalorian) is the voice of Greg Heffley, the disaster-prone middle
    school student having a stressful winter holiday. He is trying to be on his best behavior so he will get the new video game console he desperately wants for Christmas but gets into trouble with best friend Rowley Jefferson when they damage a snowplow while innocently building a snowman.

    Spencer Howell (Ithaca) voices Rowley Jefferson, who enjoys spending the winter holidays
    inside sipping hot cocoa and singing Christmas carols with his parents, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus on the big night. He is an unwilling accomplice to Greg Heffley’s snowplow cover-up.

    Erica Cerra (Power Rangers) is the voice of Greg Heffley’s mother, Susan, who lives for the
    Christmas holiday season and all its traditions. She is happiest when the family can celebrate the Yuletide season together.

    Chris Diamantopoulos (Beavis and Butt-Head) voices Frank, Greg Heffley’s father, who is so busy anticipating a massive winter snowstorm that he is missing out on the family’s holiday
    traditions that are so important to his wife Susan.

    Hunter Dillon (Deadpool 2) is the voice of Greg’s older brother, Rodrick Heffley, who is spending the winter holidays lazy and unmoving from the couch until he decides he will find the culprits wanted by the police so he can take the reward money for himself.

    Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary) voices Gabby, who drives a snowplow to make extra
    money for the holidays. She is a single mother to her son Tyler, who is the light of her life.

    Elfriendo is a homemade doll from Susan Heffley’s childhood who keeps watch over children and reports any bad behavior to Santa and his elves at the North Pole.

    The Filmmakers

    Jeff Kinney (Writer/Producer) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a
    Wimpy Kid series and the Awesome Friendly Kid series. He is a six-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner for Favorite Book and has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England, where he and his wife own a bookstore named An Unlikely Story.

    Luke Cormican’s (Director) numerous animated credits include over 78 episodes of Teen Titans Go, on which he served as writer, producer, and director, as well as The Penguins of
    Madagascar    , Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, The Buzz on Maggie, and Ren and Stimpy Adult
    Party Cartoon, among others. Cormican also served as head of story on Teen Titans Go to the Movies.

    John Paesano (Composer) is a BAFTA-winning, Emmy®-nominated composer with a range of credits that include The Maze Runner film trilogy, both of PlayStation’s Spider-Man videogames, 50 episodes of Marvel’s Defenders and Daredevil and 100 episodes of
    the How to Train Your Dragon series (for which he won an Annie Award).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A–mvyHQhcc
  • ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Set Photos Feature Some Classic Marvel Vehicles, Tease a Mad Max-esque Scene in The Void

    ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Set Photos Feature Some Classic Marvel Vehicles, Tease a Mad Max-esque Scene in The Void

    Recently, some spoilery photos from the set of Marvel Studios untitled Deadpool and Wolverine project made the rounds. Now, a larger series of photos has emerged and provides not only a little more context to the previous photos but also revealed some incredible cameos and Easter eggs.

    Spoiler Ahead

    The set photos, which can be viewed here, seem to indicate that a portion of the film will involve a battle in The Void that looks to be very much inspired by George Miller’s Mad Max franchise. The leaked images show more of a character who looks just like Tyler Mane‘s Sabretooth joined by a slew of other villains including Toad, a character who resembles Boyd Holbrook’s Donald Pierce from Logan and some other currently unrecognizable characters making their way through the Void on a wild array of vehicles. Among them are what looks to be a lunar rover hooked up to multiple motorcycles (is one of those Cap’s?) that’s reminiscent of the Doof Wagon seen in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, the von Darrelman cupcake van from Moon Knight, and most incredibly a FULLY FUNCTIONAL FANTAST-ICAR which seems to be inspired by the MK1 model that first appeared in Fantastic Four #3 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

    The photos also seem to confirm the rumors that the TVA will play a role in the project as they look to reveal a TVA agent in the Void alongside the heroes and villains. It is believed that Matthew Macfadyen will portray a TVA employee named Paradox in the film and ultimately end up tagging along with Deadpool and Wolverine.

    As Marvel Studios only theatrical release in 2024, Deadpool 3 must pack quite a punch at the box office. Between the rumors surrounding its plot and the set photos that have made their way online so far, it certainly seems as though it stands a chance to impress!

  • Wyatt Russell Says ‘Thunderbolts’ Is Not a “Straightforward Marvel Movie”

    Wyatt Russell Says ‘Thunderbolts’ Is Not a “Straightforward Marvel Movie”

    Everyone loves to take a shot at the king; however, when the CEO of your parent company comes out swinging on your latest film, even the big shots at Marvel Studios have to pay attention. Truly, while Bob Iger’s recent comments about why The Marvels failed to succeed might be the first time the public has caught wind of the Disney CEO’s train of thought, it’s very likely those sentiments have been shared behind closed doors in the months since his return. His goal is simple: get Marvel Studios back on top. And that’s a goal that at least one MCU actor shares with Iger.

    Wyatt Russell joined the MCU as deranged Super Soldier John Walker in 2021’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and is set to reprise the role in Black Widow 2 Thunderbolts. While chatting it up with THR, Russell gave some insight into the delays that have faced the project and what he expects to accomplish.

    As of now, principal photography on Thunderbolts seems slated to get underway in April of 2024. For a film that was originally scheduled to be released on July 26th, 2024, you can see how that’s problematic. It’s been obvious to the public that the project has its fits and starts and according to Russell “almost started shooting that about 14 times.” While the recent WGA and SAG strikes certainly were part of the problem, they weren’t the entire problem. The film has changed writers multiple times but now seems to be on a little more solid footing.

    “I have confidence it’s gonna be good,” said Russell. “I know everybody is sort of on this Marvel train right now of things not going so well.” Part of the actor’s confidence in the project clearly stems from his trust in the director, Jake Schreier. Despite Thunderbolts being Schreier’s first big tentpole film, Russell believes the director has what it takes to make a great Marvel Studios film.

    I know Jake so well and I know how smart Jake is and how much he cares about making something interesting and different and utilizing everyone’s talents to the best of their ability

    Wyatt Russell on Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier

    Russell’s confidence will only do so much for the project; however, the actor also indicated that while he hasn’t read a final draft of the script, Thunderbolts has a lot going for it, including not being so cut and dried as many MCU films have been in the past. “The story that I think they’ve come up with is really interesting,” said the actor. “I know parts of the story and how the story works, I can’t talk about it. But it’s not a straightforward Marvel movie as you’ve seen in the past.“

    Whatever it is that Russell does know and is holding back, he’s confident MCU fans will be impressed. “I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he said, “but I think it will be something that hopefully Marvel fans will look at and go, ‘Oh OK, this is a little different, let’s go hard at it.’ And as far as how we are approaching it, it’s time to go to work a little bit, it’s time to make a good Marvel movie, so let’s do that and work hard at it and don’t take things for granted.” Just how straightforward and good a project it ultimately ends up being remains to be seen.

    Thunderbolts is currently expected in theaters on July 25th, 2025.

    Source: THR

  • BREAKING: Michael Waldron Takes Over Writing Duties on ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

    BREAKING: Michael Waldron Takes Over Writing Duties on ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

    Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron has now been tabbed by Marvel Studios to write both parts of their Multiverse Saga finale. According to Deadline, Waldron–who was already working on Avengers: Secret Wars–will assume writing duties on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

    The news comes shortly after director Destin Daniel Cretton departed Avengers: The Kang Dynasty which set off rumors that the studio was looking to set a single creative team for the Multiverse Saga’s two Avengers films. Jeff Loveness, who wrote Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, was the original writer on The Kang Dynasty but left the project some time ago.

    As the writer of both films, Waldron now essentially becomes the “Markus and McFeely” of the Multiverse Saga. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set the course for the saga much like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, written by Markus and McFeely, did for the Infinity Saga in working with Joe and Anthony Russo. It remains to be seen if Waldron will similarly reteam with Sam Raimi for the next Avengers films.

    Updating

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: A New Frontrunner Emerges for the Role of Reed Richards

    RUMOR: A New Frontrunner Emerges for the Role of Reed Richards

    No sooner did the Screen Actors Guild settle their long strike than the Marvel Studios rumor mill began to spin again. For quite some time, the cast of studio’s Fantastic Four reboot, helmed by Matt Shakman, has been the apple of scoopers’ eyes and now a new name has emerged from a pair of well-known MCU leakers.

    According to both Daniel RPK and Jeff Sneider, Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian‘s leading man, Pedro Pascal, may be ready to sign on the dotted line to take the role of Mister Fantastic.

    Pascal is roughly the one billionth name to be attached to the role of Richards and the third with ties to one of Disney’s otherajor brands, Star Wars, joining Adam Driver and Diego Luna. It has long been believed that Vanessa Kirby had signed on as Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman, and that Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) was close to landing the role of her brother, Johnny, aka the Human Torch. The studio has been rumored to be looking long and hard to pair someone with Kirby and perhaps Pascal is their man!

  • REVIEW: ‘Invincible’ Season 2

    REVIEW: ‘Invincible’ Season 2

    In a market increasingly filled with comic book adaptations, there truly is nothing quite like Amazon’s Invincible. Like Robert Kirkman‘s long-running comic book, the turbulent first season of Invincible took unsuspecting audiences by surprise and was almost universally well-received, something that’s just about impossible given the present climate around comic book-based media. Over two and a half years after Season 1’s debut, the first half of Season 2 is set to premiere on Amazon on Friday, November 3rd and the four episodes that comprise it are every bit as riotous, unrestrained and sublime as the hit first season.

    While the savage and sanguinary nature of the superhero action depicted in the series attracts the lion’s share of attention, it’s hardly what makes Invincible great. Another Amazon superhero series, The Boys, is equally disruptive in that regard and is even more jarring in its live-action depiction of just how brutal superheroes can be when they unleash the true depths of their powers. Rather what truly sets Invincible apart and keeps it on top through the first four episodes of Season 2 is its ability to make the audience succumb to its pathos. That’s a consequence, of course, of having one of the most sympathetic and relatable main characters in the genre in Mark Grayson. As is the case with Peter Parker–a hero to whom Invincible is often compared and even teamed up with once–there’s as much time spent on Grayson’s everyday dilemmas as there is his time in the suit.

    What truly makes it work is the fact that there’s so much overlap between the two. While Season 2 is absolutely loaded (almost bloated) with new plot elements, the first four episodes take place in the wake of Mark’s battle with his father, Nolan, aka Omni-Man. The revelation of Nolan’s true nature took as much, if not more, of a toll on Mark’s life as their fight did on Chicago. The sophomore season tracks Mark as he tries to re-anchor himself in his personal life while being pulled exponentially harder into the void as Earth’s savior that was created by his father’s disappearance. Gone, not forgotten and destined to return, Nolan has a major presence in the second season even before he’s seen on screen.

    Further excavation and exploration of just why Invincible continues to work so well when other adaptations often fall short of expectations present an interesting possibility for other studios to consider. While it’s not a perfect one-to-one page-to-screen adaptation of the comics, Amazon’s Invincible is far more direct than any of the recent works presented by the competition. That’s almost certainly a result of having Kirkman, who created the character in 2003 and has curated him now for over two decades, deeply involved in the development of the series. While it’s not a hard and fast rule, nobody loves and understands characters quite like the people who created them. Kirkman’s role in overseeing the translation of the comic into the animated series has ensured that any changes made to the source material are in line with who the characters were intended to be. While it’s a show full of violence, gore and things you may wish you’d never seen, the love and care taken to develop, produce and present Invincible as an animated adventure gush forth in every episode.

    If there’s anything to bemoan in the first part of Season 2 it’s that for as wonderful of a job as it does continuing Mark’s story and the story of the stories of the supporting cast, it also feels just a bit too busy. Interestingly enough, it’s Invincible’s coherence to comic book conventions that create that quandary. With plans for a third season already established, some of the screentime in Season 2 is spent introducing characters–I’m looking at you, Angstrom Levy–who played a role in the 144 issues of Kirkman’s comic but don’t really have much of a role in THIS season…at least so far. Truth be told, there’s no mountain to be made out of this molehill and most fans who aren’t familiar with the comics will likely forget about the characters and subplots entirely until they need to Google or rewatch episodes in order to remember.

    Every bit as frenetic and enjoyable as its first season, Invincible Season 2 looks to be a can’t-miss/must-see for fans of the genre. From the animation style reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Transformers to the inclusion of iconic voice talents such as Mark Hamill and Peter Cullen, ’80s kid Kirkman is having a blast bringing his comic series to the screen and it shows.

  • ‘El Muerto’ Dead at Sony…For Now

    ‘El Muerto’ Dead at Sony…For Now

    In news that’s been kicking around behind the scenes for quite some time now, Sony has seemingly pulled the plug on the production of El Muerto. A Marvel Comics character with only two comic book appearances to speak of, El Muerto was a shocking choice as a character for Sony to develop a project around. However, with superstar Bad Bunny attached as the lead, the project created quite a buzz when it was announced in April 2022. Now, according to THR’s Borys Kit, the project has been removed from Sony’s slate.

    The news comes on the heels of a report that indicated the project was looking to enter into production this summer. However, with the WGA strike ongoing and a looming SAG strike, it’s hardly surprising news that the film won’t be able to make that rumored August start date. As such, Sony has pulled the fill from its January 12th, 2024 release date and it remains to be seen if and when it will be rescheduled.

  • Marvel Studios Removes Two Films from Its 2025 Slate

    Marvel Studios Removes Two Films from Its 2025 Slate

    In addition to a staggering amount of moves to its upcoming theatrical slate, Marvel Studios has removed two films from its 2025 slate.

    Per an official release from Disney, a pair of untitled Marvel Studios films, originally dated July 25th, 2025 and November 7th, 2025, are no longer Marvel Studios films.

    UNTITLED DISNEY is the updated title of UNTITLED MARVEL dated on 7/25/25

    UNTITLED DISNEY is the updated title of UNTITLED MARVEL dated on 11/7/25

    It is likely that these changes come as a result of the ongoing WGA strike. With writers not working during the strike, development on any potential 2025 scripts will have halted completely.

    As it stands, the official updated slate only shows two Marvel Studios films will hit theaters in 2025. Blade, which has faced ongoing challenges in its development, has been tentatively rescheduled for February 14th, 2025 and Fantastic Four has, for now, been moved to May 2nd, 2025.

    At this time, the 2026 slate still features four films:

    Untitled Marvel on February 13th
    Avengers: Kang Dynasty on May 1st
    Untitled Marvel on July 24th
    Untitled Marvel on November 6th

    Updating…

  • Marvel Comics Reveals That a New Ultimate Universe Will Spin Out of ‘Ultimate Invasion’

    Marvel Comics Reveals That a New Ultimate Universe Will Spin Out of ‘Ultimate Invasion’

    In October 2000, Marvel Comics modernized its classic heroes through its line of Ultimate comics. Those comics significantly influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and may continue to do so when the X-Men make their way into the MCU) and were a major part of Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 event, Secret Wars. Now, as Hickman and Bryan Hitch‘s 4-issue Ultimate Invasion prepares to launch, Marvel has revealed that the series will lead into a relaunch a new line of Ultimate Comics.

    After the Maker’s desperate attempt to restore the Ultimate Universe unleashes massive, unintended consequences, a group of Marvel’s heroes are caught in a war between timelines. As universes collide, the foundation of a new line of ULTIMATE COMICS will be built.

    To no one’s surprise, the Ultimate version of Reed Richards, known as The Maker, will be front and center in Ultimate Invasion and it seems his actions will be key in the creation of the new line of Ultimate Comics. That line will kick off in November with a one-shot, Ultimate Universe #1, written by Hickman and illustrated by Stefano Caselli. Much like the 2000 launch, the Ultimate Universe will modernize Marvel’s major players.

    “The breathtaking epic will introduce readers to this new line that will be home to an array of brand-new hard-hitting series. A fresh start for a new generation, prepare to see your favorite characters redefined for today’s world. Stay tuned in the coming months for more information about this exciting new universe crafted by some of today’s greatest comic book visionaries.”

    “It’s kind of shocking how much the world has changed in that period of time [since the 2000 launch of the original Ultimate Universe],” said Hickman. “The idea of what it would be like to see the genesis of Super Heroes in a brand new world is a really fascinating exercise.” According to Hitch, familiarity with the old version of the Ultimate Universe isn’t necessary to enjoy this “brand new world”. “You don’t ever have to have read any of the Ultimate Universe to enjoy this,” Hitch explained. “There’s some great comics in there, but this doesn’t need you to be familiar with that stuff. You just need to get in on page one and enjoy this because the story takes you where you need to go.”

    The first of the four-issue Ultimate Invasion hits retailers on June 21st and Ultimate Universe #1 will be on shelves in November.

    Source: Marvel.com

  • ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Headed for a Huge Opening Weekend Box Office Take

    ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Headed for a Huge Opening Weekend Box Office Take

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been one of the most anticipated films of 2023 and it looks like that’s going to translate into a monster opening weekend at the box office. With the film’s preview night generating a huge take, it’s now on track to have one of 2023’s best first weekends.

    The sequel to the 2018 hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse took in a massive $17.3M which is nearly five times more than its predecessor. It also ranks as the second-highest preview night take for an animated film, falling in line behind the $18.5M Incredibles 2 earned. So far in 2023, only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has had a better first Thursday but not by much as the James Gunn sendoff took in $17.5M.

    The huge preview night plus the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the film now have it on pace for an opening weekend in the range of $115-$125M, up significantly from the earlier predictions of $75-$90M. For comparison’s sake, Into the Spider-Verse opened to just north of $35M in 2018. With the new film grossing nearly half that much on its first Thursday, this will be a fun film to track!

    Source: Deadline