Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • ‘Star Wars’: Donald Glover Eyeing Return As Lando For Future Project

    ‘Star Wars’: Donald Glover Eyeing Return As Lando For Future Project

    Solo: A Star Wars Story actor Donald Glover wants to return as Lando Calrissian in a galaxy not so far away. Glover confirms that he is in talks to return as Lando in a future project. Details of exactly what that project may remain under wraps. According to Glover, Lando’s charming character is a rarity in recent memory, and he says he welcomes the chance to reprise his character.

    “I would love to play Lando again. It’s a fun time, being him. It just has to be the right way to do it. Time is precious…I’m not interested in doing anything that’s going to be a waste of my time or just a paycheck….It just has to be the right thing, and I think it could be. Lando is definitely somebody I like to hang out with.”

    Zak Sharf, Variety

    If this new project is to be successful, it’s got its work cut out. Debuting in 2018, “Solo” was costly as the film narrowly exceeded its $250 million-plus budget. The $392 million worldwide sales did not net Disney a profit. Something else fans should remember: Director Ron Howard has openly said he’s unaware of a sequel in the works. He adds fans primarily drive news of a “Solo” sequel. Howard warns that while not impossible, he doesn’t get the sense it’s a priority for Lucasfilm. Glover returning to the big screen would be under other storylines for now.

    Source: Variety

  • Warner Bros. Eyeing a ‘Harry Potter Revival as an HBO Max Series

    Warner Bros. Eyeing a ‘Harry Potter Revival as an HBO Max Series

    The Wizarding World has lost a lot of steam with its latest Fantastic Beast entry, and it seems that Warner Bros. is trying to bring back the magic, as they are currently eyeing a new adaptation of the iconic Harry Potter books. This time around, however, it won’t be a new set of films but rather an ongoing series for HBO Max that would recount all books. The only troubling reveal is: J.K. Rowling may be involved to produce.

    While it makes sense that the author of the original work would be involved, Rowling has become quite infamous for her views online. It has gotten to a point where stars of the original have quite openly spoken out against her beliefs and the troubles that come with it. It seems that her involvement is due to her creative control over the work.

    The project is among the many ideas that WBD has without any talent involved. So, it is in the very early stages and once they move forward, they’ll likely focus on trying to add a writer that would work alongside Rowling to bring this series to life for the streaming service. The plan, for now, seems to adapt one book per season, which would lead to around seven seasons’ worth of stories to explore.

    In a way, it’s not too surprising as WBD has also been quite vocal about wanting to revive its “big IPs” in the past such as recent movements on bringing back The Lord of the Rings with its original creative team involved, or at least in talks to return. So, they are trying to recapture that magic again and push the franchise back into the spotlight. Perhaps moving it to HBO Max is also a way to give it time before its cinematic potential is revived. Just a shame they didn’t create their own story in Hogwarts to make it stand out.

    Source: Deadline, Bloomberg

  • Frank Grillo Doubts a Crossbones Return to the MCU, Hints at DCU Future

    Frank Grillo Doubts a Crossbones Return to the MCU, Hints at DCU Future

    There’s always a discussion surrounding how villains are treated in any comic book cinematic franchise. Most commonly, they survive for mostly one film and those that make it out alive aren’t around for too long. So, while the heroes continue to get some development, outside of Loki, most villains end up one-dimensional due to the lack of screen time.

    As it turns out, Crossbones actor Frank Grillo feels the same. His character was seemingly set up for a long future with the Marvel Cinematic Universe but faced an untimely end during Captain America: Civil War. One might argue that without his character, the events of that entire film wouldn’t have taken place but it seems Grillo wasn’t a fan of how his character was treated, and seemingly confirms he’ll appear in an upcoming DC project.

    They never told a story [about Crossbones]. The mythology of the MCU and just what Marvel has in its pool of characters, it’s so deep. Crossbones was there for a minute, but he was supposed to be there longer, then they went the direction they did. I think Crossbones serves a purpose, but I think the interesting thing is that if you see how many people around the world have responded to Crossbones, and again, he’s on the screen for a very f–king short amount of time, I think there’s more there. I think there was more meat on the bone. I was disappointed, which is why I went over to DC.

    Frank Grillo

    It’s certainly a bit strange as he probably had more screen time than any villain in the MCU. Plus, he also returned for two projects even after his character died, as he returned in Avengers: Endgame and even voiced Crossbones again in What If…?. So, he wasn’t a character that was completely sidelined and it would’ve been great to see him return especially with future multiversal storylines. But going by his comments, that ship has sailed.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Opens Old Wounds, Foreshadows a Tough Turn in Store

    REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Opens Old Wounds, Foreshadows a Tough Turn in Store

    Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian, Guns for Hire, ended exactly where most fans of the show predicted it would. Bo-Katan had reclaimed the Darksaber and reunited with her Mandalorian mercenary unit. It was a good day. However, all of that happened over the course of 4 minutes or so of the episode’s 45-minute runtime which gave director Bryce Dallas Howard plenty of time to explore some other avenues…and she did just that.

    Over the past several weeks, Bo-Katan Kryze has steadily grown into a more central role in the ongoing narrative of the series. Her status as a “true” Mandalorian–a princess from House Kryze–who can now, as the Armorer said, walk in both worlds and her experience on Mandalore has her primed to lead her people into a new age of prosperity on the planet they have long thought was lost to them. Bo-Katan has a formidable task ahead of her in reuniting the Clans and returning Mandalore to its former glory and one thing that’s being made very clear is that even if she does succeed, it’s a strange new world out there.

    (L-R): Mon Calamari Nobleman [Harry Holland (voice); David St. Pierre (performance artist)] and Quarren Captain [Christine Adams (voice); Joanna Bennett (performance artist)] in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Chapter 22 does its level best to illustrate just how different the galaxy has become since Bo-Katan last led Mandalore before the Great Purge. The episode’s opening sequence no doubt reminded fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars of the rift that once existed between the Quarren and the Mon Calamari following the death of Yos Kolina. Kolina’s assassination set off a civil war on Mon Cala, one that saw both sides backed by larger galactic entities with the Separatists supporting the Quarren and the Republic supporting the Mon Calamari. If the opening sequence was meant as a subtle reminder of the scars of a galaxy torn apart by war for far too long, Christopher Lloyd’s cameo as Plazir-15’s still-a-Separatist-after-all-these-years Captain Helgait served as a much more coarse reminder.

    Try as the Duchess and Captain Bombardier do to establish an opulent, shining example of how incredible the opportunities provided in the New Republic can be, Helgait’s considerable experiences with war won’t let them be. It’s the Star Wars equivalent of “the North remembers.” Bo-Katan’s trip to Plazir-15–which provided a shiny second chance for many of its inhabitants–worked brilliantly to remind the series’ central characters and audience alike that nothing will come easy in the New Republic. The Mandalorian has put some heavy work into highlighting some of the obstacles that the heroes will face on their quest to restore Mandalorian glory and Howard used Plazir-15 as an overt analogy of what lies ahead for Bo-Katan as she tries to claim her shiny second chance on Mandalore. Nothing–not a fleet, not a Darksaber and not even a mythosaur–will heal all the scars from all the wars that have ripped the galaxy asunder. In the Star Wars galaxy, peace can never be the status quo. It’s awesome that today was a good day because Bo-Katan and her Mandalorians are about to come face-to-face with a lot of bad feelings and a lot of bad days.

  • ‘Thunderbolts’ Director Jake Schreier Joins Impressive List of ‘Skeleton Crew’ Skippers

    ‘Thunderbolts’ Director Jake Schreier Joins Impressive List of ‘Skeleton Crew’ Skippers

    Though the project has long since completed filming and is now in post-production, the Star Wars streaming series Skeleton Crew continues to sound more promising by the day. Billed as an Amblin-esque adventure set in the Galaxy far, far away, Skeleton Crew has assembled quite the group of directors. Now a new report suggests another hot name has joined the list.

    According to One Take News, Jake Schreier directed an episode of the series for Lucasfilm. Schreier Joins The Daniels and David Lowery on an impressive list of talented directors who have worked with creator Jon Watts behind the camera.



    Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home.

    Official synopsis of Skeleton Crew via Lucasfilm

    A year ago, Schreier was known more for his work on music videos than major projects. That all changed when Marvel Studios selected him to direct the 2024 film Thunderbolts, which will begin production this Spring. Schreier’s first major project, the streaming series Beef, hits Netflix soon and has already been the subject of a lot of positive critical buzz. Interestingly enough, Thunderbolts will serve as a bit of a Beef reunion for Schreier with star Steven Yeun and screenwriter Lee Sung Jin joining him on the Marvel Studios project.

    Lucasfilm has not officially confirmed the team of directors for Skeleton Crew. However, it’s expected that the project will be a part of the upcoming Star Wars Celebration presentation on April 7th in London.

    Source: OTN

  • Great Scott! Chapter 22 of ‘The Mandalorian’ Rocks Out with a Trio of Juicy Cameos

    Great Scott! Chapter 22 of ‘The Mandalorian’ Rocks Out with a Trio of Juicy Cameos

    Bryce Dallas Howard returned to direct Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian and she brought some big names along with her. The episode, titled Guns for Hire, saw Din Djarin, Grogu and Bo-Katan head to the planet of Plazir-15 where they looked to enlist Axe Woves, Koska Reeves and their team of Mandalorian mercenaries into their quest to reclaim Mandalore. While the series Mandalorian leads found who they were looking for, they also met a trio of new faces who made surprising cameos in the episode.

    The grandiose world of Plazir-15 is new to the Star Wars universe which gave Howard and creator Jon Favreau room to get creative and they did exactly that. Shortly after landing on the planet, Din, Grogu and Bo-Katan were escorted to a rather extravagant party. And who invited the Mandalorians to have a seat at the table, take a load off and sip on secretions? The planet’s rulers, The Dutchess and Captain Bombardier, played by Lizzo and Jack Black, respectively.

    As the plot of the episode moved ahead, it turned out it had one more surprise cameo in store. Before Din and Bo-Katan would be allowed to meet with their fellow Mandalorians on Plazir-15, they had a small task to complete for the Dutchess and Captain Bombardier. Plazir-15, as it turned out, had recently experienced some unpleasant business with some rogue droids. To get to the bottom of the matter, Din and Bo-Katan met with the planet’s head of security, Captain Helgait, played by the iconic Christopher Lloyd. Though Helgait was revealed to be behind the droid attacks and exiled from the planet, he did live to see another day.

    It’ll be interesting to follow both the reaction to the trio of cameos and any forthcoming information from Lucasfilm about them. For his part, Black has created a few social media videos expressing his fandom for Star Wars and, in particular, The Mandalorian. His 2022 May the Fourth Be With You and Revenge of the Fifth Tik Toks made quite a splash.

    Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • Morena Baccarin Talks ‘Deadpool 3’ and Her Possible Return

    Morena Baccarin Talks ‘Deadpool 3’ and Her Possible Return

    Production on Deadpool 3 is set to begin over the summer, and while the cast continues to fill out, there are plenty of characters from the first two movies that have yet to be confirmed to return. Morena Baccarin, who played Vanessa in the first two films, is one name that has not been attached to the project. At least, not yet. Of course, while Vanessa technically died in Deadpool 2, the fact that Deadpool 3 is set to be a multiverse story set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe allows for plenty of possibilities.

    While appearing on the Inside of You podcast, Baccarin briefly talked about Deadpool 3 and noted that she has been approached about the movie. However, as of now, she has not officially joined the cast of Deadpool 3. “I have to be very diplomatic about what I say here,” she explained. “I’d like to be in it. They have called me about being in it. Right now, we have not agreed on terms, and everybody’s trying their best, and doing their best. It may or may not work out.”

    Deadpool 3 will see Ryan Reynolds‘ titular anti-hero team up with Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine. Joining the duo in the film are Karan Soni and Leslie Uggams, who are returning as Dopinder and Blind Al, as well as Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen. Shawn Levy, a frequent collaborator of Reynolds, will direct the film from a screenplay by Zeb Wells, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.

    Deadpool 3 will hit theaters on Nov. 8th, 2024.

    Source: Comicbook.

  • ‘John Wick’ Spinoff, ‘Ballerina,’ Set for 2024 Release

    ‘John Wick’ Spinoff, ‘Ballerina,’ Set for 2024 Release

    As John Wick: Chapter 4 continues to dominate at the box office, Lionsgate is moving ahead with its plan to expand upon the franchise. Ballerina, the first spinoff film in the franchise, has finally been given a release date. The Ana de Armas-led film will hit theaters on June 7th, 2024.

    Ballerina was first announced as being in development back in 2017. That’s when Lionsgate purchased the rights to the spec action script with the hopes of turning it into a spinoff of its John Wick franchise. The story centers on “a young woman raised as an assassin who must hunt down the other assassins that murdered her family.” Along with Ballerina, Lionsgate is also developing a prequel television series titled The Continental. That series will debut on Starz and is set to star Colin Woodell, Mel Gibson and Peter Greene among others.

    Len Wiseman directed the film from a screenplay by Shay Hatten. Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, the late Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus star alongside de Armas. Also appearing in the film are Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Shrek 5’ in the Pipeline at DreamWorks with Original Cast

    ‘Shrek 5’ in the Pipeline at DreamWorks with Original Cast

    Following the impressive–and perhaps unexpected–response to DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the production company is heading back to the well again. In an interview with Variety, Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that talks have already begun to bring back the original voice cast of Shrek for a fifth film.

    “We anticipate the cast coming back,” said Meledandri. “Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.” While it wasn’t immediately clear just how many of the original cast members were approached, Variety indicated that Mike Myers, Eddie Muphy and Cameron Diaz were among those in talks.

    As DreamWorks began the process of rebooting the Shrek franchise, Meledandri realized that the original voice cast needed to be a part of whatever plans were hatched. “It’s not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with ‘Mario,’ where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements,” he said, referring to The Super Mario Bros. Movie which releases on April 5th. “And then you’re hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that.”

    Meledandri’s comments come on the heels not only of the success of the Puss in Boots threequel but also interest from Murphy in reprising the role of Donkey. “If [DreamWorks] ever came with another ‘Shrek,’ I’d do it in two seconds,” said Murphy. “I love Donkey. They did ‘Puss in Boots’ movies. I was like, ‘They should have done a Donkey movie.’ Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey.” Melendari told Variety that he was “excited” by Murphy’s comments, adding he believed a Donkey spinoff would “without question” be successful.

    Source: Variety

  • Latest ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes an MCU Reference

    Latest ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes an MCU Reference

    Sony’s upcoming animated film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, is one of the most anticipated superhero films of the year. The sequel to the wildly successful 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will introduce Miles Morales to a team of Spiders who seek to protect the existence of the Multiverse. And, as the new trailer for the project reveals, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is part of the Multiverse!

    Among those aforementioned Spiders out to protect the Multiverse is the prickly Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac. As the trailer explains, the network of Spiders was brought together by O’Hara and he does NOT want Miles sniffing around telling him, “you can never be part of this“; however, Miles isn’t the only Spider who isn’t welcome. After bluntly telling Miles to take a hike, O’Hara says “Don’t even get me started on Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999!” in a clear reference to the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    As shocking as this reference to the events of a movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be to some, it’s important to remember that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios collaborate on the MCU-set Spider-Man films and that this isn’t the first time one of Sony’s projects shared some connective tissue with the MCU. Spider-Man: Now Way Home‘s post-credit scene revealed that Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock was one of the characters to jump to the MCU during the film and while he jumped back, he left a piece of his symbiote behind.

    After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

    Synopsis for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    There’s no telling what other plans Sony has in store for the Multiverse introduced in their animated Spider-Verse films. The upcoming live-action film, Madame Web, could certainly play with some of the Multiversal themes introduced in these projects and the studio would certainly like to see Spidey star Tom Holland share the screen with Hardy’s Venom at some point. We’ll only have to wait just a bit longer to see if there are any other MCU Easter eggs or references to Sony’s live-action films as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters on June 2nd.