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  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ May Not Release on Disney+ Within the Usual Release Window

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ May Not Release on Disney+ Within the Usual Release Window

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has made quite the splash at the international box office and is a strong contender to potentially pass a billion with some powerful word-of-mouth pushing the project forward. There’s, however, one part that could end up dragging its growth down in the form of the current Disney plan setting each new release to be available on Disney+ within 45 days. Yet, it seems that Wakanda Forever may move away from that current trend.

    While reporting the current box office trends, Deadline shares some details on what we can expect from its theatrical run. They point out that the film isn’t set to release ahead of the holidays, which has been a common move for Disney to get some more momentum for its subscriber growth ahead of the holiday season. Encanto dropped quite quickly on the platform and it seems they have the same plan with Stranger World, which is set to release on November 23rd. Even Eternals found its way shortly after the year started in January.

    Yet, they are opting to potentially not do the same with Wakanda Forever. As such, they may be starting to move away from the 45-day release window that has been set and adapt from film to film. Top Gun: Maverick proved that a longer release window can truly carry a film passed the billion and with some strong word-of-mouth, it would be a shame if Disney got in the way of its own success. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising if they generally start moving away from that and give these films more time to breathe in theaters.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Star Reignites MCU Return Rumors With New Instagram Post

    ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Star Reignites MCU Return Rumors With New Instagram Post

    There’s been a lot of rumors surrounding Marvel Studios’ future projects. Especially the upcoming adaptation of Secret Invasion has been the focus given its topic of exploring a world infiltrated by the Skrull. A story exploring agents trying to figure out if the person next to them can be trusted opens up many possibilities, especially with a project focused on the spy aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Of course, when spies are involved it becomes a hot topic if it also means many more SHIELD agents from the comics could make an appearance. Not just that but also the possibility of seeing actors return from the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., especially Chloe Bennet who played the Marvel character of Daisy Johnson or better known as Quake. Rumors went wild on her potential return to the franchise and a new post may have reignited just that.

    Bennet has taken to her Instagram account and shared a rather simple group of photos. Yet, she seemingly put some daisies in her shoe, which has led to many in the comments believing that she may be subtlety hinting at her potential return to the franchise.

    Of course, it’s not really a confirmation of any kind but it’s definitely a fun little tease by the actress even if it’s simply to pay tribute to the role she played during the Marvel TV era. Whatever may come from it, it definitely may spark some fun in once again revisiting the series and theorizing on how she might arrive in the MCU, which could be similar to how they handled Charlie Cox‘s return as Daredevil.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘Werewolf by Night’ Star is Ready for More Marvel Horror

    ‘Werewolf by Night’ Star is Ready for More Marvel Horror

    Marvel Studios had an exciting year with various projects exploring the different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the biggest surprises was their first Special Presentation Werewolf by Night as long-time composer Michael Giacchino takes on the director’s role to give us the MCU’s first true horror entry.

    Inspired by the pulpy Hammer and Universal monster movies, it gave us a very unique and standalone project. It introduced us to the MCU’s take on Man-Thing, its leading star in Gael Garcia Bernal as Jack Russell, and Laura Donnelly as the iconic monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone. In an interview with The Wrap, Donnelly got a chance to talk about if we might see her return in a future project and to further explore the more comic-accurate version of the comics moving forward.

    Yes, certainly. The thing that I love about this particular story for Elsa is that we get such a sense that we’re only at the beginning of something for her; she’s not introduced as the character that we know from the comics. It’s her pre-that or maybe she has been that and something has happened — we don’t know. And so it does feel like it’s only this little taster of many, many layers that are there underneath and a huge backstory.

    Laura Donnelly

    She goes on to highlight she’s definitely down for more exploration of Marvel Studios’ horror corner and especially to reunite with Bernal.

    Any opportunity to explore [a follow-up], I would leap at, and I would also love to explore that relationship between Elsa and Jack as well. That’s just one that is just touched on and you see the beginning of something blossoming and we don’t know what that is. And I love working with Gael. I would be very, very happy to — just call me.

    Laura Donnely

    With no news about when we’d see them next, there’s hopefully a chance that Bloodstone could be our guide through the horror corner of this franchise, especially with how many iconic characters there are that could be explored in other Halloween specials. Still, we’ll have to wait a little longer until we get more news on what Marvel Studios has planned for these characters.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Former X-Men Kelsey Grammer Wants to Return as Beast in the MCU

    Former X-Men Kelsey Grammer Wants to Return as Beast in the MCU

    The moment Marvel Studios unveiled plans for Avengers: Secret Wars, it felt like anything suddenly became possible. The Multiverse Saga was upon us and while we only got a glimpse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, something that seems entirely on purpose in retrospect to build up what is yet to come, it does seem like the perfect way to slowly bring back some iconic stars from Marvel’s cinematic and TV history.

    One of the most hopeful returns has been some of the 20th Century Fox actors, especially from the X-Men franchise. Luckily, it seems that one actor is definitely on board as Kelsey Grammer, who once played Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and gave us quite an iconic incarnation ith very little time on screen. Not only does he want to return but he also makes an ultimatum in an interview with MovieWeb.

    If they don’t ask me to return to the role of Beast, I’ll never go to Disneyland again. I’d love for them to do that. I want to do that.

    Kelsey Grammer

    There’s the possibility that we see this actor return to the role even before Secret Wars; if Marvel Studios even ends up approaching him. Hugh Jackman is already confirmed to take on the role of Wolverine once more in the upcoming Deadpool threequel and they could also reintroduce some familiar faces from the original X-Men franchise. So, we’ll see if he might end up having a role after all.

    Source: MovieWeb

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ Animated Series May Be Facing Troubles

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ Animated Series May Be Facing Troubles

    Marvel Studios has been on a roll as of late. They kicked off Phase 4 with their usual cinematic fanfare but also added some Diseny+ series to the mix. No matter where one stands on the matter, it’s not an easy undertaking, and has expanded Marvel Studios as a result as well. They absorbed Marvel TV and have started a big move in hiring many people to take over the new load. So, this isn’t something they weren’t preparing for in the first place.

    Still, it seems that a rumor has been making the rounds in regard to Marvel Studios’ other major project, animation. While What If…? released last year, they have been actively working on various projects with a Marvel Zombies spin-off, a revival of the cult 90s X-Men: The Animated series in X-Men ’97, a Spider-Man series, and who knows what else is in the works. Yet, according to Geeks Worldwide’s KC Walsh, they may be facing some layoffs and are actively waiting for their release to greenlgiht future seasons.

    For those that might be wondering if that isn’t the norm, animation takes a long time to develop and any wasted minute means that production will take even longer to keep the momentum up. Commonly they develop a season and are already working on the next when it starts airing. Yet, Marvel Studios may be taking cues from its previous experiences and trying to get a feeling that this project is even worth the investment.

    On the one hand, it sucks that animation tends to get shafted first when there’s a need for saving money but there’s also the fact that they could use the time to focus more on their live-action ventures. Animation being treated as its own division may help keep that focus and take away the pressure from the bigger expectation set upon it as part of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

    Still, this is only a rumor for now and there’s also the fact that during San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios renewed most of their upcoming animated series. We haven’t seen any footage from Spider-Man: Freshman Year but they’ve already renewed it for a second s called Sophomore Year. The same goes for X-Men ’97 and What If…? is even getting a third season. So, we’ll have to see if more information comes to light on why they may be facing these troubles.

    Source: Twitter

  • Disney Eyeing a ‘The Princess Diaries’ Revival

    Disney Eyeing a ‘The Princess Diaries’ Revival

    Who knew Disney had a thing for princess stories? Jokes aside, it looks like Disney is hoping to revive the popular The Princess Diaries franchise as they have attached Supergirl and Reacher‘s Aadrita Mukerji to write a script that would act as a continuation of the 2004 film Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. It should be noted that Anne Hathaway is not attached yet but she has been open to potentially returning one day in the past. If Disney approves of a script and finds a director, we might see her return to the role.

    The original was first released in 2001 and explored the story of an unassuming teenager from the States that ends up being the heir of a fictional European kingdom known as Genovia. The film was based on a novel by Meg Cabot and was quite a box-office hit at the time. Its sequel didn’t bring in as much as the first but remained just as much a pop culture favorite for years. Debra Martin Chase is back to produce the film, as she did with the first two entries with Godmothered and The Other Woman screenwriter Melissa Stack set to executive produce.

    The original two films were directed by the late Garry Mashall, who sadly passed away in 2016. He famously went on to direct the unofficial holiday trilogy, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Mother’s Day. It’s still too early to say if a third film will be made but Disney isn’t a stranger to reviving classic franchises, as they did recently with Hocus Pocus 2 and even going on to revive some of their newly acquired 20th Century projects. So, we’ll see how long it takes for them to move forward with the project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Den Den Murphy Episode 26 – One Piece Film Red

    Den Den Murphy Episode 26 – One Piece Film Red

    One Piece has had a big 25th anniversary, as while the manga finally left Wano after years on the island, we’ve also gotten a brand new film titled Red. Introducing Shank’s daughter Uta to the world, Fezzy and Joe take a closer look at what the film is all about.

  • Eiichiro Oda’s Heavily Involved with Netflix to Ensure the Spirit of ‘One Piece’ Isn’t Lost in Adaptation

    Eiichiro Oda’s Heavily Involved with Netflix to Ensure the Spirit of ‘One Piece’ Isn’t Lost in Adaptation

    One Piece has been running for 25 years and it’s been an adventure for many that grew up with the franchise at any point in time they joined the Straw Hats journey. Soon, a new generation will be introduced to the franchise in a new format with Netflix’s attempt at a live-action adaptation of One Piece. Showrunners Steve Maeda and Matt Owens are hard at work on the production that wrapped up production

    As first shared by @OP_Netflix_Fan on Twitter, Netflix’s Director of Original Series Ted Biaselli has shared some details about how the team is tackling the adaptation and just how involved Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, is with the upcoming live-action series during a recording of the Gayest Episode Ever podcast. Anime adaptations haven’t had the greatest track record. Luckily, Biaselli highlights the importance of that very concept that an anime adaptation is more than just recreating iconic shots or simply using the IP for the sake of it, as highlighted in the recording.

    The pressure of live-action anime has always been a disaster and I don’t want that on my record. I want to be the guy who understands what they’re making, and, you know, the intention behind the source material and how do we translate that to bring that to life. As opposed to recreate shot-for-shot or as opposed to taking the IP and throwing everything else away. There is a middle ground to understanding the throughline and the truth that is in all the source material and then figuring out how that makes sense in a live-action cinematic approach.

    Ted Biaselli

    There’s a sigh of relief hearing those words as many adaptations, anime or not, have focused primarily on recreating the shot composition of the anime rather than focusing on what made it stand out. Cowboy Bebop struggled to reach its audience as there were concerns it strayed too far from the source material while only visually recreating it rather than truly embracing what made the anime the cultural milestone it is today. Luckily, Netflix is taking it quite seriously and Eiichiro Oda is actively involved to ensure that they don’t go “missing the point” at any time while bringing the project to life.

    I’ve been with One Piece for the past three years, four years actually, and as far as I am concerned it’s now about how fast you can get it on. My little mantra is “getting right before right now.” And it takes a while and that’s okay. We’re working directly with Eiichiro Oda, who is the creator. He’s got a vision and he’s also never worked in television. So, it’s a give and take sort of education of what works in live-action, what doesn’t work in live-action. And then he tells us: “You guys are missing the point, that’s not what the scene is about. This is what it’s about.”

    Ted Biaselli

    It also sounds like Oda’s getting a new look at how Western productions go. He’s been heavily involved with the scripts for animated films and anime, but a live-action adaptation is a new beast entirely. Still, knowing just how involved he is does add even more excitement than the project already offered with the enthusiasm the cast and crew shared throughout production. Here’s hoping that some updates on the series aren’t too far away now.

    Source: Gayest Episode Ever via Twitter

  • First Details on ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Winter Soldier DLC and Cloning Lab Finally Arrives

    First Details on ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Winter Soldier DLC and Cloning Lab Finally Arrives

    It’s been a while since we got an update on what exactly Marvel’s Avengers has to offer. While the recently sold Crystal Dynamics studio made many wonders if the game might even survive the year, it seems that a major update is still on the way as teased some time ago. The game is introducing its latest hero in the form of Winter Soldier, who will be made available on the 2.7 update as of November 29th. And it looks like he’s not going to come alone.

    In the latest blog entry, the Winter Soldier update will also be the final introduction of the Cloning Labs Omega-Level Threat. For those that may have only recently tried out the game or heard of it, Cloning Labs was one of the first major additions teased for the game’s launch. It was originally meant to release shortly after the rollout but a troubled release led to many delays.

    Still, it’s finally going to arrive and will be added as an Omega Level-Threat, which is pretty much the game’s major event. The main villain has been teased with a recent warzone addition as AIM has revived the original game’s antagonist MODOK and he’s ready to take his revenge. You can join the event if you’re over Power Level 175, which was hinted at earlier and we have a new level cap at 185 moving forward.

    Back to Winter Soldier, Scott Porter will voice the character and joins a star-studded cast. They already teased we’ll once again get an animated intro to the character hinting at how he finds himself in this world similar to what we received with Jane Foster’s Thor earlier this year. He is highlighted as not an echo character but as a combination of Captain America and Black Widow with a unique move-set. He’ll also come with a Heroic Mission chain but don’t expect a story mode as we’ve last seen with Black panther last year. Sadly, it seems the game has moved on from that element and is mainly focusing on its multiplayer offerings moving forward.

    Source: Play Avengers

  • From DC to Horror: Walter Hamada Makes Deal with Paramount

    From DC to Horror: Walter Hamada Makes Deal with Paramount

    Walter Hamada is a name many might recall as a big part of the post-Justice League era of DC Films. While the studio has been renamed DC Studios with new leadership under Peter Safran and long-time superhero director James Gunn, the producer fought his way uphill on trying to set a plan for DC’s future. Under new leadership with Warner Bros. Discovery, he left the studio and many wondered where he’d show up again. As it turns out, he went on to return to his horror roots.

    In a new report by The Hollywood reporter, he has signed on as of January 1st, 2023 to oversee Paramount’s horror line-up. After their recent success with Smile, it’s no wonder that they want to bank on the current rise of horror projects and Hamada is no stranger to the task. His mandate is to set a bunch of mid-budget horror films not only for theatrical release but also eyeing a streaming release every year. Not a small undertaking to boost their horror output.

    I am thrilled to collaborate with Paramount Pictures with the singular goal of creating exceptional movies in the horror genre. Over the course of my career, nothing has been more gratifying than discovering emerging, first-time filmmakers and writers and unleashing their brilliance in a studio setting. Thank you to Brian and the entire team at Paramount Pictures for this tremendous opportunity, I can’t wait to get started.

    Walter Hamada

    Paramount Pictures CEO Brain Robbins also highlighted the “tremendous appetite for original, high-concept storytelling in the global market” and is quite excited to build this new horror corner of its studio.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter