Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • REVIEW: ‘The Dragon Prince’ Journeys Into ‘Mystery of Aaravos’

    REVIEW: ‘The Dragon Prince’ Journeys Into ‘Mystery of Aaravos’

    After a three-year hiatus, The Dragon Prince has returned – and this time, things aren’t exactly the same. Now dubbed The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos, the fantastically animated series from creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond is shifting gears to a fresh story arc. Once about the journey of an unlikely trio through magical, foreign lands, the latest season features its protagonists settled into new roles after completing their former goal. Alas, peace can never remain for long, as a dormant threat hinted at in previous seasons finally makes itself known to the entirety of Xadia. Now, the realm’s greatest, and youngest, heroes must reembark on another adventure to stop the evil of Aaravos in a complicated social climate they’re still trying to mold.

    The Dragon Prince has always quietly been a wonderful educational tool for children, and young adults, who may have only tuned in for the dragons and magic. The series has a marked history of using its fantasy world to parallel the political strife of Earth’s own, and the Mystery of Aaravos is decidedly no different. For all the story elements that have changed in the show’s time away from air, its commitment to commenting on the ethics of governing and world war is admirably still intact. For any parent reading this, whose kids have not yet picked up The Dragon Prince – this is a gem of a project flying just under the pop culture radar. Its first three seasons are often thrilling, with genuine moments of suspense and certifiably cool action sequences, and its chock-full of characters both adorable and valiant. Its messages, a mix of subtle and on-the-nose, are also the exact kind that the youth of today should be hearing. Love and humanity are more important than anything else, and The Dragon Prince believes this wholeheartedly.

    That is what stays the same in Mystery of Aaravos, the show’s upcoming fourth season, which doubles down on its wholesomeness from the very beginning. What’s changed is the primary goal of the series’ main characters, who have successfully brought back the dragons and begun the process of uniting the realm. Now skilled in their respective crafts, the young heroes must figure out how to tackle an insurgence of dark magic with the help of other magic users, instead of on their own. It’s actually quite refreshing to see the fruits of previous season’s labors paying off, and brings a warm sense of progress to The Dragon Prince as a whole. The latest episodes do an excellent job of bringing their characters to exciting new places, developmentally speaking, without forcefully betraying anything established in prior installments. Natural development is a wildly underrated aspect of storytelling, and it’s nice to see The Dragon Prince handle it so well here.

    With its new conflict also comes a new sense of drama, and the ending to the first quarter of the season indicates the series might be headed toward darker alleys than it’s ever explored before. This is something seen in Ehasz projects in the past, as Avatar: The Last Airbender also matured with its audience. Of course, as previously stated, the lightheartedness of The Dragon Prince is still there in the latest season, it’s just packaged with moments that were surprisingly brooding. It would seem that mental health will play a larger role in Mystery of Aaravos, with multiple characters not finished reeling over the events of years past. In only the first few episodes, this topic is addressed with the same reassuring grace that continues to make The Dragon Prince a must-watch for little ones.

    Ultimately, the latest season of The Dragon Prince offers a delightful mix of old and new. It’s exactly what longtime viewers hoped they’d find upon their return, with enough differences to justify a four-season renewal. Although only four episodes were made available for review, the velocity of the season makes it easy to be confident in its continued high-quality. Fans should be excited to dive back into Xadia, because so far, it’s been worth every minute.

  • ‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ Canceled After Two Seasons

    ‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ Canceled After Two Seasons

    Fate: The Winx Saga will not be returning for a third season.

    The news was announced by the series showrunner Brian Young on Tuesday morning. In the post, which can be viewed below, Young confirms Netflix has decided not to move forward with Season 3 of the series. “This is especially tough because I know how many of you loved this season. It’s a heartbreaking silver lining, but a silver lining all the same,” he writes. “I’m so proud of everyone who worked on the show, and so happy we got to tell the stories we did. Our cast and crew put in a ton of hard work creating this world and these characters. I’m grateful for each and every one of them, and for all of you for watching.”

    Fate: The Winx Saga, which debuted its second season in Sept. 2022, starred Abigail Cowen, Precious Mustapha, Elisha Applebaum, Eliot Salt and Hannah van der Westhuysen. It was a live-action take on Nickelodeon’s Winx Club and focused on Bloom (Cowen) as she learned to adjust to life within the Otherworld while attending Alfea College. As she adjusts to life as a fairy, Bloom is forced to determine whether to seek answers regarding her past, despite knowing the costs of doing so. Season 2 ended on a major cliffhanger that saw her enter another realm in search of her mother.

    Both seasons of Fate: The Winx Saga are now streaming on Netflix.

  • Marvel Launching Official ‘Black Panther’ Podcast 

    Marvel Launching Official ‘Black Panther’ Podcast 

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is closer than ever, but it’s not the only Black Panther project on the horizon. In collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment, Proximity Media has announced an official podcast dedicated to the iconic character with a premiere date of November 3rd. Titled Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, the six-episode limited series will be written and hosted by acclaimed creative Ta-Nehisi Coates. The goal of the project will be to explore the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the next major chapter in the Black Panther saga, while honoring the remarkable legacy of star Chadwick Boseman.

    Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast will be executive produced by Ryan Coogler, the co-founder of Proximity Media and the director behind both live-action Black Panther films. Also producing are Paola Mardo, Proximity’s Head of Audio, as well as Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Mardo released the following statement regarding the creation of the podcast:

    Ever since Ryan, Zinzi, and Sev entrusted Proximity’s Audio division with this project, our goal has been to tell the story of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ with as much heart and authenticity as the film itself. With our premiere episode, we’ve accomplished this goal while breaking new ground in the process, thanks to the awesome collaboration between our incredible host Ta-Nehisi Coates, our talented podcast production team, and our collaborators at Marvel and Disney.

    Paola Mardo

    The debut episode will feature a conversation between Ryan Coogler and Coates, in which the two friends reflect on the cultural impact of 2017’s Black Panther and the late Boseman. After the series’ November 3rd premiere, subsequent episodes will release weekly beginning in January of 2023. Scheduled guests include actors Dominique Thorne and Angela Bassett, composer Ludwig Göransson, production designer Hannah Beachler, writer Joe Robert Cole, producer Kevin Feige, and many more. Each episode will weave scripted host narration with an original score from Göransson, film clips, and field recordings. Fans will be able to experience the making of Wakanda Forever like never before.

    The first episode of the podcast drops on November 3rd. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11th.

    Source: Disney

  • ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Director to Tackle Bad Robots’ ‘Your Name’ Remake

    ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Director to Tackle Bad Robots’ ‘Your Name’ Remake

    It looks like the upcoming remake of Your Name, based on the animated film by the director Makoto Shinkai, is moving forward with Blindspotting and Raya and the Last Dragon director Carlos López Estrada set to tackle the project for Paramount, Toho, and Bad Robot. He is not only tackled to direct the remake but also to rewrite the current script, which was helmed by Eric Heisserer known for his work on Arrival and Bird Box.

    J.J. Abrams is producing the film alongside Genki Kawamura, who worked on the original adaptation, Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen. The original Your Name made $230M in Japan alone and was quite the international hit, which led to the interest in adapting the romance story. Estrada is currently working on an animated documentary and also Disney’s live-action adaptation of Robin Hood.

    The remake will follow two teenagers swapping bodies as a disastrous event could change their lives in many ways. Distribution in Japan will be by Toho with Paramount taking the rest of the world. No casting has been done as of yet, as they are still in the middle of the rewriting phase and with Estrada busy for the coming years, it’s unclear how long we’ll have to wait to see the film release in theaters.

    Source: Variety

  • RUMOR: Sony and Disney Closing in on New Spidey Deal

    RUMOR: Sony and Disney Closing in on New Spidey Deal

    Spider-Man: No Way Home was the third and final solo Spidey film to come out of the unprecedented collaborative agreement between Sony and Disney. With it becoming the #6 all-time highest-grossing film, it seemed like a no-brainer that the two studios would ultimately renew the deal and get to work on not only a new trilogy of films starring Tom Holland but also on finding other Marvel Studios projects in which he could appear. In late 2021, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed that he had begun working with Amy Pascal on developing the future of the character, however, without a new deal in place no official progress could be made, causing fans to wonder if they’d ever see Holland swinging through the MCU again.

    A new rumor might help some fans feel a little better in that regard. According to one YouTuber, Sony and Disney have apparently been at the negotiating table and are closing in on a new collaborative arrangement. The rumor states that once closed, the two studios could then begin working with Holland on sorting out the terms of his deal, which would likely consist of another Spider-trilogy of Sony films produced by Marvel Studios in addition to scheduling him for appearances in Marvel Studios films. With two Avengers films on the slate for 2025 and 2026, those would seem to stand as obvious choices, but it is possible that Marvel might like to have Spidey appear in their Fantastic Four film, which is also scheduled for 2025.

    As it stands, No Way Home could serve as a fine ending for Spidey’s MCU story. Peter made some heavy sacrifices, but by the end of the film, he seemed to have come to terms with them and found himself in a new suit swinging across the NYC skyline during the holiday season. Of course, having Holland back on board during the Multiverse Saga allows Marvel Studios a lot of freedom in exploring Spidey’s relationship with a character that fans have been clamoring to see join the MCU for some time now: Miles Morales.

    With no deal in place, there’s currently no timeline set for Spider-Man 4, though given Feige’s comments from late 2021, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the project come together fairly quickly once the deal is in place.

  • Marvel Exec Teases “Sparks” Between Sam Wilson, Thunderbolt Ross in ‘Captain America: New World Order’

    Marvel Exec Teases “Sparks” Between Sam Wilson, Thunderbolt Ross in ‘Captain America: New World Order’

    With the confirmation that the legendary Harrison Ford was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as General Thunderbolt Ross, replacing the late William Hurt, came speculation that Marvel Studios must have plans to have Ross finally become the Red Hulk and take on the Hulk. As it turns out, the studio has plans Ross to end up at odds with another hero: Captain America.

    In an interview with Collider, Marvel Studios’ Parliament member Nate Moore confirmed Ford’s casting and gave some insight into what fans can expect from him when he turns up in Captain America: New World Order.

    Well, look, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, he is going to bring his own team to play. It’s no secret that Samuel Sterns is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is fantastic because Tim Blake Nelson’s the best. Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and to see Sam Wilson and Thunderbolt Ross, which if you remember actually threw him in prison at the end of Civil War because he violated the Sokovia Accords. There’s going to be some natural sparks there, which I think are going to be really fun.

    Nate Moore

    With the project not expected to start filming until February or March, Moore’s comments stand as some of the best insight into the plot of the film to date. Director Julius Onah has gone on record in sharing his excitement about Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader serving as the villain of the piece, saying he’ll “put Sam through the wringer” in what he’s calling a paranoid thriller. And now it sounds like Sam might have more than just The Leader standing in his way in his first big screen outing as Captain America.

    Captain America: New World Order is currently set to hit theaters on May 3, 2024.

    Source: Collider

  • HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Eyeing a January Premiere

    HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Eyeing a January Premiere

    The Last of Us video game was released in 2013 to unbelievably good reviews. Taking place in 2033, 20 years after a highly contagious fungus almost wipes out the entire population of the United States, it follows Joel, a man that lost his daughter when the outbreak first began, living his life with no real purpose until faced with the possibility of a cure. He then has to lead a young girl, Ellie, said to be immune, across the country in hopes of finding someone who can develop a vaccine from her unique set of antibodies.

    In March 2020, it was announced that HBO was planning a TV show based on the events of the first and possibly second game of the series, and later that same year it was announced that the project had been officially picked up for a full season. A year later, we are getting confirmation of the series’ premiere date, which, according to the official HBO Max website/app, will take place on January 15, 2023.

    The Last of Us will feature Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian), Bella Ramsay (Game of Thrones), Gabriel Luna (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Terminator: Dark Fate), Nico Parker (Dumbo), Ana Torv (Fringe, Mindhunter), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, Devs) among others. Argentinian composer Gustavo Santaolalla is set to compose the score of the series, after being the one to score both the original game and its sequel. Neil Druckman, who directed both games, will also return to The Last of Us‘ world to write the entirety of the first season, alongside Craig Mazin, which will consist of ten episodes.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel Series in Works at Peacock

    ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel Series in Works at Peacock

    Peacock is looking to revisit Camp Crystal Lake. It was announced on Monday that the streaming service is developing a prequel to Friday the 13th. The series hails from Bryan Fuller, the man behind Pushing Daisies and Hannibal. He’ll serve as the showrunner, writer and executive producer on the prequel. He’ll develop the project along with A24, the studio behind hits like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Pearl.

    Crystal Lake, which was given a straight-to-series order, is a prequel to the 1980s horror film, Friday the 13th. The move comes after rights to the franchise were tied up after the rights moved from Paramount to New Line. The original movie’s director and producer Sean S. Cunningham and original screenwriter Victor Miller were stuck in a copyright dispute, with the long battle finally coming to an end back in May. Miller ended up securing the rights over the script and original characters but not over the Friday the 13th title or the concept of an adult Jason and/or the character’s now iconic hockey mask. Because of this, the prequel series, could not be called Friday the 13th.

    “I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I have been thinking about this story ever since. When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope and I’m thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds of Crystal Lake under their banner. And [NBCUniversal’s] Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be working with her again.”  

    Fuller

    Miller and his copyright attorney, Marc Toberoff, will also serve as executive producers on the project alongside Fuller and Rob Barsamian. The series is being likened to the A&E series, Bates Motel, and is described as a drama. As of now, no release date has been set.

    Source: THR.

  • Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Talks for ‘Wonder Man’

    Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Talks for ‘Wonder Man’

    Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to star in the Wonder Man series for Disney+ and Marvel Studios. The news was revealed on Monday by Deadline with the outlet reporting that the actor is officially in talks for the titular role. News of the actor’s casting comes after he was reported as being up for the role in the past few weeks.

    Abdul-Mateen, who currently portrays DC’s Black Manta in the Aquaman films has also starred in HBO’s Watchmen, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Nia DaCosta‘s Candyman, and The Matrix Resurrections where he played Morpheus. He’s currently coming off the Suzan Lori Parks play Topdog/Underdog where he’s earned rave reviews for his performance. He’ll join the previously announced Ben Kingsley in Wonder Man, who is set to reprise his role as Trevor Slattery.

    Wonder Man hails from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, who is executive producing the project, and Andrew Guest (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), who will serve as the head writer on the series. While not yet set in stone, Cretton, who is also on board Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, could potentially direct an episode or more, too.

    As of note, Wonder Man does not have a release date on Disney+.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Marvel and EA Teaming-Up on 2 More Games in Addition to ‘Iron Man’

    Marvel and EA Teaming-Up on 2 More Games in Addition to ‘Iron Man’

    Just last month, we learned that EA developer Motive is busy working on an Iron Man-focused game. Olivier Proulx returns to the world of Marvel after having worked on the game adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy when there still was a deal with Square-Enix to actively develop games. That deal included multiple titles which so far only ended up with the previously mentioned game and the controversial Marvel’s Avengers. They are seemingly hoping to accomplish the same with Electronic Arts, as they have announced they are working on a multi-title collaboration

    Taking to Twitter, Marvel Games has announced a bigger deal with EA which currently means they are working on three games actively for consoles and PC. Iron Man counts as part of that trio of new Marvel titles. There’s no word what the other projects might end up being, but there have also been rumors of a potential Black Panther open-world game that could potentially be part of this deal.

    It’s definitely interesting seeing just how many projects Marvel has been actively working on when it comes to gaming titles Insomniac is still busy working on the sequel to Spider-Man after wrapping up with a midquel focused on Miles Morales. They also surprised many when we got a teaser for a Wolverine-focused game that seems to promise a lot of snikt action. Skydance also has a game that sees Captain America team up with Wakanda’s ruler during World War 2. Marvel Snap has also just recently released online, there seems to be a lot more Marvel heading our way.

    Source: Twitter, ComicBook.com