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  • Netflix’s ‘Spy Kids’ Reboot Adds ‘No Time to Die’ Actor

    Netflix’s ‘Spy Kids’ Reboot Adds ‘No Time to Die’ Actor

    Billy Magnussen is the latest actor to join the cast of Netflix’s Spy Kids reboot. He joins the previously announced Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla, and Connor Esterson. Details surrounding Magnussen’s role are being kept under wraps.

    The latest Spy Kids film, which hails from franchise creator Robert Rodriguez, is set after the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful game develop and unleash a computer virus allowing him to control all technology. This will lead the children to become spies themselves as they seek to save both their parents and the rest of the world. Rodriguez is on board to direct and produce the film. He will also co-write it alongside Racer Max.

    Magnussen has had quite a busy year. The actor most recently starred in the James Bond film, No Time to Die, as well as the Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark. He’s next set to appear in Netflix’s Lift with the likes of Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Vincent D’Onofrio. He’ll also executive produce and star in the film Reunion, which also features Chace Crawford (The Boys) and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries). He was also set to appear in a Disney+ spinoff featuring his character from Aladdin, however, that project looks to still be in development.

    Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger will produce the film and oversee development and production. While Elizabeth Avellan and Max will join as producers. Netflix’s Nick Nesbit will serve as a creative lead on the reboot.

    As of now, the Spy Kids reboot does not yet have a release date on Netflix.

    Source: Deadline

  • Amandla Stenberg Confirmed for Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Amandla Stenberg Confirmed for Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘The Acolyte’

    It’s sometimes crazy to think how long it takes for official announcements to make their way online after we first hear about a story. After first being hinted at back in December, there was a story about actress Amandla Stenberg joining the upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte. While things were quiet on the project, just as San Diego Comic-Con is making the rounds, Star Wars and Lucasfilm have confirmed her casting for the project.

    They don’t reveal any details, however, as we still don’t know what the exact story is about and what role she might be taking on in the Disney+ series. There have been a few rumors hinting that it’ll be a sith-based storyline; exciting for many wishing thee dark side of the Force getting a bit more attention.

    UPDATING

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Koala Man’ Writers Preview the Scope and Creative Freedom of their Upcoming Series

    ‘Koala Man’ Writers Preview the Scope and Creative Freedom of their Upcoming Series

    Animator Michael Cusack‘s universe is expanding with the upcoming release of Koala Man. Murphy’s Multiverse had the opportunity during San Diego Comic-Con to sit down with the YOLO and Smiling Friends creator, alongside writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit to discuss the new superhero animated series coming to Hulu. Cusack started by providing a template of what to expect in terms of the scope of this new world.

    It’s usually low stakes, relatable kinda small town things that I’ve experienced or other writers experienced. Not just from Australia, but small towns too…and using small stakes, low stakes situations and seeing where they can go. Either they go big and surreal or we commit to the low stakes and see where that goes too. It’s a sandbox where we can just do what we want.

    Michael Cusack

    As someone who has been involved with various bombastic, adult-oriented animations in his career, Cusack and the writer’s team provided some insight into the tone that we can expect from the project.

    It’s good to have the freedom for sure. In saying that, it doesn’t mean that we’re like ‘oh we can do anything so it’s got to be as gratuitous as we want’. It’s not really that hardcore adult. It’s really just an elevated Simpsons in a way.

    Michael Cusack

    They also highlighted how much creative freedom they had while working on it. So, no idea was shot down at any time throughout their time working on it.

    But I think that it is exciting to not limit where the story can go and how it can be expressed. Because sometimes in others’ writers rooms…you pitch something that’s hilariously funny and go ‘oh but we could never do that’. But that phrase was not uttered in the Koala Man writers room.

    Benji Samit

    Koala Man is produced by 20th Television Animation and will be released on Hulu. The main cast consists of Michael Cusack, Hugh Jackman, Rachel House, Jarrad Wright, Claudia O’Doherty, Michelle Brasier, and Natalie Tran. And Thursday’s San Diego Comic-Con panel confirmed the additions of Sarah Snook and Demi Lardner to the principal cast. 

    This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.

  • Jamie Lee Curtis Ready to Work with Marvel Studios

    Jamie Lee Curtis Ready to Work with Marvel Studios

    Over the years, it has become normal for stars to speak out against studios, either because of a lack of diversity or for creative reasons – with some directors even going so far as to dub superhero films as movies “for children.” In recent months, one actress, Jamie Lee Curtis, has caused a stir online after numerous comments against one studio in particular: Marvel Studios.

    Now, in a new interview with People magazine, the Halloween actress explains that she wasn’t bashing the studio. She simply was highlighting how special her latest release, Everything Everywhere All at Once was as it competed against Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. “I have nothing against Marvel as an entity,” Curtis explained. “What I was talking about is that Everything Everywhere All at Once was a little movie that could … and [we] were able to tell a multiverse story that really touched people. What I was trying to talk about was it doesn’t have to be a Marvel movie in order to be a spectacle and to really move you.”

    That isn’t to say Curtis wasn’t trying to stir up some friendly competition. While Curtis’ comments seem to suggest she has no interest in joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Curtis isn’t actually against it. In fact, she’s entirely open to joining the MCU, she just doesn’t feel they’ll be calling her soon due to her age and because of her past comments.

    “Honestly, I can’t imagine that they will ever come calling because I kicked up some dust,” Curtis said. “But I’m a collaborating artist. I work with a lot of people on a lot of different things, and if the role was interesting and if I could bring what I do to it, of course, I would [work with Marvel]. What am I going to do, say no? Of course!”

    Earlier this year, reports surfaced suggesting Curtis might have a role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Writer and director James Gunn was quick to debunk that rumor, however, it looks like Curtis could show up in another title – should Marvel Studios give her a call, of course.

    Curtis will next appear in Halloween Ends, the final chapter of the latest Halloween trilogy. That film is slated to hit theaters on Oct. 14th. 

    Source: People

  • ‘Nope’ Kicks Off Strong With $6.4M in Thursday Previews, Jordan Peele’s Second Best

    ‘Nope’ Kicks Off Strong With $6.4M in Thursday Previews, Jordan Peele’s Second Best

    Yup, you read that right. Jordan Peele‘s latest film, simply titled Nope, has opened to a strong $6.4M in Thursday previews to kick off its summer box office run. There’s been a lot of mystery surrounding what may be Peele’s biggest budget title yet. Even during the pandemic, horror titles have done quite well and especially when it came to racking in quite a bit over their theatrical run.

    As of now, the predictions have its release somewhere between $45M and $60M if it manages to pick up the pace over the weekend. Expectations at the moment with that Thursday preview opening have it leaning towards the higher opening. It’s the third release for Peele and cost him quite a bit more from his previous sentries. Get Out had a $4.5M budget before Us was made for $20M. Nope, on the other hand, has a production budget of $68M.

    The $6.4M Thursday opening was lower than that of Us, which took in $7.4M and went on to pull in around $71.1M. Of course, there’s a chance the pandemic had some influence and critics weren’t raving about this entry as they did with previous ones. Nope also had some of the most obscure marketing we’ve seen from any summer blockbuster production, which may also have played a factor in people being uncertain. For now, we’ll have to see if the film’s opening may potentially still succeed expectations.

    Source: Variety

  • Justin Roiland on his Creative Collaboration on ‘Koala Man’ and ‘Solar Opposites’

    Justin Roiland on his Creative Collaboration on ‘Koala Man’ and ‘Solar Opposites’

    As someone deeply ensconced with numerous projects simultaneously, Justin Roiland is very much grateful for the creative relationships he has with collaborators on his various adult animation programs. While sitting down with Murphy’s Multiverse at San Diego Comic-Con, Roiland discussed his involvement with the creative team and the production behind the upcoming Koala Man series.

    I surround myself with amazing, talented people. For Koala Man, I’ve got Benji (Samit), Dan (Hernandez), and Michael (Cusack). Which that’s their thing, I’m very hands-off with that show. My whole thing was like ‘I just need Michael to have a show’ and so my job was to just get that show green-lit, and then to protect them from notes, and to protect them from…if there was anything that’s bumming them out, that they feel really strongly about, then they can call me and I can step in. And surprisingly, I haven’t had to do it that much because Hulu is so fucking chill. They believe in the show. They’re like ‘yeah this is great.’ But in terms of actually writing and the moment-to-moment and the writer’s room, I’m two arm-lengths away from it. I’m more of a fan of it.

    Justin Roiland

    Being able to have that level of distance between himself and the series shows the level of trust Roiland holds with his collaborators. It’s certainly notable to see an influential figure such as Roiland go to bat on that level for Michael Cusack in providing the outlet for him to have his own Hulu animated series. Roiland compared his involvement, and his trust in his collaborators, with Koala Man to that of his own series in Solar Opposites.

    And then for Solar Opposites, it’s Danielle (Uhlarik), Josh (Bycel), and Mike (McMahan), and our writers on that. And you know I’m closer to that one obviously, but still that show would not be as good as it is…we have all these amazing ideas coming from our other crew that feed into that show.

    Justin Roiland

    Justin Roiland certainly expresses a great deal of respect and trust in his creative co-workers. And with that, it’s not a surprise to see the developing success that has been established through this new era of adult-oriented animated projects with Hulu.

    This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.

  • Disney+ in Early Negotiations for BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney+ in Early Negotiations for BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney has been growing smart in their Disney+ streaming venture. While they’ve become a bit reliant on their biggest IPs, Marvel and Star Wars, they have been slowly learning their lessons as they add more years in the streaming game. After not only expanding beyond the family-friendly approach as of late, they are also looking to stream big IPs from other ventures. Such as the reveal by Bloomberg that they are currently in negotiations with BBC.

    It seems that talks are in an early stage, but Disney is interested in acquiring the global rights to exclusively stream BBC’s flagship program, Doctor Who. One of the longest live-action series, which started back in 1963, has become a staple of science-fiction drama. The timing is also perfect, as the series is about to enter its next area with Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa set to take over as the next form of the Doctor. They would also broadcast the upcoming new season alongside BBC.

    As the deal is still in its early stages, it’s unclear if it’ll actually come together but it does highlight that the studio is slowly learning that they can’t purely rely on their own IP. While they have the biggest selection, especially after the purchase of 20th Century Fox and its subdivisions, there’s still a limitation to growing your core audience with a limited offering. There’s no detail if they’ll acquire every season of the show, but it would seem like that is their aim.

    Plus, they don’t have to produce everything, and having 50+ years of TV history to offer will definitely be something long-time fans will be looking forward to. Some international markets have Doctor Who through Netflix but only a limited amount of seasons are available. So, having one place to watch them all means people have some binging ahead of them.

    Source: Bloomberg

  • Justin Roiland On Why He Prefers to Tell Alien-Based Stories

    Justin Roiland On Why He Prefers to Tell Alien-Based Stories

    A common theme found in the world of projects by Justin Roiland, between the likes of Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites, is the primary focus on alien characters and worlds. While some may view it as a simple creative coincidence, there is a deeper reason behind why Roiland comes back to them when developing his shows. While sitting down with Murphy’s Multiverse during San Diego Comic-Con, Roiland discussed this subject in detail.

    There’s no coincidence that a lot of my shows are alien-based. Because when you have an alien cast, it just eliminates a lot of identity politics and a lot of stuff goes out the window. And you can just focus on the characters underneath. And that’s how I live my life. I don’t care what you are, I just want to know who you are as a person and your heart and your brain.

    Justin Roiland

    Being able to distinctly take away the concept of identity politics from stories of character development is a fascinating concept in today’s day and age. The stigmas and biases from society can’t help but not be a major factor in how the world is viewed, and it especially can be pervasive in the analysis of artistic and entertainment content. By taking it away, Roiland has found his way to adeptly tell human stories through the means of setting them as different species within the universe. And with that in mind, Roiland’s point in this interview provides newer context to how his projects can be perceived.

    This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.

  • Michelle Rodriguez On Losing ‘Fast X’ Director and the Future of the Franchise 

    Michelle Rodriguez On Losing ‘Fast X’ Director and the Future of the Franchise 

    The Fast & Furious franchise is closer to the finish line than ever before, but the final leg hasn’t been without its setbacks. Fast X, currently planned as the second-to-last installment in the series, lost its director in April after on-set disagreements caused Justin Lin to experience burnout. He was quickly replaced by Louis Leterrier, who has since kept the film on track for its May 19, 2023 release.

    At San Diego Comic-Con to promote her latest project, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, actress Michelle Rodriguez was asked about Fast X and its current state of affairs. The longtime series star excitedly revealed to Deadline that losing a director didn’t delay the movie’s production at all and that it actually may be further along than fans thought:

    Oh, I couldn’t even believe it. We lost a director and everything and nothing was stopping that machine, let me tell you. We’re almost done. I mean, production is literally like, four weeks or five weeks away from finishing.

    Michelle Rodriguez

    Rodriguez was then asked where her character, Letty, fit into the scheme of things, and how much work she had left to complete before moving on. Her answer was succinct and surprising:

    Bro, I finished already. I finished shooting. We did our thing, baby. Trust me, you’re gonna see so much craziness you’re gonna be like “Oh, I get it.”

    Michelle Rodriguez

    Fast X has been billed as the first of a two-part franchise finale, but Rodriguez seems to think there could be more in the tank after the formal Fast Saga comes to an end. When asked about the future of the franchise, she didn’t appear convinced that the currently-untitled Fast 11 would actually be the series’ closer:

    I have no idea, mama. Trust me. At some point we’re gonna have to pass the baton on to the younger generation. Don’t worry, we’re popping out kids. It’ll happen.

    Michelle Rodriguez

    Rodriguez can be seen next in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, hitting theaters March 3, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • New ‘Fall Guys’ Leak Offers First Look at ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Crossover Map

    New ‘Fall Guys’ Leak Offers First Look at ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Crossover Map

    Fall Guys has recently found its way to consoles as free-to-play, which gave many the opportunity to check out what the insanity is just all about. With its loveable bean-like characters, we get a chance to join many other players in a unique take on the popular trend of battle royale games. Part Wipeout and Takeshi’s Castle, it has stood out for just the sheer amount of chaos each game comes with.

    Now, it seems that they have a crossover heading our way, as Fall Guys‘ leaker, Pancake, leaked an entire level that is part of this cooperation. The level will be titled Bean Hill Zone as a cute word play on the iconic Green Hill Zone, the level offers the usual Fall Guys insanity with some Sonic-inspired flair. The iconic bumpers are here and you’ll have a lot of fun jumping around on theem.

    The design looks great and coin collecting is a fitting combination for a Sonic the Hedgehog tie-in. We don’t know if we might see some more get added as well, but if this is a recurring map it’ll definitely make for a fun map people will look forward to. The game has certainly been an adventure for many who just want some fun and insanity. If you’re a Sonic the Hedgehog fan and enjoy Fall Guys, be sure to keep an eye out for it.

    Source: YouTube