Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • Warner Bros. Discovery No Longer Developing Scripted Programming for TBS and TNT

    Warner Bros. Discovery No Longer Developing Scripted Programming for TBS and TNT

    The moment Warner Bros. Discovery was finalized, we expected quite a few changes from their usual business. Yet, this might be quite the big change removing forward, as they are no longer developing scripted programming for TBS and TNT moving forward. CEO David Zaslav promises that they will save $3 billion in costs with the merger. As such, these cable channels will no longer produce any scripted shows moving forward but it’s unclear what exactly will happen to the productions.

    To be fair, TNT and TBS have already dialed down their productions over the last few years. So, this seems like it was potentially in the cards all along. Discovery’s merger was just the perfect timing to fully move into this development. Currently, TBS’ remaining shows include Miracle Workers, The Last OG, Chad, and American Dad. It seems that shows that are already renewed will remain, but it’s unclear if renewals beyond that will move these shows to other productions, as American Dad was renewed for two seasons back in 2021.

    TNT only has two shows left which are Animal Kingdom and Snowpiercer. The former has already eyeing an end with its upcoming sixth season this year in June while the latter was just renewed for a fourth ahead of its Season 3 premiere. The new team forming around Warner Bros. Discovery has not been mincing any words on past business decisions and teased that “2022 will undoubtedly be a messy year.”

    Source: Variety

  • Theater Owner Chief Announces the Death of Day-and-Date Releases

    Theater Owner Chief Announces the Death of Day-and-Date Releases

    There have been quite a few discussions since the start of the pandemic on what exactly the future of cinema looks like. The Batman‘s success in theaters and as a strong HBO Max addition seemingly added some momentum to the full recovery of cinema. It’s been rough since the pandemic started in 2020, but family and indie films are finally gaining some momentum again as that audience is slowly creeping back into theaters.

    As CinemaCon is currently ongoing, which is all about the “cinematic experience,” the National Association of Theatre Owners chairman John Fithian made a broad statement during his address. He believes that the day-and-date model has now died as they move forward in a more traditional direction, especially highlighting piracy as a reason.

    I am pleased to announce that simultaneous release is dead as a serious business model, and piracy is what killed it. When a pristine copy of a movie makes its way online and spreads, it has a very damaging impact on our industry.

    John Fithian

    Warner Bros. was one of the few to truly embrace the day-and-date model, as every release for the entire year got that special treatment. Now, they are still embracing a digital next model with a 45-day release.

    When analyzing title after title it becomes very clear that spikes in piracy are most drastic when a movie is first available to watch in the home: it doesn’t matter if its available via premium video on demand or subscription video on demand,” said Fithian. “Robust theatrical windows protect against piracy. If a major title that people are clamoring to see in theaters is released too quickly to the home and then pirated, the temptation to stay home and watch pirated films becomes greater for many potential moviegoers.

    John Fithian

    He goes on to highlight the issue of piracy without giving concrete examples. Still, their main focus will be on 2022 and moving forward, as the potential of this year’s releases offers a lot more box office momentum. One could argue that the topic is quite a bit more complex, especially given the personal investment in the medium also painting the full picture. Yet, the piracy issue has definitely left its impact on the industry, especially with the lack of Chinese releases.

    There’s no true answer and the model may not truly be dead, especially as streaming services start to crack on piracy concerns moving forward. Netflix’s recent fall will also bare its fangs moving forward, but the streaming market is definitely not something of the past. We’ll see if 2022 might be our first return to 2019 numbers, especially building upon the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Batman.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Wicked’ Film Now Split Into Two Parts

    ‘Wicked’ Film Now Split Into Two Parts

    Here’s another film that you could possibly find under “development hell” in the dictionary, the long-awaited big-screen adaption of the hit broadway musical, Wicked. The project has been in development since 2004, never finding its footing and failing to happen. Things seem to finally be in motion with Jon M. Chu at the helm of the project. While production still ended up getting delayed, it seems some creative changes behind the project have lead to us getting a little more Wicked than we bargained for.

    Chu himself took to Twitter to announce that the Wicked film would now be split into two, rather than cram the entire musical into one. He went on to explain that it would be impossible to do the project justice by only doing one film, citing that they attempted to cut songs or reduce character arcs but it just wasn’t working out. This led to the decision to turn the adaption into a two-parter.

    Back in October, it was announced that production on Wicked would be delayed till the summer of 2022 with filming now set to take place over in the UK. Currently, the musical adaption only has two stars attached, with Ariana Grande set to play Glinda and Cynthia Erivo set to play the role of Elphaba. With production set to kick off here in a few months it seems likely we could be hearing more news on that front at any moment.

    Wicked is currently set to release in December of 2024, but no specific date has been announced just yet. It is unknown if the films will shoot back to back as of right now.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Director to Helm Live-Action Adaptation of ‘Robotech’ For Sony

    ‘Hawkeye’ Director to Helm Live-Action Adaptation of ‘Robotech’ For Sony

    Fresh off the immense success of Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye, director Rhys Thomas has found his next project. The filmmaker has officially boarded the movie Robotech, set to be produced by Sony Pictures, as his first major feature film. Thomas is set to direct a script from longtime Sony collaborators Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, with recent rewrites by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka.

    The first duo is best known for their work on nerdy projects like Iron Man and Punisher: War Zone, while the latter pair are better known for their arthouse work on films like the upcoming Sharper. Hollywood producers Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari will guide the production with the help of the company Harmony Gold.

    Robotech will be based on the 1980s anime series of the same name. The story is set in a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology of an alien spacecraft that crashed in the South Pacific and is now utilizing their advancements to fend off an attack from a hostile alien race. Carl Macek created the original American series, which was itself an adaptation of three separate Japanese shows made in three parts.

    It ran from 1982 to 1984 with minor success and has since gained something of a cult following. The movie will be Thomas‘ first big-budget feature, after over a decade of mostly television work. His prior films consist of Staten Island Summer and The Comeback Kid, the first of which released directly to digital download.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Always Planned as a Mini-Series

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Always Planned as a Mini-Series

    Obi-Wan Kenobi will continue the story of the prequel trilogy as the Jedi Master will once again face off against his former Padawan. The return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader adds a lot of excitement to the project, especially as the actor teased that we might expect more of him in the future. Yet, showrunner Deborah Chow revealed that the upcoming Disney+ series is mainly planned as a mini-series. So, there are currently no plans for this story to expand with a second season.

    We really did conceive this like a beginning, middle, and end. It is one big story, and it was always meant to be. You can never tell what happens in the future. But, if another series were to happen, it would be the same process of making sure that there was a real story to tell. Ours is obviously very connected to the prequels, but I love the idea that there can be more stories that are all over the timeline.

    Deborah Chow

    While it’s a shame that we might not expect more of this series moving forward, it doesn’t mean that Ewan McGregor might not return as Obi-Wan Kenobi in another project. As teased by Chow, they can always plan a new mini-series that serves a different story, where he may even find himself in someone else’s adventure. Whatever the future has in store, Star Wars is starting to expand and Disney+ has become its new home to tell some unlikely stories.

    Source: Total Film

  • Deborah Chow Teases Surprises in Disney+’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    Deborah Chow Teases Surprises in Disney+’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    The release of Obi-Wan Kenobi is just around the corner, and director Deborah Chow is just as excited as anyone else. After helming a pair of well-received episodes of The Mandalorian, the creative was promoted to full-time director of Ewan McGregor‘s big return to the Star Wars universe. She recently sat down with Total Film to discuss the upcoming project, and was naturally asked a variety of questions pertaining to possible spoilers.

    One of these inquiries was about Liam Neeson‘s Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master who died protecting Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker at the end of Episode I – The Phantom Menace. the final moments of the prequel trilogy revealed to audiences that Jinn had actually become the first Jedi to perfect communication from beyond the grave, with Yoda hinting to Kenobi that he could continue to learn from his former teacher. Neeson came back to voice the character for cameos in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Chow was asked if that would also be the case for Kenobi. Her response was indirect but intriguing, to say the least:

    Obi-Wan’s going on a journey. There’s going to be different people that come into his life. One of the things I was trying to do with this series was to have the legacy, and who is important in Obi-Wan’s life, and to also have some new characters. So it’s going to be a mixture of the two. But I do think there are some surprises to come. I hope.

    Deborah Chow

    The answer doesn’t confirm anything specific, but it does leave the door open for some major anticipation about what’s to come. Many iconic Star Wars characters are returning for the Disney+ series, including Darth Vader and the Grand Inquisitor, so it’s not entirely impossible that Jinn could join them on the small screen.

    Source: Total Film

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 5 Primer

    ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 5 Primer

    Episode 4 of Moon Knight, “The Tomb”, was illuminating to say the least. We learned so much, Including the fact that Ammut was trapped in Alexander The Great’s tomb, and Alexander once served as his avatar! Arthur really did a number on Marc, first revealing to Layla the Marc knew how her father died and then shooting Marc, which is when things REALLY got nuts. The last part of the episode took place inside a mental hospital where Marc and Steven were patients and Arthur was their…doctor? The big question in this episode is, is the hospital where Marc is taken in the afterlife or is this whole thing in Marc’s head? Like is he dead or did he make up all these scenarios?

    In the hospital, we all the characters from the series return in different roles and more Easter eggs than we could count. There is also more evidence, maybe the best yet, of there being a third personality, when Marc gets Steven out of a tomb and then another tomb is seen, shaking as if someone on the inside is wanting to get out. Finally, the madness ends when Marc and Steven casually bump into a talking hippo. Not only does everything happening in the asylum causes Marc to call into question whether or not the events he’s experienced are real, but they also cause the audience to wonder the same thing.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 5 Release Date: Inside Steven/Marc's Mind Or The Othervoid? - OtakuKart

    In the next episode I think that they will dive deeper into the whole hospital situation. There is still two episodes left so Marc can’t be dead…again…just yet! But without the help of Khonshu, how will Marc and Steven escape wherever it is they are? And even if they do, will it be in enough time to stop Harrow from freeing Ammut?

    The next episode comes tomorrow!

  • New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Concept Art Teases an Empire Base

    New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Concept Art Teases an Empire Base

    Obi-Wan Kenobi is only a few more weeks away from releasing. The next entry will see the return of Ewan McGregor in the iconic role from the Prequel trilogy. Total Film has been quite busy promoting the film with various articles teasing what the future has in store for us with the latest Disney+. Showrunner Deborah Chow has also debunked rumors that Darth Maul was ever part of the project. Now, Total Film (as shared by @starwarsstuff2) has released some new concept art that teases what the project has in store.

    As we’re revisiting Tatooine shortly after The Book of Boba Fett‘s time on the desert planet, they aren’t revealing too much from the upcoming series. We do get a test of a mysterious vehicle that is a bit more Mad Max in design. We might also get to visit an Empire base going by the only non-desert location teased with the artwork. Of course, Obi-Wan is also getting a new look, which is heavily promoted in the artwork, and we have gotten a few teases from the first trailer.

    They are still keeping quite a bit secretive. So, we’ll see just how many different planets Obi-Wan might end up visiting in the series. There are a lot of questions that might not get an answer until its release, especially with the teases of some curious surprises that the production may have in store for us. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what the May release has in store for us potentially.

    Source: Total Film via Twitter

  • New Photos for Joe and Anthony Russo’s ‘The Gray Man’ Released

    New Photos for Joe and Anthony Russo’s ‘The Gray Man’ Released

    Joe and Anthony Russo have been busy with their new action thriller The Gray Man. They reunited with their Avengers co-workers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to adapt the 2009 novel of the same name. The film is set to release on Netflix in July and is considered the most expensive production ever produced by Netflix with a $200M budget. Now, we got a good look at the upcoming cast.

    The film is stuffed with talent which includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Billy Bob Thornton, and many more. Netflix Geeked took to Twitter to share a few photos from the cast as they start to ramp up marketing for the film. With a new look at the cast, we might expect a trailer in the coming months, as we are also nearing their usual two-month marketing period.

    The original novel follows the story of Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), who is a mercenary that accidentally uncovers a dark secret within his agency. Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former colleague of his, puts a bounty on his head and kicks off a manhunt.

    Given Netflix’s current situation, it definitely will try to hype up the marketing for this film to pull in new subscribers. Here’s hoping that the trailer is just around the corner, as we get to see this cast in action and what the Avengers director’s brought to the table to retell this classic novel. Netflix is fully investing in this project, and who knows if they pull back on their production budgets after recent events.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Ghostbusters’ Film is in the Works at Sony

    New ‘Ghostbusters’ Film is in the Works at Sony

    Sony is calling the Ghostbusters again. A new film was announced in the closing sizzle reel during Sony Pictures’ CinemaCon presentation. The fifth film in the franchise is coming hot on the heels of the largely successful Ghostbusters: Afterlife which was released in 2021.

    No talent or other details were given. It currently remains unknown if this will be a sequel to Afterlife, another reimagining like 2016’s ill-fated Ghostbusters, or some sort of spinoff. While the 2016 film was panned by critics and fans alike, Afterlife finished its opening weeks just behind the viral Disney film Encanto at the box office. Ghostbusters: Afterlife received a decent reception, hopefully allowing the franchise to breathe again after many considered it to be dead. While we still don’t know much about the new movie, it would make a lot of sense for Sony to try and improve and capitalize on the formula that finally found them some success. Whether that means we see the new recruits step up and lead the franchise into a new future, or once again relying on fan service is anyone’s guess.

    Ghostbusters: Afterlife, directed by Jason Reitman, and released in 2021, received $204.6 million at the global box office on a $75 million budget. The film was released on November 19, 2021. It was the 10th highest-grossing film of 2021.

    Source: Deadline