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  • ‘Pig’ Director Michael Sarnoski to Adapt ‘Sabrina’ Graphic Novel

    ‘Pig’ Director Michael Sarnoski to Adapt ‘Sabrina’ Graphic Novel

    Here’s an interesting surprise as it looks like Michael Sarnoski, the director of the Nicholas Cage-led film Pig, will be quite busy soon. In January, we learned that he was in talks to direct A Quiet Place spinoff. Yet, it looks like he has already set his eyes on another project, as Deadline has just reported that he is going to adapt the graphic novel, Sabrina. He’s currently set to write and direct the feature film based on Nick Drnaso‘s work with New Regency and RT Features involved.

    While I made the mistake of thinking it might be related to Sabrina Spellman, the graphic novel is about a man whose girlfriend went missing. After moving in with an old friend from the Air Force, a strange videotape finds its way online and goes viral. Sabrina’s vanishment becomes a headline and the two become the focus of conspiracy theorists going wild with theories on what really happened that day.

    Sarnoski made quite the splash with his work on Pig, which was a critical and audience darling when it was released. He even received the National Board of Review Award for Best Directorial Debut. So, it’s no wonder that people are lining up to get him to tackle their next project. We haven’t heard much on his A Quiet Place spinoff. So, we’ll see what his schedule will look like in the near future.

    Source: Deadline

  • Netflix No Longer Developing ‘Bright’ Sequel

    Netflix No Longer Developing ‘Bright’ Sequel

    We’ve long wondered what exactly happened to the sequel of Bright. The 2017 film starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton may haven’t received a lot of critical acclaims, but it was still one of Netflix’s most-streamed films at the time. Many were wondering when the sequel of the modern take on a fantasy world would end up starting production, but it seemingly kept getting dragged out. Sadly, it seems that Netflix has pulled the plug on the project.

    Will Smith has been losing one project after another due to the infamous slap during the Oscars. It turns out, however, that Bright’s cancelation has nothing to do with it. In a post by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw in relation to an article where National Geographic delayed their nature series starring Smith, he highlighted that Bright was abandoned for unrelated reasons.

    Of course, this opens up the question of why they’d pass on the project. They just released Bright: Samurai Soul last year, which was an animated spinoff of the film. Perhaps they are looking to continue the franchise through that medium, as demand and costs for Smith would otherwise blow up the production costs.

    Yet, you’d think that one of their most successful films would end up getting a sequel. Sadly, Netflix has developed this habit of swiftly canceling its projects which may have played a part in its current troubles.

    Source: Bloomberg, Twitter

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Michael Waldron on the Challenges of the Multiverse and Keeping the Focus on Doctor Strange

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Michael Waldron on the Challenges of the Multiverse and Keeping the Focus on Doctor Strange

    Michael Waldron is the mastermind not only behind Loki but also the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, Multiverse of Madness. He’ll explore the multiverse that he unleashed, but is very aware of the true dangers of exploring this kind of storyline. It offers the endless possibility, especially if you lose focus along the way on why exactly you’re telling the story. Yet, the unique scenario also lends itself to create a unique character study.

    The danger is you can expand your scope too wide, and you can actually reduce the stakes if you don’t make it personal as you go bigger and wider. But the opportunity in the multiverse is to have characters confront literal ‘What ifs?’ and alternate versions of themselves and perhaps others in their lives. It’s an interesting way to hold up a mirror to characters

    Michael Waldron

    He highlights that this is definitely a “Doctor Strange’s story above all else,” which may help some that were getting worried after the recent statement by Bruce Campbell, where he jokingly referenced that Benedict Cumberbatch may not know if he’s even in the film, as director Sam Raimi had to adapt some elements due to story consistency.

    In every way, it shapes the emotional heart of the story. It has to. The multiverse isn’t just a MacGuffin where we’re like, ‘Okay, this is just a kitschy thing that we’re playing with in this movie.’ If you’re faced with alternate realities and with alternate versions of yourself that has to become the emotional heart, exploring who you might be if you were a different version of yourself, if you made other choices, the right choices or the wrong choices. It’s complex stuff, emotionally, and that’s exactly why it’s so thrilling and so great for a cast as dramatically talented as this one.

    Michael Waldron

    He also highlighted that he rewatched the first film multiple times to ensure that this is definitely his story even with all the multiverse shenanigans going on. It’s certainly promising to see how Strange faces the What Ifs of his Variants and how that might affect his future.

    Source: SFX

  • Paul Bettany Expects to Put on Vision’s “Tights and Cloak” Again

    Paul Bettany Expects to Put on Vision’s “Tights and Cloak” Again

    There have been many theories that the inclusion of Wanda Maximoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverseof Madness might also see the potential appearance of Paul Bettany‘s Vision. While we saw a white version of the character fly off in WandaVision, we haven’t heard much about what the future has in store for him. Luckily, Entertainment Weekly got a chance to talk to him and he hinted that he expects to return as Vision in the near future.

    No, the honest answer to that is — well maybe it’s not the honest answer, but it’s the answer I’m going to give you and you’ll just have to cope with it — at the end of WandaVision, you see Vision fly off and that’s a loose end. And Kevin Feige is a man who doesn’t really allow loose ends. So I assume at some point I will be putting on my tights and cloak for another outing, but I don’t know when that might be.

    Paul Bettany

    Of course, it’s quite vague and no one knows exactly when we might expect him. The actor has been busy with A Very British Scandal but a potential return in the near future certainly seems to be on the table. perhaps he already got whispers on what to expect and is playing coy, especially when he highlighted that Feige doesn’t like to keep loose ends. So, we’ll see what they might have in store for us and the Vision’s new path to self-discovery.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Meet the Cast and Characters of ‘Lightyear’

    Meet the Cast and Characters of ‘Lightyear’

    Pixar movies don’t just come to life through animation. It’s through the voice and performances of the actors behind the visuals that these characters are fully realized. And Lightyear boasts a cast of talented performers. During the early junket of the film, members of the press, including Murphy’s Multiverse, were given a primer on who was playing who.

    It didn’t take long after Chris Evans‘ Avengers: Endgame victory lap for him to be attached to Lightyear. It was a peculiar choice at the time of the announcement but was quickly justified in the 30-minute presentation we saw. According to producer Gayle Susman, it was a no-brainer.

    When casting Buzz, it was important to differentiate our hero Buzz from the toy that’s made on his character and represented in the Toy Story movies. So that meant we needed a new voice for Buzz.  He needed to have that nice rich sound, able to be both dramatic and comedic.  And most importantly, he needed to be heroic without coming off as arrogant or dense.  And that’s a tall order.  And we immediately knew we had to ask Chris Evans.  What we didn’t know is that he is a huge animation fan and would bring that love and passion into the project.  He even attended an animation dailies and gave the team a pep talk.

    Opposite Chris Evans is Uzo Aduba‘s Alicia Hawthorne. The film quickly establishes Hawthorne and Lightyear’s friendship, centering her as the heart of the film that compels Buzz to set out on his journey. From the brief glimpse we got of her, Aduba gives off a heartfelt performance which was only given credence by Susman’s description of her:

    The emotional anchor for act one is Buzz’s best friend and the commander of the mission, Alicia Hawthorne.  Both commanding and compassionate, a straight shooter who cares about living a good life.  If you watch just two minutes of Uzo Aduba’s Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America, you see all of that.  She’s just an amazing talent, and we are so fortunate to have her on the team.

    The time travel element of the film means that there will be a revolving door of characters for Buzz to interact with. While the first act of the film focuses on Buzz’s friendship with Alicia, for most of the film, Buzz sees himself paired with an unlikely group of misfits decades later. The first of which is Izzy Hawthorne, played by Keke Palmer. Izzy is a character that isn’t present in the first 30-minutes that were showcased so we have yet to see what she’s like. However, from Susman’s breakdown, Izzy seems like the perfect successor to her grandmother Alicia.

    Izzy Hawthorne, Alicia’s granddaughter, has a striking resemblance to her grandmother until she’s put in a tough spot.  She has spunk, she has the courage, but she’s completely untrained and unproven, and not sure that she can live up to the family name.  Keke Palmer brought just the energy and the heart we were looking for for this role

    An ensemble isn’t complete without comedic relief and this ensemble is rounded off by Mo and Darby, played by Taika Waititi and Dale Soules respectively. Like Izzy, we haven’t a clue on what these characters are like but their descriptions and character designs all seem exciting.

    Mo and Darby are a bit of comic relief, as well as being uniquely able to challenge Buzz where he most needs to grow. Mo is a feather in the wind, never quite able to commit to any one direction. Taika is able to bring a likeability to that kind of character when they can often be a little annoying.  His improvisational skills really brought a depth and warmth to Mo.  Darby is the classic tough curmudgeon with a record.  She’s handy, inventive, and extremely salty, a great addition to the team.

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’, ‘Love and Thunder’ Top Fandango’s Most Anticipated List

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’, ‘Love and Thunder’ Top Fandango’s Most Anticipated List

    While Summer isn’t exactly just around the corner, the Summer movie season is and 2022 is shaping up to be quite the season. The long-awaited sequel to 1986’s Top Gun, another Jurassic Park film and the Buzz Lightyear origin story you didn’t know you needed are among the choices audiences will have this Summer, but according to a poll by Fandango, it’s a pair of Marvel Studios’ films that have audiences most excited.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6th) and Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8th) were the top two choices in a poll that was voted on by over 6,000 moviegoers. Jurassic Park: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick were right behind, followed by two animated films in Pixar’s Lightyear and Dreamworks’ Minions: The Rise of Gru. Elvis, Jordan Peele’s Nope, Bullet Train and Downton Abbey: A New Era rounded out the top 10, all of which should be incredibly successful at the box office.

    Even in a Summer where Tom Cruise’s return as Maverick is in the cards, it’s not surprising to see two Marvel Studios’ projects top the list. The Doctor Strange sequel’s perceived connection to the story of the wildly successful Spider-Man: No Way Home has driven advance ticket sales; meanwhile, the mystery surrounding the fourth Thor film hasn’t taken away interest. Even as critics continue to pump out think pieces about superhero fatigue, superhero films still top the list for audiences.

  • Western Conference Playoff Notebook

    Western Conference Playoff Notebook

    The NBA’s Western Conference Playoffs have been fascinating. To date, all series have played 2 games. As each series shifts cities, let’s take a look at some of the most important stories so far.

    The High Octane Warriors

    There was some concern that Steph Curry wouldn’t be healthy for the postseason. Through 2 games, Steph has come off the bench but it has not mattered. The Golden State Warriors have thoroughly embarrassed the Denver Nuggets. 

    In our preview, we talked about Denver being able to defend in space being a key to the series. A lot of that involved targeting Nikola Jokic. The reigning MVP is an improved defender, but when you can repeatedly put him in pick and roll every action, you’re bound to find cracks.

    For example, The Warriors are great at using other teams’ inclination to ignore Green on the perimeter against them. Jeff Green turns his back on Draymond, pick and roll with Jokic in the action, slow rotation and Draymond gets an easy dunk.

    Golden State has used Draymond at center in a lineup with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins for 11 minutes in the first two games. They are a +29 on the court. Draymond has shut down Jokic 1 on 1 and has made it extremely hard for Denver to get anything done offensively.

    The Nuggets have yet to play a home game but it does feel like a series that won’t be long. Expect Denver’s best effort in Game 3 but that may not be enough the way Golden State is playing. They are systematically breaking down Denver and you hope they will respond with the requisite effort.

    The Big Injuries

    With Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker now out with a strained hamstring, there are two big injuries looming over the West playoffs. Booker’s hammy joins Luka Doncic’s calf, which has the Dallas Mavericks in a dog fight with the Utah Jazz. Both Suns/Pelicans and Mavericks/Jazz are tied at a game apiece but feel like different series.

    It’s been the same song for the Utah Jazz. Chemistry issues, defensive breakdowns at the point of attack and rough the fourth quarter in Game 2 have them asking the same questions. Should they keep Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert together? Why are they struggling this much? It’s 1-1 and they’re not the team with home court and yet it feels like they’re down.

    With Luka Doncic now listed as questionable for Game 3, his sudden inclusion into the series might be able to tip the scales for Dallas. They’ve played admirably so far, getting a 41-point performance from guard Jalen Brunson

    After only scoring 34 points in the 1st half of Game 1, it feels like the New Orleans Pelicans have found their game. Brandon Ingram got it going in Game 2(37 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists) and their supporting cast stepped up. Injuries do happen, but you still have to take advantage and that’s what New Orleans did. Now they have a shot to turn this series into something real competitive with their 125-114 victory.

    With Booker set to miss at least the next two games, a lot more will be placed on Chris Paul. CP3 had the great fourth quarter in Game 1, but he’s going to need more help. Center Deandre Ayton is going to have to assert himself more in Booker’s absence. The Suns are more than capable of winning this series, but now it feels like they have less of a margin for error.

    Tweaks and Adjustments

    After the Minnesota Timberwolves were so successful in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies, there needed to be a change. Head coach Taylor Jenkins made that adjustment, only playing center Steven Adams 3 minutes. Wolves center Karl Anthony Towns had his way with Adams in Game 1 and after Adams picked up two immediate fouls we never saw him again.

    The Grizzlies as good as Ja Morant, but are also defined by their deep roster. Jaren Jackson Jr. switched onto Towns and was able to have an impact defensively. Xavier Tillman came off the bench with 13 points and 7 boards in 21 minutes. It didn’t help that Towns was in foul trouble but it was a great effort from the Grizzlies to adjust.

    Going into Game 3, we’ll see if the Wolves can get D’Angelo Russell going and regain control. This is an interesting spot for Memphis being a team not big on playoff experience, and same for Minnesota as well. The West continues to shift, and we’ll find out who comes out when the smoke is cleared. 

  • How ‘Lightyear’ Became a Time Travel Story

    How ‘Lightyear’ Became a Time Travel Story

    It’s hard to imagine how an in-universe movie in the Toy Story world would work, let alone one that is centered on time travel. But that’s how Lightyear, the film that inspired the toy that Andy would one day buy, posits itself.

    Pixar was kind enough to showcase to Murphy’s Multiverse the first 30-minutes of the film which unveiled the film’s core time travel mechanic. Described as time dilation by director Angus MacLane, the concept sees Buzz Lightyear undertake a recurring mission that brings him several years into the future unaged while his headquarters gets older and older.

    MacLane explained to the press that the decision to make it a time travel story had to do with their experiences working on individual Pixar movies for years on end while the world around them changes.

    So, we have a story where Buzz would be traveling rapidly through time because of his job.  And because of that, it would separate him from society and his loved ones. This felt like a natural fit for Buzz.  The hero lots of times is a well-worn story for the science fiction genre.  The idea felt like fertile ground for both our own personal experiences and the core-defining character trait of Buzz Lightyear.  So Buzz is a fish out of water story.  It’s like Rip Van Winkle trapped in a future he doesn’t recognize, desperately trying to get back to the past to correct the mistake of his youth.  A hero out of his own time.

    Having seen the 30-minute footage, it’s awe-inspiring to see the makers of Lightyear take a huge swing for an iconic character even if the time dilation concept quickly skips past a lot of potentially good character work. It’ll be interesting to see how the concept affects the larger scope of the narrative.

  • THEORY THURSDAY: Khonshu is ‘Moon Knight’s’ Big Bad

    THEORY THURSDAY: Khonshu is ‘Moon Knight’s’ Big Bad

    With the big twist at the end of Moon Knight Episode 4, the series is telling us to question everything we thought we knew. While Steven and Marc’s mental health certainly will come into play, it’s worth noting that the door is open for certain elements of the show to be drastically different from what we thought up until now. My guess is that the villain Moon Knight has set up so far, Arthur Harrow, is actually a red herring for the Big Bad of the series—Khonshu.

    It would be pretty bold to throw a villain twist in after the “what is reality?” twist we just got, but it could be fantastic. For one, it could easily work with what looks like a Lemire-Smallwood comics-run-inspired psych ward twist. But Khonshu as the series’ ultimate villain has a strong foundation in the comics, and it would improve upon the still vague and generic-feeling Arthur Harrow.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’

    So first, why would Khonshu be the villain? As you know from Moon Knight, the lunar god isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy. He was banished and is now imprisoned by the other Egyptian gods of the Ennead. While his imprisonment was framed as a situation where Khonshu tried to do the right things while the others just ignored what needed to be done, perhaps there is much more going on. Weirdly, Harrow told the Ennead that Khonshu was actually the one who had him start looking for Ammit. Accusing Khonshu of now working due to jealousy and paranoia towards stopping him.

    While Harrow is obviously not looking like a good guy, he is a big advocate of honesty. Either way, the fact that we still know little to nothing about the Khonshu-Harrow relationship is suspicious. There is a very good chance whatever that Ammit-related history between the two is, it could fundamentally change how we look at Harrow’s mission and Khonshu’s interest in stopping him.

    So, yes, there are some shady open questions. But Khonshu has been helping Marc and Steven this whole time, right? From what we’ve seen, the god has not acted against either personality, but we know that Khonshu is actively interested in Layla as his next avatar. In that way, he does not seem overly enthused or pleased with Marc. I think that Moon Knight can and will reveal that Khonshu’s motives are similar to the god’s in the Lemire-Smallwood comics run—the same run that clearly inspired the end of Episode 4.

    Long story short, Khonshu puts Marc through psychological warfare because he wants to break Marc’s mind completely in order to take complete control of his body so that he would essentially have a direct presence on Earth. Moon Knight actually already teased this idea if we look back at what the series has told us so far.

    After Khonshu was banished, Harrow gives a dramatic speech to Khonshu’s stone statue. He specifically says to Khonshu, “if you hadn’t broken me completely, I never would have learned the value of healing.” So, the concept of Khonshu breaking his avatar “completely” has already been introduced. During the “trial” in the Pyramid of Giza, Harrow also suggested that Khonshu is taking advantage of Marc, who is clearly suffering from a dissociative identity disorder. That tracks with the theory that Khonshu, like in the comics, chose Marc because he knew his mind was “weak”, so he knew he had a better chance of breaking or controlling him.

    ‘Moon Knight’ (2016)

    Basically, Khonshu could be revealed as the ultimate or final villain in the next two episodes. It would be another dramatic twist, and it would make a more interesting story than Arthur Harrow. Don’t get me wrong, Ethan Hawke puts in a phenomenal performance, but Harrow and his motivation are unfortunately a bit generic. While that could just be something the rest of the series has to develop, it also would make Harrow a perfect red herring. Considering he has been killing people because a cane told him to, it’s less likely that he will be a surprisingly good guy.

    His goals and actions might just take a backseat to whatever Khonshu is up to—as noted above, there is something missing regarding the Ammit plot. We have not seen any version, memory, or depiction of Ammit. Harrow is a devout follower despite not being her avatar and never communicating with her considering she has been imprisoned for thousands of years. Khonshu is apparently the one who set Harrow on his Ammit-obsessed path in the first place. Whatever Khonshu’s interest in Ammit is, he might want control over Marc’s human body to carry out his own plans.

    The biggest issue with this theory, in my mind, is that Khonshu is currently imprisoned. It is not exactly clear who would set him free—my guess is Layla—but presumably, the god might be needed to resurrect Marc from the water he died in before the Episode 4 twist. The water resurrection is a whole theory of its own, but it assumes that everything that happened before the psych ward was not simply imagined and that Marc will come back to that “reality” eventually. If Khonshu does resurrect Marc, though, doesn’t that seem like he is friendly? Not necessarily if he still wants to use Marc as a seemingly “weak” mind to break—especially after Marc might go through the psych ward twist.

    ‘Moon Knight’ (2016)

    This theory also matches up with a common theme in Moon Knight comics. Often, Marc is at odds with Khonshu and his influence. He alongside Moon Knight (to the extent they can) leave Khonshu behind. The human and god are so connected that Khonshu always comes back again, but Marc frequently recognizes how toxic his guardian can be and tries to better his life by leaving him behind. In doing so, he continues to be Moon Knight. At a certain point, the hero/fighter/vigilante is in his personality, and he always wants to continue it. He just wants to do it on his own terms. That could be a perfect jumping-off point for MCU Moon Knight—Marc/Moon Knight saying goodbye to Khonshu to become the hero they actually want to be.

    ‘Moon Knight’ (2016)

    The first four episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

  • Disney+ Netherlands May Hint at a June Release for Daredevil & Co. in Europe

    Disney+ Netherlands May Hint at a June Release for Daredevil & Co. in Europe

    Only a few weeks after the Marvel Netflix series left their original service, they found. new home on Disney+. Yet, international viewers sadly missed out as some select markets didn’t receive the update. Some believed that it could be due to the Star branding becoming the go-to for most of Marvel’s more mature offerings like Logan or Deadpool. So, we’ve been anxiously awaiting any news on when we might expect these series. Luckily, it seems that a new e-mail from Disney+ Netherlands, as shared by Twitter user @heli5m, hints that the Netflix series are getting a June 29th release after all.

    https://twitter.com/heli5m/status/1517138529301590016

    When we first learned about the Disney+ series getting added to the service in the US, it came through an e-mail provided by Canadian subscribers. It’s unsure why exactly there’s such a delayed release for specific markets, as they also have access to the Star branding. There’s a chance that some song licenses had to be renewed for those markets, or there were some aspects of the international markets that made the complete transfer of the rights a bit more complicated.

    We can’t fully take this as a confirmation, but it is our first hint at a release within those markets that has been sorely lacking. When the first news dropped for the US release, there was radio silence on their expansion, especially with something that seemed like an easy thing to release worldwide. Still, we might get an official trailer or announcement in the near future to confirm.

    Source: Twitter