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  • Squid Game: Series Pulls in 142 Million Views Globally in First Four Weeks

    Squid Game: Series Pulls in 142 Million Views Globally in First Four Weeks

    After just four weeks in release, Netflix’s Korean drama Squid Game pulled in a stunning 142 million views by member households globally. The numbers were released by Netflix on Tuesday as part of its third-quarter earnings report in a letter to its investors. “A mind-boggling 142m member households globally have chosen to watch the title in its first four weeks. The breadth of Squid Game’s popularity is truly amazing,” the letter read.

    Squid Game launched on Netflix on Sept. 17 and has ranked as Netflix’s No. 1 show in 94 countries since its launch. Netflix also says Squid Game has “pierced the cultural zeitgeist” after being in an SNL skit, as well as becoming a meme on TikTok and other social media across the globe.

    The series centers around 456 players who are down on their luck and in need of money to pay off their debts. They meet a mysterious recruiter who challenges them to a game of ddakji. The recruiter allows them to play until their successful, going on to offer them a chance at more cash through a series of children’s games. While he doesn’t go into further details, he does offer the players a card with three symbols on the front and a phone number on the back. Upon calling the number, participants have the chance to join the game without any idea of what its store upon joining. Soon enough, though, they find out only one player will survive to win the 45.6 billion won.

    Squid Game was written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. All 9 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Black Adam’ Merch Reveals new Justice Society Logo

    ‘Black Adam’ Merch Reveals new Justice Society Logo

    Just recently at DC FanDome, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson debuted our very first look at his upcoming DCEU film, Black Adam, a film that The Rock insists will “Change the hierarchy of power within the DC Universe.” The film is set to introduce not just Black Adam, the fallen champion of the wizard Shazam, but the Justice Society of America. The roster for the team will feature fan favorites such as Hawkman and Doctor Fate, as well as lesser-known heroes like Atom Smasher and Cyclone. We only got a brief glimpse at the JSA at this year’s FanDome, but it seems some merchandise has given us a better glimpse at the team, and possibly its history.

    The merch reveals a simple, with “Justice Society” logo along with the letters “JSA” right in the middle. The one notable difference, that many fans may notice, is the absence of the team’s golden eagle, seen in many and almost all iterations of the team’s logo.

    Its interesting to see that the team has a logo, especially when you remember that this Justice Society is new. It is confirmed that Atom Smasher and Cyclone are the newest recruits for this new JSA. The existence of this logo could be yet another hint that this is not the first iteration of the Justice Society of America within the DCEU, and that this could be the return of a long-dormant superhero team within the DC Universe.

    SOURCE: Twitter

  • New ‘Hawkeye’ TV Spot Provides a First Look at The Clown

    New ‘Hawkeye’ TV Spot Provides a First Look at The Clown

    Marvel Studios Hawkeye will be streaming on Disney Plus in just over a month and while we’ve seen a trailer and some other spots, there are still some pretty secrets yet to be revealed, including the faces of the big bads the Hawkeyes will go up against in the series. Sure, we’ve seen the Tracksuits, but they’re mostly there to beat up and provide comic relief; however, a new TV spot has given us our first look at one of the projects real threats alongside a surprising partner.

    The spot reveals the first look at Fra Fee‘s Kazimierz Kazimierczak, aka the Clown, alongside Alqua Cox‘s Maya Lopez. While teasers and footage can be edited to trick fans, it seems clear Lopez and Kazi are working together and, when the series streams beginning November 24th, it’ll be interesting to see exactly who the duo are working for since they both have comic book ties to Wilson Fisk, who is heavily (get it) rumored to appear in the series.

    Fee doesn’t look too clown like in the new footage, nor does Lopez look very Echo-y, but they both look to be out to cause someone some harm. We know Echo is likely to come around and join the good guys before moving on to her own series, but it seems far less likely The Clown will have a similar transformation.

    The first two episodes of Hawkeye will stream on Disney Plus on November 24th.

  • ‘Naomi’ Clip Confirms Thanagarians Will Appear in New CW Series

    ‘Naomi’ Clip Confirms Thanagarians Will Appear in New CW Series

    DC is notorious for announcing movies that would never actually go anywhere, one of those being Ava Duvernay’s highly anticipated New Gods, which would sadly end up being shelved at WB. But Duvernay wasn’t done with the DC Universe as she’d begun developing, Naomi, the popular comic by Brian Michael Bendis, for the CW Network. The project moved into action quite quickly, gathering a cast and crew, filming the pilot shortly after. The series would receive a green light from the CW for a full-season order.

    A recent clip from Naomi has made its way onto the internet and seems to confirm that the series will remain accurate to the mini-series. The clip gives us our very first look at Alexander Wraith as Dee, the mysterious mechanic in town who Naomi believes is holding a secret the could solve the mystery of her origin.

    https://twitter.com/dcnaomibr/status/1449488585258897417?s=20

    POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR NAOMI SEASON 1

    The series seems to be adapting the Raanian/Thanagar War plotline from the comics. Dee is a Thanagarian war deserter, who planned to run from the conflict with his wife who didn’t make it to earth. Naomi’s adoptive father is the one who came to earth in search of Dee but ended up falling in love and staying on Earth.

    Naomi is one of DCs newest and perhaps most interesting stories, focusing on Naomi McDuffie as she begins to realize her life in Port Oswego isn’t what it seems. Naomi comes to believe that there’s something larger at play and that she’s at the center of it as she begins to develop energy-based meta-human abilities and looks for the truth behind her origin.

  • Exclusive: Character Breakdowns & Start Date for Grease Prequel ‘Rise of the Pink Ladies’

    Exclusive: Character Breakdowns & Start Date for Grease Prequel ‘Rise of the Pink Ladies’

    It looks like things are moving along on Paramount Plus’ forthcoming Grease prequel, Rise of the Pink Ladies. We here at Murphy’s Multiverse have some fun news for Grease fans. Not only do we have two character breakdowns for two leads, but we also know when production will finally kick off.

    The Grease prequel is looking to cast the roles of Nancy and Richie. Both characters are portrayed as 16-years-old, with the production seeking actors that are at least 18 years of age. Nancy, who is as a founding member of the Pink Ladies, is described as a Japanese-American female who is “unapologetically artsy and eccentric” with dreams of going to fashion school in New York City. The person cast for the role must be a strong singer & dancer. As Nancy is one of the Pink Ladies, this will be a series regular role.

    Richie is described as a Mexican-American male who is a part of the T-Birds. He is a “cool playboy with a reputation” who is also a secret romantic with more depth than others would expect from him. The character is also a twin on the series, with a twin sister named Olivia. The person cast for the role must be a strong singer & dance, they must also be fluent in Spanish. Like Nancy, this is for a series regular role.

    A Grease prequel has been in the works for quite some time. Rise of the Pink Ladies was initially in development at HBO Max, before the streamer ultimately passed on the project resulting in Paramount+ picking it up. Prior to Rise of the Pink Ladies, another prequel series titled Summer Loving was in development, while HBO Max was looking to produce Grease: Rydell High. As it stands, the status of those projects is unclear.

    Rise of the Pink Ladies takes place four years before the events of the iconic musical, Grease. The series will show the rise of the Pink Ladies, which will consist of four “fed-up, outcast girls” who simply want to have fun on their own terms. Their rise as the Pink Ladies will alter Rydell High forever.

    Filming on Rise of the Pink Ladies is will begin in January 2022 in Vancouver. As always, production timelines can change, for now, though, the production is on track for a January 2022 start.

  • ‘What If…?’ Zombie Captain America Spotted at Avengers Campus

    ‘What If…?’ Zombie Captain America Spotted at Avengers Campus

    Here’s a fun surprise. Marvel Studios has been promoting their various films and Disney+ series through the Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort. Throughout Loki‘s run on the streaming service, you could spot the character alongside some TVA agents. With each new episode, his costume would continue to change. It created a nice synergy to cross-promote the show and Disneyland attraction. We heard very little about any appearances for their first animated project What If…? but it seems they just waited for the right opportunity. Twitter user @danyeal shared a video from the park as a zombified Captain America makes his debut.

    https://twitter.com/danyeal/status/1449956315682406401

    The costume looks amazing and highlights that Marvel Studios might see the potential in the Zombie concept. It makes sense they’d kick it off with Captain America, as he was the main advertised character. Plus, while it was odd they didn’t include it during What If…?‘s release window, revealing the zombified versions of our favorite heroes during Halloween is a perfect idea. Who knows if we get others joining Captain America in the near future.

    It’s also crazy to think how they managed to make a classic R-rated concept work so well in a family-friendly environment. Not just that, it also shows how well the concept can get translated into live-action. So, if they do manage to expand the concept in the MCU beyond just an animated episode, here’s a proof of concept that they can make the jump to live-action in a film or series. Of course, we might not get the usual bloody action like in other zombie movies, but that’s not always necessary to tell a compelling story.

    Source: Twitter

  • Brian Tyree Henry Comments On Race And Body Image Informing His Role in ‘ETERNALS’

    Brian Tyree Henry Comments On Race And Body Image Informing His Role in ‘ETERNALS’

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals features a sprawling and diverse cast, with people of multiple ethnicities and backgrounds working both in front of and behind the camera. During a global press conference earlier today, actor Brian Tyree Henry was asked about his knowledge-driven character’s relationship with Earth’s population and what may have had an effect on Phastos’ view of humanity. His intricate response discussed the role race most likely played in Phastos’ view of the world:

    The thing that really attracted me to this part was that I just think about all the images of Black men out there and how we are portrayed. And what I loved the most about Phastos is that, one, he’s an ancestor. All of us are ancestors technically, so Phastos predates everything and had to probably go through all these things which could actually make someone lose faith in humanity very quickly.

    He continues:

    I remember when I was coming to this project that I, Brian, had kind of lost faith in humanity…what the images of black men were and how we were being portrayed and how the power was taken from us. The lack of power, and what I love the most about Phastos is that through all of that, him being Eternal, him never being able to die, he still chose love. He still decided to have a family even though he may have to watch them perish. He still tried to find a way to bring heart and love to everything he did… It just really resonated with me, it really resonated a lot with how I felt my place in society was. Y’know, we can be kings and queens and at the same time they’ll take our pedestal and take our superpowers from us like that. What I love about Eternals is that Chloe and Nate really just re-instilled that power back in me again.

    Henry finished his comments by explaining how much he appreciated not being required to change his body image for the role, something many actors and actresses have had to do in the past:

    I remember the first time they were like “So we want you to be a superhero”, I was like “Well, how much weight do I have to lose?” and Chloe was like “What are you talking about? We want you exactly as you are.” And to be a black man and have someone look at you and say “We want you exactly as you are” is unlike anything I have ever felt.

    Marvel’s Eternals releases in cinemas soon, on November 5, 2021.

  • Kit Harington Talks ‘Eternals’ Opening and Dane Whitman’s Role in the Film

    Kit Harington Talks ‘Eternals’ Opening and Dane Whitman’s Role in the Film

    There are many mysteries surrounding Eternals, but none are as curious as what role Kit Harington might have in the film. We know he’ll play the modern-day Black Knight, Dane Whitman, but later learned he won’t even wield the iconic Ebony Blade in the film. The only connection we have to his comic counterpart is a ring that found its way online as merchandise. Luckily, Harington might have given us a clearer picture of his role in the film.

    As we’re nearing the film’s release, the press tour has finally started and Harington was asked about his take on the character of Dane Whitman. They joked about the poor guy in the middle of superhero actions keeping his calm. The actor goes on to highlight that his character centers on what the Eternals are fighting for while also teasing his role early on in the story.

    In the beginning, I had to represent something that was worth saving maybe. I hope that Dane comes across as a nice, stand-up guy. One thing I really respect him for is that a man flies out of the sky and shoots lasers out of his eyes and steals his girlfriend and he’s kind of cool with it.

    Kit Harrington

    He goes on to highlight his experience and how strange it was only really having a role in the opening moments. In the press interview, he even jokingly highlights how disconnected he was from the rest of the film.

    So, that’s Dane. It was an odd movie for me. I come in at the start, in some ways intro the movie and the movie goes its direction with these wonderful people, this wonderful cast.

    Kit Harrington

    His character anchoring the story and Eternals overall motivation is a great way to humanize them. We’ll see if he potentially has a larger role at a later point in the film, but it sounds like they had some fun with the way the love triangle plays into the story. From the looks of it, Whitman has pulled the short end of the stick in this one.

  • Richard Madden Calls Ikaris A “Soldier Driven By Love” In Marvel’s ‘ETERNALS’

    Richard Madden Calls Ikaris A “Soldier Driven By Love” In Marvel’s ‘ETERNALS’

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals is set to release to the public in cinemas on November 5, but the press train has already begun to chug down the tracks. In a global press conference earlier today, actor Richard Madden spoke about the internal conflict of his character, Ikaris, as it’s portrayed throughout the film. It’s been known for some time that Eternals would be heavily influenced by the love story between Madden’s hero and Gemma Chan‘s Sersi, and now the leading man has commented directly on how it’s made the experience playing Ikaris different from his previous roles:

    I really loved it. I’m kind of used to playing lovers often, and to play someone who’s such a soldier but is completely driven by love. All his decisions are driven by love and it’s actually him that’s wrestling with that. I’m used to characters who are very focused on their love and that comes out, and with Ikaris it’s the opposite of that. He’s kind of trying to bury that love because it gets in the way of his duty and he’s constantly wrestling the two.

    The former Game of Thrones star continued with an explanation of how this direction for the character made an impact on his portrayal of the role:

    And that’s kind of what made it really interesting for me to pull out that relationship with all the characters, from Sprite to Sersi, and kind of work out what this relationship is when you’re trying to stick to duty but feelings get in the way.

    These quotes go a long way in hinting at the idea that Eternals could be an overwhelmingly human experience, despite focusing mainly on gods and monsters. The film releases shortly, so we won’t have long to find out.

  • Colin Woodell to Lead John Wick Prequel ‘The Continental’

    Colin Woodell to Lead John Wick Prequel ‘The Continental’

    According to a trade report, Colin Woodell has been cast as the lead in the Starz John Wick prequel series, The Continental. The report indicates that Woodell will portray a younger version of Winston Scott, the character brought to life by veteran icon Ian McShane in the John Wick trilogy.

    Woodell joins Mel Gibson in the series which will “explore the origin behind the titular hotel-for-assassins through the eyes and actions of Scott, who is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.”

    The Continental is being billed as a 3-episode event mini-series in the mold of the BBC’s Sherlock. A number of individuals involved with the Wick trilogy are involved in the prequel including Chad Stahelski, Derek Kolstad and David Leitch.

    Source: A trade that doesn’t credit smaller sites