Murphy's Multiverse

Blog

  • ‘PEN 15’s Maya Erskine Joins Disney+’s ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    ‘PEN 15’s Maya Erskine Joins Disney+’s ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    It looks like the Obi-Wan Kenobi series has added one more actress to the ever-growing cast. PEN 15‘s Maya Erskine has seemingly joined the cast and has a supporting role for three episodes. It isn’t specified who she might be playing, as the series’ plot remains under wraps. So far, we only know it takes place 10 years after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and nine before A New Hope. It will also see the “rematch of the century” between Obi-Wan and Vader, as Hayden Christen will reprise the role of Anakin Skywalker.

    The actress has also recently appeared in Insecure and the Scoob! film. She has been nominated for multiple WGA Awards and even got an Emmy nomination for her work on Hulu’s PEN 15. Erskine is currently in the Hulu series Casual and will star in the film Sacramento alongside Michael Cera. The upcoming Disney+ series is in pre-production and slated to start production soon. The six-hour-long series will be directed by The Mandalorian director, Deborah Chow.

    Disney+ is expanding its Star Wars offerings, as Obi-Wan Kenobi will be joined by various spin-offs of the streaming service premiere show and the Rogue One spin-off, Andor. 2021 will be dominated by Marvel Studios’ series but May will see the release of The Clone Wars spin-off, The Bad Batch that will continue where the previous series left off. The end will be finished off with the first spin-off of The Mandalorian that will focus on Boba Fett before its third season sees the return of Din Djarin.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’: Joe Taslim’s 4-Film Contract Hints at Sub-Zero’s Dark Future

    ‘Mortal Kombat’: Joe Taslim’s 4-Film Contract Hints at Sub-Zero’s Dark Future

    We are only a day away from Mortal Kombat finally releasing in theaters and HBO Max. In anticipation, Sub-Zero actor, Joe Taslim, shared his excitement for the project with Variety. In it, he revealed that he has signed up for four more installments if the film turns out successful. Now, it isn’t uncommon nowadays that actors have multiple sequels in their contracts. What makes this particular contract interesting is the history that Bi-Han has in the games. Of course, there is a chance that the film takes a unique direction for his character, but the signs are hinting at his future echoing the games.

     

    Mortal Kombat's Joe Taslim Reveals He's Signed on for Four Sequels

     

    HBO Max released the first seven minutes of the film, which gave us our main conflict between Hanzo Hasashi and Bi-Han. Now, if you haven’t played the games only continue reading at your own risk. For those that have played the original trilogy from 1992 to 1995, their battle would eventually lead to one of them winning. Scorpion took the life of the one that murdered his family. His brother, Kuai Liang, would take on the mantle, but his brother’s soul wasn’t truly able to rest.

    In Mortal Kombat II, a secret character named Noob Saibot made his debut. We would later find out that this is actually a resurrected Bil-Han, who would continue his conflict with Scorpion and even his younger brother. The sorcerer Quan Chi took his humanity and turned him into a pure evil soul seeking vengeance. Now, the film series might take a very different approach to not just repeat the games. There is a chance he might end up living on, as Kuai Liang is notably absent. We’ve theorized that the original character, Cole Young, could be revealed as the younger Sub-Zero. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what the future of Sub-Zero could look like.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Spider-Man’ Heading to Disney+ Through Multi-Year Disney-Sony Deal

    ‘Spider-Man’ Heading to Disney+ Through Multi-Year Disney-Sony Deal

    It looks like Disney and Sony have been busy making deals behind the scenes, as Deadline just reported that they have reached a multi-year deal for post-day-1 releases of Spider-Man and other franchises on Disney+. This deal also covers Hulu and the various outlets owned by Disney. Now, the major reveal is that every theatrical release from 2022 to 2026 will move to Disney once their runs on Netflix end. Keep in mind, there is no confirmation when or how this will take place, as the specific plans haven’t been finalized.

    […] gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films.

    Now, this is quite the game-changer. We all expected that the Spider-Man franchise wouldn’t find its way to Disney+ after the Netflix deal, but it seems that Sony has been playing the long game here. At the time, the wording hinted at the streaming giant becoming their main home for digitally accessible content, but this changes the landscape. There is also the possibility that it opens up the possibility for Disney to develop Spider-Man spin-offs that connect to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or if this deal will also extend Tom Holland‘s franchise. There are a lot of questions coming out of this deal and we probably won’t get any answers anytime soon, but the developing partnership between Disney and Sony is a rather curious one. Hopefully, we will get some more news on how this deal may affect the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise in the near future.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Soul’ Animated Short Heading to Disney+

    ‘Soul’ Animated Short Heading to Disney+

    It looks like Pixar wasn’t quite done yet with the world of Soul, as an upcoming short titled 22 vs. Earth will revisit the character voiced by Tina Fey. It will be directed by the original film’s editor, Kevin Nolting. The short will act as a prequel to the event of the original film, as 22 remains skeptical about what Earth has to offer long before she meets Joe Gardner. It will revisit The Great Before where she recruits five new souls to join her little rebellion. Nolting shared his enthusiasm and what inspired him to revisit the character.

     

     

    While making Soul, we talked about the why of a new soul not wanting to live on Earth, but it didn’t ultimately belong in that movie. 22 vs. Earth was a chance to explore some of the unanswered questions we had about why 22 was so cynical. As a fairly cynical person myself, it felt like perfect material.

    Their excitement to explore the cynicism of 22 in contrast to the other soul’s naive outlook on the world. The Pixar veteran hopes to explore these blank slates and contrast them. After going through one mentor after another, maybe she sees herself as one of these young souls. I’ll be interesting to see if it may even directly build up to her first meeting with Jamie Foxx‘s Gardner and set off the events that will change her outlook on Earth.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Hilary Duff’s ‘HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’ Spin-Off Gets Straight-to-Series Order by Hulu

    Hilary Duff’s ‘HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’ Spin-Off Gets Straight-to-Series Order by Hulu

    One of the mid-2000s most popular sitcoms is getting a gender-bent spin-off. How I Met Your Father, a new sequel series inspired by How I Met Your Mother, has been given a 10-episode straight-to-series order at Hulu. The show will star Hilary Duff as Sophie, a woman coming into her own and looking for love in modern-day New York City. Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who worked on This Is Us and Love, Victor, will act as the series’ showrunners. How I Met Your Mother‘s Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are returning as executive producers. They released a joint statement to celebrate the spin-off’s order:

    Kids, I’m going to tell you an incredible story: It’s the story of how two writers got lucky enough to make their dream TV show for nine seasons and now get to pass the torch to an inspired new creative team with their own incredible story to tell, the story of How I Met Your Father. We are honored by their passion and vision, and look forward to helping them tell a legendary new story. (Thanks to all the HIMYM fans out there who waited for it.)

    This won’t be the first time an attempt has been made to create a gender-swapped version of HIMYM. A pilot titled How I Met Your Dad was filmed in 2014 by Greta Gerwig but was ultimately passed on by CBS. It’s also not the first time Hilary Duff has pursued a project centering on an adult woman living her life in the modern world. She had originally signed on to star in a Lizzie Maguire revival for Disney+ before that project was offed for being “too adult”. Perhaps now her fans, and fans of HIMYM, can find happiness in a project that satisfies both previously canceled concepts.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Wraps Production as Jeremy Renner Hints at Additional Photography

    ‘Hawkeye’ Wraps Production as Jeremy Renner Hints at Additional Photography

    It looks like one more 2021 Disney+ show has wrapped up production, as Jeremy Renner shared the end of Hawkeye‘s production on his Instagram story. The series will introduce the world to Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, who is set to take on the iconic mantle. It will also introduce the world to the character of Echo, who will be played by Alaqua Cox. As Instagram Stories tend to vanish after some time, Twitter user @OYLmcupodcast luckily shared a screenshot featuring Renner covered in wounds. Now, fans of Matt Fraction‘s My Life as a Weapon run might be excited to see them embracing the original story. There is also a rather interesting wording by the actor that may hint at plans set for additional photography.

    Unlike classic TV productions, Marvel Studios approaches their projects like long-form films. As such, they also offer their teams the possibility to do multiple takes and tweak their work with additional photography. Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings will also return for some additional work next week. These are commonly planned far in advance to offer some time before release to add scenes or make sure every sequence hits as it should. Of course, we could also interpret his wording about the future of the character in the MCU. As of now, it is uncertain if Jeremy Renner‘s Clint Barton will have a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he passes on the title to Kate Bishop. It’ll be interesting to see if the series offers more insight once it releases later this year.

    Source: Instagram via Twitter

  • First Character Details for the Paramount Plus ‘FAIRLY ODDPARENTS’ Live-Action Series

    First Character Details for the Paramount Plus ‘FAIRLY ODDPARENTS’ Live-Action Series

    Paramount +’s plans for a live-action reboot of the incredibly popular animated series, The Fairly OddParents, have begun to come into focus of late. Discussing Film recently reported the series would begin production in Los Angeles this June with Christopher J. Novak serving as showrunner. In the report, Discussing Film noted that “It is currently unknown as to how much this reboot will deviate from the beloved Fairly OddParents everyone has come to know, or if the creators will even acknowledge the previous live-action films that starred Drake Bell as Timmy Turner.” Now, some details have emerged about the reboot and it seems that it will be an entirely new take on the property.

    Dimmsdale | Fairly Odd Parents Wiki | Fandom

    Paramount +’s Farily Oddparents will be told through the eyes of two young leads, 13-year olds “Vivian” and “Roy“, as their parents, high school sweethearts “Ty” and “Rachel“, reunite and merge their families together in the town of Dimmsdale. Vivian is described as a “fish out of water” in Dimmsdale, where she and her father, Ty, move to open a ballroom dance studio. She and her new stepbrother, Roy, an “eternal optimist” described as “generous, thoughtful and enthusiastic”, quickly become friends as Roy looks to show her just how awesome of a place Dimmsdale can be. The studio is also looking to cast another strong supporting role, “Zina“, a Dimmsdale Middle School student who has a big crush on Roy and is also extremely excited to have a new best friend in Vivian.

    As you know by now, studios often use code names during casting so Vivian and Roy may not be Vivian and Roy, but it seems that unless we are getting a very unique take on Timmy Turner and family, Paramount + is starting from scratch with a new cast of characters and looking at an all-new dynamic in this comedic reboot.

  • Set Photos Offer First Look at Knuckles in ‘Sonic 2’

    Set Photos Offer First Look at Knuckles in ‘Sonic 2’

    The first Sonic film was quite the hot topic back when the first poster was released, and fans had a glimpse at the character’s silhouette before they got to see the real deal. What fans got was apparently not up to their standards as the reveal was met with immediate backlash on its more realistic approach to the popular hedgehog. It was announced soon after that the studio would be delaying the film and that they would be heading back to the drawing board to redesign the character. The new design was a hit, capturing an aesthetic that pleased fans of the popular franchise and would go on gross $300+ million at the box office, scoring an immediate greenlight on the sequel.

    Towards the end of the credits of the first film, fans were met with the arrival of another fan-favorite character: Tails. Many began to wonder if we’d be seeing any other characters joining Sonic in the upcoming sequel and new set photos have indeed confirmed that Knuckles the Echidna is jumping into the fray. The character, like Sonic and Tails, is sporting another accurate look to his video game counterpart and is sure to bring some brute force with him in this one.

    Sonic 2 is currently set to release on April 8th, 2022 with director Jeff Fowler back to helm the project. The cast for the upcoming film includes more returning talent such as James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Ben Schwartz. It‘s currently unknown if Jim Carrey will reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik in the sequel, and casting for Tails and Knuckles still remains under wraps. In Tail’s brief appearance at the end of the first film, the character was voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessy, who’s been voicing the character for quite some time now; it’s unknown if she will be reprising that role.

    SOURCE: Twitter

  • RUMOR: New Details on a Possible ‘Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’ Remake Surface

    RUMOR: New Details on a Possible ‘Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’ Remake Surface

    More information is hitting the web hinting at the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic being in development. The original game released in 2003 and was followed by a sequel subtitled The Sith Lords. Sadly, the third entry was scrapped before The Old Republic MMORPG was released in 2011 and is still going strong. The story took place, as the name implies, 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire was formed. It has been a popular franchise that many wanted to see make a grand return even if it was via a Disney+ show. It’s looking more and more realistic.

    We got the first report on it by Cinelinx’s Jordan Maison in January, where he revealed that EA isn’t involved. He also hinted at the game integrating elements from both entries to update it for the current Star Wars canon. Now, another report by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier hinted that the game is further in development than expected. He hinted that it has been kind development since 2019 and that Aspyr Media might be working on the game. There have also been rumors that BioWare is heavily involved, as they created the original.

    Aspyr Media is no stranger to Star Wars, as they’ve been involved with various recent ports of Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Star Wars Racer. The reports seem to imply this will be a remake from the ground up, or if they are simply reworking the original to update it. There is also no word if this might also include a remake of the sequel or if they will rework the story. We could see a similar adaptation to Final Fantasy VII Remake, which split up its story in multiple sequels. We’ll see if we get an official remake in the near future.

    Source: Cinelinx, MinnMax, Aspyr

  • Additional Photography for ‘SHANG-CHI’ Set to Begin This Week in Los Angeles

    Additional Photography for ‘SHANG-CHI’ Set to Begin This Week in Los Angeles

    A new and exciting teaser trailer for Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings premiered yesterday on star Simu Liu’s birthday, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. Additional photography for Shang-Chi is being conducted in Los Angeles beginning this week and will go on for two weeks into early May.

    Director Destin Daniel Cretton announced on his Instagram on 10/24/2020 that the production had wrapped, however additional photography like this is very common, to be expected and part of the plan for Marvel Studios features. 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGt_BaoJ76Z/?igshid=6sr75f2h1j2a

    Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, and Michelle Yeoh. It’s set to hit theaters September 3, 2021, following Black Widow on July 9th. Find out everything there is to know about the project right here!