Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Amazon

  • Rafe Judkins Envisions 8 Seasons for ‘The Wheel of Time’

    Rafe Judkins Envisions 8 Seasons for ‘The Wheel of Time’

    The Wheel of Time will be Amazon’s step into a well-loved fantasy series. The original novels were written by Robert Jordan with Brandon Sanderson taking over the final three entries after Jordan‘s passing. While six entries were originally planned, it ended up running for 14 ever since the initial publication in 1990. Given how long the series ran, it made sense for Amazon Prime to approach it as a television series and Rafe Judkins discusses his vision of where the series will go. In an interview with Deadline, he reveals that the vision, for now, would be going for eight seasons, as their plan is to cover all the books.

    I think that’s probably true. I think Wheel of Time lends itself better to a television series. That’s why I think now is the right moment for it to finally exist because people who know that books know it’s just a story about the characters and the journeys each of them is on. The amount you’d have to compress it to turn it into a series of movies is too much. It would take away the heart of what’s good about it.

    The story takes place in a world where magic is real. Rosamund Pike‘s Moiraine sets out on a journey like no other that sees her joining a group of unlikely heroes to find whoever the prophesied Dragon Reborn might end up being. The fact he is trying to cram 14 books into eight seasons is an interesting choice and might offer a hint of how they’ll structure future seasons.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Secret Invasion’ and Many More Productions to Shut Down for 90 Days Due to IATSE Strike

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Secret Invasion’ and Many More Productions to Shut Down for 90 Days Due to IATSE Strike

    Just yesterday, reports were going around about a potential IATSE Union strike to ensure reasonable expenses and breaks for crew members. It was hinted that they were going to go on strike Monday, but a new rumor might point to it taking place as of tomorrow. According to Star Wars Time, it seems that the production of The Mandalorian‘s third season will shut down alongside other Lucasfilm productions. It seems that the plans for the company are to close up shop for around 90 days with 60,000 film and TV workers affected. They do highlight that there is a slim chance they might avoid a potential shutdown, but the chances seem quite slim.

    There are also rumblings surrounding Marvel projects eyeing a similar development. So, we can assume the same will happen with other projects like the currently filming The Last Of Us, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, or the recently started Secret Invasion. There’s also the uncertainty of how it may affect post-productions due to VFX departments and editors. The latter may fall into IATSE Local 700 of The Motion Picture Editors Guild. Star Wars Time highlights that their source at the time was unsure. So, the projects like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and other productions could also face delays. There’s also the question of projects that require reshoots within that 90-day window.

    It’s an important step for the industry, as it faced many new challenges with the pandemic. We’ve seen discussion for fair compensation on many levels of Hollywood’s talent, such as Scarlet Johansson‘s ongoing feud with Disney over Black Widow. These actions ripple out to others and draw the attention of the industry to see how they may influence the future. We’ll surely keep a close eye on how it develops, but once the strikes happen we can expect quite a few delays of future releases moving forward.

    Source: Star Wars Time, Variety, Editor’s Guild

  • ‘The Boys’ Season 3 Adds Frances Turner, Kristin Booth, and Jack Doolan in Recurring Roles

    ‘The Boys’ Season 3 Adds Frances Turner, Kristin Booth, and Jack Doolan in Recurring Roles

    Just recently, The Boys first spin-off finally got a go from Amazon Studios. It faced some delays due to creative differences, but we still have the third season of the main series heading our way in the near future. Throughout the year, we got casting after casting but the show was extremely focused on highlighting Jensen Ackles addition as Soldier Boy. We even got an official first look at his new costume back in June. It looks like there are some new additions to the cast, as Deadline reveals another trio will have a recurring role moving forward.

    The Boys‘ third season has added The Man In The High Castle‘s Frances Turner, Kristin Booth from The Hot Zone: Anthrax, and Marcella‘s Jack Doolan. Turner plays Monique, the wife of Laz Alonso‘s Mother’s Milk. Booth and Doolan will play the super siblings known as TNT Twins. There are no details what roles exactly they’ll have in the story but that name does not bode well. We’ve faced some tragedies in the past, but this might be a whole new level.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘The Boys’ Spinoff Moving Forward With New Showrunners

    ‘The Boys’ Spinoff Moving Forward With New Showrunners

    About a year ago, around the time the second season of The Boys premiered, it was announced that a spinoff series was in development. The series would follow America’s only university exclusively for supes, run by Vought International, everyone’s favorite superhero conglomerate. Developments on the series have been silent since the project began adding names to its cast, but that was pretty much it.

    The series, which has yet to be given a proper title, has received a full series order at Amazon with some new talent jumping aboard. The series has replaced its previous showrunner, Craig Rosenberg, who left the project due to creative differences with Sony and Amazon. Taking over will be the writing duo of Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas. They are best known for their work on the ABC Marvel series, Agent Carter.

    The series will follow a contemptuous group of students at the university who are full of raging hormones and constantly at each other’s throats as they compete to be the best. Their end goal is to get the prime contract deal with Vought. Current cast members include Jaz Sinclair, Aimee Carrero, Reina Hardesty, Shane Paul McGhie, Maddie Phillips, and Lizzie Broadway. The series has yet to round out its cast as more news will follow at a later date. Serving alongside Butters and Fazekas as executive producers will be Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, and Garth Ennis. As the series now is moving forward, we might hopefully get an official title in the near future.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Amazon Eyeing ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS’ Trilogy Composer for Spinoff Series

    Amazon Eyeing ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS’ Trilogy Composer for Spinoff Series

    It looks like the upcoming Lord of the Rings spinoff series is actively seeking to bring back the original trilogy’s composer Howard Shore back into the fold. He’s worked on a variety of series which also include The Hobbit trilogy, Hugo, The Departed, and even the Twilight saga. The series wrapped up production for its first season and is currently in post-production. Shore has yet to sign on for what may be the most expensive television series ever developed, as its production budget stands at an astounding $465 million.

    That’s just how much the first season costs with a second already signed off, which will move production from New Zealand to the UK. It’s still a shocking development as the country was one of the landmarks behind the original films. The costs seemed to go into building some of the most elaborate sets for a show. Yet, it won’t be cheap as they’ll get shipped from New Zealand to the UK adding more fuel to the fire for this abrupt move. The belief is due to the author’s own heritage, the shire was based in rural England that the show is trying to capture moving forward.

    J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are developing the series that will explore the SEcond AGe of Middle-Earth, which takes place thousands of years before the original film trilogy and novels. The series has gathered an extensive cast that will showcase the confrontation with a re-emerging evil as the times of peace come to an end.

    Source: Deadline

  • Amazon Developing Live-Action ‘SHE-RA’ Series

    Amazon Developing Live-Action ‘SHE-RA’ Series

    It looks like the world isn’t quite done with She-Ra, Amazon is in the early stage of development to bring She-Ra into live-action. Variety shares that there is no writer currently attached, but DreamWorks animation will serve as executive producer. They’ve also been behind the latest adaptation on Netflix titled She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. It’s the first time the character has been brought to live-action since the 1985 film He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword.

    Princess Adora was the long-lost twin of Prince Adam, who grew up on the planet of Etheria. While working for the Evil Horde, her brother was able to free her as He-Man and she gained the powers of She-Ra through the Sword of Protection. The original series ran from 1985 until 1986 and amassed almost 100 episodes throughout its two-season run.

    There’s a chance they take the direction of the DreamWorks animated series, which removed any reference to He-Man and her extended family. It follows a similar story but she breaks free from the Horde of her own free will to uncover the darker secrets of those she works for. It even explored her character’s relationship with Catra that became a popular aspect of the 52-episode series.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ Nearing a $100M Deal to Stream Globally on Amazon

    ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ Nearing a $100M Deal to Stream Globally on Amazon

    Just recently, Sony made the decision to postpone Venom: Let There Be Carnage once again and is now set to release in October. In the first report on another delay, there were also discussions of Hotel Transylvania: Transformania also eyeing a delayed-release. Well, it looks like the animated sequel has found a new home with Amazon, as Sony is nearing a $100M deal with the streamer for an exclusive release.

    Sony has been forming a strong strategy in these unlikely times by forming alliances with various streaming services. Venom‘s recent delay added some fuel to theories surrounding their December release of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Their willingness to push an October release to a streaming service may also hint at uncertainty about how to handle the current situation. Who knows if the Spider-Man spin-off will get delayed again if Delta Variant numbers continue to grow going into October.

    Variety revealed that Sony will still retain rights to home entertainment, linear TV, and Chinese exhibition. So, the deal is primarily for their digital release. It joins other projects, such as Netflix’s Fatherhood, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and recently Vivo. It’s also not their first deal with Amazon, as Cinderella will release on the platform on September 3rd. Still, it’s a big move to push the finale of their franchise to a digital release. The deal hasn’t been finalized. So, it could still change but it seems safe to say they might go down this route.

    Source: Variety

  • Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Scrapped Ideas Serve as Inspiration for ‘Good Omens’ Second Season

    Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Scrapped Ideas Serve as Inspiration for ‘Good Omens’ Second Season

    In a surprise twist, Amazon Studios has renewed the once limited series Good Omens. It’ll explore the aftermath of the first season that saw Aziraphale and Crowley getting banned to the very Earth they saved. what shocked people about this revelation was the fact that there was no sequel book by authors Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Well, it seems that the idea to create a second season was born from scrapped ideas for a sequel that they developed some time ago but never followed upon. Gaiman offered some insight into this in a statement:

    It’s thirty-one years since ‘Good Omens’ was published, which means it’s thirty-two years since Terry Pratchett and I lay in our respective beds in a Seattle hotel room at a World Fantasy Convention, and plotted the sequel. I got to use bits of the sequel in Good Omens — that’s where our angels came from. Terry’s not here any longer, but when he was, we had talked about what we wanted to do with ‘Good Omens,’ and where the story went next.” And now, thanks to BBC Studios and Amazon, I get to take it there. I have enlisted some wonderful collaborators, and John Finnemore has come on board to carry the torch with me. There are so many questions people have asked about what happened next (and also, what happened before) to our favourite Angel and Demon. Here are the answers you’ve been hoping for. We are back in Soho, and all through time and space, solving a mystery, which starts with an angel wandering through Soho, with no memory.

    We also got a key art offering a small glimpse at what we can expect from the upcoming sequel:

     

    good-omens-season-2-key-art

     

    There is currently no release date planned, but they aim to start productions sometime later this year. Michael Sheen and David Tenant are set to return in their iconic roles. Director Douglas Mackinnon is set to return with Gaiman acting as showrunner, who will write the episodes alongside Josh Cole. It’s an exciting venture to see an author continue a scrapped project through a different medium and a nice way to pay tribute to the late Terry Pratchett‘s legacy. We cannot wait to see what awaits Aziraphale and Crowley once they return to the streaming service.

    Source: Collider

  • Laurie Holden Joins ‘THE BOYS’ Season 3 as the Crimson Countess

    Laurie Holden Joins ‘THE BOYS’ Season 3 as the Crimson Countess

    Only a handful of days after announcing a new trio of supes, The Boys has revealed it’s adding a classic femme fatale from the comics. Laurie Holden has officially joined the cast of the hit Amazon series as Crimson Countess, a long-time associate of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy. The character is capable of flight and heat generation and acts as a member of Soldier Boys’ super-team Payback. Designed as a play on Marvel’s Scarlet Witch, the Countess will no doubt play a role in Soldier Boy’s storyline. More than likely, she will be part of a group with the recently announced Ground Hawk and Supersonic. In the lore of the franchise, Crimson Countess is a moniker that dates back to Vought’s WWII days. The hero even received a bit of a tease during the show’s second season.

    Holden is best known for her role as Andrea on AMC’s smash-hit The Walking Dead, which she played for the show’s first handful of seasons. She also had a recurring role in the cult favorite series The X-Files. More recently, she was seen on The Americans and Proven Innocent. She has also worked on a variety of films, as the actress appeared in Frank Darabont’s The Mist, an adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel. She even had a small role in 2005’s original Fantastic Four film, as Ben Grimm’s fiancé Debbie. The Boys will be Holden’s first high-profile role since being killed off on The Walking Dead, and her resumé indicates she’ll do wonders in the spotlight once again.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • ‘THE BOYS’ Adds a Trio of New Superheroes

    ‘THE BOYS’ Adds a Trio of New Superheroes

    A trio of new superheroes has been added to The Boys‘ already-sprawling cast! The hit Amazon series has cast Sean Patrick Flannery, Miles Gaston Villanueva, and Nick Wechsler as a group of supposedly original creations. Flannery, best known for starring opposite Norman Reedus in The Boondock Saints, will portray a “hero” named Gunpowder. The moniker was used by a minor character in the comics, who specialized in weapons-based combat, but we have no official word on whether this is the same person in the live-action series.

    Villaneuva, who previously starred in Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, will play a character called Supersonic. Some rumors suggest the character, who could be another speedster or possess some sort of Black Canary-style sonic screaming, is the ex-boyfriend of Erin Moriarty‘s Starlight. If true, this would mean Supersonic is the show’s replacement for comic character Drummer Boy. Last but not least, Wechsler, known for his role on Revenge, will bring a character called Blue Hawk to life. This character may be a variation of the comics’ Ground Hawk. He was a feral supe with skilled use of hammers.

    The new cast members join the previously announced Jensen Ackles as new additions to the show. He is set to portray Soldier Boy in the show’s third season, one of the world’s first superheroes. We recently got our first look at his costume. While the latest casting news adds nothing to our knowledge of the third season’s plot, these new characters will play a role in Soldier Boy’s origin. In the comics, he leads a super-team called “Payback,” and these three powered individuals could be members of the show’s live-action take.

     

    Source: Entertainment Weekly