Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC Movies

  • ‘Aquaman’ Sequel’ Third Reshoots Scrap All Batman Cameo

    ‘Aquaman’ Sequel’ Third Reshoots Scrap All Batman Cameo

    Does Warner Bros. have another The Flash on their hands? The last time the production studio was all-in on a DC Studios project from the former era did not end as they hoped. After becoming one of the biggest bombs of the studio’s 100-year history, even performing worse than Green Lantern, they are quite nervous that the next project sticks the landing. While there is little advertising going around for Blue Beetle, which is set to release in only a few weeks, Warner Bros. may once again be too focused on the future.

    Their next big hope is the release of James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is riding on the potential of the first film’s $1 billion holiday release. The only issue is that the film is seemingly sinking in one way or another. The film has undergone three reshoots by now, which is not something you normally want to hear about a film. One or two reshoots are pretty common nowadays, but the problem seems to stem from the film going through countless test screenings.

    During one round, the new Warner film heads, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, got involved; the latter got involved in the editing process. That led to the film scoring even lower and ended up going through another round of reshoots. Supposedly, the story clarity is an issue for viewers of The Lost Kingdom. Plus, now one can add the fact that the second reshoots including Ben Affleck, who was set to replace Michael Keaton’s character after his originally planned return at the end of The Flash, is now also scrapped by DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    They are pointing to the overworked visual effects houses as one reason, but they have affected many other films ever since the pandemic started. It seems like too many cooks were involved and the film has likely gone even further over its initially planned budget of $205M. So, the film would have to do a lot of heavy lifting to make its money back. Oddly, Black Adam remains the highest earner at the box office for DC since the pandemic started and Dwayne Johnson may have held is promise after all.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Barry’s Anthony Carrigan Joins ‘Superman: Legacy’ as Metamorpho

    ‘Barry’s Anthony Carrigan Joins ‘Superman: Legacy’ as Metamorpho

    Seems like James Gunn has been quite a busy casting for his upcoming film Superman Legacy. While all eyes were on who exactly would end up taking on the role of Superman and Lois Lane, he has been quietly gathering some other DC Comics heroes that’ll have an unknown role in the project. Recently, it was revealed that Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced have joined the production in some familiar roles to comic fans. Now, one more has been added to the list.

    The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the classic character of Rex Mason, better known as Metamorpho, has joined the cast. He will be played by Anthony Carrigan, who recently had a standout role in the HBO series Barry and even showed up in the DC series Gotham. So, he’s not new to the world of heroes.

    Seems these announcements and finalized casting choices are being made with the SAG-AFTRA strike on the horizon. The film is set to release on July 11th, 2025 but if the strike moves forward, they’ll have to push back the release quite a bit as they were eyeing a production start early next year. With some time to go, who knows what else might happen by then as well.

    The big question is what role these heroic characters will have. Who knows if they are an actual integral part of the story, which would be a shame given the importance of giving Superman his own film that is less pure set-up but an introduction to this new world. It makes you wonder if Gunn is more focused on setting up his new DC Cinematic Universe but it’s a given as he’s the CEO of DC Studios and the director/writer of the first “true” entry in the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • BREAKING: James Gunn Has Found His Superman and Lois Lane

    BREAKING: James Gunn Has Found His Superman and Lois Lane

    The wait has finally come to an end. Superman Legacy director James Gunn has seemingly found his leading duo. After weeks of testing, even going as far as last week to having various duos in costume to enact scenes for the film, Gunn has seemingly settled on who David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan to become the leading pair in the first true DC Cinematic Universe film directed and written by the co-CEO of DC Studios.

    Corenswet is taking on a major role for this film, as he’ll not only be in the shadow of Snyderverse’s Henry Cavill but also have to set up the entire DC Cinematic Universe. All their plans ride on the success of this film and it’s no wonder that they went all out to ensure that they have the right duo together to show what this new franchise is all about.

    Corenswet is most known for his break-out role as Ryan Murphy in The Politician. He also has worked on projects like Pearl, We Own This City, and is about to be seen in the Twister sequel, Twisters. Brosnahan has quite the career with her work on projects like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Blacklist, House of Cards, and is currently filming The Amateur. So, they definitely are bringing something new to the table and will hopefully get a good look at them in costume before production starts.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Superman: Legacy’ Narrowing Down its Leading Duo & Lex Luthor

    ‘Superman: Legacy’ Narrowing Down its Leading Duo & Lex Luthor

    It looks like James Gunn is still busy trying to find the next Superman and Lois Lane for his next film Superman Legacy. In its second week of screen testings, it seems that he may be slowly narrowing down who he wants in the role, while also potentially reaching out to who would take on the iconic villainous role of Lex Luthor in his newly established DC Cinematic Universe.

    In a new entry of the Heat Vision newsletter from The Hollywood Reporter, they reveal that they have now paired up the potential cast members. Gunn has been busy casting for the feature film with the following pairings: Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan, David Corenswet with Emma Mackey, as well as Tom Brittney and Phoebe Dynevor.

    Seems they were given several scenes in makeup and wardrobe as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, but also in costumes as the iconic superhero. He’s trying to make sure that they nail this casting, as their future development for the franchise may hinge on this very development. Surprisingly, this isn’t too dissimilar from how Ryan Reynolds‘ casting as Green Lantern went back in 2011.

    That isn’t all, as it seems he’s also already looking to cast the villainous Lex Luthor for his film. At the moment, it seems that two brothers are being eyed, Alexander and Bill Skarsgard. Even Nicholas Hoult supposedly put himself at one point in the running before fully embracing a chance as Superman, but if he doesn’t get cast there’s still a chance. Gunn is currently hoping to start filming in early 2024.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • James Gunn Calls Out Recent Superhero Movies as “Really Lazy”

    James Gunn Calls Out Recent Superhero Movies as “Really Lazy”

    James Gunn is going to have his hands busy with saving DC’s brand in the views of cinemagoers. The last few years haven’t been kind and going by The Flash’s box office, it’s not looking better. Still, the CEO and director took his time in the Inside of You podcast to bad-mouth other superhero entries. He goes as far to say it’s not quite the issue with volume but more with them being “really lazy.”

    People have gotten really lazy with their superhero stories. And they have gotten to the place where, ‘Oh, it’s a superhero, let’s make a movie about it.’ And then, ‘Oh, let’s make a sequel, because the first one did pretty well,’ and they aren’t thinking about, ‘Why is this story special? What makes this story stand apart from other stories? What is the story at the heart of it all? Why is this character important? What makes this story different that it fills a need for people in theaters to go see?’

    James Gunn

    While one can definitely argue that some films hold up better than others, the question remains what he’s talking about exactly. Marvel’s recent releases were still strong box office performers and seemed to have a hold. The only time a superhero movie really fumbled was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania but this might be more of a comment on the DC Extended Universe. He mentions that “having very different genres” is a way to solve this which is pretty much how Marvel Studios handled the genre for many years.

    The Flash, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and more have been showing a lack of interest in this particular brand. And, Gunn’s job moving forward is to ensure that isn’t the case. In the same interview, he goes on to highlight his approach to ensuring it’ll be “as good as it can possibly be.”

    We’re going to be very careful with the product that we put out and making sure everything is as good as it can possibly be.

    James Gunn

    That is a great statement and pretty much just echoes the overall quantity over a quality issue that people claim, but he also stated that The Flash was among the best films he’s seen in the genre. So, the question remains on why he wouldn’t go by that same rule with the latest release if this is a concern of his or is this a push towards what he’ll over with the DCU to be in contrast to the DCEU? We won’t know until Superman Legacy releases. Still, it seems a bit harsh for someone trying to push the genre forward to badmouth it at the same time.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Flash’ Stumbles to a 70%+ Drop in its Second Weekend

    ‘The Flash’ Stumbles to a 70%+ Drop in its Second Weekend

    The Flash may be far removed from what Zack Snyder once started, but it seems it’s about to overtake Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s box office drop. After a soft opening in its first weekend at $55.7M, far below initial expectations, the film is seemingly on its way to a heavy drop that’ll be likely above 70%. If you have a strong opening you might be able to balance it out, but this isn’t the case. As such, the film is dropping to third place after opening to $4.5M on Friday, which is an 81% drop.

    That drop is quite a bit higher than that of Green Latnern back in 2011, which only made around $116M and it’s unclear if this film will face a similar fate. It’s not looking good for the film to make enough money to make up its $200M+ production budget. Whiles some are liking this to be a sign of superhero fatigue, The Flash isn’t the only film that has lost quite a bit of momentum, and perhaps expectations for blockbusters generally have risen.

    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts proves that fact after a sharp 66% drop in its second weekend, but things are looking up a bit as the third is going a bit softer than initially expected. The film will drop around 45% and could still push the film to pass Bumblebee and Transformers: The Last Knight’s overall domestic box office gross.

    The big surprise though is Elemental is holding on. After the worst opening weekend for a Pixar film, its A CinemaScore is proving useful with a strong hold. It’ll likely only drop around 40% in its second weekend, which would push it further but it is still not likely to take the top spot. At the moment, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is showing a stronger hold and has a good chance at retaking the top spot with a $18.2M weekend.

    The big release of the week, No Hard Feelings is doing pretty good. It pulled in $6.25M on Friday (incl. Thursday previews) putting it at the top spot for at least a day. It’s projected to make around $12M but it seems likely that the debut will land somewhere around $15M. It did take the day and while it’ll lose momentum it’s still not too bad of a showcase. Comedies sadly generally seem to be struggling at the box office, as many other films like The Machine, Bros, and Easter Sunday struggling with that R-rating.

    Source: Variety

  • James Gunn Provides ‘Superman: Legacy’ Casting Update

    James Gunn Provides ‘Superman: Legacy’ Casting Update

    With the script for Superman: Legacy complete, the DC Studios reboot–slated for 2025–is a rarity right now in that it’s not felt the impact of the ongoing WGA strike and is continuing to make pre-production progress. While the potential SAG strike might change things up a bit for James Gunn’s new project, those are still tomorrow’s concerns and so, for now, Gunn is pushing ahead in the search for not only the next Man of Steel but the entire supporting cast.

    According to Deadline, that search has been narrowed down considerably, and, over the weekend, Gunn conducted screen tests with some of the reported favorites for the roles of Kal-El and Lois Lane. Though Gunn has refrained from confirming or denying who might be on his list, it’s been widely reported thay Tom Brittney, David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult are among the top contenders for Superman while Rachel Brosnahan, Pheobe Dynevor and Emma Mackey top his list of talent for Lois Lane. And while Gunn is not budging on revealing who he has in his sights for the roles, he did take to Bluesky to update the process.

    “Amazing amazing weekend of auditions for Superman: Legacy,” said Gunn. “I’m blown away by some of these actors, among the best I’ve ever seen or worked with.” Given the array of talented actors Gunn has aligned himself with in the past and the loyalty he has to them, that’s no small compliment coming from the director. With principal photography not set to begin until January 2024, Gunn still has plenty of time to find the right fit for each role and to make sure the actors have the right chemistry with one another.

    Superman: Legacy is slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Director Angel Manuel Soto Explains Plans for a “Saga” & Where the Film Fits in the New DCU

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Director Angel Manuel Soto Explains Plans for a “Saga” & Where the Film Fits in the New DCU

    DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn recently clarified that the upcoming film Blue Beetle will be the first project in the all-new, all-different DCU. The film, which hits theaters on August 18, 2023 stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes and was directed by Angel Miguel Soto, was originally slated to release on HBO Max Warner Bros. changed gears and pushed it into theaters, providing a bigger platform for the film. Now that its place in the new DCU is settled, it seems like it might just be the beginning for the character.

    “Our first movie, the way we wanted to do it, was always with the mentality that we wanted to do two more, at least,” Soto told Total Film. “And taking the traditional three-act structure of a story, we wanted our first movie to practically be the first act of a saga,” the director explained, indicating big plans for Maridueña‘s Reyes.

    Soto went on to explain that Gunn and co-chair Peter Safran have been putting in some work behind the scenes to make sure Blue Beetle can not only stand on its own but also be fully integrated into the future of the DCU. “We are part of the universe, we are part of the world,” explained Soto. “We are part of the plans that they have been creating for the future installments of the DCU but we are not tied to all the films from the past. Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn’t mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going,” indicating that perhaps Reyes will soon have the chance to interact with some of the other heavy hitters that will populate the new shared universe.

    As for what those plans are, it may be a while before we all find out. The ongoing WGA strike and the looming SAG strike will certainly go a long way in determining when Jamie Reyes pops up next in the DCU.

    Source: Total Film via Games Radar

  • ‘The Flash’s Sasha Calle Met With DC Studios Heads to Return as Supergirl

    ‘The Flash’s Sasha Calle Met With DC Studios Heads to Return as Supergirl

    The Flash may have had a rocky weekend at the box office, but many seem to agree that the biggest part is Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. While we’re entering a new DC Cinematic Universe under the new leadership of Peter Safran and James Gunn, the future for many existing characters is uncertain.

    Luckily, it seems that Calle is not going to just accept she won’t return and is seemingly already in talks. In an interview with USA Today, she revealed that she’s already in talks with Peter Safran to potentially return. Sbe also goes on to highlight her love for portraying Supergirl.

    I hope to continue playing Supergirl. I love her so deeply and I feel so connected to her.

    Sasha Calle

    It’s always great to see such a talent love the character they portray and the determination to return as much as they could to keep playing them. While her future remains a mystery given the multiversal storyline of The Flash, there’s always a way for them to bring her back. They have a Supergirl film planned later down the line and it would be a shame not to bring her back.

    Source: USA Today

  • ‘The Flash’ Stumbles to $55M in its Opening 3-Day Weekend

    ‘The Flash’ Stumbles to $55M in its Opening 3-Day Weekend

    It’s not looking good for releases this Juneteenth holiday weekend, as some of the biggest releases of the summer are not performing as one would hope. While most expected Elemental to have a softer opening due to Pixar’s unique situation with the Disney+ releases throughout the last few years, The Flash is a very different story. Yes, it was a troubled production due to its star but with a B CinemaScore, expectations still had it hitting around $70M throughout the three-day weekend.

    Early estimates after a softer-than-expected Friday did retract that to them reaching that high throughout a four-day weekend with at least $60M in the bank. Mixed word-of-mouth might not carry it throughout the upcoming weeks. However, it still had the potential that people pick it up afterward due to long-time fans wanting to relive the DCEU before it is closed completely. Though that B CinemaScore has been quite detrimental to recent films as it stands for an “I’ll get it on streaming later” kind of tepid reaction.

    Now, the film has hit a snag and is likely to open around $55.1M over three days. Four-day predictions range from a low $62M to $64M which doesn’t look good for the film to make up its ballooning budget. It would place the film even behind Black Adam’s $67M that it made in just three days. Though, that film had the star power of Dwayne Johnson to push it forward a bit even with a C-list character. Yet, one could argue that The Flash is one of the biggest members of the Justice League and should be a crowd-pleaser.

    Elemental continues to show a different side of the streaming issue due to it being set to open around $29.5M over a three-day weekend. That would make it the lowest opening weekend for any Pixar title since the original Toy Story almost 30 years ago. Also, it only pulled in $17M in its first 17 markets. Even an A CinemaScore will have to go a long way to build up that loss in box office revenue.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter