Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DCEU

  • ‘WW84’ Suffers a 67% Box Office Drop In Its Second Week

    ‘WW84’ Suffers a 67% Box Office Drop In Its Second Week

    In our last look at the Box Office, it seemed that Wonder Woman 1984 was doing fairly well alongside its HBO Max release. It looked like nothing was standing in the way for Warner Bros. 2021 strategy to premiere its films simultaneously in theatres and on its new streaming service. Now, the only question was if the film would have legs to compete with Tenet‘s numbers when it launched back in September. Well, it looks like the true test revealed the negative influence of the streaming service, as WW84 domestic gross dropped by 67% in its second week. It is in stark contrast to the original Wonder Woman‘s 43% drop. It is closer to that of Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. As such, the film has earned $28.5 million in ten days.

    With these numbers, it seems unlikely the film will pass Tenet‘s domestic cume of $58M, but it could still grab the second spot, which is held by The Croods: A New Age‘s $34M. This stark drop may be connected to the availability via HBO Max, as even with a strong opening there is no reason to return to theaters once you’ve seen it. So, those few that are willing to visit a cinema within the current pandemic might not be as willing to do so. Of course, WB may be more interested in the long-term gain with how many additional subscribers they gain, which could counter the stark drop.

    The film still has time to make a comeback, but at this point, it seems unlikely until Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon by March. That film will be made available in theaters and Disney+’s Premium Access. We will see if the $30 additional costs will have a lessened effect on the film’s performance. It is difficult to really pinpoint any development given the current situation, so as Forbes points out, the usual Christmas legs may not apply after such a drop. The film’s discourse is also rather mixed, so that may have left an imprint. For now, WB may be questioning their 2021 film release plan.

    Source: Forbes

  • ‘WW84’ Passes $100M Worldwide; ‘Soul’ Dominates Streaming

    ‘WW84’ Passes $100M Worldwide; ‘Soul’ Dominates Streaming

    Wonder Woman 1984‘s release was a huge test to see if Warner Bros. HBO Max’s strategy would work while also trying to ensure the cinema’s future. Of course, it also faced some major competition with Pixar’s Soul getting released on Disney+. Now that both films had some time in the public eye, let’s take a look at what the future of cinema and television might hold.

    WW84 has now passed the $102 million mark worldwide since its launch. The international markets proved the most stable, as it garnered around $80M, even if China was behind expectations with $25M. Its Box Office global split seems to be similar to that of Tenet, which managed to garner $363M in its run since September. According to Forbes, the film may only garner what its predecessor did in its domestic gross. So, the numbers aren’t too different from Christopher Nolan‘s latest release. The only thing hurting WW84‘s legs is the negative discourse and its availability through HBO Max, as there is no reasoning for a repeat viewing in cinema directly.

     

     

    Soul has been doing quite well in China, as the Pete Docter and Kemp Powers‘ film tripled its $5.5M opening weekend. It now stands strong at $16.9M. Western releases are facing some challenges, as China has been dominating its local market through locally-produced films, such as Red Flower breaking records with a $76M opening. Mendelson highlights in his article that this confirms that not every tentpole blockbuster will see a similar success in China like it did in local markets. They seem to embrace our crazier and out-there stories, which may also be why Mulan did not sit well with Chinese audiences.

    Overall, the true victories were in the streaming market. WW84 increased HBO Max’s app downloads by 554K. Disney+, however, managed to increase the download count by 2.3M, which was a massive win for the streaming service. These minds do not include downloads on the smart TV App, Amazon or Roku. We don’t have a total subscriber count either, but these numbers are still quite impressive. Plus, the subscription costs for the different services also play a role in the download difference. Still, it looks like the Box Office will need time to get to where it once was. It is uncertain if 2021 will offer that or if it may take until 2022 to reach that point once again.

    Source: Forbes, Bloomberg

  • ‘The Flash’ Eyeing Early 2021 Production Start

    ‘The Flash’ Eyeing Early 2021 Production Start

    The Flash is the best example of development hell. Since its announcement, the film has seen countless directors and screenwriters tackle the project. It finally settled on It director Andrés Muschietti and Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson. The film will see the return of Ezra Miller in the role of Barry Allen. Inspired by the Flashpoint storyline, we will join the Scarlet Speedster as he makes his way through the multiverse. He will team up with Michael Keaton‘s Batman. This marks his first return to the role for the first time since 1992. Not just that, it will also see the return of Ben Affleck’s as the Batman, who got introduced n Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

    The film was going to enter production in March, but it looks like it will now start a month later. It will film at the Warner Bros. Leavesden studios, but no further details are available if they will primarily film at this location. Sound studios will be the primary filming location as long as the pandemic could interrupt production at any point. Backstage also states that the project has also picked up casting directors Rich Delia and Kate Ringsell.

    The Flash is currently set to release on November 4th, 2022. Ezra Miller, Billy Crudup, Ben Affleck, and Michael Keaton are confirmed to return. It is unknown if Kiersey Clemons will return to reprise her role of Iris West. We might see some casting announcements and information on returning actors from the DCEU once we near production in April.

    Source: Backstage

  • ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’: Who is Simon Stagg?

    ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’: Who is Simon Stagg?

    Following multiple delays, Wonder Woman 1984 finally made its debut and while audiences seem pretty split on the film, it did include some memorable scenes and awesome easter eggs tucked away while others were quite obvious. One surprise appearance in the film came from a scene between Max Lord and a character known as Simon Stagg. For those who don’t know, Simon is quite the character in the DC Universe and an unethical and immoral businessman himself. Stagg was portrayed by British comedian and playwright Oliver Cotton.

    Simon Stagg first appeared in Brave and the Bold #57 all the way back in January of 1965 and was created by Ramona Fradon and Bob Haney. As shown in the film he’s the owner and CEO of Stagg Industries, but who we don’t see is his daughter, Sapphire Stagg. Sapphire ends up becoming romantically involved with Rex Mason, an adventurer who’s hired by Simon Stagg to journey to Egypt to acquire the Orb of Ra. Mason was betrayed by Stagg’s bodyguard, who’d accompanied him on the trip, and left dead in an attempt to keep him from furthering his relationship with Sapphire. Laying near the orb for an extended amount of time caused Rex to develop abilities and completely change his appearance. Upon returning, Rex took up the mantle of Metamorpho and would go on to join Batman, Katana, Black lighting, and Geoforce to form The Outsiders.

    Simon Stagg has appeared in many DC projects including Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Beware The Batman, The Flash, and Batman: Arkham Knight. It’s unknown if we’ll see Stagg return in the DCEU as his first and only appearance so far has been all the way back in 1984. Given he wasn’t the most youthful of the bunch, an origin for Rex Mason may have to take another route.

    Wonder Woman 1984 is in theaters now and the first of many WB films to stream alongside its theatrical release on HBO Max.

  • ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’: What is Bialya?

    ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’: What is Bialya?

    Following multiple delays, Wonder Woman 1984 finally made its debut and while audiences seem pretty split on the film, it did include some memorable scenes and awesome Easter eggs tucked away while others were quite obvious. One surprise appearance in the film came from a scene in Cairo where we saw Max Lord asking Emir Said Byn Abydos would what he would wish for if he had to choose just one wish. Emir responds with the wish that he could once again lay claim to his ancestral homeland of Bialya. Bialya is a fictional country within DC comics that made few appearances within the DC Universe.

    Bialya is a Middle Eastern country located north of Iran and Saudia Arabia and would be the area in which the original Blue Beetle would uncover the Scarab that would give him the powers of the Blue Beetle. The Scarab would eventually be passed down to Ted Kord and later on Jaime Reyes. Bialya would come to fall under the rule of Colonel Rumaan Harjavti, the country would develop into a police state stricken with poverty. Harjavti would conspire with Queen Bee who would go on to betray and assassinated him, before usurping his role and developing Bialya into a world power.

    Queen Bee would go on to transform Bialya from a poverty wrought police state to a paradise with aggressive methods that paved the way for open commerce and trade along with free medical and food programs and high employment rates. But these results were via unethical methods. Queen Bee would place implants within her people that would raise endorphin levels that brainwashed them into believing Biayla was a perfect nation. Queen Bee would come to butt heads with the Justice League International on multiple occasions, but the team couldn’t risk causing a international affair which stopped them from intervening themselves.

    Considering Emir’s wish, it wouldn’t be crazy to assume that Bialya was under the rule of Colonel Rumaan at the time and at this point in the timeline could have fallen under the control of Queen Bee

  • Pitching ‘Wonder Woman 3’: Enter Circe, The Wicked Sorceress

    Pitching ‘Wonder Woman 3’: Enter Circe, The Wicked Sorceress

    With the masses now able to view and enjoy the highly anticipated sequel to 2017’s hit hero flick, Wonder Woman 1984, queue the talk of a now confirmed sequel. Director Patty Jenkins confirmed that the future of the character’s solo endeavors would be set within the present day if she were to return for it (which we all know she will). Wonder Woman 3 has the potential to be an event-type film and take us back to Paradise Island while also embracing the Greek roots that have been present within her stories for many years. Now, it is time for the movies to embrace it. The next installment in the Wonder Woman franchise should see the heroine go up against Circe, one of the character’s most iconic villains.

     

     

    Circe was the daughter of the god Helios and Perse. She is a sea nymph and was known to be an almost Goddess level sorceress with an almost limitless range of abilities from projective animal metamorphosis, mind control, immortality, reality manipulation, and so many more. The Goddess Hectate would eventually leave the realm and chose to transfer her soul into her most devoted follower, Circe. Yet, before she did so, she left her with the following warning:

    Upon the death of witch and the birth of witch, Hecate, by name and choice, shall repossess her soul.

    At one point, she came to realize that Wonder Woman shared the name Diana with Hectate and became worried that she would be the one to usurp this newfound power from her. As such, she set her sights on anyone that could take this power from her. Circe would also come to learn via an Oracle that the daughter of Hippolyta was sure to be her undoing and, after Diana made her presence known following the events of Justice League, she’s just about painted a big target on her back.

     

     

    Wonder Woman 3 needs to go big and embrace the roots of Greek mythology. George Perez‘s work on the character would make for a great template. Let’s imagine the threequel takes us back to Themiscyra. We get introduced to characters like Nubia and Donna Troy. The film reveals that Circe has made her way to Themiscyra with Hectate’s remnant abilities. Arriving on Paradise Island, she controls the Amazons and turns them into the terrifying beasts of Greek Mythology, such as Minotaurs and Harpies. Circe would acquire Hippolytas Golden Girdle of Gaea to ensure a swift and easy takedown of those who oppose her. This event is where I’d like to see Nubia and Donna come into play. We see them set off from the island to find Diana, as she would be their last hope to save the island from the hell that’s it become under Circe.

     

     

    Of course, Circe knew about their plan and let them escape, as she believes she can use them to send Diana to the depths of Tartarus. That way, Wonder Woman would no longer pose a threat to her. Throughout the events of the story, Diana makes her return but has to face a great tragedy, her mother, Hippolyta, dies at the hands of Circe. She would face a warrior’s end before her daughter would defeat the sorcerers. After the dust has settled, she would rise to become the new queen of the Amazons. Her rule would open up the Island to the world of man and allow Nubia, Donna, and Diana to act as the ambassadors of their people. It would open up the door for other DC Universe villains, such as fan-favorite Veronica Cale from Greg Rucka‘s Rebirth run. Now that Jenkins’ return has been confirmed, hopefully, the third entry will finish the trilogy by embracing the character’s Greek history and the many characters that donned the title of Wonder Woman.

  • ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Fast-Tracked by Warner Bros.

    ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Fast-Tracked by Warner Bros.

    After numerous delays, fans were finally able to see the next installment in the Wonder Woman franchise. With the return of director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot, we entered a new era of Diana Prince’s life with Wonder Woman 1984. Luckily, it seems fans won’t be on the edge of their seats waiting for the next installment much longer. The third film has officially been greenlit with both Jenkins and Gadot set to return. The third entry will conclude the trilogy that started in 2017.

    Warner Bros. announced today that the project has been fast-tracked after an impressive $17 million domestic debut. WW84 even managed to garner $85 million worldwide in its three-day opening weekend. We still don’t know how well it did on HBO Max, but for a sequel to be announced this quickly, it must’ve certainly left an impression. Warner Bro’s chairman Toby Emmerich announced the sequel with the following statement:

    As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able continue her story with our real life Wonder Women – Gal and Patty – who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy

    Wonder Woman 1984 is available in theatres and is available through HBO Max. It is currently the first film in WB’s new digital strategy to offer an alternative to their theatrical release of 2021 via their streaming service. There are no details given on what direction the third entry will be heading into, so it’ll be interesting to see if it will continue to remain in the past or bring Diana’s story to the modern age.

    SOURCE: Variety, Deadline, Twitter

  • ‘Superman and Lois’: First Official Look at Tyler Hoechlins New Suit

    ‘Superman and Lois’: First Official Look at Tyler Hoechlins New Suit

    Since his first appearance on Supergirl, Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent has sported the same suit with one exception. He was allowed to wear a black variant in the Elseworlds crossover, but that was technically Doctor Destiny pretending to be Clark via the Book of Destiny. Never the less, he was bound for an upgrade sooner or later. Now, the first season of Superman and Lois is set to hit the CW early next year as the newest addition to the Arrowverse. Hoechlin also is finally getting the suit upgrade.

    The CW officially revealed Clarks newest look for the upcoming spin-off series. We finally got a good look at what was seen in leaked set photos that made their rounds a while back. This new look is almost identical to the outfit that Clark wears in the current Rebirth comic runs that feature the character. He finally dumped those dreaded cape clips that had plagued the suit since his debut in Supergirl. Also, they finally added a much better belt to what seems to be a much stiffer bodysuit. I think it might just be how the arms are positioned, but it looks tough to move in that, especially forearms.

    Superman and Lois is currently in production and is set to debut early next year on the CW network. It will have a 13 episode run, unlike other CW’s network show. The show will feature the iconic comic couple juggling their everyday lives while raising their children. It is part of the fallout that resulted from the Crisis event that shook the Arrowverse to its core, rebooting the multiverse into something much bigger and brighter. Superman and Lois are one of a few new projects at the CW with shows like Wonder-Girl and Naomi.

  • ‘Stargirl’: Sportsmaster and Tigress to Return for Season 2

    ‘Stargirl’: Sportsmaster and Tigress to Return for Season 2

    At the end of Stargirl‘s first season, we saw the downfall of the Injustice Society at the hands of the new Justice Society of America. Among those members were the standouts Sportsmaster and Tigress. The last time we saw them, they were lying unconscious within the ISA base after a shattering defeat at the hands of Hourman and Stargirl. It was never made clear if the dangerous duo had been arrested or was able to escape. Well, it looks like we’ll soon find out, as both Tigress and Sportsmaster will make a brief return in the sophomore season of Stargirl.

    Sportsmaster actor, Neile Hopkins, took to Instagram to confirm that he and Joy Osmanski were both returning to set for what might be a single episode. They aren’t suited up, so they might get interrogated for information on the latest enemies, Eclipso and Shade. So, it could be just a brief appearance. Hopkins also confirms that director Lea Thompson would be returning to direct the upcoming season. It is unclear if she will only be working on one episode, but a return is nonetheless exciting, as her work on the previous season was nothing short of great.

     

     

    Stargirl‘s second season is still in production with no set release date. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see it release around the same time, as its first season. It made its debut around mid-May, which would seem like a fitting estimate. The second season will see the team face the might of Eclipso after Cindy Burman accidentally released him from his crystalline prison. He will be working alongside veteran ISA member Shade to keep the newly established next-generation JSA on their toes.

    SOURCE: Instagram

  • ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’: First Look at Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke

    ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’: First Look at Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke

    Zack Snyder’s Justice League is feeling like one big family reunion. Everyone is back on board to bring this film to life once more. Even if most of them are going to be at each other’s throats, keep in mind that they’re along for the ride through thick and thin. One of the later additions for the director’s cut was Joe Manganiello‘s Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke. The mercenary had only previously appeared once in the DCEU. That was at the tail end of the theatrical Justice League release, in which we saw the character meet up with a now bald Lex Luthor. He offered Deathstroke the chance to form a league that can rival that of the newly founded Justice League.

    Manganiello shared a new look at his character for the upcoming film. It seems mostly faithful to what we saw in the initial release with a few changes. This version seems to be slightly older than when we saw him last time. His hair seems much whiter, and he is sporting a mohawk. If you didn’t know, Manganiello did everything to prepare for this role. He took up sword fighting and katana lessons, as well as researching the best form of martial arts for the character to use. All that for a minor cameo, as he believed it would turn into a larger role later down the line. This more grizzled look could hint at Wilson showing up in a Knightmare scene, or it could be what Snyder intended his Deathstroke to look like in the first place.

    Manganiello was once slated to be the main villain of Ben Affleck‘s Batman movie and receive his spinoff from director Gareth Evans who worked on the highly praised Raid franchise that was ultimately known for its intense martial arts action sequences. It’s unclear now what the future holds for Slade Wilson in the DCEU, but hopefully, this won’t be the last time we see him.

    Source: Twitter