Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney

  • Johnny Depp Was Originally Going to Co-Write ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’, Film to Be a Final Send-Off for Jack Sparrow

    Johnny Depp Was Originally Going to Co-Write ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’, Film to Be a Final Send-Off for Jack Sparrow

    Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are still in the middle of their legal dispute, which has given some hints to how Depp’s general business dealings have been since the allegations against him were first made. A few days ago, he revealed that he has no interest in ever returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise after how their business relationship ended. Yet, he has now also revealed more details on the original plans for the sixth entry in the franchise.

    It seems that Depp was approached to help write Pirates of the Caribbean 6 to give his character of Jack Sparrow a fitting send-off. As he pointed out in the previous hearing on the matter, he was upset about how the relationship ended, especially given they were still selling merchandise with his face on it even after parting ways.

    I didn’t quite understand how after that long relationship and quite a successful relationship, certainly for Disney, that suddenly I was guilty until proven innocent… I, in fact, had been approached to take part in writing Pirates 6… my feeling was that these characters should be able to have their proper goodbye, as it were. A franchise can only last for so long, and there’s a way to end a franchise like that. And I thought that the characters deserved… to end their franchise on a very good note. I planned on continuing until it was time to stop.

    Johnny Depp

    As the last film ended with a post-credit sequence teasing the return of Davy Jones, they were definitely setting up a final confrontation between the two. It’s a shame that this story may never be finished, especially given how iconic the franchise has become. It definitely redefined what we expect from a pirate-based storyline. For now, we’ll have to see what the future has in store, but the main focus remains on how the court hearings between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will end.

    Source: CBS News via ScreenRant

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Polar Bear’ Director Discusses Difficulty of Making the Documentary

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Polar Bear’ Director Discusses Difficulty of Making the Documentary

    Disneynature’s upcoming documentary Polar Bear is the latest installment in the film studio’s collection after 2020’s Elephant. Helmed by directors Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the directing team behind Disneynature’s 2019’s Penguins, the documentary tells the story of a particular polar bear over a 15-year time period.

    Given the immense time period and the unforgiving Arctic environment in which Polar Bear was filmed, making the documentary unsurprisingly came with extreme challenges. In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, director Jeff Wilson described some of these challenges, including why a 15-year time period was necessary:

    We also wanted to tell this amazingly important environmental story. And to tell that over a three-year period would be dishonest and impossible. But to tell it over a fifteen-year period was absolutely the right time scale in order to kind of capture the change that would happen within a bear’s life.

    Jeff Wilson

    Polar Bear also specifically follows one bear, making the process that much more arduous. Wilson went on to explain why they needed a female bear to film:

    [B]ear behavior is all learned from a mother bear. And so it was crucial for us to tell a story from a mother’s perspective and the story about the mother bear, because that’s where all the interesting behavior happened. That’s where the cubs learn from their mother. So we knew that we had to have a female bear.

    Jeff Wilson

    But finding the bear for Polar Bear—and filming in general—came with enormous environmental difficulties as well. WIlson continued:

    [We] have to spend as much time in that there’s presence as we can possibly stand. And bear in mind that we’re working at the temperatures down to minus 45 degrees. And there’s only so long that you can actually, you know, physically survive in that environment before you have to go back and get a hot meal and have some sleep. And so on any given day, you will have to start from scratch and try and find that bear again and go out and try and find that mother and her cubs again. So it’s a very, very difficult process.

    Jeff Wilson

    The work put into to the documentary will pay off when audiences get to enjoy the film soon. Disneynature’s Polar Bear launches exclusively on Disney+ on Earth Day—April 22, 2022.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Disneynature’s ‘Polar Bear’ Directors Reveal the Most Impactful Moments

    EXCLUSIVE: Disneynature’s ‘Polar Bear’ Directors Reveal the Most Impactful Moments

    Disneynature has created quite the collection of wildlife documentaries over the years. The next installment, Polar Bear, tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today.

    Polar Bear is narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener and helmed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the directing team also behind Disneynature’s Penguins. The documentary is full of moments in the polar bear’s life that will surely make viewers experience a wide range of emotions. In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, directors Fothergill and Wilson revealed some of the moments that impacted them the most. Fothergill recounted a moment when a polar bear was filmed doing an “aquatic stalk”:

    For me, the moment when the female was hunting the seal—they’re doing their what’s called an aquatic stalk—which actually, interestingly, has become more and more common with climate change. But that moment when she was so so carefully and quietly, trying to push herself out of the water, so she could grab the hooded seal. We were there and the cameraman and I, literally, were holding our breath. And we held our breath for a long time because it’s a very long shot in the film. And then she goes back down so quietly and sneaks under the ice flow and tries to grab the shield that fails. That, for me was an amazing moment. Never been filmed like that before.

    Alastair Fothergill

    Both directors note moments that they experienced which had never been caught on film before. While Fothergill described a hunting moment affected by climate change, Wilson recalls a particularly joyful moment:

    [For me,] the serendipity of finding a sperm whale carcass washed up with 20 Bears feeding off of it. It’s something that completely was beyond my wildest dreams. And so to be there and to witness that…And a well fed bear is a happy bear and a happy bear as a playful bear. And there are some very, very unique and special and never been seen before kind of behaviors that are happening around that where you just have 20 bears who come together and play together and almost like a pool party, or barbecue, you know, that just that is so special and so unique that you know, that’s going to be forever seared into my memory as as an experience.

    Jeff Wilson

    Viewers can experience these moments and more for themselves when Disneynature’s Polar Bear launches exclusively on Disney+ on April 22, 2022—Earth Day.

  • REVIEW: ‘Polar Bear’ is a Memorable Documentary

    REVIEW: ‘Polar Bear’ is a Memorable Documentary

    Disneynature’s newest wildlife documentary, Polar Bear, is an astounding achievement. It is directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the team behind Disneynature’s Penguins, and narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener. While it accomplishes what it set out to be—a beautiful and engaging family-friendly film—it also manages to go a bit deeper due to the inescapable reality of climate change on the film’s subjects.

    Polar Bear is almost as true to its title as any film could get. The documentary follows one specific female bear for over 15 years in the Arctic. While it is somewhat framed from the perspective of this bear when she is a mother herself later in the film, most of the runtime seems to explore her coming of age. Indeed, perhaps the most memorable moments of Polar Bear come from her youth when she is living and learning from her mother alongside her twin brother. The true artistry of the story comes from the meticulous process of selecting a bear and committing to her for well over a decade. While she ultimately has a cub of her own, her journey is permanently set against the backdrop of her adventures with her own mother and the documentary emphasizes how significant ice bear heritage is to the continued survival of the species, both in the short- and long-term. 

    Polar Bear is undoubtedly a family-friendly movie that does not “talk down” to a younger audience. The pure joy of watching furry, cuddly-looking cubs play and learn new behaviors is a basic treat in and of itself. The majesty and power of watching adult bears in their native environment is captured brilliantly by the filmmakers. The visuals and cinematography are absolutely stunning. From the close-ups to the aerial shots, Polar Bear does not leave anything wanting in that space. Much of what makes the documentary special is that it captures polar bear behavior never before seen on camera. And while that might not be obvious while watching it, some moments are undeniably special, and the visuals, score, narration, and more work together in unison to paint those moments in an unforgettable light. 

    While the documentary is clearly an engaging and fun family-friendly movie, as a wildlife documentary Polar Bear does inevitably include somber moments. One of the most powerful aspects of the film ae the occasional flash-forwards to our bear with her cub, navigating an Arctic environment drastically changed by climate change since her youth. Despite the unavoidable presence of climate change, Polar Bear does not spend much time detailing or unpacking it. The documentary is the story of our bear—but the story of our bear cannot be told without showing the environment she is raising a cub into. The film ends on a noticeably much more optimistic and resilient note than it feels in the most recent footage. While the bear (through narration) struggles through harsh new terrain, she proclaims that her daughter will learn to be a great ice bear and will survive.

    Polar Bear is a strong installment in the Disneynature collection. The documentary’s ability to capture scenes in such an extreme environment over such an extreme period of time undoubtedly paid off in the final product. The result is a memorable look at the lives, behaviors, and environments of one of the most charismatic species on the planet. 

  • EXCLUSIVE: Disneynature’s ‘Polar Bear’ Director on the Film’s Hopeful Ending

    EXCLUSIVE: Disneynature’s ‘Polar Bear’ Director on the Film’s Hopeful Ending

    Disneynature’s latest documentary, Polar Bear, tells the story of a new mother whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today. While the film has many uplifting and joyous moments, it takes place against the background of climate change in the Arctic that is threatening the survival of polar bears.

    Still, Polar Bear ends on a noticeably optimistic note, with the mother bear (in the form of the voice of two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener) expresses that she and her cub will persevere and survive the changing and dangerous environment. In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, directors Jeff Wilson and Alastair Fothergill were asked why they chose to end Polar Bear in that way. Wilson stated:

    I think it’s important for our audiences to have a sense of empowerment and hope at the end of the film, because we believe that that’s the greatest emotion that will drive people to take action. And that really helps us get our message across.

    Jeff Wilson

    Wilson went on to describe one particular moment in the film that embodies that spirit of hope and resilience:

    [The] extraordinary images of the mother bear climbing the iceberg…it’s so impossibly beautiful that you’d never imagine that would happen. But when you film something like that—and you realize at that moment in time when you’re filming it—the power of those images, and the power of the metaphor of what is happening there, you do suddenly the chemistry of script and narration and music and and just the serendipity of capturing that unique moment. [It] gives you the power to take hope, and plant it firmly in the audience’s lap and say, hey, look, this, there is hope here. But you know, there’s also uncertainty.

    Jeff Wilson

    Viewers can enjoy the documentary’s story and powerful moments when it releases on Earth Day. Disneynature’s Polar Bear launches exclusively on Disney+ on April 22, 2022.

  • Don’t Expect Johnny Depp to Ever Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

    Don’t Expect Johnny Depp to Ever Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

    Johnny Depp is currently on a trial with Amber Heard due o the allegations made against the actor years ago. It dragged down his image and led to him losing quite a few roles, which included getting replaced in the Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore and even a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. At one point, it was rumored that Margot Robbie joined the franchise but we haven’t gotten an update on that in quite some time. He states that the film hasn’t been produced and is in “dangle mode” since he was dropped from the project by Disney.

    He went on to highlight that even though they’ve distanced themselves from the actor, it never stopped the company from using the character he played in their various merchandise and rides. In last year’s E3 event we even got the reveal of Jack Sparrow and elements from Pirates of the Carribbean being added to the popular pirate game Sea of Thieves, which he certainly had no say in considering he brought the character to life.

    They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want there to be something trailing behind me that they’d find.

    Johnny Depp

    It definitely left some deep scars, especially with the general effect these allegations have had on his career. When asked if he’d return to work on a new entry if Disney offered him “$300 million and a million alpacas” he’d still refused to return to the franchise. It’s a harsh statement but an understandable one given the way how the events unfold. For now, if Disney decides to move forward with the franchise, they won’t be able to rely on Jack Sparrow to keep the boat afloat.

    Source: Variety

  • EXCLUSIVE: Disneynature’s ‘Polar Bear’ Director Explains It Was Impossible Not to Highlight Climate Change

    EXCLUSIVE: Disneynature’s ‘Polar Bear’ Director Explains It Was Impossible Not to Highlight Climate Change

    Film studio Disneynature is gearing up for the release of its newest documentary, Polar Bear. Narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener, the film tells the story of a new mother bear whose memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today.

    Murphy’s Multiverse recently sat down with directors Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, who previously directed Disneynature’s 2019 Penguins. While following the same bear over the course of 15 years, Polar Bear undoubtedly brings the effects of climate change on the Arctic into the spotlight. Interestingly, Fothergill noted that the goal of the documentary was not to make it “an environmental movie”, but it was impossible to tell the story of a polar bear without climate change playing a major role. He stated:

    [T]he movie isn’t an environmental movie, we hope it’s an entertaining and engaging family movie. It’s impossible today, honestly, to make a movie about polar bears without telling the story of the challenges they face. And that’s why we very deliberately chose to tell the story of a female bear looking back at the last 15 years…there’s been an enormous amount of change over that time period.

    Alastair Fothergill

    Both directors described moments in the film where they were able to catch footage of polar bear behavior that had never been documented before. But the environmental challenges the bears face created scenarios that even the veteran wildlife filmmakers were surprised by. Fothergill elaborated on that factor:

    There was a very moving moment where a mother and her cub are literally going into too thick, melted mud, you know and struggling to get to make it. Now that that is reality of climate change, but we didn’t expect to film it…And a lot of moments like that were fresh. We knew the climate change was going to be the basis of the whole story. Because polar bears are [] at the cutting edge, so we expected to see it. But we were surprised by some of the detail of what we filmed.

    Alastair Fothergill

    Disneynature’s Polar Bear launches exclusively on Disney+ on Earth Day—April 22, 2022.

  • 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Princess’ Heading to Disney’s Streaming Services in July

    20th Century Studios’ ‘The Princess’ Heading to Disney’s Streaming Services in July

    It looks like Disney is continuing to build its 20th Century brand as a way to produce films and offerings for their streaming services. It has been announced that The Princess will premiere globally on July 1st. It’ll be made available under the Star banner in specific locations, its US release will be through Hulu and Star+ in Latin America. Le-Van Kiet of Furie fame is in the directing chair with The Kissing Booth‘s Joey King taking on the titular role.

    The story focuses on a strong-willed princess that does not want to be forcefully married to a sociopath. Yet, as retaliation, her father locks her up in a remote tower of his castle. As you might expect, her suitor has his own plans to take the throne and she’s forced to protect her family and the kingdom. King is joined by Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, and Veronica Ngo. Kiet is working off of a script from Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton with Neal H. Moritz, Toby Jaffe, and Derek Kolstad in the producing chair.

    It’s another 20th Century production that ended up as part of their streaming service repertoire, similar to No Exit recently. With the cinemas being filled with mostly well-known IPs, it’s unclear if this will be Disney’s overall strategy moving forward or if they’ll also give these smaller productions a chance in theaters. It would be a shame that after purchasing 20th Century Fox that most of their originals end up only as streaming services.

  • Blue Sky’s Canceled Nimona Film Picked Up by Netflix

    Blue Sky’s Canceled Nimona Film Picked Up by Netflix

    Here’s an interesitng surprise. Infamously, when Disney shut down Blue Sky, it was revealed they were working on a film titled Nimona. The film was in the middle of development when they shut down the studio, but it turns out that it lives after all. ND Stevenson took to Twitter to not only confirm that the film is back in production, but also that it’ll release in 2023 on Netflix. It was inspired by Stevenson‘s webcomic which he started in college. So, it’s great to see them manage to revive the project.

    Not just that, but the tweet also includes our first look at its titular character and the overall visual style that the film will use. It looks like it’ll remain a 3D animated project with some 2D flourishes, which has been becoming a dominant style to create unique visuals for each project. Chloe Grace Moretz will take on the titular role and is joined by Riz Ahmed and Eugene Lee Yang.

    Originally, the film was announced all the way back in 2015 but was delayed multiple times. When Bleu Sky was canceled, it was already finished around 75% and supposedly, there was some pushback from Disney due to the LGBTQ themes of the story. So, it’s great to see such an important story see the light of day after all. Netflix continues to become a safe haven for these canceled projects, as it adds another project that was left behind by another studio.

    Source: Twitter, Polygon

  • Barry Jenkins Teases His Upcoming ‘The Lion King’ Prequel

    Barry Jenkins Teases His Upcoming ‘The Lion King’ Prequel

    It’s still strange to think just how popular the live-action remake of the original Disney classic, The Lion King, ended up being. It was quite the box office success, and they quickly fast-tracked a prequel series focusing on Mufasa’s upbringing into becoming the iconic king that we see in the film. We haven’t heard much since Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre joined the cast of Barry Jenkins‘ film. Luckily, Variety got a chance to interview the director, who gave a few teases on the film.

    There were hints that Nicholas Britell has joined the production back in December, but luckily Jenkins not only confirmed his involvement but also that they are trying to build upon what Hans Zimmer established with the previous entry. While they are big shoes to fill, Jenkins is quite confident they can do so.

    Nicholas Britell’s gonna do his thing. He always does it well. There’s a whole legacy of music that Hans [Zimmer] created that we’re gonna live up to

    Barry Jenkins

    That is not all, as he does continue to tease the film’s place as a prequel and offers a glimpse of what the direction will be for the upcoming film. It looks like we’re definitely going to explore the early days of Mufasa and what made him the king we remember.

    Kings aren’t just born, they aren’t just made. They have to become who they are.

    Barry Jenkins

    It’s not a lot to go by, but it does further hint that we’re definitely in for more of what we saw from Jon Favreau‘s film. Jenkins seems quite excited about the project and how it’ll push him as a filmmaker. The effects were groundbreaking for when the last film was released, and we’ll see how this sequel might try to push it even further.

    Source: Twitter