Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney

  • ‘Harley Quinn’s Liza Singer Joins Marvel Studios as an Animation Director

    ‘Harley Quinn’s Liza Singer Joins Marvel Studios as an Animation Director

    Marvel Studios is just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It continues to expand at an exponential rate and it seems they’ve added one more talent to their repertoire. Liza Singer, who has worked as a storyboard revisionist and artist for projects like Harley Quinn, Disenchantment, and DC Super Hero Girls, took to Twitter to announce she joined Marvel Studios in the role of director. She previously directed Paramount+’s The Harper House. So, she’s no stranger to the brand and is currently working on a feature High in the Clouds for Netflix and Gaumont Animation.

    https://twitter.com/LaserSinger/status/1442539635322671105

    Marvel Studios is truly all in with their upcoming animation projects, and her inclusion might hint that they’ve already had a few stories mapped out. We’re still waiting for any official announcements, which might happen during the upcoming Disney+ Day, but the timings are very different when it comes to animation. If they are starting work on it now, it might not see the light of day until 2024.

    What If..? is still currently airing on Disney+ with only two more episodes left to go. It’s uncertain if they’ll stick to this very distinct animation style or try out different ones as they expand. Hopefully, it is the latter, as it’s the one advantage the medium has and could help diversify Marvel Studio’s portfolio. There’s also the question if every project will be considered canon, or they’ll also create franchises that exist in the multiverse separate from the MCU.

    Source: Twitter, IMDb, Liza Singer

  • ‘Black Widow’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ Showcase Streaming’s Biggest Hurdle: A Lack of Transparency

    ‘Black Widow’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ Showcase Streaming’s Biggest Hurdle: A Lack of Transparency

    There’s a major shift in the cinematic landscape happening as we speak. Up until before the pandemic hit, Netflix dominated the streaming landmark. We never found out just how successful their projects were, but saw their subscription numbers continue to grow. Now, Disney+, Apple+, and HBO Max have entered the market. In addition, we’ve entered a year when major motion pictures no longer are theater-only releases. HBO Max and Disney+ Premier Access offer accessibility to popular films in different ways. It’s taken a bite out of their Box Office numbers and shows we’re adapting to a brand-new market.

     

    Disney Plus suffers technical difficulties at launch - Portland Press Herald

     

    Disney+ is a very special case due to Disney doing something rather surprising. They’ve released the opening weekend sales of their Premier Access showings. Yet, they only did it as of Black Widow and never followed up on it. So, its success is up in the air due to no transparency if those numbers have changed at all since the initial opening weekend. Samba TV claimed its US market doubled over the course of the second, which would be insane considering it already made 60M in one weekend. A lawsuit followed by Scarlett Johansson to claim its digital release hampered her initial contract and is still an ongoing discussion to this day.

    There’s also the uncertainty surrounding HBO Max. The Suicide Squad opened to a lower than expected Box Office, as it failed to hit its initial $30M prediction. The Delta variant is still considerable across the world and is hampering Box Office results alongside other key factors. HBO Max offers the film for free with a same-day release as theaters.  Once again, we only know how it’s doing in theaters, but not on the service. We are reliant on Samba TV to give us information to guess if it’s a streaming success or not. We commonly only find out when an executive likes to share a success story, like he did today with The Suicide Squad being their second most-watched film during its simultaneous theater release.

     

    Here are all the HBO Max films and shows you can watch | CNN

     

    We’re entering a new generation where a film’s success will be more than its Box Office income and physical sales. Just releasing information during its launch does not give a great estimate of a film’s overall performance. Plus, it seems like these metrics are more a PR move rather than useful information if it’s not communicated consistently. As we enter the new era, it’s time for more transparency. Third parties can only offer estimates, and it’ll get more difficult if this model wants to remain. Plus, digital-only releases like Pixar’s Luca or The Tomorrow War depend on estimated Nielsen ratings for any sign of life. It’ll become more difficult to understand how and why a film deserves a sequel or not. At some point, they can no longer keep these numbers under lock and key.

    Relying purely on Box Office numbers could paint their productions in a negative light.  The Suicide Squad is a perfect showcase of that, with headlines calling it a disappointment based on purely one metric. Black Widow’s Box Office is hindered by a lack of Chinese release and a lack of understanding of how Disney+ Premier Access performs for repeat viewers after its initial launch. Even if companies don’t want to provide these metrics, they are essential for understanding a film’s overall performance, as well as relevant for their talent’s individual contracts as the current allegations showcase. The streaming era is here, but the industry refuses to fully embrace all that comes with it.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Jungle Cruise’ Nabs Decent $34M in Domestic Box Office and Another $30M on Disney+ Premier Access

    ‘Jungle Cruise’ Nabs Decent $34M in Domestic Box Office and Another $30M on Disney+ Premier Access

    It looks like the Box Office still requires more time to heal after all.  As the Delta variant rages across the world, the latest Disney movie entered cinemas with a decent $34.2M opening. As Forbes points out, it’s in line with Dwayne Johnson’s most non-Fast and Furious films. In a way, it’s on par with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. In addition, Disney also released their income through Disney+ Premier Access, as they gained an additional $30M.

    The film did manage to pass Space Jam: A New Legacy‘s $31M, but it can only hope for a leggier post-launch to ensure it makes back its expensive $200M budget. Overall, the trend continues as the film’s second weekend sees a sharp decline. Last week’s Old dropped by around 70%, while Snake Eyes plummeted by 79%. In a way, we should continue to expect these kinds of drops in future releases.

     

    Nicht "Snake Eyes 2", aber so ähnlich: Noch ein "G.I. Joe"-Film kommt - Kino News - FILMSTARTS.de

     

    Black Widow earned another $5.8M, with only $2M keeping it from surpassing F9’s domestic total. As such, it seems likely it’ll hold the title as a domestic top performer for some time. It may remain Marvel Studios’ third worst-performing film due to the current situation, but it still is showing some legs. Of course, the lawsuit surrounding Scarlett Johansson adds some questions on how to perceive its “success.”

    Jungle Cruise’s advantage moving forward is it doesn’t have any direct competitors. So, there’s a chance it could leg out like Black Widow is currently. The curious aspect about the Box Office development is that it still seems the overall trends between films are on par with pre-pandemic numbers. Disney releasing their Disney+ numbers only for the opening weekend is curious and opens up a question regarding transparency. We never heard how much about Raya and the Last Dragon, Mulan, or even Cruella‘s numbers. Moving forward, transparency from streamers will be a big question mark.

    Source: Forbes

  • ‘Jungle Cruise’: Jack Whitehall Talks Improvising on Set

    ‘Jungle Cruise’: Jack Whitehall Talks Improvising on Set

    The latest theme park adaptation by Disney features quite the all-star cast. The WWI story features Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Edgar Ramirez, Paul Giamatti, and many more. With such a stellar cast, it opens up many possibilities for them to interact on set. Their dynamic on the film’s set can determine their character’s directions and lead to some off-script banter. Some of the most iconic lines in cinema history were improvised by the actors, and Whitehall teased that we can expect some off-script lines in the film during the press junket.

    I mean, there was a fair amount of improv. The script was amazing, but then also, we were given the space to kind of improvise and add stuff to it, and-and-and these two created this environment where we were able to do that, and it felt like such a safe space.

    He goes on to tease that quite a few jokes landed on the cutting room floor, but for a good reason. It almost makes you wish we’d get an R-rated version of the film to see the jokes that didn’t make it into the film. Still, it’s great that their director, Jaume Collet-Serra, gave them the possibility to build on the cast’s dynamic. His work on the film as a director even inspired Dwayne Johnson to push him to tackle his DC passion project, Black Adam. So, there’s a good chance we can expect more improvisation in their next project together.

  • Emily Blunt Talks How ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Romancing the Stone’ And More Inspired ‘Jungle Cruise’

    Emily Blunt Talks How ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Romancing the Stone’ And More Inspired ‘Jungle Cruise’

    Finally, Jungle Cruise has released on Disney+ Premier Access and in theaters. Disney has been attempting a resurgence on their films based on popular theme park rides. Pirates of the Caribbean was one of their most successful ventures that managed to turn it into a franchise with five installments ending in 2017 and a reboot in the future. The latest attempt takes us on an adventure into the jungle during the first World War with Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. In the press junket, Blunt talked about the many inspirations that helped bring this adventure to life.
    And was made in the spirit of the films that we all grew up watching. And just, I mainline those movies into my veins. I just loved Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, African Queen. Like, they are just joy bombs, and they’re nostalgic, and I think we just needed to pierce people’s hearts directly with the spirit of those films that we all loved as children. Um, and it just took a lot of tempering and c-beautiful conducting from Jaume, who was just extraordinarily free-spirited with us.
    The first trailers did tease that Romancing the Stone and Indiana Jones vibe, which is perfect for this kind of adventure. During the junket, the actors also discussed how they took the concept of the ride and add layers to it while crafting this story but kept the silly aspects of the ride intact, according to Jack Whitehall. They even shared their experience riding the original theme park ride for the first time. Blunt confessed she only rode the ride a few days before the premiere.
  • Report Hints at Internal Strife Between Kevin Feige and Disney Over ‘Black Widow’s Release

    Report Hints at Internal Strife Between Kevin Feige and Disney Over ‘Black Widow’s Release

    It looks like the Black Widow drama might leave its scars internally. There have been various hints that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was a strong contender for Disney to wait out the pandemic for a pure theatrical release. Yet, Disney moved forward with pulling it on their streaming platform. This decision has now recently led the film’s lead, Scarlett Johansson, to file a lawsuit against the company. Disney’s backlash by calling out her actions may have stirred up some discomfort within the company. Hollywood Reporter’s Matthew Belloni shared a “What I’m Hearing” newsletter that hints at Feige being unhappy with the overall release and seemed to have predicted the potential lawsuit.

    [Feige is] a company man, and not prone to corporate showdowns or shouting matches. But I’m told he’s angry and embarrassed He lobbied Disney against the day-and-date plan for Black Widow, preferring the big screen exclusivity and not wanting to upset his talent. And then when the sh-t hit the fan, the movie started tanking, and Johansson’s team threatened litigation, he wanted Disney to make this right with her.

    This report matches what has been talked about for some time and opens up the question about Disney and Marvel Studios’ relationship moving forward. It also doesn’t bode well for Disney CEO Bob Chapek‘s current run as the new head of the company, after only recently taking over from Bob Iger. The hope of utilizing the streaming service within the pandemic made sense, but it seems they simply moved forward without consulting internally.

    Of course, it’s not an easy decision to make, but this move could leave some scars between the house of mouse and its subsidiary. It also reveals the limitations of what Feige can decide and with backlash after backlash, Jungle Cruise may lead to similar events. It’s Disney’s hands to do the right thing, but their first legal and public action left a sour taste. So, we’ll keep an eye out on how this develops.

    Source: What I’m Hearing Newsletter via Comic Book

  • Disney Fights Back Against Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit

    Disney Fights Back Against Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit

    It’s not every day we get to discuss legal actions on this site. In a sudden move, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for breaching her contract on Black Widow being a theater-only release. The claim is that this would keep her from gaining the benefits written within her contracts. The film was released in theaters, but also on Disney+ Premier Access. We don’t know if she originally was set to receive a specific type of percentage from the Box Office income, which has been hampered by the digital release.

    It looks like Disney wasn’t going to sit there and take it, as they already gave a public statement in regard to this legal action. It confirms that her bonuses were tied into its Box Office earnings. They offered a public statement regarding their contractual obligations and that she received $20M for her work with additional compensation on top of the digital release. Disney’s statement is as follows:

    There is no merit whatsoever to this filing.  The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Of course, we have no further details on the matter. To some degree, it seems like a public display rather than an actual lawsuit. We’ve seen open discourse regarding contracts and combined releases. HBO Max and Warner Bros. are no strangers to this discussion. The bigger question is if this will end the working relationship between Disney and Johansson for future projects. It seems very unlikely we might see her return in any capacity if they burn bridges with this lawsuit. Here’s hoping they come to a consensus, and it doesn’t put the final nail in the coffin on Natasha Romanoff’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Source: Variety, Variety (Disney)

  • Justin Simien’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ Eyeing Tiffany Haddish and Laketih Stanfield

    Justin Simien’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ Eyeing Tiffany Haddish and Laketih Stanfield

    It looks like Disney is ready to expand its theme park-inspired film series. Jungle Cruise will open in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access this Friday. Without losing any momentum, they are already eyeing Tiffany Haddish and Lakeith Stanfield to lead a new Haunted Mansion film. It’s not the first adaptation of the famous Disney ride, as Eddie Murphy led a horror-comedy adaptation back in 2003. Dear White People and Bad Hair‘s Justin Simien joined the project to direct the big-budget franchise film based on a script by Katie Dippold. The news got reported by Illuminerdi a few days ago with THR confirming it.

    The story would follow a family that moves into the iconic haunted mansion. They also shared some casting details. Stanfield will play a widower who once believed in the supernatural while Haddish will communicate with the dead as a psychic. It’ll film in Louisiana, which will definitely add some beautiful iconography to the film. They also confirm that it will not connect to the 2003 original.

    Haddish recently starred in the Netflix comedy Bad Trip and is finishing work on Easter Sunday. Stanfield is well-known for his role in FX’s Atlanta, Judas and the Black Messiah, as well as the upcoming The Harder They Fall Western. It’s uncertain if the film will embrace the horror elements or end up returning to the comedy route. Haddish‘s filmography would hint at a more comedic direction, but they may try to balance the genres. The 2003 film was more comedy than horror. So, we’ll see how Disney tackles this new adaptation.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter, Illuminerdi

  • Starz Blocks Disney’s Star Plus Expansion in Brazil

    Starz Blocks Disney’s Star Plus Expansion in Brazil

    Here’s an interesting development. During Disney’s Investors Day, they revealed their global expansion. Europe and Canada got Star as a new brand directly in Disney+ to add access to mature content. The United States keeps its Hulu branding as a separate service, but they’ve tested ut integrating multiple streaming options by integrating ESPN+. Their idea for the Latin America market was to create a Star-focused service titled Star Plus.

    Yet, it looks like those plans were swiftly halted by a judge in São Paulo. Starz successfully blocked their launch in Brazil with complaints on trademark infringement still active in Mexico. Argentinian court has denied Starz’s complaint. Judge Jorge Tosta wrote the following on the decision:

    The plaintiff proved to have priority of use and registration in Brazil over the word mark ‘STARZPLAY,’ including for identifying entertainment services, which grants it the right to protect its reputation and material integrity.

    Starz has established its Starzplay streaming service and launched it in the Latin American market in 2019. Of course, it isn’t the exact same title but they have pointed out that Star Plus and Starzsplay will get generalized terms as “Star.” Plus, Disney’s marketing power also could harm Starz brand. It’s an interesting case, as it opens Disney to some new hurdles. They either have to rethink their strategy in Brazil or create unique branding for the location. Perhaps they’ll decide to extend the Hulu brand internationally as a result.

     

    Prime Video Channels: Amazon bringt Starzplay nach Deutschland

     

    Of curse, they can also take the European route by integrating it into Disney+, but the service was going to include ESPN offerings. So, there’s also the Indian Disney+ Hotstar branding that is more distinctive. It’s likely they’ll wait out until Mexico makes their decision before rolling out the brand, but it’s an interesting development that could have repercussions for Disney’s overall branding strategy. The official Twitter channel teased a strange new verified channel simply called The Streamer:

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • New ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Set Video Shows Harrison Ford in Action

    New ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Set Video Shows Harrison Ford in Action

    We’ve been anxiously following the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. It is the grand return of Harrison Ford in the iconic role. The cast has also been shaping up, as a week ago Antonio Banderas officially joined the production. Set photos even confirmed the appearance of Toby Jones in the film. Still, we’ve only gotten a few glimpses from the set and what we can expect from the upcoming sequel. Now, we got our first look at some action sequences from the upcoming film that features Ford trying to take down some henchmen, which got shared by TikTok user coreomega2.0. Video was privat3ed and reuploaded by @3CFilm.

    The sequence sees him get the upper hand before one of the henchmen isn’t too impressed by the sign. It’s great to see an action sequence that shows the vulnerability of our main protagonist. Jones isn’t the youngest. So, he can’t just punch his way through every scenario as he used to. We see him think on his feet, as he just runs off.

    Funny enough, this does feel very fitting for the Indiana Jones franchise. While he has taken out quite a few bad guys with his fists, he does end up using his head to get out of various situations. We might even get a tribute to the classic scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, where he takes the logical route of just pulling out his gun instead of going through a long sword fight. Ford‘s age might restrict their approach to action sequences, which might inspire some creative approaches throughout the film’s run.

    Source: TikTok via Twitter