Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Film

  • EXCLU: First Plot Details on Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman’s Heroic ‘Secret Headquarters’ Film

    EXCLU: First Plot Details on Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman’s Heroic ‘Secret Headquarters’ Film

    Last month, it was announced that directing duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman will tackle a new project for Paramount titled Secret Headquarters. It came hot of the heels from their major film release on Netflix, Project Power. They are working on a draft based on an original screenplay by Christopher Yost, whose work includes Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian. So far, the plot details have been kept under wraps, but we were able to get our hands on some exclusive plot details about the upcoming project.

    The story is about young Charlie Kincaid, who discovers a secret headquarters under his home that seems to belong to a superhero. He shares it with his friends, and they start to believe that his estranged father might have a secret double life. After this discovery, they have to embrace their inner heroics when a team of mercenaries attacks and they have to keep it safe at all costs. They are currently holding an inclusive casting process for its leads.

    It looks like Joost and Schulman will continue focusing on superhero action in their next film. There are no specifics if these children have any powers or abilities, but it does sound like a superhero version of Home Alone. The directors are quite busy, as they are also working on an adaptation of the graphic novel Nemesis and a Mega Man film. Jerry Bruckheimer has also been quite busy bringing back some iconic franchises like Bad Boys and Top Gun. Secret Headquarters has become a top priority for Paramount Pictures, which makes sense after their success with Project Power and we cannot wait to see this unique take on a superhero story.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Release Date Announced Alongside New Logo

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Release Date Announced Alongside New Logo

    Right before the pandemic hit, one of the last films to grace the silver screen was Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega’s first major Hollywood film told the origin story of a young blue hedgehog, as he met his arch-rival Jim Carrey‘s Dr. Robotinik and made some friends along the way. At the end of the film, it was revealed that a familiar face is joining his next adventure, as Miles ‘Tails’ Prower made his live-action debut. Just recently, there is also the rumor going around that Jason Momoa was offered the role of Knuckles the Echidna. Now, it like the film is getting ready to enter production, as the official Twitter account shared a small animation that reveals the film’s rather straight-forward title and the official release date of April 8th, 2022.

    As a huge Sonic the Hedgehog fan, I am excited to see where they are heading with the upcoming film. It makes sense they would remain with the classic numbering system, as even the original trilogy followed that structure. I would’ve loved to see some subtitles like Adventure or Heroes. It would just add that little something. We still have no idea where the story is heading, as Dr. Robotnik remains stranded on a planet full of mushrooms. There is a chance that they might introduce a brand new villain, such as the Echidna tribe that got teased during the opening sequence of the last film. It’s also kind of perfect that Tails gets a larger role in the sequel, as he did in the original Sega Genesis game.

    As this year will celebrate the blue blur’s 30th anniversary, we might get some more insight into the film’s story around June. Ironically, it is kind of perfect to reveal this in February, as Sonic’s first actual video game appearance was in the arcade game Rad Mobile. That means his actual 30th anniversary is in February, so Paramount chose a perfect time for this reveal. Now, if only they could announce the next game s well.

    Source: Twitter, The Gamer

  • RUMOR: Jason Momoa Offered to Voice Knuckles in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequel

    RUMOR: Jason Momoa Offered to Voice Knuckles in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequel

    It would appear as though the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog sequel is looking to add some heavy star-power to its cast. The Illuminerdi has learned that Jason Momoa, best known for his starring roles in Aquaman and Game of Thrones, has been offered to voice Knuckles the Echidna. He is a fan-favorite character who was long-rumored to be playing a role in the film. A while back, the in-house production being called Red Energy seemed to hint at his addition. Their sources behind the Momoa casting claim that the “ball is in his court”, and that the muscle-clad actor needs only agree to terms to finalize the deal.

    Fans began speculating that Knuckles would appear in the sequel almost as soon as the original dropped in early 2020, a theory, which got promoted by the mid-credits surprise when another classic supporting character from the franchise, Miles “Tails” Prower, made his live-action debut. Although the original video game voice actress, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, returned to play Tails, many speculated that a character like Knuckles could receive a new voice in a similar vein to the film’s title character. The popular fan theory was that they would cast Dwayne Johnson, and it seems that they certailny had a specific type of actor in mind for the role. If he accepts Paramount’s conditions, he’ll replace Dave B. Mitchell, who played him in the games.

    The Sonic the Hedgehog sequel was confirmed in May. It was only three months after the film’s successful theatrical release of the first film. The announcement came on the heels of a surprisingly successful run in theaters, which ended up making Sonic the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. The cast of the first endeavor, which included Jim Carrey as the evil Dr. Robotnik and James Marsden as Sonic’s new real-world best friend, is expected to return alongside Ben Schwartz in the title role. Jeff Fowler, who made his theatrical directorial debut with Sonic the Hedgehog, is also on board to helm the sequel. The cast will see the return of Schwartz and Carrey in their titular roles. They have stated interest in the next film bringing the story more in-line with the source material. The actual plot of the franchise’s future remains tightly under wraps.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • EXCLU: Ally Maki and Kal Penn Join Tom Huang’s ‘Dealing With Dad’

    EXCLU: Ally Maki and Kal Penn Join Tom Huang’s ‘Dealing With Dad’

    We got our hand on some exclusive casting news for an upcoming Indie film. It seems that Ally Maki and Kal Penn has joined the latest film by Tom Huang‘s titled Dealing With Dad. The story follows a slightly dysfunctional family, as the kids have to deal with their clinically depressed father. Huang was selected among a number of screenwriters to join the Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab2015, which helped him gain a grant to produce the script of the film. He is now finally tackling the project after his success with the award-winning Indie film Find Me in 2019, which he wrote, directed, and starred in.

    Cloak and Dagger‘s Ally Maki will tackle the role of Margeret Chang. Maki is a fantastic choice for the lead, as she was great in TBS’ Wrecked. Some might also recognize her voice from Toy Story 4, where she played Giggle McDimples. The role of her father will be played by Dana Lee, who some might recognize from Curb Your Enthusiasm. There is also the casting of Kal Penn, who is a great addition to the cast. His filmography ranges from Harold and Kumar to hit shows like House M.D. and Designated Survivor. Even with his extensive past as a comedy actor, he certainly has proven himself in more serious roles.

    The concept of a dysfunctional family is always a fascinating one to explore. Dealing With Dad will take a closer look at how much a person can change when facing depression and if a family can truly forgive their behavior from the past. It certainly sounds like a story many will be able to relate to. Going by the cast The film is set to start production in spring, so we might see more casting news in the coming weeks.

    Source: IndieWire, Film Independent, Find Me

  • Kevin Hart Joins ‘Borderlands’ Film as Soldier Roland

    Kevin Hart Joins ‘Borderlands’ Film as Soldier Roland

    Here’s an interesting casting announcement. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Kevin Hart will officially join the upcoming adaptation of Borderlands. It seems that Lionsgate was hard at work closing a deal with the Jumanji actor, who will take on the role of soldier Roland. The character has appeared in various games including Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 2, and Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep. THR points out that this will indeed be a more serious acting turn for Hart, who has a track record in comedies. So far, he is the second actor to join the project after Cate Blanchett, who is set to play thief Lilith. Director Eli Roth is working on the project based on a script by Craig Mazin. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President had the following statement:

    Kevin has been behind some of the world’s biggest blockbusters, and our source material is inspired by one of the world’s best-selling video games. We love the way our filmmaking team has adapted this story and we couldn’t be in better creative hands.

    Borderlands is a popular franchise and released its official third entry in 2019. As THR points out, the franchise sold 66 million units since it initially launched. Hart is an interesting choice for the character of Roland. Roth also commented on the casting, as he is excited to showcase a different side of the actor. It is great to see Kevin Hart attempt a more serious role. He still has some comedies that wrapped up production recently, such as Man from Toronto and No F**s Given, but he is starting to venture out. One of his upcoming films Fatherhood deals with the story of a man losing his wife after she gave birth. So, Hart is slowly leaving his comfort zone to find new ventures in acting, which is always great to see.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Tomb Raider’ Adds ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green as Writer and Director

    ‘Tomb Raider’ Adds ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green as Writer and Director

    2018’s Tomb Raider wasn’t a massive success with a gross of $250 million worldwide but still made enough to kickstart a new cinematic franchise. It looks like the sequel is finally getting ready, as Misha Green is set to write and direct the upcoming sequel. Green might be most well-known for her work as showrunner of Lovecraft Country. She also wrote Netflix’s The Mother and wrote the successful WGN Underground series. As you can see, she has quite an extensive filmography. However, this will be Green‘s first time taking on directing duties for the film.

    The first film’s adaptation took heavy cues from the 2016 Crystal Dynamics remake of the iconic franchise. It mostly focused on a young Lara Croft fighting for survival while being outnumbered. No details are given what we can expect from the sequel, but there will certainly be tombs involved. The report also confirms that Alicia Vikander will return in the titular role once again.

    Tomb Raider has quite a history with the gaming franchise starting back in 1996. Originally it was designed by the British video game company Core Design, which was owned by Eidos Interactive. Vikander‘s incarnation isn’t the first adaptation to film. Angelina Jolie played the titular role in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider before returning for a sequel. It will be interesting to see how Vikander‘s franchise may grow moving forward, as it may start embracing the franchise’s crazier origins. I am still waiting for her to fight some dinosaurs. Misha Green‘s addition may also add some more horror elements to make the sequel stand out from its predecessor, which is an exciting prospect.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: Animated ‘Mortal Kombat’ Film In Development

    RUMOR: Animated ‘Mortal Kombat’ Film In Development

    Warner Bros. is still building up hype for its upcoming Mortal Kombat film. It was originally going to air in January, but we never saw a trailer before it got inevitably pushed back. It is now eyeing a simultaneous release in theaters and HBO Max in April. Still, it looks like that isn’t all WB has planned for the R-rated franchise, as Illuminerdi uncovered that they are working on an animated feature. The thing that stands out the most is that it currently is given the title Mortal Kombat 3.

    They reveal an active casting call for five characters. It includes a few key players from the franchise, such as Tremor, Kuai Liang, Kabal, Kobra, and Kira. There are no story details, but it seems that the story may focus on an older Sub-Zero forced to fight Tremor. There is the question if this connects to the existing project that is currently produced by James Wan. The title is a rather strange addition, as it would naturally make people assume that a second MK film may already be in development. Animation takes a long time, so they may have mapped out to end the trilogy with a time jump that was easier to balance. Yet, it makes no sense why they wouldn’t just bank on the franchise’s possible box Office success to continue making live-action sequels.

     

     

    The more I thought about it, there is a possibility that this Sub-Zero story may take place in the timeline of the original Mortal Kombat film. So, technically it is going to be a sequel to Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Why would they go down this route? The franchise is known for playing around with time travel and multiple dimensions, so why not have a sequel to the original franchise be the jumping-off point for the upcoming reboot. Sub-Zero accidentally rewrites history and restarts the cinematic version of this story. Keith Cooke played Kuai Liang in that original film, so why not expand that franchise.

    It’s just fun speculation, but we’ll see what plans they have for this animated film, as we are still waiting for the trailer of the upcoming remake. There is a good possibility it is also just a new entry in the Mortal Kombat Legends‘ series, which started with last year’s Scorpion’s Revenge. Perhaps the second entry is already further into production, so they started work on the third animated feature. At this point, anything is possible, but I won’t complain about more Mortal Kombat content.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Loki’s Michael Waldron Set as Writer for Kevin Feige’s ‘Star Wars’ Film

    ‘Loki’s Michael Waldron Set as Writer for Kevin Feige’s ‘Star Wars’ Film

    World’s are finally colliding as Kevin Feige is starting production on his very own Star Wars film. Deadline has learned that Michael Waldron will be spearheading the script that will explore the galaxy far, far away. Waldron‘s career at Disney seems to be at an all-time high, as he was the head writer of the upcoming Disney+ Loki series and penned Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. It seems that this is also part of a massive deal that will see him be involved with many more future projects. Feige is set to develop and produce the film for Lucasfilm, but no director is currently attached.

    Lucasfilm is trying to reinvent its approach to the iconic franchise started by George Lucas back in 1977. After ending the original numerical series with the Rise of Skywalker, they are looking at individual stories that connect to the wider galaxy. Patty Jenkins and Taika Waititi are both set to direct their films that don’t openly have any known connection with each other. The Mandalorian was their first step in this direction, so we might see more standalone stories that end up getting spin-offs at one point.

    It is great to see how much Disney believes in Waldron. It adds a lot of excitement to the quality we can expect for both Loki and the Doctor Strange sequel. He has quite an extensive resume, as he started his career on Rick and Morty, which earned him an Emmy during its fourth season. He also was the creator of Starz’s wrestling drama Heels. It’ll be interesting what spin both he and Feige have in store for the Star Wars franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • CCXP: Todd McFarlane Offers Update on ‘SPAWN’ Film

    CCXP: Todd McFarlane Offers Update on ‘SPAWN’ Film

    AT THE OMELETE STAGE AT CCXP WORLDS.

     

    During an interview in the Omelete Stage at CCXP Worlds, the creator of Spawn, Todd McFarlane, interviewed with Affonso Solano to discuss his career as a writer, comic artist and what working on his iconic character has meant to him. During the interview, Todd was asked about the upcoming film adaption, which stars Jamie Foxx as the titular character alongside Jeremy Renner, who will be playing Detective Twitch Williams. He confirmed that the production had gotten a lot of work done during the quarantine period. Not just that, but he also teased that the film adaptation has a couple of “big names” attached, which are sure to capture the attention of fans and make people extremely happy. While the project has been in development for years, Jamie Foxx has maintained an interest in the project.

    As of now, the Spawn film has been in development for years at Blumhouse for quite some time. It dates back to 2016 when Todd first teased the idea of a Spawn reboot. Even after all this time, we haven’t received any real insight into the film. We are still anxiously waiting for any details that may tease if we can expect another origin story, or we jump straight into the action. Here’s hoping they also give Michael Jai White a minor role as a tribute to his time as the iconic hellspawn in the cheesy 1997 adaptation. Not much has been known about the project’s plot, production schedule, or much of the casting since then, but it’s good to know that the project is still in the works.

    Source: Deadline

     

  • Cat Vasko Writing a Female-Led ‘Plastic Man’ Film

    Cat Vasko Writing a Female-Led ‘Plastic Man’ Film

    It looks like Warner Bros. has a brand new film in development. The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision segment revealed that a Plastic Man film is the latest to join their DC film slate. There is a twist, however. It looks like Patrick ‘Eel’ O’Brian will not be the character to greet us on screen, as it will now be a female-led project. No further details are available for now, so it is uncertain how they will adapt the character and which direction they’ll go. He has become quite popular to break the fourth wall so we could see something in the vein of Deadpool.

    The film has quite a production history. The Mayor‘s Amanda Idoko originally was hired to pen the script two years ago, which was slated as an action-adventure comedy. Now, Queen of the Air‘s Cat Vasko is taking over the project. According to THR, she will be taking it in a new direction. They also cannot confirm if the film will get a title change to Plastic-Woman as a result. My personal favorite idea was from our own Lizzie, who suggested Plastic Ma’am. The film is in the early stages of development, so it will still take some time before it sees the light of day.

    Plastic Man has quite a cult status. The original version of the story features a small-time crook who gets doused with chemical liquids during a botched heist. It results in him gaining the ability to stretch his body and even shape-shift. He eventually even became a police officer as he changed his ways after the incident. He even was part of the Justice League at one point. The character has quite the history going as far back as 1941.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter