Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Hasbro

  • First Details Revealed for ‘Beast Wars’ Inspired ‘Transformers’ Film

    First Details Revealed for ‘Beast Wars’ Inspired ‘Transformers’ Film

    Finally, we’ve been suspecting the direction for the upcoming Transformers film for some time. It’s been adding one actor after another, as Luna Lauren Velez, Dominique Fishback, and Anthony Ramos joined the franchise’s next film, which will be directed by Steven Caple Jr. Now, details have remained under wraps with only a hint that Optimus Prime will make a grand return once again. Now, Caple revealed in a virtual press event that the title will be Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Not just that, he also offered some interesting details, such as the return of Decepticons alongside new factions known as Predacons, Terrorcons, and Maximals.

    I love the detail that the timeline also matches when the original Beast Wars line of toys got released. It also confirms Ramos and Fishback are going to star in this entry of the franchise. Paramount is already working on another film, which will be directed by Charm City King‘s Angel Manuel Soto. Illuminerdi reported some time ago that the working title was Beast Alliance. They’ve also got the timing right of it being in Brooklyn around the 1990s, but there is no mention of South America being involved. It’s likely that they are keeping that under wraps for now. Illuminerdi also mentioned that the film is a continuation of Bumblebee, which also hasn’t been confirmed yet. It looks like we can expect a very unique take on the franchise moving forward and hopefully we’ll get a look at the newly introduced factions in the near future as they prepare for production.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Judas and Black Messiah’s Dominique Fishback Lands Lead in Steven Caple Jr’s ‘Transformers’ Film

    ‘Judas and Black Messiah’s Dominique Fishback Lands Lead in Steven Caple Jr’s ‘Transformers’ Film

    It looks like Paramount has been busy, as Deadline is reporting that the upcoming Transformers film has cast their next lead to star opposite Anthony Ramos. His casting was announced around a month ago for Steven Caple Jr.’s adaptation of the iconic Hasbro franchise. The studio wants to refocus its efforts with the once cash cow that hasn’t seen a new entry since 2018’s Bumblebee. Judas And Black Messiah‘s Dominique Fishback is now in final negotiations to join the project that is eyeing a June 2022 release.

    Deadline offered some more details, as it seems that Ramos has been the front-runner for quite some time and was screen-testing with various female actresses. Fishback won and brought their relationship full circle, as they have worked on a play together in college. It seems that fate has a weird way of bringing people together. She has been building up quite the career since that play, as she recently got nominated for a BAFTA playing Deborah Johnson. She will also be playing opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the upcoming Apple series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.

    The return of the Transformers franchise has been highly anticipated, especially now that Michael Bay has parted ways after 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight. The studio has been focused on revamping the property and even created an entire writer room to develop multiple projects. 2018’s Bumblebee was one of them but momentum died down since. It’ll be interesting to see if this project takes some of the design cues from the 2018 reimagining or if they will still take some inspiration from Bay‘s run on the characters.

    Source: Deadline

  • Steven Caple Jr.’s ‘Transformers’ Film Eyeing Anthony Ramos

    Steven Caple Jr.’s ‘Transformers’ Film Eyeing Anthony Ramos

    It looks like Paramount is already keeping an eye out for its future Transformers‘ star. The Steven Caple Jr.-helmed project is actively looking for their lead and Collider revealed that the studio is currently eyeing Anthony Ramos. The actor’s latest project, In the Heights, will release this summer and has garnered him a lot of attention in the industry. It seems he will portray a flawed and vulnerable hero who is trying to redeem himself by aiding Optimus Prime in his quest. They couldn’t offer any further details, and Paramount did not comment on the casting.

    Ramos has recently booked a lead role alongside Aladdin‘s Naomi Scott in the sci-fi film, Distant. He has appeared in various films, such as A Star Is Born, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Monsters and Men. After the release of his latest film, he certailny will become a hot commodity for major franchises. So, Paramount is making a smart move by trying to recruit him now for their next entry.

    Paramount has been refocusing its efforts with the Transformers franchise. As Collider points out, it is one of their most successful properties. It’s been strangely absent since the release of Bumblebee in 2018 as the studio tried to refocus. The original films by Michael Bay were massive Box Office successes but weren’t the most critically loved films out there. So, they might be trying to find a perfect balance to build upon the franchise’s previous success while adding some new flair to keep its longevity.

    Source: Collider

  • Amazon Developing a Live-Action ‘G.I. Joe’ Series

    Amazon Developing a Live-Action ‘G.I. Joe’ Series

    Hollywood is trying to revive the G.I. Joe franchise once again. Snake Eyes will be the first characters to get that second chance, as a solo film is still in production. The project got hit with a massive delay due to the ongoing pandemic. It will release October 22nd and will introduce multiple classic characters, such as Snake eyes, Baroness, Scarlett, and Storm Shadow. Now it seems the G.I. Joe universe is expanding. This time, it is in the form of a live-action series that will follow another popular character.

    The Hollywood Reporter reports that Amazon has begun development on a series following the character of Lady Jaye. The series is set to be produced by Paramount TV Studios, Entertainment One, and Skydance TV. The project currently has no talent attached to it and still in the early phases of development. The showrunner of Netflix’s Daredevil, Erik Oleson, will act as showrunner for the series. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura will also co-produce alongside Oleson. The series will reportedly take place in the same world as the upcoming Snake Eyes film.

    It is only the first in many projects to come from Hasbro, as they are reviving their classic toy lines with multimedia deals. The studio is hard at work developing new films for the Transformers and Power Rangers franchise, straying from past adaptions and softly rebooting many. It will be interesting to see how they continue to expand these different franchises and even pull off an Avengers: Endgame style crossover. We’ve seen it in the comics witch Transformers and G.I. Joe, so it would be a fun surprise later down the line.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: First Details Revealed for Upcoming ‘Transformers’ Reboot

    RUMOR: First Details Revealed for Upcoming ‘Transformers’ Reboot

    Nostalgia has been all the rage as various childhood classics got a live-action reboot on the silver screen. Not many were successful, but the Transformers franchise certailny proved that there is a market for 80s nostalgia. Michael Bay directed the original series of films before the franchise took a new direction in 2018. It was the sixth installment in the franchise that started back in 2007.  Matt Travis brought back some of the charms that made the franchise so unique. At the time, it was uncertain if it connected to the original films. It wasn’t until November of last year that the franchise’s next installment would see the light of day. Creed II director Steve Caple Jr. got hired to tackle the now revamped franchise. Details were sparse, but luckily it seems that Illuminerdi got their hands on more information.

    The upcoming film will develop under the working title of Transformers: Beast Alliance. Some might instantly recognize the Beast title from the 90’s show Beast Wars: Transformers. So, we might see a very different version of the iconic Autobots and Decepticons, who’ve embraced some more animalistic designs. They also revealed that the film continues the timeline set-up by the Bumblebee film. They say it will be like a heist film, where our titular heroes will travel from Brooklyn to South America in the 1990s.

    The concept of a heist film with overgrown Transformers is certainly novel. If it does film in South America, it wouldn’t be too surprising for them to adapt to their environment and take on bestial forms. It would also be an interesting change of pace from their usual vehicle-based transformations to make the upcoming reboot feel new and exciting. Bay‘s interpretation of Optimus Prime and Megatron was far from what many fans remember. Bumblebee‘s opening did embrace the original designs that could make a return if it takes place within the same universe. Here’s hoping that the Transformers are back in action to roll-out into theaters in the coming years.

    Source: Deadline, Illuminerdi

  • Bryan Edward Hill to Write Hasbro’s ‘Power Rangers’ Film

    Bryan Edward Hill to Write Hasbro’s ‘Power Rangers’ Film

    Power Rangers has been seeing a resurgence as of late. Not too long ago, Hasbro hired Jonathan Entwistle to supervise the franchise over multiple media platforms. As such, it gives credit to the rumor that Hasbro, the new owner of the franchise, has ended ties with Toei. We still have no official confirmation, as one more season to be released on Nickoledoen that is based on the Super Sentai series. The upcoming film will be the third time the iconic teenagers with an attitude appear on the silver screen. This release will also reboot the 2017 version that is disappointed at the Box Office. Now, they are moving forward with the new film and, according to Deadline, has closed a deal with Bryan Edward Hill to pen the script.

    Hill has quite the history in the industry. Just recently was behind the adaptation of Studio 8’s Black, and he is the co-producer of DC’s Titans show. He was also a staff writer on Ash vs Evil Dead, which is a personal favorite. He also worked on a variety of comics, such as Killmonger, American Carnage, and Detective Comics to name a few. The earliest rumors pointed to the show to include some time travel elements, so it will be interesting to see if that remains as the script develops. We also know that Entwistle will supervise TV and film, so we might see some potential spin-offs being in the works. So, there is a good chance that Hill might return for future projects. It certainly is a project to keep an eye on.

    Source: Deadline, IMDb

  • Upcoming ‘Power Rangers’ Remake Could Lead Into A Shattered Grid Storyline

    Upcoming ‘Power Rangers’ Remake Could Lead Into A Shattered Grid Storyline

    Connecting Imaginary Dots are pieces we write here that allow us to be what we all truly are: fans. These should not be taken as scoops, exclusives or facts; just speculation about the things for which we all share a great passion.

    Lately, I’ve been kind of trapped on memory lane. I have been revisiting a lot of shows that I spent most of my youth with. Among them was the spandex-wearing superhero team Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Did you know it’s still been running for 27 seasons? Soon the show will continue with its latest season Power Rangers: Dino Fury on Nickelodeon. The franchise has had quite a history. Disney once purchased the series from its original owner Saban. At one point, they bought the rights back to kick start a new era only to sell it to Hasbro a few years later. Now, the future seems uncertain for the franchise. It’s 2017 film bombed at the box office and rumors have it that Hasbro won’t continue the contract with Toei that started the franchise. Fans fear that Dino Fury may be the end of the franchise’s TV run, as Hasbro starts focusing on other ventures.

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    We know little of what will happen. There has been no official statement regarding the Toei deal. Dino Fury has not aired yet. Power Rangers has been getting more focus from a mature audience, especially with the success of their BOOM Studios comics. This focused on an alternative timeline of the original Mighty Morphin team but the Green Ranger, Tommy, remains evil. It was such a success, the storyline was added as a selling point to the Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid game. The company is no stranger to offering some more mature stories to their audience. Their latest Netflix show Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy SIEGE certainly proves that they aren’t shy of embracing their nostalgia audience.

    As such, we may see a stronger embrace of the original Mighty Morphin era. The first proof of this comes in a reveal surrounding the upcoming film reboot. Jonathan Entwistle, the mind behind the dark comedy The End of the F—ing World, is in early negotiations to explore a time-traveling team of teenagers with attitude. The film is to take inspiration from Back to the Future and will see a team of new Rangers end up in the 1990s. That just so happens to be the era that the original Mighty Morphin started. Time travel is also nothing new to this crazy franchise that has multiple different Ranger police forces, time travel agents, and dimension-hopping. What makes it stand out the most, is that its rumored to take place within the actual TV shows timelines. This is where the fun beings and let us see how that would work.

    History of Power Rangers

    No worries, I won’t recount the entire 28-year history of Power Rangers. My own experience pretty much ended around Power Rangers In Space. Yet, realizing how many seasons there have been, I started exploring what these various seasons have done to continue the franchise’s mythology. After In Space, they started going down a route that each season is a unique story instead of an evolving story. There wasn’t a revolving door of characters switching out with other Rangers. Instead, they started from scratch with a unique villain. It was great to add diversity to the show but it also made it quite confusing for continuity. Every season had to reinvent the mythology but also had to include a callback to a previous one. tTe only connecting element is the morphing grid, the source of their abilities to transform.

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    To make things easier, let’s focus on Power Rangers that might play an important role in a time-traveling story.

    • Mighty Morphin will most likely get the most focus. They are the initial team that kickstarted the franchise and the ones getting most of the attention in other media. This season introduced us to the most iconic character in the franchise, Jason David Frank‘s Tommy Oliver. He started as an evil Green Ranger who would eventually become a mainstay to this day. He is also the focus of the Shattered Grid storyline, where he becomes the evil Lord Drakkon.
    • Lightspeed Rescue focuses on a government organization of the same name. Their job is to protect the earth from demons that want to destroy the fictional city Mariner Bay. The rangers are civilians recruited due to their areas of expertise, may it be lifeguard or firefighter. No worries, it doesn’t make sense to me either.
    • S.P.D. or Space Patrol Delta features the year 2025 where the earth has become a haven for aliens. The Rangers are a galactic police force makings sure that peace remains between the races from outside forces.
    • Time Force is the obvious choice. This season introduced us to a group of Rangers from the year 3000 that return to the past to ensure the timeline remains safe.
    • Hyper Force is set 16 years after Time Force. It features a team of cadets of the Time Force Academy. This is a special addition to the franchise as a tabletop RPG that takes place within the franchise’s canon. It features a variety of actual Ranger actors, including Time Force’s Erin Cahill, who played Jen Scotts.

    Why am I naming these various teams? Well, the reason lies in the rumors surrounding the film. It states that while they will be mainly traveling back to the 90s, they will encounter a variety of different Rangers in their travels. Naturally, you can only spend so much time with a limited runtime. This isn’t a 40 episode season where you can take your time to fully explore each era. So, the easiest way to not waste too much time is to include Rangers whose mythology could be interconnected.

    Back to the Past

    So, how could they set-up an entire film that remains true to the history of Power Rangers but lets a new team take center stage? As mentioned previously, Time Force already focuses on a team that has this ability. As we learn in Power Rangers: Hyper Force, a Time Force Academy was founded to give young cadets the chance to become Rangers. A group of young cadets finds themselves at the museum of Ranger history. There stands the original time travel machine, which led to the foundation of the organization. Suddenly, alongside their mentor, they get sucked into the timestream back to the 90s.

    mighty-morphin-power-rangers-the-movie

    Luckily, their mentor managed to grab test versions of new Morphers that could help her cadets remain safe. These were initially meant to be a gift for their official first training after they learned their history lesson. Out of nowhere, they get attacked by strange grey looking monsters. After morphing and defeating them, they run into the original Mighty Morphin team. Trying to figure out what happened, they start to realize that it wasn’t a malfunction but someone trying to return to the past. They seek out the machine that joined them on their journey to return to their time. After a fierce battle, they do manage to activate it and go forward in time. The only thing is, they didn’t go all the way back home and end up in the Lightspeed Rescue era. They learn how the Rangers went public at the end of In Space and became an important part of keeping the earth safe. Maybe they even get to see aged versions of the original Mighty Morphin team.

    As they support the team of that time, the villainous plan starts to unravel. Their machine is being influenced by someone, who is targeting specific eras in Ranger history. It seems he is trying to make sure that they find an early end. The shadowy figure always seems a few steps ahead, as they seem to be targeting someone throughout the timelines. This new team manages to support the Lightspeed team of that era to stay intact and keep the peace. One more time jump sends them to the time S.P.D. was just starting, where they start to realize what is happening. Each era they have visited influenced the next. The small team of Lightspeed started to expand into what would one day be known as S.P.D. in 2025. Their next evolution step would be Time Force by the year 3000. Whoever was forcing these travels through time knew about the technology and was trying to make sure the Rangers of their era never form.

    Expanding the Ranger-Verse

    After chasing down the villain, they uncover that it was none other than Jen Scotts from further down their timeline. At that moment they realized it wasn’t the actual Rangers of that era she was targeting but rather one singular person. Her goal was to take out Tommy Oliver, someone they’ve been seeing throughout their journey. Scotts starts telling the story of how she fought an evil version of him in an alternate dimension called Lord Drakkon. She feared that there was just a slight chance he may have been affected in her timeline. Her paranoia led to the belief that he might have been building up an army and finding a way to keep himself alive even into the year 3000. As such, she made it her mission to stop him before he even gets a chance, but she was only able to travel for a certain amount of time. So, she tried to use the original machine to go further back in time to accomplish her plan.

    She didn’t calculate on the fact that others would be dragged into her plan. They managed to keep the original timeline alive and Tommy got to live his life. During the era of S.P.D., they visit him to have her lose those fears. They are greeted by a friendly former Ranger, who had given up that life long ago. At that moment, Jen finally found peace and they were able to travel back to their time. Little did they know, something else was brewing and this new team might be facing a darker future than they expect once they return home. This film would help fans and newer viewers understand the world they are entering. It pays tribute to the original franchise while also exploring a completely new team of Rangers. The ending would then set-up a completely new storyline that isn’t bound by existing franchises. Unlike the 2017 version, they aren’t forced to go through what we are familiar with. They already visited different eras. So, now they can explore a completely new aspect of the franchise. Many fans want to see a live-action version of Shattered Grid. When a 2018 trailer for the comic run was released, it offered a small glance at the opportunity. It would be a waste not to explore it in a big-budget live-action film franchise.

    Source: LA Times, Illuminerdi (Toei Deal), EW, THR, Illuminerdi (Remake), YouTube