Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: HBO

  • Pedro Pascal Promises HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Will “Include Things That You Wouldn’t Expect”

    Pedro Pascal Promises HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Will “Include Things That You Wouldn’t Expect”

    Pedro Pascal has been quite busy, as not only did he recently finish work on The Mandalorian‘s third season, will appear in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent but also has been busy working on the HBO adaptation of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. He’ll take on the role of Joel and has revealed in an interview with CQ that he watched his nephew play through the game. Yet, he was worried he’d try to emulate the cahracter too much instead of giving it his own spin.

    What stood out in the interview is that he mentioned that showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman, the man who created the games, have brought some impressive ideas to the table. Especially in how they may be trying to catch fans of the games off-guard so that playing the 2013 game won’t giveaway everything in the adaptation.

    There’s a very, very creative way of honouring what’s important and also preserving what is iconic to the experience of the video game, and also [to include] things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. And then directions that you would expect it to go, and it might not… they’re doing some really smart things, is all I can say.

    Pedro Pascal

    The Last of Us franchise is no stranger to surprising its audiences, especially with the release of the second entry including some ratehr heavy sequences. It’s unclear if the series will also closely focus on the first game’s story or even incldue some references to the sequel. They could even go a completely different direction and tell a unique take that only connects with the originals through the game’s general plot.

    Source: CQ

  • Maisie Williams on a Potential Return as Arya Stark in a ‘Game of Thrones’ Spinoff

    Maisie Williams on a Potential Return as Arya Stark in a ‘Game of Thrones’ Spinoff

    HBO and WarnerMedia have been ambitious with their expansion of the Game of Thrones franchise. Later this year, we’ll see the release of House of the Dragons, which explores the time the Targaryen ruled over Westeros long before the Mad King’s fall would lead to all-out war across the country. O course, that isn’t the only project that’s in the pipeline, as they hope to build an entire franchise built around the many eras of these book series.

    Now, it seems that one of the stars of the original Game of Thrones, Maisie Williams, has shared her thoughts in an interview with CQ on potentially returning to the franchise as Arya Stark. While some may want to leave it behind, it seems that she’d be quite open to returning but there’s a catch.

    I’m not saying it would never happen, but I’m also not saying it in this interview so that everyone goes… [gasps] ‘The spin-off! It’s coming!’ Because it’s not. It has to be the right time and the right people. It has to be right in the context of all the other spin-offs and the universe of Game of Thrones. […] It has to be the right time for me.

    Maisie Williams

    You can see her experience with these kinds of inquiries, as she’s not confirming anything, but wants to share her thoughts on a potential return. If someone pitches her the right concept, it seems she’d welcome it with open arms to once again return to the franchise and continue Arya Stark’s tower.

    Source: CQ via ScreenRant

  • New ‘The Last of Us’ Set Photo Shows Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey Alongside Some Familiar Faces

    New ‘The Last of Us’ Set Photo Shows Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey Alongside Some Familiar Faces

    It appears HBO’s The Last of Us series may have cast a few integral characters without anyone noticing. A new set photo making its way around Twitter is seemingly giving fans their first look at brothers Sam and Henry in all their live-action glory. The image shows a pair of actors, whose ages and appearance match the aforementioned duo, standing alongside Pedro Pascal‘s Joel and Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie. It’s not clear enough to determine who the actors potentially playing Sam and Henry are, but the image could very well be the first confirmation that the characters will be in the adaptation.

    In the original video game, Sam and Henry are a pair of brothers who Joel and Ellie meet while they traverse their way through a dystopian Pittsburgh. The boys temporarily team with the protagonists to get past the malicious Hunters, a violent group of survivors who have taken over the city and leave behind no prisoners. The four leads hit it off at first, with the younger brother Sam even forming a blossoming friendship with Ellie.

    Unfortunately, like most things in The Last of Us, the partnership ends in tragedy. Franchise creator Neil Druckmann has gone on record to say some major events from the game will play out differently on the show, so perhaps there’s still hope for Sam and Henry when the series begins to air.

    The Last of Us currently has no release date.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Finds New Streaming Home on HBO Max Instead of Disney+

    ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Finds New Streaming Home on HBO Max Instead of Disney+

    Disney+ has become the home of all Marvel projects. While the Sony Spider-Man films are still noticeably absent, especially those that take place in the MCU, the service has recently been able to add the missing Netflix series. Yet, there is still one MCU-specific film that refuses to make its return home in the form of The Incredible Hulk.

    Decider has shared a list of projects heading to HBO and HBO Max in April. What stuck out is the Edward Norton-led film is included in the list. It’s uncertain if the film will finally make its move to join Disney+ anytime soon, as the production was originally distributed by Universal. They also seemingly owned the rights to the character for some time, but it’s unsure if Disney+ has actively been making deals behind the scenes to get the rights back to the film.

    For now, it seems that we’ll still have to wait to have the full MCU represented on the “Home of Marvel” according to the recent update. It does seem like Marvel Studios plans is to bring all projects that have the Marvel brand to the service at some point, especially with that Sony deal some time ago that still hasn’t born any fruit so far. Spider-Man is heading to the service at some point, but it’s uncertain just how long the wait will be.

    If The Incredible Hulk is getting added to HBO Max, it would indicate that some kind of deal was made with Universal. 20th Century films are still premiering on WarnerMedia’s service before they fully move over to Disney+ with the rights now belonging to the House of Mouse. We’ll see how exactly this unfolds and if the MCU will truly be united at some point.

    Source: Decider

  • ‘True Detective’ Season 4 Coming From Barry Jenkins

    ‘True Detective’ Season 4 Coming From Barry Jenkins

    True Detective is getting another season.

    On Friday, it was announced that HBO was developing a fourth season of True Detective without creator Nic Pizzolatto at the helm. Instead, the potential season will see Issa Lopez (Tigers Are Not Afraid, Secondary Effects) pen the script, with Barry Jenkins set to serve as an executive producer on the anthology series. Should the season move forward, Lopez would direct the pilot episode.

    The season will be dubbed Night Country and is still in early development at HBO. Deals have not yet been finalized, but Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are expected to return as executive producers alongside Jenkins for Season 4. The actors, of course, starred in the first season of the hit HBO drama. While Pizzolatto is not attached, it is expected he will receive a credit on the fourth season.

    While Pizzolatto parted ways with HBO in 2020, HBO owns the rights to the series and previously expressed interest in developing a fourth season — even if Pizzolatto was not involved. Jenkins will develop the fourth season as part of his overall deal at HBO, where he’ll produce under his Pastel banner.

    Jenkins is currently working on his Lion King prequel for Disney.

    Source: THR.

  • George R. R. Martin Reveals Game of Thrones Prequel Titles

    George R. R. Martin Reveals Game of Thrones Prequel Titles

    HBO’s hit series, Game of Thrones, which garnered more attention than almost any other show during it’s run, ended in 2019. However, the network has plans to continue expanding the franchise through multiple prequel series over the course of the next several years. The first of these shows, House of the Dragon, will debut later this year, but at least four more projects are also on the horizon. In a recent interview, Thrones creator George R. R. Martin gave updates on each of the prequels, revealing their official titles and current showrunners.

    The first series will be centered around a legendary Dornish warrior-queen, and is still repping it’s original title of Ten Thousand Ships. Amanda Segel, known for her work on Person of Interest, will serve as showrunner. Another show, about famed explorer Corlys Velaryon, has changed its title from Nine Voyages to The Sea Snake, in an effort to avoid having multiple shows with numbered monikers. Bruno Heller, who worked on DC Comics’ adaptations Pennyworth and Gotham, is currently set as showrunner.

    The long-awaited adaptation of Martin’s “Dunk and Egg” novellas, about the companionship of a wandering knight and a youthful Aegon V Targaryan, does not yet have a title, but Martin says it will likely either be The Hedge Knight or Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The showrunner will be Steve Conrad, of Patriot fame, and Martin revealed he would like to write more novellas to help with the continuation of the live-action show. Lastly, the writer confirmed that an animated series is in development tentatively titled The Golden Empire, which will shed more light on the China-inspired land of YiTi. No showrunner is attached at the moment.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin Talks ‘House of the Dragon’ as Production Wraps

    ‘Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin Talks ‘House of the Dragon’ as Production Wraps

    It feels like yesterday when we first ran the story on the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff focusing on the Targaryens. Fittingly titled House of the Dragon, the upcoming series will see a new all-star cast further explore a dragon-filled Westeros. Creator of the original novels, George R. R. Martin took to his personal blog to share that pöroduction has wrapped on the series and also that he’s seen the rough cuts. His blog states that:

    I have seen rough cuts of a few of them, and I’m loving them.Of course, a lot more work needs to be done. Special effects, color timing, score, all the post-production work. But the writing, the directing, the acting all look terrific. I hope you will like them as much as I do. My hat is off to Ryan and Miguel and their team, and to our amazing cast.

    It’s always great to hear the creator of a franchise praise an upcoming adaptation. As this is the first spinoff for the franchise, there’s some concern if it can recatch the magic that made it a tentpole HBO series that it is, especially avoiding the mistakes from later seasons. The casting has already been quite promising and who knows just how deep the lore in House of the Dragon will get explored once it releases eventually.

    Source: George R. Martin’s Blog

  • HBO Max CCO Offers Update on ‘Game of Thrones’ Many Spin-offs

    HBO Max CCO Offers Update on ‘Game of Thrones’ Many Spin-offs

    Games of Thrones may be one of those few shows that redefined TV. HBO obviously has no plans of letting its legacy fizzle out as it continues to develop and explore its options on spin-offs and prequels. The first of what could be many new spinoffs looks to be setting its eyes on a 2022 premiere while others remain in limbo.

    House of The Dragon is currently set to premiere sometime this year, but no date has been found as the studio was concerned about how the ongoing pandemic would affect production. Talks continue behind the scenes to find the perfect release date for the series, as confirmed in a new piece by Deadline.

    There are multiple other series in some form of pre-production which includes Sea Snake, Flea Bottom, 10,000 Ships, and Dunk & Egg. As of now, they have talent attached to them, but none of them have been picked up or passed on just yet. Among these is also an animated spin-off, yet there is still no news on what that’ll be about. HBO and HBO Max’s Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys had the following to share on Game of Thrones‘ future:

    It’s just like any development process. Some are looking really good. Some we’ll see. We’re not going to make everything. I don’t have any mandate that I must make a certain amount of spin offs or prequels or anything like that. We’re really doing it just based on what we’re excited about creatively. I wouldn’t even give you a tease that we might see something this year because I really don’t know, it depends on how the development comes in.

    Casey Bloys

    With a series like Game of Thrones, it’s gonna take a lot to live up to what that series was to a lot of people, and it seems here that they’re being quite meticulous with what they pick up and send to the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us Won’t Premiere in 2022

    HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us Won’t Premiere in 2022

    We’ve been closely following the production of HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last Of Us. It seemed like the show starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay would find its way to HBO sometime this year by how fast the production has been pushing forward, but it looks like we’ll have to wait just a bit longer. In a new piece by Deadline, HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys revealed that the project won’t premiere at least until 2023. In his full quote, he does tease that he’s already seen some of the early episodes.

    It’s not going to air in 2022 — they are still shooting in Canada. I imagine you will see it in ’23. I have seen some early episodes and I’m very excited. Craig did Chernobyl for us, he is a fantastic writer and director. What I’ve seen looks amazing, so I’m excited for it, but it will not be in ’22

    Casey Bloys

    It looks like this project is much larger than we initially expected. The fact they are still filming shows quite the commitment, and if they haven’t started any post-production work yet it makes sense that it’ll take until 2023 to release. OF course, things might always change but we hopefully get to see the series early in the next year.

    Source: Deadline

  • MALTA FILM WEEK: Director Colin Azzopardi Shares His Experience Working on ‘Game of Thrones’

    MALTA FILM WEEK: Director Colin Azzopardi Shares His Experience Working on ‘Game of Thrones’

    The first-ever Malta Film Week has kicked off that gives local talent the chance to discuss and share their experiences as part of the international film industry, but also the importance of growing their local cinematic landscape. During the panel discussion on Malta’s film culture and ecosystem, director Colin Azzopardi offered some insight into his work on Game of Thrones after the question came what the panel would prefer: working on film or TV? He offered some insight into what his experience was, as well as the pros and cons that come with it.

    For me, it was a fantastic journey. One, being part of such a big project which after season 1, they knew it would do well, but they never expected it to do so well. It became like a cult and it sort of exploded, and your being part of the process. I started off as a AD, I was part of the creative process. And you’re getting involved in decision making and creating the looks of various culture in the story, and stuff like that. Then, moving on to production management and helping actually make the product on a massive scale, of course. The budgets on that were off the roof. And there’s a satisfaction in that, being part of that and being reocgnized for the awards and that kind of thing.

    Colin Azzopardi

    Just as much as he was praising the work that he was able to do with the HBO series, there was one large setback. Given its success, he was contractually obligated to work on the project for some time which limited his options of tackling other projects.

    When I was doing Game of Thrones, I used to get calls for other projects, and obviously, you can’t do it because you’re tied down for so many years on a project. So, everything has its pros and cons, of course. I guess, if it was my TV series, then it’s a bit different because it’s yours and you’re involved with it, absorbed in the process.

    Colin Azzopardi

    Of course, the panel highlights that everyone has their own perspective on the matter. There may be some that enjoy the safety of a fixed contract while others prefer the freedom of managing their own projects, as highlighted by Azzopardi on the way you approach a project if you created it yourself. That diverse perspective also strongly reflects how complex the industry is

    Source: YouTube