Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: HBO

  • ‘Agents of SHIELD’s Gabriel Luna Joins HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

    ‘Agents of SHIELD’s Gabriel Luna Joins HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

    The fungal apocalypse just added a new survivor. It’s being reported that Gabriel Luna has officially joined the cast of HBO’s The Last of Us, in a role many fans know to be a key part of the franchise’s story. The actor is set to play Tommy Miller, the younger brother of Pedro Pascal‘s Joel Miller and a former soldier who hasn’t lost his sense of idealism and hope for a better world. Tommy appears in both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II, where he is shown to be the leader of a community in Jackson County, Wyoming, alongside his wife Maria.

    He joins a cast that, so far, only includes the aforementioned Pascal and the up-and-coming Bella Ramsey, best known for her work on Game of Thrones. That duo will portray Joel and Ellie, the iconic protagonists of the series, as they journey across the United States two decades after a viral fungus caused society’s collapse. The live-action adaptation will be produced by Neil Druckmann, director and writer of both Naughty Dog video games, and Craig Mazin, who brought the story of Chernobyl to life for HBO in 2019.

    While Luna may be a new face for some, the thespian is no stranger to fans of Marvel Comics. He rose to prominence playing Robbie Reyes during the fourth season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., becoming only the second actor to bring Ghost Rider to life in live-action. Luna was at one point set to reprise the role in a solo series, but that project never saw the light of day. He went on to receive a starring role in 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate and appear in other hit shows such as True Detective.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Adds ‘The Serpent’s Fabien Frankel

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Adds ‘The Serpent’s Fabien Frankel

    It looks like HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off is still casting some key characters. House of Dragon will explore the times of Viserys Targaryen’s rule. Of course, a good leader requires his Kingsguard and it seems that the Last Christmas actor, Fabien Frankel, will take on that role as Ser Criston Cole. Author of the original novel series, George R.R. Martin, took to his blog to reveal the news of Frankel‘s casting teasing his rather important role in these series. In it, he describes the character as followed:

    He is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. He has no claim to lands or titles, all he has is his honor and his skill with sword and lance. He is a challenger, a champion, cheered by the commons, beloved of the ladies. He is a lover (or is he?), a seducer (or is he?), a betrayer (or is he?), a breaker of hearts and a maker of kings.

    It seems his character will have an important role in starting the civil war that will end the era of dragons. Frankel has built up quite a reputation in a short amount of time with his work on The Serpent, NYPD Blue, and alongside former Targaryen Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. It’ll be interesting to see what the actor has to offer and how Ser Cole’s relationship with Viserys might shape the spin-offs story.

    Source: Not a Blog via The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb

  • HBO Developing Three More ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs

    HBO Developing Three More ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs

    It looks like HBO is slowly pushing out their various future spin-offs, as they have just unveiled three more projects that are in development. We are still anxiously waiting for the first pictures of House of the Dragon, but that isn’t stopping the network from rolling out more. They already announced they are working on a series based on Dunk and Egg. It follows the tales of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, who would eventually become King Aegon V Targaryen.

    Rome creator Bruno Heller will be working on a project title 9 Voyages. It follows Lord Corlys Velaryon, who is better known as The Sea Snake. He will also appear in the before-mentioned House of the Dragon spin-off played by Steve Toussaint. It is interesting to see them already focus on a character from a series that hasn’t even entered production, so they have a lot of hope in it. 10,000 Ships will focus on the warrior Princess Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell and founded Dorne. It takes place 1,000 years before the events of the original HBO series. Alongside it, an unnamed third project will focus on King’s Landing slums, Flea Bottom.

    So far, only 9 Voyages seem to be anywhere close to pre-production. So, we might not see the rest until much later. I like that they are approaching these franchises based upon the history of Westeros. HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys also confirms that they aren’t trying to rush out these productions. They want to explore stories that they want to tell and evaluating which would be the best to adapt. Westeros has a lot of unexplored history. So, it makes sense and offers a lot of curious opportunities for future franchises.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • EXCLU: HBO’s ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Eyeing a May Production Start in NYC

    EXCLU: HBO’s ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Eyeing a May Production Start in NYC

    Love is a tale as old as time. In 2003, Audrey Niffenegger tested its timelessness with her novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife. It told the story of Henry, who has a gene that makes him involuntarily travel through time. Of course, his absence strains his relationship with his wife, Claire. The story got adapted into a film back in 2009 by Warner Bros.’s New Line division. Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana were in the leading roles.

    Steven Moffat, the creator of BBC’s Sherlock and former Doctor Who showrunner, plans to adapt the story once more for HBO. The series still has no release date, but we learned that HBO is eyeing a May production start. It looks like the production is planning to film in New York City. It is uncertain if they plan to change the book’s location from Chicago to the Big Apple. There is also the chance that as he travels through time, he may arrive in different locations at various points in time, so anything is possible.

     

     

    Moffat has been an avid fan of the story, as it was the inspiration for the Doctor Who episode, “The Girl in the Fireplace.” Of course, his experience with time travel shows will be a great help with the drama. He will serve as writer and producer for the series alongside executive producers Sue Vertue and Brian Minchin. Moffat gets the chance to adapt a story he adores, which is always an exciting prospect. It makes you wonder if he’ll also sneak in a few references to his previous work.

    Source: HBO, Deadline

  • ‘The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal Joins HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’

    ‘The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal Joins HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’

    Just a few hours after we covered the rumor that HBO’s upcoming adaptation of The Last Of Us has offered Maharshala Ali the role of Joel, Variety reports that they have officially cast Pedro Pascal in the iconic role. The news follows directly after the announcement that Game of Thrones veteran Bella Ramsey has joined the series. She will be playing the role of Ellie in the HBO adaptation. This announcement is another win for the actor, who has seen a massive surge in popularity over the last few years. His starring role in Disney+’s The Mandalorian already dives into a story of a lone wolf having to take along an unlikely companion, so he has some experience in that kind of role.

    As pointed out in the Ali story, the production seems to be picking up speed with Russian director Kantemir Balagov set to direct the show’s pilot. Naughty Dog’s in-house writing team is also heavily involved alongside the original game’s director Neill Druckman, who took to Twitter after the announcement.

    https://twitter.com/Neil_Druckmann/status/1359710048302206976

    At this rate, we might see more casting news of other iconic characters, such as Joel’s brother Tommy, the firefly leader Marlene, his smuggling partner Tess and survivor Bill. It looks like the series will follow the original game’s story rather closely but could still add its twists and turns to make it stand out from the 2013 original. No matter which direction they decide to go, the casting is perfect for the roles, and here’s hoping we get an official look at them in costume once production starts.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • HBO’s ‘THE LAST OF US’ finds its Ellie in ‘GAME OF THRONES’’ Bella Ramsey

    HBO’s ‘THE LAST OF US’ finds its Ellie in ‘GAME OF THRONES’’ Bella Ramsey

    Mentioning either The Last of Us (2013) or The Last of Us Part II (2020) means talking about one of the best and most impactful games of the past decade. It came with little surprise when it became official that HBO had secured the rights for a small screen adaptation last March, managing to secure Neil Druckman to write the story, he who is arguably the mastermind behind the game series. Last November the show got officially picked up for an entire season and we are now getting our first news regarding the cast.

    The biggest roles will obviously be the ones of Joel and Ellie, and it now seems that HBO has found the right actor for the latter in Game Of Throne‘s Bella Ramsey, who caught the eye of audiences worldwide for her incredible portrayal of Lyanna Mormont. Bella Ramsey is currently 17 years old, a bit older than Ellie was when we first met her in the first game and this might give some credence to the rumors that the show will not try to retell Joel and Ellie’s story, but will perhaps try to fill some of the gaps in the story that both games didn’t quite fill.

    We can certainly understand how Ramsey is seen as a good fit for the role, taking into consideration what we saw from her in Game of Thrones and how Ellie evolves through the games, becoming a force to be reckoned with, much in the same light Lyanna was regarded throughout Westeros.

    HBO’s The Last of Us doesn’t yet have a release date but with casting choices being made, we should probably get updates on the production’s timeline in the coming weeks.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Eyeing Mahershala Ali for the Role of Joel

    RUMOR: HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Eyeing Mahershala Ali for the Role of Joel

    We’ve been hotly anticipating any information on the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Last Of Us. HBO will adapt the acclaimed video game series into a series alongside its original creators. Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckman and his writing team will be working on the series with Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin. Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov joined the production to direct the pilot in January, so we expected some casting rumors in the coming weeks. Originally, Johan Renck was going to direct it but had to drop out due to scheduling conflict. Just a month after they got their director, it seems they are already getting their casting together. Illuminerdi revealed that HBO offered the role of Joel to Mahershala Ali.

    It looks like while the series will stick to the original game’s storyline, they are flexible when it comes to the casting. Ali is a powerhouse in the industry right now, so he would be a fantastic find for the franchise. His character will remain mostly the same, as he’ll face the same dramatic backstory from the original game. Joel’s morality has faded, but a sign of hope in the form of a 13-year-old Ellie, who is the key to solving the fungus-infected future.

    Illumerndi also points out that they’ve offered the role to Matthew McConaughey, who turned it down. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll accept the role, as he will join the upcoming MCU adaptation of Blade. There is a chance that the potential casting of Ellie is also in the works. This casting rumor might hint at the show potentially taking a unique direction to distinguish itself from the original game.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Illuminerdi

  • HBO Max Developing an Animated ‘Game of Thrones’ Series

    HBO Max Developing an Animated ‘Game of Thrones’ Series

    Game of Thrones is rapidly expanding. In addition to the prequel House of Dragons, HBO is looking into adding various brand new original series. So far, only The Tales of Dunk and Egg was confirmed to be in some form of development. Well, it seems that HBO Max has set their eyes on adding an animated project into their list of adaptations. According to Variety, the series is in the very early stages of development. Currently, there is no writer or talent attached to the project.

    It isn’t too surprising that they are also looking into another medium to expand the franchise, as other shows have started to test out animated shows. Just last year, we got a new animated series for Star Trek titled Lower Decks. It added a unique comedy to the classic sci-fi epic. HBO Max seems to be mapping out its future line-up, as the latest rumors also hinted at an original Harry Potter series is being developed for the streaming service.

    The interesting question will be if this adaptation will stick to the adult themes of the original. I doubt they will be trying to create a child-friendly version of the franchise, so we could see something closer to Netflix’s Castlevania once it releases. They might use this opportunity to explore stories that would be too expensive in live-action, such as a project exploring the Night King. As an animated series takes quite a bit of time, this series might not release before 2024. Until then, we have House of Dragons to fill the void that the last season of Game of Thrones left in our hearts.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’ And Many Other ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequels’ In Development

    ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’ And Many Other ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequels’ In Development

    Game of Thrones was one of the most popular television series of all time. It redefined our understanding of the fantasy genre after spanning eight seasons. Yet, when the show came to an end, many fans were left with a sour taste in their mouths. Even after the last season’s reception, HBO was not going to miss out on continuing building the franchise. At one point, a prequel had been in development with Naomi Watts. It would take place a thousand years before the story we’ve witnessed across eight seasons. Although the pilot got filmed, the project did not move forward. Instead, they started development on the HBO Max exclusive House of The Dragon. It will focus on the reign of the Targaryens, as they conquered Westeros.

    Now, it seems there is one more member of the family getting his series, as a recent report confirms that a second prequel series is now in the works titled The Tales of Dunk and Egg. 

    It will follow the adventures of Sir Duncan The Tall (Dunk) and Aegon Targaryen (Egg), whose story was told in the George R.R Martin novels The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. It will take place 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The project currently has no talent attached, but it seems HBO is fast-tracking it.

    According to Entertainment Weekly, this is just one of the many projects they are working on. It seems HBO has been meeting with many writers to get multiple series of the ground. Even Rome‘s Bruno Heller has been in talks at one point. One potential series may focus on Robert’s Rebellion, which started the original story. They also confirm that there are no plans for spin-offs or sequels. The focus remains on developing prequels that explore the history of Westeros and its many corners. It’s an interesting development, as even the previously mentioned Watt‘s prequel was among five in development at the time. For now, we can look forward to a lot more Game of Thrones in the future.

    Source: Variety, Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘House of Dragons’ Adds Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, and Matt Smith

    ‘House of Dragons’ Adds Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, and Matt Smith

    HBO has been hard at work at expanding their popular franchise, Game of Thrones. The series known as House of Dragons will focus on the House of Targaryen. It takes place 300 years before the events of the original show. So far, we only had one confirmation for the show’s cast but it looks like they are finally rounding out the rest of the game. The Hollywood Reporter has officially announced that Ready Player One‘s Olivia Cooke, Wanderlust‘s Emma D’Arcy, and the former time-traveling Doctor, Matt Smith, have joined the series. The latter was reported by the Illumerdi just a week ago.

    Smith will play the rogue Prince Daemon Targaryen, who was one of the first characters revealed for the series. He is the younger brother of Paul Considine‘s King Viserys, who he is always trying to impress. His first-born child will be played by D’Arcy, who is a dragon rider facing adversity due o her gender. Lastly, Cooke is set to play the daughter of Otto Hightower, Alicent. She is the Hand of the King.

    The series was picked up for 10 episodes last year in October. Martin and Ryan Condal created the series with the pilot episode set to be directed by Miguel Sapochnik. THR has also revealed that Banshee’s Greg Yaitanes joined as a director alongside Snowpiercer‘s Clare Kilner and The Witcher‘s Geeta Patel. Game of Thrones‘ final season has left a sour taste for many fans, so it will be interesting to see if this brand new prequel series can make up for it. The Targaryen era also will feature many more dragons than that of the original series, so it’ll be interesting how they’ll balance it out before their budgets get too bloated. 

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter