Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Lucasfilm

  • RUMOR: Indiana Jones Streaming Series to Feature a Previously Unseen Character

    RUMOR: Indiana Jones Streaming Series to Feature a Previously Unseen Character

    As Harrison Ford prepares to say goodbye to Doctor Henry Jones Jr., the iconic character he’s played multiple times since 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lucasfilm is reportedly working with Disney Plus to create a streaming series set within his world of archaeological wonder. The show is in the earliest stages of development, with no creatives yet attached, but a new rumor might indicate the direction in which the show is headed and it’s rather surprising.

    According to The Hot Mic Podcast, the new series may focus on a character who has never been seen on screen in the Indy franchise but had a major impact on the life of Indiana Jones: Abner Ravenwood. Ravenwood was Jones’ mentor in archeology and had a lifelong fascination with the Ark of the Covenant. Ravenwood died while searching for it and it was his connection to Jones that put Indy on the trail of the artifact in Raider of the Lost Ark. Of course, the two had a much more personal connection as well, and one that ended their professional relationship: Indy’s affair with Ravenwood’s daughter, Marion.

    By putting the focus on Abner Ravenwood, the series’ timeline could extend as far back as the late 1800s and serve as a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. While Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has said there will never be Indiana Jones without Ford in the role, there might be some wiggle room in casting an actor as a very young Henry Jones Jr. if the Ravenwood rumor turns out to be true. Whatever the case, rest assured that Lucasfilm has their top men on the case. Top. Men.

    Source: Hot Mic Podcast

  • J.D. Dillard No Longer Set to Helm a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    J.D. Dillard No Longer Set to Helm a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    In February 2020, it was revealed that Sleight director J.D. Dillard was set to direct a Star Wars movie from screenwriter Matt Owens. At the time, it wasn’t known whether or not the project would be for the big screen or for Disney+. Details regarding the plot and characters involved were also unknown at the time. Unfortunately, it seems those eager to see a Star Wars film from Dillard will continue to wait, though, as the mysterious project is no longer moving forward.

    In an interview with The Wrap to promote his latest film, Devotion, Dillard was asked about the status of his Star Wars project. Sadly, it seems things simply didn’t work out and the project is no longer moving forward. “It was not for lack of trying.” the director said. He also made it a point of noting if he does make a space film, it’ll be an original idea.

    The outlet tried to get Dillard to comment on what a Star Wars film from him would “feel like,” to which Dillard cited a memory from his childhood.

    “My dad being an aviator, we had a bunch of flight simulators, including TIE Fighter. I’m playing this game for months. And my dad’s flying it with me. And I’m like, ‘Man, this game is just so cool.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you know, this game comes from a series of movies.’ And I was like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ That is where I watched ‘Star Wars’ for the first time and realized the full scope of what it meant to world build because I’d been playing this pseudo-16-bit game.”

    Dillard, however, did briefly comment on the J.J. Abrams‘ Superman project with Ta-Nehisi Coates, which he was loosely tied to at some point. He called the project, “something I have never spoken about” and said that Abrams has his number “if that is ever to be a conversation.”

    News that Dillard is no longer developing a Star Wars project comes on the heels of the announcement that Shawn Levy is entering a galaxy far, far away. That project, however, will take some time to enter production as Levy still has Season 5 of Stranger Things and then Deadpool 3 to worry about first.

    Devotion, the latest film from Dillard, will hit theaters on Nov. 23rd.

    Source: The Wrap.

  • Shawn Levy to Direct a ‘Star Wars’ Film Following ‘Deadpool 3’

    Shawn Levy to Direct a ‘Star Wars’ Film Following ‘Deadpool 3’

    With Deadpool 3 and Season 5 of Stranger Things still on deck, Shawn Levy looks to have already set his next feature. Deadline has reported that Levy is in talks to helm a Star Wars movie. The outlet reports that Levy will develop the project to direct it, but no further details are available as of this time.

    Levy is the latest director to be attached to an untitled Star Wars project. Taika Waititi is developing a Star Wars film and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy recently signed on to direct a movie penned by Damon Lindeloff. Lucasfilm is also working with Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige to develop an unspecified project. With Levy tied up on the final season of Stranger Things, and then set to jump on Deadpool 3 with his Free Guy leading man Ryan Reynolds, Levy’s Star Wars project is likely still years away at best.

    Up next for the always-busy Levy is the Netflix mini-series, All The Light You Cannot See, in which he directed all four episodes. He most recently directed The Adam Project, which also starred Reynolds. Levy also helmed Free Guy with Reynolds, in which a sequel is reportedly being discussed. As of right now, no writer or release date has been announced for Levy’s Star Wars film.

    Source: Deadline.

  • RUMOR: ‘Ahsoka’ May Have Cast a Familiar Face as Admiral Thrawn.

    RUMOR: ‘Ahsoka’ May Have Cast a Familiar Face as Admiral Thrawn.

    If there is any role that’s been highly debated in Star Wars rumor mill, it’s that of Admiral Thrawn. After a long bout of silence, it seems that a new rumor has been starting to make the rounds hinting at who could’ve potentially nabbed the role. Surprisingly, it might be someone quite familiar to long-time fans of the character. If online rumblings are to be believed, Lars Mikkelsen, who voiced the character in Rebels, might once again take on the role of the Star Wars villain.

    The notion of Mikkelsen reprising this role is perfect in many ways. Having voiced the character in the animated side of the universe will help maintain a level of continuity going into the live-action projects. Plus, having a returning actor move to Disney+ will appease the hardcore fans that are seeing a vast majority of other characters from Rebels get recast. Some of these castings include Natasha Liu Bordizzo playing Sabine Wren and Eman Esfandi being cast to play Ezra Bridger. We also can’t forget that Lars Mikkelsen is quit the respected and established actor, who’ll definitely ease the transition into a live-action take on the character.

    Ahsoka began its production in Los Angeles back in May of this year and might wrap filming by the end of next month. With that, the highly anticipated series is eyeing a 2023 release on Disney+ and is the second The Mandalorian spinoff to hit the streaming service.

    Source: Twitter via Bespin Bulletin

  • Adria Arjona Seemingly Confirms Season Two Return for ‘Andor’

    Adria Arjona Seemingly Confirms Season Two Return for ‘Andor’

    Andor is currently in the midst of its first season on Disney+, however, fans of the franchise are already eagerly looking ahead to the show’s second season. While production on Season 2 isn’t slated to begin until November, thanks to a recent interview with the folks over at Collider, we might have a better idea of what’s to come when Season 2 hits in 2024.

    Adria Arjona, who plays Bix Caleen in Andor, talked about her future involvement in the series, as well as the collaborative process with showrunner Tony Gilroy. As she explains, he is open to conversations about the show and the characters and has already updated her on Bix’s storyline going forward.

    He [Tony Gilroy] was very open to conversations and is constantly telling me what is, what her journey is going to be like and, ‘Oh, I changed this a little bit’. He really kept me in the loop even before the scripts were done and the second he had a script out, we’d [the cast] would all get it first. Even now with the second part [of the series] he’s already told me what’s going to happen and that’s not the usual. He just really wants you to get into that mindset and start preparing your gears to sort of embark on this new journey and he wants you to think on your own as Bix so I can sort of have my own ideas and opinions.

    Adria Arjona

    Going off of her quote here, it can be gleaned that Caleen is fairly guaranteed to be surviving the events of the first season. This comes as Gilory has teased that the body count for Andor will be high with a tangible risk of any notable characters (besides of course the titular one) being killed off. As it currently stands, Bix is dealing with the death of her romantic partner Timm after a showdown between Cassian Andor and the Preox-Morlana Authority. With a total of 12 episodes for both Season 1 and Season 2, it remains to be seen where Caleen’s story goes from here.

    Andor is currently airing on Disney+ with the fifth episode set to release on Wednesday, October 5.

    Source: Collider

  • Disney Shifts Future Film Slate

    Disney Shifts Future Film Slate

    The wave of Disney pushing back release dates for theatrical projects continues even with the gradual decline of the pandemic. It has officially been revealed that multiple projects are moving around from their initially announced release dates. 

    Most notably, the untitled Marvel Studios film initially scheduled to release on February 16, 2024, has moved back a few months into September 6, 2024. It has yet to be revealed what film would’ve filled this date (especially with the other later releasing 2024 films being revealed earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con), but it has been speculated by some that this would’ve been the date for the Deadpool sequel film in development and apparently nearing the start of production. As well, Haunted Mansion will be moving up from its scheduled August 11, 2023 release to March 10, 2023.

    In addition, Disney has revealed the following release dates for various notable upcoming films in 2024:

    • Pixar’s Elio – March 1, 2024
    • The Rachel Zegler-led Snow White – March 22, 2024
    • Pixar’s Inside Out 2 – June 14, 2024
    • Barry Jenkins’ prequel Mufasa: The Lion King – July 5, 2024

    One point of concern in all these moves comes with the removal of Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron from Disney’s release schedule. The film had previously been earmarked for a December 22, 2023 release, but essentially no updates have been made for the film in an extended period of time. This certainly doesn’t mean that the film is canceled, but it serves as an indicator that the highly anticipated film in the Star Wars franchise is much further away than Lucasfilm had initially planned for.

    Source: Twitter.

  • Jodie Turner-Smith Joins ‘The Acolyte’

    Jodie Turner-Smith Joins ‘The Acolyte’

    Announced during Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, The Acolyte was one of many Star Wars projects that went dark for a while with virtually no updates on the series. That was until it had been announced that Amanda Stenberg was set to lead the cast of the Sith-based prequel series for Disney+ and it looks like the project has secured yet another cast member.

    Deadline is reporting that actress Jodie Turner-Smith, best known for her work in projects like After Yang, Queen and Slim, and Anne Boleyn, has joined the cast of the Disney+ series. The trade report didn’t have any details on who Smith will be playing in the series as details on the project still remain under wraps.

    The series, developed by Netflix’s Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland, is said to take viewers into the last days of the High Republic as the Dark Side grows in power and will follow a young Sith apprentice, known as an Acolyte. The project is reportedly set to begin filming sometime this Fall.

    Fans can most likely expect to hear more on the project at the upcoming D23 expo set for September 9th and 10th where anything and everything under the Disney umbrella will have time to shine during two major Studio Showcase panels.

    Smith can be seen in multiple upcoming projects such as White Noise alongside Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, directed by Noah Baumbach and Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2.

    SOURCE: Deadline

  • John Williams Reveals Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Theme from ‘Indiana Jones 5’ during Concert

    John Williams Reveals Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Theme from ‘Indiana Jones 5’ during Concert

    John Williams has been busy working on the music for Indiana Jones 5, which may be among the final scores he ever produces. It’s fitting given just how involved he was with the original and was just as much an integral part of making the franchise a cult classic. James Mangold is taking over directing duties for the upcoming fifth, and potentially last entry in the franchise. While news building up to D23 is still scarce, Williams has provided a sneak peek of his upcoming score during a concert.

    As shared by Twitter user @Naquicious, it seems that Williams decided to reveal the theme for Phoebe Waller-Bridge‘s character during his latest concert. Not only that, he shares that it was seemingly also coordinated with Mangold. As such, it reveals that the character’s name is Helena and luckily non participants get a chance to listen in.

    https://twitter.com/naquicious/status/1565930404070076417?s=21&t=4fYKA0ll1p6Mz60tQ2DqcQ

    It’s definitely a John Williams score and highlights the gravitas we can expect from his upcoming work. He’s always been on his a-game, as he recently worked with Lucasfilm to give Obi-Wan Kenobi a long overdue theme. The fact he will soon retire is a shame but he’s given some amazing work to the industry and many themes wouldn’t be the same without him. We’ll have to see if we get an updated version of the iconic Indiana Jones theme as well ahead of its release, but with D23 on the horizon, anything is possible.

    Source: Twitter

  • Taika Waititi’s ‘Star Wars’ Film Reportedly Eyeing Early 2023 Production Start

    Taika Waititi’s ‘Star Wars’ Film Reportedly Eyeing Early 2023 Production Start

    There have been many theories on when we’d finally get a new Star Wars film. Lucasfilm has been solely focused on their Disney+ ventures with Andor on the horizon and the recent release of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Patty Jenkin‘s Rogue Squadron was originally going to start filming to release next year, but it looks like Taika Waititi‘s upcoming original film is the one that’ll start production sooner rather than later. In the latest Heat Vision entry for The Hollywood Reporter, they reveal that the film is eyeing a 2023 production start.

    As the piece points out, Waititi has hinted that he’s not quite done with the story and that we may not see it anytime soon, but their sources are pointing out that they’re very likely to start next year. The only thing that could postpone it is Lucasfilm, which has become a bit infamous for how it tackles its film division and has become a reason for pushing out releases.

    Waititi is jumping into his next project quite quickly, but there have been hints that he has another project on the horizon. So, he may once again be overscheduling himself, such as he revealed that he edited Thor: Love and Thunder while still wearing his costume from playing Blackbeard on Our Flag Means Death. So, we’ll see if there will be an official announcement in the near future.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Full Creative Team Assignments Behind ‘Andor’ Revealed

    Full Creative Team Assignments Behind ‘Andor’ Revealed

    With Obi-Wan Kenobi now behind them, Star Wars fans have begun to focus on the next project headed to Disney Plus: Andor. Set to serve as a prequel to the events of Rogue One, the series will follow Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor as he navigates the galaxy in the early days of the Rebellion.

    The first trailer for the 12-episode season got fans stirring about the grungy look of the series and given the time period in which it is set, fans have also had a blast speculating about which characters may show up for a surprise appearance. All those decisions, of course, rest in the hands of the creative team behind the show, and while Tony Gilroy oversaw its development as showrunner and served as one of the writers, he wasn’t alone. Now, thanks to an official release from Disney (via Bespin Bulletin), the full team of writers and directors has been revealed, along with an official synopsis.


    The “Andor” series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

    While the directors and writers of the series have been known for some time, the official release gives us a clear picture of how they split up the 12-part first season.

    Episodes 1-3

    • Written by Tony Gilroy
    • Directed by Toby Haynes

    Episodes 4-6

    • Written by Dan Gilroy
    • Directed by Susanna White

    Episode 7

    • Written by Stephen Schiff
    • Directed by Benjamin Caron

    Episodes 8-10

    • Written by Beau Willimon
    • Directed by Toby Haynes

    Episodes 11 and 12

    • Written by Tony Gilroy
    • Directed by Benjamin Caron

    Taken by groups of episodes, it presents an interesting window into how the series might shape up. While Lucasfilm has done a fine job of using multiple directors on projects so far, it does seem to fall into line that directors get to work through their own stories and, seemingly, work on episodes that play to their strengths. With that in mind, it’s interesting to see Caron listed on Episode 7, but then not return until the final two episodes while Toby Haynes is listed on 1-3 and then returns for 8-10. Something to keep an eye on when the series debuts on August 31st.

    Source: Disney