Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Sam Worthington Teases Jake Sully’s Journey in ‘Avatar 2’

    Sam Worthington Teases Jake Sully’s Journey in ‘Avatar 2’

    Avatar: The Way of Water is just around the corner and we’re anxiously waiting for our chance to see what director James Cameron has in store for us. We’ll see the return of franchise stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and more on the big screen, as we venture out into Pandora one more time (and many more trips already planned for the future).

    In the official press event for the Avatar sequel, Sam Worthington got a chance to tease the journey that Jake Sully will go on in Way of Water. The man gave up his humanity to live with the love of its life, Neytiri. Now that he has his newly found family, he’s going to have to face his biggest challenge yet: trying to keep them together.

    Well I think in the first one, you know, he says it in the voice over: “‘Open your eyes.” I think he’s opened his eyes to love, and the love of culture, the love of the planet and the love of Neytiri. I think in this one it’s the natural extension of that, they have a family, and it’s, to be honest, about the protection of that love and that world and that culture. I always saw it as the simplest form, you know, and his, his partner in crime is a very fiery person. He just tries to be the earth, and we just happen to have a lot of water.

    Sam Worthington

    Avatar has always been about love at its core, especially with its environmental message having a strong focus. Now that we’re moving away from the forest, we’re going to see how a new environment affects Jake and his family’s normal life. The trailers also tease that a new conflict is on the horizon, which means that his journey isn’t going to be an easy one.

  • DC Studios Reportedly Considering Battinson as THE Batman in Their New Shared Universe

    DC Studios Reportedly Considering Battinson as THE Batman in Their New Shared Universe

    As James Gunn and Peter Safran continue their transition into the newly incorporated DC Studios, rumors and reports of the inner workings of the new company are all the rave. Last week’s news of Wonder Woman 3 and Man of Steel 2 being on the chopping block is still reverberating throughout Hollywood and now a new report has popped up that might cause an even bigger stir. According to Variety, DC Studios is considering finding a way to tie Matt Reeves‘ The Batman into the new, larger universe they are looking to build.

    The Batman was a financial success for Warner Bros. Discovery in March 2022, raking in $770M, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year despite releasing when audiences weren’t yet completely comfortable returning to theaters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While not necessarily a critical darling, the film was generally well-received by critics and audiences gave it an A- Cinemascore. In the months since its release, a sequel and several spinoffs that look to build out Gotham have been announced. Under the previous regime, it seemed that Reeves’ Gotham-verse was going to be its own, standalone branch, so the news that Gunn and Safran might look to tie their new vision to it is interesting.

    Of course, as Gunn himself said recently, there are more questions than answers about the future of DC Studios at this point. The interest in tying into Reeves’ very successful The Batman is logical as it’s one of the only IPs greenlit under the old regime that seems safe moving forward. On the other hand, there’s the question of just how easily other heroes and other stories might tie into what Reeves has and continues to develop. Until official word comes from Gunn and Safran, we’re all left to debate amongst ourselves.

    Source: Variety

  • Patty Jenkins Clarifies the Status of ‘Rogue Squadron’

    Patty Jenkins Clarifies the Status of ‘Rogue Squadron’

    During Disney’s 2020 Investor Day presentation, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced that Patty Jenkins had signed on to direct Rogue Squadron. At the time, the film was slated for a Christmas 2023 release but following a production delay in 2021, the film was removed from Lucasfilm’s slate in September 2022 leading fans to believe the film had been canceled. Now, in the wake of her departure from Wonder Woman 3, Jenkins has provided some clarity on the development of Rogue Squadron.

    In a statement released through her Twitter account, Jenkins detailed the interconnected nature of her work on Wonder Woman 3 and the production delay on Rogue Squadron. “I originally left Rogue Squadron after a long and productive development process when it became clear it couldn’t happen soon enough and I did not want to delay WW3 any further,” said Jenkins. “When I did, Lucasfilm asked me to consider coming back to RS after WW3, which I was honored to do, so I agreed,” added the director.

    Jenkins continued on to say that while Rogue Squadron has been bumped off the Lucasfilm release slate, the film is still in “active development” and that she is still very much a part of it.

    [Lucasfilm] made a new deal with me. In fact, I am still on [Rogue Sqauadron] and that project has been in active development ever since. I don’t know if it will happen or not. We never do until the development process is complete, but I look forward to its potential ahead.

    Patty Jenkins

    The last bit comes as a bit of a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. As Jenkins points out, the development process doesn’t always end in a film being released so don’t hold your breath waiting for this one to hit theaters.

  • ‘Avatar 2’ Heading for Massive $175M Opening Weekend

    ‘Avatar 2’ Heading for Massive $175M Opening Weekend

    It looks like people are ready to explore Pandora once again, as Avatar: The Way of Water is on its way for a massive $175M opening. Even at its lower end it’ll be at $150M but it’ll definitely be taking its share at the box office normally reserved for superhero tentpoles nowadays. Of course, nostalgia is a big part of selling films nowadays as proven by Top Gun Maverick this year.

    What makes this box office stand out is that it’ll more than double the original’s box office opening of $77M domestically from 2009. That film managed to remain in cinemas as a powerhouse ending on an impressive $760M in the United States even with that strong but not record-shattering opening box office. The question remains if the sequel will have the same legs. As of now, Avatar: The Way of Water already has sold $38M in advance ticket sales which is ahead of Jurassic World Dominion and Top Gun Maverick, but behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    It’s easy to assume that James Cameron has that staying power with any of his film, but at over 3 hours, that’s a big ask of audiences. It’s visuals might make up for that time and there’s no real competition as it wraps up the year but it’s hard to predict nowadays. It could end up having a superhero opening with Top Gun’s legs or simply play similarly to last year’s powerhouse release Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    It’s international opening is also enjoying the addition of China, a market that hasn’t been very welcome throughout the year and has a chance of surpassing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ $449M international opening. As of now, it’s international cume seems to be between $250M to $350M but as we near the weekend we’ll get a better idea of how it’ll perform. China already has $22M pre-sales and could end up at $100M by Sunday even with 33% of cinemas still closed due to COVID.

    Unlike most films of this year though, the weight on this project making around $2 billion is going to weigh on its box office results. With a production budget north of $350M, Cameron and Disney are all-in to make sure this film will be a success. It’s kicked off with 85% on RottenTomatoes with 117 reviews. If audience’s agree, the question is if the film will get the leg-boosting A+ CinemaScore or end up on the lower side of the A Score altogether. For now, we’ll have to see what the rest of the week brings.

    Source: Variety, Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Promises it’ll be “Unique” MCU Entry and “Foul”

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Promises it’ll be “Unique” MCU Entry and “Foul”

    Deadpool is all about his way of never shutting up. Not just that but also in how foul he’s willing to talk about the world he lives in and those stuck in it with him. Luckily, his transition into live-action didn’t stray far from what made him so unique with the fittingly casted Ryan Reynolds selling the perfomance. Yet, the series is about to enter a new dimension with the Marvel Cinematic Universe that mainly plays around in the PG-13 world.

    Many were nervous if they might take away from the series what made it stand out, but even Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige knew early on that not offering an R-rated film would go against the character and franchise. Luckily, director Shawn Levy has that same opinion and is seemingly having a blast exploring every crude way they could write a scene while “writing, rewriting, developing, prepping” Deadpool 3.

    We are writing, rewriting, developing, prepping ‘Deadpool’ every day now. It is such a blast to laugh every day. It is so delicious to hear and write and come up with these scenes where people are just talking foul. And the violence is in your face and hardcore, and it’s very much a ‘Deadpool’ movie. And it has Logan in it. And it has Wolverine in it. It’s too fun. I’m having so much fun, and I haven’t even hit the shooting floor yet. […] I have to say, developing a ‘Deadpool’ movie is one of the most fun creative experiences of my life because it’s not just that it’s rated R. It’s that it’s so filled with self-awareness, and that makes in-writing very, very fun in a way that is unique to that franchise.

    It’s an exciting prospect to see what they can do, especially with how he can technically interact with any character from across Marvel’s cinematic canon; perhaps Spider-Man being the only challenge. Still, with hints at a potential 20th Century reunion and Wolverine confirmed in a major role, we’re definitely in for a wild ride.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Confirms May Production Start, Promises “Raw, Gritty, Grounded” Threequel

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Confirms May Production Start, Promises “Raw, Gritty, Grounded” Threequel

    The first direct sequel to a 20th Century Fox film that’s also set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up with Shawn Levy set to direct the threequel to the R-rated Deadpool film. We still don’t know the exact details to what they have planned besides rumors hinting at other Fox actors making a potential return and Hugh Jackman‘s surprising yet hoped for return as Wolverine. Still, it seems that the wait isn’t going to be much longer until they finally get the camera rolling.

    In an interview with Collider, Levy got a chance to share what they have planned and while confirming it’ll be another CG-heavy production from Marvel Studios and the Deadpool franchise, he does highlight that they aim to keep the “raw, gritty, grounded” ways of the first two. When asked about if the rumors of a potential May production start is true, he goes against Marvel Studios secrecy and pretty much confirms it.

    On or about. Yep. The truth is the more digitally CG-heavy a movie is, the longer time you need in post. But obviously it’s the first Deadpool movie in the MCU. There’s going to be no lack of visual effects. But it’s also a North Star priority for Ryan and I to keep Deadpool raw, gritty, grounded in the ways that those movies have been and that all of us love.

    Shawn Lefy

    It’s definitely interesting for anyone involved with a Marvel project to speak so openly, but it’s a welcome change. May gives us a good head start on when we’ll have to keep an eye out for when we can keep an eye out for set photos from the Deadpool threequel.

    Source: Collider

  • John Krasinski Turns the Page on Mr. Fantastic

    John Krasinski Turns the Page on Mr. Fantastic

    From the moment Kevin Feige announced Marvel Studios Fantastic Four film at SDCC ’19, fans had John Krasinski at the top of their lists to play Reed Richards. Fantasy became reality when the actor cameoed as the Reed Richards of Earth-383 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, giving fans a little taste of a very Hickman-esque version of the character. Richards was quickly and grotesquely dispatched by the Scarlet Witch but as time has gone on without a new actor being cast for the 2025 film, fans have held out hope that Krasinski’s Reed being turned to spaghetti won’t be the lasting image. According to Krasinski, it might be time to turn the page.

    While promoting Season 3 of Amazon’s Jack Ryan, Krasinski tried his best to put the rumors of his return as Reed to bed. “There aren’t any discussions at all,” said Krasinski of returning to the role. “The only discussion I had was actually in the second-to-last week of ‘Jack Ryan. Kevin Feige called and said would you ever fly to L.A. and play in our sandbox for a day?“, reaffirming reports that the cameo was a last-minute arrangement. “I was honored to do it,” he said, “I flew right from Budapest when we wrapped and went right to the ‘Doctor Strange’ set. I’m a big fan of all those characters and that world, so to get to play in that sandbox for one day was a real thrill.“

    Of course, there’s always the chance that Krasinski has joined the long and distinguished list of actors who have lied through their teeth to keep their Marvel Studios’ role a secret. And with time travel and Multiversal hijinks on the menu, there’s always a possibility that Krasinski does return to the role even if not as the 616 Reed. But for now, it seems pretty reasonable to assume that Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman will have some voice in who eventually ends up playing Mister Fantastic when the film hits theaters on Valentines’ Day 2025.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes One of Spidey’s Most Ridiculous Suits

    ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes One of Spidey’s Most Ridiculous Suits

    The new trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse revealed a whole mess of Spidey Variants all suited up in their own versions of Spidey suits. Some of those are more recognizable than others, but one stands out because of its absurd nature and its origin in the comics.

    There’s a lot going on in the trailer so you’d be excused if you missed it, but the Bombastic Bag-Man suit makes not one but two appearances during the scenes taking place what seems like a multiversal hub.

    Peter has donned the Bombastic Bag-Man suit a few times in the comics and the story behind it is just as silly as you might think. The first time Pete put the paper bag mask on his head was in Amazing Spider-Man #258 when he had to borrow a spare Fantastic Four costume and became The Amazing Bag-Man. Years later, Black Cat stole his suit while he was in the hospital, forcing Peter to use a paper bag to escape as The Bombastic Bag-Man.

    There are certainly plenty of other interesting looking suits in the trailer, but this one is sure to have hardcore comic fans smiling as they see it on screen.

  • ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Film Looks Set to Obliterate the Foundations of the Marvel Universe

    ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Film Looks Set to Obliterate the Foundations of the Marvel Universe

    Director Shawn Levy has forged a fascinating relationship with Ryan Reynolds over the past few years. The two paired up for Disney and 20th Century Studios Free Guy in 2021 and then again in Netflix’s The Adam Project in early 2022. Now the duo is back together for Marvel Studios’ upcoming and still untitled Deadpool and Wolverine film, which is slated for a November 8, 2024 release. Production on that film is slated to kick off next year, meaning Levy and Reynolds still to spice it up and according to Levy, it already sounds pretty spicy.

    In an interview with SYFY Wire, Levy talked about being the guy to finally bring Deadpool and Wolverine together on screen and the potential of the film.

    I’ll just say that to be developing and prepping this movie that has this iconic duo together in an entire movie for the first time — a pairing between Hugh and Ryan, Wolverine and Deadpool. [It’s] very much a pairing that the world has waited for for over a decade, [and] I’m the lucky son of a bitch who gets to tell a story about that pair. The potential is so rich and every day that we work on the screenplay, there are ideas that we didn’t anticipate that appear because you’re talking about the ultimate Marvel icon and the ultimate Marvel iconoclast.

    Shawn Levy

    The Emmy-nominated Levy, who also has work to do on Season 5 of Stranger Things and has a Star Wars film coming up, is sharp and seems to choose his words carefully in interviews. In that sense, choosing to refer to Deadpool as an “iconoclast” should be of note. One popular theory about the third film in the Deadpool series is that it will see Wade and Logan traveling the Multiverse to “kill off” prior iterations of the Fantastic Four, X-Men and other characters from properties made under the Fox banner. If that is in fact the premise of the film, it would see Deadpool destroying the “iconography” of those non-Marvel Studios Marvel properties, putting him firmly in the category of “iconoclast.” So while superficially Levy may not have had much to say, reading between the lines a bit might give a little better impression of what to expect from the project..

    Source: SYFY Wire

  • Dwayne Johnson’s Team Reportedly Leaked the ‘Black Adam’ Profit Report Based on “False Assumptions”

    Dwayne Johnson’s Team Reportedly Leaked the ‘Black Adam’ Profit Report Based on “False Assumptions”

    Who would’ve ever guessed that the profitability of Dwayne Johnson‘s Black Adam may end in a big controversy. A first report dropped pointing to the film potentially losing around $50M to even $100M, rivaling Strange World‘s reported losses at the box office. Yet, a sudden article by Deadline dropped revealing that the film will turn a profit of around $52M to even $72M. Johnson even went out of his way to post a tweet that they he was waiting “to confirm with financiers” ahead of sharing the news.

    Now, while some latched unto this news as a confirmation, it did raise many eyebrows. Not only did he compare the film’s box office to Captain America: The First Avenger from 2011 with a much lower budget, but the profits shared include everything beyond its pure box office income. Not only did it include the VOD and Blu-ray revenue streams, but even a payment for its release on HBO Max, an in-house streaming service.

    Now, Puck’s Matt Beloni, who has shared quite a few stories in the past, revealed that according to “several Warners executives” the numbers are based on “false assumptions” and were purposefully leaked by Team Dwayne Johnson. The actor’s tweet seemingly adding to the accusations and added some doubt of the film making the revenue it projected for its home release. He does go on to state that “nearly all movies of this size will ultimately pencil out” but does point that this doesn’t mean they’ll just move forward with the franchise. Some profits are better than others.

    There are already reports that we won’t be seeing a sequel to Black Adam, but there’s also the factor of the newly formed DC Studios mapping out the next ten years that may or may not include whatever Dwayne Johnson has set out for himself in the franchise. He’s no stranger to wanting to create his own roadmap and get his way but we’ll have to see if DC’s future has any plans for Black Adam moving forward. Going over Warner Bros. heads might not have left a good impression if this report turns out to be true.

    Source: Deadline, Variety, Twitter, Puck via The Direct