Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Jason Blum and James Wan in Talks to Merge Production Studios

    Jason Blum and James Wan in Talks to Merge Production Studios

    If there are any names that come to mind in the horror genre business, it’s Jason Blum‘s Blumhouse Studios and James Wan‘s Atomic Monster. Wan has been more on the creative side of the business and made his splash with The Conjuring and Saw franchise. Blumhouse however established itself as a big contender in the small to the medium-sized budget horror scene. With a variety of projects ranging from Halloween Ends, The Black Phone to the first Five Nights at Freddy‘s Adaptation, and even out-there projects like M3GAN. Now, it seems these two powerhouses are set to unite.

    Speaking of the horror film about a strange robot doll, the project seems to be the catalyst as it saw the two producers unite. It does seem like we aren’t merging both projects into one but rather they will act as separate labels that keep their brand identity. They will likely only unite to further push their productions forward and will set Atomic Monster to have a first-look deal with Universal Pictures. It originally had one with Warner Bros. but that expires with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, very likely a sign of what’s to come for the studio given recent developments.

    It’ll certainly be an interesting deal in the film market and could push new projects forward in interesting ways. If they are indeed acting as separate entities, it might mean we’ll see more co-productions moving forward while they still keep a focus on some of their own projects and franchises. In a market filled with major studios, it’s a smart move to keep that independence while also bolstering their standing. So, it seems horror films are definitely not going out of style anytime soon.

    Source: NY Times, THR

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Eyeing Strong $72M+ Second Weekend

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Eyeing Strong $72M+ Second Weekend

    There’s been a lot of debate on the success of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the box office, mostly due to it ending up lower than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Many believed this might be the sign that Marvel won’t have a billion hit this year, but the box office is quite fiscal and there are many more elements at play. All eyes are currently on its second weekend to see how the film holds with a $181M opening weekend, especially after the previous two Marvel Studios releases have hit some sharp drops.

    As of now, it seems that predictions have the film opening to $72M with upwards of $80M also a possibility. Any drop between 55% to 60% would be seen as a major win and a great showcase of that A CinemaScore the film scored in comparison to other Marvel titles of the year. The pandemic hasn’t been kind to most releases and with only a few exceptions really catapulting beyond expectations, mostly Top Gun: Maverick, Marvel has been the most dominant sure-fire opening scorer at the box office.

    The film did end up going lower on Monday than even Thor: Love and Thunder as it pulled in $11M but did tick up to $12.6M on Tuesday. Yet, the film also isn’t a summer release like the previous two Marvel films which makes a world of difference when it comes to its performance during the week. Plus, it’s a much longer film than previous entries which also means fewer available screenings per day playing a key factor in its performance. So, it’s still hard to say how the weekend goes but predictions have been difficult even s the pandemic slowed down, as we’re seeing more variation in how films perform. Even with that, it’s likely to reach $400M worldwide in no time.

    The original Black Panther had a very impressive 44.7% decline and it’s unclear to say this film could do the same. It doesn’t have the coveted A+ CinemaScore its previous iteration had and it also had a smaller opening, not too surprising given the challenges this film had to face and the new release slot. It’s only the seventh film to pass $200M domestically and that is definitely a good sign for Marvel Studios, as it pushed Disney passed $3B total gross for the year, beating last year. With little competition until Avatar: The Way of Water in mid-December, the film could have a chance at proving its legs to at least close in on a billion. If predictions are right, it has a decent chance but anything can change once the weekend rolls around.

    Source: Variety, Deadline, The Numbers (Wakanda Forever), The Numbers (Thor)

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Star Joseph Quinn Joins ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’

    ‘Stranger Things’ Star Joseph Quinn Joins ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’

    Eddie Munson is back to fight more monsters, only this time, he won’t be able to shred on his guitar. Stranger Things breakout star Joseph Quinn has joined the cast of A Quiet Place: Day One, a prequel spin-off to John Krasinski‘s acclaimed horror franchise. He is set to play a leading role opposite Black Panther favorite Lupita Nyong’o, who boarded the project earlier this month. Day One will be directed by Michael Sarnoski, who recently received praise for his indie hit Pig, making it the first entry in the Quiet Place pantheon not to be helmed by Krasinski himself. However, though nothing is publicly known about it’s plot details at this time, the film’s story is reportedly set to be based on an idea from Krasinski that will help set up a full-blown Quiet Place cinematic universe for the future.

    A Quiet Place Part III is also in development, with Krasinski back to direct, but is an entirely separate project from Day One. It is highly unlikely that either Krasinski or fellow franchise star Emily Blunt reprise their roles from previous films, if not completely impossible. For now, fans should find themselves very content with talents like Quinn and Nyong’o leading a new adventure through the horrific silence of the Quiet Place world. This will be the former’s first major role since his Stranger Things character threw him into the international spotlight.

    A Quiet Place: Day One is set to hit theaters on March 8th, 2024. A Quiet Place Part III will follow sometime in 2025.

    Source: Deadline

  • New ‘Alien’ Movie In Development, Eyeing Cailee Spaeny

    New ‘Alien’ Movie In Development, Eyeing Cailee Spaeny

    Game over, man. Game over! The Xenomorphs, a ferocious species of extraterrestrials who have been terrifying audiences since 1979’s Alien, are back. Deadline has revealed a new film in Ridley Scott‘s sci-fi horror franchise is finally in the works, and this time, it will likely star up-and-coming actress Cailee Spaeny. There is next-to-no further information regarding the project, with its plot and placement on the Alien timeline still a mystery. Fede Alverez, known for his work on 2016’s instant thriller classic Don’t Breath and 2013’s Evil Dead remake, will direct the picture with Scott Free Productions on board to produce. Reports claim Scott Free and 20th Century Studios have made this project a top priority after being impressed by a pitch from Alverez, and filming will begin in early 2023.

    Spaeny rose to fame in 2018, with supporting roles in Bad Times at the El Royale, Pacific Rim Uprising, and Vice. She achieved leading status over the past few years, in projects like The Craft: Legacy and How It Ends, before landing the coveted role of Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola‘s upcoming biopic Priscilla. The young performer has also booked a part in Alex Garland‘s next film, Civil War. It’s unknown who Spaeny might be playing in the next Alien film, but Deadline states she’s been the top choice for the lead role for some time. Alverez and 20th Century were reportedly very pleased with Spaeny following several meetings between her and the film’s producers. There is currently no release date for the project.

    Source: Deadline

  • Lionsgate Developing ‘Streets of Rage’ Movie

    Lionsgate Developing ‘Streets of Rage’ Movie

    Lionsgate is developing a Streets of Rage movie. The news comes courtesy of Deadline with the outlet reporting that the studio has set John Wick franchise creator and scribe Derek Kolstad as the film’s writer. News that a Streets of Rage film was in development was first announced in April, although no studio was attached at the time of the announcement.

    “When Dmitri first mentioned the idea of cracking a Streets of Rage movie, I was so immediately freaking in. And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning.”

    Kolstad

    Following the news that Lionsgate has boarded the project, Erin Westerman, President of Production at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said, “The game has a rich world and narrative, and we’re thrilled to be reuniting with Derek to bring it to life.”

    Streets of Rage was a hugely popular video game franchise from Sega in the 90s. Between 1991 and 1994, the franchise released three games, with a fourth game finally being released in 2020. As of now, no further details are known about the project and a director has yet to be announced.

    Brady Fujikawa and Jon Humphrey will head the project for Lionsgate, while Shuji Utsumi and Toru Nakahara will oversee the movie for Sega. Kolstad will produce the movie alongside Sega’s Nakahara, dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Timothy I. Stevenson and Dan Jevons.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Director Christina Choe Set to Helm Margot Robbie’s ‘Pizza Girl’ (Exclusvie)

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Director Christina Choe Set to Helm Margot Robbie’s ‘Pizza Girl’ (Exclusvie)

    Christina Choe, who directed two episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale and two episodes the The Twilight Zone, is set to helm the feature film Pizza Girl, which is being produced by Margot Robbie. Though it was unclear at the time of publication, it is also believed that Robbie will hold down one of the film’s leads. Casting for the film is underway now ahead of a January start of production.

    Pizza Girl will tell the story of a young, expectant mother struggling to come to terms with a multitude of major changes in her life all happening in rapid succession. As her tenuous grip on reality continues to slip, Pizza Girl finds herself obsessed with an older woman who may be played by Robbie. Robbie recently revealed that her planned Pirates of the Caribbean film was no longer in development at Disney.

    Jean Kyoung Frazier, who has just one writing credit for Law & Order: Organized Crime, penned the script for Pizza Girl. Robbie’s husband, Tom Ackerly, will serve as a producer on the project alongside Amy Lo and Steven Rales, who also produced Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, an upcoming film starring Robbie.

  • Dave Bautista’s ‘My Spy 2’ Ready to Roll at Amazon Studios (Exclusive)

    Dave Bautista’s ‘My Spy 2’ Ready to Roll at Amazon Studios (Exclusive)

    Dave Bautista will reunite with co-star Chloe Coleman and writer/director Pete Segal for My Spy 2, a sequel to the surprise 2020 film. The film will be produced by Amazon Studios, which purchased the rights to My Spy in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters across the globe. After a couple of years in development, production is set to begin in February 2023 with shoots planned on location in South Africa and Italy.

    My Spy followed Bautista’s CIA operative JJ’s mission to track uncle of Coleman’s Sophie. Though the nine-year-old Sophie was much more than JJ bargained for, the pair formed a bond and an unlikely alliance. The film ended with JJ living with Sophie and her mother, Kate, played by Parisa Fitz-Henley. Jon and Erich Hoeber, who co-wrote the original film, penned the script for the sequel as well, which looks set to be released on Amazon Prime in late 2023 or early 2024.

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ May Not Release on Disney+ Within the Usual Release Window

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ May Not Release on Disney+ Within the Usual Release Window

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has made quite the splash at the international box office and is a strong contender to potentially pass a billion with some powerful word-of-mouth pushing the project forward. There’s, however, one part that could end up dragging its growth down in the form of the current Disney plan setting each new release to be available on Disney+ within 45 days. Yet, it seems that Wakanda Forever may move away from that current trend.

    While reporting the current box office trends, Deadline shares some details on what we can expect from its theatrical run. They point out that the film isn’t set to release ahead of the holidays, which has been a common move for Disney to get some more momentum for its subscriber growth ahead of the holiday season. Encanto dropped quite quickly on the platform and it seems they have the same plan with Stranger World, which is set to release on November 23rd. Even Eternals found its way shortly after the year started in January.

    Yet, they are opting to potentially not do the same with Wakanda Forever. As such, they may be starting to move away from the 45-day release window that has been set and adapt from film to film. Top Gun: Maverick proved that a longer release window can truly carry a film passed the billion and with some strong word-of-mouth, it would be a shame if Disney got in the way of its own success. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising if they generally start moving away from that and give these films more time to breathe in theaters.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Star Reignites MCU Return Rumors With New Instagram Post

    ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Star Reignites MCU Return Rumors With New Instagram Post

    There’s been a lot of rumors surrounding Marvel Studios’ future projects. Especially the upcoming adaptation of Secret Invasion has been the focus given its topic of exploring a world infiltrated by the Skrull. A story exploring agents trying to figure out if the person next to them can be trusted opens up many possibilities, especially with a project focused on the spy aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Of course, when spies are involved it becomes a hot topic if it also means many more SHIELD agents from the comics could make an appearance. Not just that but also the possibility of seeing actors return from the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., especially Chloe Bennet who played the Marvel character of Daisy Johnson or better known as Quake. Rumors went wild on her potential return to the franchise and a new post may have reignited just that.

    Bennet has taken to her Instagram account and shared a rather simple group of photos. Yet, she seemingly put some daisies in her shoe, which has led to many in the comments believing that she may be subtlety hinting at her potential return to the franchise.

    Of course, it’s not really a confirmation of any kind but it’s definitely a fun little tease by the actress even if it’s simply to pay tribute to the role she played during the Marvel TV era. Whatever may come from it, it definitely may spark some fun in once again revisiting the series and theorizing on how she might arrive in the MCU, which could be similar to how they handled Charlie Cox‘s return as Daredevil.

    Source: Instagram

  • Former X-Men Kelsey Grammer Wants to Return as Beast in the MCU

    Former X-Men Kelsey Grammer Wants to Return as Beast in the MCU

    The moment Marvel Studios unveiled plans for Avengers: Secret Wars, it felt like anything suddenly became possible. The Multiverse Saga was upon us and while we only got a glimpse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, something that seems entirely on purpose in retrospect to build up what is yet to come, it does seem like the perfect way to slowly bring back some iconic stars from Marvel’s cinematic and TV history.

    One of the most hopeful returns has been some of the 20th Century Fox actors, especially from the X-Men franchise. Luckily, it seems that one actor is definitely on board as Kelsey Grammer, who once played Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and gave us quite an iconic incarnation ith very little time on screen. Not only does he want to return but he also makes an ultimatum in an interview with MovieWeb.

    If they don’t ask me to return to the role of Beast, I’ll never go to Disneyland again. I’d love for them to do that. I want to do that.

    Kelsey Grammer

    There’s the possibility that we see this actor return to the role even before Secret Wars; if Marvel Studios even ends up approaching him. Hugh Jackman is already confirmed to take on the role of Wolverine once more in the upcoming Deadpool threequel and they could also reintroduce some familiar faces from the original X-Men franchise. So, we’ll see if he might end up having a role after all.

    Source: MovieWeb