Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Kurt Johnstad to Pen ‘Prophet’ Adaptation

    Kurt Johnstad to Pen ‘Prophet’ Adaptation

    Studio8 has set Kurt Johnstad to pen the screenplay for its adaptation of the Image Comics title, Prophet. The film is based on the comic book title of the same name by Rob Liefeld, who co-created the Marvel Comics character Deadpool. The news was announced on Friday by The Hollywood Reporter. The film is set to star Jake Gyllenhaal with Extraction filmmaker Sam Hargrave on board to direct.

    Johnstad takes over for writer Marc Guggenheim who wrote the original draft of the screenplay. Johnstad is perhaps best known for writing the Zack Snyder film adaption of 300, which was based on the Frank Miller comic series. He also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation of The Coldest City titled Atomic Blonde. His most recent project was Snyder’s science-fiction epic, Rebel Moon, which is now in production.

    In the original comics, Prophet centered on John Prophet, a man who is conscripted by Germans near the end of World War II and soon finds himself subjected to scientific experiments that gave him superhuman strength. In the movie, though, it’ll focus on “a man who volunteers for a German experiment near the end of World War II in order to feed his family.” As of now, Prophet does not have a release date.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Black Adam’ Cinemascore Revealed

    ‘Black Adam’ Cinemascore Revealed

    If you haven’t heard, the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change. Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam finally hit theaters after 15 years in development and while its reaction with critics has been mixed, that doesn’t seem to be the case with fans. Following its Thursday and Friday night showings, the superhero film is boasting some pretty impressive fan metrics.

    Cinemascore, which polls movie audiences following their opening night experiences, has reported a B+ score for Black Adam while Rotten Tomatoes audience score is at an 89%, which is a stark contrast to the “rotten” 42% critics’ score. While we wait for Friday’s official box office numbers to come in (the film made $7.6M during its Thursday night preview screenings), it’s clear that audiences are enjoying the action-packed film.

    The B+ Cinemascore for Black Adam is very much in line with the last two theatrical releases for Warner Bros. DC films. Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which opened in March of 2022, was given an A- Cinemascore by moviegoers and James Gunn’s 2021 The Suicide Squad received the same B+ Cinemascore as Black Adam. Fans who enjoyed the direction of those projects have quite a bit to look forward to as a Black Adam sequel is expected to happen fairly quickly, Reeves is developing a whole universe of Gotham-based projects and Gunn has at least one new DC trick up his sleeve.

    Read our full review of Black Adam here.

  • ‘Aquaman and the Lost City’ Writer to Pen ‘The Conjuring 4’

    ‘Aquaman and the Lost City’ Writer to Pen ‘The Conjuring 4’

    A fourth Conjuring movie is officially in the works. The news was announced by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday with the outlet revealing David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick has signed on to pen the screenplay. James Wan and Peter Safran will return to produce the fourth film. The duo is also producing The Nun 2, which is now in production, a sequel to The Nun and a spinoff from the Conjuring franchise.

    This will be a return to the franchise for Johnson-McGoldrick who previously penned the screenplays for both The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. The latter film proved to be a huge success, having opened at number one last year and went on to earn $206 million at the worldwide box office. Like the other Conjuring movies, the films are based on the real-life case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Details regarding the case being explored in The Conjuring 4 are currently unknown.

    Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have starred in all three Conjuring films to date, are expected to return for The Conjuring 4. However, as it stands, no deals are in place for their return.

    Johnson-McGoldrick has penned a lot of big-budget films for Warner Bros. Along with working on The Conjuring franchise previously, he has also penned titles like Aquaman and its sequel Aquaman and the Lost City. He’s also been brought on to pen the sequel to The Flash, which doesn’t even hit theaters until June 2023.

    As of now, The Conjuring 4 does not have a release date.

    Source: THR.

  • Thursday Previews Box Office for ‘Black Adam’ Hint at a Disappointing Opening Weekend

    Thursday Previews Box Office for ‘Black Adam’ Hint at a Disappointing Opening Weekend

    Black Adam’s projected opening weekend domestic box office numbers continue along a disappointing downward trend. Dwayne Johnson’s anti-hero film, which has been in development for 15 years, was originally predicted to pull in $65M+ with some estimates as high as $75-80M. Now, after the numbers from the Thursday previews have arrived, it looks like it would take a pretty serious course correction to get to $60M.

    Gitesh Pandya of Box Office Guru shared the official box office take from Thursday’s showings which came in just under $8M.

    As Pandya points out, the Tom Hardy-led Venom films took in $10M and $11.6M, respectively, ahead of $80M and $90M opening weekends. DC’s last theatrical release, The Batman, opened to $134M when it opened in March of 2022.

    As of now, it looks like Black Adam’s box office has fallen victim to mixed reviews from the initial wave or critics who screened the film ahead of its wide release. Given Johnson’s star power and the less-than-secret return of Henry Cavill as Superman in a post-credit scene, it’s likely that DC Films was hoping the film would open between $80-100M. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set to follow Black Adam into theaters in just three weeks, it’s unlikely the latter will have legs making the first two weekends more significant than normal.

  • Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy Timeline Remains a Mystery

    Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy Timeline Remains a Mystery

    Rian Johnson made one of the most divisive projects in the history of Star Wars in 2017’s The Last Jedi. Even so, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy signed Johnson to a deal that allowed him to create a trilogy of films that would exist outside the Skywalker saga and explore all new parts of the galaxy. Even as Lucasfilm continues to develop and produce new projects for Disney Plus and plan new theatrical releases, any advancement on Johnson’s trilogy has stayed out of the news.

    Johnson has stayed plenty busy, writing and directing 2019’s Knives Out and its sequel, The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which will premiere on Netflix this December. In speaking with Variety, it seems clear that developing more stories around Knives Out star Daniel Craig’s clever detective Benoit Blanc is his top priority.

    If each one of these [Knives Out sequels] can really be what Agatha Christie did, if it can be not just in a totally new location and a new cast, but also trying something exciting, I’ll keep doing it as long as Daniel [Craig] and I are having a good time. I’ll keep making these as long as they let me.

    Rian Johnson

    If the Knives Out franchise is at the forefront of Johnson’s work, where does that leave Star Wars? Lucasfilm has untitled Star Wars releases scheduled for 2025 and 2027, but it doesn’t sound like fans should expect either of those to be one of Johnson’s projects. When asked when fans could expect to see his Star Wars trilogy take off, the writer/director was pretty candid about the prospects.

    I have talked to [Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy] about it and we’re still talking about it. I had such an amazing experience making The Last Jedi. It’s entirely a matter of scheduling. For me, putting this [Glass Onion] out and making the next one of these [Knives Out sequels]…the answer is I don’t know.

    Rian Johnson

    When pushed a bit further by Variety about whether or not the trilogy will happen at all, Johnson simply said, “God I hope so.“

    Not exactly a vote of confidence by Johnson, but it isn’t a death knell either. While Johnson’s Star Wars films may never hit the screen, Lucasfilm seems to have found its sweet spot on Disney Plus, giving fans plenty of Star Wars content to look forward to for years to come.

    Source: Variety

  • SPOILERS: Dwayne Johnson Discusses a Major DC Cameo in ‘Black Adam’

    SPOILERS: Dwayne Johnson Discusses a Major DC Cameo in ‘Black Adam’

    If you somehow haven’t heard just yet (that’d be pretty impressive because Dwayne Johnson’s been shouting it from the rooftops every chance he’s had), turn back now and give yourself a chance to be surprised.

    While post-credit scenes have come to be known as a Marvel Studios tradition, they certainly didn’t invent them and no matter what studio uses them, they often serve as less of a promise and more a tease of potential future ideas. To that end, Johnson and the leadership of Seven Bucks Productions have given DC fans an epic tease that, for the time being, comes without a promise as DC Films looks for new leadership. After years away from the role, Henry Cavill returns to the DC Universe as Superman in Black Adam.

    How The Rock Got His Supes Back

    While the future for Cavill’s Kal-El is just starting to unfold, his return has proven exciting for fans and Johnson took the time to explain how it came about while talking with ComicBook.com:

    Well, I’ve known Henry for a long time. We’re buddies. My longtime business partner, Dany Garcia, she has been a big advocate for Henry. She’s managed Henry’s career over the years. It came down to, dude, we love Superman. There is new leadership about to happen in Warner Brothers. Here’s an opportunity. On our end of Black Adam, we will do everything we can to pay homage and respect to the mythology of Black Adam and build him as being the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet. And if we do our job right, at the end of the movie, then in comes not only the most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire universe in Superman, but also the one that the fans want.

    Dwayne Johnson

    Even in the world of superhero films, it turns out it’s who you know. Johnson continued to discuss Cavill’s return and the part that fans of the DC Universe had in making it happen.

    And that’s the difference. And that’s the new era I’m talking about. This new era in the DC universe is we listen, man. We listen to the fans. We may not be able to do every single thing that they want, but they’re going to know that they’re not ignored because they’ve been ignored for so long. But we’re going to listen to them, man.

    Dwayen Johnson

    Of course just having Johnson and the fans willing to make it happen would have meant nothing had Cavill not wanted to return as the Big Blue Boy Scout. Thankfully he did, because according to Johnson, there’s nobody better for the role.

    So in presenting that to Henry, he also… Man, when it comes to Superman, I don’t know if there’s any other person on the planet who loves and embodies the mythology, the ethos, and everything of Superman than Henry. And so I’m so happy that it all came together. I’m so happy the fans are losing their minds over it. And I’m so happy that there is a new shift in this DC universe. And Superman is back.

    Dwayne Johnson

    What’s Next for Superman and Black Adam

    The post-credit scene simply introduces the two characters to one another and while tensions seem high, there’s no battle of the titans. According to Black Adam producer Hiram Garcia, that’s all the production team ever hoped to accomplish, leaving plenty of room to develop “great stories” coming out of the meeting.

    What we really want to establish is that Superman exists in the same world as Black Adam. Both those guys exist in the same universe and that’s important for us. It’s in the universe where our JSA is and so forth, but we really wanted the world to know that these guys are going to cross paths. How we do it we’re still working on it, we don’t want to give that away, I will say that it’s much bigger than what people think. We want to do long-form storytelling, we’re not looking for a quick one-off or something like that. These guys exist in the same universe and there’s a lot of fun to be had when you have basically the two most powerful beings in the universe on opposite sides, but also have some very interesting similarities to them. For us there’s a lot of opportunities to tell some great stories around (that).

    Hiram Garcia

    As the film’s first weekend unfolds, it’ll be worth tracking how fans across the world respond to Cavill’s return. The actor has had a lengthy break from the role and recent rumors had him being courted by Marvel Studios for a major role in their DC Universe. However, now that he’s back, a Man of Steel sequel is in development and a Black Adam sequel isn’t too far off, there might be plenty of chances to see Superman and Teth-Adam duke it out in the near future.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Brandon Perea Interested in Portraying Human Torch in ‘Fantastic Four’

    Brandon Perea Interested in Portraying Human Torch in ‘Fantastic Four’

    Following his breakout performance in Jordan Peele’s thriller Nope, Brandon Perea has his hopes set on joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor hasn’t been quiet on social media or in interviews about wanting to join one of the most successful film franchises in history. While discussing the topic with Comicbook.com, Perea played it coy about if has met with Marvel Studios and his hopes on being part of the franchise.

    If I did, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it anyway. And if anything, I’ve learned from other people’s mistakes in the Marvel Universe of letting things out. Even with this, I’ve learned so much from Nope, of there’s a laser on your forehead at all times when it comes to revealing things. I’d say this: I’ve put it out there in the universe, we’ll see what happens. I’ve been keeping my eyes out of what fans are saying of those universes, as well, of what they attract to, what they would like, and yeah, it’s cool to just get that input.

    Brandon Perea

    It certainly is an interesting strategy to follow if putting the interest out into the ether will be fruitful for the young actor. While Perea has listed a wide variety of roles he’d be interested in playing previously, one has very quickly become a standout for him in his self-fancast.

    Well, the thing I’ve been intrigued in recently, and I didn’t even bring this idea up, I started seeing it from fan casting. Johnny Storm, man. That was something that was very intriguing. I think my performance in Nope really highlights that. I’d have to bring some more swagger into it for sure for that Johnny Storm, but to be able to sit across from Tom Holland or something, like that best friend feel, I think, well, especially after watching the latest Spider-Man, we’d knock some scenes out of the park, man. It’d be so fun and it’d be a blessing.

    Brandon Perea

    Joining the cast of Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four is definitely going to be a top prize for Hollywood in the coming year. Casting rumors are already abound with the recent revelation that star actor Adam Driver has met with Marvel Studios to discuss portraying an undisclosed role for the film (assumedly either Mister Fantastic or Doctor Doom). Perea certainly fits a strong age range for the character of Human Torch, especially if they want to have him be a contemporary to Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With more acting credits under his name, there could be a strong case for Perea to ultimately portray one of the most exciting characters in Marvel history. Ultimately though, it will likely be a while before any concrete news on casting Marvel’s First Family with production not set to begin until the Fall of 2023.

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • Turnaround to the ‘Black Adam’ Sequel “Will Be Fast”

    Turnaround to the ‘Black Adam’ Sequel “Will Be Fast”

    Black Adam hasn’t even fully opened in theaters across North America yet, but two of the DC Comics’ film’s producers already have their sights set on getting the sequel in theaters. Hiram Garcia, President of Production of Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn, who has worked as a producer on Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson’s films dating back to 2012’s Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, are ready to get to work on a follow-up.

    Speaking to Comic Book about the timeline for a potential sequel, Garcia said, “It’s not going to take that long. I can promise you that. We always hope the first domino’s the easy one. We’ll get cooking on it fast, that’s for sure.” As is often the case, it’s possible that plenty of ideas were tossed around for a sequel during development and production on the first film. Johnson is keen on seeing his character square off with Henry Cavill’s Superman, so keen in fact that he chose to spoil the character’s post-credit scene appearance a week before the film premiered.

    Whether the script features Superman, Shazam or something else entirely, Flynn backed up Garcia’s promise. “Don’t worry. This one will be fast,” said Flynn. “We will open up the magic wagon, we’ll have the script ready, pretty fast,” added the producer. Of course, a script doesn’t necessarily mean the film will be given the green light by Warner Bros. The company is still searching for a new figure atop DC Films following the exit of Walter Hamada and the projected box office for Black Adam slipped a bit this past week following a mixed reaction in its initial wave of reviews. However, with Johnson leading the charge to make Black Adam a key character in the future of the DC Universe, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be denied a sequel.

    Black Adam is now in theaters.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Adam Driver Rumored To Have Met Marvel Studios for ‘Fantastic Four’

    Adam Driver Rumored To Have Met Marvel Studios for ‘Fantastic Four’

    With a new director and a writing team, Marvel Studios is beginning to make moves on their long-awaited Fantastic Four film. Announced at SDCC ’19, Fantastic Four has been delayed by the departure of original director Jon Watts and was recently bumped into 2025 as part of a slate-wide reshuffle. However, with things looking settled in, they’ve begun the search for a cast and with the onset of casting comes a fascinating new rumor.

    According to the Hot Mic podcast, Adam Driver may have previously met with Marvel Studios for an unknown role in the film a few months ago. The 38-year-old actor has taken a bit of a break from Hollywood tentpoles after holding down the role of Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy but has continued to build a strong resume, including garnering a second Academy Award nomination for his role in a Marriage Story.

    Though the rumor doesn’t attach Driver to a specific role, thoughts immediately turn to Driver taking on the role of Victor Von Doom. While there’s plenty of interest in who Marvel will cast as the First Family, Doom may be the biggest role in the history of the studio. One of Marvel’s richest and most complex characters, Doom should have a major role in the next decade of the MCU, potentially making it attractive to a star like Driver while also tempting Marvel to look for known quantities.

    Of course, until there’s official word from Marvel Studios, there’s no reason to get too attached to anyone associated with the role of Doom or any other. Sneider himself has said the tip was from an unproven source. Marvel Studios, under the leadership of long-time casting director Sarah Finn, has rarely missed on these type of major castings in part because they tend to take their time. Fans should expect that to be the case again here, as production on Fantastic Four isn’t expected to kick off until the second half of 2023.

  • Barry Keoghan Hasn’t Heard of Any Future ‘Eternals’ Plans

    Barry Keoghan Hasn’t Heard of Any Future ‘Eternals’ Plans

    As we near the first anniversary of Eternals’ theatrical release, there remains no word on what the future of the franchise is. And based on the words of Barry Keoghan (who starred as Druig in the film), the stars of the original film don’t know either. While discussing his upcoming role in The Banshees of Inisherin with Uproxx, the actor spoke about how he hasn’t heard anything about his future with Marvel Studios and who he’s relied on to keep up to date with this sort of news.

    Kumail (Nanjiani) is always the one I’m texting. I’m like, “Yo, have you heard anything on Eternals 2?” Kumail knows everything. You know what I mean? He loves comic books. The comic world…I’m always texting him like about San Diego Comic-Con. I’m like, “Hey, are we going to San Diego for Eternals?” but I’d love to see where it goes. I really would.

    Barry Keoghan

    Eternals was one of the few notable Marvel franchises that did not have any news come out of San Diego Comic-Con or the immediate following weeks. Based on the ever-dwindling amount of open slots within the Multiverse Saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it could end up being a while before the team returns to screens. And with that, Barry Keoghan has expressed curiosity in terms of where the story will go next.

    There’s a lot that we could dive into and there’s a lot of character stories that we can go with and that as well. So I will be curious to see where Kevin (Feige), Victoria Alonso, and they all take it.

    Barry Keoghan

    When speaking about the specific process of making the first Eternals film, Keoghan gave high praise to director Chloe Zhao and how she helmed the film. As well, he brings up his desire to work with Zhao again for a future project.

    It was shot and made, you really get, with the characters, it sort of felt like an independent movie at some points as well. But she’s amazing. Chloé, she’s another great one I would work with. At the drop of a hat again.

    Barry Keoghan

    Ultimately though, it still remains unclear when the Eternals will return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One potential sign of hope comes from a few months ago when post-credit scene actor Patton Oswalt seemingly confirmed on the Today Show that a sequel being helmed by Chloe Zhao was in active development. It remains to be seen if this was something the actor spoke too soon about, but there in theory is certainly room in the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe for the ancient deities to have an active presence in some form.

    Source: Uproxx