Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Blade,’ ‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Secret Wars,’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ Get New Release Dates

    ‘Blade,’ ‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Secret Wars,’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ Get New Release Dates

    Following the news that Marvel Studios would be halting production on Blade, the Walt Disney Company has confirmed new Blade has been pushed to 2024. Unsurprisingly, this move has also resulted in shifts for other Marvel Studios titles including Deadpool 3, Avengers: Secret Wars, Fantastic Four, and two untitled Marvel films.

    Blade, previously dated for Nov. 3rd, 2023, has moved to Sept. 6, 2024. While Deadpool 3, which only announced its release date a couple of weeks ago, has now moved from Sept. 6, 2024 to Nov. 8th, 2024. Fantastic Four, previously set for Nov. 8th, 2024 has now moved to Feb. 14th, 2025. Avengers: Secret Wars is now moving to May 1st, 2026 from Feb. 14th, 2025, while two other Untitled Marvel Studios films have also been bumped. One of those movies has moved from Feb. 14th, 2025 to Nov. 7th, 2025, while the other set for May 1st, 2026 has been removed from the schedule altogether.

    It remains to be seen what the untitled film was that was ultimately shelved, but the massive date change is to be expected. With Secret Wars now delayed until Feb. 2025, there is no longer just six months between The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. While Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is attached to helm the former, the latter is still on the hunt for a director.

  • First Look at Matilda Lutz in ‘Red Sonja’

    First Look at Matilda Lutz in ‘Red Sonja’

    Production is currently underway on Millennium Media’s Red Sonja at the Bulgarian Nu Boyana Studio, and the studio has unveiled an official first look at Matilda Lutz (Revenge, Rings) as the titular character, which can be viewed below. Production is expected to move to the Greek Nu Boyana Studio later in the month.

    Lutz can be seen sporting the character’s iconic red locks and armor as she holds her sword over her shoulder.

    Red Sonja is based on the comic book of the same name from Dynamite Entertainment. Hannah John Kamen (Killjoys) was initially set to star in the film but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.

    Starring alongside Lutz in the film are Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan as Draygan, Michael Bisping as Hawk, Martyn Ford as General Karlak, Eliza Matengu as Amarak, Manal El-Feitury, Katrina Durden and Oliver Trevena. M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) is directing the film from a screenplay penned by Joey Soloway (Transparent) and Tasha Huo (Netflix’s Tomb Raider).

    As of now, the film does not have a set release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Rosaline:’ Kaitlyn Dever on How She Shaped Her Role

    ‘Rosaline:’ Kaitlyn Dever on How She Shaped Her Role

    William Shakespeare‘s story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, is widely known across the world. What some people might not know, though, was that in the original story, there was another person Romeo loved before Juliet – that person was none other than Rosaline. For leading lady Kaitlyn Dever, who takes on the role of Rosaline for the Hulu film, getting to know Rosaline from Shakespeare’s story was an important step in preparing for the role.

    During the virtual press conference for the movie, Dever explained that Rosaline’s limited role in the original story actually made it easier for her to develop the character. “She is mentioned in Romeo and Juliet. But she’s a very, very, very small role in the story,” Dever explained. “And so, because of that, it was actually a really exciting prospect because you can kind of do anything and everything you want to, and the character that I sort of created with Karen was kind of something that we just felt like you could go for it in so many ways.”

    Dever continued, noting that she had a ton of fun with the character. She got to enjoy her determination and fearlessness, while also having the chance to be more comedic in her delivery at times. “I just appreciated and admired her, you know, determination and her fearlessness and her drive. The writing is so brilliant,” she said. “It was really easy to kind of go there. But, I mean, it was so easy to just have the most fun and just be sort of outrageous sometimes, and sarcastic and comedic with this whole cast. It was really, really fun.”

    One of the things Dever, as well as the rest of the cast, had to be careful with was how far they were willing to take things. As the actress explained, it was all about balance because of the fact that Rosaline is “a lot.” Thankfully, director Karen Maine was there to help guide them all.

    I feel like it was always kind of, we were always exploring that and those tones.  And sort of, I feel like some days I was like, “Yeah, that was a lot.”  And Rosaline is a lot sometimes.  And that’s what’s so much fun about her in playing her. But I think you never really know, but I think, yeah, we did have, you know, Karen there as a constant guide. And she’s so good with direction and sort of allowing us to feel free in that.

    Dever

    Rosaline will premiere on Hulu this Friday, Oct. 14th, 2022.

  • Marvel Studios Halting ‘Blade’ as Director Search Continues

    Marvel Studios Halting ‘Blade’ as Director Search Continues

    Marvel Studios is reportedly halting Blade, at least temporarily, as it continues its search for a new director. The news comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, with the outlet reporting the decision was made in order to further develop the movie and continue the search for a new director. The movie was expected to enter production in November. The crew is said to have been notified today that the production is temporarily shutting down.

    Bassim Tariq was originally set to direct the film starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, however, Tariq left the project a little over two weeks ago. With the production currently shutting down, it seems doubtful it’ll make the previously announced release date of Nov. 3rd, 2023. Marvel Studios is said to be keen to get the movie “right,” and Ali has been heavily involved in the creative decisions on the film with the actor reportedly having had say in hiring Tariq in the beginning.

    Following Tariq’s exit, it was revealed that Beau DeMayo had signed on to rework the script. With DeMayo’s hiring, it was expected that Marvel Studios would quickly fill the director position (ala Ant-Man), but instead, the studio has opted to slow down to “deepen the search” for a new director, while also ensuring they took time to further strengthen the movie.

    Blade was first announced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in 2019 when Ali was brought on stage to reveal the project was in development.

    Source: THR.

  • Dwayne Johnson Promises a Major Showdown Ahead in the DC Universe

    Dwayne Johnson Promises a Major Showdown Ahead in the DC Universe

    It’s been said so much that it’s become a meme: the hierarchy of power in the DC Unvierse is changing. In just a couple of weeks, fans will see for themselves what Dwayne Johnson has been teasing when Black Adam hits theaters. Johnson has called the long-gestating project the “hardest undertaking of [his] entire career physically & mentally” and has maintained his passion for bringing the character to the screen for the better part of a decade.

    With the future of the DC Universe uncertain in the wake of massive ongoing changes at WB, it’s safe to say that all eyes will be on the box office performance of Black Adam as WB decides just what the future holds. While the execs might be debating what’s next, Johnson is pretty bullish on what he thinks needs to happen and, in an interview with CinemBlend, he made it very clear: Black Adam vs. Superman. When asked if he intends for the two titans to go toe-to-toe on screen, Johnson held nothing back, saying, “Absolutely. That is the whole point of this man. Thank you for asking that.“

    Johnson continued on, giving some insight into what the new DC era he’ been talking about really means

    And I have been saying for some time, there’s a new era in the DC Universe that’s about to begin. And what I meant by that was introducing a brand new character. It’s not a sequel, not an existing IP. It was…you know, Black Adam! Two years ago the world had no idea who he was. We did, but not, you know, the rest of the mass out there. Introducing the JSA, introducing that new era of the DC universe.

    Dwayne Johson

    According to Johson, however, the new era isn’t just about introducing new characters. It’s also about giving the fans what they want, including more Superman.

    But also what I really meant by, ‘This is a new era in the DC Universe,’ is listening to the fans. Listening to the fans. And doing our best to give the fans what they want. And maybe, sometime down the road — and I went through this in pro wrestling — is you can’t always give them what you want. But you’ll always know that we’re listening. And in this case, with what you and I are talking about, I have been listening and I’ve been wanting to address fans for years. Because I’ve been waiting for someone to step up and address the fans and say, ‘Hey, we hear you.’ So finally, after many months turned into many years, we ended up with what we ended up at. And the whole goal and intention now is to this new era, new time. Now let’s build out.

    Dwayne Johnson

    Rumors continue to proliferate that Henry Cavill’s Kal-El makes an appearance in Black Adam, but it sounds as though Johnson has more than just a brief meeting between the two in mind. While everyone is waiting for the Shazam/Black Adam movie, it seems Johnson has other plans.

    Source: CinemaBlend

  • New Character Posters Released for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    New Character Posters Released for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    With a month until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters, Marvel Studios has unveiled a slew of new character posters for the film. The posters, as shown below, feature Michaela Coel (Aneka), Alex Livinalli (Attuma), Florence Kasumba (Ayo), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Tenoch Huerta (Namor), Mabel Cadena (Namora), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda), Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams), Martin Freeman (Everett Ross) and Letitia Wright (Shuri).

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. © 2022 MARVEL.

    Along with the posters, Marvel Studios released a brand new featurette for the movie featuring director Ryan Coogler, Nyong’o, Wright, and Huerta.

    In the film, Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. When Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, alerts them to a global threat and his disturbing plan to thwart it, the Wakandans band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

    Tickets for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are on sale now. The movie will hit theaters on Nov. 11th, 2022.

  • Hercule Poirot Returns! ‘A Death on the Nile’ Sequel Adds Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh And Many More

    Hercule Poirot Returns! ‘A Death on the Nile’ Sequel Adds Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh And Many More

    While the last adaptation of Agatha Christie‘s iconic A Death on the Nile had a rough release in the middle of the pandemic, it looks like the 20th Century is still not quite done yet with Kenneth Branagh‘s take on Hercule Poirot. In a new press release, they have unveiled that their next adaptation will be A Haunting in Venice inspired by Christie‘s Hallowe’en Party which will start production in a month.

    Branagh returns in the director’s chair for the latest entry, which will add quite the cast once again. Tina Fay, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Kelly Reilly, Emma Laird, Riccardo Scamarico, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dorman, and Michelle Yeoh have joined the cast, which is eyeing a 2023 release. Branagh shared his excitement about the return in the following statement:

    This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise. Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.

    Kenneth Branagh

    20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell also shared the following statement on continuing their relationship with Branagh and further adapting Christie‘s novels.

    We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film. We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world.

    Steve Asbell

    This marks the third entry with Murder on the Orient Express in 2017 followed by this year’s release of Death on the Nile. Technically, Poirot has appeared in 47 novels from The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920 all the way to While the Light Lasts and Other Stories in 1997. So, they have quite a few stories they could tell for many years to come if they choose to do so, but they may also want to wrap up their take on Poirot with a trilogy.

  • Benedict Cumberbatch Pushed for “Darker” Scenes in ‘Doctor Strange 2’, Wrote Some of the Scenes Himself

    Benedict Cumberbatch Pushed for “Darker” Scenes in ‘Doctor Strange 2’, Wrote Some of the Scenes Himself

    It feels like an eternity ago that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released in theaters. Time truly flies when you’re having fun, as we got a bunch of iconic new entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, there still is something special about the latest multiverse-focused storyline as Benedict Cumberbatch got to take on his iconic role in different variations, and as it turns out, he also got to write some of the scenes himself.

    I absolutely loved it, and it sounds so egotistical – but there we go, that’s what actors are – but I loved doing the scenes with myself because of the challenge of it. And I got to write some of those scenes … I suggested that it needed to get darker at a point. There was a slightly more saccharine version at one stage and I’m really happy with the way it evolved.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    He goes on to highlight in an interview with Prestige Online that director Sam Raimi and the film’s writer, Michael Waldron, were quite supportive of letting him add his own voice to the script as well. He also highlights his hope to further explore the multiverse and the many Variants that exist out there.

    Sam Raimi was so game for it and Michael Waldron really supported me to write it as well. We turned what was a very small combat between the two into a sort of very bizarre and inventive battle in that moment. I really loved it. It was how the original was pitched to me a long while back when Scott Derrickson was still working with us: Strange would meet versions of himself. It was something I wanted to lean into. We could have gone even further, and maybe it will go into the future. Who knows what other versions we might need in the multiverse chapter of the MCU? But it was very enjoyable to play all the variants of myself.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    It definitely would be a shame if we doesn’t get to play around with the concept of Variants further in the MCU. Loki‘s upcoming second season might take a crack at it again after introducing a few versions of Loki and we did get the iconic Spider-Men in No Way Home. Who knows just how much we’ll venture out into the multiverse once Phase 5 arrives?

    Source: Prestige Online

  • ‘Black Adam’ Producer Reflects on the DC Film’s 10-Year Journey

    ‘Black Adam’ Producer Reflects on the DC Film’s 10-Year Journey

    Black Adam has been one of those projects that seem like they would’ve never been released. For 10 years, the project has been in some form of development, and with it finally released later this month, it seems incredible that the project is still on its way to theaters. That feeling is the same for everyone involved as highlighted by producer Beau Flynn.

    A lot of changes have [happened] but ultimately it does feel like we’re exactly in a place we need to be. This one called on all of our abilities and experiences over the last 20 years. The script as we know, it started out as a Shazam! / Black Adam launch for both characters. that was something we never fully got our arms around or could crack. Once they gave us the opportunity to make Black Adam on our own, we had a great time developing that script in a much different way.  Richard Brener, runs New Line and our executive, he has been consistently there all the way from the beginning of this to now still today, which is maybe the only person that was consistently there from top to bottom, him and Dave Neustadter. That did provide us a lane to be consistent with this movie regardless of all the other changes.

    Beau Flynn

    Dwayne Johnson also goes on to highlight that it was “fate” that the project happened ten years later, especially fitting given how Doctor Fate has a major role in the film and just how long Johnson has been campaigning to keep this project going.

    I think that we have finally landed exactly where we need to be. I do believe, like Doctor Fate, Fate doesn’t make mistakes. Black Adam happened when it needed to happen, and it happened 10 years later.

    Dwayne Johnson

    It definitely seems like the wait was worth it and many fans hope that it might revitalize the DCEU, especially with the uncertainty surrounding what has been happening with Warner Bros. Discovery. Nothing is set in stone but any franchise would not waste any chance to have Dwayne Johnson as their franchise builder.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Black Adam’ Producers Talk ‘Red Notice’ Sequels, Hope to Film Back-to-Back

    ‘Black Adam’ Producers Talk ‘Red Notice’ Sequels, Hope to Film Back-to-Back

    Producers Beau Flynn and Hiram Garcia have been quite busy promoting Dwayne Johnson‘s upcoming release of Black Adam. While his eyes have been quite focused on building a new DC empire, the actor has another new franchise in development. Together with director Rawson Marshall Thurber, he’s been spearheading a film trilogy with Red Notice. The first film ended up as one of the biggest releases on the platform. In an interview with Collider, the producers teased how far along they are with the anticipated sequels.

    Well, we have a ‘Red Notice 2’ script and almost [Red Notice] 3. The plan is hopefully if Hiram and I have of our way that we would make those movies back to back. But it’s going to be all about the scripts and how we feel and how Dwayne, Gal, and Ryan feel about them. But that franchise is a blast and obviously Netflix really wants it, and Rawson [Marshall Thurber, director and screenwriter] is committed.

    Beau Flynn

    It seems like they are busy with both sequels, and it’s interesting that they are hoping to direct the sequels back-to-back. It’s not an uncommon practice in the industry and it’s also a showcase of just how much Netflix believes in the project.

    Yeah, Rawson [Marshall Thurber] is working away and we were just talking to him about it the other day. He’s deep in it and that’s his baby. So, he’s grinded away. We’re excited to be able to get into it and see a new draft that he’s about to deliver us to us very soon.

    Hiram Garcia

    It sounds like they believe in Thurber‘s work and we’ll see if they’ll start production sooner rather than later. Yet, if they are still in the middle of the script development, they might need a bit of production is set to release at some point next year.

    Source: Collider