Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Now You See Me 3’ Adds ‘Uncharted Director’

    ‘Now You See Me 3’ Adds ‘Uncharted Director’

    It looks like Ruben Fleischer has found his next franchise, as he’s now set to direct the third installment of the Now You See Me franchise. He famously worked on the recent adaptations of Venom (though did not return for the sequel) and Sony’s latest PlayStation adaptation, Uncharted. The screenplay is written by Seth Grahame Smith, who famously worked on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is overseen by Fleischer. It’s an updated draft of the one written by American Hustle‘s Eric Warren Singer.

    Director Fleischer got a chance to share his excitement about the project and also confirmed that at least Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg are set tor return in the sequel.

    There are three things in this world I absolutely love… Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and magic. To have the chance to work with these two talented actors, as well as rest of the incredible cast of the Now You See Me movies is a dream come true. I am a lifelong fan of heist movies – I love getting drawn in by the twists and the mystery where nothing is what it seems. And that’s even more true when the thieves are magicians – the opportunities are endless.  Eric was able to unlock a fresh and exciting way into a new movie and fun new characters, so I’m excited to dig in even further.

    Ruben Fleischer

    Now You See Me was a special kind of blockbuster film that used its magic tricks to pull a final surprise by the end. The first one was quite well-received but it is surprising that they are moving forward with a sequel since the last entry was all the way back in 2016. We’ll see how they’ll approach the latest entry and make it stand out even after such a long break.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’ May Take Place in the 1920s

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’ May Take Place in the 1920s

    While Marvel Studios’ upcoming adaptation of Blade has been potentially delayed indefinitely due to losing director Bassam Tariq, it seems that Illuminerdi has released some details in regards to what were the original intentions with this project. With Mahershala Ali set to take on the titular role of Eric Books, who most know as the vampire hunter Blade.

    According to Illuminerdi, the upcoming Marvel film may not be set in the current timeline but rather explore the 1920s. It may feature Blade taking on European vampires before it starts exploring multiple time periods until it arrives in the modern MCU. It would make sense as it could further explore how vampires remained hidden for so long while also telling a story that isn’t forced to go by how the modern MCU works.

    There are mentions of issues with the script in the current rumor mill, which means they might end up changing things up. The only aspect that could happen is that this concept doesn’t even make it into the final script once they start filming. Still, it taking place in the 1920s would add a unique visual flair to the story and give them the opportunity to offer something more gothic in design.

    Plus, it would make Blade stand out more from other members of the MCU. It would be a shame not to explore the history of vampires while also hinting at how they managed to remain such a mystery even into the modern age. Perhaps Werewolf by Night might offer a little glimpse into how the supernatural horror part of the franchise works early next month.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Jonathan Majors in Talks to Play Dennis Rodman in Lionsgate’s Upcoming NBA Film

    Jonathan Majors in Talks to Play Dennis Rodman in Lionsgate’s Upcoming NBA Film

    Lionsgate is setting its eyes on telling the story of Dennis Rodman’s 48 hours in Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals. They were actively looking for someone to take on the role and they finally have found their star. It seems Jonathan Majors, the upcoming star of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, is currently in negotiations for the project.

    It was last August that Lionsgate won the debate for the spec with Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Aditya Sood set as producers for the project. Rodman is also set as an executive producer alongside Ari Lubet and Will Alegra. Jordan VanDina has written the screenplay for the upcoming adaptation but there’s seemingly no director attached yet.

    It seems that the story has received momentum after Michael Jordan‘s documentary The Last Dance, as Rodman supposedly went on a “madcap adventure” during the 1998 NBA Finals, which the film will explore as well as the budding friendship with his GM assistant. VanDina wrote the script during the pandemic and it seems Lionsgate was a fan from the first time they read it.

    Source: Deadline

  • Freya Allan Joins ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Ahead of October Production Start

    Freya Allan Joins ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Ahead of October Production Start

    The Witcher star Freya Allan has joined Owen Teague and Peter Macon in 20th Century Studios next installment in their Planet of the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Directed by Wes Ball, the new film is said to pick up “many years” after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. Allan has apparently landed the role as the lead human in the new film.

    Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

    Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the fourth film in the Planet of the Apes Saga which launched in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, continued in 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and again in 2017 with the aforementioned War for the Planet of the Apes. In an official statement, 20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell described the Ball’s vision for the latest installment as “extraordinary.”

    ‘Planet of the Apes’ is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history, as well as being an indelible part of our studio’s legacy. With ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema, and can’t wait to share Wes’ extraordinary vision for this new chapter with audiences in 2024.

    Steve Asbell

    Production on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set to kick off in October based on a screenplay from the team of Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and Patrick Aison, who worked on the recent streaming hit Prey. Ball is expected to serve as the director for an entire trilogy of Apes films that are rumored to focus on Teague’s Cornelius, the youngest son of Caesar, the protagonist of the first trilogy of films in the modern saga.

    Source: 20th Century Studios

  • Amazon Prime to Stream All 25 Bond Films For a Limited Time

    Amazon Prime to Stream All 25 Bond Films For a Limited Time

    Agent 007 is set to have an official home in the streaming age. It has officially been announced that that all 25 James Bond films will be available to view on Amazon Prime Video. This includes every film between the initial Dr. No, starring the late Sean Connery, to the most recent 2021 release, No Time to Die, which served as a conclusion to Daniel Craig’s run as the ever-popular character. They are planned to release on October 5, though Amazon has stated that the films will be available on the streamer “for a limited time.”

    In addition to all the films arriving on Prime Video, the new documentary The Sound of 007 is set to release on the platform on October 5th as well. The documentary is set to survey the history of the character on the silver screen for the 60 years he’s been present in the zeitgeist. Mat Whitecross served as director for the project. To coincide with these James Bond-related projects, The Sound of 007: Live from the Royal Albert Hall, an exclusive recording of the live charity concert, will debut on Prime Video.

    All of this news comes with recent revelations that the process of finding the next actor to portray James Bond is underway. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have confirmed the plans to further evolve the famous character with the times and the potentially decade-long commitment that will be needed from the future face of the franchise. Ultimately, it will be interesting to follow how the world of James Bond continues into a new era of film history.

    Source: Variety

  • EXCLUSIVE: Tim Blake Nelson Set For Boxing Movie ‘Bang Bang’

    EXCLUSIVE: Tim Blake Nelson Set For Boxing Movie ‘Bang Bang’

    Welcome to the Tim Blake Nelsonaissance. The actor, who recently reentered the spotlight when Marvel Studios announced he’d be returning as The Leader for 2024’s Captain America: New World Order, has booked another starring film role. Nelson is attached to play the title character in the upcoming boxing flick Bang Bang, which is set to begin production at the end of October. The film revolves around Nelson‘s Bernard ‘Bang Bang’ Rozyski, a fictional former featherweight boxer who was once considered among the greatest punchers of his time. Bang Bang’s life escalates when his grandson comes to stay with him, and he sees the boy as a chance to relive his glory days and get back at his old boxing nemesis, Darnell Washington, played by Glenn Plummer.

    Bang Bang will be directed by Vincent Grashaw, who is best known for his work on films like What Josiah Saw and Coldwater. The filmmaker will direct from a script by Will Janowitz, an actor-turned-writer who previously held a recurring role on HBO’s hit series The Sopranos. Executive producers include Jesse Ozeri and Dane Eckerle, with Ran Namerode, Angelia Adzic, and Cole Payne also on board in a producing capacity. Bang Bang is only the latest project added to Nelson‘s busy schedule. The popular character actor can next be seen in Guillermo del Toro‘s stop-motion Pinocchio adaptation, before going on to star in the aforementioned fourth Captain America and Dexter Fletcher‘s action pic Ghosted, alongside Chris Evans and Ana de Armas.

  • Disney Developing ‘Figment’ Movie

    Disney Developing ‘Figment’ Movie

    Disney is developing a movie based on the character Figment. The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet noting that Seth Rogen will produce the project through his Point Grey banner. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit are on board to pen the screenplay for the movie. As of now, no director is attached to the project.

    Created in 1983 by Walt Disney Imagineers Tony Baxter and Steve Kirk, and other collaborators, Figment has long been a fan favorite thanks to the character’s Epcot ride, Journey Into Imagination. The character, while not as popular as others, has quite the devoted fanbase – not only have Figment fans prevented the ride from being removed, but they’ve willingly stood in line for hours to sell out merchandise featuring the character at theme parks. (Back in January, a limited-release Figment popcorn bucket was released and quickly sold out at Walt Disney Parks.) Disney has previously included the character as an easter egg in 2015’s Inside Out and 2019’s Toy Story 4.

    Along with penning 2019’s Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Hernandez and Samit also wrote The Addams Family 2 and helped to create the forthcoming Hulu series, Koala Man. The duo also worked on the TV series One Day at a Time, as well as the Apple TV+ series, Central Park.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Anthony Mackie on Potential Captain America Appearance in ‘Thunderbolts’

    Anthony Mackie on Potential Captain America Appearance in ‘Thunderbolts’

    D23 gave us quite the surprise showcase of its roster for its first villain-focused team-up film, Thunderbolts. While it is surprisingly dominated by Black Widow characters and super soldiers, there still was something interesting about what direction they might be taking in this project. There also was the question of why this team assembled, and it seems Variety thought they’d use the chance to see if perhaps Anthony Mackie has a role in the film.

    He doesn’t outright deny anything but mostly because he has “no idea” and jokingly states that they could call him at any time to join the production. It looks like planning around these projects isn’t as simple as one might think but he’s likely also going to be quite busy on Captain America: New World Order soon as well.

    I have no idea. You know how it works. They call you the week before and are like, “We own your ass. Come get in the movie.”

    Anthony Mackie

    In some ways, his potential inclusion would mostly be due to Bucky. They had a close relationship in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it highlighted just how well they work off of each other. So, it would be a shame not to continue that dynamic but it does make sense if they are trying to move away and give each their own story before they are forced to work together again. There’s no confirmation yet if Bucky will join the Captain America sequel. So, we’ll have to wait and see once more information becomes clear.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Sequel Adds Kevin Bacon

    ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Sequel Adds Kevin Bacon

    It looks like the cast of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is continuing to grow. Now set to join the returning Eddie Murphy, Taylor Paige, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Kevin Bacon. They are also joined by original cast members Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot, who all appeared in the initial Beverly Hills Cop films. It’s unclear currently who Bacon will be playing though, as they remain under wraps.

    The film will be the third sequel in the franchise and marks the fourth entry after Beverly Hills Cop III released in 1994. As of now, it’s unclear just how they will tackle this storyline and follow up on the original. They may pick up with Axel Foley looking back at his career with a new generation taking over, but with Eddie Murphy, you never know if he’ll go in a completely unexpected direction.

    Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman are set to produce the film alongside executive producers Charisse Hewitt-Webster and Ray Angelic. Mark Molloy, known for his work on Apple At Work – The Underdogs is taking over directing duties based on a script by Will Beall, who some might know as the writer of Aquaman and Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

    Source: The Wrap

  • REPORT: First ‘Blue Beetle’ Screening Reveals Film’s Rough Runtime

    REPORT: First ‘Blue Beetle’ Screening Reveals Film’s Rough Runtime

    When Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug on Batgirl back in August, fans rightfully wondered what this meant for other DC films, including Blue Beetle. Despite the studio seeking to revamp its DC line-up, Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto has been adamant that his film is safe. While it is said the film had issues throughout production, Blue Beetle looks to be taking one step closer to being finished as it held a screening last night.

    A new report, courtesy of Big Screen Leaks, suggests that Blue Beetle is currently clocking in at 165 minutes. This information is based on the cut that was screened last night. As always, things can and often do change closer to a film’s release date.

    https://twitter.com/bigscreenleaks/status/1575145854486413313

    Should this runtime hold, that’ll put Blue Beetle around the same length as Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and right under fellow DC movie, The Batman. Of course, given that this is an early screening, it’s more than likely the film will be cut down further leading up to its release next year.

    Blue Beetle is directed by Soto from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. It is set to hit theaters on Aug. 18th, 2023 and stars Xolo Maridueña in the titular role alongside Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Max Trujillo, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Belissa Escobedo, Adriana Barraza, and Damián Alcázar.

    Source: Twitter.