Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Taika Waititi on the Unexpected Love Triangle in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Taika Waititi on the Unexpected Love Triangle in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    It’s clear that there were no restraints placed on the creative mind of Taika Waititi during the production of Thor: Love and Thunder. If the promotional footage from the trailers have shown fans anything, it’s that the fourth Thor installment will be the Odinson’s wildest ride yet as his former flame, Jane Foster, comes crashing back into his life as a Thor of her own.

    Part of the mystery of Jane’s return is clearly tied to another of Thor’s loves: his hammer, Mjolnir. Destroyed by his sister, Hela, in Thor: Ragnarok, Mjolnir is back in Love and Thunder, and, as has been seen in the trailers, apparently more fond of Jane than the Odinson. In Mjolnir’s absence, of course, Thor had a new weapon, Stormbreaker, forged for him with the help of Eitri and a helping hand from Groot. During the global press conference for Thor: Love and Thunder, Waititi explained that because Stormbreaker’s handle is part of Groot, it was going to have some feelings about Mjolnir coming back into Thor’s life.

    Yeah. And Stormbreaker, I don’t know if this is the way anyone else thought about it, but you gotta remember Stormbreaker’s made of Groot’s arm. Well, you know, the handle is. And so Groot was like a teenager when he did that. So we felt like Stormbreaker was a young wif and had only just been born about five or six years ago. So it had to feel a little bit like an adolescent and it was like it was going through changes.

    Taika Waititi

    Reading between the lines, it appears that Waititi has indeed written a love triangle into Thor: Love and Thunder, though not one fans of the MCU saw coming, but rather one between a thunder god and his two weapons.

    Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8th.

  • Jason Schwartzman the Latest to Board Prequel to ‘The Hunger Games’

    Jason Schwartzman the Latest to Board Prequel to ‘The Hunger Games’

    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has added yet another actor to its growing cast. Jason Schwartzman joins the cast as Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman. Not only is the character the host of the 10th Hunger Games, but he is also an ancestor of Caesar Flickerman’s, who we saw played by Stanley Tucci in The Hunger Games franchise. Schwartzman joins the previously announced Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Josh Andres Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray. 

    The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games films and is based on the book of the same name. Francis Lawrence, who helmed three of the four Hunger Games films, is returning to direct the prequel. He directs from a script by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth).

    The synopsis for the film is as follows:

    Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem’s attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy’s race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird and a snake.

    The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will be produced by franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her partner Brad Simpson, as well as Lawrence. Suzanne Collins, who penned The Hungers Games books, will also serve as an executive producer alongside Tim Palen and Jim Miller. Production on the film is currently underway for a planned Nov. 17, 2023 release.

    Source: THR

  • Emma Roberts Joins the Cast of ‘Madame Web’

    Emma Roberts Joins the Cast of ‘Madame Web’

    The cast of Sony’s Madame Web has grown again, this time adding Emma Roberts in another undisclosed role. Roberts joins Dakota Johnson, Isabel Merced, Celeste O’Connor and Sydney Sweeney in the Sony film.

    With so many unknowns about the film and the cast continuing to expand, it’s hard to even speculate about what character Roberts may be playing. It’s believed that Johnson will be playing Julia Carpenter, the second character to go by Madame Web in the comics. Rumors around Sweeney’s character range from Silver Sable to Black Cat to Gwen Stacy, while fans are convinced that Merced will play Anya Corazon. One thing is certain, however, Sony is loading up the film, to be directed by S.J. Clarkson, with major talent.

    In the comics, Madame Web was originally an older woman, Cassandra Webb, who possessed precognitive powers. Webb passed her powers, and the moniker, on to Julia Carpenter who held down the role during many major Spider-themed comic events. Madame Web will follow Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius and the recently wrapped Kraven the Conservationist in Sony’s ever-expanding universe of Marvel films.

    Source: Deadline

  • Christian Bale Open to Return as Batman Under One Condition

    Christian Bale Open to Return as Batman Under One Condition

    Christian Bale has been very busy doing the press tour for his latest entry into the superhero genre with Thor: Love and Thunder. The former The Dark Knight Trilogy actor was asked if he’d be open to returning as Batman in a new entry even as the DC Extended Universe has been going into a new direction and recently added Robert Pattinson as its new Batman.

    In an interview with ScreenRant, he opened up on a potential return while highlighting that “no one’s ever mentioned it to me” about potentially returning to the role. He said he’s open to it but there’s one condition that needs to be met, he’d only return if Christopher Nolan approached him to do so.

    I had a pact with Chris Nolan. We said, “Hey, look. Let’s make three films, if we’re lucky enough to get to do that. And then let’s walk away. Let’s not linger too long.” In my mind, it would be something if Chris Nolan ever said to himself, “You know what, I’ve got another story to tell.” And if he wished to tell that story with me, I’d be in.

    Christian Bale

    So, there is the issue that Nolan has seemingly moved away from his work with Warner Bros. after the chaos surrounding Tenet‘s theatrical release during the pandemic. Yet, with the multiverse storyline making the rounds as of late, who knows if they may find a way to convince him he’s interested in joining a DC Comics project after all. Still, it seems that he has made up his mind on when he may return to the role if at all.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • RUMOR: ‘Blade’ Production Start Delayed Until Fall

    RUMOR: ‘Blade’ Production Start Delayed Until Fall

    There have been many theories on when exactly the upcoming Blade film may star production. Mahershala Ali has been attached for some time and there was no real update on where the project exactly is heading. Just recently, we got our first big casting announcement in a while with The Wonder Years‘ Milan Ray, who joined the production in a key role. Now, it seems that they may be inching closer to an actual production start if the new rumor is to be believed.

    In a new piece by The Cosmic Circus, they hint that production is now eyeing a start in October. It seems they will be heading to Atlanta to film at Tyler Perry Studios. They may also be considering filming in New Orleans and Morocco, but the latter is unsure at this moment. Of course, as we’ve seen in the past, these production start dates can shift once again so we’ll have to see if it remains with October.

    Blade may be one of Marvel Studiois’ most “adult” characters they’ve added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it’s unclear what direction they are going with the character, especially with Ray‘s casting adding some curious rumors based on a character that never made its way into the comics. Still, if Ali was the one to approach Kevin Feige to bring this character to life, he may already have a clear vision how to tackle this character, and it’s going to be exciting to see what the future has in store.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Joins the Billion Club Worldwide

    ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Joins the Billion Club Worldwide

    Top Gun Maverick was quite an impressive entry this year. While opening smaller, the film has refused to truly lost its momentum; ironic given its focus on jet-fueled action. It seemed like the perfect addition after the pandemic that just had an audience coming to theaters that were waiting for this kind of film. Tom Hanks is about to celebrate his 60th birthday and to truly kick it off, he has now nabbed his first $1 billion box office release with the new Top Gun film.

    The film pulled in $521.7M domestically and $484.7M internationally. As such, it is the first release in 2022 to pass that mark and the second from the pandemic era. It is now joining the nostalgia-filled Spider-Man: No Way Home in taking on this huge task and offering a sign that the box office is truly back to where it was in 2019. The pandemic has strongly influenced releases worldwide and no one expected for Top Gun to make that difference, but a pure adrenaline-pumping rollercoaster of a film like this might be just what audiences have been asking for.

    It’s overall been a good year for the box office. Earlier in the year, the Scream revival had a better than expected opening, The Batman took in $768M and left quite a mark for DC with an impressive opening. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also surprised many as after a harsh drop, the film has been pulling in viewers and is inching its way to $950M before leaving theaters. While there have been some blunders like Morbius, the box office overall seems to be doing much better and it may get exciting with upcoming releases.

    Source: Deadline, The Numbers (The Batman), The Numbers (Doctor Strange)

  • ‘Elvis’ Opens to $30.5M as it Fights for Top Spot with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

    ‘Elvis’ Opens to $30.5M as it Fights for Top Spot with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

    The box office is certailny back and it’s been quite a rollercoaster ever since. What started off with a powerful bang back in December with Spider-Man: No Way Home, we’ve seen quite a few films pull in more and more viewers. Now, the top spot is being fought between the recent release of Elvis while Top Gun Maverick has not let go of its box office draw, as both are currently standing at $30.5M.

    It may change once the final numbers are in, but we’ve seen the best opening on a weekend since Thanksgiving 2018, as four films managed to open beyond $20M. Top Gun Maverick is also now at $521M nationally, which puts it as one of the best-holding films of quite a while. Similar to Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there’s something really interesting about legacy sequels that draw in an audience over many repeat viewings.

    Elvis’ performance is also a sign for more music biopics in the future as not only did it make more than the hit Rocketman but it also has been quite a favorite with viewers. So, perhaps this year’s box office is all about the legacy of the red white, and blue even with public news dragging people down quite a bit.

    The big release of this weekend is also Black Phone starring Ethan Hawke as The Grabber. the latest horror release has pulled in an impressive $23M which is already great with its $18M budget. The classic horror B+ CinemaScore is also going to translate into legs that we’ve seen with other horror films like Get Out, Happy Death Day, and recently Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Director Offers Details on 616 Mordo’s Grisly Fate

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Director Offers Details on 616 Mordo’s Grisly Fate

    There has long been a rumored sequence teased where Mordo would take on Wanda Maximoff in an earlier draft of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. During the commentary track from the latest digital release, as shared by Insider, director Sam Raimi reveals just how that sequence was going to end up. It looks like he was going to face a terrible fate and already hint at the brutal takedowns Wanda was going to execute upon the Illuminati.

    Michael had written an early scene with Chiwetel where we saw him in our universe, 616, where he was the Mordo that we knew from ‘Doctor Strange 1.’ Only he had been through many battles since that. He had a limp, and he was coming after the Scarlet Witch to take her power because he knew she was dark and terribly corrupted by the Darkhold. She killed him and cut off his head. Presented it to Strange in a later scene.

    Sam Raimi

    While praising the work by writer Michael Waldron, he does reveal that it slowed down the beginning and it was the reason it was dropped from the script. It also would’ve given away her dark turn quite early on and the mystery did add a little something special early on.

    What seemed like a sequence that would be dragged out throughout the film was swiftly pushed to the side and we got some creative creature designs. Plus, it kept us on edge when the actual takedown happens during the meeting with the Illuminati. Plus, it also keeps Mordo’s fate open and not just kill him off before truly exploring his rivalry with Strange more.

    Source: Insider

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer on Making the Mr. Fantastic Fan Cast a Reality

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer on Making the Mr. Fantastic Fan Cast a Reality

    John Krasinski joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the role he’s been fan-cast ever since an image made the rounds of him looking like Mr. Fantastic from the comics. Many years later, he would arrive in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as part of the Illuminati. Many wondered if this opens up the potential of him taking on the role in the mainline MCU, but while it’s not confirmed, producer Richie Palmer revealed why he was cast in the commentary track (as quoted by The Direct).

    It’s so funny that Kevin [Feige] cast John [Krasinski] because the fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be. And because this is an alternate universe, I think Kevin said, ‘Let’s make that dream come true.’ I’ve always really enjoyed all of his performances.’

    Richie Palmer

    It’s something that once again highlights just how much Marvel Studios listens to fans and it’s incredible that they were able to make it a reality. Krasinski and Marvel Studios have not given away if there’s a future for him with the franchise, but it definitely was a cameo alongside Anson Mount‘s return as Black Bolt that had many excited for the future of these characters.

    They also confirmed that Mr. Fantastic uses Doctor Doom’s Time Platform to appear in the sequences, which many theorized due to the visual design that is also not too different from the TVA’s transportation device. So, we may see more of it moving forward, and here’s hoping we ‘ll get more teases of the Fantastic Four joining the MCU at one point.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Highlights Wanda and Strange’s Importance to the MCU’s Phase 4

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Producer Highlights Wanda and Strange’s Importance to the MCU’s Phase 4

    Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been an interesting experience for many. Each project has been a bit more self-contained without a clear build-up, outside of Loki‘s set-up of what is very likely the final conflict of this new saga, and has led to some confusion about what the future has in store. Without an Avengers film on the horizon, many wondered when these newly introduced heroes would truly unite and who will take on the key roles that Steve Rogers and Tony Stark had in the Infinity Saga.

    Well, producer Richie Palmer has highlighted that “Doctor Strange is the anchor of Phase 4” and “Wanda Maximoff is the jewel in the crown.” Especially Elisabeth Olsen‘s time as Wanda has gone through a major shift with her tale in WandaVision and turn to villainy in the Doctor Strange sequel (transcript provided by The Direct). He highlights them as follows:

    Yeah, it’s crazy to see Wanda act like this for the first time, it’s so exciting. And for fans of the comics, we were so excited to bring this to screen and finally deliver on the promise. Once you introduce the character of the Scarlet Witch, even before she was the Scarlet Witch, we introduced her in Age of Ultron, there was always the hope that we can bring her to this place of her doing things like [infiltrating Kamar Taj]. And it’s really exciting, and she is the best. If Doctor Strange is the anchor of the MCU of Phase 4, then Wanda Maximoff is the jewel in the crown.

    Richie Palmer

    While he doesn’t point to their role in the new saga, which Kevin Feige has teased may become clearer in the coming months. They are seemingly building up towards a Secret Wars crossover which would require some of the strongest universe-defying characters to bring some logic to it. So, who knows if perhaps the remnants of the Dakrhold are the incursion that was just waiting to unleash them unto Battleworld.

    Source: The Direct