Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Ms. Marvel’s Powers Were Changed To Connect to Other MCU Stories

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Ms. Marvel’s Powers Were Changed To Connect to Other MCU Stories

    Easily the most divisive element of Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel is the altered powers of Kamala Khan as the creators behind the series changed Kamala’s origin from an Inhuman who has her powers awakened one fateful night to a normal teen who receives a magical heirloom. Her powers are changed from a form of elasticity called embeginning to very visual, crystalline energy powers akin to Green Lantern.

    While it remains to be seen how it will all work out within the context of the show, series executive producer and character co-creator Sana Amanat explained in a conversation with us why the power was changed in the first place:

    I talked to them a little bit and gave some feedback but I do know from my understanding that it was something that was important to connecting powers to other MCU stories and the next phase. At the same time, it was connecting it to her lineage and identity. My favorite part of how they evolved her powers was the idea that it was connected to her own life and her family’s experience.

    Sana Amanat

    Fans have theorized that the powered heirloom Kamala receives in the series has to do with the upcoming The Marvels, a film slated to be her next appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That corner of the Marvel Universe has featured objects of similar power such as the famous Quantum Bands so it wouldn’t be surprising if that ties into it. Whatever the heirloom ends up being, it’s pretty clear that the figureheads over at Marvel Studios wanted the heroes of The Marvels to have a unifying visual identity as Carol, Monica, and Kamala all have similar energy-based powers.

  • Awkwafina and Sandra Oh to Star as Sisters in New 20th Century Comedy

    Awkwafina and Sandra Oh to Star as Sisters in New 20th Century Comedy

    It looks like a new sister comedy is in development over at 20th Century Studios, which has begun production last week in Los Angeles. It also is eyeing to film in New Orleans, and will likely wrap by July 22nd. The film by director Jessica Yu will release in 2023 as part of Hulu in the United States, Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+’s Star banner in the rest of the world. If you’re wondering, there is no official title yet for the project but it will feature some all-stars as Awkwafina and Sandra Oh are attached.

    It will follow the story of Anne (Awkwafina) who is obsessed with game shows. She ends up having to reunite with their estranged and train-wreck of a sister Jenny (Sandrah Oh) who are forced to cover their mother’s gambling debts. Not only that but after Anne’s dog is dognapped, they set out to make back the money in the only way they can, through winning game shows across the States.

    Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, and Will Ferrell are also part of the cast with Yu directing the film based off of a script by Hocus Pocus 2‘s Jen D’Angelo. The film is produced by D’Angelo, Awkwafina, Ferrell, Oh, Maggie Haskins, Italy Reiss, and Gloria Sanchez Productions’ Jessica Elbaum. Alex Brown and Erika Hampson are also onboard as executive producers.

  • Tim Burton Reflects On His Time on ‘Batman’ and ‘Batman Returns’

    Tim Burton Reflects On His Time on ‘Batman’ and ‘Batman Returns’

    Tim Burton is an icon in the film industry for his very distinctive visual language that harkens back to gothic roots. After his success on Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice, he was given the opportunity to direct the Warner Bros. live-action adaptation of Batman. He cast Michael Keaton in the leading role and laid the first steps for the modern superhero genre. Yet, after his work on Batman Returns in 1992, the third entry was passed on Joel Schumacher with Batman Forever.

    In a new interview with Empire, the director got a chance to reflect on his work and even how surprised he was when he saw the direction they went with the third entry; even making fun of the infamous Batnipples.

    [Back then] they went the other way. That’s the funny thing about it. But then I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Okay. Hold on a second here. You complain about me, I’m too weird, I’m too dark, and then you put nipples on the costume? Go fuck yourself.’ Seriously. So yeah, I think that’s why I didn’t end up [doing a third film]…

    Tim Burton

    He also goes on to highlight looking back that his take on the iconic franchise is more than just “dark” but he has positive memories of getting the chance to experiment with these iconic characters.

    I’m not just overly dark. That represents me in the sense that… that’s how I see things. It’s not meant as pure darkness. There’s a mixture. “I feel really fondly about it because of the weird experiment that it felt like.

    Tim Burton

    It’s great that he’s reflecting back on it positively and it’s always interesting to see how feelings change about a project over time. Batman and Batman Returns have become cult favorites, as well as defined the landscape that would eventually evolve with future entries like X-Men, Blade, and Spider-Man. Who knows if it might inspire him to lend his unique visual style to another superhero entry at some point in the future, as he’s currently busy with his Netflix The Addams Family spinoff series, Wednesday.

    Source: Empire

  • ‘Predator’ Prequel ‘Prey’ will Be Available in Comanche on Hulu

    ‘Predator’ Prequel ‘Prey’ will Be Available in Comanche on Hulu

    The first trailer for the upcoming Predator prequel, Prey, has finally arrived. Its first look promises some memorable action with the iconic alien taking on a Comanche nation from 300 years ago. The cast is almost entirely Native and First Nation talent,w which highlights the direction of the new film. Yet, Hulu and 20th Century went one step further as the entire film will be made available in Comanche as a language option, as well as subtitles.

    As such, this will be the first feature-length film on the direct-to-consumer streaming market to offer a film entirely in Comanche. It’s a wonderful decision to highlight the film’s exploration of the Comanche and that time period. We follow the story of a young female warrior trying to prove herself and setting out to protect her people from the alien predator that seemingly appears to threaten everyone it can get its blades on.

    Dan Trachtenberg has taken on directing duties based on a script from Patrick Aison. the cast consists of Amber Midthunder, Julian Black Antelope, Michelle Trush, Stormee Kipp, and newcomer Dakota Beavers. The Predator will be played by Dane DiLiegro. The first trailer offers an exciting action film that continues the franchise set up by John McTiernan back in 1997.

  • Marvel Studios Promised ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers It’s Not Going to Be a “Disney-Fied Deadpool”

    Marvel Studios Promised ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers It’s Not Going to Be a “Disney-Fied Deadpool”

    Marvel Studios is a very different beast from what 20th Century Fox once was. Many have created a vision of what defines an MCU film and how Disney influences their productions. That led to some concerns by fans regarding some darker characters, especially when it was confirmed that Deadpool 3 is on the horizon. Luckily, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick deny any such influence.

    In an interview with The Playlist, they even highlight that while the studios have a very different dynamic, Marvel Studios has been quite a consistent support through it all. Outside of potentially pointing to some jokes going too far, which isn’t uncommon in any studio system.

    Obviously, it’s like, it’s two completely different regimes, right? So, it’s two different bureaucracies. It was Fox, all these different people, and now it’s not those people anymore. It’s these [Disney] people and these people do things their way. And we were used to doing things our way, so there are differences, but I think the great part is that Marvel’s been incredibly supportive. They are gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool, you know? It’s not like any particular joke may be the one that they say, ‘you know, that’s too far,’ that could happen, but to this point, it’s been nothing but support

    Rhett Reese

    The big highlight is how they’ve been approached by Marvel in trying to bring this film to life. It seems that they not only are offering ways to make it easier for them but also confirming that they are not going to force anyone to create a “Disney-fied Deadpool“.

    It’s been nothing but, ‘how can we help you?’ ‘What from our universe would you like to use? How, how can we make your life easy?’ And we’re gonna let Deadpool be Deadpool. We’re not… this is not going to be the Disney-fied ‘Deadpool.’ So they’re awesome, and now it’s up to us to come through and justify that faith

    Rhett Reese

    That was one of the biggest concerns for the film, but they also confirm that we will have curses, joking referring to the title on the script being “Dead F*** Pool” but that they are definitely going for an R-rated rating. So this hopefully takes away some of the concerns that people had in regards to how they’ll bring Deadpool to life.

    Source: The Playlist

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers Open Up on Almost Being Replaced by ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Writers

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Writers Open Up on Almost Being Replaced by ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Writers

    Some might remember that originally, the third Deadpool film was going to be written by Bob’s Burgers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin. Suddenly, as director Shawn Levy joined the production, we got the confirmation that the original writers of the franchise, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, were back on board. There still hasn’t been an official word on why they returned to the franchise but had a chance to talk about what it was like in an interview with The Playlist.

    Yeah, that did happen. And look…It just came down the way it did, but we’re thrilled to be back is the bottom line. We just couldn’t be happier where we are right now in the mad scientist lab creating fun stuff and hopefully, we’ll get a movie out to you guys soon.

    Rdhett Reese

    The interviewer does seem to hint that it was an uncomfortable position when they had to discuss it. We never found out how they rejoined the project and it may have been some behind-the-scenes discussions that went wrong as it’s the first 20th Century Fox project being brought over to the MCU. So, it may have left some friction contractually speaking, but that is just speculation. The writing duo is excited to be back and that seems to be what matters most.

    We want to make it great. We’re in the laboratory working on it with Ryan Reynolds all the time, and we’re very much entertaining ourselves. So, hopefully, that translates and ultimately will entertain the world. But you know, it’s a marriage between Fox and Disney and it’s two different universes and it’s not easy. But it’s also a wonderful challenge and, you know, high-class problems to be able to merge those, those worlds. So, we’re, we’re enjoying it

    Rhett Reese

    Deadpool will be Marvel Studios’ first venture into R-rated territory and it seems they aren’t going to shy away from it. It would’ve been great to know what Bob’s Burgers writers brought to the table but it’s also great to have the duo back that made the character’s cinematic arrival as iconic as it is.

    Source: The Playlist

  • UPDATE: Neve Campbell Confirms She’s Not Returning For ‘Scream 6’

    UPDATE: Neve Campbell Confirms She’s Not Returning For ‘Scream 6’

    UPDATE: Neve Campbell has now confirmed that she won’t be returning for the next entry. In a new piece by Deadline, she offered a statement in regards to why she’ snot returning for Scream 6, which has some curious implications but confirms it was a “difficult decision to move on.”

    As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.

    Source: Deadline

    The Scream franchise burst back onto the scene this year as the fifth installment in the franchise returned to theaters. The newest film brought in a new gang of characters as a new Ghostface returned to Woodsboro, bringing Gale Weathers, Sidney Prescott, and Dewey back into the fold.

    It seems only one franchise favorite may be making their return for the upcoming sixth film in the franchise as Neve Campbell is rumored to be sitting this one out. Bloody Disgusting is reporting that they’ve been hearing similar rumblings that Campbell is not returning, as the actress was reportedly telling fans at conventions that she will not be returning for the next film.

    It’s not officially confirmed that she’s definitely not returning but her absence would fit where the story last set off. Yet, in the world of horror, it does seem like no one can truly count out anyone who’s been involved with Ghostface to truly go away. Well, except if they are on the other end of his knife.

    Source: Bloody Disgusting

  • ‘Borat’s Maria Bakalova Joins MCU’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ in Key Role

    ‘Borat’s Maria Bakalova Joins MCU’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ in Key Role

    It looks like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm‘s Maria Bakalova has found her next major production, as she has joined Guardians of these Galaxy Vol. 3. The film has wrapped up production some time ago, and she’ll join the production. They also reveal that she isn’t the unannounced actor that was teased by director James Gunn some time ago.

    As is tradition, her exact role has not been revealed. She’s not the only recent major addition, as we also heard that Daniela Melchior has joined the third Guardians film. With casting news making its way online, they may be preparing for whatever announcements could be heading our way in the second half of 2022. D23 and Disney+ Day are on the horizon. So, we may get more details soon.

    It’s been great seeing Bakalova‘s journey from the breakout hit with the Borat sequel. The Bulgarian actress first started her work in local cinema before grabbing bigger productions such as appearing in Netflix’s The Bubble or Bodies Bodies Bodies. Joining the MCU may be the next major step in her career moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • Jake Gyllenhaal Joins Disney Animation’s ‘Strange World’

    Jake Gyllenhaal Joins Disney Animation’s ‘Strange World’

    After being teased as a tribute to the classic pulp storylines, the first trailer has finally arrived for the new film, STrange World. It showcases a colorful world filled to the brim with creatures and fauna from out of this world, as a family embarks on a journey they will surely not forget. This time around, it may be their most crucial mission yet, and it looks like the first cast member has been revealed.

    Jake Gyllenhaal has joined the Disney movie as Searcher Clade, who is the son of the legendary explorers. There are no details on just what we can expect from his character and who else may join but it looks like we can expect another star-studded cast for the next Disney entry. The film is helmed by Don Hall, famous for his work on Big Hero 6 and Raya and the Last Dragon alongside Qui Nguyen, another Raya veteran.

    The first trailer promises the exact vibe you hope to see from a film that pays tribute to that very era, especially with the creative designs they are showcasing. As it’s the first teaser trailer, it’s not giving away any true details but it does seem like this Thanksgiving is going to be a promising new Disney entry, as well as a fantastical story for the whole family.

  • ‘Top Gun Maverick’ Beats Out ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Second Weekend With Record Hold

    ‘Top Gun Maverick’ Beats Out ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Second Weekend With Record Hold

    Top Gun Maverick is a one-in-a-lifetime film at the box office it seems, as the film has returned for its second weekend with a massive push. The film has made $290M in the United States with a worldwide gross of $548.6M already. A big part of that is that the ticket sales for the film in its second weekend are powerful with only a 32% drop from its Memorial Day weekend. As of now, it’s the smallest second-weekend decline for a film that opened to more than $100M worldwide.

    It’s beating the usual expectations of frontloading, even if earlier predictions expected it going in, as they usually drop around 50%. With this record hold, the film has become Tom Cruise‘s highest-grossing film ever at the domestic box office as it passes War of the Worlds from 2005, which stood strong at $243M. The film also didn’t face any challenge this weekend as only the limited release of David Cronenberg‘s latest body horror film, Crimes of the Future, found its way into theaters with $1.1M.

    Top Gun does seem poised for a potential $1 billion release. The film pulled in a higher second weekend than even Spider-Man: No Way Home at around $84.5M. What would be interesting is to see if people came in for a second helping this weekend before the release of Jurassic World: Dominion and it could face a bigger drop by then. but if it keeps up this record hold, it will definitely hold on tight to the top spot at the worldwide box office.

    Is this the end of superhero films? Not really, as Doctor Strange is performing incredible we’ll even after a stark drop in its second weekend while No Way Home got the added “Christmas” follow-up weekend influencing its drop. So, these two franchises existing comfortably next to each other would redefine and reinvigorate the box office. Plus, Top Gun Maverick was eleased at the perfect time and is reaching an audience that generally has distanced itself from theaters, especially during the pandemic. For now, we can only theorize and will see just how far this film’s legs will carry it.

    Source: Variety, Twitter