Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • REPORT: ‘Narcos: Mexico’ Cinematographer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    REPORT: ‘Narcos: Mexico’ Cinematographer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    All eyes have been on the many productions making their way to cinemas from Marvel Studios. Yet, we still have anxiously been waiting for updates on future projects such as Mahershala Ali’s Blade adaptation. After some silence on the project, it looks like we finally got some more details.

    According to Next Best Pictures’ Will Mavity has shared that cinematographer Damiàn Garcia has joined the Blade adaptation. He is best known for his work on Narcos: Mexico, Museo and I’m No Longer Here.

    It they found a cinematographer, it’s a good sign that production may start soon. This film is a passion project for Ali who approached Marvel Studios to tackle a project. Ir’ll be his second time in the Marvel world after a memorable performance in the Netflix series Luke Cage.

    Source: Twitter

  • Marvel Studios Still Searching for ‘Fantastic Four’ Director

    Marvel Studios Still Searching for ‘Fantastic Four’ Director

    We’ve long wondered what the future has in store for the Fantastic Four project. Many were shocked when Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts stepped down from leading the charge on the project. There was some belief that it meant they may have found someone else to take over the project, but it looks like that might not be the case. In a little exclusive dropped late at night, Deadline’s Justin Kroll has offered a curious update on the film’s progress.

    It looks like Fantastic Four is a top priority for Marvel Studios, but we shouldn’t expect an announcement anytime soon. They are currently going through a long list of potential candidates with a source hinting that they might take at least until labor day to find someone. Marvel is actively going after a mix of candidates as Kevin Feige and his team is also trying their chances with some big names. Kroll shared that:

    There’s a lot riding on a successful adaptation of the Fantastic Four, as previous iterations haven’t been quite what comic fans nor movie-goers hoped for. The first version released in 2005 offered a comedic approach and even gained a sequel with Rise of the Silver Surfer, 2015’s Fantastic Four, also jokingly called Fan4stic, left a sour taste with viewers.

    The fact that Feige is also looking to replicate what happened with Sam Raimi’s work on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness highlights that they further are focusing on giving their creative teams more freedom. This development has been seen since Feige moved away from Ike Perlmutter‘s influence and it highlights the lessons they’ve learned along the way. So, here’s hoping they can find someone to perfectly bring the Fantastic Four back to the silver screen.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix Still Evaluating its Future Plans, May Dial Back on High-Budget Movies

    Netflix Still Evaluating its Future Plans, May Dial Back on High-Budget Movies

    There’s been a lot of discussions on where exactly Netflix is heading after its market collapsed due to the first mention of a loss in subscribers. Timings are terrible as many more competitors are entering the market and they are losing some of their biggest streaming offerings that kept binge-watchers subscribed. Now, the studio is looking to take some drastic measures moving forward.

    We already saw them take a hammer and drag down their entire animation division, which is a bizarre highlight of how that type of filmmaking always seems to become a scapegoat with the future of that division rather questionable. A new report by The Hollywood Reporter highlights that their biggest re-evaluation is in the form of Scott Stuber‘s feature film division.

    They already let 150 employees go, which is 2% of their workforce, but they are still in the middle of re-arranging their projects. Every division was pretty much affected, and Netflix is eyeing to release bigger productions but fewer of them. They had tried to tackle the arthouse genre with some projects from masters from the industry, but are noticing that it’s not quite necessary for these projects to be a hit. Ted Sarandos shared in an April Earnings call that:

    Today, we’re releasing some of the most popular and most-watched movies in the world. Just over the last few months, things like Don’t Look Up and Red Notice and Adam Project, as examples of that.” But what this “bigger, better, fewer.

    Ted Sarandos

    What does that mean for the future? It doesn’t mean they will cut smaller projects but they will refocus more moving forward. They will dial back the number of films they’ll produce and might move away from high-budget projects with a “carte blanche” offer to talent, Martin Scorcese‘s high-budget The Irishman was highlighted as such an example. The wording “vanity projects” was something given by THR, but it doesn’t mean they are gone but more focused on the future.

    Netflix is more driven by algorithms than any other studio out there, even if some have made up their mind about what is and isn’t. It seems that they’ve realized that the quantity of films they put out at high production values doesn’t quite offer them what they wanted and are dialing it back as a result. For now, we’ll have to see how many projects that’ll affect moving forward. Here’s hoping they will still offer auteurs a home for their passion projects that might not survive the usual studio system.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ Beats Out ‘Doctor Strange 2’ and ‘No Way Home’ to Become South Korea’s Highest Day One Release

    ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ Beats Out ‘Doctor Strange 2’ and ‘No Way Home’ to Become South Korea’s Highest Day One Release

    Top Gun: Maverick was already making numbers over the weekend as it seeks to potentially take the crown home as the biggest domestic release, its new competitor is already starting a dominant swing internationally. Jurassic World: Dominion was already released on June 1st in South Korea. It will be followed by Mexico and Argentina. While the film won’t officially be released until June 10th, Japan even being as late as June 29th, the film has already earned $6.05M in South Korea on its first day. That is higher than Spider-Man: No Way Home ($5.3M) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($5.9M).

    It’s the year of box office gainers, as we are more and more gaining momentum from before the pandemic. Dominion also has quite the legacy factor of its own to play with as the main cast is joined by veterans Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. The film is currently eyeing a potential $130M opening which would be lower than both Fallen Kingdom ($148M) and the first Jurassic World ($160M), which was a surprise hit that no one saw coming at the time.

    Unlike most blockbuster franchises that have people doing superhuman things, including Top Gun Maverick, Jurassic World was the more down-to-earth concept if you ignore the human eating dinosaurs revived to life in a zoo. It may stand out from the rest and we’ll see if Top Gun gave the box office the momentum it needed as older audiences are slowly willing to enter cinemas again after taking a break through the pandemic.

    Source: Forbes

  • Chris Hemsworth Shares First Set Photo from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Prequel ‘Furiosa’ as Production Starts

    Chris Hemsworth Shares First Set Photo from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Prequel ‘Furiosa’ as Production Starts

    It looks like the long-awaited prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road is finally in production. George Miller once again takes a seat as its director, as he further explores the early days of Charlize Theron‘s Furiosa. Not much is yet known about how they’ll tackle her story, but we do know that Anya Taylor-Joy will take over the iconic role and is joined by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Chris Hemsworth. The latter has now taken to his Instagram account to share that production has started on the film with a first look from the set.

    Sadly the photo doesn’t reveal much from the actuals et, but it does confirm two things. The logo is all about Furiosa and offers a great design to make it stand out from the Mad Max one. Yet, production logos generally go through many changes and it wouldn’t be too surprising that it looks drastically different the moment it gets advertised. That’s not all, as we also get the confirmation that they are shooting it on 35 mm film, which highlights Miller‘s love for the medium.

    While Theron has considered the recasting as “heartbreaking” as they replaced her with a younger actress, there’s a lot we don’t know about what the approach is for this series. Here’s hoping that perhaps we get an appearance of Theron as the character she made famous to tie the past with the future. With George Miller at the helm, it would be more than just a simple legacy piece.

    Source: Instagram

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Interested in ‘Joker’s Todd Phillips as DC Film’s Future Advisor

    Warner Bros. Discovery Interested in ‘Joker’s Todd Phillips as DC Film’s Future Advisor

    The major shake-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery come as a shock to nobody as it seemed like the company has long been trying to get things together. The newly named CEO, David Zaslav, has been sorting things out swiftly as hes gone out with the old and in with the new. Recent news of Toby Emmerich‘s exit has brought news of another development at WBD. The company has DC as a priority, a brand with an incredible amount of potential that they felt has been squandered in the past few years, and looks to be reaching out to a familiar face for help.

    The Hollywood Reporter shared that Zaslav reportedly reached out to co-writer and director of 2019’s Joker film, Todd Phillips, to ask him to get a bit more involved over at DC Entertainment. His film was a resounding hit for the studio, scoring over a billion at the box office, shockingly outgrossing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on a $60+ million budget. The role is purely that of an advisory role with Phillips not currently set to serve in an executive role at the studio.

    This is a bit of an odd move for the studio to make, while Joker was indeed incredibly profitable for the studio, its not particulary the direction they should be moving in with the brand. It was a story seperate from the mainline DC Extended Universe, creating yet another earth in the ever expanding multiverse within the shared universe. THR even states that while Phillips has quite limited knowledge on the DC Universe, Zaslav and Phillips have reached an understanding on the situation with the current state of DC.

    This is an interesting move for Warner Bros. Discovery but not one that could have a great effect on whats to come as if things pan out, it is only an advisory role within DC Entertainment.

    Source: THR

  • Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy Set to Replace Toby Emmerich at Warner Bros. Discovery

    Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy Set to Replace Toby Emmerich at Warner Bros. Discovery

    The past month has seen some major changes happening over in Hollywood, as the recent Warner Bros. merger with Discovery has resulted in quite a few big changes at the company. Zaslav and his team are reportedly very eager to get the DC brand back on track and use it to its fullest potential. It’s a big priority for them and they want to focus on getting big characters like Superman back on the big screen. Yet another change is coming as Tobey Emmerich will no longer serve as chairman for the studio and some new names look to have already been chosen.

    The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that with the Emmerich‘s exit, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy will step into the role to lead the film division at Warner Bros. Zaslav intends to mold the company into something similar to what Bob Iger did over at Disney, and split the company up with multiple labels like Warner Bros, DC Entertainment, and New Line. The move would be something similar to how Disney operates with Marvel Studios, with Kevin Feige leading the charge.

    Part of De Luca and Abdy‘s deal will provide them access to producing projects under DC Entertainment and to develop the properties. DC is the studio’s biggest priority right now under the new leadership, looking to craft something similar to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Walter Hamada is still expected to remain in his current role as the president of DC films, but will now be actively reporting to De Luca and Abdy as the new studio heads. Since becoming the head of DC films, Hamada has smoothed things out with the brand with its releases since joining in 2018, with a string of hits like Aquaman and The Suicide Squad.

    Emmerich is expected to receive a production deal at the studio following his exit as chairman, so he won’t be going too far.

    Source: THR, The Wrap

  • Isabela Merced Joins Sony’s ’Madame Web’

    Isabela Merced Joins Sony’s ’Madame Web’

    Sony continues to expand its spider web. Isabela Merced has officially joined the cast of Madame Web in an undisclosed role, joining the previously announced Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Celeste O’Connor in the upcoming blockbuster. The film is set to be directed by S.J. Clarkson, and is aiming for a release on July 7, 2023. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless have written the script, after a previous attempt from Kerem Sanga.

    This is the third major comic book project Merced has had her name attached to. The actress, best known for her role as Dora the Explorer in 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, was a finalist for the role of Ratcatcher II in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and contended for a part in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her credits also include roles in Transformers: The Last Knight and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, as well as a leading part in the forthcoming novel adaptation Turtles All the Way Down. While the nature of her involvement in Madame Web is still unknown, it seems like this is only the next step in a promising young career for Merced.

    The plot of Madame Web is also being kept under wraps, though the character has been described as the closest thing Sony has to Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Traditionally an elderly woman confined to a chair, Web is usually more of a psychic character than a physical one. Although, there have been a few iterations of the spider-themed mentor in the comics. This includes one named Julia Carpenter, who is younger and was once a Spider-Woman. These traits may be closer to what ends up in the final film, if the casting of Johnson is any sort of indicator.

    Source: Deadline

  • Daniela Melchior Set to Appear in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Daniela Melchior Set to Appear in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    After being at the center of speculation for months, Daniela Melchior has been confirmed to have joined the cast of Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    Melchior’s social media activity had fans convinced she would be a part of the expanded cast for the threequel, with many speculating that she would be playing Moondragon, who is canonically the daughter of Drax in Marvel Comics. And while director James Gunn ruled out the idea of her playing Moondragon, he never outright denied Melchior would have a role in the film.

    With her casting now confirmed by a Hollywood trade report, speculation will begin anew about who Melchior, who first worked with Gunn on the DC Comics film, The Suicide Squad, might be playing. While there is no guarantee she’s playing a member of the Guardians, rumors have persisted that this film will see a new group of heroes take over for the current team. Should those rumors turn out to be true, Melchior could be playing the MCU’s version of Phyla-Vell (a character who I have heard is due to appear in the MCU), a one-time member of the Guardians and a character with connections to several characters in the larger MCU.

    In the comics, Phyla is the daughter of the Kree hero Mar-Vell. The character played a large role in the Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest events and, eventually, wore the Quantum Bands and took on the mantle of Quasar. Speculation has already begun that the bracelet worn by Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel might be one half of the pair of Quantum Bands, and it’s been revealed by Marvel Studios that the changes to Khan’s powers were made to make her inclusion in the upcoming feature film The Marvels make a bit more sense. The inclusion of Phyla-Vell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could put her on the board as someone who might eventually try to lay claim to the bands. All speculation, of course, but sensible.

    Melchior joins Chukwudi Iwuji as actors to have worked with Gunn on a DC Comics’ adaptation and make the jump to the MCU. Iwuji, who starred in the HBO Max streaming series Peacemaker, looks to be playing the High Evolutionary, the main antagonist of Vol. 3.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters on May 5, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • New ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Crew Merch Teases a New Guardians Logo

    New ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Crew Merch Teases a New Guardians Logo

    It looks like some more wrap gifts have found their way online from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 productions. While it doesn’t give us any big revelations or teases for the future entry, it does include one rather interesting detail. markmantastic has taken to his TikTok account to share some of the best and worst wrap gifts he received while working on various films. He included in one video a look at a new jacket from Vol. 3 that includes a brand new logo on the sleeve of the jacket, as shared by @dano_cosmic alongside other little details from crew merch.

    The original logo seemed strongly inspired by the Nova Corps from the first film, but the updated one has quite a bit more texture to it. There are added elements, but it’s unclear if it finds their way into the actual film. The original log wasn’t highlighted in the first two films, but we did see some set photos of the team wearing an actual uniform. So, it may be part of that as the family unites to face their biggest threat yet. The neon-esque design is also an interesting detail that may be a signifier of which direction director James Gunn is going with the threequel’s visual palette.

    It wouldn’t be surprising to have Gunn go all out with this potentially being his last entry in the franchise. So, we might expect the most emotional storyline of them all, which is not an easy task after the gut punch that was Yondu’s death in Vol. 2. The fact Rocket is highlighted in the cap and he’s been a character that’s been heavily highlighted for taking center stage in the upcoming story does continue to add pressure to the many theories surrounding the project.

    Source: TikTok via Twitter