Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Pulls in Strong $36M in Thursday Previews Domestically, Just Behind ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Pulls in Strong $36M in Thursday Previews Domestically, Just Behind ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

    The first numbers are in for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and it has definitely left an imprint already. The latest Marvel Studios film pulled in a great $36M in its Thursday previews in the US, which is the eighth-best preview intake right behind Avengers: Infinity War‘s $39M. It’s also the fifth biggest preview for IMAX previews with $4.3M. It was released across 4,545 theaters across the country and is further showcasing that business is healing for theater chains.

    Depending on how frontloaded the film is, it could potentially make beyond $180M, but as Hollywood Reporter points it’s very likely to move between $160M to $180M. This would be closer in line with what we heard from Deadline a few days ahead of its release. It should also be noted that this is higher than other successful entries that include Captain Marvel ($153.4M), Thor: Ragnarok ($122.7M), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146.5M).

    Box Office Pro had it heading towards $215M, which strongly depends on how it goes into Friday and Saturday. but if it keeps up a strong momentum it may even reach their expectations, but it strongly depends on word-of-mouth. The horror and gory elements could either pull in more curious viewers over the weekend, but also has the chance of having great legs like other horror franchises.

    We can’t forget that the film has pulled in a really impressive $27.2M in its Wednesday previews internationally, which is only 4% behind Spider-Man: No Way Home without releases in specific countries. It seems that it potentially would make $300M globally at its current path. The Avatar: Way of Water trailer promotion has also been giving the film quite the boost with IMAX screenings. The growth from the previous entry is quite impressive considering it made $85M back in 2016.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

  • Sam Raimi Reveals ’Darkman’ Sequel In Consideration at Universal 

    Sam Raimi Reveals ’Darkman’ Sequel In Consideration at Universal 

    Sam Raimi’s original superhero might be making a comeback. Long before the acclaimed director cast a spell with Doctor Strange or spun a web with Spider-Man, he was lurking in the shadows with Universal’s Darkman. Released in 1990, the movie follows Liam Neeson’s Dr. Peyton Westlake, who becomes the vigilante Darkman after being brutally attacked, disfigured, and left for dead by a mysterious criminal organization. He uses breakthroughs in his work to develop synthetic disguises, which he combines with his newly psychotic nature to exact revenge on those who wronged him. The film was intended to be the start of a franchise, but poor box office reception put a halt to any theatrically released sequels. Now, over 30 years later, audiences may finally get one.

    Darkman, which also starred Academy Award winner Frances McDormand, spawned two direct-to-video sequels, made without Raimi behind the camera or the original cast. However, speaking with The Wrap, the former Evil Dead filmmaker revealed Universal has recently expressed interest in reviving the series:

    Universal is talking about a Darkman sequel. There’s a producer attached. I haven’t heard the story yet or gone into it, I’ve been so busy with this movie [Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]. But I think it’s cool.

    Sam Raimi

    As for whether or not Neeson would return to the role, after being replaced by Arnold Vosloo in both of the low budget follow-ups, Raimi wasn’t sure:

    I don’t know if he’d do it, but he’d be incredible.

    Sam Raimi

    The possibility of a proper Darkman 2 is likely due to Raimi’s recent comeback in popularity. His latest superhero venture, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, just released to rave reviews, and the director’s dedicated cult of fans is hungry for more. It will probably be a long time before any more information on this topic is made public, but the fact it’s even being talked about is something pretty special, and a good sign for the future of Raimi on the big screen.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured the Eternals

    ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured the Eternals

    We just covered a story that there were some connections to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe planned before Moon Knight stuck to its more self-contained mythology. While we get to spend a lot of time with the Egyptian pantheon, it seems that they originally were going to expand upon that concept. As revealed in an interview with The Direct, head writer Jeremy Slater originally envisioned the Eternals as part of the series.

    I tried very hard to get the Eternals into the show, just because I’m buddies with Kumail Nanjiani… I want[ed] some Kingo. At one point, there was a flashback on the page that sort of showed one of Khonshu’s Avatars back in ancient Egypt, sort of dealing with Ammit being locked away, and Alexander the Great, and all of that stuff. You sort of saw this Avatar team-up with the Eternals. It was a really fun scene, but again, it was so massively expensive to recreate Ancient Egypt, to sort of bring in 3 or 4 of the Eternals to have this big action sequence.

    Jeremy Slater

    Given that they would eventually be remembered through folk tales and mythology, it would’ve been a fitting choice to include them as a reference to the bigger MCU. Yet, as Slater points out, it probably would’ve turned into quite an expensive addition to the series if they had not just one but multiple members show up in the series.

    It was one of those things where it was a very fun scene, and it would have been a great cold open to one of the episodes, but it also would have had to come out of our budget somewhere else, and probably would have hurt our finale along the way. So, that was the cameo I had to cut. It hurt, but it was also the right thing to do for the show, and I think everyone sort of collectively agreed. There’s plenty of time in the future to team this guy up with other characters in the MCU and start building these connections; let’s not force something just because the other shows have all had it

    Jeremy Slater

    While it’s a shame it didn’t happen, especially as it would further continue developing the mythology of this world filled with superheroes, it is for the better. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten a pretty great Kaiju fight between Khonshu and Ammit in the finale. We’ll have to wait a little longer until we see their return and what the future has in store for them.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Director Shares Early Concept Art

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Director Shares Early Concept Art

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has some new iconic moments that seem directly inspired by his action-adventure games. We get Sonic Adventure’s snowboarding sequence, a level plucked directly out of the classic games, and even Eggman’s iconic Death Egg robot. There’s a lot to take away from the film for those that grew up with the games and generally wanted a good time with a Sonic film.

    Luckily, director Jeff Fowler has just shared some amazing artwork from the film that really highlights how much of the early concept art made it into the final product. We get to see Eggman with a much more game-inspired mustache. While he didn’t quite get that costume in the film, the red elements and the mustache survived the development process.

    It’s great to see that the Death Egg robot was always part of the plan, as it definitely gave the film quite the set-piece at the end. Plus, it gave Super Sonic something to take out to showcase just how powerful his abilities truly are. Hopefully, we get to see more concept art and maybe even some teases that didn’t quite make it into the film.

    With a Knuckles spinoff series and a third film on the horizon, it’s going to be a lot more Sonic the Hedgehog heading our way. It’ll be interesting to see if they also have other spinoffs in some form of development, which may add something special to the project.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab had brought his flair to create one of Marvel Studios’ most unique series, which explores the complicated divided personalities within Moon Knight. While the Disney+ series explored his story across six episodes, it seems that Diab is down to further explore the character in a movie rather than a second season. Not just any kind of movie, but in the form of a team-up with another member of the MCU.

    If you ask me, I would love to have the chance to make Moon Knight into a film,. Maybe join someone from the Marvel Universe so it’s like partnering up with someone else or being a part of another journey.

    Mohamed Diab

    It does sound like an interesting approach but does open up the question of who he might interact with. As he does have a strong standing in New York City in the past, it would be fun to explore his interactions with Spider-Man, which were some of the funniest in the comics. Of course, he wants to use the opportunity to further explore the personality of Jake that was introduced at the end of the season finale’s post-credit sequence.

    I would love to see more of Jake, see life through Jake’s point of view at some point. The best thing about starting a new story is the Marc and Steven dynamic is going to change because they’re now living in one body. So it’s such an interesting world. I want to see Layla, who doesn’t like being an avatar and how is she going to live with that or is she going to reject that or is she going to come to terms with her being a superhero? I love all that. So I hope we can put all that in a blender and just play with it.

    Mohamed Diab

    Now, the question will be if they’ll truly just skip a second season overall and just jump directly into a film. They technically set up everything they needed to focus on a more violent storyline with the character which builds upon Lockley’s violent tendencies. There’s a chance they might go the Midnight Sons route as a way to keep the character in a separate project before returning for a second season. Diab also mentions spending more time with Layla, which might become its own Disney+ spinoff series to further explore Egyptian culture and the fallout from the Avatar’s deaths. So, there’s a lot of potentials.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Pulls in an Impressive $27.2M in First Day Internationally

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Pulls in an Impressive $27.2M in First Day Internationally

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already making quite an impressive footprint in the industry, as its first day in international markets has pulled in $27.2M. As such, the film is currently trailing behind Spider-Man: No Way Home but only by 4%. That is an impressive number considering just how large that film was without a release in key markets and the fact that Multiverse of Madness isn’t releasing in a few countries due to controversies of their LGBTQ references. The film is currently 153% ahead of the original 2016 film and 210% of The Batman on a like-to-like basis.

    The Benedict Cumberbatch-led film managed to keep the top spot in the Asia Pacific, as well as European markets such as France, Italy, and Germany. It has also pulled in $3.5M in Mexico and $2.7M in Brazil, which puts it at $10.3M in all Latin American markets. It has already topped those territories while still being in its previews. Even Korea, which has been pulling back due to concerns with the pandemic, has managed to return to cinemas. It may have made an additional $14.7M which isn’t included in the $27.2M.

    We’ll see more releases in other international markets, and it looks like the film is going to be quite the crowd-pleaser. The rumors may give it some additional legs and while it probably won’t come near to what No Way Home managed, it seems like it’ll definitely be carrying the next month as more films start to release. It also is a good sign that Marvel Studios’ expansion into Disney+ may have not scared off people to still come in and see their latest entry. Word-of-mouth and its horror elements may be a key factor moving forward, especially as it may not quite pull in the usual four-quadrant market due to these elements.

    Source: Deadline

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch Teases Thor’s Story Arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch Teases Thor’s Story Arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy

    The first trailer of Thor: Love and Thunder gave us a glimpse at the God of Thunder trying to find some inner peace. He set out with the Guardians of the Galaxy after the events of Avengers: Endgame, where they finally took down Thanos and could bring back half the universe. While we do see him try to get back into shape and into saving the galaxy, something seems off for Thor.

    A new piece of merchandise from Love and Thunder may have answered that very question. While we still see a somewhat younger Groot, the big reveal is the fact that Thor is seemingly still not over the defeat at the hands of Thanos. It reads as follows:

    Long after the Avengers defeat Thanos. The Guardians of the Galaxy must convince Thor to return to the battlefield.

    It’s not too surprising that he might be still hung up on it, as while they did take him down, it was Tony’s self-sacrifice that truly defeated the Titan. So, he technically never truly got an actual victory and while he may have gotten back in shape, it may still linger in his mind. Of course, he may just generally have reached his limit with all the losses he faced, and getting into shape didn’t quite give him that spark he was hoping for. Perhaps meeting an old friend and an imminent threat that gives him exactly what he was looking for.

  • Xochitl Gomez and Victoria Alonso On the Importance of LGBTQ+ Visibility in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Xochitl Gomez and Victoria Alonso On the Importance of LGBTQ+ Visibility in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to add quite a bit to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and perhaps its most important addition will be Xochitl Gomez‘s new young hero, America Chavez. The character, who can punch open portals to other universes, will undoubtedly be an integral part of Marvel’s superhero repertoire going forward, but it won’t be her abilities that mean the most to some viewers. Chavez is a Latina member of the LGBTQ+ community, raised by two loving mothers in her own timeline. Marvel Studios Executive Producer Victoria Alonso, herself raising a daughter with her wife, commented on what it would have meant to her had America been on the big screen in her youth:

    What it would’ve meant is to have had a tad more understanding of the person that I was and that I was growing into being was not invisible. I think visibility at any age is incredibly important whether you’re 10, 20, 30 or 80. To have your people and to have someone who says, ‘I am, and it’s OK. I am, and I am powerful. I am, and I belong.’ I think any young adult could have that today, [specifically] the 42 percent of LGBTQIA adults that consider suicide or those that do it, would probably think twice that maybe they’re OK [as they are]. My hope today is that—as a small gift from a bunch of filmmakers that want to tell great stories—if there are any kids out there thinking even minimally that their lives are not worth it, I can honestly tell you their lives are worth it and we will celebrate it with them.

    Victoria Alonso

    Alonso also commented on the film’s recent ban in Saudi Arabia:

    I understand that certain lands have certain rules and I live in a land where our rules are that of inclusion. And we will continue to fight for inclusion in every place, city, and state so that every kid that doesn’t see themselves can at least see a tiny little bit of who they can become.

    Victoria Alonso

    Gomez chimed in on the conversation as well, revealing her excitement to be part of what she considers to be something very important:

    It’s huge that I get to represent these communities that maybe haven’t felt seen before. And you really do see her—I mean, how do you miss her? She’s on the poster! How crazy is that?

    Xochitl Gomez

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6th.

    Source: Deadline

  • Rachel McAdams Explains How Christine Palmer Has Changed Since ‘Doctor Strange’

    Rachel McAdams Explains How Christine Palmer Has Changed Since ‘Doctor Strange’

    Despite taking place across infinite universes, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will see the return of quite a few familiar faces. Among them is Rachel McAdams‘ Dr. Christine Palmer, who has not been seen on the big screen since 2016’s original Doctor Strange movie. The last time Dr. Palmer made an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Sacred Timeline, she had discovered her on-and-off lover, Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Dr. Stephen Strange, had gained magical abilities and was now saving the world from supernatural threats. In a recent interview with Fandom, McAdams was asked how the character has adjusted her life since learning about the existence of magic. According to the actress, Palmer will be in a pretty good place when audiences find her in the sequel:

    I think she’s just gone fully into it. She’s hooked on multiversal travel and she’s become a bit of an expert on it, I feel like. It’s very much something that she’s comfortable in now. So quite different from the Christine of the previous film, [where] this was all just happening for the first time.

    Rachel McAdams

    Palmer’s last MCU appearance was technically in last year’s animated What If…?. A variant of the character from a universe where she perishes in Stephen’s fateful car accident played a pivotal role in one of the show’s best episodes. McAdams returned as the voice of Palmer, but Multiverse of Madness will be the first time audiences learn what happened to her in the main timeline after Strange took up residence in the Sanctum Sanctorum.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters this Friday.

    Source: Fandom

  • Elizabeth Olsen on WandaVision Fan Theories: “We Should Have Done That!”

    Elizabeth Olsen on WandaVision Fan Theories: “We Should Have Done That!”

    When WandaVision first debuted, fans were unsure of what to expect. Not only was it a unique series that would take Wanda across various decades, but it was the first series produced by Marvel Studios, leaving fans to theorize with each new episode. The common theory, of course, was that Mephisto would appear. However, there was one other theory that fans speculated over for weeks – whether or not Evan Peters’ Quicksilver was from the multiverse.

    While we were the first to break the news that Peters would appear in the series, even we were unsure how Peters’ Quicksilver would debut within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Would he be the new Pietro going forward? Or was his role merely a cameo? Unfortunately, though, in the end, Peters’ Quicksilver was essentially a throwaway as the actor was later revealed to be playing the role of Ralph Bohner who was under the influence of Agatha Harkness. For fans, it was a frustrating reveal. As it turns out, though, Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen wishes they’d gone that route with the character.

    In a recent interview with The Independent, Olsen noted that she found many of the fan theories surrounding WandaVision to be clever. “I love fan theories ‘cause I always think they’re very clever. There are usually ones where I’m like, ‘S***, we should have done that!”

    She specifically noted the theories surrounding Peters’ Pietro. “There was one where they thought we were bringing in the Multiverse with the Pietro character, with Evan [Peters.],” she explained. “The sad thing is, when we were doing WandaVisionbefore Covid, that was not part of the docket yet, and then itkind of overlapped when we finished the show. So we could have actually gone back and fixed or adjusted that. I thought that could have been cool to make Pietro a part of the Multiverse.”

    While certain fan theories regarding WandaVision didn’t come to fruition, the expansion upon the multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is sure to open plenty of doors going forward.

    Source: The Independent.