Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Chloé Zhao Reveals ‘Eternals’ Original, More Depressing Ending and Why it Changed

    Chloé Zhao Reveals ‘Eternals’ Original, More Depressing Ending and Why it Changed

    Films change quite a bit throughout their lengthy development process. Eternals is no exception, as director Chloé Zhao discusses in an interview with Empire how much the film has changed throughout the process. She highlights how she’s never “made a single film where the opening and ending stay the same as the script, just because the scenes are fluid as we shoot.” She highlights that there was one end that was more “melancholy” than what blockbuster fans are used to that was changed in the development process.

    And we actually had another ending that is really bleak. Bleak. I didn’t hate it, because I’m used to films that are more melancholy. But I don’t think it went down well with audiences. It used to end with everybody back on the ship, minds erased and just going on to another planet, like The Twilight Zone. I remember when it goes to black, everyone was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And also, it’s the MCU, and you want to be excited for what’s next.

    Chloé Zhao

    It seems that this ending was also going to be a bit more depressing and Harry Styles‘ Eros was originally going to have a role in it, which opens up quite a few interesting questions on how much his original role changed given how he is introduced in the final cut.

    I can tell you why! Long story short, with that depressing ending, at some point he was going to be one of the Eternals on that ship. And that didn’t quite work out.

    Chloé Zhao

    It would’ve been interesting to see this vicious cycle continue, especially after just saving a planet, but I do agree that it would’ve bookended their story much faster than what some MCU fans are used to. Yet, it may have added an interesting dilemma and added quite a bit of drama to the events that unfolded throughout the film. Yet, the open-ended judgment by Arishem does also continue the bleaker tone that the ending was going for without directly ending their specific journey.

    Source: Empire

  • REPORT: First Look at ‘Tron 3’s New Flynn’s Arcade Hints at an Early 2022 Production Start

    REPORT: First Look at ‘Tron 3’s New Flynn’s Arcade Hints at an Early 2022 Production Start

    It looks like our friends over at DisInsider may have gotten their hands on something quite interesting. Last year, it seemed like Disney was moving forward with a third entry in the cult classic Tron series, which will receive the sub-title, Ares. Jared Leto is attached with Garth Davis set to direct the project. Sadly, news died down considerably since and we haven’t really gotten any new details since. Luckily, it seems that DisInsider’s John Bishop was able to get his hands on some set photos featuring an updated look for the iconic Flynn’s Arcade.

    If sets are already being built and prepared, it’s a good sign that production may start in early 2022. Of course, this isn’t enough to really hammer down a specific start date, but it’s enough to at least get a feeling that things are finally moving forward. It’s uncertain if they’ll dive into the classic designs provided by the original Tron from 1982, or continue the neon look from Tron: Legacy.

    The return of Flynn’s Arcade does confirm that it’ll continue the building blocks set by the previous, as this is the location where Sam would get transported into the digitized world of The Grid. It might also be where the next storyline starts off, as the next person gets sucked into this new world.

    Source: DisInsider

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Become Sony’s Most Profitable Release

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Become Sony’s Most Profitable Release

    Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s success at the box office is quite an exciting prospect. It built upon the nostalgia of the original two franchises that came before it, while also offering an emotional gut-punch of a story that is bound to have people clamoring for more. Well, it seems Sony is in the same seat as Deadline is reporting that its $1 billion global release has already gained around $242M net profit. That’s quite the success within just a few weeks, especially as the film continues to grow moving forward.

    It just passed that benchmark and tied with Avengers: Infinity War as the second-fastest to do so. Yet, there are some concerns that the Omicron surge could hamper its future development and take away the legs it would’ve had originally if it was released in a non-pandemic time. Unlike most releases, it’s still a steady release and there’s a good chance Sony will make $610M in profit from this single release. As the film is already on its way to pass Far From Home, which managed to nab $1.13B, the current predictions see it making around $1.75B worldwide.

    At this rate, it’s sure to beat out the previous entries, which is always a good sign for an ongoing franchise like Spider-Man and has also been quite competitive in the market, which most newer releases not holding a candle to it in its second weekend. Marvel Studios and Disney did renegotiate their terms for this third entry, which means they’ll get a slice of the pie as well. This also solidifies that their continued partnership might be in the best interest of everyone involved, which hopefully ensures a bright future as work is already underway for the fourth entry.

    Source: Deadline

  • Jessica Henwick Says “Never Say Never” on Potential Continuation of Her ‘Iron Fist’ Storyline

    Jessica Henwick Says “Never Say Never” on Potential Continuation of Her ‘Iron Fist’ Storyline

    Marvel Studios is going through an interesting phase, as they reintroduced characters from the Marvel TV era into their universe. Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Wilson Fisk and Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil made their return in style, which opened the floodgates of others making a potential return. It made many wonders if they’ll also answer some questions left behind from the series, such as Colleen Wing’s new time as the Iron Fist. Luckily, during her press tour for The Matrix Resurrections, actress Jessica Henwick gave her opinion on a potential return.

    Look, the way we left Iron Fist, spoiler alert, Colleen has the power and she’s in a really good place. I would love to revisit her. That character meant a lot to me and really changed my life. And I would love to revisit her one day, but it would really have to be the right place, and the right time, and the right script, but never say never

    Jessica Henwick

    What is interesting to point out is that she was offered a role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but declined due to her hope to revisit Wing’s storyline. It’s unclear if this is even something that Marvel Studios is willing to revisit given the overall reception of that part of The Defenders, but we’ll see if her choice may have sparked an interest to continue further down that path after all.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • New ‘The Batman’ Trailer Features More Footage of Riddler and Catwoman

    New ‘The Batman’ Trailer Features More Footage of Riddler and Catwoman

    It looks like a new poster has finally dropped that offers a closer look at the upcoming March release of The Batman. Matt Reeves‘s new epic will reintroduce the world to a new take on the iconic Caped Crusader. We’ve had some amazing posters in the past, but the latest offers a look at the mystery surrounding Riddler’s true goal and even features more of Zoe Kravitz’s take on Selina Kyle.

    This is a more action-packed offering than those before, which focused primarily on the detective aspect. The dynamic tease between Bruce and Selina is also quite intriguing, as it may offer a fresher take that can evolve throughout most films. It’s still crazy to think we’re getting a new interpretation of the character that leans more into the gothic side that has been heavily used throughout comics and even the animated projects. We cannot wait to see it once it releases in March and kicks off a new year for superhero offerings.

    Source: YouTube

  • Warner CEO Confirms HBO Max Date for ‘The Batman’

    Warner CEO Confirms HBO Max Date for ‘The Batman’

    When the calendar turns over to 2022, fans will notice a change in the way WarnerMedia distributes their films. In 2021, films such as The Matrix Resurrections and The Suicide Squad were released on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters through an experiment called “Project Popcorn.” This strategy, while appreciated by fans who weren’t ready to return to theaters during an ongoing pandemic, certainly put a dent in the box office returns for those films. In October, WarnerMedia brass indicated that while there will still be movies that debut on HBO Max (as many as 11), they will be returning to debuting many films in theaters.

    One of WarnerMedia’ first big tentpoles to debut exclusively in theaters in 2022 will be Matt Reeves‘ The Batman. Reeves began developing the film in early 2017 after Ben Affleck, who was set to star and direct, hit some creative roadblocks. Reeves’ new take on the Caped Crusader will star Robert Pattinson as a young Bruce Wayne taking on the Riddler as he terrorizes Gotham City. Reeves is a long-time fan of the character and has plans for a trilogy and multiple spinoffs have already gone into development; to that end, The Batman represents a MAJOR investment for WarnerMedia and a successful theatrical run for the film is important.

    That does not diminish the importance of HBO Max to the studio’s future success, however, and so while “Project Popcorn” is no more, Warner announced that films that debut theatrically, like The Batman, will have a 45-day run in theaters and will hit HBO Max on Day 46. While speaking with Peter Kafka on the Recode podcast, WarnerMedia CEO, Jason Kilar, confirmed this to be the case for The Batman, indicating it will debut on the streaming service on April 19, 2022. Kilar went on to confirm that the studio intends to follow suit with the releases of Black Adam and The Flash. With Disney, Warner’s chief competition, experimenting with longer windows for some of their bigger budget films, it looks like a new battle of the Streaming Wars in underway.

  • ‘Morbius’ Eyeing a Longer Runtime Than ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’

    ‘Morbius’ Eyeing a Longer Runtime Than ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’

    Sony is currently on a roll after the success of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home. They aren’t taking a break though, as their Marvel expansion is about to release in January with the Jared Leto-led project Morbius. He’ll tackle the role of the Living Vampire and it seems that the film might be eyeing the usual length of other films, as the website of Cinemark has included its runtime at around one hour and 48 minutes. It’s longer than the previously released Venom sequel, which was quite a surprisingly short entry as other superhero films continue to increase their runtimes.

    No one expects an Avengers: Endgame runtime from a film about a man turning into a vampire, but there’s quite a bit of lore and character work that can pad it out. We’ll see how the film shapes, as we near its release in the new year, as most discussions focus on the confusing connection it has to Spider-Man. Each trailer adds more and more elements from across the multiverse, which adds some uncertainty if this is now part of Tom Holland‘s MCU run, or potentially a separate project.

    No Way Home confirmed Venom isn’t part of that universe due to the post-credit sequence. So, him pretending to be the symbiote would indicate he’s from that same universe. So, the inclusion of Michael Keaton‘s Vulture adds to the confusion. Here’s hoping that the next trailer might offer a clearer picture and they were pulling our leg to add some discussion for the multiversal storyline that just recently passed the $1 billion mark.

    Source: Cinemark via The Direct

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Swings to $1 Billion Worldwide

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Swings to $1 Billion Worldwide

    It has finally come, just as we discussed it yesterday, Spider-Man: No Way Home has officially joined the $1 billion club. With $467.3M domestically and $587.1M internationally, the film stands at a strong $1.05B over the Christmas weekend. While it did face a harsh drop, we’re in a very different situation given the effect the holidays have every year and it ties with Avengers: Infinity War for the spot of second-fastest to pass that milestone.

    This milestone is quite impressive, as it goes against all odds given the omicron variant on the horizon. It’s also the first film to manage this in around two years, which hasn’t been kind to many films’ success at the box office when compared to the usual releases. Its drop can also be attributed to the fact it faced not one, but three new releases this weekend. At this point it has doubled Shang-Chi‘s already fantastic $224M.

    Spider-Man wasn’t the only one to web up quite a bit this weekend, as Sing 2 managed to take the second spot at the domestic box office with $23.7M while The Matrix Resurrections landed in third with a mellow $14M. To be fair, the latter is also available on HBO Max, which may have become the main way of watching it for some audiences. Plus, the sequel to the 2016 animated film targeted parents with younger kids, who are the current audience group most uncertain about returning to theaters. Sadly, The King’s Man was struggling with a $10M opening, which only barely beat out American Underdog.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Webs Up the Title of Highest Grossing Film of 2021

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Webs Up the Title of Highest Grossing Film of 2021

    The fabled Holiday weekend has done its thing, as Spider-Man: No Way Home will pass $1 billion over the weekend. As such, it has now become the highest-grossing film of 2021. The title was held by The Battle of Lake Changjin, which was a strong Chinese release with $904 million. It earned an amazing $19.7M on Christmas Eve and stands at a strong $405.5M domestically. With that, it has passed Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to become their highest-grossing film in the domestic market. As of now, the film has garnered $900M worldwide and will likely pass the mark either tonight over Christmas Day or the latest on Sunday.

    If the film passes the $1 billion over Christmas Day, it’ll tie with Avengers: Infinity War to reach that milestone. Avengers: Endgame still has that title with five days. It’ll be the first to pass the billion mark since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. What makes this film stand out is that it’ll pass this benchmark without a Chinese release, as it’s only the fifth film to manage the benchmark, which includes The Dark Knight, Joker, PIrates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, and Alice in Wonderland. At this rate, it’ll inch closer to the releases like Frozen with $1.45B, or even Avengers: Infinity War with $2.048B. Developments in the new year will offer a clearer picture.

    Source: Forbes, Hollywood Reporter

  • Matt Murdock is Back…and On a New Marvel T-Shirt

    Matt Murdock is Back…and On a New Marvel T-Shirt

    After almost a year’s worth of debate as to whether or not Charlie Cox would be back as Matt Murdock, the actor popped up, as reported, in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Murdock served as Peter Parker’s lawyer and, in a brief scene early in the movie, displayed his radar sense by deftly snagging a brick thrown through a window. When asked by Parker how he did it, Murdock simply said, “I’m a really good lawyer.”

    Marvel is now putting that humorous scene on display on three new t-shirts available on Amazon.

    Amazon has made available a classic t-shirt, a raglan baseball shirt and, a tank top version so you can have the guns out when the sun’s out. You can purchase the shirts by clicking on the appropriate link below:

    Premium T-Shirt
    Raglan
    Tank Top