Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 7: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer Thoughts

    Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 7: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Trailer Thoughts

    Mary Maerz

    Was it worth the dramatic wait? Not really. Was it worth some kind of wait? Sure. By (unsurprisingly) not giving away any of the BIG reveals, it still kind of feels like a bit of a let down to me. Even though not much will actually be a surprise at this point, I still would have liked to see a bit more of a tease to the other Spider-People. I do really like the more sinister tone going on, and the references to all the villains’ fates being death by other Spideys (and Peter presumably not wanting to send them back to their deaths) gives it a bit more of a plot, BUT it’s still very fluffy and vague since they are avoiding a lot. But yay, action action. Doctor Strange is weird to me still. It bothers me more than anything, but his at least partially-antagonistic role is cool.

    Hunter Radesi


    The first full length trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home delivers on all the promises the studio already made, but none that the fans had been holding out hope for. It’s definitely a good time, and I found myself grinning like an idiot when all the villains of Spider-Man past made their big debut, but something about it almost felt a little less grand than expected. I’m hoping that simply means Sony has learned to save the good stuff for the actual movie.

    Oh, and that quick look at Electro has me buzzing more than anything else. Bring on the goofy comic book goodness!

    Charles Murphy

    Since finding out what this movie would be all about, I haven’t really been excited. I really wanted this film to be a showcase for Tom Holland as Spider-Man, exploring parts of the character that we haven’t seen so far. I’ve been worried that we wouldn’t get that. This trailer does seem to indicate that we will get a much bigger dose of that than I thought. I’m still not super hyped up to see the movie (though I absolutely loved the Foxx’s new look as Electro), but I do have more hope for it being a story about the MCU’s Peter Parker than I did before.

    Joao Pinto

    I have just two major takeaways after watching the trailer. One is an interesting development where Doc Ock appears not to be an outright villain and even though he’ll play Peter’s antagonist he might also play a part in helping him both understand and get through the situation he finds himself in. The other one is the omission of all the characters that will help to even the playing field in Peter’s favor. The trailer already does explain a lot of what’s going on: the reason why so many characters from other franchises show up, who’s to blame for that and why they all seek Peter so it’s good to still have a few things to look forward to. Other than that, it does do a good job hyping up the movie. See you in a month’s time.

    Filip Manka

    I was looking forward to the second trailer of NWH because the first one left me unsatisfied. And the second one… also. I’m not a fan of this trailer. It lacks structure and there is a lot of narrative chaos in it. The CGI and the teaser for the 3rd act looks pretty weak and I hope it looks better in the movie itself. The parallels to “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” on the other hand are cheap nostalgia bait for the fans. On the other hand, there are some nice shots and it feels like it will be an emotional culmination of the trilogy. I am once again confused and wish the movie itself would positively surprise me.

    Anthony Canton III

    The two biggest things about this trailer are firstly Tom’s Peter Parker story. We have something to grasp on now as he tries deal with the idea of letting these villains die. How that plays into the conflict with Dr. Strange will be incredibly fascinating. The other is the fate of one of Peter’s loved ones. It feels like by Peter interfering with destiny he’s going to be responsible for a death, and it’s going to be heartbreaking for him, and heartbreaking for us.

    Arlyn Murphy

    The trailer made me overly excited for the movie to come out. I really liked that they brought in different characters that are from the other two universes. Seeing them tie in the previous Spider-Man stories into the MCU is very exciting for me. With all the villains from the previous movies in the film I expect Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to show up too.

    Nathan Miller


    I’ve seen mixed responses to this trailer, which I think I share. In some ways it’s a perfectly Peter Parker scenario that Spidey finds himself in. Feeling obliged to try and save antagonists from their fate, that he, or his variants, may be responsible for. I like the Alfred Molina content in this trailer. In that sense, it’s a brilliant trailer for casual viewers who don’t know what else might be coming and will be truly surprised in the cinema when they see it. On the other hand, with all the hype surrounding the film the lack of freshness means more waiting for the excitement to be pushed forward, in which case it might be best to check-out of paying attention to the marketing for now, until tickets go on sale.

  • Netflix Shares Viewership Numbers for the First Time

    Netflix Shares Viewership Numbers for the First Time

    Streaming may be about to change forever, as Netflix has suddenly offered insight into how much their shows and films are being viewed. Not just that, they promise this to be a regular occurrence. Other streaming services have been coy on sharing any data, as the market hasn’t required it. Yet, as they continue to grow this is a massive jump for transparency and might also shift the market in a new direction, as streaming becomes more dominant.

    The goal for Netflix is to report how many hours were spent on the top 10 TV shows and movies, which includes original and licensed offerings. The first numbers offered some insight into their latest release Red Notice with Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds, and Dwayne Johnson spearheading. In its first week of release, it had garnered around 149M hours of viewing time. Narcos: Mexico was the most-watched English-speaking series with 50M hours. Squid Game did take the top spot, however, for a non-English series with around 43M after being available for some time.

    It’s a great development, but it opens the question of whether others will be willing to share their data as openly. Newer streaming services are facing enough hardship. So, transparency might streamline the market and showcase what investments are proven successful. This move does also feels like a follow-up to 2021’s long-winded discussion regarding simultaneous releases and how effective they truly are. We’ll keep an eye on future developments.

    Source: Financial Times

  • REPORT: Greta Gerwig Pens Latest Draft of Disney’s Live-Action ‘Snow White’

    REPORT: Greta Gerwig Pens Latest Draft of Disney’s Live-Action ‘Snow White’

    Disney’s live-action Snow White has reportedly brought in Little Women writer Greta Gerwig to pen the latest draft.

    The news comes courtesy of The DisInsider with the outlet reporting musical rehearsals beginning in January. Production on the film kicks off in March. It was recently announced that Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot will portray the Evil Queen in the film. Gadot joins actress Rachel Zegler who will play Snow White.

    Along with news of Gerwig’s involvement, the outlet was able to unveil two-character breakdowns for the film. One is for a young Snow White, while the other is for her love interest. The character isn’t described as Prince Charming, the breakdown refers to him as Jonathan and describes him as having “plenty of swagger and a twinkle in his eye.” The breakdown reportedly also states he resorts “to Robin Hood-like thievery to provide for him and his friends.”

    Gerwig is a two-time Academy Award-nominee and was nominated for her work on Little Women, which she wrote and directed. She is currently set to helm the live-action Barbie, with Margot Robbie in the titular role, for Warner Bros.

    Snow White will be directed by Marc Webb.

    Source: DisInsider

  • Denis Villeneuve Teases Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen for ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Denis Villeneuve Teases Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen for ‘Dune: Part Two’

    It didn’t take long after the release of Dune that we got the confirmation for a sequel. As the film only covered around half of the original novel, the lack of an announcement had some on edge if director Denis Villeneuve will truly be able to bring his vision to life. Luckily, now that we have the confirmation, it opens up new questions, such as who we might expect in the sequel if he might make some changes to the source material. In a recent interview with Empire, the director confirmed that Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – the heir to the throne of House Harkonnen will appear in Dune: Part Two:

    Definitely. That’s a choice that I personally brought on. There was enough characters that were introduced in this first part, and it will be more elegant to keep Feyd for Part Two. It will be definitely a very, very important character in the second part.

    Denis Villeneuve

    Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a brother of Beast Rabann and the nephew of Baron Harkonnen. He is a young man, who is just a year older than Paul and is preparing to become the Baron’s successor. Not just that, he’s also part of the genetic plan mentioned by Gaius Helen Mohiam in the film.

    They’ll now have a chance to explore the parallels between Feyd and Paul, who grew up in very different circumstances and have quite a few things in common. It’ll be interesting to see how Villeneuve brings this character to life and how close he’ll stick to the books.

    Source: Empire

  • HBO Max to Reunite ‘Harry Potter’s Original Trio for ‘Return to Hogwarts’ Special

    HBO Max to Reunite ‘Harry Potter’s Original Trio for ‘Return to Hogwarts’ Special

    It looks like a new era has begun for Harry Potter. While Warner Bros. has been busy working on the third entry of Fantastic Beasts, it seems HBO Max has some additional plans. The streaming service will release a special for New Years Day titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts that’ll welcome back the original Harry Potter cast of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.

    It’s not surprising that they’re adding an anniversary special, as the streaming service saw quite the success with their FRIENDS reunion special. The feature is described to “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations.” Director Chris Columbus will also make a return alongside cast members from across all eight entries of the popular Harry Potter films.

    It’s crazy to think that it’s already been 20 years since the first film in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone released in theaters. For those that don’t have access to HBO Max, it’ll also be made available on TBS and Cartoon Network in the spring of 2022. So, there will be an opportunity to check it out next year.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • ‘Batgirl’ Adds ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Cinematographer John Mathieson

    ‘Batgirl’ Adds ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Cinematographer John Mathieson

    Barbara Gordon is set to make her DC extended universe debut after quite a bit of time in development hell. The film looks to be taking inspiration from Batgirl: Year One as well as the Batgirl of Burnside storyline. The HBO Max original movie landed the directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who most recently worked on the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. It seems the films added yet another Marvel Studios veteran to its crew, with Arbi announcing the projects found has found its cinematographer.

    In one of his Instagram stories, he announced that John Mathieson, whose previous works include Gladiator, Logan, and Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness has joined their film’s production. This is an interesting development considering the Doctor Strange sequel is currently slated to begin reshoots in the coming weeks that are considered to be quite extensive and time-consuming. So, joining Batgirl might imply that once Doctor Strange wraps up, he’ll join the DC project shortly after.

    Plot details on the film are still being kept under wraps as the DCEU continues its expansion. The film is set to be one of the first projects that will air exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service. It’ll also be joined by a project focused on Blue Beetle. Plot details and a release date for the film are still unknown as the film is set to start production in Glasgow. Batgirl is set to star Leslie Grace as the titular hero alongside Jacob Scipio, J.K. Simmons reprising his role as Commissioner Gordon and Brendan Fraser as Firefly.

    SOURCE: Instagram

  • Mel Gibson In Talks To Direct ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ For HBO Max

    Mel Gibson In Talks To Direct ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ For HBO Max


    It turns out nobody is ever too old for this stuff. Mel Gibson is reportedly negotiating a return to the Lethal Weapon franchise that helped put him on the map. Only this time, he could be sitting in the director’s chair as well as starring in front of the camera. Deadline states that Gibson had long been developing a potential fifth installment in the buddy cop series with the previous director Richard Donner. After the latter’s passing earlier this year, Gibson decided he would take it upon himself to finish the project as a tribute to his longtime friend.

    Any potential plot details are currently being kept under wraps, and it’s unknown if Gibson or his famous costar Danny Glover will return to their iconic roles as well. What is known is that the film would premiere exclusively on HBO Max. The streaming service has been working hard to expand its portfolio of exclusive content, and adding a new Lethal Weapon would do wonders in bringing in a whole generation of viewers who grew up with the franchise. Gibson is currently working on the John Wick prequel series The Continental at Starz, so it’s likely any real production on Lethal Weapon 5 would have to wait until after that project wraps.

    Source: Deadline

  • Lucasfilm’s Micro-Management May Have Led to ‘Rogue Squadron’s Indefinite Delay

    Lucasfilm’s Micro-Management May Have Led to ‘Rogue Squadron’s Indefinite Delay

    A new piece by Puck from former THR editor Matthew Belloni has offered an update on why exactly Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron was delayed indefinitely. Initially, rumors had it pushed back until 2024, just a year away from its original release. Shortly after, we got the official word that it was postponed indefinitely and without any word of a project taking its place. The official word is that scheduling conflicts are the main reason, especially with Warner Bros. fast-tracking the third Wonder Woman film. So, Star Wars‘ cinematic future remains uncertain but it looks like there might be more to this story.

    In a new piece on the site Puck, they report that a significant lack of Star Wars films is mainly due to the company behind them, Lucasfilm. According to their sources, Jenkins couldn’t agree on a script with the executives, which naturally drags out any talks. The issue sadly isn’t uncommon in the industry but seems to have especially become an internal one with Lucasfilm. They cite that the new trilogies that were in development, one by Game of Thrones‘ David Benioff, and Dan Weiss as well as one by The Last Jedi‘s Rian Johnson‘s, both got shelved due to the same issues.

    The article highlights Kathleen Kennedy‘s role in the company’s current development. She’s the president of the company and has an important role in keeping the machine running. Yet, it seems that their hands-on approach is damaging their relationship with directors and talent within the industry. Phil Lord and Chris Miller famously kicked from their own production only for Ron Howard to take over directing duties. So, it opens up the question of what this direction for Lucasfilm might mean for the franchise if one of the hottest properties in the industry is burning bridges.

    Source: Puck, IndieWire

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Releasing 2 Days Earlier in the UK

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Releasing 2 Days Earlier in the UK

    It looks like UK viewers are in luck, as Digital Spy has confirmed that the next Sony-Marvel Studios collaboration will hit UK theaters early. Spider-Man: No Way Home is going to release on Wednesday, December 15th while the US and other territories are still scheduled for a December 17th release. The announcement comes at a perfect time, as we’re about to get a second trailer tomorrow that’ll be revealed in a fan event. It’s uncertain what exactly we can expect and when it might find its way online, but there is hope we get an announcement sometime today.

    It’s not uncommon for a Marvel film to release early in the UK or even Europe. There’s no word if this will also expand to other European countries, but it’s not uncommon in these countries to have an early preview on Wednesdays. Austria generally has early blockbuster releases on Wednesday to better split viewership over a few days, especially with fan screenings. They even timed the release of Avengers: Endgame that Infinity War ended on midnight of the US release to start the film. So, it’s not too uncommon but great to see it openly confirmed by Sony.

    Source: Digital Spy

  • Rumor: Marvel Studios Developing ‘Daredevil’ Solo Project

    Rumor: Marvel Studios Developing ‘Daredevil’ Solo Project

    With Charlie Cox’s return to the role of Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home just over a month away, a leaked casting grid seems to indicate that Marvel Studios is in the earliest stages of developing a solo project for the character.

    The grid, shown above, gives no additional information about the potential project but is in line with early grids for other projects. Cox, who is also rumored for a multi-episode arc in 2022’s Marvel Studios’ streaming series She-Hulk, has denied any knowledge about a potential return, but has been a little more forthcoming in recent weeks about what he’d like to see if he were to return as Murdock/Daredevil, saying he’d like to see a “reimagined, upgraded version of the character” in any potential revival/reboot.

    With rumors also pointing to Vincent D’Onofrio returning soon as Wilson Fisk in the Marvel Studios’ streaming series Hawkeye, fans are both thrilled and left to debate if these characters will pick up where they left off in the Netflix series or if we’ll be getting all-new, all-different versions of the characters with the same actors. In the cases of Cox and D’Onofrio, it’s hard to imagine replacing one without the other given the depth of the onscreen dynamic they developed over the 3 season of Netflix’s Daredevil. D’Onofrio recently indicated that if he were to return in the role, he’d want to eventually take on Spider-Man, giving fans hope that they might see the Kingpin, who debuted as a Spidey villain, return to his comic book roots.

    Unfortunately, the leaked screenshot doesn’t indicate if the Daredevil project is a film or intended for Disney Plus, nor does it give any timeline as to when we might expect it. With so many projects already in development, it might be a while before we get any concrete updates on this one. In the meantime, we can all start imagining what that upgraded version of the character might look like.