Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    ‘Eternals’ Faces Harsh Drop But Still Eyeing Top Spot With $28M+ in its Second Weekend

    Eternals‘ box office has been a highly debated discussion due to the film’s mixed critical reception. While it was behind expectations, it still managed to nab the fourth-highest domestic opening of 2021 with $71M. Of course, the first weekend is where any film builds its momentum and the question is how strong it can keep that top spot in the coming weeks. Well, it looks like the Friday numbers are in and the film faced a drop similar to Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The drop is around 75% that is a far cry from Shang-Chi‘s 67%. Still, it’ll very likely pass the $100M mark once the weekend is over.

    Eternals will take the top spot again in its second weekend, which is still a strong showing. What should be highlighted is that this film might not have strong legs as other projects, its international numbers may be giving it an additional boost. The numbers are also developing similarly to how July was right as the pandemic was only starting to slow down. The box office generally has a few milestones for various franchises, such as Dune also passing the $100M mark and the Venom sequel getting to $200M.

    Clifford the Big Red Dog will take the second spot but won’t give the latest Marvel Studios film much competition. It’s also been facing harsher critical reception but is doing better with audiences as a fun film for families to check out. So, it might be a quieter week but it’s very likely that Eternals will be dethroned once Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases next week.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Milestone), Box Office Mojo

  • Sylvester Stallone Confirms Return With Set Video from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Sylvester Stallone Confirms Return With Set Video from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we met Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar Ogord. He’s a loose adaptation of the comic character Starhawk, who originally was from the 31st century and a member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. In the MCU, he’s one of the leaders of the Ravagers and the one who exiled Yondu for his actions working for Ego. They did give him a heartfelt farewell tribute at the end of the film, but it left us with the question of whether they might make a return.

    Luckily, we got our first rumor of his return back in July which might build upon the brief post-credits sequence of the older generation of Ravagers working together once again. It’s unclear what role he might have in James Gunn’s third and possibly final entry of the franchise, but it’s great to get a confirmation that he’s indeed in the film.

    It’s interesting that they are filming all his expressions to duplicate. In a way, it seems that it’s part of the routine at this point but they might also be considering aging the actor down for flashback sequences. They seemed to hint at the long history the Ravagers shared and might want to explore that in the final entry. Yondu getting a short cameo in a flashback would make for an interesting way to bring Michael Rooker back for a final entry of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy directed by James Gunn. Plus, they might hint at the franchise’s future as well.

    Source: Instagram

  • Chloé Zhao is Not Directing a ‘Star Wars’ Movie

    Chloé Zhao is Not Directing a ‘Star Wars’ Movie

    Three days ago, reports surfaced online suggesting Eternals director Chloé Zhao was directing the untitled Star Wars movie being produced by Kevin Feige. Zhao, of course, has been very vocal about her love of the franchise and eagerness to direct a Star Wars film. Unfortunately, it appears the initial report is not true.

    As part of its weekly Heat Vision newsletter, The Hollywood Reporter went on record stating Zhao is not attached to a Star Wars film – Feige’s or otherwise. Feige, of course, has been working on the unspecified Star Wars film since it was announced in 2019. As a massive Star Wars fan himself, fans have been eagerly awaiting news of the project. We know that Michael Waldron, who wrote both Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for Marvel Studios, penned the script. Waldron, of course, joined the project back in January.

    With a writer on board, it seems likely a director will join the project relatively soon. Of course, things can and do often change in Hollywood. (Case in point: Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron being delayed indefinitely.)

    As of now, Feige’s Star Wars film does not have a release date.

    Source: THR

  • Breaking: ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Undergoing Reconstructive Surgery

    Breaking: ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Undergoing Reconstructive Surgery

    When Marvel Studios shuffled their release slate for 2022 and beyond, it seemed significant that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the first film to be postponed. Now, a new trade report gives some clarity as to why the film won’t be making its intended March 2022 release.

    According to Aaron Couch, the film is undergoing a “significant” makeover between now and the end of the year. The film is said to be filming six days a week over the next six weeks in Los Angeles to complete what is being described as both “additional photography” (new stuff) and “reshoots” (new stuff to replace old stuff). Writer Michael Waldron is reportedly writing new material, presumably for the additional photography.

    According to the trade, part of the reshoots are simply a function of working around the availability of actors. The production, which took place in London, was also impacted by COVID-related issues that slowed it down. The film is also on its second creative team with Waldron and director Sam Raimi taking over for Scott Derrickson. Despite all the challenges it has faced, the trade says there is still “pervasive enthusiasm” for the project.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now slated to hit theaters on May 6th, 2022.

  • DISNEY+ DAY: First Look at ‘Predator’ Prequel Prey

    DISNEY+ DAY: First Look at ‘Predator’ Prequel Prey

    We just found out that the Predator prequel will be titled Prey, and it looks like they didn’t waste any time, as they also offered our first look at the new series, as we explore the time of the Comanche in Dan Trachtenberg‘s next film.

    Source: Twitter

  • Disney + Day: ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Set to Stream Next Halloween

    Disney + Day: ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Set to Stream Next Halloween

    Nearly 30 years after the original film introduced the Sanderson sisters to the world, the Hocus Pocus sequel will finally stream on Disney Plus! As part of Disney Plus Day, it was revealed that Hocus Pocus 2, which sees Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy return in their respective roles, will stream on Disney Plus next Fall, just in time for Halloween.

    The new film will once again take place in Salem where three teens played by Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham and Belissa Escobedo find themselves at odds with the Sanderson sisters. The sequel, directed by Anne Fletcher, will also see Doug Jones return as Winifred’s zombie ex-love, Billy Butcherson.

  • DISNEY+ DAY: ‘Pinocchio’ Eyeing Fall 2022 Release

    DISNEY+ DAY: ‘Pinocchio’ Eyeing Fall 2022 Release

    The retelling of Pinocchio directed by Robert Zemeckis is heading to Disney+, as they shared the full cast line-up and that it is eyeing a release for Fall 2022. Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, and Luke Evans will bring some of the iconic characters to life with the help of voices provided by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, and Lorrain Cracco.

    Source: Twitter

  • Marvel’s Earth X Comics Served as an “Uncanny Bible” for ‘Eternals’ Scribes

    Marvel’s Earth X Comics Served as an “Uncanny Bible” for ‘Eternals’ Scribes

    Eternals writers Kaz and Ryan Firpo had a huge task in front of them as they began to crack the story of Eternals. Telling the story of the very origins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reinventing some very obscure characters for the film and deciding what themes to include were just some of the big jobs they had to handle and they had to pack it all into a huge, sci-fi epic. Inverse got to talk to the writers and, according to Kaz, despite the film featuring all manner of Cosmic being, including the massive Celestials, the pair looked at the film as an opportunity to get philosophical about humanity itself:

    Eternals is using the lens of science fiction to ask big questions about purpose and responsibility and love. Stories provide us an opportunity to ask big questions. If you come from a movie with a big question you’re still grappling with, that’s a great success. Because we’ve gotten you to think about what it means to be human for just a little bit.

    In prepping to take those big questions to the big screen, the writers first dove in to the comic book history of the characters. While the bulk of their stories were told through creator Jack Kirby’s original run and Neil Gaiman’s modern run, another lesser known run also had a big influence on the film: 1999’s Earth X. Earth X was written by Jim Kreuger who worked with Alex Ross (who originally created the dystopian future seen in the series) to put together a 14-issue run that took a look at a world where most everyone had super powers and, pertinent to Eternals, had a Celestial growing at its core! Kaz described the process of digging into the comic book history of the characters and how Earth X stood out for the way it took on the sort of big, philosophical ideas they wanted to tackle:

    The process began with Marvel handing us a 700-page PDF that had everything, every time the Eternals had appeared, even in Avengers [comics]. We read all of it. Comics are an incredible medium because they’re about different artists having different conversations in the shared universe. Comics inherently are about the multiverse; it’s different takes on these same stories. For us, it became [about] bringing our own story to the lineage. Earth X was an uncanny bible that sat around in the writer’s room because it tackled huge ideas.

    Ryan also indicated that while the Kirby and Gaiman runs each lent part of their stories to the DNA of the film, it was the philosophy of Ross’s Earth X idea that caught their attention. The use of Earth X as a “bible” for the film goes to show how valuable any corner of Marvel Comics vast library can be as creators begin the process of adapting these stories and characters for the MCU. The stories begun in Earth X have continued to grow through the subsequent series Universe X, Paradise X and Marvels X; maybe those series will become the bibles for Eternals sequels or for other projects down the road.

    Source: Inverse

  • UPDATE: DISNEY+ DAY: ‘Predator’ Prequel Headed to Hulu for Summer 2022 Under New Title

    UPDATE: DISNEY+ DAY: ‘Predator’ Prequel Headed to Hulu for Summer 2022 Under New Title

    It looks like Disney+ Day is to celebrate everything Disney, as Deadline has just announced the upcoming Predator prequel will be titled Prey. Dan Trachtenberg has been directing the project under the title “Skulls” for some time. Prey, which will debut on Hulu, will explore the Comanche Nation around 300 years ago through the perspective of a skilled female warrior named Naru, who will end up face-to-face with one of the most evolved alien predators next summer.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Eternals’ Couldn’t Film in Hawaii As ‘Inhumans’ “Burned That Bridge”

    ‘Eternals’ Couldn’t Film in Hawaii As ‘Inhumans’ “Burned That Bridge”

    It looks like Marvel TV’s adaptation of Inhumans may have left a bad aftertaste with not only Marvel Studios but also Hawaii. Eternals writers Kaz and Ryan Firbo discussed their initial pitching phase of Eternals and how they tried to approach different aspects of the project. They also went through various filming locations, but it turns out that there was one they weren’t allowed to include Hawaii. The reasoning as Marvel Studios put it was that the Inhumans series “totally burned that bridge” according to Kaz Firbo. He goes on to state that:

    In the Marvel Universe there’s a lot of synergy, but also individuals telling great stories. There isn’t this algorithm that makes Marvel movies great. They hire people who love what they do and let them do what they love. For us, Inhumans was part of that conversation only insofar as — this is a true story — they said, “You can’t go to Hawaii.” Nobody gets to go to Hawaii because Inhumans totally burned that bridge. Beyond that, there wasn’t someone saying like, “We can’t do this, can’t do that.” The door really was open for us.

    Kaz Firbo

    Ryan Firbo added that they also initially envisioned Eternals as a TV Show, but it was mentioned they “kind of tried that” but it was disconnected. So, the actions of the TV studio have left some long-lasting scars. It sadly seems that it might also take quite some time before the studio may enter Hawaii to start a production there that makes use of its beautiful landscape. It makes you wonder if we’ll ever get some insight from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige how the series may have influenced other decisions.

    Source: Inverse