Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Box Office Passes the $400M Mark Worldwide

    ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Box Office Passes the $400M Mark Worldwide

    Even after some negative reception, the first Venom film garnered quite a bit of momentum at the box office. Looks like it’s the same case for its sequel Let There Be Carnage, as it just passed the $400M mark in its global box office. Domestically it garnered $191.6M and added another $212.5M internationally. So, there’s nothing in the way of a sequel announcement in the near future, especially if you consider Sony already added a few new Marvel listings to their upcoming release slate of 2023.

    Tom Hardy’s return as Eddie Brock led to the highest opening domestically with $90.1M. On top of that, it’s the second-best for an October release even from before the pandemic hit. It also had the strongest opening in Russia since theaters locked down and were Sony’s best performer there. With $31.4M it’s in the top ten earners of that market.

    It’s been doing quite well internationally, as its the second biggest opener in markets that includes Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Central America, Ecuador, and many more. Currently, it is tracking ahead of other block buster releases of the year, which is a good indicator that the market has finally been healing. A Chinese release however is uncertain even though the last film opened there to an impressive $269M. At this rate, it may near the $500M mark by the end of its run.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘Eternals’ Pulled From Release in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Eternals’ Pulled From Release in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals is no longer releasing in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Qatar. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film was banned from being released in the three countries do the inclusion of a same-sex couple in the film.

    Eternals was originally slated to hit theaters in the Gulf Region on Nov. 11, shortly after its release in the United States. However, the film has been quietly removed from appearing on websites in the three countries. Interestingly, though, it is still showing as coming soon in the United Arab Emirates.

    The ban comes as Disney was given a series of edit requests to make on Eternals to adhere to the local censors. Disney, however, refused to comply with the requests, resulting in the film being pulled from release. While not on the record, it’s thought one of the requests was to cut the on-screen kiss between Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) and his on-screen husband Ben (Haaz Sleiman).

    Phastos, of course, is the first gay superhero to appear within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which makes the on-screen kiss between the two characters monumental. Unfortunately, though, because homosexuality is still illegal across the Gulf, the depiction of it in the film was always going to ruffle some feathers.

    Eternals hits theaters tomorrow. It is directed by Chloé Zhao and stars an ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie. 

    Source: THR

  • EXCLUSIVE: John Leguizamo Wishes New ‘MARIO’ Film Was More Inclusive

    EXCLUSIVE: John Leguizamo Wishes New ‘MARIO’ Film Was More Inclusive

    In September, Nintendo shocked the world when it announced Chris Pratt would be taking the iconic role of Mario in a new animated Super Mario Bros. film adaptation. The casting quickly became a hot topic on social media, mixed with discussions surrounding the reveal of popular names like Jack Black, Seth Rogan, and Anya Taylor-Joy in supporting roles. Now, the actor who played Luigi in the original live-action Mario film is weighing in.

    During an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, John Leguizamo was asked about his thoughts on the new movie. He responded by explaining his mixed feelings about a new take on the story and its casting process:

    Y’know, Super Mario Bros. holds a special place in my heart. It’s twenty-five years, I think, since it was made, and they’re remaking it. So I’m glad that the movie was good enough that they want to make a remake. That’s a good sign. I wish they would have been more inclusive and had more Latinx in it, like as innovative as the first one was.

    The Ice Age actor is referring, of course, to the casting of a Latinx man like himself as the traditionally Italian Luigi. The role will be occupied by Charlie Day when the new animated film arrives. However, Leguizamo does seem open to the idea of returning to the franchise in another form. Of course, the decision ultimately belongs to executives at Universal. When asked if he would participate in the new Mario or a potential sequel, he responded:

    Yeah, I think I know how to fix what didn’t work in the original. I think I’ve got all the secret sauce. If they come to me, I’d be willing to help out.

    Leguizamo is historically a big proponent for Latinx representation in the film industry. He can next be seen in Disney’s next big animated feature Encanto when it hits theaters on Nov. 24.

    Along with the release of Encanto, Leguizamo is set to make his comic book writing debut with PhenomX, hitting shelves later this month.

  • Gal Gadot Says They’re Working on the ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Script Now

    Gal Gadot Says They’re Working on the ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Script Now

    Yesterday, Netflix held the red carpet premiere of Red Notice, which hits the streaming service later this month. On hand to promote the film was one of its stars, Gal Gadot, who is best known for playing Wonder Woman these days. While the second installment of the Wonder Woman franchise, Wonder Woman 1984, wasn’t as well-received as the first film, DC and Warner Bros. quickly greenlight the sequel following the film’s success on both HBO Max and in theaters.

    The last we heard about Wonder Woman 3 was during DC’s FanDome when director Patty Jenkins confirmed the project was moving forward. However, thanks to Gadot, we now have a better idea of how things are going on the third installment. During an interview with Variety, Gadot confirmed the script for Wonder Woman 3 is being worked on now.

    When asked when Wonder Woman 3 would hit theaters, Gadot seemed as unsure as fans. “I can’t tell you yet,” she says. “But we’re working on the script.”

    As to whether or not she could provide more details, Gadot teased that DC was watching, explaining that people would “come down from the roof” and take her away if she said anything else.

    Director Patty Jenkins is returning to direct Wonder Woman 3 for DC and Warner Bros. with Gadot reprising her role as the titular hero once again. No release date has been set.

    Source: Variety

  • Taika Waititi To Direct Jodorowsky’s Graphic Novel ‘THE INCAL’

    Taika Waititi To Direct Jodorowsky’s Graphic Novel ‘THE INCAL’

    Taika Waititi makes his move from one famous comic to another, with The Incal, a graphic novel by legendary director Alejandro Jodorowsky and artist Moebius. The Thor: Love and Thunder director is attached to adapt and direct The Incal, with help from regular collaborator Jermaine Clement. The announcement video can be seen below:

    Jodorowsky had nothing but nice words to say about Waititi:

    When Humanoids’ CEO Fabrice Giger introduced me to Taika Waititi’s work, it became obvious to me that he was the one. I fully trust Taika’s creativity to give THE INCAL a stunning take, intimate and at the same time of cosmic proportions.

    For the uninitiated, The Incal is a cosmic pic about a detective who stumbles upon the titular relic, known to bestow immense power, which other evil space factions are after. The saga chronicles the detective’s journey throughout the vast galaxy as he meets all sorts of quirky characters.

    Jodorowsy’s vision, to say the least, is pretty damn trippy. Partnered with Moebius’ impressionistic visuals, the world that they put together for The Incal is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It’ll be interesting to see how Taika manages to wrangle all the crazy ideas and visuals together.

  • ‘Eternals’ Eyeing a $150M Worldwide Box Office Opening

    ‘Eternals’ Eyeing a $150M Worldwide Box Office Opening

    After the mixed reception, there was some concern that it might hamper Eternals box office performance. Early predictions had it at potentially breaking the $100M mark while the critical reception led to that going towards a prediction between $67M and $92M. As we’ve finally entered the week, we’re starting o get a better grasp of its potential box office performance. According to Variety, the box office is currently set to hit $75M+ with some even seeing it surpass the $85M mark. To give a comparison, it could potentially become Marvel Studios’ highest-earning film of 2021 if it passes Black Widow‘s $80M (excluding its Disney+ Premier Access income).

    Venom: Let There Be Carnage still holding on to the $90M record for the year, which it could still potentially surpass if fan reception shows a more positive development. Shang-Chi also managed to beat early expectations by quite a bit as it was believed to only hit around $30M but ended up with $70M. So, there’s still a chance that it might surprise us and garner quite a bit more and potentially surpass the $100M mark that everyone has been chasing throughout the year.

    Internationally, the film might potentially make $150M globally. In addition to the domestic predictions, it might add around $75M in international markets. It opened in South Korea to the top spot with the second-best opening day during the pandemic with $2.6M. The inclusion of Train to Busan‘s Ma Dong-seok has made the market a potential strong international player. So, it looks like it might pass Shang-Chi‘s international performance and potentially might develop similar to Black Widow. As the week continues, we’ll get a clearer picture of where the box office is heading.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • Gal Gadot in Final Talks to Play Evil Queen in ‘Snow White’

    Gal Gadot in Final Talks to Play Evil Queen in ‘Snow White’

    Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

    Gal Gadot and Disney are joining forces. Per Deadline, the Wonder Woman actress is in talks to play the Evil Queen in its live-action Snow White. According to Deadline, Gadot is in final negations for the role. The actress is coming off the highly anticipated Red Notice, which hits Netflix later this month.

    Disney reportedly took its time to find the perfect actor for the role of the Evil Queen, however, the studio always had its eye on Gadot. Deadline reports Gadot was excited at the prospect of joining the likes of Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett, who have played iconic villains in live-action Disney remakes of its animated classics. (Jolie was Maleficent, while Blanchett was the stepmother in Cinderella.) Unsurprisingly, there were scheduling issues to work out, but it seems a deal was made this week.

    Along with her forthcoming turn as the Evil Queen, Gadot is returning for the third installment of Wonder Woman for Warner Bros. and DC. It seems likely Gadot will film Snow White before Wonder Woman 3.

    Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) is directing Disney’s live-action Snow White, while Marc Platt (Legally Blonde, Dear Evan Hansen) is producing. Production kicks off next year.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Chloé Zhao Shares Heartfelt Message to Celebrate ‘Eternals’ Release

    Chloé Zhao Shares Heartfelt Message to Celebrate ‘Eternals’ Release

    It almost seems like an eternity that Eternals was going to release in theaters before the pandemic hit. After all that time, only a few more days before we can sit in theaters and witness Chloé Zhao‘s vision of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history. Now that the release is finally here, Zhao took to her personal Instagram account to share her excitement over its release. Not only that, but she also gives her thanks to Marvel Studios, the cast, and the crew who helped her bring this project to life while sharing a beautiful poster created by Liza Shumska.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CV0TZxkrSV3/

    With Eternals finally releasing, there’s a lot of hope that it may turn into a new franchise that expands the MCU in new and creative ways. Producer Nate Moore has hinted that there’s no guarantee that they’ll develop sequels of this specific film, but there’s a chance that they might explore their stories in spinoffs. Of course, if Zhao is interested, she may still return for a potential sequel as she seems to truly care for this project and her work with Marvel Studios. It would be great to see what she can do after her learnings from the first film together with the studio and further explore the concepts of Eternals, Deviants, and the Celestials.

    Source: Instagram

  • RUMOR: ‘Moon Knight’s Production Designer Stefania Cella Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    RUMOR: ‘Moon Knight’s Production Designer Stefania Cella Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    While a release date has not yet been announced for Marvel Studios’ Blade, it seems the studio is moving full steam ahead on the project. Back in July, it was revealed that Mogul Mowgli director Bassam Tariq signed on for the project. He’ll be working from a script by Stacy Osei-Kuffour (HBO’s Watchmen), who joined the project back in February.

    As it stands, the only cast member attached to the film is Mahershala Ali, who was announced to be playing the character at SDCC back in 2019. With casting still underway, the Marvel Studios film looks to be building its crew. A new rumor from Geek Vibes Nation suggests Stefania Cella will serve as the production designer on Blade. Cella has previously worked on Moon Knight for Marvel Studios, as well as Sony’s forthcoming Morbius adaption.

    https://twitter.com/GeekVibesNation/status/1455958078516498435?s=20

    As of this writing, Blade does not have an official release date.

    Production is expected to kick-off on the project sometime next year.

    Source: Twitter, IMDb

  • Zazie Beetz Would Love to Return as Domino

    Zazie Beetz Would Love to Return as Domino

    It’s hard to believe it’s already been over three years since Zazie Beetz made her one and only appearance as Domino in Deadpool 2. The character was far-and-away the breakout star of the film, giving both Josh Brolin‘s Cable and Ryan Reynolds‘ titular character a run for their money. Now, the actress says she’s ready to make her return to the role as soon as Disney is ready to give her the call.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com, the Atlanta actress expressed her enthusiasm regarding the mutant mercenary with the power of probability. And while details regarding Deadpool 3 and Domino’s role are sparse, Beetz is ready to suit up again.

    I would love to revisit Domino. I would love to do a Deadpool 3, 4, 5, 7, 19. I’ve also wanted to be like, ‘Maybe I could just do my own origin story.’ I feel honored to have been able to depict her on screen and to have played with her, as her. I love her and so I would be more than happy to revisit her on camera. And I think I will. If Disney doesn’t make it happen, I’ll make it happen.

    The state of the Deadpool film franchise is currently unknown, as Disney took control of it’s future from Fox in 2019’s massive acquisition. Both existing entries proved to be exceedingly popular with fans, which makes it likely the studio will one day produce another installment. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and Reynolds himself have done just about everything but announce an official release date for the project, which could hit theaters as part of the MCU’s next phase of films.

    As it stands, Deadpool 3 does not have a release date.

    Source: Comic Book