Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Marvel Studios Currently Juggling 30+ Projects

    Marvel Studios Currently Juggling 30+ Projects

    Marvel Studios has always been an overachiever in the business. Not only did they build a connected universe on the silver screen, but decided to expand it through streaming on Disney+. Recently, they even ventured out into animation while adding new talent to continue their efforts to expand. We only get a glimpse into what they are working on with each grand announcement, which hopefully expands once Disney+ Day arrives.

    They also recently gave Victoria Alonso, who has been with the company since 2008’s Iron Man, a promotion. In an interview with 221radio, she offered some insight into her current schedule, which was brought to our attention through our very own Discord. While discussing her time on The Marvel‘s set, and lunch with Salma Hayek, she also offered a small window in just how many projects are currently in development over at Marvel Studios. After the interviewer asked if they were working on 35 projects, she corrected them with the actual number and that not everyone makes it out of some form of development.

    We are currently working on 31 projects, don’t add 4 more, please. (Laughs) It is a question about how are we handling multiple plates in the air at the same time, and the biggest thing is that sometimes the plates fall, and, you know, what are you going to do then? We want people to understand that the idea that we have, to tell these connected stories, it is important that the world knows that the characters we create, their stories have to do with how humans interact with each other.

    Victoria Alonso

    The number makes sense, as currently there are seven films alone in production, as confirmed by the President of Physical and Post Production, Visual Effects, and Animation Production. She did also highlight that they are venturing into animation more in the future. She also highlights that some might just not make it out of a specific step of development. It’s crazy to think how many projects they are currently working on, and the number might only continue to rise as time goes on.

    Source: 221radio

  • Alice Waddington to Adapt Dark Horse’s ‘Dept.H’ for Netflix

    Alice Waddington to Adapt Dark Horse’s ‘Dept.H’ for Netflix

    Netflix continues its ongoing adaptation spree, as Deadline shared that Paradise Hills‘ Alice Waddington has joined the upcoming adaptation of Dept.H. T.S. Nowlin, who penned The Maze Runner, will tackle the script with Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, and Paul Schwake of Dark Horse Entertainment producing. It’ll explore the story of how the death of a scientist leads his estranged daughter six miles below the ocean floor to uncover what lead to his untimely end. It becomes a race against the time as it might become her underwater grave.

    Dept.H was written and illustrated by Matt Kindt, which started under the Dark Horse banner back in 2015. Ever since their success with Umbrella Academy, they’ve been expanding their ventures with Dark Horse Entertainment, such as the recent announcement of Grendel. The streaming market has been quite competitive and it continues to grow with each new competitor.

    Netflix has been focusing more and more on developing well-known IPs to build its brand. Umbrella Academy proved that their model has some potential, and we’re seeing recent developments with them going beyond just Dark Horse. They are tackling live-action adaptations of popular Anime, such as the recent showcase of Cowboy Bebop. It’s going to be interesting to see how it continues to grow moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘No Time To Die’ Eyeing a 90M International Opening Weekend

    ‘No Time To Die’ Eyeing a 90M International Opening Weekend

    It hasn’t been easy for the James Bond franchise. Like many others, it faced countless delays due to the pandemic. The final entry in Daniel Craig‘s time as the British secret agent is nearing and the new marketing push has been highlighting that moment where the story that started with 2006’s Casino Royale comes to an end. As the film is set to release this week, the box office predictions are in and it’s looking good. It’s set to release in 50 markets overseas, which includes UK, Spain, Mexico, Japan, and many more. Even with its older demographic, it seems likely the film might pull in around $90M internationally.

    There’s always the chance this number can change, but for an early prediction it#s quite the win for the final entry. In the UK, it seems that Bond could be its biggest opening since the last summer before the pandemic started. Once the review embargo lifts, we’ll have a clearer picture of where the film is heading and if it manages to reach 2015’s Spectre‘s $123.5M. Currently, the film’s pre-ticket sales are even outperforming 2019 ‘s numbers by 10%.

    We’ve been seeing more recovery by the box office weekly. Dune even opened to a very formidable $77M internationally and it won’t release in the US until October. The big question mark is always a China release, which the film secured for October 29th. It’s going to be interesting if the last Craig-led project will dominate the box office to sign off the end of an era with a bang.

    Source: Deadline, Forbes

  • ‘Shang-Chi’s Tony Leung May Have a Future in the MCU

    ‘Shang-Chi’s Tony Leung May Have a Future in the MCU

    Shang-Chi was one of Marvel Studios’ first attempts at a martial arts-inspired film. We got a lot of action and heart with the conflict between Shang-Chi and his father, Wenwu. As the leader of the Ten Rings, he had quite a reputation, but the story focused on the humanity behind his actions. He won’t win a medal for father of the year, but Tony Leung‘s performance made him one of the most memorable antagonists within the franchise. Sadly, it seemed like his time as part of the MCU was limited. Yet, a recent recording of the podcast They Call Us Bruce might’ve changed that.

    Journalist Jeff Yang, who acted as a cultural consultant on Shang-Chi, used the opportunity to discuss the recent Marvel release. In the podcast, he discussed the film and added some nitpicks he had about the film. One rather curious statement might’ve raised some eyebrows regarding Leung‘s future with the franchise. In the podcast, he states that:

    Given what they had in Tony Leung, I would have hoped that they would have made it a little more clear that he has other places to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’ll just leave it at that

    Jeff Yang

    It’s not definite confirmation, but the way he highlights that “he has other places to be” makes you wonder if we’ll see Leung‘s return at some point. His character did meet a tragic end during the final clash of the film, but the way he moved on could still leave the door open for his eventual return. Plus, there’s a lot we still don’t know about the Ten Rings that could get explored in future sequels or even spinoffs.

    Of course, there’s the question if the actor is even interested in returning. There’s a chance that they may have changed their plans due to limited availability for a Western Hollywood franchise. Though in an interview with GQ, he did highlight his interest in Hollywood and the lack of a fitting role that kept him from joining any productions. As he now has the chance, he might have a larger role in the West moving forward. It would be a fun idea to give the secret organization its Disney+ series to explore its history and potential future within the MCU. Here’s hoping we might get a clearer picture once Disney+ Day arrives of what Marvel Studios has planned for the future.

    Source: Podbean, GQ

  • ‘Harley Quinn’s Liza Singer Joins Marvel Studios as an Animation Director

    ‘Harley Quinn’s Liza Singer Joins Marvel Studios as an Animation Director

    Marvel Studios is just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It continues to expand at an exponential rate and it seems they’ve added one more talent to their repertoire. Liza Singer, who has worked as a storyboard revisionist and artist for projects like Harley Quinn, Disenchantment, and DC Super Hero Girls, took to Twitter to announce she joined Marvel Studios in the role of director. She previously directed Paramount+’s The Harper House. So, she’s no stranger to the brand and is currently working on a feature High in the Clouds for Netflix and Gaumont Animation.

    https://twitter.com/LaserSinger/status/1442539635322671105

    Marvel Studios is truly all in with their upcoming animation projects, and her inclusion might hint that they’ve already had a few stories mapped out. We’re still waiting for any official announcements, which might happen during the upcoming Disney+ Day, but the timings are very different when it comes to animation. If they are starting work on it now, it might not see the light of day until 2024.

    What If..? is still currently airing on Disney+ with only two more episodes left to go. It’s uncertain if they’ll stick to this very distinct animation style or try out different ones as they expand. Hopefully, it is the latter, as it’s the one advantage the medium has and could help diversify Marvel Studio’s portfolio. There’s also the question if every project will be considered canon, or they’ll also create franchises that exist in the multiverse separate from the MCU.

    Source: Twitter, IMDb, Liza Singer

  • Andy Serkis Shares His Excitement to See More of Wakanda in ‘Black Panther’ Sequel

    Andy Serkis Shares His Excitement to See More of Wakanda in ‘Black Panther’ Sequel

    As a veteran of some of the biggest film franchises in the world, Andy Serkis knows a few things about what to anticipate in upcoming projects. From performance capture in Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, and Star Wars, and now directing his third feature film with Venom: Let There Be Carnage. He’s also had a rather important role in the MCU.

    His character, the arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther, and even in the animated What If…? series. Given his fate in the original, it’s unlikely he’ll return for the sequel. Still, while talking about Venom: Let There Be Carnage to Gizmodo, Serkis was asked about an element of the MCU he is most excited about. He used the opportunity to share his love for Wakanda and his thoughts on the Black Panther sequel.

    Wakanda as a world, as a place, as a philosophy is such an extraordinary thing. So I’m really excited to see how it evolves, how it unfolds. Obviously, it’s very, very sad in the wake of [Chadwick Boseman’s] departure, but I’m sure that the story will go some way to memorialize such an extraordinary performance and such an incredible actor and person in that movie.

    Andy Serkis

    It’s not surprising to find that someone with Serkis‘ interest in bringing digital to life has quite an interest in this digital world. Ryan Coogler‘s worldbuilding might be one of the most memorable due to interweaving real-world African history and culture into a fictional city. Coogler famously spent ten months on a 500-page worldbuilding document envisioning a futuristic urban space for Wakanda alongside Black Panther’s production designer Hannah Beachler. It seems, with reports of Namor that a version of Atlantis may appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, that they might be repeating that worldbuilding process. It will be fascinating to see the contrast and similarities between Atlantis and Wakanda, as well as how Wakanda evolves in itself.

    Source: Gizmodo

  • James McAvoy Preps Fans for a “Complete Reimagining” of the X-Men by Marvel Studios

    James McAvoy Preps Fans for a “Complete Reimagining” of the X-Men by Marvel Studios

    Since Disney acquired the rights to mutants and related characters in early 2019, fans have been abuzz about when and how they’d make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fox made 13 characters with the films over 20 years with New Mutants wrapping up their efforts in 2020. Now it’s Kevin Feige’s turn to bring the characters to the big screen. Despite initially teasing them at SDCC ’19, very little has come to light about their plans and while rumors continue to swirl that we’ll see some holdovers from the Fox films make an appearance at some point, James McAvoy, who played Charles Xavier during the 2010 era film, isn’t quite so sure that’s what Marvel Studios has in mind, as he explained in an interview with ComicBook.com.

    They’re clever people. They’re so good at putting their stuff together. They’ll figure out where to do it, but that might not involve people who’ve done it before. It might be a complete reimagining. And as a fan, I’m down for that as well and I’d be excited to see what happens next. If what happens next involves us, then that could be cool, but I’m not sure what way they’re going to go with it, basically. But as a fan, I’m excited to see whatever way they go.

    As the Comic Book points out, Hugh Jackman seems to have made peace with his time as Wolverine and put it behind him. A recent round of rumors have Professor X making an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If true, could it be McAvoy reprising the role, would he be interested in doing so or, like Jackman, is he ready to move on?

    I’m all about doing good stuff, and when I got asked to play Charles the first time, it was good stuff. It was good writing, and I was excited. If people offer me good writing, I’m always going to be excited, but I do feel like I’ve had a good ending with Charles and I got to explore some really good stuff, particularly in the first two movies that I did for him as a character. So if my time is done, I’m happy with the time that I spent and the time that I was given and if good writing comes in and people want to do stuff with me, I’ll always be open to that, but it’s got to be good.

    That certainly sounds like someone who is in no hurry to return to the role of Professor X. If McAvoy is out and Patrick Stewart, who in early 2020 implied he had met with Feige and turned down the opportunity to play Charles again, can be taken at his word, it seems an all-new, all-different actor would have to portray Charles in the Strange sequel, inline with McAvoy’s comments about the MCU’s mutants being a complete reimagining. Of course, it’s possible that one or both of McAvoy and Stewart aren’t being entirely truthful and we could see one of their domes in a hover chair next March.

    Sources: Comicbook.com, Digital Spy

  • ‘007’ Producers Won’t Look for a New James Bond Before 2022

    ‘007’ Producers Won’t Look for a New James Bond Before 2022

    No Time To Die has been faced with quite a delay due to the pandemic. The next entry of Daniel Craig‘s tenure as the secret agent James Bond will end his time with the franchise. Of course, speculation has already started that they may already be seeking the next person to take up the mantle and face the world’s biggest threats. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed that they haven’t actively looked yet and won’t until 2022. She stated that:

    We want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we’ll start thinking about the future.

    As fellow producer Michael G. Wilson pointed out, the next actor to take on the mantle will have to fill some pretty “big shoes.” They also reminisced about tackling Bond’s more emotional life through Craig‘s performance and adding some more complexity to the character through this new iteration. It seems that whoever takes on the mantle will continue to build upon that aspect of the franchise and character.

    007 or James Bond franchise started back in 1953 through the writing of Ian Fleming. It wasn’t until 1962 that the first film by Eon Productions would release titled Dr. No. Wilson and Broccoli‘s era with the franchise started back in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan‘s GoldenEye. The franchise has quite the history and No Time to Die will also mix up the formula by having Lashana Lynch taking over the 007 code number in Bond’s absence. It opens up the possibility of the franchise expanding its search for the next person to hold the title.

    Source: BBC Radio 4 via Deadline

  • ‘What If…?’ Funko Leak May Hint at Ultron’s New Name

    ‘What If…?’ Funko Leak May Hint at Ultron’s New Name

    At the end of the latest What If…? episode, the multiverse’s next challenge has finally shown its fangs. Ultron, in the body of Vision, appeared before Thor and the Watcher. Even the almighty being has no idea where and why this version of the sentient AI arrived. His design also raised some questions, such as if he is still Ultron or does he go by the name he gave his Vibranium-based body. A potential Funko Pop leak may have given us a clearer picture of what the Infinity Stone-wearing robot will be going by the Supreme Leader.

    The leak comes from the Instagram account mariobros612, which has given reliable information in the past, such as the Doctor Strange sequel Funko leak back in July. It seems that the Ultron-inspired Funko will only be available at New York Comic-Con. Sadly, we don’t get an official look at it yet, as he may have his visor up or down, but Funko hasn’t been disappointed with their latest additions.

    We got our first glimpse at the character back in April and he’s been featured on the What If…? poster for some time, but we were only given glimpses. The name Supreme Leader would match his Tony Stark-inspired ego, especially after gaining all the Infinity Stones. The “Supreme” part of the name was first noticed back in June, but most believed that it was a hint at a version of Captain America that joined HYDRA. It’s fun to see how some early leaks come to fruition later down the line.

    Source: Instagram, Full Circle

  • ‘Shang-Chi’ Takes Domestic Box Office’s Top Spot for a 4th Weekend in a Row

    ‘Shang-Chi’ Takes Domestic Box Office’s Top Spot for a 4th Weekend in a Row

    Shang-Chi has been surprising many throughout its box office run. Not only did it surpass its earliest expectations by a mile, but it also continued to perform far beyond what people expected. It’s a great statement for the return of cinema movie-going and a showcase for Asian-American-led projects. Only a few days ago, the film became the highest-grossing domestic earner passing Black Widow‘s $196M. Predictions already had it at passing the other Marvel Studios giant and adding an additional $10M over the weekend. They were on the money, as it has now added another $13.2M over the weekend taking the top spot.

    As such, Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings is only one of three Marvel Studios films to take the top spot four weeks in a row. It’s now joining the exclusive club alongside Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy. The film currently stands at $196.5M domestically in 24 days. Internationally, it has garnered §360M without opening in China. In a way, Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s delay helped the film get an additional weekend. Newcomer Dear Evan Hansen opened to only around $7.5M.

    October is going to be tough competition with the Venom sequel, No Time to Die, Halloween Kills, and Dune. Predictions would put it at around $225 until 235M, which is ahead of other Marvel films like Ant-Man and the Wasp, Thor: The Dark World, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Its higher point could compete with Doctor Strange or Logan. Eternals might benefit from all the upcoming releases and the hype for Spider-Man: No Way Home could become the final turning point for the box office.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (BO), Forbes, Variety