Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘The Suicide Squad’ Earns $4.1M on Thursday and On Track to a $30M+ Domestic Opening

    ‘The Suicide Squad’ Earns $4.1M on Thursday and On Track to a $30M+ Domestic Opening

    It looks like The Suicide Squad will become the highest-earning R-rated film during the pandemic. James Gunn‘s film made $4.1M on Thursday preview showings. To be fair, it’s mainly going off against Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, and The Forever Purge. The overall reception has also been very strong, which can push it further over the weekend. Yet, the Delta Variant is still influencing insecurities about visiting the cinema, and the latest entry could add a bit more energy back into the Box Office.

    The big question mark over its head lies in the simultaneous release on HBO Max. Just like we saw with other films that utilized this type of digital availability, it pulls the opening weekend down. There’s also the big risk on the second weekend, which has generally shown that general audiences aren’t willing to risk seeing the same film repeatedly, but prefer whatever was the latest release.

    Predictions set it at a strong $30M+ opening weekend in domestic markets. It’s Thursday earnings push that prediction, but it’s uncertain if it’ll manage to pass $40M. The film seems to be on par with the release of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. It earned $33.2M in its opening weekend before the pandemic close shop on theaters.

    The only difference is that James Gunn’s project has a much higher budget, and Warner Bros. might be banking on a strong showing on their streaming service. Plus, given the current situation, the film could still be considered a success even with its hefty $185M budget. The next few days will give us a clearer look at where it’ll land once its weekend ends.

    Source: Deadline, Variety, Deadline (Birds of Prey)

  • RUMOR: ‘Black Adam’ Will Feature the Original Atom

    RUMOR: ‘Black Adam’ Will Feature the Original Atom

    The Justice Society of America has always been a team that’s focused on the legacy of its heroes. Over time, the mantles would be passed down to new heroes such as family or even proteges. The team has seen many iterations since its inception all the way back in the 1940s. It wasn’t until we saw Geoff Johns run on the team that the team began to shift the members of its roster, adding legacy heroes like Cyclone, Starman, Stargirl, Jakeem Thunder, Wildcat, Hourman, and Albert Rothstein, the godson of the original Atom, Al Pratt.

    With Black Adam set to introduce the Justice Society on the big screen, fans may take notice of its updated roster. The Direct is reporting that Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, is set to make an appearance in the upcoming film in a limited role. The hero will serve as a sort of uncle figure to Albert in the film, with the new Atom Smasher donning his original costume when he eventually suits up with the JSA. No casting for Al Pratt has been revealed at this time.

    A key detail here is Albert donning Al’s original suit, which would mean at one point Pratt did indeed operate as Atom. With Ma Hunkle and the original Red Tornado, another golden age JSA member reportedly in the film, it definitely feels like the seeds are being planted to feature the original JSA at some point in a prequel of sorts and potentially show us the golden age of heroes we theorized may have once operated in the DCEU.

    SOURCE: The Direct

  • ‘Free Guys’ Shawn Levy Plays Coy on Potential Talks for ‘Deadpool 3’

    ‘Free Guys’ Shawn Levy Plays Coy on Potential Talks for ‘Deadpool 3’

    It seems like the release of Free Guy is also a grand return of Deadpool in the news. Earlier today, we got an update from Ryan Reynolds on the script for the third entry in the franchise. He teased that the film could even enter production next year. It’s an exciting prospect, as we only knew that it was going to be the MCU’s first R-rated project and that sisters Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin, as well as Wendy Molyneux, joined the project.

    They’re still actively working on the script, and it seems that there are already ongoing discussions for a potential director. The director of the latest Reynolds-led project, Shawn Levy, was interviewed by Inverse on a potential sequel to Real Steel and also on his potential interest in directing the third Deadpool film. The first question focuses on rumors of him already being attached to the project.

    I’m going to mostly skirt that question, which might be an answer.

     

    Deadpool | Film 2016 | Moviepilot.de

     

    He also goes on to discuss that he is indeed a fan of what Marvel Studios is doing and shares his love for the various projects we’ve seen over the years:

    But I’ll answer the last part of it, which is: I’m a fan. I’m a fan of Deadpool, like a massive fan. And I’m a fan of the Marvel Universe and the way in which increasingly, individual filmmakers of real note can make and express with their own voice and vision through that franchise behemoth, whether it’s what Taika did with Ragnarok, what Eternals is going to be, what James Gunn did with Guardians. These are real films that also happen to be Marvel movies.

    His active interest in joining a project of Marvel Studios is already interesting, as he has worked on a variety of projects which includes the Night at the Museum films, Date Night, Real Steel, and The Internship. He’s also currently working on the Netflix film The Adam Project, in which he’ll work alongside Reynolds again. It’s the way he answers that first question that really makes it look like there have been discussions of some kind.

     

    Deadpool 3“: Die Aussichten auf einen dritten Film sind düster

     

    We have to consider though that they are still working on the script and any discussions with directors could be very early in the process. There’s also the question of the Starman project he’s been attached to since 2016. It’s a little early to call if he might grab the role as director for the threequel, but given his work with the lead actor, there’s a good chance that he has voiced his interest in Levy to tackle it.

    Source: Inverse, IMDb, Hollywood Reporter

  • Ryan Reynolds Hints at a Potential 2022 Production Start for ‘Deadpool 3’

    Ryan Reynolds Hints at a Potential 2022 Production Start for ‘Deadpool 3’

    There have been many questions surrounding the third Deadpool film. We have no idea how it will introduce Ryan Reynolds’s character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will be a continuation of the last film and without the official introduction of the Mutants in the Marvel Studios franchise, it’s uncertain if it will just throw the Merc with a Mouth into a new universe, especially after the events of Loki. Well, while we don’t get any details, in an interview with Collider, the Canadian actor did hint that there’s a 70% chance they might start filming next year.

    The percentage chance? I don’t know. I couldn’t assign a percentage to that. I’d say it’s 50/50 maybe? We’re really actively developing it and getting it into pretty good shape. What the hell month is it? August? Oh, next year? Probably pretty damn good. I’d say 70%.

    He did confess that he’s been so busy that it’s hard to keep an overview on time, but also discussed working with the film’s writers Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin and Wendy Molyneux.

    It’s something that is just a daily process. Writing is kind of like that, you’ve gotta allot time to do it and walk away, and I’m working with the Molyneuxs on it, it’s been great. They’re incredibly talented and so, so smart. They so understand that world and know how to zig when everyone’s expecting a zag, so it’s been a lot of fun

    We did recently get some Deadpool content with his first official MCU crossover. He sat next to Taika Waititi’s Korg, as they watched the film Free Guy, which he is currently promoting for Disney and 20th Century. There’s a lot of interest in the next Deadpool film due to it being the first venture for Marvel Studios into the realm of R-Ratings. They did confirm that even Blade will follow the usual PG-13 structure. So, its success could open up the company to explore further projects with the rating.

    Source: Collider

  • James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Eyeing a $30M+ Domestic Opening Weekend

    James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Eyeing a $30M+ Domestic Opening Weekend

    We’ve been discussing the Box Office frequently, as the pandemic has changed our perception of what makes a film successful. Even with Black Widow’s great opening weekend with around $80M, it still saw a stark drop in its second weekend and lost to Space Jam: A New Legacy. Yet, it passed the film, which saw just as harsh a drop. These films were made available through digital alternatives, and it’s a general theme that audiences aren’t willing to risk a second viewing of the same film during the quarantine. Now, all eyes are on James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad opening weekend.

    It looks like it’ll take on the Box Office with a $30M opening. Unlike past weekends, it won’t have too much competition when it releases worldwide, and there is still hope it might even pass the $40M mark. With a $185M production budget, it’ll be a smaller release, but given current situations, it’s still impressive. Larger releases in the past few months were around that very mark, with Black Widow and F9 being the only exceptions.

     

    The Suicide Squad'; Watch An Exclusive DC FanDome Sneak Peek & Roll Call Video For The James Gunn Film - Screen-Connections

     

    Of course, it’s also available on HBO Max, which is WarnerMedia’s big hope for its release. It currently already gained $7M in some international markets and could be heading towards an overall $70M worldwide. It’ll get compared to the previous franchise entry by David Ayer, which managed around $746M, but it wasn’t facing any of the current troubles. Deadline has highlighted that the Delta variant is one of the causes for the overall Box Office drop we’ve seen over the last few months, even after May saw a bit of an uptick. It’ll be curious what it might mean for the future of the Box Office and if September releases will get shifted back.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • ‘Eternals’: Gemma Chan Teases Sersi’s Romance with Richard Madden’s Ikaris

    ‘Eternals’: Gemma Chan Teases Sersi’s Romance with Richard Madden’s Ikaris

    Black Widow signaled Marvel Studios’ grand return to cinemas. Now, we have three more films heading our way, introducing the many corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s one that stands out among the rest, the millennia-spanning Eternals will introduce the world to the alien race that was there when humanity was just in its infancy. After we got our first trailer, we got a glimpse at the all-star cast and the film’s central themes.

    Luckily, Gemma Chan, who will play Sersi, sat down with Vogue and discussed her second MCU character after playing Minn-Erva briefly in 2019’s Captain Marvel. She offers some insight into what we can expect with her character and hints that they might be breaking the formula that put Marvel’s iconic heroes on the map, as:

    Sersi is not your typical superhero: she’s not necessarily the best fighter, she doesn’t have the most obviously impressive powers. The main thing is she’s an empath. She has a connection with humans, and with the world and the earth. That is her strength, so I leant into that.

     

    Sersi In Comics Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel

     

    The actress goes on to discuss working alongside her long-time friend Richard Madden, who will take on the role of fellow Eternal Ikaris. Most known for his role as Robb Stark on Game of Thrones, we’ll meet his character in the film as a long-time lover of the iconic character. She shared a little insight into what we can expect from their relationship, while nervously keeping an eye out for Marvel Studios’ famous snipers.

    Between us, she and Ikaris are kind of immortal soulmates. That was a fun thing to play. Over a span of a thousand years, how do you play a normal relationship? The good thing is, Richard and I have known each other for over 10 years.

    It’s quite an interesting story they’ll introduce with a love that lasted for such a long time. We know that fellow Game of Thrones actor Kit Harrington will join as the Black Knight. So, we’ll see if these immortal soulmates will face some unlikely challenges once the film releases this November in theaters.

    Source: Vogue

  • James Gunn Talks Rocket’s Tragic Origins in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    James Gunn Talks Rocket’s Tragic Origins in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Even if you consider the long delay for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, we still know very little about the final entry of the iconic space opera franchise. James Gunn has dropped some hints here and there, but he gave us an update in an interview with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast.

    After discussing his turbulent journey into making The Suicide Squad, and the inspiration of starting the first Guardians film, he offered a tiny insight into the emotional core of the franchise that is Rocket Raccoon, and how the threequel will explore his history before the events of the first film.

    Well, I think we get to know where Rocket, you know, at the very first movie, we see Rocket take his clothes off. We see those scars on his back. We see that he comes from a place very difficult. To me, me, that’s always been the center of the Guardians. How do you make a raccoon talk and make him real. It sort of ended up being the saddest story of all time.

    He also goes on to hint that the story will be quite a sad experience, and it “kills him every time.” Gunn has voiced his love for the character and confirms that we’ll explore his past and where he is from. The other Guardians will get a focus, but it seems that Rocket is at the core of this story. It will end the trilogy that he started back in 2014. Hopefully, these words don’t spell an untimely end for the loveable raccoon with anger issues in the MCU once the film releases.

    If you are interested, you can check out the podcast entry here:

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Loki’s Head Writer Michael Waldron Confirms Coordination with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Writers

    ‘Loki’s Head Writer Michael Waldron Confirms Coordination with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Writers

    Spider-Man: No Way Home’s multiversal story seems to be the worst kept secret in the industry. Rumors dropped early that Andrew Garfield, Kristen Dunst, and many more would reprise their roles from past Marvel films in the upcoming threequel. To make matters worse, Alfred Molina confirmed his involvement and return as Doctor Octopus in an interview with Variety.

    It seems that we can add Loki‘s Michael Waldron to the list of people hinting at the multiverse storyline. In an interview with The Playlist Podcast, he confirmed that he actively communicated with No Way Home writers Chris McKenna and Eric Summers. In the podcast, he states the following:

    Your producing teams are constantly communicating with those producing teams to make sure that you’re not screwing each other up. I had the benefit on Spider-Man: No Way Home, Chris McKenna and Eric Summers wrote that, I was their writer’s PA on Season 5 of Community, so I can call McKenna and get bullied by him whenever I want, but also say ‘Hey, what the hell are you guys doing? Let me make sure I’m not ruining it.’ So there’s communication to the extent that the creative teams themselves, the filmmakers, the writers, whoever, can become friendly, it certainly benefits the projects.

    Of course, the multiverse would be the connective tissue they would discuss. Loki‘s final episode unleashed the multiverse, with every possible branch coming into existence. With all the rumors surrounding No Way Home, it makes sense they’ll try to keep it consistent. Plus, Waldron is the writer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will probably build upon the Spider-Man threequel. The collaborative approach makes a lot of sense to keep the world’s rules in line, especially if the multiverse becomes a bigger element moving forward in the current Phase of the MCU.

    Source: The Playlist Podcast via The Direct 

  • DC President Hints at More DCEU Projects in James Gunn’s Future

    DC President Hints at More DCEU Projects in James Gunn’s Future

    James Gunn’s Suicide Squad sequel will soon release and continue the DC franchise. He’s been busy working on a spin-off focused on the character of John Cena’s Peacemaker before returning to Marvel with the final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. So, it looks like the director will be quite busy for the years to come, and DC Films president Walter Hamada may have hinted at a lot more projects in the iconic comic world heading his way. After a vague mentioning that they would always welcome him back, he also ended the interview with the following statement:

    He’ll be back. We have more stuff planned.

    So, it seems pretty clear that Gunn is in no way finished working with DC. It’s unclear if he’ll return to work with Marvel Studios in the near future, but the more disconnected strategy for the DCEU franchise may offer him a wilder playing field with how he approaches characters. There are hints that Peacemaker might get a potential second season, and he may even explore other spin-offs of the various members.

    Of course, he may even return for a sequel for The Suicide Squad, or tackle a brand-new character. Almost five months ago, Charles Murphy heard that Krypto was on the table at some point, and he could potentially return to the idea. It’s great to see Gunn‘s return to the world of comic book movies. We’ll all keep a close eye on what his future holds. Who knows what other wacky adventures or stories he has in store for us.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • First Look at Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher in New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos

    First Look at Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher in New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos

    The God Butcher has finally arrived, even if it’s only for additional photography. The Daily Mail has reportedly obtained the first ever images of actor Christian Bale as Gorr, a renowned god killer and the main antagonist of the next installment in the Thor film franchise. The leaked set photos feature the acclaimed British actor appearing in an all-white getup, with his face coated in makeup and prosthetics, lumbering around a blocked off section of Malibu. Also included is a black robe and hood, though that appears to be part of an attempt to hide his identity and not part of the actual costume.

    Bale was announced in the role late last year, as part of Disney’s annual Investor Day presentation, though his involvement in the Marvel project was known for months prior. He now seems to be taking part in a bit of extra filming, as the main Thor: Love and Thunder shoot wrapped back in June. His character, the aforementioned Gorr, is an alien extremist who makes it his mission to rid the universe of gods. This goal comes from years of a torturous life and unanswered prayers, making Gorr bitter and vengeful. Traditionally, the God Butcher wields “All-Black the Necrosword”, a blade crafted from the remnants of a Celestial, but this prop is not seen anywhere in the set photos.

    Thor: Love and Thunder is set to release on May 6, 2022. The film will see the return of Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, and Natalie Portman as the newest God of Thunder. Taika Waititi will also return, as both director and the lovable alien Korg.

    Source: Daily Mail, Twitter