Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • EXCLUSIVE: Details on Mad Moxxi’s ‘BORDERLAND’ Role

    EXCLUSIVE: Details on Mad Moxxi’s ‘BORDERLAND’ Role

    Game adaptations have been hit or miss on the silver screen. We are anxiously awaiting the next attempt: the upcoming reboot of Mortal Kombat that only recently released its first trailer. Still, it isn’t the only new game adaptation on everyone’s mind, as Eli Roth is hard at work on his upcoming adaptation of Borderlands. Just yesterday, it was revealed that Florian Munteanu had joined as Tiny Tina’s guardian, Krieg. They seem to be taking a lot of inspiration from the game, as most casting announcements are for characters based on existing NPCs from the franchise. Well, we can exclusively reveal one more iconic character that will make her live-action debut, Mad Moxxi.

     

    Borderlands 3: 10 Weird Facts You Didn't Know About Moxxi

     

    The character made her debut in the first entry of the franchise. She was the main focus of the Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot DLC. She is the hostess of the Colosseum but also runs various bars throughout Pandora. The film seems to be aging up the character. They are currently looking for a female in the age range from 50 to 59 for the character who is described as “wedged into a red Victorian bustier,” which matches her look in the game. They also allude to her powdered white face and the iconic top hat, so they are sticking to her original design, but they are open to casting any ethnicity. However, they do seem to be eyeing Italian actress Isabella Ross or Human Trafficking‘s Mira Sorvino for the role.

    The film is set to feature Moxxi’s Red Light, her bar which made its debut in the game during The Secret Armory of General Knoxx DLC. There is sadly no mention of the Colosseum, so it seems unlikely it will make an appearance. This version of Moxxi will have some ties to Cate Blanchett‘s Lilith meaning they might explore her history with the Hodunk Clan. Whichever direction they decide to take with this character, she will make for a great addition when they will bring this character to life on the silver screen when the film premieres next year.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘BLACK ADAM’ Looks to Explore the Origins of Doctor Fate

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘BLACK ADAM’ Looks to Explore the Origins of Doctor Fate

    Production on the long-awaited Dwayne Johnson superhero vehicle Black Adam is set to get underway in Atlanta this April and as the start date draws nearer, director Jaume Collet-Serra is looking to round out the cast. Our first look at the film at DC Fandome teased Teth-Adam’s slave origins in ancient Khandaq and a new casting search indicates the film might be spending quite a bit of time exploring Adam’s origins.

    Get Your First Look At Black Adam Concept Art And DC Fandome Panel Breakdown - The Illuminerdi

    Black Adam is currently on the hunt for what appears to be a young version of Johnson’s Teth-Adam along with characters who would appear to be his father and another warrior from the time period. Additionally, the production is looking an actor to portray a magician described as a “powerful being prepared to do what they must to protect the world.” Given the time period the film is set to explore and the foundations it is expected to lay, it’s HIGHLY probable that Black Adam will introduce Nabu to the DC Universe.

    DC Teases Return of Doctor Fate

    Nabu is an incredibly ancient and powerful cosmic entity whose spirit is contained in the Helmet of Fate, the magical artifact worn by those taking up the mantle of Doctor Fate. Nabu prophesied the arrival of a Thangarian ship to Earth and was with Black Adam and Khufu, the Egyptian prince whose soul was eventually reincarnated as Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, when they discovered the ship and the Nth metal. The pieces all fall into place nicely for Black Adam to serve as an origin story for Adam, Hawkman and Doctor Fate.

    Black Adam, originally set for a December 2021 release, is still without a new release date.

     

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Succession’ Actor Arian Moayed Cast in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Succession’ Actor Arian Moayed Cast in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    Murphy’s Multiverse has learned that Iranian born American actor/writer/director Arian Moayed was cast in Spider-Man 3. Moayed is probably most known for his role in 2 seasons of the harrowing HBO family business drama Succession. In the series, he gives a compelling performance as Kendall Roy’s old friend Stewy Hosseini. 

     

    Arian Moayed as Stewy in Succession on HBO

    Details on his role in Spider-Man 3 are slim at this time though I was able to learn he is portraying a detective and has already filmed some scenes. 

    Moayed was previously nominated for a Tony award for his role in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Other appearances on television and film include Madame Secretary, Rock the Kasbah, Elementary, The Blacklist, and Law and Order.

    Mr. Moayed recently wrote and directed the thriller The Accidental Wolf for streaming service Topic and will appear on the upcoming Netflix limited series Inventing Anna, which is expected in 2021.

    Source: Playbill, Topic, IMDB

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘Deadpool’ Writers Teaming up for ‘Twisted Metal’

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘Deadpool’ Writers Teaming up for ‘Twisted Metal’

    Sony is moving ahead with its adaptation of Playstation’s Twisted Metal with some high profile names behind the project. We have learned that Cobra Kai writer Michael Jonathan Smith will serve as the showrunner and lead writer for the series. Smith will also serve as one of the executive producers for Twisted Metal and will team up with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writing duo behind both Deadpool and Zombieland films!

    Image result for twisted metal

    Smith served as a staff writer for 10 episodes of Cobra Kai during the hit show’s first season before becoming the story editor for the last 2 seasons. He also served as the story editor for the Disney Plus streaming series, Diary of a Future President. Described as a high-octane action-comedy in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Twisted Metal will follow a “motor-mouthed outsider” trying to deliver a mysterious package while avoiding the wild array of marauders and their “vehicles of destruction”, including the famous ice cream truck driven by Sweet Tooth. As reported by the Illuminderi yesterday, Will Arnett has been cast in the role of Sweet Tooth. Arnett is also helping produce the series.

     

  • What We Heard This Week: The Villain of ‘INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE 2’

    What We Heard This Week: The Villain of ‘INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE 2’

    The complicated notion of the Multiverse has long been a staple in high-concept fiction but in the world of comic book films, it was only until the last couple of years that the idea became a lucrative prospect, when it culminated in the box-office and critical success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The film was Sony’s rare diamond in a consistent streak of roughs so it came as no surprise that a sequel was put in the works shortly after. Since then, we haven’t heard much about the sequel until this week when a source tipped us off to the identity of one of the sequel’s key baddies: obscure Spider-Man and Daredevil villain, The Spot.

     

     

    For the uninitiated, The Spot is one of those obscure Spidey villains who occasionally showed up here and there to terrorize the likes of Spidey and DD with his goofy yet powerful abilities. The Spot has the ability to access and manipulate portals in any space (drawn as spots in the comics) which he uses to transport himself or any part of his body. He commonly uses it to have his foes punch their own faces or to assault them from all directions but it has oftentimes been used for more sinister purposes. In Mark Waid’s Daredevil run, the Spot appeared in a key role, wherein his power gets harnessed by another villain called Coyote, who then uses it to operate a global human trafficking empire by kidnapping victims remotely. The science behind his powers is never fully explained but they mimic some of Cloak’s ability to access a different dimension. The potential of his abilities is also beyond what’s been depicted so far, not to mention he has close ties with Kingpin so he’s absolutely a perfect fit should this be true.

     

    As always our What We Heard This Week reports, take this with a grain of salt. We’re working with a new source on this and have yet to confirm this with another source as of this writing but thought it was exciting enough to share with you guys. We certainly believe that a character with ties to Spider-Man who has powers like The Spot makes so much sense to incorporate in the Spider-Verse sequel. Production on the sequel began last summer and it is expected to hit theaters on October 7, 2022.

  • First ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photos Confirm the Return of Hot Thor and a Thunderstrike Costume

    First ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photos Confirm the Return of Hot Thor and a Thunderstrike Costume

    There’s been no shortage of Thor: Love and Thunder production news these past few weeks as stars of the film traveled to Australia to commence production. Today, the very first set photos of the highly anticipated fourth film have arrived revealing the titular character’s return to his superhero physique and some of his Guardians of the Galaxy cohorts. Check out the images courtesy of the Daily Mail.

     

     

     

    So as you can see, Hot Thor is back which will surely draw some very interesting reactions from people who grew to love the chubby version of the character we last saw in Avengers: Endgame. It must be Casual Friday for the God of Thunder because in one photo he’s donning a totally 80’s look with his white tank top tucked into his blue jeans and in another, he’s sporting a sleeveless leather jacket that is clearly a nod to the Marvel Comics character Thuderstrike. The fact that he’s going casual while Star-Lord and the rest of the Guardians are in their space suits already makes it hilarious. It’s also nice to see Karen Gillan and Sean Gunn suit up in their respective costumes. Hopefully, we see an actual shot of Natalie Portman as Thor in the next coming weeks too.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • MORTAL KOMBAT: First Look and Details Revealed

    MORTAL KOMBAT: First Look and Details Revealed

    Entertainment Weekly has finally unveiled a first look at the upcoming Mortal Kombat film slated to air on HBO Max and theaters this April. The film is set to introduce a brand new protagonist by the name of Cole Young, played by Lewis Tan, alongside all the iconic characters we’ve come to know and love.  Check out the first images below!

     

    Mortal Kombat (2021) CR: Mark Rogers/Warner Bros.
    Mortal Kombat (2021) CR: Mark Rogers/Warner Bros.
    Mortal Kombat (2021) CR: Mark Rogers/Warner Bros.

     

    The report gives us a glimpse of the film’s premise; Cole Young is a washed-up MMA fighter who has an unusual birthmark on his chest that puts him on Shang Tsung’s radar. From there, he squares off with Sub Zero and meets Jax and the rest of the protagonists of the game. Raiden, who will finally be portrayed by an Asian actor, leads Cole to a sanctuary of warriors bearing the same mark. In the sanctuary, Cole begins his training to partake in a tournament to defend Earthrealm from outside invaders.

    It’s all silly, really, and very par for the course for the Mortal Kombat lore. It doesn’t make it any less exciting, however. Seeing them nail the casting, in particular the characters of Asian descent, is pretty amazing. Getting Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada to play the most iconic characters of the game, Sub-Zero and Scorpion respectively is absolutely brilliant. I’m very mixed on them introducing a brand new character when there’s no shortage of great characters in the MK lore. I’m hoping they subvert that by having this Cole Young be actually someone from the game in a twist. Jax’s arms look sick while Kano’s design looks so muted. Judging the images solely for how they look, it does kind of resemble some Syfy shows.

    All that said, this movie is still a must-see for me simply because I’m a huge fan of the games.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Black Widow’ Still Eyeing a Theater Exclusive Release

    ‘Black Widow’ Still Eyeing a Theater Exclusive Release

    Ever since Warner Bros. dropped the bombshell that all their 2021 releases will be available via HBO Max, all eyes were on Disney if they would follow suit. Black Widow was among the many films that got delayed. Many were hoping it would take a Premier Access route just like Mulan did. Sadly, it seems it didn’t pan out with the additional paywall, so they postponed the film further into 2021. We were only a few weeks away from its initial release, and now we still have five months ahead of us. Tomorrow’s Investor’s Day had us think we will get a confirmation on how they’ll move forward with the film, and it looks like the New York Times might’ve gotten their hands on some curious details.

    They confirm that Disney might be splitting their projects into different categories. Big-budget films, such as Black Widow, will remain as theater exclusive releases while minor projects are heading online. Their primary focus remains to strengthen Disney+, which might be their most lucrative venture in these trying times. Of course, a streaming service is a long-term investment, so analysts don’t expect it to become profitable until 2024. Just this year, they had a loss of $2.8 billion in their direct-to-consumer division, which will only peak in 2022 until the rollout costs decline. It isn’t an easy venture, so growing the subscriber numbers at a rapid rate can help that cause.

    So, why not add Black Widow to streaming? Well, if, and that is a big if, the pandemic slows down by that point, they can make more money through a theatrical release. Plus, they can use it to support their streaming service as eight Marvel shows are planned to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WandaVision releases in January, so its success could also change the direction potentially. NYT also points out that Premier Access isn’t lost but might return in some form or another. It makes sense, as they did invest money for the branding and programming to utilize this service. We will get an official word tomorrow, but it looks like we’ll still have to wait until we get to revisit Natasha’s story in May.

    Source: NY Times

  • EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Cox is Back as Daredevil in ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

    EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Cox is Back as Daredevil in ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

    Daredevil is about to be reborn in the MCU. That’s the latest bombshell we’ve heard from several of our trusted sources. Now that Netflix shows are toast, Kevin Feige finally has his chance to envision the characters to fit his ever-growing sandbox of a multi-platformed universe. Murphy’s Multiverse has learned that Charlie Cox, star of the beloved Netflix show, is set to make his grand debut in the MCU in the third Spider-Man film in a deal that has been set in stone for several months now.

    Cox spoke with Comicbook.com last April and due to the rampant fan theories of Matt Murdock helping Peter Parker get out of his conundrum, was asked if he had any involvement with Spider-Man 3, an idea he denied at the time. What happens beyond that appearance wasn’t elaborated to us but any logical person would think that a series is slated at some point in the MCU’s future. Unfortunately, Cox seems like the only figure salvaged from the Netflix wreckage at the moment so any hope of seeing the rest of the cast is up in the air. But yeah, Daredevil got saved.

    This was inevitable: Daredevil was always going to end up in Feige’s box of toys. The big question that surrounded the character’s official MCU debut was when and on what platform. With reports of a Hulu and Disney+ merger circulating the web, a fresh Daredevil show with the Marvel Studios brand attached to is certainly a good way to debut that service. Marvel Studios is keen on thoroughly exploring the street side of the MCU and a chunk of their slate reflects that. You’ve got Blade, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and even Ms. Marvel; shows that skew towards smaller “everyman” type of stories that reflect the day-to-day of the MCU citizens and not its gods, spies, and billionaires.

    Matt Murdock’s alter ego recently trended on social media as the 2-year no-use clause on the character put up by Netflix came to an end. With an investor’s meeting come up in a few days, it’s possible that this show could be one of those revealed. Several weeks back, Marvel Studios created a bunch of new production companies for their upcoming properties. LLCs named Grass-Fed, Standoffish, Frequent, Log Jam, and Blueberry Waffles were the names Murphy’s Multiverse uncovered. While we still do not know which specific properties these LLCs are for, we do know these are greenlit projects that they’re beginning to work on. Daredevil could very well be one of these.

  • What I Heard This Week: Spider-Slayers in ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

    What I Heard This Week: Spider-Slayers in ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. For instance, on February 19th, I wrote this piece relaying some rumors I’d heard about Marvel Studios updating its Disney Plus slate; the next day, the news broke that a special Disney Plus event would be held in London on March 5th where it is expected that Marvel Studios and Star Wars slates will be updated. I also shared information about Peyton Reed directing episodes of season 2 of The Mandalorian months before he made it official. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been able to hear much of anything, so I’m excited to share this bit on info with you.

    Spider-Man: Whatever Happened to the Smythes and the Spider-Slayers?

    I was recently contacted and had some information shared with me that has led me down a pretty wild path of speculation to an end point that I think makes a ton of sense. The information, while nebulous, comes from a trusted source and I’ve spent some time trying to get a little more context and clear up what I’ve been told, but at this point that is hard to come by, so I’ve landed on the option that makes the most sense to me: Spider-Man 3 may well introduce one of the Wall-Crawler’s oldest villains, Dr. Spencer Smythe.

    Smythe first appeared in 1965’s The Amazing Spider-Man #25 and made a mess of things for Spidey at the behest of J. Jonah Jameson who, as you know, viewed the young hero as a MENACE! Without giving away some details I’ve been asked to keep quiet, Smythe was one of a handful of alliterative Spider-Man characters that I had to choose from based on the information at hand but he’s also the one that fits the best given the way the last film ended. While there’s currently no shortage of crazy Spidey rumors going around right now, it seems a certainty that the film will open with Peter dealing with the fallout from the revelation of his secret identity by Mysterio at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Of course that movie also brought J.K. Simmons‘ J. Jonah Jameson into the MCU and given his history with Smythe, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see the two team up at the beginning of this threequel. Smythe, of course, doesn’t pose much of a threat himself but he’s more than capable of causing Spidey problems by developing Spider-Slayers!

    Spider-Slayer Mark V | Marvel Database | Fandom

    The Spider-Slayers were a series of robots developed by Smythe with the original model even bearing the face of J. Jonah himself. An appearance by the Smythe and the Spider-Slayer(s) could prove for some incredible shots of Spidey swinging through NYC with the Slayers in pursuit as well as making Jameson a true antagonist in the MCU while bringing a classic Spidey villain to the screen for the first time. It’s also worth noting that Smythe’s son, Alistair, played by BJ Novak, made an appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and we know that Feige has no problem reinventing characters from the previous Spidey franchises at this point with both Simmons and Jamie Foxx reprising their roles in the MCU, so Novak’s Alistair, who was a part of the series of events that saw Foxx’s Max Dillon become Electro, could make his way into this shared universe as well.

    Again there are so many wild rumors out there right now that it’s hard to tell what to believe and hard to get a good idea of just what this movie is about, but adding Smythe and his Spider-Slayers to the film is certainly in line with where things left off last time we saw Spidey! Hopefully, we’ll see where things end up for Peter and company and if I made the right choice in my deductions sooner than later as filming is set to kick off soon and Spider-Man 3 is due in theaters on December 16, 2021!