Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • First Reactions Hail ‘Blue Beetle’ as a Much-Needed Hit for DC

    First Reactions Hail ‘Blue Beetle’ as a Much-Needed Hit for DC

    Once upon a time, Blue Beetle was destined for release on HBO Max; now, the film is being hailed as a huge win for Warner Bros. just when audiences had all but given up on its line of DC films. The film, which stars Xolo Maridueña as hero Jaime Reyes, screened last night ahead of its theatrical debut this weekend and positive reactions have been coming in droves.

    A Surprise Hit

    Many of the film’s most positive reactions have marked it as one of the best surprises of the summer, which in itself is unsurprising given its less-than-awesome marketing scheme.

    Xolo Maridueña is a Star!

    Fans of Cobra Kai already know how charismatic and loveable Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña can be and it sounds like the new film is his breakout performance.

    Family

    Jaime Reyes’ family is at the center of the film and according to many of the first reactions…that’s a very good thing!

    Though it’s very common for most films to have positive first reactions from the media members invited to the screening, it seems as though Blue Beetle might be the boost Warner Bros. needed to keep interest in their DC films afloat until the all-new, all-different DCU–which Blue Beetle will be apart of–gets rolling.

  • James Gunn Reaffirms Jaime Reyes’ Place in His New DCU

    James Gunn Reaffirms Jaime Reyes’ Place in His New DCU

    For those that have paid attention since its inception, Blue Beetle has been fun to watch develop. Initially planned as an HBO Max release, the Angel Manual Soto-helmed DC flick was promoted to a full theatrical release in December 2021. That theatrical release is now just days away and in another interesting development, the film–which was greenlit and produced before James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reigns at DC Studios–will connect to the all-new, all-different DCU. Gunn has said as much on more than one occasion but reiterated it at the film’s recent screening.

    Blue Beetle will introduce audiences to hero Jaime Reyes, played by Xolo Maridueña, who Gunn now says “will be an amazing part of the DCU going forward!”

    Exactly how Reyes will tie into the future of DC Studios slate, which is expected to kick off with the animated adventure Creature Commandos, remains to be seen; however, given that Gunn’s Superman: Legacy takes place in a world where metahumans are already well-established, it’s possible that the new DCU could build out from the world introduced on-screen in Blue Beetle. Of course, given the nature of superhero projects, any number of other measures could be taken to make sure Reyes ends up sharing the universe with Kal-El.

    Blue Beetle opens in theaters on August 18th.

  • ‘The Marvels’ Will Impact the Avengers Films…But Nobody Knows How

    ‘The Marvels’ Will Impact the Avengers Films…But Nobody Knows How

    As Marvel Studios has rolled out its post-Endgame slate, it’s become more and more obvious that while there’s a plan in place that gets the MCU to Avengers: Secret Wars, the finer details of that plan haven’t quite been worked out yet. It would seem that there’s a lot of “that’s the next guy’s problem to solve” as projects are handed off from one team to the next (you can’t convince me that anyone knows if Kang the Conqueror is really alive or dead following the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania…and that’s just fine) but it’s not something that’s been talked about…until now.

    In the latest issue of Total Film, The Marvels director, Nia DaCosta, and executive producer, Mary Livanos, both came clean on the subject. While they both admit that the story of The Marvels will result in something that the Avengers will ultimately have to deal with, they also make it clear that neither of them are quite sure what that will mean. And if those two–who know more about the film than anyone–don’t know…it’s quite possible nobody does.

    “It definitely leads to plentiful opportunities for the future of the MCU, whatever the Avengers and Secret Wars teams may want to do with them,” said Livanos of the conclusion of The Marvels, which will see Kree villain Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, look to unlock the full power of Kamala Khan’s bangle by reuniting it with its rightful paired partner. Though nobody’s saying it quite yet, those bangles sure seem like they might be the MCU’s versions of the Quantum Bands and may just have some sort of connection to the Multiverse Saga’s big bad, Kang. But do they?

    Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    “That’s a question for [Marvel boss] Kevin Feige,” says DaCosta of how The Marvels fits into the larger shared narrative of the Multiverse Saga. “I have lots of thoughts. But I actually have no idea what they’re going to do in the Avengers movies. I do know that those guys who are doing that watch the films, see what we’re doing. I have things I really want [to happen]. But I’m not sure.” And that means it’s the “next guy’s” problem which Livanos explained.

    “The plot [of The Marvels] deals with some fluctuations in time and space, and there’s definite danger afoot that could affect the multiverse,” said Livanos. “Where it all leads is a bit of a spoiler, and exactly how it’ll all pan out in an Avengers movie is currently being figured out right now. But we’re definitely ending our characters in places that allow for plentiful opportunity.” Who is figuring it all out? At one point, it was definitely in the hands of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness, who was hired to pen Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but there have been relentless rumors that he’s since left the project after completing a portion of the script. Will the next writer start from scratch and get left solving whatever problem the ending of The Marvels leaves for the Avengers? Or will the ending of The Marvels become the next 616 Mordo and never be seen or heard from again?

    Source: Total Film via Games Radar

  • Emma Corrin Confirms Villainous Role in ‘Deadpool 3’

    Emma Corrin Confirms Villainous Role in ‘Deadpool 3’

    In February, the internet learned that Deadpool 3 has added The Crown actress Emma Corrin in an unknown role. There were quite a few rumors making the rounds on who exactly she might be playing with some ranging from quite abstract comic characters to various Marvel Cinematic Universe connections one can imagine.

    In an interview with Variety, Corrin doesn’t reveal who they are playing but confirms that it will be a villainous role. Though, they highlight that when they met with director Shawn Levy, famous for his work on Stranger Things, they had zero idea what the role was because Marvel was keeping quite a tight grip on actual details, as per usual.

    I feel really excited to play a villain. I haven’t done that, and it’s an itch I want to scratch. I’d heard about the project but, classic Marvel, they couldn’t tell me anything about it. Absolutely nothing. Zilch. So I met [Shawn] being like, ‘I don’t know what this is about.’

    Emma Corrin

    They go on to highlight that they’re not much of “a Marvel person” but has had some history with Spider-Man and Black Panther. Though, they do go on that she believes “it’s amazing” and seemed to love the self-awareness of Deadpool.

    Hands up, I’m not a Marvel person. I’ve watched ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Black Panther.’ I was like, ‘Look, you’re gonna have to debrief me into this.’ It’s such an intricate world. There’s so much to it, it’s an absolute mindfuck. All the language and the Easter eggs, and this person is related to that person who did this, and this person came back and this person’s dead… it’s amazing. I really understand why it means as much as it does to so many people. It’s a phenomenon, and I feel really lucky to be part of it. Especially ‘Deadpool,’ because I love the fact that it’s self-aware, and critical of its own inner-workings.

    Emma Corrin

    We’ll have to wait quite a bit longer until we find out who they are playing, especially with the SAG and WGA strikes going on due to studios not paying their talent the money they deserve for the work they invest. It’s unclear when or how much they finished from production. As the director’s guild isn’t striking, Levy might be currently busy working on post-production and waiting to finish filming they didn’t get around to.

    Source: Variety

  • Closer Look at Ted Kord’s ‘Blue Beetle’ Suit

    Closer Look at Ted Kord’s ‘Blue Beetle’ Suit

    Jamie Reyes will be the leading man in the upcoming Blue Beetle film, but we’ve known for a while that the character of Ted Kord will have a role of some kind. Details remain quite sparse on how exactly he’ll feed into the story or even if we’ll get a good look at his iconic suit from the comics. While the film is set to release soon, it seems an exhibition has unveiled not only Kord’s suit but also that of Dan Garrett.

    The suits are shared by Twitter which offers a first close-up at some rather comic-accurate designs for previous bearers of the Blue Beetle title. They aren’t as flashy as the one used by Reyes, but it’s unclear how much they will connect Kord to the blue scarab’s history. Given that Susan Sarandon is playing Viktoria Kord, we might find out what happened to him as he focused on his research of the beetle that may have inspired his costume and technology.

    The big surprise is the inclusion of Dan Garrett in a costume. Blue Beetle is a legacy character and he was the original to hold the title back in the Mystery Men Comics era of Fox Comics. Perhaps the beetle’s history is long and we’ll only see the costume as Kord shares the history that led to him becoming the iconic hero. Outside of Ant-Man, we haven’t really explored a legacy mantle that goes back multiple generations. So, it could make the film stand out.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Spinoff Series and Sequel Already in Development

    ‘TMNT: Mutant Mayhem’ Spinoff Series and Sequel Already in Development

    There’s just something about those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that lets the franchise constantly reinvent itself, but still remain a strong IP for children of any generation. A brand new film is on the horizon titled Mutant Mayhem, which will be the first to feature actual teenagers in the leading role. Now, it seems that before the film even released in theaters, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies are ready to start a brand new franchise.

    A new spinoff series has now been confirmed, the first hinted by Cinelinx. The series will be titled Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and will appear on Paramount+. It seems that they already mapped out a two-season release and it’ll bridge the story between the first and its confirmed sequel. Jeff Rowe will return to write and direct the sequel.

    Turtle veteran Alan Wan and Chris Yost will serve as the showrunners on the new Paramount+ series. Lukas Williams will be overseeing these projects as well. The main cast is expected to return and it’s unclear if we can also expect the exact same art style given a series’ smaller budget and longer runtime. Though, it seems very likely that they’ll try to keep it consistent between them.

    Source: Cinelinx

  • Sony Pushes Back its Fall Slate Instead of Paying Writers and Actors Fairly

    Sony Pushes Back its Fall Slate Instead of Paying Writers and Actors Fairly

    It seems like Sony is the first to cave. Hollywood is currently going through one of its most significant strikes as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have decided to strike as no fair deal was made by any of the studios to make their life actually livable. Now, the trend continues as instead of coming back to the table to discuss the industry’s future, it seems Sony has decided to push back the major releases of their fall schedule.

    The big push comes with Kraven the Hunter, which has now shifted to a release on August 30th of 2024, which was initially set to release this October. It seems they were mostly banking on Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s press tour to push the film; uncertain if that would actually help their next Spider-Man spinoff without the webhead’s involvement. Surprisingly, Madame Web is getting released two days earlier on Valentine’s Day of 2024.

    That’s not all, as the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel has also been pushed further back to March 29th of 2024. It initially was going to have a Christmas release and had the lesser push even with the hope to wait it out until Paul Rudd is able to promote the project once the strike ends. They also postponed the Karate Kid reboot that was going to release in June next year to a December release.

    There are also some films that have now ended up in limbo. Blumhouse’s They Listen lost its August release date from next year. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has lost its March release, which was hinted at when reports pointed to a troubled production (even if the released film is quite a visual feast). Though, they surprisingly gave Venom 3 a release date, as it stopped production during the strike, as the film is slated for July 12th while Bad Boys 4 will release on June 14th. Gran Turismo is still set for its August release.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Blue Beetle’ Early Projections Heading for a $17M Opening Weekend

    ‘Blue Beetle’ Early Projections Heading for a $17M Opening Weekend

    Yeah, you read that right. Things are not looking good for Blue Beetle. The next installment in the DC(E)U is only a few weeks away from hitting theaters. yet, there’s a noticeable lack in marketing for the latest addition that’ll explore the story of young Jamie Reyes as he becomes the iconic hero. Sadly, Warner Bros. Discovery is not going all out to market the film and the fangs of The Flash’s slip is showing.

    Superhero films have become a dime a dozen, so audiences (especially this year) are more selective about what they want to watch and what not. It’s why we had a surprisingly brutal summer box office with very few real “winners” out there. While some films are managing to leg out, it’s not really rosy for the “big return” of the summer box office.

    As such, the film is currently projected to open to $12M to $17M. Yes, that is what it’ll likely make over its entire opening weekend with a total range not going any higher than $55M. While we don’t know the budget of the film, it’s still a worse performance than Shazam! Fury of the Gods earlier this year.

    While some talk a lot about superhero fatigue, it’s just a blockbuster fatigue overall and people are more selective on what they watch in theaters. Prices are skyrocketing so the expectation on what a film can do is higher than ever before. Blue Beetle was barely marketed and the last two DC films fell flat on their noses. So, it’s just looking like people don’t truly trust the brand enough for it to be worth their money.

    Source: BoxOffice Pro

  • ‘Aquaman’ Sequel’ Third Reshoots Scrap All Batman Cameo

    ‘Aquaman’ Sequel’ Third Reshoots Scrap All Batman Cameo

    Does Warner Bros. have another The Flash on their hands? The last time the production studio was all-in on a DC Studios project from the former era did not end as they hoped. After becoming one of the biggest bombs of the studio’s 100-year history, even performing worse than Green Lantern, they are quite nervous that the next project sticks the landing. While there is little advertising going around for Blue Beetle, which is set to release in only a few weeks, Warner Bros. may once again be too focused on the future.

    Their next big hope is the release of James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is riding on the potential of the first film’s $1 billion holiday release. The only issue is that the film is seemingly sinking in one way or another. The film has undergone three reshoots by now, which is not something you normally want to hear about a film. One or two reshoots are pretty common nowadays, but the problem seems to stem from the film going through countless test screenings.

    During one round, the new Warner film heads, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, got involved; the latter got involved in the editing process. That led to the film scoring even lower and ended up going through another round of reshoots. Supposedly, the story clarity is an issue for viewers of The Lost Kingdom. Plus, now one can add the fact that the second reshoots including Ben Affleck, who was set to replace Michael Keaton’s character after his originally planned return at the end of The Flash, is now also scrapped by DC heads James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    They are pointing to the overworked visual effects houses as one reason, but they have affected many other films ever since the pandemic started. It seems like too many cooks were involved and the film has likely gone even further over its initially planned budget of $205M. So, the film would have to do a lot of heavy lifting to make its money back. Oddly, Black Adam remains the highest earner at the box office for DC since the pandemic started and Dwayne Johnson may have held is promise after all.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Coming to Disney Plus Next Month

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Coming to Disney Plus Next Month

    Just three months after it opened in theaters, Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will land on Disney Plus on August 2nd. The film, which opened in theaters on May 5th, was director James Gunn’s final project for the studio before moving on to co-chair DC Studios and was received fairly well by critics, including our own Michael T. Ford III.

    After opting for short, 45ish-day theatrical runs for many of their MCU films, Disney has opted for longer windows with their more recent films before streaming them on D+. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit the streaming service 82 days after release and fans waited 89 days before being able to stream Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania which is the same number of days it will have been when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives on Disney Plus.

    After a rough stretch of Phase 4 and 5 films that included Thor: Love and Thunder and the aforementioned Quantumania, Vol. 3 was largely a return to form for Marvel Studios. Though it was a darker entry than either of its predecessors within the franchise, the film delivered one of the MCU’s most detestable villains in recent memory while giving some of the MCU’s most beloved heroes satisfying conclusions to their character arcs while also leaving room for them to return. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available to buy on digital platforms.