Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Holds On to the Top Spot as ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Surprises at the Box Office

    ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Holds On to the Top Spot as ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Surprises at the Box Office

    It looks like Nintendo has fully dominated the box office, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie faces another soft drop in its third weekend and has pulled in $58.2M domestically and another $70M internationally. As such, the film is now at a strong $434.33M stateside and $437.5M in international markets, which sums up to a powerful $871.8M. It’s interesting that the film has such a strong weekend hold but seems to fizzle out a bit during the week after a strong 81% drop on Monday. Still, it seems that the film just pulls in multiple generations to relieve their gaming childhood.

    That is not all, as Evil Dead Rise, the counter-programming for the weekend, has been released and finds its way into quite the strong start at $23.5M. That is quite the number considering it only cost around $15M and proves once again just how powerful horror is in the market. It’s also a sigh of relief for Warner Bros. who originally wanted to release this film as a direct-to-streaming offering on HBO Max before the new leadership changed gears.

    It received a B CinemaScore but that has become quite common for anything with horror elements or gore in it. So, it should be taken lightly and we’ll see how its legs develop. Evil Dead Rise has the task to beat 2013’s Evil Dead reboot which had a slightly higher opening but also a just as slightly higher budget. If it has strong legs it might even surpass the $97.5M budget but Super Mario Bros. Movie is taking up most of the market at the moment.

    Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Covenant, sadly isn’t doing too hot as it opened to a soft $6M which won’t help much even with an A CinemaScore. Dramas aimed at adult audiences and regular family films without a bigger nostalgic draw have still been struggling a bit at the box office. Even after a good early push, Beau is Afraid has stumbled to $2.7M while expanding its theater count which isn’t a good sign for its $35M budget.

    Source: The Numbers, Variety, Variety

  • Lucasfilm’s New Jedi Order Movie Rumored to Be Searching for a New Lead

    Lucasfilm’s New Jedi Order Movie Rumored to Be Searching for a New Lead

    What began as a “top secret” Star Wars sequel-era project being written by Damon Lindelof has now become known as the first project in an all-new era of Star Wars stories know as the New Jedi Order era. That film, which looks to be on track for a 2025 release, is set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and will see Daisy Ridley–and possibly John Boyega–return to the franchise. Though it looks like production will be able.to get underway sometime next year, it hasn’t necessarily been a smooth ride.

    After delivering a script co-authored by Justin Britt-Gibson, Lindelof left the project but was quickly replaced by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The announcement of Ridley’s return as Rey stirred up both positive and negative buzz, though it was recently rumored she was not intended to be the film’s protagonist. That role was expected to go to Aquaman and Watchmen star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is already on board for a major Disney project in Marvel Studios streaming series Wonder Man. Now, a new rumor from the same source that initially reported Abdul-Mateen‘s involvement indicates the star has left the project.

    During a recent segment on The Hot Mic Podcast, the show’s co-hosts seemed to confirm that the film’s “original lead”, who was “from Watchmen“, had departed the project. It seems the timing of Abdul-Mateen‘s departure coincided with Lindelof’s decision to move on, though no further details about that connection were given.

    Despite all that, it’s full speed ahead on the New Jedi Order project. Casting is expected to be ongoing throughout the Summer with principal photography to follow in either late-2023 or early-2024. Though it has been made official by Lucasfilm, the project is expected to be in theaters on December 19, 2025.

    Source: The Hot Mic Podcast

  • Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Has Recast Kahiau Machado’s David

    Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Has Recast Kahiau Machado’s David

    It looks like some changes have happened behind the scenes. In a new casting announcement that the live-action Lilo and Stitch film is seeing to bring back Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch. Just recently, we learned that Kahiau Machado has been cast in the role of David Kawena but it seems that they decided to recast the character moving forward.

    In a new piece by The Hollywood Reporter, they reveal that Kaipot Dudoit has taken over the role of David due to Disney’s vetting process uncovering some racial slurs shared by Machado on his Social Media. There has not been an official statement by Disney on the matter so far.

    It’s definitely been one of their fastest recasts given that the announcement of Machado joining the production was just last week. So, Kaipot may have been among one of the top choices, to begin with, and they may have reacted quite fast to get them on board as filming was slowly getting started in Hawaii.

    It’s been quite a rough time for Disney, especially with the recent allegations surrounding Jonathan Majors. While David is a supporting role, he’s still the main love interest for a major character and they may be trying to be as safe as possible; even if it’s unclear what exactly they have planned with Kang the Conqueror.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Stitch’s Original Voice Actor in Talks to Return for Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Movie

    Stitch’s Original Voice Actor in Talks to Return for Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Movie

    It seems that while the upcoming live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch will see the return of a voice actor from the original animated film. In a new report by a Hollywood reporter, it seems Chris Sanders is in final talks to return as the voice of the loveable alien Stitch, who ends up crashlanding on Hawaii under the care of young Lilo.

    It also seems like the voice actress Tia Carrere, who played Nani in the animated film, will also return to play the character of Mrs. Kekoa. There’s also the reveal of Amy Hill taking on a role of an original character Tūtū, but details are still scarce as of now on how these new characters play into this new adaptation. They are joining Dean Fleischer-Camp’s film which already has cast Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Kahiau Machado.

    Interestingly enough, these new characters were something we shared back in November of 2022. The detail, however, we did get wrong was the exclusion of Cobra Bubbles in the film as his original role was seemingly given to these newly created characters. Courtney B. Vance has recently been cast as Cobra Bubbles in the live-action adaptation, and they may simply have focused on his role as an agent to avoid just repeating the same material from the original.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter (Bubbles)

  • ‘Ted Lasso’ Star Juno Temple Joins ‘Venom 3’ in Lead Role

    ‘Ted Lasso’ Star Juno Temple Joins ‘Venom 3’ in Lead Role

    Tom Hardy’s upcoming third and potentially final Venom film is seemingly adding quite a bit of talent, as Ted Lasso’s Juno Temple has been revealed to have a role in the upcoming threequel. Not just that but she is seemingly taking on a lead role opposite Hardy, but there’s now ord on who she might be playing. It seems negotiations are still underway and her casting remains tightly under wraps as per usual with these kinds of announcements.

    Andy Serkis surprisingly isn’t returning to direct the third entry, as it’ll be directed by Kelly Marcel, who was the writer of the series since the first entry. She and Hardy have worked on the screenplay for the film with the usual Sony crew back to produce, which includes Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Hutch Parker. There is no word if anyone else from the previous entries will return in the upcoming sequel.

    Venom is a curious entry in Sony’s hope to expand its own Spider-Man universe. It originally set out to do so but mostly did its own thing and is the only project that is acknowledged by the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe with Hardy’s appearance in the Spider-Man: No Way Home post-credit sequence. There’s a chance that the thrid entry is the final one as a last hurrah for this take on the character before Marvel is allowed to make use of that little tease at the end of the Spider-Man crossover film.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney and Victoria Alonso Settled Over Recent Firing

    Disney and Victoria Alonso Settled Over Recent Firing

    Marvel Studios is going through quite a bit of change. Not only did it have to work its way through the pandemic and Bob Chapek’s leadership, but it also was suddenly seeing a familiar face at the top once more with Bob Iger. The company is undergoing some harsh firing waves and many were shocked when long-time VFX chief Victoria Alonso was fired from her position. While the Internet obsessed with the topic believed this would start a new era for VFX works, many different allegations have come forth on the topic.

    Some stated Alonso was a kingmaker that kind of destroyed their relationship with VFX agencies, while others claimed she played a big role in keeping projects together. Nothing concrete ever came out of it but the firing certainly lead to some wild accusations of “consequences” by Alonso’s lawyers. Multiple statements have been shared on why she was fired, which included her work on a project and seemingly neglecting responsibilities; a report that has never been confirmed.

    Now, it seems that Disney and Alonso have settled with a multi-million compensation over her firing. It was seemingly reached just recently after many discussions surrounding her 17-year tenure at Marvel Studios and work in Argentina, 1985. We’ll likely never find out what exactly the threatening “consequences” are for Disney and Marvel Studios, but perhaps it’s only a matter of time before a report pops up with a claim about what it might be. For now, it seems that there won’t be further discussions or public announcements of Disney moving forward until the next major figure is fired.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ Anniversary Special is a Trip Down Memory Lane

    REVIEW: ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ Anniversary Special is a Trip Down Memory Lane

    There was a lot of fanfare surrounding the potential that was the 30th anniversary special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. Familiar faces returned to take on their iconic roles once again in a special that also aimed to pay tribute to the tragic passing of Thuy Trang. It felt like it would potentially be the tribute we always wanted for our iconic childhood pretending to be Power Rangers ourselves while watching the show. With the special finally out, does it live up to the nostalgia?

    It would be strange to say that it does and doesn’t really live up to what you might expect from this type of tribute. The thing is: as a modern take on the iconic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, it works incredibly well. It has that same goofy and over-the-top action from the original. Even from the opening, it just feels like you’re a kid again watching an episode that just happens to be quite a bit shinier and of higher quality.

    The costumes look just as goofy as they always do, but they don’t shy away at all from that era. Walter Emanuel Jones is back as Zack joined by David Yost as Billy Cranston, who are technically headlining the project. Steve Cardenas‘ Rocky and Catherine Sutherland’s Katherine also appear with franchise newcomer Charlie Kersh. Sadly, not everyone from the original line-up was around but the series tries to pay tribute to their characters; even if the use of Jason David Frank’s voice (may he rest in peace) for the Green Ranger was mired with controversy.

    The biggest surprise about this project is that it actually follows the franchise’s in-universe canon. Rita’s return actually makes sense given the events of the original Power Rangers in Space where Zordon unleashed the Z-wave to defeat all evil. There are a lot of callbacks to the various storylines and Rangers that existed even if they were just little toys in the background that never actually show up. This is definitely a part of the original franchise that still knows what has happened in the past 30 years.

    Yet, as much as I loved it as someone who grew up with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a lot of it just doesn’t hold up well. They tried to replicate the original series as much as possible, but that comes at the detriment of its overall quality. Outside of it being shot quite nicely beside a few jarring cuts, there’s just a lot lacking to make this feel like an evolution of the franchise rather than a time capsule. The acting across the board is very wooden and while you know it’s a labor of love, there’s a lack of really trying to give a performance.

    there’s also something with the audio that makes it a bit awkward at times. Charlie Kersch’s performance is quite over-the-top and is definitely performing a role fit for a Nickelodeon series. Barbara Goodson and Richard Steven Horvitz give very over-the-top performances but it works as if they are doing voice work for robotic characters. There’s just a combination of overacting and underacting creating this strange disconnect, especially with some ADR making some scenes a bit more awkward than they need to be.

    The same goes for the CG work in these series. It’s strange that they pay tribute with some wonderful costumes and environment work that pays tribute to the original series and its Sentai roots, but the VFX by the end ends up as what the Internet pretends Marvel CG looks like. Seeing the Zords was such a delight, as their introduction sequence paying tribute to the original actually looks incredible but once the Zord is fully formed it turns into a slightly better look from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. Don’t get me started on the weird car.

    What does make up for it is the overall action, as not only does it pay tribute to the original in clever ways with shot composition but it’s the thing that feels the most fleshed out. The cheesy one-liners also add to the charm of what’s happening on screen. Even if the story just rushes through plot points that seemingly have no real connection (and sometimes feel a bit half-baked), there’s still a lot of fun to have as a Mighty Morphin fan.

    That’s kind of the struggle I have with this special. I love how it just goes out of its way to be a modern take on the original but it also feels like they could’ve done so much more. It’s special to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary but it creates this feeling that it hasn’t really evolved after all this time. Having rewatched recent Nickelodeon entries, it sadly continues to feel that way and this may be a final hurrah before Netflix’s ambitious new Power Rangers take finds its way to the streaming service.

  • New Report Details When and Where Production on ‘Superman: Legacy’ Will Take Off

    New Report Details When and Where Production on ‘Superman: Legacy’ Will Take Off

    James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy has consistently been making headlines recently. Gunn recently indicated that he had put together a wishlist of talent for the project and that “early pre-production” on the 2025 release was underway. Now a new report from Heroic Hollywood reveals that the cameras are set to roll on DC Studios’ first theatrical release sooner than expected.

    According to the site, Superman: Legacy will kick off principal photography in Atlanta in January 2024. Atlanta has been a hub for superhero projects over the last decade with dozens of Marvel Studios films and streaming series being produced in and around the area. Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Captain America: New World Order are currently filming in Atlanta with Blade on deck.

    Gunn described Superman: Legacy as the “launch of the DCU” and co-chair Peter Safran explained that the film will see Superman trying to balance “his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.” A fan of Richard Donner‘s 1978 Superman, Gunn will look to incorporate some of the classic Superman themes that were on display in the film in his Legacy project, according to Safran who said, “Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”

    Superman: Legacy is set to land in theaters on July 11, 2025.

    Source: Heroic Hollywood

  • ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Is Finally Coming to Disney Plus

    ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Is Finally Coming to Disney Plus

    Peter Parker’s first solo MCU adventure is finally heading to Disney Plus. As part of a series of announcements by Marvel, it was revealed that Spider-Man: Homecoming will be available on the streaming service beginning May 12th.

    Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man trilogy (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3), starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, will be available to stream on the service beginning April 21st as well Mark Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man, which starred Andrew Garfield as the Web-Head. Homecoming and Sony Pictures Venom will join the other films on the service on May 12th.

    Of course, all three Spider-Men appeared side-by-side-by-side in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and that film’s post-credit scene featured Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock and his symbiote hanging out in the MCU. As fans wait to see what’s next for Tom Holland‘s Spidey in the MCU, now hey can at least rewatch his first MCU adventure and some of the multiversal Spidey shenanigans on Disney Plus.

  • A Rumored Shortlist of Candidates for Sue Storm Makes the Rounds

    A Rumored Shortlist of Candidates for Sue Storm Makes the Rounds

    Though it’s not expected to begin filming for quite some time, Marvel Studios Fantastic Four film continues to be the subject of casting rumors. Recently, Adam Driver, whose name has been circulated in connection with the film previously, was rumored to be in final talks for the role of Reed Richards. And now another name familiar to those who have been following the rumor mill has popped back up on a list of potential candidates for Sue Storm.

    According to a popular YouTube sensationalist, Academy Award Nominess Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) tops director Matt Shakman and casting director Sarah Finn‘s wishlist for the role of the Invisible Woman. According to the rumor, the rest of that list includes Allison Williams, Jodie Comer and Mila Kunis. Interestingly enough, Kunis was spotted meeting with Shakman in February, sparking speculation that she might be involved with the project.

    A previous trade report indicated that Shakman and crew were looking to find their Sue Storm before casting anyone else, suggesting Sue was the “center” of the team and after finding the right fit, they would build “out the rest of the team.” There’s not a bad choice on the list of rumored front-runners and it’s very likely that the casting process is coming to a close given that it has been ongoing for months.