Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ Sets Production Timeline

    ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ Sets Production Timeline

    With multiple Marvel Studios projects shifting release dates in 2023 and 2024, the growing expectation among fans is that it’s only a matter of time before the film slate revealed at SDCC ’22 will shift as well. That slate currently has four films set for release in 2024 (Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, Blade and the untitled Deadpool and Wolverine film) and four dates slated in 2025 and 2026. Among the films fans feel most likely to get pushed are the next two Avengers films, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. The former of the two is currently scheduled for a May 2nd, 2025 release but between the shifting slate and troubling allegations mounting against star Jonathan Majors, making that date seems a dubious proposition at best to fans.

    If they are planning to push the film, Marvel Studios isn’t tipping their hand. They haven’t addressed any major changes to the upcoming slate outside of recently moving The Marvels into November and, according to Variety, are moving ahead with their work on The Kang Dynasty. According to the trade, production on the next Avengers film is on track to kick off in the Spring of 2024 which would put it on track to keep the May 2, 2025 release date.

    If any updates to Marvel Studios’ theatrical slate are pending, Disney could reveal some or all of them during their CinemaCon panel on April 26th. There’s been plenty of buzz about Marvel Studios looking to return to releasing only three films per year which would significantly alter the expected timeframe for their Multiverse Saga. Currently set to end on May 1, 2026 with Secret Wars, that date could quickly end up in 2027 should dominoes start to fall.

    Source: Variety

  • James Gunn Confirms Superman’s Pal Will Appear in ‘Superman: Legacy’

    James Gunn Confirms Superman’s Pal Will Appear in ‘Superman: Legacy’

    For fans of Superman, there’s a core group of characters whose stories are hard to separate from the Man of Steel. For better or for worse, Ma and Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen and Lex Luthor are all fairly inextricably connected to Clark Kent. With a new Superman film coming as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new DCU, it’ll be important for Gunn–who is writing and directing Superman: Legacy–to find a way to make the reintroduction of all those characters into the mainstream feel fresh, should he choose to use them. With Gunn recently revealing that he’d begun “early pre-production” on the film and posting a picture of the current script for the film, you can be sure he’s thought through which characters are a must for the first adventure and now he’s revealed who one of them is.

    Responding to a fan on Twitter, Gunn revealed that Daily Planet photojournalist and longtime bestie of Superman, Jimmy Olsen will “of course” be in the movie.

    Olsen has appeared in multiple Superman-related projects in different mediums over the years. Actors such as Marc McClure, Aaron Ashmore, Mehcad Brooks and Michael Cassidy have all added their own touches to the character with some straying pretty far from the nature of Olsen in the comics. Given that the premise of Gunn’s new film revolves around Superman holding strong to old school values, it’s possible the newest iteration of Olsen might more closely resemble the innocent “Jeepers Mr. Kent” version than the CIA operative. With Gunn noting that he’s put together a list of preferred actors and actresses for the film, the identity of the new Jimmy Olsen may be just around the corner.

  • Louis Leterrier to Direct ‘Fast and Furious 11’

    Louis Leterrier to Direct ‘Fast and Furious 11’

    Louis Leterrier is staying with the Fast family. Variety announced on Wednesday that the director will direct Fast and Furious 11, which will serve as a companion film for Fast X and the final film in the long-running franchise. Leterrier, of course, stepped in as the director for Fast X after Justin Lin left the project last May.

    “Louis joined the ‘Fast & Furious’ team seamlessly, with an innate understanding of the franchise that is stronger than ever after two decades. Under his direction, ‘Fast X’ is a high-intensity thriller with all the spectacular action, emotion, and twists that the fans have come to expect – and then some. We are thrilled that he will continue to work his magic in the director’s chair.”

    Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer

    Outside of Fast X, Leterrier has directed Transporter starring Jason Statham, Clash of the Titans, and Now You See Me. As for his credits on the small screen, Leterrier has worked on Lupin, as well as The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

    To date, the Fast and Furious franchise has earned an impressive $6 billion at the worldwide box office. It has even gone on to spawn a spinoff film, Hobbs & Shaw, starring Statham and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

    Fast X will hit theaters on May 19, 2023.

    Source: Variety.

  • Paramount+ Gives Movie Order to ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Starring Michelle Yeoh

    Paramount+ Gives Movie Order to ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Starring Michelle Yeoh

    Back in 2018, it was announced that Paramount+ was developing yet another Star Trek series. The show was to star Michelle Yeoh and would focus on Section 31. Over the years, reports indicated that the project would still move forward, however, there was never any strict timeline as to when the project would actually enter production. Well, after years of being “in development,” Paramount+ is finally moving forward with Section 31… but it’s going to be a movie now.

    On Tuesday, the streamer revealed that Michelle Yeoh will star in Star Trek: Section 31. The movie will see Georgiou join a “secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.” The movie is being penned by Craig Sweeney and will be directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi — both Sweeney and Osunsanmi have worked on Star Trek: Discovery, where Yeoh made her debut as Georgiou.

    “I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family and to the role I’ve loved for so long,” Yeoh said in a statement to the press. “Section 31 has been near and dear to my heart since I began the journey of playing Philippa all the way back when this new golden age of Star Trek launched. To see her finally get her moment is a dream come true in a year that’s shown me the incredible power of never giving up on your dreams. We can’t wait to share what’s in store for you, and until then: live long and prosper (unless Emperor Georgiou decrees otherwise)!”

    Alex Kurtzman, who returns as an executive producer for Section 31, revealed that Yeoh initially pitched a spinoff series for her character back in 2017 – before anything was officially announced as being in development. ” “All the way back in 2017, before the first season of Star Trek: Discovery had even aired, Michelle had the idea to do a spinoff for her character, Philippa Georgiou. She broke new ground as one of the first two women onscreen in the pilot to usher in a new age of Trek, and now, six years later, Section 31 finally arrives on the heels of her latest groundbreaking win.”

    Section 31 will kick off a new phase for Trek on Paramount+. The streamer is hoping to do a “Star Trek made-for-streaming movie every two years.” Production on the project will kick off later this year.

    Source: THR & THR.

  • ‘Avengers’ Directors Open to Tackling DC Studios’ Batman

    ‘Avengers’ Directors Open to Tackling DC Studios’ Batman

    Joe and Anthony Russo have been quite busy since they departed Marvel Studios and their work on the Avengers franchise. They left quite a mark in the blockbuster landscape and while some haven’t been too thrilled with their latest work like The Gray Man, they have been busy promoting a very ambitious TV series titled Citadel for Amazon.

    While promoting the series, they were asked by ComicBook.com if they were interested in tackling any DC Studios project given that another Marvel alum has taken over the CEO position at the company. While they don’t say anything definite, it does seem like they have one character they’d definitely want to tackle: Batman.

    Obviously James over there running it, it would be a no-brainer. We love him to death. We love the direction he’s going to take that world in. You know he’s gonna be inventive with it. And favorite DC characters? I mean, man. There are so many good ones. I  always answer based on the comics I collected as a kid, and the two comics I collected the most were Spider-Man — actually, the three —  were Spider-Man. X-Men and Batman. But there have been a lot of iterations of Batman, so I feel like that’s an obvious answer.

    Joe Russo

    It definitely would be interesting to see what the Russo Bros. might be capable of putting together with a Batman film that takes its inspirations from The Brave and the Bold storyline that famously had the caped crusader duking it out with his own protegé, Damian Wayne. While in the comics it was Dick Grayson as Batman, it still will act as a point of inspiration with their iconic dynamic just being passed on to Damian’s actual father.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Twister’ Sequel Adds ‘Transformers’ Star to Cast

    ‘Twister’ Sequel Adds ‘Transformers’ Star to Cast

    Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and Amblin Entertainment are reuniting to bring back a 1996 classic, Twister. The new sequel simply titled Twisters will feature a major cast that consists of Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and now Anthony Ramos. They will be directed by Minaro breakout Lee Isaac Chung based on a script by The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith.

    Ramos is currently going to be busy promoting his upcoming blockbuster film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and is also going to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ironheart. So, this makes for a good little project to follow up by facing giant tornados across the United States.

    Interestingly enough, Frank Marshall is set to produce Twisters via Kennedy/Marshall Company. He is the husband of Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, and the former lead producer on the original Twister film. So, it’ll be an indirect reunion on the project.

    Details are still scarce on the project’s story and if it’ll even tie into the original. They may try to just focus on a new set of characters that follow in the legacy of the original’s cast. One thing is for sure, it won’t be the same without an innocent cow making the rounds as a giant tornado picks it up.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Finds Its David

    Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Finds Its David

    With production for the live-action of Lilo and Stitch set to start just around the corner, we are slowly getting more and more casting news for the production. The latest addition is another newcomer in Kahiau Machado as Nani’s love interest from the original animated film, David Kawena.

    The casting follows shortly after Sydney Elizabeth Agudong was confirmed to take on the role of Lilo’s sister, who will be played by fellow newcomer Maia Kealoha. They have also cast some familiar faces from the industry with Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen taking on some uncertain roles, but are both expected to play aliens in the film.

    There’s some uncertainty on just how close the project will be to the original, as back in November we shared that the production was going to not include the character of Bubbles from the original animated film. We also still don’t know who might be taking on the role of Stitch, which could easily be done by the original actor given just how iconic the performance has been.

    With The Little Mermaid on the horizon, there’s also the question of how they’ll adapt the character’s design. They could stick to the original’s work or try to make him a bit more alien and realistic but that doesn’t seem fitting. The latest release includes mermaids but forces its fish and crab characters to have more realistic looks. So, it’s hard to say for now what direction they might take.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’ Producer Confirms Production Start for Sequel

    ‘Mortal Kombat’ Producer Confirms Production Start for Sequel

    Mortal Kombat was released during the pandemic back in 2021 as part of Warner Bros.’s ambitious yet futile attempt at boasting streaming and theatrical numbers. While nowadays it has taken a bad rep, it still led to some films getting a stronger reputation than they otherwise might’ve pulled when the box office was still just a major question mark. The video game adaptation went on to become one of HBO Max’s biggest releases and after a long wait, it seems the sequel is finally picking up some steam.

    We still know very little about the sequel, especially if it’ll continue to follow the story of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young or potentially move away from the original character. One of the highlights was Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada’s Sub-Zero and Scorpion, which also had one of the better stories in the film that received mixed reviews from critics (ironically not that different from the current Super Mario Bros. Movie that might reignite interest in video game adaptations).

    While we haven’t heard much about the project in some time, it seems producer Todd Garner may have accidentally confirmed that production is set to start in June. He quotes retweeted a statement by Geek Vibes Nation on the production cycle being mapped from June to September in Australia with the cheeky reaction “I was wondering why I had an apt in Australia....” pretty much confirming that is where they’ll be heading.

    If they are indeed planning on filming in a few months, we might get some casting announcements in the coming months. It’s still surprising it took them over two years to start rolling the cameras on a film that was generally considered a streaming success but sometimes it’s best to give projects enough time. They may be trying to address some of the issues pointed out in the initial release as they prepare to expand the franchise.

    Source: Twitter, ComicBook.com

  • ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ On its Path to a Billion at the Box Office

    ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ On its Path to a Billion at the Box Office

    Nothing is seemingly stopping the Super Mario Bros. Movie from dominating theaters, as it has soared even higher in its second weekend. While mostly expected it to wrap up around $87M on Sunday by its estimates, the film has actually grown since then to a whopping $92M. That not only marks the highest-grossing second weekend for an animated film but also has become the seventh-highest at the domestic box office.

    It seems after families didn’t quite show up for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania or Shazam: Fury of the Gods, they are all in for the nostalgia of Mario. A 37% decline on a record-breaking opening is nothing to scoff at, especially after its Japanese debut hasn’t even kicked off yet in the character’s core market and China is still barely holding on as a viable market for Western releases. Normally movies always drop at least 50% but it seems the memories of playing Mario at home just are that powerful.

    As such, the film has already passed $700M after 13 days, which is only the twelfth film to do so since the pandemic ended. The question remains if it’ll dethrone last year’s Minions: The Rise of Gru which pulled in $942.5M at the box office. It’s very likely to do so and everyone is expecting the film to be the first to pass one billion this year. It might even surpass The Lion King which holds the record as the highest animated movie ever (and no it still doesn’t count as live-action). Though, the only question remains of how much is left for the others until the summer market kicks off in May.

    Source: Variety

  • Lucasfilm Hoping to Launch Theatrical Return with Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order Film

    Lucasfilm Hoping to Launch Theatrical Return with Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order Film

    Among the biggest bits of news to come out of Star Wars Celebration 2023 was the announcement of three new theatrical projects set in three different eras in the Star Wars galaxy. While all three already have writers and directors on board, none were given a release date leaving fans to wonder which film would relaunch Star Wars in theaters. Though several projects have been put on and taken off the slate over the last several years, there hasn’t been a Star Wars film since 2019’s Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker as Lucasfilm has focused on streaming projects. There are a few dates still set aside for Star Wars films, including one in December 2025, however, and now a trade report gives a clearer picture of what film is most likely to end up there.

    According to THR, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film–which will be set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker and see Daisy Ridley‘s Rey found a new Jedi Order–is Lucasfilm’s top choice to kick off their return to theaters.

    But there is still a December 2025 date kept open for an unspecified Star Wars movie, which in theory could be one of these titles. A source tells The Hollywood Reporter that Lucasfilm would ideally like to return to theaters with the Rey-focused film and follow that a year later with the Filoni movie, although nothing is set due to the timetables of the Disney+ Mandalorian universe shows.

    THR

    Given how far along the Rey project is in development, a 2025 release date does seem achievable. Though original co-writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson left the project earlier this year, a new draft of the film is already in the works by Steven Knight. Given that production on the film wouldn’t have to begin until next mid-to-late 2024, there’s plenty of time for the project to come together.

    Interestingly enough, THR also stated that, if possible, Lucasfilm would look to return to theaters “a year later” with Dave Filoni‘s Mando-verse film. Given that Filoni’s Mando-verse seems to always have at least one project in production at all times, it looks like a tough timeline. Additionally, Disney currently has no Star Wars film slated for 2026, though that could obviously always change. The news also puts James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi era film the furthest out, though it was recently reported that he planned to complete his Star Wars project before beginning work on DC Studios’ Swamp Thing. Could Lucasfilm be aiming for an ambitious slate of Star Wars films rolling out in 2025, 2026 and 2027? Given their recent track record with postponing and canceling films, we’re not holding our breath.

    Source: THR