Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movie News

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Stocks Drop After HBO Max Relaunch Presentation

    Warner Bros. Discovery Stocks Drop After HBO Max Relaunch Presentation

    Well, that’s not a good sign. It seems investors aren’t quite sold on the whole HBO Max renaming, as Warner Bros. Discovery’s stocks have dropped by 6%. Ever since the Discovery merger, the stocks for the company have been facing quite some troubling developments and likely aren’t adding any more pressure to its team trying to balance out its ever-increasing debt that led to the sacrifice of projects like Batgirl or a Scoob! Christmas special.

    Overall, the market has been down over Wednesday as Paramount Global, Netflix, and Disney also faced a drop but Warner Bros. had the highest at 5.8%. The Dow Jones index dropped by 38.2 points with the Nasdaq dropping 102 points or 1%. Warner Bros. Discovery held its presentation during trading hours, hoping to push everything in a more positive direction but it seems Wall Street isn’t having it. So, it seems they still have a long way to go at this point.

    In January, the company balanced out slightly after dropping below $10, as it now stands at around $15. It’s not a good sign though if they try to relaunch a three-year-old streaming service with a new name and most aren’t seeing this as a positive change. There is no analysis of just how the internet has reacted but the first ones in aren’t loving the name, as it seems to move further away from the brand that could’ve pulled in a bigger audience than a rather standard name like MAX.

    Source: Variety

  • Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic Returning for ‘Deadpool 3’

    Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic Returning for ‘Deadpool 3’

    Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic are returning for Deadpool 3. The news, which comes courtesy of Deadline, comes after Baccarin revealed last week that she was in talks but wasn’t sure if a deal would happen. Baccarin will reprise her role as Vanessa, while Kapicic will return as Colossus. The duo will join Karan Soni and Leslie Uggams, who are returning as Dopinder and Blind Al, as well as Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen.

    Deadline also noted that, as of right now, it’s unclear if Brianna Hildebrand will return as Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

    Deadpool 3 will see Ryan Reynolds‘ titular anti-hero team up with Jackman‘s Wolverine. Shawn Levy, a frequent collaborator of Reynolds, will direct the film from a screenplay by Zeb Wells, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. Deadpool 3 will hit theaters on Nov. 8th, 2024.

    Updating…

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Private Practice’, ‘Prison Break’ Star Paul Adelstein Joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    ‘Private Practice’, ‘Prison Break’ Star Paul Adelstein Joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    Paul Adelstein, best known for his roles as Paul Kellerman on Prison Break and Dr. Cooper Freedman on Private Practice, revealed that he has joined the MCU. Though the nature of his involvement with Marvel Studios was not disclosed, Adelstein revealed via his Instagram that he was currently in Atlanta for something MCU-related.

    While the tendency would be to believe Adelstein has been cast in one of Marvel Studios upcoming projects–both Captain America: New World Order and Agatha: Coven of Chaos are currently filming in Atlanta–it’s also possible he’s working behind the camera as part of a writing room. Adelstein recently appeared in The Menu and The Greatest Beer Run Ever and is slated to appear in an episode of the second season of Cruel Summer later in 2023.

  • Marvel Studios Confirms Identity of Zawe Ashton’s Kree Revolutionary; Reveals Casting of Daniel Ings

    Marvel Studios Confirms Identity of Zawe Ashton’s Kree Revolutionary; Reveals Casting of Daniel Ings

    The first teaser trailer for the upcoming Marvel Studios film, The Marvels, gave fans a taste of what to expect when the film hits theaters this November the first look at the film’s villain, played by Zawe Ashton. In the Fall of 2021, we heard that Ashton’s character was going to be loosely inspired by a very minor character from Marvel Comics by the name of Ael-Dan. Now we know who she’s actually playing.

    According to an official still released by Disney, Ashton is playing Dar-Benn who is described as a “revolutionary” in the official synopsis for the film. As explained in 2021, Dar-Benn was a co-conspirator of Ael-Dan’s when they deposed and murdered Clumsy Foulup, the Kree Emperor at the time. Neither Ael-Dan nor Dar-Benn’s stories continued on for long as they were both killed by the Shi’ar warrior Deathbird.

    And that’s where Ashton’s character comes into play. I heard that Ashton’s character, described by the trades as the villain ofThe Marvels, is loosely based on an incredibly minor Kree comic character named Ael-Dan, who has appeared and/or is referenced in a total of 3 comics. In those appearances, General Ael-Dan works in tandem with a General Dar-Benn to assassinate the sitting emperor and then take his place. Their great reign ended during Operation Galactic Storm when they were killed by Deathbird of the Shi’ar. Ashton’s character in The Marvels is a gender-swapped take on this character which means that for all intents and purposes, she’s playing an original character. I’ve heard the character described as both the Kree Emperor and a Kree general. In the comics, both are true and I can’t confirm if Ashton’s character will be one or the other or both in the film.

    The release also confirms the addition of Instinct and I Hate Suzie actor Daniel Ings to the cast. Ings will be portraying a Kree by the name of Ty-Rone who seems to be an original character.

  • Marvel Studios Unveils the First Official Synopsis for ‘The Marvels’

    Marvel Studios Unveils the First Official Synopsis for ‘The Marvels’

    Following the release of the first trailer for The Marvels, Marvel Studios unveiled the first official synopsis for the Captain Marvel sequel.

    In Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels,” Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”

    The Marvels hits theaters on November 10th.

  • MCU Slump May Impact the Opening Weekend Box Office of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    MCU Slump May Impact the Opening Weekend Box Office of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    A recent trend in how audiences have perceived the latest Marvel Studios films may have an impact on their next project. Though it did well at the box office, Thor: Love and Thunder was hardly a hit with fans and after a quick start at the box office, poor word of mouth stomped on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Next up for the studios is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and according to a long-range box office forecast by Box Office Pro, James Gunn‘s threequel may bear the brunt of general audiences’ growing displeasure.

    Citing low interest in pre-sales and a lack of social media buzz that typically accompanies Marvel Studios’ releases, Box Office Pro is currently projecting Vol. 3 to open between $120-$155M from May 4th’s Thursday previews through showings on Sunday, May 7th. While that’s the kind of opening weekend most studios would covet, it would be considered a disappointing opening for what’s expected to be Marvel Studios’ biggest film of 2023. An opening on the low end of that range would mean Vol. 3’s take would come in below Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s $145M from 2017 which would certainly cause an uproar online and possibly behind the scenes at the studio.

    There’s plenty of hope, however, that those numbers will climb–potentially significantly–however. Pre-sales aren’t a bulletproof predictor and the Guardians franchise is one of the MCU’s most beloved and well-received. The characters have grown from a group that not even casual comic readers recognized to some of Marvel’s most popular heroes and with there being little competition at the box office, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could draw huge walkup-numbers. It will also be worth watching how reviews from the premiere and early screenings influence audiences, some of whom might be waiting to hear what critics have to say before dropping their dollars on pre-sale tickets.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • No One Can Stop ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ at the Box Office

    No One Can Stop ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ at the Box Office

    Wahoo! The Super Mario Bros. Movie has gone on to beat even the earliest expectations. Initially, it was set for around $130M domestic opening before it was corrected to a $195M 5-day run. Now, the film hasn’t slowed down one bit as it pulled in enough that set it for a $205M run, which would knock Transformers: Reven of the Fallen to second place and take the record, not just as an animated film but for cinema overall.

    Overall, the Easter weekend 3-day gross would place it in third behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($181M) and Furious 7‘s $161M. Overseas it also pulled in $173M by the end of its run and would place it at $377.2M worldwide. Keep in mind, the film hasn’t opened in Japan, Nintendo’s core market, as of now and that could’ve pushed it to $400M if there wasn’t a delayed release.

    As such, the film stands strong as the biggest opening for an animated film ever, as it has officially dethroned Frozen 2 from that very spot. The film has pulled in the most patrons since Spider-Man: No Way Home over the 5-day weekend and it’s a good sign for 2023 that we’re seeing a more diverse performance from films, such as Creed 3 becoming the biggest opening for a sports movie.

    What makes Super Mario Bros.’ success so interesting is the fact that the film simply fought against its rather critical reception going into the weekend. Perhaps similar to Top Gun Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, audiences are simply looking for simplicity and thrill nowadays as other franchises try to add complexity to avoid any fatigue setting in. Is this a new era of video game-based games after the success of Sonic the Hedgehog as well, or are we just seeing nostalgia dominate once again?

    Source: Deadline

  • SWCE: Lucasfilm CEO Offers Update on Rian Johnson and Taika Waititi’s ‘Star Wars’ Films

    SWCE: Lucasfilm CEO Offers Update on Rian Johnson and Taika Waititi’s ‘Star Wars’ Films

    Star Wars Celebration came with an announcement of an entire trilogy of new Star Wars films. Yet, it once again leaves us with quite a few questions surrounding the ones that have been announced. Recent reports hinted that quite a few planned films were scrapped and even the latest announced film just lost its writer. So, there’s a lack of hope that they’d truly move forward with their projects.

    Luckily, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy was able to offer some insight into where they stand with those films. It seems that the Rian Johnson trilogy that was announced a while back is pretty much on hold for eternity, as Johnson is busy with the Glass Onion sequel and seemingly has no interest to return anytime soon.

    Rian and I talk all the time. He is unbelievably busy. So we’re not actively involved in anything at the moment because he’s doing another one of the ‘Glass Onion’ movies and then God knows what else. But he really wants to step back into the space. It’s a big commitment of time, so that’s really on him.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    In regard to Taika Waititi’s mysterious film, she only stated that he is actively working don’t he’s script all on his own. After Thor: Love and Thunder’s reception, there might be some concern he might take the franchise into a goofier direction given his “very, very unique voice” but it seems they won’t be getting involved until he is ready to direct it.

    Taika is still working away. He’s writing the script himself. He doesn’t really want to bring others into that process and I don’t blame him. He has a very, very unique voice. So we want to protect that and that’s what he’s doing. But we’re going to make that one day.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    It’s definitely interesting to know that at least Waititi’s project is seemingly moving forward, but it is strange that they won’t just outright state that they have no more plans for Johnson’s trilogy. By the time they actually get films out, his project might even be superfluous given whatever his initial goals were with the project. Of course, perhaps them actually pushing out films might inspire him to once again give it his full attention. For now, we can only continue to wait and see if the franchise actually returns to theaters.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ to Dehtrone ‘Frozen 2’ as the Biggest Animated Opening Ever

    ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ to Dehtrone ‘Frozen 2’ as the Biggest Animated Opening Ever

    After that initial critical reception, it seems audiences do not care at all how people viewed The Super Mario Bros. Movie as it is on its path to becoming the biggest animated opening weekend ever. Going by now, its projection is pushing the film towards an impressive $195M domestic opening but what will truly make it the biggest release yet is that it’ll probably end its global bow over a 5-day weekend at $368M.

    The title was previously held by Frozen 2, which opened globally to $358M. It’s an impressive feat for the latest Illumination film that also made quite a bang last year with its Minions sequel almost making a billion and becoming one of the year’s biggest releases. The studio’s approach to animation may not be welcomed by critics, but it certainly works for audiences.

    There’s a lot of discussion surrounding the latest performances by Disney’s animation projects with Super Mario Bros. Movie and recently Puss in Boots: The Last Wish pulling some incredible performances at the box office. While many might go the Internet’s usual route of taking information out of context, there’s a lot at play here that to some degree is Disney’s own fault.

    Dreamworks and Illumination don’t have a “streaming home” per see, which means that there’s no expectation that their projects will eventually be available. Disney, however, spent almost three years building a “streaming first” strategy which has shot their staying power at the box office with even more frontloaded box office performance and even negative critical reception having a bigger impact due to “can always watch it later.”

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is one of Marvel Studios’ weakest releases at $467M, which is still a number most would hope to have on their resume. With a weak Chinese market, which elevated its previous entries, and the previous streaming strategy, Disney took away any real need for its core audience, families, to watch it while it is in theaters. Same as we saw with its animated fair that does incredible numbers on Disney+. With the announcement of a digital and physical release ahead of Disney+, we’re seeing the first attempts to make up for that very issue.

    It’ll be essential to ensure their animated projects have a strong showing as families simply aren’t there and Super Mario Bros. Movie has the advantage of nostalgia with boomers and Millenials at its side. Its performance is comparable to Avatar: The Way of Water and Star Wars: The Force Awakens which are both built strongly on nostalgia. Hell, even Top Gun Maverick got that extra boost for the same reason, and we’re seeing a much more noticeable trend that studios are likely going to abuse moving forward.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Number

  • Lucasfilm Head Reveals ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ is the Longest Entry Yet

    Lucasfilm Head Reveals ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ is the Longest Entry Yet

    Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the next entry in the franchise that hasn’t had a new entry since 2008. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull tried to revive the franchise with Shia LaBeouf set to take over the franchise, but it didn’t quite pick up the pace that many hoped it would and the latest addition is once again returning to its true main star, Harrison Ford.

    We’re finally not too far away from Dial of Destiny’s release and during Star Wars Celebration, Collider used the chance to ask Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy to offer some insight into how long the next entry will be, and it seems that the film will be the longest yet.

    It’s around two hours and 22-23 minutes. I will say that the early movies were shorter. They were under two hours and 15 minutes. And we talked about that quite a bit… But as you know, with runtime, it’s all about how you feel, right? So, if you’re sitting in a movie, and it feels long… The reason this is interesting is because long-form storytelling is something that we like in the streaming space. So, I think it might be that it’s some kind of carry over from that. But God knows, this year there were so many three hour-plus movies that I felt I wasn’t getting any work done, trying to see them.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    Even Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was only slightly above two hours. So, if they stick to this length, James Mangold will have the longest entry in the Indiana Jones franchise. So, the next entry is going to have one of many firsts as we return to the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. It also will introduce us to a new cast of characters and does open up the possibility of continuing the legacy of this story in a new and unexpected way.

    Source: Collider