Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Peter Jackson Returning to ‘Lord of the Rings’ with a New, Live-Action Movie, ‘The Hunt for Gollum’, in 2026

    Peter Jackson Returning to ‘Lord of the Rings’ with a New, Live-Action Movie, ‘The Hunt for Gollum’, in 2026

    As the original Lord of the Rings trilogy heads back into theaters this summer, Warner Bros. is preparing an all-new adventure in Middle-earth. During an earnings call, CEO David Zaslav shared the news that the studio was developing a new, live-action film with Peter Jackson.

    Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business.

    -David Zaslov

    The film, titled The Hunt for Gollum, will be produced by Jackson and directed by Andy Serkis, who brought the character to life in the original trilogy and will reprise the role. WB plans to have the film in theaters in 2026.

    According to Zaslav, the new film will “explore storylines yet to be told.” The CEO shared that the film is “now in the early stages of script development” and that Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who helped craft the original trilogy, “will be involved every step of the way.” 

    Jackson’s original trilogy grossed over $3B globally and remains a beloved translation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Though the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy and Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power series have all delved into Tolkien’s Middle-earth works, there’s still plenty of work from the prolific author to tap into.

    Source: Variety

  • We May Now Know When ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Will Hit Theaters

    We May Now Know When ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Will Hit Theaters

    Sony’s animated Spider-Man franchise has been far and away the studio’s best efforts in bringing the world of the Web-Slinger to the big screen. 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its 2023 sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, combined to gross over $1B worldwide and opened the eyes of audiences to the wonders of animation. As freneticaly fast-paced as the action on the screen has been through the first two movies, pushing the boundaries of animation certainly slows things down behind the scenes. The trilogy’s final film, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, was due to be released in theaters on March 29, 2024; however, a series of delays–including the 2023 Hollywood strikes–have delayed the film’s release indefinitely. As fans wait (im)patiently for word from Sony, singer and songwriter d4vd may have tipped the studio’s hand.

    In a pair of social media interactions, dv4d indicated that he is working on music for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and that the film will hit theaters in 2025.

    While responding to a fan’s comment about his song “Feel It” which was used in Season 2 of Invincible, d4vd teased the notion that he was working on something Spider-Man related saying, “I can only make one happy song a year…See you next year when Spider-Man comes out.” Of course with the possibility that Tom Holland’s live-action Spider-Man 4 may hit theaters next year, it wasn’t necessarily clear what Spidey film the creator was talking about. On a subsequent Twitch stream, d4vd cleared up any confusion, telling a follower “I got news for you buddy. Beyond the Spider-Verse. That’s all I‘m gonna say.“

    While it’s not a sure sign that the film will be in theaters next year, it does line up with some recent speculation. And, of course, it’s important to note that Sony has a currently unfilled release date set aside for a Marvel movie on June 25, 2025. Should the studio indeed be able to roll out Beyond the Spider-Verse in June and Spider-Man 4 later in the year, it would certainly be a banner year for Sony.

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Adds Keanu Reeves as Shadow

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Adds Keanu Reeves as Shadow

    A dream casting is coming true as Paramount’s upcoming third entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic franchise has found its main antagonist, Shadow the Hedgehog. The Perfect Lifeform is about to face off against the blue blurr and it seems that Keanu Reeves has accepted the role. The opposite of our hero, the creation of Dr. Robotnik’s grandfather is about to leave quite an imprint on the franchise after being teased in the second entry.

    Reeves is a fun addition to the cast, as the film had a scene calling him a “national treasure” and it will be interesting if they might reference that sequence. He was one of the many fan casts for the role next to Darth Vader, Hayden Christensen who was at one point even rumored to be up for the role. Though, given Reeves’ previous role as John Wick, playing the gun-totting edgy hedgehog seems like perfect casting.

    Shadow was first introduced in Sonic Adventure 2 and quickly became a mainstay of the franchise. He even recently appeared in the Netflix animated series Sonic Prime as a major player in that series’ multiverse-inspired story. There are a few elements that director Jeff Fowler already teased in the previous entry that set up a similar storyline to when we were first introduced to the character but it’ll be interesting to see if they have plans similar to Knuckles moving forward, who is getting his Paramount+ series.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Disney Sets 2026 Release Dates for Live-Action ‘Moana’ & ‘Toy Story 5’

    Disney Sets 2026 Release Dates for Live-Action ‘Moana’ & ‘Toy Story 5’

    Following the news that production on their live-action remake of Moana is expected to get underway later this year, Disney has carved out a new release date. Originally slated for a June 27, 2025 release, Moana has been moved back more than a year.

    Disney’s live-action Moana film will now open in theaters on July 10, 2026.

    Moana’s new date means it will hit theaters three weeks after Pixar’s Toy Story 5 which will bow on June 19, 2025.

    Updating…

  • Tom Hardy’s Next ‘Venom’ Film Gets a New Title and Release Date

    Tom Hardy’s Next ‘Venom’ Film Gets a New Title and Release Date

    As Venom 3 resumed filming in November following the Hollywood strikes, star Tom Hardy celebrated the restart of production in an Instagram post in which he referred to the film as “The Last Dance.” As one might expect, that kicked off rampant speculation that the third installment in Sony’s Venom franchise would be subtitled as such. Now, it’s official.

    Sony officially revealed the film’s full title, Venom: The Last Dance, alongside a new, earlier release date for the threequel. Originally slated for a November 8, 2024 release, the film will now hit theaters on October 25, 2024.

    Starring Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Clark Backo, the film is expected to follow the Lethal Protector as he returns from his brief visit to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and embarks on some ridiculous, new adventure. Following the theatrical travesty of Madame Web, we can all only hope that “The Last Dance” is more than just a subtitle and a promise that they’ll stop making horseshit Marvel movies.

    Source: Variety

  • Tom Cruise Locks in First Warner Bros. Project with Director Alejandro Inarritu

    Tom Cruise Locks in First Warner Bros. Project with Director Alejandro Inarritu

    It was quite shocking when Tom Cruise suddenly shifted gears and signed a deal with Warner Bros. studios. After it’s been slowly burning bridges wherever it can with David Zaslav at the helm, he still saw some potential of working with the studio. Now, his first project is a lock as director Alejandro Iñárritu is set to make his first English-language film since The Revenant for WB and Legendary Entertainment with him starring in the project.

    There are still no details on what the film will be titled. Still, Iñárritu will be returning to work with Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, and Nicolas Giacobone, whom he famously worked on Birdman almost a decade ago. It seems they are going out of their way to keep the latest original a big secret and Cruise has been rumored to be looking for a next role that could give him a chance to move away from his usual big action fair.

    Of course, Iñárritu is quite a powerhouse director after winning two straight Oscars with his last projects. It’s also not the first time he worked with some major names as he helped Leonardo DiCaprio finally win his first Oscar with The Revenant. So, it’ll definitely be interesting to see what these two worlds will offer viewers whenever they start rolling the cameras.

    Source: Deadline

  • First Reactions to ‘Dune: Part Two’ Hail the Film as a Sci-Fi Masterpiece, Praise Director Denis Villeneuve

    First Reactions to ‘Dune: Part Two’ Hail the Film as a Sci-Fi Masterpiece, Praise Director Denis Villeneuve

    Supermega-visionary-auteur Denis Villeneuve went all in on Dune: Part Two and if the early reactions from critics who screened the film at its world premiere in London are anything to go by, his gamble paid off. While full reviews are still embargoed, critics took to social media to share their impressions of the sci-fi sequel and the praise was universally effusive.

    A Cinematic Masterpiece

    Screen Rant’s Joe Deckelmeier heaped praise on the film calling it a “cinematic masterpiece” and “an epic cinematic journey.” He also echoed other critics sentiments by calling the film “an experience” that he felt like he was a part of.

    A Magical Experience

    Like Deckelmeier, CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg felt the “experience” of the film, proclaiming he left feeling as though he had “ridden a sandworm.” As is the case with great literature, Eisenberg noted that this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel also tapped into the political zeitgeist of modern times.

    https://twitter.com/eeisenberg/status/1758249830986445276?s=20
    LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: (L-R) Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Rebecca Ferguson, Souheiler Yacoub, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Stellan Skarsgård, Austin Butler and Anya Taylor-Joy attend the World Premiere of “Dune: Part Two” at Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)
    LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet attend the World Premiere of “Dune: Part Two” at Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)
    LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: Zendaya attends the World Premiere of “Dune: Part Two” at Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)
    LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: Timothée Chalamet attends the World Premiere of “Dune: Part Two” at Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)
    LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: Zendaya, Director, Screenwriter and Producer, Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet attend the World Premiere of “Dune: Part Two” at Leicester Square on February 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)

    Mr. Villeneuve’s Opus

    Already revered in sci-fi circles, Dune: Part Two looks as though it’ll elevate Denis Villeneuve’s status to god tier. Griffin Schiller called the film Villeneuve’s “magnum opus” and “the definitive sci-fi epic of a generation.”

    Games Radar’s Emily Murray doubled up on the opus (which is fascinating because I have no idea what that means) and added that the “immersive” action was a highlight along with performances by starts Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya.

    As great as this all sounds, social media will remind you that every single person who saw the film is a WB shill who was paid a massive sum of money to share kind words about the film on X.

    Dune: Part Two hits theaters across the globe on March 1, 2024.

    About Dune: Part Two

    The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on Dune: Part Two, the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning Dune.

    Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

    The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (Wonka, Call Me by Your Name), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Avengers: End Game, Milk), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Little Women), Dave Bautista (the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Thor: Love and Thunder), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Hairspray), Léa Seydoux (the James Bond franchise and Crimes of the Future), Souheila Yacoub (The Braves, Climax), with Stellan Skarsgård (the Mamma Mia! films, Avengers: Age of Ultron), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years, Assassin’s Creed), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Being the Ricardos).

  • ‘Masters of the Universe’s: Amazon Looking at Travis Knight to Lead the Way to Eternia

    ‘Masters of the Universe’s: Amazon Looking at Travis Knight to Lead the Way to Eternia

    Bumblebee director Travis Knight is on the precipice of unlocking the gates of Castle Grayskull. According to a trade report, Knight is Amazon’s top choice to helm the long-gestating live-action Masters of the Universe film that would put Mattel’s He-Man on the big screen for the first time since 1987.

    After Mattel debuted its Masters of the Universe toy line in 1982, Filmation produced He-Man & The Masters of the Universe, one of the decade’s most popular animated series. Though it only ran for two seasons, the property led to spinoffs, reboots, Dolph Lundgren‘s aforementioned film and revivals such as Kevin Smith’s Netflix series. The vast mythology of the franchise has expanded in other media as well, with multiple comic book series having been created over the past 40 years. The characters, locations and catchphrases are etched in the brains of children of the 80s and have taken on a new life through memes, providing Amazon with the opportunity to market Knight’s new film to a wide age range.

    Amazon MGM studios has been in negotiations to acquire the rights to produce a live-action Masters of the Universe film since 2021 when Netflix bailed on their attempt to get one off the ground. That project was based off a script by David Callaham and Adam and Aaron Nee and it looks as though the new version will be getting a fresh script by Chris Butler. According to the trade report, Knight’s version will see a young Prince Adam sidelined on Earth for two decades before returning to Eternia to face off against Skeletor and find out that he does indeed have the power.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Madame Web’: First Reactions to Sony’s Latest Debacle Hit Social Media

    ‘Madame Web’: First Reactions to Sony’s Latest Debacle Hit Social Media

    Sony must be given credit. Though the studio behind two of the most well-received animated superhero films of all time (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) can’t seem to put together a solid live-action CBM, they truly embody the superhero spirit by never giving up. The studio’s latest effort, Madame Web, hits theaters on Valentine’s Day and was screened for critics ahead of time…and it sounds as though it turned out exactly like everyone thought it would.

    “The Worst Comic Book Movie I Have Ever Seen”

    With Green Lantern, 2015’s Fant4stic Four and Sony’s own Morbius to compete with, being the worst CBM ever is tall order to be sure, but at least one critic thinks Madame Web may have taken the top spot. Critic Cris Parker called Sony’s latest installment in whatever it is they’re calling their efforts “an embarrassing mess” with a “laughable structure.” Given the current culture of social media, that means in about 6 months people will be talking about how it’s one of their favorite films.

    “A Scattered Story That Leads Nowhere”

    Heroes Unbound found Madame Web’s plot to be “lackluster” and while they indicated it did contain “charming performances”, they ultimately labeled it as nothing more than “a passable movie.” And that’s the nicest thing anyone is saying about it so far.

    “Just Kinda There”

    With a cast that included Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, Sony certainly continued its trend of casting attention-grabbing stars. With that in mind, you’d hope they’d eventually put together a film that grabbed attention in a positive way. Instead, Madame Web is “totally fine” and “just kinda there” according to James Preston Poole.

    “It Was Bad”

    Brandon Schultz was willing to give it a shot, bless his heart, but in the end…”it was bad.”

    https://twitter.com/bneilschultz/status/1757294083096089020?s=20

    The good news is that as we all know, the early reviews are always the best ones as they’re done by critics who are clearly paid by the studios to get the film some good press (at least that’s what I always read on X), so don’t let these early reviews stop you from seeing Madame Web in theaters! And, don’t forget that Sony’s Kraven the Hunter will also hit theaters later this year!

  • ‘Madame Web’ Director Reveals the Film’s Connection to Sony’s Other Spidey Universe Projects

    ‘Madame Web’ Director Reveals the Film’s Connection to Sony’s Other Spidey Universe Projects

    Sony’s latest entry in their Spider-Man Universe, Madame Web, hits theaters on February 14th and marketing for the film is starting to pick up. The project has been at the center of some seriously intriguing rumors over the last year, with some rumblings that the film would be revealed to be set in either Andrew Garfield‘s Amazing Spider-Man universe or, even spicier, Tom Holland‘s MCU Spider-Man’s timeline. In an interview with EW, director SJ Clarkson shed some light on what’s really happening in the film.

    Set in 2003, Madame Web, as it turns out, is a standalone story that sounds like it takes place in neither of the aforementioned universes. “She’s definitely in a standalone world,” Clarkson said of the film’s main character, Cassandra Webb. “I was able to just have free rein and let the movie be what it needed to be, as opposed to trying to force it into something else. That was a gift, in a way, to be able to take something and bring a fresh and I hope original take to it.“

    Isabela Merced, Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Celeste O’Connor in ‘Madame Web’. SONY PICTURES

    Photos from the set of Madame Web showed Emma Roberts’ Mary Parker–Peter’s mother–is pregnant during the film. Rumors about the film’s plot have indicated that the villain, Ezekiel Sims, is looking to prevent the birth of Peter Parker. If all that is to be believed and we take the established timelines from the Garfield and Holland films to be true, then the 2003 setting would certainly eliminate any possibility that Madame Web is set in either of their universes. Of course, we could always just take Clarkson at her word!

    Madame Web hits theaters on February 14th!

    Source: EW