Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lightyear’ Director Reveals Sox Wasn’t Always in the Entire Movie

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lightyear’ Director Reveals Sox Wasn’t Always in the Entire Movie

    One of the best new characters introduced in Lightyear is the robotic emotional support cat named Sox, voiced to perfection by Peter Sohn. The little furry sidekick accompanies Buzz and his companions throughout the entirety of their mission, constantly offering helpful information and hilarious sound bites. However, in an exclusive recent interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, director Angus MacLane revealed that Sox wasn’t always planned to be part of the entire film.

    When asked if he could share one of his favorite abandoned concepts from the movie, MacLane began to explain that Sox was at one point replaced by a speaking survival kit after the film’s first act. The kit would have a personality similar to that of IVAN, the autopilot on Lightyear’s ship in the finished product, and would have met it’s tragic end as a means of keeping Buzz alive:

    It used to be Buzz didn’t bring Sox with him, and he landed in the future, and the first interaction he had was with a robotic dog. It was a Zurg Hound, and then the only weapon he had was a survival kit from his ejection seat and the survival kit had an IVAN-like personality. She would comment on whatever he selected from the survival kit. So he’d grab the flare gun, which is still in the movie, but originally the flare gun was like, “oh, flare gun, excellent choice!”. Like that kind of thing. So it was constant, but ultimately he’d have to shove the whole suitcase into the robot’s mouth and I think that’s what killed it.

    Angus MacLane

    While all of this sounds fun, especially the idea of a Zurg Hound, it’s likely most fans are pleased that Sox was kept around instead. The character is sure to become one of Pixar’s most popular new additions and brings a certain heartfelt factor to Lightyear that helps put it above a lot of the competition. If you haven’t seen Sox in action, check him out in action when Lightyear hits theaters on June 17th.

  • The Spot Confirmed as ‘Into the Spider-Verse 2’ Villain, First Look at New Design

    It was all the way back in February of 2021 that we first heard rumblings that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse may feature the obscure Spider-Man villain The Spot. And now, the official Twitter page has not only confirmed he’s the antagonist bur also offered a first look at his Spider-Verse design.

    That is not all, as they have also confirmed that Jason Schwartzman will voice the new antagonist.

    UPDATING

    Source: Twitter

  • AMC’s New Runtime Hints at ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Being Among the MCU’s Shortest

    AMC’s New Runtime Hints at ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Being Among the MCU’s Shortest

    There’s been a lot of discussions on what the runtime exactly would be for Thor: Love and Thunder. Previous listings hinted at a two-hour and 30 minutes runtime, but now AMC has updated the runtime on their website that is no longer even reaching two hours. According to the site, it’s going to run for one hour and 59 minutes. That would put it on the shorter end of the MCU runtimes as it’s even shorter than the first Iron Man which ran for around two hours and eight minutes.

    It’s certainly going to be interesting how they manage to keep the many teased storylines in a shorter runtime but it highlights a more concise experience. Director Taika Waititi is no stranger to offering fast-paced comedies and it may be the direction the sequel is taking. Plus, the film is seemingly inspired by romantic comedies, which aren’t strangers to shorter runtimes.

    Whatever the direction the film will take, it’s going to be great to finally see the film in theaters in July. Waititi has always left his imprint on the various film she worked on and it’s going to be interesting to see how he handles a sequel like Thor: Love and Thunder.

    Source: AMC

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lightyear’ Director Reveals Reason Behind Zurg’s New Look

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lightyear’ Director Reveals Reason Behind Zurg’s New Look

    When Lightyear hits theaters on June 17th, it will introduce the world to brand new versions of a couple of iconic characters. Buzz Lightyear and his arch-nemesis, Zurg, will both appear with fresh voices, but only the latter will show up with a new design. In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, the film’s director Angus MacLane explained the reason behind the change and why the toy within Toy Story‘s universe looks so much goofier than the film’s more threatening depiction.

    In the past, MacLane has compared the old Buzz Lightyear of Star Command show to Lucasfilm’s Ewoks series from the 1980s. While the movies are slightly more adult, the animated spin-offs are more cartoonish and largely ignore the canon established on the big screen. Over the course of Toy Story 2, audiences were introduced to a toy version of Zurg with a skirt, cape, and humorous personality. MacLane believes this action figure, owned by Andy, was one based on the non-canon Zurg from the Star Command series and not Lightyear:

    Well, I imagine the version from Toy Story 2 is from the cartoon that the Toy Story Buzz is from. In the same way that the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command cartoon show, that Zurg looks more like the Zurg that we know from Toy Story 2.

    Angus MacLane

    If anybody were to be an expert on Zurg, it would be MacLane, who has been part of the character’s creative team since the very beginning. The director used a few anime references to explain that Zurg’s Toy Story design was intended to be over-the-top for comedic effect, while the Lightyear creation was meant to be a bit more menacing:

    Interestingly, I started as an intern [at Pixar] in January of ’97, and the first thing I got to do was actually help design Zurg the robot. That one is a little more influenced by the kind of jumbo machinder Japanese toy. It has a little more of that kind of design language… Whereas our Zurg has a little bit more influence from, I would say, more of a real robot influence from Japanese anime. It’s a little bit more Patlabor or Gundam…

    Angus MacLane

    Additionally, MacLane revealed that the old look for Zurg simply wouldn’t allow for what needed to be done with the character in Lightyear‘s story. Fortunately, the design team was still able to incorporate a few of the iconic elements from his first appearance:

    There are things that we needed to do narratively. Like, he can’t have a skirt. That was done for goofiness in movement for [Toy Story 2]. We needed him to have legs, but if he puts his legs together they kind of form the skirt. The cape we dealt with in a different way. So we wanted to kind of take that idea and bring it into our world, but still make it awesome. I go, “what would be the coolest way to make Zurg?”. So we changed the design, but kept it in the language of this film.

    Angus MacLane

    While the new Zurg may not look as familiar as some might have hoped, he certainly fits the role of science-fiction villain to a tee. Hear James Brolin take over the fearsome role and decide for yourself on June 17th.

  • ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Roars Up Mighty $143M+ Opening Weekend Domestically

    ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Roars Up Mighty $143M+ Opening Weekend Domestically

    Even a negative critical reception wouldn’t stop Jurassic World: Dominion from dominating the box office. The third and supposedly final entry of the World franchise opened to $143M+ opening over the weekend. Its Saturday jumped to $46.7M, a surprising 12% climb from its Friday (incl. Thursday previews) grosses of $41.7M. As such, Colin Trevorrow’s return to the franchise is leaving its footprint at the box office.

    So far, it’s the fourth-best opening of the domestic box office going by EntTelligence’s moviegoers counted, which is at 10.8M right after Top Gun Maverick’s 11.6M. So far, it’s the best opening for a non-superhero film since the pandemic started and even passed the previous holder Top Gun: Maverick, which just reached $393.3M, which will likely beat Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to $400M domestically. Universal’s Domestic Distribution head offered the following insight:

    This incredible debut for Jurassic World Dominion is driven by not only the loyal fans of the original Jurassic trilogy beginning in 1993, but many new fans experiencing Jurassic for the first time as our casts united for an epic conclusion.  After a long journey from being the first Hollywood film to safely return to production during COVID, up through our global release dates, we’re thrilled for our filmmakers and talent who worked tirelessly on this movie, and for our great partners in exhibition benefitting from a tremendous start to their summer

    Dominion is definitely leaving a splash at the box office and is highlighting how far we’ve come since the pandemic tore down any potential expectations. The original trilogy from Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neil, definitely also left an imprint on audiences and may have added some more weight to the project. That’s not too shabby for the worst-reviewed entry in the franchise. Though, it received a positive A- CinemaScore putting it potentially still keeping a decent hold at the box office’s future weekends.

    Source: Deadline

  • First Look at Shuri and Okoye in Leaked ‘Black Panther 2’ Tie-In

    First Look at Shuri and Okoye in Leaked ‘Black Panther 2’ Tie-In

    While the rumors of a potential Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer last Friday were swiftly taken down, it does seem like they are preparing for promotion of the upcoming sequel. @bppanthernews has shared a Sprite tie-in packaging that has found its way online which offers our first look at Danai Furira‘s Okoye but also Letitia Wright‘s Shuri.

    they are the only two highlighted and we may get a better look at the rest of the cast with a future addition. for now, it’s great that we get a tease of what their new look is going to be. Saying that Okoye pretty much has the same design as she had in the past. The Dora Milaje may have the most consequent designs throughout the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point. Why fix what isn’t broken?

    The interesting reveal is Shuri, who is not only rocking a new hairstyle but also has a mysterious tattoo on her hand. It’s unclear if this has some kind of plot reasoning or is simply a new design addition. We still don’t know exactly how the sequel will tackle the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman but we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out. Still, if they are starting tie-in products, we could get our first look at the coming sequel in the near future. So, here’s hoping a trailer isn’t too far off at this point.

    Source: Twitter

  • Gary Oldman Originally Was Going to be the Voice of ‘Star Wars’ General Grievous

    Gary Oldman Originally Was Going to be the Voice of ‘Star Wars’ General Grievous

    Here’s a rather interesting reveal but it turns out that Gary Oldman originally was going to voice the iconic Jedi hunter, General Greivous. While he didn’t play him on set, it seems that he sadly was replaced due to the union discussions at the time. In an interview with Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Oldman only confirmed that he had originally recorded for the voice role by nonother than George Lucas himself.

    I did a voice for Star Wars…was it General Grievous? What happened was something to do with union stuff and non-union stuff…Lucas directed me through the whole thing; yeah, he was terrific.

    It’s always interesting to find out what may or may not have been. The actor sadly doesn’t go into much detail to highlight just how exactly he was going to tackle the character, whose famous raspy voice and dying breath pushed him forward to take vengeance on Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    While the character has long passed away in the Star Wars canon, they could revisit his days before he turned into what he had eventually turned into to highlight his transition. It would be the perfect opportunity to have Oldman give it another chance to voice the character in just a very different step of his life. With the various Disney+ projects, anything is possible.

    Source: Apple Podcasts via Twitter

  • First ‘Scream 6’ Set Photos Tease New York City Setting

    First ‘Scream 6’ Set Photos Tease New York City Setting

    It looks like Scream has found a new home in the upcoming sixth entry, as Twitter user @topgirlcassidy has shared some set photos from Montréal, Canada where they are filming the sequel. Yet, many of the vehicles have seemingly hinted at the sequel taking place in New York City, as there are NYPD cars and license plates on the vehicles. It’s quite the departure from the story normally taking place in Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) hometown of Woodsboro California. You can see the set photos here:

    https://twitter.com/topgirlcassidy/status/1535611808307879938

    The franchise made a grand return with its latest entry simply titled Scream brought back some iconic cast members and reintroduced Ghostface to a new generation. Yet, the sixth entry will be its potentially biggest departure with Campbell no longer involved in the production. It’s unclear how they will continue to tell this story that commonly revolves around Sydney Prescott, but they may be redefining the franchise.

    Of course, some familiar faces are making their return and it’s not going to be a full-on reboot of the franchise. The new setting in New York City could possibly be also just a temporary switch and doesn’t necessarily mean that the franchise is completely moving away from Woodsboro.

    Source: Twitter

  • REPORT: ‘Deadpool 3’ Adds ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Production Designer

    REPORT: ‘Deadpool 3’ Adds ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Production Designer

    After a long wait, it seems like Deadpool 3 has finally picked up the pace in production. Not only did the original writers of the first two entries join the franchise after being briefly replaced by Bob’s Burger‘s writers. Shawn Levy, a now long-time collaborator with Ryan Reynolds is now set to direct the film after working with him on The Adam Project and Free Guy. Yet, it looks like one more member of the production crew has been added.

    According to Discussing Film, Deadpool 3 has added production designer Raymond Chan. He’s had left quite an imprint on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he acted as a supervising art director on countless projects in the franchise, such as Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s also worked on some projects like Alonso Cuarón‘s Children of Men.

    Though, Chan has taken on the role of production designer, which he’ll carry on in Deadpool 3, alongside director Kari Skogland for all six episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. His next work will be Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the third entry of the Deadpool franchise, especially as it enters its MCU era and may embrace its new home.

    Source: Discussing Film

  • The History and Future of The Thunderbolts

    The History and Future of The Thunderbolts

    Justice like lightning is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having been set up for years and rumored for even longer, a Thunderbolts film has been given the green light, with Jake Schreier directing from a script by Black Widow writer Eric Pearson. Thunderbolts will certainly be an ambitious team-up film, with (apparently) Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val bringing together a group of disparate characters who she’s been collecting over the years.

    As with all things MCU, the project won’t be a straight adaptation of any certain storyline, but will more likely focus on the dynamic of forging a team made of people of questionable character. In the comics, the roster of the Thunderbolts has frequently rotated members in and out and been remade multiple times. Many of the characters who might be thought of as “core” members don’t even exist in the MCU at this time. But to get a handle on what the team might get up to, regardless of who is on it.

    Origins

    The Thunderbolts first appeared in 1996 in Peter David’s Incredible Hulk #449, though the team was created by legendary writer Kurt Busiek. Marvel Comics launched the first volume of Thunderbolts a few months later in early 1997, with Busiek writing. Busiek pitched the Thunderbolts to Marvel Comics following the line-wide Onslaught event that saw the “death” of nearly all of Marvel’s heroes. In the absence of those heroes, Busiek envisioned a team stepping into fill the void, but with one twist: the team is actually the Masters of Evil, led by Baron Zemo, in disguise.

    https://twitter.com/KurtBusiek/status/1000128046903406592

    The original lineup consisted of Atlas (Erik Josten), Citizen V (Zemo), Mach-1 (Abner Jenkins), Meteorite (Karla Sofen), Songbird (Melissa Gold) and Techno (Norbert Ebersol). Contrary to a popular misconception, the original team had no association with General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, but rather was named by Zemo who found the moniker “crypto-fascist but friendly”, though the in-continuity public was told the name was inspired by a couple of lines from a poem by 17th-century writer Thomas Randolph:

    “Justice, like lightning ever should appear / To few men ruin, but to all men fear.”

    Ironically, Busiek lifted the lines from an earlier issue of Captain Marvel and it turns out it’s not exactly clear if they were written by Randolph or not; however, “Justice like lightning” became the team’s slogan and has stuck with most iterations of the team over the last 20+ years.

    Thunderbolts Annual (1997) #1

    Evolutions

    As you might imagine, Zemo’s ruse was exposed and the team became fugitives, went on the run and eventually ended up in Colorado, a place that would go on to become well-associated with the team a decade later when they set their base on Thunderbolts Mountain near Coyote Springs. Of course, the team that occupied that base was a much different one from “the original.

    As Zemo’s team was on the run, a few new members joined the roster, including former Avenger Hawkeye. This group, known as Marvel’s Most Wanted, was convinced by Hawkeye that they’d be pardoned for their crimes if they turned themselves in. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t work out and many of them found themselves imprisoned for their past crimes. Eventually, however, many members of the team did reform and went on to perform some truly heroic deeds, including Zemo saving Captain America.

    Many iterations of the team came and went over the years (most including Zemo), but the Thunderbolts regained popularity when Warren Ellis took over the book and introduced a new team under the control of Norman Osborn. The team of villains was ultimately viewed as heroes after the events of Secret Invasion. Ellis’ run was short-lived and, eventually after several writers moved on and off the book, Jeff Parker took over that title and the team became the Dark Avengers. Following the Siege event, Luke Cage was appointed leader of the T-Bolts by Captain America; during the Marvel NOW! line-wide relaunch, General Thunderbolt Ross, who was then the Red Hulk, assembled a new team; Bucky Barnes, the Punisher and, most recently, the Kingpin, also assembled their own Thunderbolts teams.

    While the names changed, most of the teams had one thing in common over the years: they consisted of a group of villains out to “do some good” while being “handled” by a hero or two. In that regard, they could be compared to DC’s The Suicide Squad, but it would be an oversimplification to conflate the two teams.

    The MCU

    With so many of the major players associated with the Thunderbolts over the years not present in the MCU, it should be obvious that the team fans get won’t be lifted off the page. What does seem possible, maybe even probable, however, is that the team being assembled in the MCU under the control of Val, might find itself in the midst of some sort of line-wide MCU event and have to step in to deliver justice like lightning and save the day, even if they are morally questionable.

    It’s also very likely that the name of the team is an homage to Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross, played by the late William Hurt. It’s hard to imagine the MCU recasting Hurt, who passed away in March of 2022. Rather, it seems likely that they’ll write Ross’s death into an upcoming project and the team will be named in honor of a man who fought like hell to see heroes under the control of the government. So who is Val ultimately working with? And who else will join the team? Phase 4 has a lot to do to answer those questions.