Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Warner Bros. Teases ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’ at CinemaCon

    Warner Bros. Teases ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’ at CinemaCon

    CinemaCon has finally arrived and brought along plenty of news for movie fans, especially those of the DC Extended Universe. On Tuesday evening, Warner Bros. Discovery took to the stage to hint at its forthcoming slate. While the studio was sure to highlight a vast array of films, most of its presentation was focused on highlighting many of its DC releases like The Flash, Black Adam, Aquaman andthe Lost Kingdom, and of course, Shazam: Fury of The Gods. 

    CinemaCon brought us some new details on the film, with some new footage debuting at the event with stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel. Helen Mirren, and Jack Dylan Grazer who were on stage to present. The panel featured some brand new footage from the film, opening with Billy having a dream that he was on a date with Wonder Woman in which she turns into the Wizard Shazam. The footage also featured the daughters of Atlas and Mirrens’ Hespera fighting Shazam. 

    In the footage with Billy fighting Hespera, he mentions that he has seen the Fast and The Furious movies and knows that saving the world is all about family, with the Shazam family showing up to aid the champion.

    Fans were delighted to hear back in March that the sequel to 2019’s Shazam! would indeed be released much earlier than expected. Initially set to release on June 2nd, 2023, the film will hit theaters this holiday season on Dec. 16th, 2022. Fans will have to wait just a little bit longer to get a look at some footage from the film presented looks to be going public right now. 

    Fury of The Gods will see Levi and Angel back as the titular hero with newcomers Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Miren set to play the antagonist of the film, the wicked sisters and daughters of Atlas.

    Source: Twitter

  • Warner Bros. Teases ‘The Flash’ During CinemaCon

    Warner Bros. Teases ‘The Flash’ During CinemaCon

    Warner Bros. Discovery has been shaking up the industry and there have been many questions about what we might expect from the future of its DC Slate. Still, there are quite a few films in development and CinemaCon is the perfect place to tease what the future has in store. While delayed, one of the biggest releases is The Flash which will also redefine the DC Extended Universe moving forward.

    Unsurprisingly, the studio opted to focus on Michael Keaton’s return as Batman in the forthcoming film. The clip from the film saw Keaton’s Batman sporting multiple Batman suits, while also teasing his batmobile. “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.”

    The biggest news, however, is that Michael Shannon is returning as Zod in The Flash. Shannon was last seen as Zod in Man of Steel, which saw Henry Cavill‘s Superman controversially snap Zod’s neck in the film. Since then, remembers have circulated of Zod’s possible return, but this marks the first official confirmation of his return to the DC Extended Universe.


    Source: Twitter.

  • BREAKING: ‘The Batman’ Sequel Officially In Development

    BREAKING: ‘The Batman’ Sequel Officially In Development

    Back in March, the world was introduced to Matt Reeves‘ take on Gotham City and the Batman mythos with the fittingly named The Batman. The film was a resounding hit, finding universal praise from fans and critics alike. Not only did it manage to bring in over $750 million at the worldwide box office, but now it’s also dominating on HBO Max, quickly becoming the most-watched DC film in its first week with 4.1 million households streaming the film. With success like that, a sequel announcement to the film was only a question of time.

    At the Warner Brothers panel during CinemaCon, Reeves is also confirmed to return to direct the upcoming sequel. Robert Pattinson will, of course, return as the caped crusader, but the plot details of the film are still unknown. Still, it seems that they plan to have the team from the first entry return for the sequel that’ll continue Bruce Wayne’s story of realizing what it means to be a symbol for his city.

    We might still have to wait a bit until we get our first look or even tease what the sequel will be about, but it seems likely it’ll build upon the ending of the first film as Gotham is flooded. Batman having to save civilians while a new threat shows its fangs would make for a unique backdrop and challenge in a Batman film.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • BREAKING: ‘Fast X’ Production on Hold Indefinitely as Justin Lin Exits Project

    BREAKING: ‘Fast X’ Production on Hold Indefinitely as Justin Lin Exits Project

    Here’s rather shocking news, but it looks like Justin Lin has exited the upcoming tenth Fast and Furious entry, titled Fast X. He is stepping down as director shortly after the project started production. While he will remain as a producer, it seems that he has left the project due to creative differences. He has published a statement on leaving the project:

    With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer. Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases. On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the FAST family.

    Justin Lin

    It’s certainly heavy that he swiftly left the project just as it started. Sadly, we may never find out what exactly led to the creative differences, especially as he was also set to direct the eleventh and final entry in the Fast Saga. According to Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit, it seems that they are considering David Leitch and F. Gary Gray as replacements.

    For now, it seems unclear if the film will manage to make its May 19th release next year, as the search for a new director begins. It seems that Lin isn’t leaving the project with bad blood, but something must’ve led the director to decide that he no longer wants to direct the film. We’ll see if they might already have a replacement in mind in the near future.

    Source: Deadline

  • Theater Owner Chief Announces the Death of Day-and-Date Releases

    Theater Owner Chief Announces the Death of Day-and-Date Releases

    There have been quite a few discussions since the start of the pandemic on what exactly the future of cinema looks like. The Batman‘s success in theaters and as a strong HBO Max addition seemingly added some momentum to the full recovery of cinema. It’s been rough since the pandemic started in 2020, but family and indie films are finally gaining some momentum again as that audience is slowly creeping back into theaters.

    As CinemaCon is currently ongoing, which is all about the “cinematic experience,” the National Association of Theatre Owners chairman John Fithian made a broad statement during his address. He believes that the day-and-date model has now died as they move forward in a more traditional direction, especially highlighting piracy as a reason.

    I am pleased to announce that simultaneous release is dead as a serious business model, and piracy is what killed it. When a pristine copy of a movie makes its way online and spreads, it has a very damaging impact on our industry.

    John Fithian

    Warner Bros. was one of the few to truly embrace the day-and-date model, as every release for the entire year got that special treatment. Now, they are still embracing a digital next model with a 45-day release.

    When analyzing title after title it becomes very clear that spikes in piracy are most drastic when a movie is first available to watch in the home: it doesn’t matter if its available via premium video on demand or subscription video on demand,” said Fithian. “Robust theatrical windows protect against piracy. If a major title that people are clamoring to see in theaters is released too quickly to the home and then pirated, the temptation to stay home and watch pirated films becomes greater for many potential moviegoers.

    John Fithian

    He goes on to highlight the issue of piracy without giving concrete examples. Still, their main focus will be on 2022 and moving forward, as the potential of this year’s releases offers a lot more box office momentum. One could argue that the topic is quite a bit more complex, especially given the personal investment in the medium also painting the full picture. Yet, the piracy issue has definitely left its impact on the industry, especially with the lack of Chinese releases.

    There’s no true answer and the model may not truly be dead, especially as streaming services start to crack on piracy concerns moving forward. Netflix’s recent fall will also bare its fangs moving forward, but the streaming market is definitely not something of the past. We’ll see if 2022 might be our first return to 2019 numbers, especially building upon the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Batman.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Wicked’ Film Now Split Into Two Parts

    ‘Wicked’ Film Now Split Into Two Parts

    Here’s another film that you could possibly find under “development hell” in the dictionary, the long-awaited big-screen adaption of the hit broadway musical, Wicked. The project has been in development since 2004, never finding its footing and failing to happen. Things seem to finally be in motion with Jon M. Chu at the helm of the project. While production still ended up getting delayed, it seems some creative changes behind the project have lead to us getting a little more Wicked than we bargained for.

    Chu himself took to Twitter to announce that the Wicked film would now be split into two, rather than cram the entire musical into one. He went on to explain that it would be impossible to do the project justice by only doing one film, citing that they attempted to cut songs or reduce character arcs but it just wasn’t working out. This led to the decision to turn the adaption into a two-parter.

    Back in October, it was announced that production on Wicked would be delayed till the summer of 2022 with filming now set to take place over in the UK. Currently, the musical adaption only has two stars attached, with Ariana Grande set to play Glinda and Cynthia Erivo set to play the role of Elphaba. With production set to kick off here in a few months it seems likely we could be hearing more news on that front at any moment.

    Wicked is currently set to release in December of 2024, but no specific date has been announced just yet. It is unknown if the films will shoot back to back as of right now.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Director to Helm Live-Action Adaptation of ‘Robotech’ For Sony

    ‘Hawkeye’ Director to Helm Live-Action Adaptation of ‘Robotech’ For Sony

    Fresh off the immense success of Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye, director Rhys Thomas has found his next project. The filmmaker has officially boarded the movie Robotech, set to be produced by Sony Pictures, as his first major feature film. Thomas is set to direct a script from longtime Sony collaborators Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, with recent rewrites by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka.

    The first duo is best known for their work on nerdy projects like Iron Man and Punisher: War Zone, while the latter pair are better known for their arthouse work on films like the upcoming Sharper. Hollywood producers Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari will guide the production with the help of the company Harmony Gold.

    Robotech will be based on the 1980s anime series of the same name. The story is set in a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology of an alien spacecraft that crashed in the South Pacific and is now utilizing their advancements to fend off an attack from a hostile alien race. Carl Macek created the original American series, which was itself an adaptation of three separate Japanese shows made in three parts.

    It ran from 1982 to 1984 with minor success and has since gained something of a cult following. The movie will be Thomas‘ first big-budget feature, after over a decade of mostly television work. His prior films consist of Staten Island Summer and The Comeback Kid, the first of which released directly to digital download.

    Source: Deadline

  • New Photos for Joe and Anthony Russo’s ‘The Gray Man’ Released

    New Photos for Joe and Anthony Russo’s ‘The Gray Man’ Released

    Joe and Anthony Russo have been busy with their new action thriller The Gray Man. They reunited with their Avengers co-workers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to adapt the 2009 novel of the same name. The film is set to release on Netflix in July and is considered the most expensive production ever produced by Netflix with a $200M budget. Now, we got a good look at the upcoming cast.

    The film is stuffed with talent which includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Billy Bob Thornton, and many more. Netflix Geeked took to Twitter to share a few photos from the cast as they start to ramp up marketing for the film. With a new look at the cast, we might expect a trailer in the coming months, as we are also nearing their usual two-month marketing period.

    The original novel follows the story of Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), who is a mercenary that accidentally uncovers a dark secret within his agency. Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former colleague of his, puts a bounty on his head and kicks off a manhunt.

    Given Netflix’s current situation, it definitely will try to hype up the marketing for this film to pull in new subscribers. Here’s hoping that the trailer is just around the corner, as we get to see this cast in action and what the Avengers director’s brought to the table to retell this classic novel. Netflix is fully investing in this project, and who knows if they pull back on their production budgets after recent events.

    Source: Twitter

  • First Look at Terry Crews as a Nova Corp Member in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Cosmic Rewind Ride

    First Look at Terry Crews as a Nova Corp Member in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Cosmic Rewind Ride

    It looks like the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind ride has added a familiar face to its cast, as Disney Parks’ official Twitter account just shared a first look at Terry Crews, who is joining the Nova Corps. It seems like he is playing Centurion Tal Marik, the commander of the Starchater and an advisor of Nova Primes, who was played by Glenn Close in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. His inclusion could potentially set up a cameo in either the upcoming Vol. 3 entry or even the Nova film that is in development. So, who knows if this small cameo might grow into something larger for the Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor as part of the MCU.

    It’s great to see some talented actors involved in this short film that are part of Disney World’s various rides. Marvel Studios has been quite the brand to attract talent and it’ll be interesting to see how much he’s in the ride for those able to attend. It would also be a fun addition if they include some of the cast in future projects, especially as the storylines told through these rides aren’t considered canon.

    We even got some concept art for the Celestial Eson, which is getting quite the redesign for this ride that is more in line with what we saw in Eternals. Who knows what other elements might find their way into the films moving forward if they are adding this much work into a ride. Perhaps Cosmic Rewind gets a special release on Disney+ for those that don’t get a chance to visit the ride.

    Source: Twitter

  • Johnny Depp Was Originally Going to Co-Write ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’, Film to Be a Final Send-Off for Jack Sparrow

    Johnny Depp Was Originally Going to Co-Write ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’, Film to Be a Final Send-Off for Jack Sparrow

    Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are still in the middle of their legal dispute, which has given some hints to how Depp’s general business dealings have been since the allegations against him were first made. A few days ago, he revealed that he has no interest in ever returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise after how their business relationship ended. Yet, he has now also revealed more details on the original plans for the sixth entry in the franchise.

    It seems that Depp was approached to help write Pirates of the Caribbean 6 to give his character of Jack Sparrow a fitting send-off. As he pointed out in the previous hearing on the matter, he was upset about how the relationship ended, especially given they were still selling merchandise with his face on it even after parting ways.

    I didn’t quite understand how after that long relationship and quite a successful relationship, certainly for Disney, that suddenly I was guilty until proven innocent… I, in fact, had been approached to take part in writing Pirates 6… my feeling was that these characters should be able to have their proper goodbye, as it were. A franchise can only last for so long, and there’s a way to end a franchise like that. And I thought that the characters deserved… to end their franchise on a very good note. I planned on continuing until it was time to stop.

    Johnny Depp

    As the last film ended with a post-credit sequence teasing the return of Davy Jones, they were definitely setting up a final confrontation between the two. It’s a shame that this story may never be finished, especially given how iconic the franchise has become. It definitely redefined what we expect from a pirate-based storyline. For now, we’ll have to see what the future has in store, but the main focus remains on how the court hearings between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will end.

    Source: CBS News via ScreenRant