Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Salma Hayek Takes Over as Thandiwe Newton Exits ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’

    Salma Hayek Takes Over as Thandiwe Newton Exits ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’

    There’s been a shift with the upcoming Magic Mike sequel, as Deadline has just reported that Channing Tatum‘s latest entry for HBO Max will see the addition of Salma Hayek. She will replace Thandiwe Newton who had to leave the project due to personal reasons. A public statement was done by Warner Bros. spokesperson on her exit.

    Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Magic Mike’s Last Dance to deal with family matters.

    The upcoming HBO Ma film has been currently in production in London with Steven Soderbergh returning in the director’s chair after taking on the first film. It’ll be based on a script by Reid Carolyn. Director of the 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL, Gregory Jacobs, is also on board but this time in a producing role alongside Nick Wechsler and Peter Kiernan.

    The films were quite the box office success and even managed to spawn a stage show simply titled Magic Mike Live. It’s unclear if the upcoming film will take any inspiration from it, as the story still remains tightly under wraps. It also seems like this will be the final entry in the franchise, especially with Last Dance being quite prominent in the title. So, we’ll see how it’ll bring the story together.

    Source: Deadline

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Reed’s Point’ Was Originally Part of the ‘Very Frightening Tales’ Anthology

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Reed’s Point’ Was Originally Part of the ‘Very Frightening Tales’ Anthology

    Horror movies remain all the rage for any production no matter the budget. Reed’s Point joins the list of countless horror films, as it explores the legend surrounding the mysterious Jersey Devil and a mysterious accident. Two friends decide to return to the scene of the crime to uncover what truly happened that day and find their missing friend Kesley.

    We got a chance to sit down with actress Madison Ekstrand, who plays the character of Kelsey in the film, to talk about her experience with the project, especially as she is also working with director Dale Fabrigar on his upcoming anthology series Very Frightening Tales. In the interview, she revealed that Reed’s Point was originally part of that series before becoming its own feature film.

    I think Reed’s Point was originally going to be part of Very Frightening Tales, but the story was just too good to put into a short film. So, they wanted it to be a feature film.

    Madison Ekstrand

    She also revealed that they’ve actually started work on the anthology series of shorts before they tackled the feature film. Ekstrand offered a little insight into how different the experience was working on the film in comparison to the

    I actually did the TV series and then I hopped into the feature film. It was different because in the little shorts I did, you’re more working with the director. It was me and maybe two other cast members. So, you got all this time with the director. But with Reed’s Point, you have to worry about the other people.

    Madison Ekstrand

    It certainly sounds like jumping from the smaller format into a full feature film was a different experience. She shared her enthusiasm for potentially working with director Fabrigar again, and perhaps there are other shorts that have the potential of growing into a larger production. You can read our review of Reed’s Point right here if you are interested to get our thoughts on the film.

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Officially Rated PG-13

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Officially Rated PG-13

    While it should come as no surprise, the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been officially given a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association. While there was little question that the Doctor Strange sequel would match the rating of the rest of the current MCU, fans excited for the promised horror elements of the Sam Raimi-direct film might be pleased with the MPA’s reasoning for the rating. The MPA cites “intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images and some language.”

    The notes of “intense sequences of violence and action” and “some language” are fairly standard for MCU movies, but the mention of “frightening images” further confirms Marvel Studios’ promise that Multiverse of Madness will be the MCU’s first horror film and that Raimi’s unique style indeed remained a major part of the final cut.

    In the past, few questioned the PG-13 model of the MCU. However, as new characters start to be introduced—such as Deadpool or Blade—demands for R-rated and more mature content has increased. At the same time, the MCU is set to debut its first non-PG-13 project with Ms. Marvel, which has been given a TV-PG rating for its Disney+ residency. Director Sam Raimi is also no stranger to PG-13 horror films, such as his 2009 film Drag Me to Hell, which proved that you don’t require an R-rating to offer the right horror vibes for a story.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hit theaters on May 6, 2022.

    Source: Film Ratings

  • First Look at New Comic-Inspired ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Promo Art

    First Look at New Comic-Inspired ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Promo Art

    Thor: Love and Thunder’s trailer is still nowhere to be seen, but we’re still getting a few glimpses of the film from some promo art and merchandise that is finding its way online. So, we may still have to wait a little longer for some actual footage, but @lovethundernews has uncovered some more promotional material for the film with a comic-inspired cover that features Thor alongside Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor.

    They aren’t alone, as the comic cover also includes Valkyrie and Korg. We even get a tease of Thor’s two goats that behind-the-scenes set photos revealed would be joining the upcoming production. It certainly looks like we’ll get to spend some time with Tanngrisnir and Tanngrnjostr in the upcoming film if they are heavily featured in the promotional material.

    For now, the merchandise is the only thing carrying us over until we actually get our first look of both in action. Gorr is noticeably absent from all merchandise, which means they are mainly focusing on the heroes for most of the promotional material. Of course, he was included in the Marvel Legends leak but that was our only real look at him so far.

    Still, it’s a great design and comic-inspired designs were always a great addition to merchandise. It’s great to see Korg get a stronger focus, as he was a stand-out character in Thor: Ragnarok. We’ll see if he has a bigger role in the upcoming film and how his life has been since King Valkyrie took over.

    Source: Mercari via Twitter

  • Takashi Doscher to Write ‘Ghost of Tsushima’s Screenplay

    Takashi Doscher to Write ‘Ghost of Tsushima’s Screenplay

    The Ghost of Tsushima film continues to make progress at Sony Pictures. The game was an instant hit, selling more than 8 million units to date. The IP was fast-tracked to be adapted as a film due to the success which was supported by Sony’s large desire to bring more PlayStation franchises to the big screen. With Uncharted and Ratchet & Clank being the first franchises to get films, they are soon going to follow up with The Last of Us as an HBO series.

    Ghost of Tsushima is a samurai adventure game with heavy inspiration from classic samurai films, making it a perfect franchise to adapt to film. It is currently in production at PlayStation Productions and Sony Pictures, which recently tapped Takashi Doscher to pen the screenplay. The writer recently finished Blue, which is still in production. His debut film Still can be found on Hulu today.

    With Doscher‘s writing, we now have a pretty good idea of the creative talent producing the film. Chad Stahelski (John Wick) is set to direct. His action and combat scenes, largely considered to be a modern evolution of the genre, should translate well to a samurai action film. So, we might see a great combination of its Akira Kurosawa-inspired roots with a modern twist.

    Developed by Sucker Punch Studios, Ghost of Tsushima became one of PlayStation’s most successful IPs practically overnight. The game went on to win multiple awards, including the Player’s Voice award at The Game Awards, an annual award show that celebrates the year in gaming. You can currently check out Ghost of Tsushima, as well as its Iki Island DLC on PS5 and PS4.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Michelle Yeoh Heading to ‘Avatar’s Pandora Next

    ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Michelle Yeoh Heading to ‘Avatar’s Pandora Next

    Michelle Yeoh has been busy. Not only did she make quite the splash with the new indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once, but she’ll also soon arrive in Pandora, as she has joined James Cameron‘s Avatar franchise. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Crazy Rich Asian actress not only confirmed she’ll appear in the upcoming sequel but it seems she might have a recurring role. As many knows, while we haven’t seen an entry in the franchise since 2009, 20th Century Fox mapped out multiple seasons long before the Disney purchase.

    Still, Disney has been quite excited about the potential of the highest-grossing film of all time, which only temporarily was taken over by Avengers: Endgame. They further supported Cameron’s vision, who has since continued work on multiple films. Yeoh shared her enthusiasm for having the chance to work with him:

    So, yes, I am in the Avatar sequels and as you know we can’t really talk very much about it. But it’s James Cameron! Come on! I would be the tea lady for James Cameron! We shot for a few weeks, and I was so impressed with the work that he’s done, the work that he’s doing, the energy. He’s a genius, he’s a walking genius. And I really really enjoyed the experience and I can’t wait to go back soon, I hope.

    Michelle Yeoh

    It certainly sounds like she’s all on board for the project and it’s always great when a talent believes in the vision of the director. It seems like she’ll have a small role, as she only shot for a few weeks, but they may build up her role moving forward. There’s a lot of potential with the sequels, as we further explore Pandora and the many parts that make the mysterious planet so fascinating as it did back in 2009.

    Source: EW

  • 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Princess’ Heading to Disney’s Streaming Services in July

    20th Century Studios’ ‘The Princess’ Heading to Disney’s Streaming Services in July

    It looks like Disney is continuing to build its 20th Century brand as a way to produce films and offerings for their streaming services. It has been announced that The Princess will premiere globally on July 1st. It’ll be made available under the Star banner in specific locations, its US release will be through Hulu and Star+ in Latin America. Le-Van Kiet of Furie fame is in the directing chair with The Kissing Booth‘s Joey King taking on the titular role.

    The story focuses on a strong-willed princess that does not want to be forcefully married to a sociopath. Yet, as retaliation, her father locks her up in a remote tower of his castle. As you might expect, her suitor has his own plans to take the throne and she’s forced to protect her family and the kingdom. King is joined by Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, and Veronica Ngo. Kiet is working off of a script from Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton with Neal H. Moritz, Toby Jaffe, and Derek Kolstad in the producing chair.

    It’s another 20th Century production that ended up as part of their streaming service repertoire, similar to No Exit recently. With the cinemas being filled with mostly well-known IPs, it’s unclear if this will be Disney’s overall strategy moving forward or if they’ll also give these smaller productions a chance in theaters. It would be a shame that after purchasing 20th Century Fox that most of their originals end up only as streaming services.

  • REPORT: ‘Uncut Gems’ Adam Sandler and Safdie Brothers Working on a New Project

    REPORT: ‘Uncut Gems’ Adam Sandler and Safdie Brothers Working on a New Project

    Back in 2019, A24 made quite the splash with the release of Uncut Gems following set photos of Adam Sandler in some interesting getups piquing the interest of many longtime fans. The film by Josh and Benny Safdie saw Sandler pick up one of his most dramatic roles yet. He played Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner who’d put it all on the line with a Celtics game bet. It seems the trio may be teaming up once again for another project.

    In a recent column from Executive Editor and Chief Critic Eric Kohn of Indiewire regarding Jim Carrey‘s recent comments on possible retirement, Kohn snuck a bit of info into the piece regarding the future project. He states that his sources have told him that Sandler and the Safdies are already developing a new project, but does not go into details about what the project could possibly be. This possible project would mark endeavor number three for the trio after Uncut Gems and the short-film Goldman Vs Silverman, a short produced during the free time in between the production of the first film.

    The directing duo has been a bit busy recently. They are currently developing a new Showtime series alongside Nathan Fielder titled The Curse, which is set to star Fielder, Benny Safdie, and Emma Stone. Benny Safdie will also star alongside what feels like half of Hollywood in Christopher Nolan’s World War II film Oppenheimer. No official word just yet on what could be the next collaboration between the Safdies and Sandler, but it’s unlikely to be a sequel to Gems considering how the film ends. The project will surely be something to watch out for following the success of their first collab.

    Source: Indiewire

  • ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Future Unclear After ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’

    ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Future Unclear After ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’

    Finally, the third entry of the Fantastic Beasts franchise is making its way to cinemas. The Harry Potter spinoff, however, has been fighting an uphill battle as an onslaught of controversies may have ended up completely derailing the franchise’s future. What was originally envisioned as the third in five entries could end up becoming its final entry if its box office doesn’t prove to be what Warner Bros. was hoping to see with this franchise. In a new piece by Variety, it is revealed that the fourth entry hasn’t started work on its screenplay for the untitled fourth entry.

    Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock referenced that this franchise was meant to be “their Star Wars franchise” but hasn’t been “behaving like one.” The second entry, The Crime of Grindelwald, was received poorly and ended up leading to the third entry getting postponed. COVID didn’t help matters, as it was further pushed back. Then the various controversies started piling on, such as Johnny Depp leaving the franchise due to the various allegations by Amber Heard. As production started, he was swiftly replaced by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.

    Yet, that wasn’t all, as the creator of J.K. Rowling, who also worked on the screenplays of these films, was becoming quite the polarizing figure online due to her controversial views on sex and gender. Ann Sarnoff, who supervised the Wizard World franchise, recently also left ahead of the Discovery merger. Now, Ezra Miller has also been hit with various disorderly conduct and harassment suits, which continue to pile onto the controversy pile. The recent announcement that LGBTQ references were cut from The Secrets of Dumbledore for its Chinese release may just be the icing on the cake of controversies at this point. As it stands, it’s unclear what the future has in store for the Wizard World and if the Fantastic Beasts franchise will continue at all.

    Source: Variety

  • LGBTQ References Cut from ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ for Chinese Release

    LGBTQ References Cut from ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ for Chinese Release

    There’s been quite the controversy surrounding the way film production studios have handled their international releases. As China remains a strong supporter of the international box office gross–even if recent numbers have been adding some questions regarding its profitability–studios have adapted their films for a release in the Middle Kingdom. Of course, they have very strict guidelines and only allow a certain amount of films into the country. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was among the lucky candidates, but it looks like it came at a cost.

    Warner Bros. has cut the LGBTQ references in its film so that it can release the film in China. While supposedly they only cut six seconds of dialogue, which includes the lines “because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love.” Fantastic Beasts didn’t make a secret of the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but it seems the studio still decided to move forward with adopting the film for that release. Warner Bros. has released a statement on their decision:

    As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors. Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.

    There have been many accusations of studios deliberately keeping LGBTQ references to a minimum so that they are easy to edit out for specific markets, which forbid it. Some films have stood by their productions, such as Marvel Studio’s sticking to its guns to not adapting their release of Eternals, which has an openly gay character, to stay true to the story and its director’s vision. Yet, Disney has also been in the spotlight for censoring or generally pushing back on LGBTQ elements planned for Pixar releases. In the case of Fantastic Beasts, Warner Bros. moved ahead with the adaptation but the film ended up opening at a lower box office in the market than its two predecessors.

    Source: The Guardian