Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Michael Bay Was Aware of the Quality of His ‘Transformer’s Films From Test Screenings

    Michael Bay Was Aware of the Quality of His ‘Transformer’s Films From Test Screenings

    Michael Bay has quite the reputation for sticking to his guns no matter what. Just recently in an interview, he openly stated that there were CG shots he wasn’t happy with even though it’ll release in theaters just a few days later. His Transformers films were the pinnacle of “Bayhem” when each new entry started to up the ante one after another. Surprisingly, it seems that the director was very much aware of it after witnessing the reaction from test screenings.

    So it’s intense, like Transformers…So two houses, 400 people in each house, starting 15 minutes difference or something like that. I’m now watching it with a whole bunch of families and kids, and I’m like, “Okay, dumb robot movie. Oh my God. It’s just a kids’ movie. Oh, man. Oh, what did I do?” It gets a huge score, and it was unfinished.

    Michael Bay

    While seeing families’ reactions to his “dumb robot movie,” he shared that once he entered a more adult theater he realized the quality of the films he made, but that didn’t seem to bother him too much.

    Then I go to the next theater, and I’ve got the sound thing and there’s an empty seat and there’s a guy, whatever. This is more of the adult kind of room, and I look to the guy and I [ask], ‘Do you like this movie?’ And he goes, ‘[meh hand motion]. And I’m like, “Oh, this is terrible. I just made a terrible movie.” Whatever. Huge matching score, like a 94. That’s a spectacular movie score.

    Michael Bay

    Bay has always been very straightforward with his opinion, and you have to respect how he doesn’t really hold back. Still, the Transformers were quite successful and didn’t stop him from pumping out one film after another. He certainly seemed to have fun with the projects he’s worked on. So, while not critically loved, it certainly found its audience.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • ‘WandaVision’s Billy and Tommy Return in New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo

    ‘WandaVision’s Billy and Tommy Return in New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo

    Here’s an interesting detail, a brand new promo image has dropped for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which includes some new footage for the upcoming film. While it mostly shows some familiar scenes while expanding on elements, the biggest reveal is the return of Julian Hilliard‘s Billy and Jett Klyne‘s Tommy. It seems like Wanda is having a vision of meeting her children once again only for them to vanish. The house even looks like the modern version of the one she and Vision had in WandaVision.

    It’s surprising they would include their reveal directly in a promo, as there were enough hints at their addition. Plus, the whole post-credit sequence in WandaVision was a set-up for their return. Though, it also opens up the question of how their arrival in the hex may connect to the multiverse. It almost seems like they’ve always been part of the multiverse and just happened to choose Wanda’s cry for a family.

    Whatever it may be, the set-up of this trailer with Strange and Wanda’s voiceovers overlapping perfectly. It creates this eerie feeling and once again highlights the “nightmare” aspect of this Multiverse of Madness. The third eye on evil Doctor Strange is also an interesting addition. It’s still theorized it’s the same character we met in What If…? but there’s no clear indication. For now, we can only theorize as tickets are about to go on sale for the May release.

    Source: Twitter

  • James Gunn Teases Big Cameos for ‘Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3’

    James Gunn Teases Big Cameos for ‘Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3’

    It would not be a James Gunn film if we didn’t get a ton of fun updates from the set on how production is going. Recently with Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol 3, the director has been consistently updating us with pics from his cart, featuring mysteriously appearing figures from Rick and Morty, which he claims are gifts from an unknown crew member. Today’s update came with a bit of eyebrow-raiser for fans, with Gunn teasing some big cameos to come in the film.

    In today’s update, Gunn teased that they would be filming some wonderful cameos for the “true Guardians fans.” Now, what could that mean? We might never find out until the film releases, as it’s James Gunn and you’re better off just waiting for the movie instead of trying to decipher his cryptic message. It could hint at a return of the Ravagers, more specifically Starhawk, Aleta Ogord, Mainframe, Krugarr, Martinex, and Charlie-27. These characters were briefly seen in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and again in the post-credits scene where they team up in memory of their fallen teammate, Yondu. It seems like these characters are definitely poised to return, especially in what is supposed to be the big finale for the guardians.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1511372738111455238?t=EIA2p8tgyld9LntonEpTyg&s=19

    The Guardians of The Galaxy are set to make their return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022, with an appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder followed up by the Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special which looks to be hitting screens this holiday season. Following that the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be hitting screens in 2023, serving as the current team and James Gunn’s send-off for the franchise.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Black Widow’s O-T Fagbenle Teases an MCU Return

    ‘Black Widow’s O-T Fagbenle Teases an MCU Return

    Black Widow was the first time that the MCU really explored a prequel on what Natasha Romanoff was up to before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. While it technically set up quite a few important characters for future returns, such as Florence Pug‘s Yelena Belova, there were some minor characters we haven’t heard much from since. One of them is O-T Fagbenle‘s Rick Mason, who many believed was going to turn out to be Taskmaster. Yet, the film caught us off-guard and decided to go in a different direction. Luckily, it seems that Mason might return.

    In an interview with SlashFilm, the actor has revealed that when he was initially cast in the role, it wasn’t as part of a one-time conversation. As an informant, there are many locations where he could end up making his return with Armor Wars being one strong possibility. Who knows if they might have bigger plans for his character as well, especially with Romanoff’s death pushing him into a new direction.

    I mean, you know what, with Marvel, I’m never sure how much they can say about stuff, but I’ll just say that it wasn’t a one-and-done conversation.

    O-T Fagbenle

    It would be interesting to see if they might revisit his original development in some way, as they definitely still planted some seeds. Mason had a habit of constantly sleeping and was quite the informant. His character’s suddenly getting his hands on the Taskmaster technology would make for an interesting development, as we see harsh times potentially also push people to embrace their darker sides. So, the Snap could become a catalyst for exactly that.

    Source: SlashFilm

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Takes a World Record Spot from ‘The Grinch’

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Takes a World Record Spot from ‘The Grinch’

    We’ve been keeping a close eye on what the future has in store for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as director James Gunn has been busy working on the project. While he has continued to tease the appearance of various Rick and Morty characters, we still know very little about the project. Yet, he surprised many when he took to Twitter to announce that the 2023 release has broken a World Record that was previously held by How the Grinch Stole Christmas. They took the top spot for the World Record of the Most Makeup Appliances Created for a Single Production.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1511091202547924996

    There have been quite a lot of discussions on the internet on Marvel Studios’ general use of CG. While they still rely on a mixture of practical elements and CG but also were forced to adapt given the circumstances created through COVID. They’ve also started giving their directors more creative control ever since Kevin Feige and his team moved away from Marvel to work more closely with Disney.

    In a follow-up tweet, Gunn confirms that he has 100% control over how many practical effects are used. So, his involvement also likely played a big role in reaching this world record. It’ll be fun to see if they promote it, or simply stick with his tweet on the matter, as many might not have realized The Grinch was holding on to that record since 2000. It was quite the make-up effects marvel of its time and no wonder it wasn’t an easy one to surpass.

    Source: Twitter

  • Karen Gillan Promises More Improvisation in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Karen Gillan Promises More Improvisation in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Karen Gillan has been busy promoting her newest film, The Bubble, where she teamed up with Judd Apatow to offer a meta film about film-making. It seems her work on that project has inspired her to push a bit more to try and improvise her work. In an interview with The Wrap, she’s talked about her approach to acting and made a promise that Nebula is improvising “a lot more lines” in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    This time around in ‘Guardians 3’, she’s, yeah, she’s improvising a lot more lines.

    Karen Gillan

    Of course, she doesn’t give away what she may have improvised throughout the production but did highlight that a big part of the opening for Avengers: Endgame was her doing just that alongside Robert Downey Jr, as Nebula and Stark bonded while adrift in space.

    I will say, I’ve improvised a fair bit of Nebula because I don’t know if you saw ‘Endgame,’ which seems like. That’s a ridiculous question. But basically, all of the stuff with Robert Downey Jr. at the beginning was like, that whole montage was improvised.

    Karen Gillan

    Some of the most memorable lines in cinematic history have been improvised. So, it’s great to also see James Gunn giving his team the freedom to add their own touches to further develop the characters they’ve played for so long. Nebula’s interactions with Stark were quite memorable, especially in how they added quite a bit more to her personality after just losing her sister, who she finally built up a connection with.

    Source: The Wrap

  • FKA Twigs Joins Bill Skarsgard-Led ‘The Crow’

    FKA Twigs Joins Bill Skarsgard-Led ‘The Crow’

    Just a few days ago, we learned that Bill Skarsgard will spearhead a new attempt at reviving the cult classic The Crow for a modern audience. Rupert Sanders will take on directing duties on the project with the former Pennywise taking on the iconic role. Well, the project is moving at a fast speed, as The Hollywood Reporter has now revealed that musician FKA Twigs has joined the reboot and will co-star alongside Skarsgard as the main love interest.

    What is interesting is that THR’s Borys Kit also added some additional information on Twitter highlighting that it’s unclear if they’ll go down the resurrection storyline, or it becomes a personification of the crow. We might not know until we get the first trailer, as the production is eyeing a June production start in Prague and in Munich.

    While many mainly remember the film starring the late Brendan Lee, the story is actually based on James O’Barr indie comic by the same name. After being assaulted by a gang, a man is resurrected by a mystical crow and enacts his revenge plan on those that took his life and that of his love, who will be played by FKA Twigs. It’s unclear if they might make more changes to adapt it to the modern age or stick to a more Victorian-inspired design like the first film did. For now, it’s kind of a miracle that the production is picking up speed, to begin with given how cursed any previous adaptation has been.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Twitter

  • Jeff Fowler Reveals ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Didn’t Undergo Reshoots

    Jeff Fowler Reveals ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ Didn’t Undergo Reshoots

    Reshoots have become a staple for the industry, especially as high-budget productions are becoming more and more complex. Yet, it seems that the upcoming release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 managed to go off with a strong start and didn’t really have to rely on any extensive reshoots. In an interview with Collider, director Jeff Fowler revealed that they pretty much only made some minor adjustments but “didn’t really have any reshoots” on the high-budget production. His full quote is as follows:

    I am actually very proud to say that we really, aside from some minor adjustments here or there, we didn’t really have any reshoots on the film. It was just, [that] we had a really strong story from the start. And a lot of it was really just about trying to tighten it up as much as possible, make sure all of the messaging, all of the emotional stuff was clear and was really landing.

    Jeff Fowler

    It’s quite impressive considering how many moving parts and involved parties these projects have. He does hint that they’ve made some adjustments, but it seems those may have been done in their CG work, especially as they don’t require the live-action cast to focus on the sequences that only include Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Still, not tackling any reshoots is a curious decision, as it helps tighten the script and some moments that might not hit as well. But, it’s also great to see a creative team that just believes in their vision and that the producers let them bring the initial vision to life.

    Source: YouTube

  • Jeff Fowler Isn’t Signed on to Direct ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Yet

    Jeff Fowler Isn’t Signed on to Direct ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Yet

    Here’s a curious surprise. Paramount has swiftly confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog will get a third film even long before its first sequel even hit theaters. The second entry has just been released in some select countries with a US release this weekend. So, director Jeff Fowler is currently busy with interviews. In one with Collider, he has revealed that he isn’t signed on yet for the already confirmed third project. While one might assume they are already working on the story, it seems they are doing so without the director’s involvement.

    Nothing would make me happier, I’m not officially involved with any of the additional films yet, but I’m so proud of this movie, I’m so proud of the first movie, so excited for fans to see it. They’re really incredible movies to make.

    Jeff Fowler

    What is interesting is that the words “additional films” may hint at some other spinoffs being in some form of development. So far, we know that Knuckles will get his own Paramount+ spinoff series, but it’s unclear what the story they might explore and if it might even tie into the third entry. If they are working on other spinoffs, it seems that Paramount is all-in to establish a cinematic universe that further explores the many colorful characters in Sonic’s world. At this point, we’ll just have to wait until we get an official name for this newly established universe. If you’re interested to get our thoughts on the film, you can read our review by clicking here.

    Source: Collider via ScreenRant

  • ‘Morbius’ Director Talks Vulture’s Arrival in Sony’s New Universe

    ‘Morbius’ Director Talks Vulture’s Arrival in Sony’s New Universe

    For those that have watched Sony’s latest venture into building a separate Marvel Cinematic Universe, Morbius sets up a curious crossover between its various anti-hero characters. Somehow, MCU’s Vulture (Michael Keaton) lands in this new universe in the film’s post-credit sequence. Not just that, he even ends up meeting up with the newly minted vampire to pitch an idea of teaming up to face off against Spider-Man. Ignoring the fact that Spidey isn’t really a factor at any point in the film and its out-of-character, Keaton was a big part of the ongoing trailers. So, it’s strange he’s suddenly relegated to a post-credit sequence.

    Director Daniel Espinosa got a chance to discuss the challenge of adapting to Spider-Man: No Way Home as the film introduced the concept of the live-action Spider-Verse. It also opened up the confirmation that Venom was part of a separate universe, which turns out was Sony’s idea. So, the fact they are now separate universes complicated matters and forced them to adapt elements of the story. To not overcomplicate things, they just added him at the end as a result.

    The first thing that happened was that we had Michael Keaton because we were planning on doing this. But then when Spider-Man: No Way Home came out, it said, “This is how the visual effects are.” And then the idea of having him just encountering him in that universe seemed too complicated, and then we put it in the end.

    Daniel Espinosa

    A lot of the piece highlights the challenges they’ve faced throughout production. Morbius was originally going to release two years earlier. So, we may have faced a very different kind of connection between the MCU and Sony’s attempt at one. We’ll see if the physical release might include a hint at the original scenes and how Michael Keaton was originally going to fit into the story.

    Source: Uproxx