Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Netflix’s ’Cliff Beasts 6’ Trailer is Likely a Misdirect to Promote Judd Apatow’s ’The Bubble’

    Netflix’s ’Cliff Beasts 6’ Trailer is Likely a Misdirect to Promote Judd Apatow’s ’The Bubble’

    Netflix shocked social media this morning with a surprise trailer for Cliff Beasts 6, a new action film with a star-studded cast. The only problem with this, however, is that the franchise “Cliff Beasts” has never existed, and therefore a secret sixth installment should be impossible. So, if this is the case, then what exactly is going on with this wacky bit of news? Some may believe that the streaming giant is trying a strange new tactic, launching a new franchise in the middle of its story. Rest assured, this is likely not what’s happening. A little detective work goes a long way, and may just reveal that the trailer for Cliff Beasts 6 is actually a cover for an entirely different movie.

    About a year ago, comedy legend Judd Apatow announced he was working on his next film project. The movie in question would be titled The Bubble, and feature a group of A-list actors as the stars of a fictitious action series forced to quarantine together as they finish their work in the pandemic. Names like Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, and Keegan Michael-Key were all attached to the comedy, and now conveniently appear in the trailer for Cliff Beasts 6. If this wasn’t evidenced enough, Apatow himself is promoting the next “Netflix Original” on his social media, alongside several other big Hollywood names with connections to the director and his body of work. The truth remains to be seen, but there is a fairly solid chance Cliff Beasts 6 is actually the fictional movie being made in The Bubble, and Apatow is just trying to pull a fast one in his marketing.

    Source: Twitter, Deadline, Instagram

  • REVIEW: ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Struggles To Stick The Landing

    REVIEW: ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Struggles To Stick The Landing

    Following The Dark Knight, which is arguably one of the greatest comic book films, was always going to be an unenviable task for Christopher Nolan and his team. That the conclusion of the trilogy had to be almost entirely repurposed after the tragedy of Heath Ledger‘s death meant that his original premise for Batman’s three-film arc was never going to be completed. In that respect, The Dark Knight Rises feels like a movie that didn’t really know what story it wanted to tell, and suffered as a result.

    We begin with the canonization of Harvey Dent as a hero by the Gotham City Police Department after his death trying to stop Batman, which we know is a lie given the events of the previous film. Harvey was the Joker’s ace in the hole, and he was meant to bring Gotham crumbling down. In Rises, we see Gary Oldman‘s Commissioner Gordon desperately to make things right. His role is perfectly summarized in the line “I have to save Dent” from the previous entry; manic depression and all. Sadly, The Dark Knight Rises really doesn’t do his arc justice. His role is seemingly reduced by quite a bit and is cast to the side for other characters.

    Speaking of, we meet Anne Hathaway‘s take on Selina Kyle doing what she does best, trying to rob Bruce Wayne. He easily tracks her down to start their dysfunctional relationship from the comics. However, putting aside the missed opportunity that this Selina Kyle is never presented as Carmine Falcone’s daughter, Anne plays her like a socialist who wants the wealthy class to get what’s coming to her. It’s a very weird turn if you compare it to her character in the comics. While I get that directors update and adapt characters as they see fit, Nolan still kept recognizable elements in his last two entries. This time around d, it just doesn’t work as well as it could’ve, and I can’t help but wonder if she wasn’t even meant to be part of this story.

    Let’s turn our attention to the real villain in the story: how it wasted Marian Cotillard as Talia Al Ghul. The reveal is supposed to act as a gut punch but is telegraphed throughout the entire film. Furthermore, she’s never really built up as a threat. Even though she managed to steal Bruce’s company from him, cut Gotham off from the rest of the world in a half-assed take on No Man’s Land, and threatened to end the entire city, I never bought that she could pull this off.

    There are, however, some bright spots in the film. Tom Hardy taking on the role of Bane was an inspired choice, especially in him breaking the bat. This is a historic moment in the comics, and Hardy sells the threat that his character represents. Even with his weird accent, he is incredibly quotable to this day. He’s not angry with Bruce. This isn’t personal to him. He’s just disappointed in Bruce. Their fight in the sewers is brutal, as there’s no music playing, and all we hear are Bruce’s bones cracking. He does his best Frazier impression but Bane delivers the Ali-like beating.

    Of course, we can’t forget the titular Dark Knight. Christian Bale is one of the better actors of his generation, and he carries this film more than anyone else. Yet, Nolan seems to have trouble fitting Bruce into this story. He makes him disappear from Gotham to rehab his broken back in and tries to sell us on him healing up within a short span of time to return to Gotham. Keep in mind, he has no assets at this point in the film: it’s why he had to sell his company to Talia Al Ghul. Even with those restrictions, he still offers a cunning performance.

    This time around, he does get a sidekick in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s character. Yes, he has a name but they make it a point to call him Robin later on and he was clearly being set up to be a version of Nightwing. However, the pain he feels when describing how the Wayne Foundation deserted the less fortunate and how betrayed he was when Gordon lied still hit hard. He, also, isn’t jaded by what he’s seen and still believes that Gotham can be saved. It would’ve been exciting to see Nolan try to crack a film starring a rookie Nightwing living in the shadow of Batman.

    If there is one thing the film nailed better than the previous entry is in its action choreography. The police taking on the League of Shadows is filmed beautifully, and the modified Batwing scenes fighting the repurposed Batmobiles are a blast. With most of the finale’s action shot in the daytime– quite a departure from the two previous entries–you really get to see every punch.

    When I watched this in theatres 10 years ago, I tweeted “Nolan did it.” At the time I meant killing Batman. I’m still of the belief that Alfred was imagining everything and nothing more in that Italian Cafe. I didn’t think Warner Bros. would let him kill one of the most iconic DC heroes, but Nolan had the cache to really do as he pleases with the character. While rewatching the film for this review, I find myself annoyed at some of the choices he made. He sadly didn’t end the trilogy on a high note all of us hoped for. It’s still the best Batman trilogy, but something tells me Matt Reeves might have something to say about that soon.

  • ‘The Batman’ Sequel Will Be Released In Less Than Five Years

    ‘The Batman’ Sequel Will Be Released In Less Than Five Years

    The highly anticipated The Batman arrives in theaters this week, and is already set to dominate the weekend box office. The film has generally been met with critical acclaim as well, which is great news to all of the fans who has eagerly awaited Robert Pattison’s turn as the caped crusader.

    Even though The Batman has yet to officially release, a sequel to director Matt Reeves’ is apparently already in the early stages of development. Now, we finally have some information as to when a sequel can be expected. Producer Dylan Clark told Comicbook:

    I will go on record and say it will be less than five years.

    Dylan Clark

    While five years is no short time to wait for The Batman 2, Clark gave a broad window that could mean anything up to a 2027 release. Only time will tell when exactly the sequel will hit theaters, but for now fans can look forward to The Batman‘s release on March 4.

    Source: Comicbook via The Direct

  • New ‘Batgirl’ Set Photo Offers First Look at Brendan Fraser’s Firefly Costume

    New ‘Batgirl’ Set Photo Offers First Look at Brendan Fraser’s Firefly Costume

    We’ve got our first look at Brendan Fraser on the set of Batgirl some time ago, but he was seemingly wearing civilian clothing while setting a building on fire. He certainly was staying true to the arsonist nature of his character during that shoot, but we’re all excited to see what his costume may look like. Luckily, a new set photo has found its way online which may have given us our first look at his Firefly costume for the HBO Max original film. It doesn’t reveal too much, especially as he is missing the iconic helmet, but it does seem like it’s taking inspiration from the comics with the giant fuel tank on his back and arm-mounted flamethrowers.

    The biggest missing aspect is the wings, but they may be something they add in through post-production. He may have also lost them during a fight with Batgirl, which left him with just a few more elements of his costume. Of course, there is probably a simpler solution in the form of that they are currently taking a break in this set photo and that is why he isn’t wearing everything. Though, a new video does hint that him standing on the firetruck is on purpose and we can see Batgirl chasing him down.

    Still, it’s great to finally get confirmation that he will wear the armor of some kind during his tenure as Firefly in the series. So far, he’s still the only confirmed villain to appear in the Batgirl film, but with a large rogue’s gallery-like Batman’s, you never know who else might show up. Given the story’s inspiration, it would be fun to see a live-action adaptation of Killer Moth, especially if they just have fun with the concept. When else would we get the chance to see him on screen?

    Source: Twitter

  • West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose Joins ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose Joins ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    Ariana DeBose stunned critics and audiences with her role as Anita in Stephen Spielberg’s West Side Story, winning the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress and earning an Oscar nomination for the same role. Now, DeBose will step into the world of comic book adaptations as she boards Sony’s Kraven the Hunter.

    According to a trade report, DeBose will play voodoo priestess Calypso, a role for which Jodi Turner-Smith had previously been rumored. Calypso and Kraven shared a highly antagonistic relationship in the comics that often saw the hunter driven into fits of rage by the manipulations of Calypso, who also created potions for Kraven to augment his strength.

    DeBose joins Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who landed the lead as Kraven late last year, Fred Hechinger, who recently joined the film as Kraven’s brother, the Chameleon, and Russell Crowe, who will play the father of the two men. Kraven the Hunter, directed by J.C. Chandor, is due in theaters next January.

  • ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Moving Forward, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder Returning

    ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Moving Forward, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder Returning

    Back in 1988, Tim Burton made waves with his film Beetlejuice. It featured Michael Keaton in the titular role as the ghoul guide of the dead. The film saw Beetlejuice assist a newly deceased couple haunting what was once their home as a new family moves in. For a while, there have been conflicting reports if a sequel to the hit film would become a reality, and it seems none other than Brad Pitt is the one to make it a reality.

    It’s being reported that Brad Pitt will produce Beetlejuice 2 through his production company Plan B and that they hope to have cameras rolling on the project by this summer. Its also been confirmed that the film will indeed feature the return of Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, who will be reprising their respective roles.

    There is no word on if Tim Burton will join them to direct the project. There have been multiple attempts at a sequel to the film with Jonathan Gems hired to write a screenplay back in 1990, but nothing came of the project as Keaton and Burton had moved their focus to Batman Returns. In 2011, another attempt was made with Seth Grahame-Smith set to pen a script for a sequel, and then again in 2017 Mike Vukadinovich was hired to rewrite Smith‘s script but was later confirmed in 2019 by a Warner Bros. spokesperson that the sequel was not in active development.

    Source: The Ankler, Twitter, Fiction Horizon

  • Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Adds Rupert Friend and Stuart Martin

    Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Adds Rupert Friend and Stuart Martin

    Zack Snyder continues his work to expand his tenure at Netflix with a new space opera film titled Rebel Moon. What originally started a Star Wars pitch, is going to become a unique storyline that takes inspiration from classic Samurai films to offer us a story that may be unlike those that came before it. The film has already garnered an impressive cast but has now added two more in the form of Anatomy of a Scandal‘s Rupert Friend and Stuart Martin of Army of Thieves fame.

    https://twitter.com/netflixgeeked/status/1498382521054203908?s=21

    It is worth highlighting that Friend is set to play a lead bad guy in the upcoming film. There are still no details on what role exactly he might be tackling, but we still know very little about the project outside of a rough draft of its core storyline. It’ll be fun to see Snyder attempt a space storyline, as he’s always been in his best element in a storyline that allows for him to unleash his full creativity. Plus, it seems that Netflix is very open to letting him have free reign on his projects, which certainly helps his approach. We just recently got some artwork teasing the project and we’re still a few months away from it actually releasing, but it’s cast and the concept do sound promising for those looking forward to a new space-centric storyline to push the genre forward.

    Source: Twitter, The Hollywood Reporter

  • First ‘The Batman’ Reviews Are Overwhelmingly Positive

    First ‘The Batman’ Reviews Are Overwhelmingly Positive

    The Batman reviews have finally arrived as the Warner Bros. embargo lifts. It looks like it left quite an impression with critics and viewers, who highlight that it might be the most definite take on the character. Some have pointed out that the length is working against it a bit, but it’s a Batman story that takes a lot of inspiration from its comic roots while offering something even more grounded than The Dark Knight. There’s also a lot of praise going to the film’s score, which adds to the darker take on Gotham and its protector.

    Check out the various online reactions here:

  • Andrew Garfield Has “No Plans” for More Spider-Man

    Andrew Garfield Has “No Plans” for More Spider-Man

    The road to Andrew Garfield’s return as Spider-Man: No Way Home was filled with denials and dissembling as the actor tried to keep a lid on things even as more and more evidence emerged that he would suit up again. While all is certainly forgiven by fans following the film, Garfield’s performance has led to a non insignificant push on social media to see a more extended return to the character.

    Garfield has recently made it clear that he’s open to returning as the older, angrier Spider-Man down the road and his performance in No Way Home was powerful enough to leave fans asking a lot of questions that could be explored under the right circumstances, as Garfield explained previously:

    I mean, yes, definitely open to something if it felt right. Peter and Spider-Man, those characters are all about service, to the greater good and the many. He’s a working-class boy from Queens that knows struggle and loss and is deeply empathetic. I would try to borrow Peter Parker’s ethical framework in that, if there was an opportunity to step back in and tell more of that story, I would have to feel very sure and certain in myself.

    Being open to returning and actually returning are, of course, very different things and not entirely dependent on Garfield’s wishes. To that end, fans may be a bit bummed to find out that, at the moment, it doesn’t seem like another appearance by Garfield as Spidey is imminent. At last night’s SAG Awards, Garfield was asked by a Variety reporter if he would be doing Spider-Man again and a very self-aware Garfield delivered the news that he has “no plans” to return to the role.

    As fans, it’s become entirely impossible to believe anything any actor associated with a Marvel project has to say. Garfield could be telling the truth and not actually know what’s next. Garfield could have already filmed something for a future appearance. Garfield could be lying, which he knows is the default belief of fandom now. Whatever the case, there’s certainly room for more stories to be told about Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man that would definitely deviate from the path Tom Holland’s MCU Spidey has set, so fingers crossed it’s another lie and we’ll see him swinging back into action in the not-too-distant future.

    Source: Variety

  • Leaked ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ LEGO Set Leaked Featuring Gorr and Mysterious Creature

    Leaked ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ LEGO Set Leaked Featuring Gorr and Mysterious Creature

    You never know when some things just find their way online faster than others. Instagram user the.brick.wolf has shared a brand new LEGO set for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder film, which includes the two Thors fighting Gorr and a mysterious monster. The title seems to be “Attack on New Asgard” but no word on what exactly the strange creature is in the background with bat wings for ears and crab-like craws. You can see it here:

    It’s interesting how a random LEGO set, which hasn’t been announced yet has found its way to the Istanbul Airport. Keep in mind, LEGO sets don’t always reflect what happens in the films – most famously is the Iron Man 3 misdirect – but it’s a curious addition and continues to highlight that New Asgard might be at the center of the final battle.

    There’s still a lot we don’t know about the film which is eyeing a release in July, but that’s a good thing. Somehow Taika Waititi was able to keep quite a few interesting details under wraps and we’ll see what surprises they might have in store for us. The Guardians are interestingly absent from any marketing, which makes you wonder how much they’ll be featured in the story. For now, we can only see what heads our way.

    Source: Instagram