Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Delroy Lindo in Talks to Join Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    Delroy Lindo in Talks to Join Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    Fans are eager to see the live-action return and debut of Eric Brooks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Mahershala Ali set to star as the titular vampire hunter. Not much is known about the project but Blade already seems to be making moves on and off-screen in the MCU. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that actor Delroy Lindo is in final negotiations to join the cast of Blade. It’s currently unknown just who he would play as that is still under wraps along with plot details. The project is currently being reported to be starting production late into the summer of 2022. Lindo is best known for his work in films like Da 5 Bloods, Gone in 60 Seconds, Malcolm X, and most recently The Harder They Fall.

    As it’s currently unknown who he would be playing, Lindo would fit pretty well as Jamal Afari. In the comics, he was Blades’ mentor who found and raised Eric since he was nine years old after he was saved from vampires. Blade would learn everything he knows in hunting vampires from the man, who was once one of the greatest hunters. He even famously faced the toughest of vampires, Dracula. The character recently made his entrance into the MCU via the post-credit scene in Eternals. While you don’t see the man himself, we hear him speak to Dane Whitman just as he’s about to pick up the Ebony Blade, asking if he was sure he was ready for that. It’ll be interesting to see if Dane pops up in Blade as well, but Lindo is quite the addition to this project.

    Source: THR

  • RUMOR: ‘The Batman’ Eyeing a Similar Runtime to ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

    RUMOR: ‘The Batman’ Eyeing a Similar Runtime to ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

    It’s been a long road for Batman fans, as the project has hit multiple delays due the ongoing pandemic that’s made it difficult for Hollywood to keep their machine running. The project has seen three delays but seems to finally have found its footing with the current release date of March 4th, 2022. As it is nearing, director Matt Reeves is adding the finishing touches. So, they’ve reached the next step and it looks like the potential runtime may have found its way online.

    The Batman reportedly had a new screen test in which fans were treated to the most recent cut of the film, and while things are definitely susceptible to change, it seems the current runtime will surely excite fans. The reported runtime of the film is currently around two hours and forty-five minutes, making it one of the longest Batman films alongside The Dark Knight Rises. With test screenings anything can change with quite a few more months ahead. The rumored runtime comes from @ViewerAnon.

    https://twitter.com/ViewerAnon/status/1461223963074252803?s=20

    If the film sticks with the nearly three hour runtime, than it would make it longer than The Dark Knight‘s 2 hours and 32 minutes, but closer to The Dark Knight Rises‘ 2 hours and 45 minutes. The film could be very different from previous adaptions of the character, with directed Matt Reeves more interested in tackling the detective side of Batman. The film will see Batman up against Gotham’s criminal underworld as the Riddler tears through the city to uproot and expose its corruption. If this runtime says anything it’s that we’re going to be seeing Batman truly digging deep and actually acting as “The Worlds Greatest Detective”.

    Source: Twitter

  • Patton Oswalt Not Only Voiced But Also Played Pip the Troll on ‘Eternals’ Set

    Patton Oswalt Not Only Voiced But Also Played Pip the Troll on ‘Eternals’ Set

    We all got a nice surprise when Harry Styles made his MCU premiere as Eros in the first post-credit sequence of Eternals. He wasn’t alone, as his character got introduced to the character of Pip the Troll, who was voiced by the always iconic Patton Oswalt. It turns out, he did quite a bit more than that to bring the computer-generated character to life, as he was also on set to play the character.

    Weta Digital’s Matt Aitken revealed that he was on the sound stage performing the entire act on his knees so they’d have the right height for the character. So, he did the entire motion capture for the character to bring Pip to life for the latest Marvel Studios film. He goes on to share that

    We ended up replacing Patton Oswalt with Pip and the corridor, because we needed to do all that interactive portal light and extend it. But if you’re looking at Eros, then his face will definitely be the face, but everything else is CG in those shots.

    Matt Aitken

    Weta Digital also shared a first look at the visual breakdown of the character that Comic Book’s Adam Barnhardt shared on Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/adambarnhardt/status/1461756972735287308?s=21

    Oswalt joined in the fun and even offered a closer look at him behind-the-scenes in the mo-cap suit.

    It’s great to see his commitment to the role and might hint at him returning to play the character whenever Pip the Troll might make his grand return. James Gunn‘s brother Sean Gunn famously played Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy films walking on his knees while Bradley Cooper purely voiced the character. It’s always interesting to get a look behind-the-scenes on these projects, especially how they bring these CGI-heavy characters to life. It certainly sounds like Styles had some fun with Oswalt on his knees while introducing his character.

    Source: Comic Book

  • EXCLUSIVE: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Music Helped Shape the Characters of Encanto

    EXCLUSIVE: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Music Helped Shape the Characters of Encanto

    The upcoming coming-of-age fantasy story about a girl without powers living among a superpowered family will introduce us to the many facets of Colombian culture in Encanto. Directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush return to bring us a different kind of story with the help of songs written by Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s had a hand in various 2021 projects such as In the Heights, Vivo, and the upcoming release of Tick, Tick… Boom! So, it’s been a big year for him. Now that he is also lending his musical talents to the latest animated Disney film, it opens up the question of how much input he also had in bringing these characters to life beyond just their musical accompaniment.

    Luckily, our own Hunter Radesi had the chance to sit down with the directors of the film and discuss exactly that. When asked how much input Miranda had into bringing these characters to life, director Jared Bush offered some interesting insights into their approach to the music and even how they integrated the many sides of Columbian genres.

    He’s super super collaborative. That is one of the really great things about working with him. […] We would have these great deep character conversations. We knew with all these different characters that we wanted to get to know all of them, that we wanted to see different facets of them. But also that we wanted the music to separate and to give them an identity. And that music, even within the genres of Columbia, we wanted that to makes sense with the character that would be singing it.

    Jared Bush

    It’s really interesting how they try to use the different genres of music that exist in Columbia to make the characters stand out. He does also offer an example with the character of Luisa Madrigal’s song “Surface Pressure” which tried to explore her backstory. He highlights how writing the story is what grounded it was some real-life inspirations that were brought to life through music. It shows how many aspects make a film truly come to life.

    Encanto release on Nov. 24th. It is directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith. The film boosts an impressive cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, Rhenzy Feliz, Carolina Gaitán and John Leguizamo.

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Production Officially on Hold Until 2022

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Production Officially on Hold Until 2022

    Just a couple of weeks ago, it was reported that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would be halting production while one of the film’s leads, Letitia Wright, recovered from an injury sustained while filming in August. Now, according to a trade report, production has officially paused and will not resume until January.

    The Deadline report indicates that the cast and crew were notified today via a message from Marvel Studios’ top brass. It seems that’s Wright’s injuries will require more time to heal before she can get back to work. With Wright playing a major role in the film, it seems the studio has completed all the principal photography that it can without her and now must allow her to convalesce. The text of the note can be read below:

    As we wind down for the holidays, we wanted to send a note of thanks and appreciation for the hard work of our entire cast and crew, as well as an update on timing. First and foremost, this project is exceptional and something we know audiences are eager to see. We could not be any more excited to complete this film and share it with the world next year. Thank you for everything you’ve done to get us to this place.

    Unfortunately, we’ve not gotten here without a few setbacks. Running a production of this scale in the midst of a pandemic is not an easy task, and you have remained diligent and professional throughout. In addition, as you are all aware, Letitia had a frightening accident on our set during a stunt back in August. It was a reminder of the importance of safety at all times in our work, which we know you understand and are committed to. What we had initially thought were minor injuries turned out to be much more serious with Letitia suffering a critical shoulder fracture, and a concussion with severe side effects. It has been a painful process and Letitia has been home recovering with her doctors and the support of family.

    We’ve adjusted our production schedule so she has the time she needs to heal, but there’s only so much we can do without Shuri! We also want to thank Letitia for everything she’s doing to get back to the set – we know how much she loves this role, how tough it’s been for her to be away, and how hard she’s working to recover as quickly as she safely can. We are eagerly awaiting her return and we know we will all come back stronger together.

    Please be on the lookout for more information on your specific return-to-work date. As of now, we’re on schedule to resume filming – with Letitia – in January 2022. We are all focused on finishing the movie with excellence, honoring the memory of our dear brother Chadwick in the process. We are thrilled to share Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with the world, confident that the challenges that we have overcome together as a team will make the film even more impactful. Please take care of yourselves and enjoy the holidays.

    The film’s release date was recently moved to November 11, 2022 and, according to the report, the production delay is not expected to cause any further shifts to its release.

  • Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Disney has been hard at work on the next animated project with Encanto. While it still has a lead character, the adventure this time around is all about family. So, instead of a small group of characters, we the next animated Disney film. If you compare with previous films, they always focused primarily on a lead with one or two supporting characters that helped her on her journey. The next project might be the first to have the family as an active part of the story, but it seems directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have played with the idea for some time.

    I mean, literally, from day one, we knew we wanted to tell a story with an extended family. […] We’ve tried many times to like: “Maybe there should be more family members.” And ultimately you’re like, “Nah, there’s just one person.”

    Jared Bush

    Jared goes on to compare it when he worked on Moana. Yes, her family played a role in the story but ultimately it was her “going on a boat, that’s just by herself.” He even highlights how they used their own family as inspiration when trying to think of the archetypes after finally committing to the idea.

    Who are these people gonna be? So early on, all of our research was really our own families. And we found these archetypes. Whether it’s, you know, like the black sheep of the family, or the golden child, or the responsible one, or the Mom, who heals with food. All of these things felt very familiar to us, and very relatable.

    Jared Bush

    They used that familiarity to build the Madrigal family and it was the voice actors that would then bring them fully to life. It’s always great to see how ideas that somehow ended up getting pushed back still find their way into a project. Plus, adding the special abilities of the family, which they decided on relatively fast based on the archetypes the family member represents, gave everyone a unique role within the story. It makes you wonder how many other ideas never made it into a previous project but might get to see the light of day sometime in the future.

  • ‘One Piece: Red’ Film Leaks Ahead of Announcement

    ‘One Piece: Red’ Film Leaks Ahead of Announcement

    While all eyes have been on the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece, the franchise is preparing for a big milestone with its 1000th episode just around the corner. So, many expected some announcements around that very milestone and it seems that we got our first tease of the next One Piece film. A logo has found its way online confirming the title of the next one being One Piece: Red with some very familiar marks in the D. It’ll be the 15th entry in the movie franchise that follows up on 2019’s Stampede. The next entry is eyeing an August 6th release with manga creator Eiichiro Oda’s official statement also finding its way online early.

    @ScotchInformer also provided a rough translation of Oda’s message for the film announcement:

    We’re making a movie!! I’m tired of drawing Old Men! Let me draw female character! The current character we’re working on it is like that! And that was the beginning. Did you know that the director Taniguchi Goro, who is standing opposite to the work of One Piece was actually the first person in the world to make Luffy into an anime? Now, we’ve got some news that’ll really surprise you coming up. The new movie, “RED”!! Please look forward to it as you imagine what it’ll be like!!

    There’s also a tease of the “female character” referenced in the message that is highlighted in a banner alongside the upcoming film’s logo.

    Image

    the mentioned Goro Taniguchi is directing the film with Kuroiwa Tsutomu writing the script. Oda, of course, is acting as a supervisor and producer on the series. It seems that part of these leaks was found in the source code of the official website potentially.

    There are quite a few theories that a Shanks-centric film might be canon to the story filling in a gap while the Straw Hat pirates are busy on Wano. It’s uncertain when the current arc in the manga might end, but with the August release, there’s enough time to set up Shank’s upcoming role in the story. He’s been teased quite a bit (especially in episode 955). It’s crazy to think he’s been around since the first chapter but has a very minor role so far in the story. As the series might be nearing its end, it makes sense that he would make his move soon. It’ll be interesting to see if this film explores Shank’s story, or if it involves our favorite pirates in some capacity.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter (Translation), Twitter, Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is a “Giddy Mixture” of Marvel and Raimi’s Style

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is a “Giddy Mixture” of Marvel and Raimi’s Style

    As soon as Sam Raimi took over directing duties from Scott Derrickson for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, many wondered what it might mean for the film. Not only is Raimi‘s Spider-Man film what kicked off the superhero boom alongside Blade, but he’s also quite famous for his work on horror films. As the Doctor strange sequel was teased frequently as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first horror story.

    So, he is the perfect choice to join the project to bring his flair from films like Evil Dead or Drag Me to Hell. There were some concerns that his directorial style might take a backseat for the overarching universe building, but actor Benedict Cumberbatch may have offered a tease of what’s to come.

    You have to wait and see. There’s a lot of Marvel and there’s a lot of Raimi as well. Raimi fans will hopefully not be disappointed. It’s a very giddy mixture, actually. And I think it’s, it’s a riot and it will live up to its title, a multiverse of madness for sure

    It certainly sounds like it’ll bring together the best of both worlds. The post-credit sequence from WandaVision made many questions if it was directed by Raimi due to the use of the camera chasing towards Wanda’s little cabin. There’s something iconic about his use of the camera and might make the horror elements in this multiversal storyline stand out even more. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the first trailer and a hint at what to expect.

    Source: The Playlist

  • Scarlett Johansson Working On A Top-Secret Project With Marvel Studios

    Scarlett Johansson Working On A Top-Secret Project With Marvel Studios

    It has looked fairly certain that Scarlett Johansson wouldn’t be working with Marvel Studios again anytime soon. Her version of Natasha Romanoff met her end in Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow recently released on Disney+. There are also others to continue the stories of the Widows and the Red Room. Variants of Natasha were introduced in What If…? and Yelena Belova suggested she would free the rest of the Widows across the world. So it comes as a surprise that Johansson is working on a top-secret Marvel Studios project already. 

    An awards ceremony seems the least likely place to hear of a new Marvel Studios project. The 35th American Cinematheque Award where Scarlett Johansson’s contribution and engagement in the industry was where this news was revealed. During a speech, Kevin Feige honored “Marvel Studios’ first and longest-running female hero.” He also praised Johansson’s producer skills saying she was the “first time an actor had also worked as a producer.” Towards the end of his remarks Feige revealed a bit of fun secret we can speculate on:

    “We already are working with Scarlett on non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project.”

    Kevin Feige

    So what is the project Marvel Studios and Scarlett Johansson are already working on? Feige noted it wasn’t a Black Widow-related project, though he could be referring in shorthand to Johansson’s Romanoff specifically. Deadline has reported Johansson will have a producing role on the upcoming project. Having produced Black Widow, it could be related to any of the characters in that film including Red Guardian, Melina Vostokoff, or Taskmaster. Maybe it could also be a Thunderbolts project involving Yelena Belova. It could potentially be an A-Force project, with Natasha almost certain not to be involved if that project went ahead. It’s exciting to think about the possibilities, given the small amount of information we have! 

    Sources: YouTube, Deadline

  • EXCLUSIVE: Charise Castro Smith Talks About The Initial Pitch for ‘Encanto’

    EXCLUSIVE: Charise Castro Smith Talks About The Initial Pitch for ‘Encanto’

    Disney’s latest film, Encanto, is nearing its release as we explore the story of a Colombian family with unique powers. Among them is Stephanie Beatriz‘s Mirabel Madrigal, who is the only member of her family without any actual magical powers. Once things start going wrong, she sets out on a journey to find out what is happening to her family. The film’s writer duo, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith, get to explore the meaning of family and what it means to be normal among special.

    Our very own Hunter Radesi had the chance to sit down with the creative team to discuss how they approached this project and especially how it was for Charise Castro Smith to tackle her first project. She went on to share how she ended up joining the project and that it was directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard that pitched her the initial idea.

    My background is really as a playwright. I worked in a lot of TV and my agents had sent a play of mine to Disney Animations. I thought I was meeting with them in general and it turns out I was not. I was meeting with Jared [Bush] and Byron [Howard] about this movie, they were looking for a writer. As soon as they explained to me this concept, this idea they had, about a magical house and a family where everyone had powers except for this one girl and the movie is about her, I was like: ‘I am sold. I am on board’ and I haven’t looked back since.

    Charise Castro Smith

    It must’ve been quite the shock when she sat down with the directors of Zootopia, Tangled, and Moana to discuss a potential project. We’ve learned back in 2016 that the initial pitch was made to Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote music for the film, and Byron Howard just as they were promoting Moana at the time. It’s great to see it bear fruit after all this time.

    Encanto release on Nov. 24th. It is directed by Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith. The film boosts an impressive cast that includes Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, Rhenzy Feliz, Carolina Gaitán and John Leguizamo.

    Source: Vulture