Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Zack Snyder Gave His Blessing for Michael Shannon to Return as Zod in ‘The Flash’

    Zack Snyder Gave His Blessing for Michael Shannon to Return as Zod in ‘The Flash’

    Zack Snyder is always a big discussion point online, as his very specific group of fans continues to try to keep the “legacy” alive as much as possible. Even as the DC franchise is starting to move away from what he initially started with Man of Steel. It seems Michael Shannon wasn’t sure either when Andy Muschietti asked him to reprise the role of Zod from the film in the next DCEU entry, The Flash.

    I was hesitant [to come back] because I wasn’t really happy about what happened to Zack Snyder in that whole deal … And I really love Zack. The fact that Zack asked me to play that part to begin with – that’s probably the biggest surprise of my career. It almost felt like a practical joke. I was like, ‘You’re kidding me, right?’

    Michael Shannon

    He goes on to share what it was like when Muschietti offered him the role and it seems he even had some drawings prepared to showcase his vision of what The Flash would look like if he returned to the role and how it would shape the story. Shannon even still owns a drawing from that pitch.

    But I talked to Andy [Muschietti] about it, and I liked Andy, and I said, ‘Andy, look – I just want to get Zack’s blessing on this because it just doesn’t feel right without that.’ And Zack, to his credit, was very understanding. He gave me his blessing, and I went to do it. I loved Andy, too. I loved working with Andy. They’re both super creative guys. Andy’s an amazing artist. He would just make these drawings when I was sitting there talking to him. I’d look over and say, ‘Hey, can I keep that?’ and he’d go, ‘Sure!’ and sign it and give it to me.

    Michael Shannon

    He does, however, highlight that we shouldn’t expect much depth from his version of Zod in The Flash, as they may have seemingly used him as a way to set up an antagonist that blocks our heroes’ way as teased by the trailers.

    But, you know, it’s just really different – these kind of multiverse situations … The story is a lot more all over the place, you know? And I feel like I mainly exist in ‘The Flash’ as, like, an obstacle or a problem. Whereas, in ‘Man of Steel,’ it was more of a story. Like, ‘The Flash’ is definitely about The Flash – as it should be. So, it’s not as in-depth.

    Michael Shannon

    It’s great to know that Zack Snyder gave his blessing to the project and that he was able to return. This film almost feels like a final swan song for that era of DCEU that was built upon Man of Steel’s release. So, we’ll see if it pays tribute to the past while setting the stage for the future.

    Source: The Playlist

  • Voice Cast for Rocket’s Friends in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Revealed

    Voice Cast for Rocket’s Friends in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Revealed

    We’ve known for some time that a big part of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would likely explore the origins of Rocket. The character was a major part of the franchise’s emotional core and James Gunn openly discussed that he centered a lot around that character from his own personal experiences. With the third Guardians entry being his last before he continues to focus on DC Studios’ future, it seems almost fitting to use this chance to explore that character’s true emotional background.

    In a new piece of footage, we get a new look at the characters that grew up alongside Rocket into becoming more humanoid under The Evolutionary’s watchful eye. Linda Cardellini has been confirmed to play Lylla the Otter, who is Rocket’s main love interest. Asim Chaudhry is taking on the role of Teefs the Walrus while Mikaela Hoover is Floor the Rabbit. Gunn shared the following on what makes these characters stand out in the film:

    They’re best friends… and I think it’s a really beautiful scene with them… where they talk about going outside into the sky, in the world, which they’ve never experienced.

    James Gunn

    Of course, the big surprise for many is likely that Cardellini is set to take on the role of Lylla after having played a major part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Age of Ultron as Laura Barton, the wife of Clint Barton and a former SHIELD agent as teased in the Hawkeye Disney+ series. Though, it’s not the only time this has happened and not even the first time this year, as David Dastmalchian also took on a new voice role in the recently released Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

    Source: Collider

  • CinemaCon: First Footage Description of ‘Dune: Part 2’ Finds it’s Way Online

    CinemaCon: First Footage Description of ‘Dune: Part 2’ Finds it’s Way Online

    While most eyes have been on the future presentation of DC Studios and their current releases, which still were developed under the former leadership, they had quite a bit of other projects to show off during this year’s CinemaCon. They gave visitors a look at Barbie and its unique world and it seems the first footage of the long-awaited Dune sequel has been released for attendees. Us online at least got the description of the footage that was showcased during CinemaCon.

    It seems the big focus of the footage was on Paul Atreides, played once again by Timothee Chalamet, learning to ride a giant sandworm. It makes sense given that this was the big tease at the end of the first entry and Paul’s entire storyline is wrapped around him finding his way among the locals of the planet Arrakis. They also seemingly got a first look at Florence Pugh and Austin Butler during the footage but not many details have been shared on what they might look like.

    It’s definitely interesting that this is their selling point as Chalamet made the bold statement of it being “done practically” which has become a bit of a habit to imply certain elements are done that way with the rest added afterward. It’s also become a bit of a marketing habit to make the film stand out in the pool of effects-heavy film selection. Most of what we’ll see on the screen will be effects work as there is no real giant sandworm, but it makes for a good way to sell it to audiences.

    Source: Twitter, Discussing Film, Twitter, Twitter

  • CinemaCon: First ‘Aquaman 2’ Footage Description Teases Major Plot Points

    CinemaCon: First ‘Aquaman 2’ Footage Description Teases Major Plot Points

    CinemaCon has given Warner Bros. Discovery the chance to highlight its future slate with a strong emphasis on 2023. It’s a big movement for the studio as they have been struggling with their recent DC releases like Black Adam and Shazam: Fury of the Gods. While the big focus is on The Flash which is being screened in its entirety for attendees, they also got some footage teasing Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

    The big surprise is that quite a bit of the footage shown includes some major spoilers for the sequel. Some reports are sharing that the footage includes Aquaman having a child and that Black Manta is seemingly the main antagonist in the upcoming sequel. Of course, they might be hiding some secrets as there’s no word of the “Lost Kingdom” in the title.

    Black Manta has seemingly gotten his hand on an ancient weapon known as the Black Trident and starts an attack on Atlantis. The rest of the film will see him forced to work alongside his murderous brother Orm the Ocean Master. Of course, they weren’t going to spoil everything but it’s definitely interesting that many early reports are pretty much on point with what we can expect. It’s also great to see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II get a bigger role in the sequel.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter

  • CinemaCon: Xolo Maridueña Shares Why Blue Beetle Stands Out from Other Heroes

    CinemaCon: Xolo Maridueña Shares Why Blue Beetle Stands Out from Other Heroes

    CinemaCon has brought us our first look at what the summer has planned for us and it looks like quite a doozy. Warner Bros. had the second day to kick off with quite a few announcements from their various projects. It’s also quite the gamble for them, as they are putting all their money on the next releases truly making a mark to water down the bad blood that rose with their HBO Max activities in the last few years.

    Among their first big new streaming-to-theatrical releases is Blue Beetle, which only recently got its first trailer. Warner Bros. Discovery took to the stage to showcase the talent they have, and among them was Blue Beetle’s star Xolo Maridueña. The actor took the chance to share why he believes Jamie Reyes stands out from other superheroes.

    I think he’s the only person ever to get superpowers and not want them.

    Xolo Maridueña

    It’s easy to say that there are countless superheroes that aren’t quite happy with being given the powers they have, especially characters like Hulk or The Thing. But, it’s definitely a potential first for the current roster of DC heroes that managed to embrace their powers. Still, Maridueña‘s excitement is infectious and it was great that he was given the stage during CinemaCon.

    Source: Twitter

  • The Final Chapter of the ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise Finds Its Co-writers

    The Final Chapter of the ‘Fast & Furious’ Franchise Finds Its Co-writers

    One of the most financially successful franchises in box office history is gearing up for its last ride. The Fast & Furious franchise has fascinated fans since the beginning of the century but the end is in sight with Fast X headed to theaters this year and the creative team of the eleventh and final film starting to come together. It was recently reported that Fast X director Louis Leterrier was returning to helm the finale and now, according to Deadline, the film has found its writers.

    The Flash writer Christina Hodson and The Cloverfield Paradox scribe Oren Uziel are teaming up to write the script for the eleventh Fast film which, according to Deadline, is “being described as a companion to Fast X.” Justin Lin directed and co-wrote both F9 and Fast X before departing the franchise last year after some unpleasant business with franchise star Vin Diesel.

    While Hodson has been on a pretty consistent superhero/comic book movie streak, penning not only The Flash but also Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey and Bumblebee, Uziel most recently penned the script for the Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum film The Lost City. Uziel also wrote the screenplay for Tatum’s 22 Jump Street, so this seems like a move clearly designed to get Tatum, who may be the only actor in Hollywood not to appear in the Fast franchise, into the series finale.

    At this point, a release date for Fast 11 has not yet been slated.

    Source: Deadline

  • James Gunn Updates the Post-Credit Scene Status of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    James Gunn Updates the Post-Credit Scene Status of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    For many Marvel Studios fans, there is nothing more important than the post-credit scenes that follow almost every project. For better or for worse, that is the culture that Marvel Studios has created and although the stingers often distract from a conversation about the events of the film it seems they are here to stay. When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was screened in Paris, no post-credit scenes were shown, causing some fans to believe there wouldn’t be any; however, James Gunn has taken to social media to address that concern and indicated that fans of post-credit action would be satisfied.

    Answering a question from papaj_419, Gunn indicated that the audience will want to stick around for not one but two post-credit scenes after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has been confirmed to be the longest film of the Guardians franchise clocking in at just under 2 hours and 30 minutes.

    2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy featured 2 post-credit scenes as well while 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 boasted 5, the most of any MCU film to date. All but two of the films in the Multiverse Saga have featured two post-credit scenes with one running midway through the credits and the other after all the credits rolled.

    Vol. 3 is Gunn’s last hurrah with both the Guardians and Marvel Studios as he moves full-time into his new role as co-chair of DC Studios. Reactions from the Paris screening have said the film is heartbreaking and the best of the trilogy and with further press screenings scheduled to get underway on April 27th, there’s sure to be plenty more reactions on the way.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters on May 5th.

  • Lucasfilm’s New Jedi Order Movie Rumored to Be Searching for a New Lead

    Lucasfilm’s New Jedi Order Movie Rumored to Be Searching for a New Lead

    What began as a “top secret” Star Wars sequel-era project being written by Damon Lindelof has now become known as the first project in an all-new era of Star Wars stories know as the New Jedi Order era. That film, which looks to be on track for a 2025 release, is set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and will see Daisy Ridley–and possibly John Boyega–return to the franchise. Though it looks like production will be able.to get underway sometime next year, it hasn’t necessarily been a smooth ride.

    After delivering a script co-authored by Justin Britt-Gibson, Lindelof left the project but was quickly replaced by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The announcement of Ridley’s return as Rey stirred up both positive and negative buzz, though it was recently rumored she was not intended to be the film’s protagonist. That role was expected to go to Aquaman and Watchmen star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who is already on board for a major Disney project in Marvel Studios streaming series Wonder Man. Now, a new rumor from the same source that initially reported Abdul-Mateen‘s involvement indicates the star has left the project.

    During a recent segment on The Hot Mic Podcast, the show’s co-hosts seemed to confirm that the film’s “original lead”, who was “from Watchmen“, had departed the project. It seems the timing of Abdul-Mateen‘s departure coincided with Lindelof’s decision to move on, though no further details about that connection were given.

    Despite all that, it’s full speed ahead on the New Jedi Order project. Casting is expected to be ongoing throughout the Summer with principal photography to follow in either late-2023 or early-2024. Though it has been made official by Lucasfilm, the project is expected to be in theaters on December 19, 2025.

    Source: The Hot Mic Podcast

  • Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Has Recast Kahiau Machado’s David

    Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Has Recast Kahiau Machado’s David

    It looks like some changes have happened behind the scenes. In a new casting announcement that the live-action Lilo and Stitch film is seeing to bring back Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch. Just recently, we learned that Kahiau Machado has been cast in the role of David Kawena but it seems that they decided to recast the character moving forward.

    In a new piece by The Hollywood Reporter, they reveal that Kaipot Dudoit has taken over the role of David due to Disney’s vetting process uncovering some racial slurs shared by Machado on his Social Media. There has not been an official statement by Disney on the matter so far.

    It’s definitely been one of their fastest recasts given that the announcement of Machado joining the production was just last week. So, Kaipot may have been among one of the top choices, to begin with, and they may have reacted quite fast to get them on board as filming was slowly getting started in Hawaii.

    It’s been quite a rough time for Disney, especially with the recent allegations surrounding Jonathan Majors. While David is a supporting role, he’s still the main love interest for a major character and they may be trying to be as safe as possible; even if it’s unclear what exactly they have planned with Kang the Conqueror.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Stitch’s Original Voice Actor in Talks to Return for Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Movie

    Stitch’s Original Voice Actor in Talks to Return for Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Movie

    It seems that while the upcoming live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch will see the return of a voice actor from the original animated film. In a new report by a Hollywood reporter, it seems Chris Sanders is in final talks to return as the voice of the loveable alien Stitch, who ends up crashlanding on Hawaii under the care of young Lilo.

    It also seems like the voice actress Tia Carrere, who played Nani in the animated film, will also return to play the character of Mrs. Kekoa. There’s also the reveal of Amy Hill taking on a role of an original character Tūtū, but details are still scarce as of now on how these new characters play into this new adaptation. They are joining Dean Fleischer-Camp’s film which already has cast Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Kahiau Machado.

    Interestingly enough, these new characters were something we shared back in November of 2022. The detail, however, we did get wrong was the exclusion of Cobra Bubbles in the film as his original role was seemingly given to these newly created characters. Courtney B. Vance has recently been cast as Cobra Bubbles in the live-action adaptation, and they may simply have focused on his role as an agent to avoid just repeating the same material from the original.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter (Bubbles)