Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Warpinig Towards $195M+ 5-Day Opening Weekend

    ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Warpinig Towards $195M+ 5-Day Opening Weekend

    It looks like early estimates have been quite off for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as the biggest Nintendo adaptation of one of their most popular characters is on its way to ending its five-day domestic run at $195M. There’s a chance it might even go beyond the $200M mark but either way, it is already far ahead of its initial expectations.

    As such, it’ll also beat up Finding Dory‘s $135.1M three-day opening as it’s set to land at around $137M and will be the second-biggest opening for an animated film just behind Incredibles 2. Its initial expectations had it at around $127.5M and it’s now only a question of time before they announce a sequel.

    While critics weren’t too kind to the film, families are loving it and it even managed to pull in an A CinemaScore. It also makes the biggest opening for Illumination and is likely to become the second-biggest 5-day release since the first Transformers film.

    That Easter release was a clever timing to get this film out as it’s mainly getting its boost from the generation that grew up with these games; giving git that boosts that family audience would lack on their own with past releases this year.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • First Details Emerge on James Mangold’s Star Wars Film

    First Details Emerge on James Mangold’s Star Wars Film

    One of the great surprises of Star Wars Celebration 2023 was the news that James Mangold had signed on the direct a movie set in the all-new Dawn of the Jedi era. Little about the film was revealed during Lucasilm’s Showcase other than it would be set in “the deep past, telling the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” However, in a pair of trade interviews, Mangold has reveales more details about the upcoming untitled film.

    Set 25,000 years before A New Hope, Mangold says the film, which he calls “Star Wars Zero”, will feature “all-new characters in an all-new era.” Despite it being set in the “deep past”, don’t expect it to be full of sticks and stones. While there may not be lightsabers since the main character will be the first Jedi, Mangold says the film, which he’s also writing, will not be “pre-tech.” It might be ancient history but it’s the ancient history of a galaxy far, far away.

    LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: James Mangold and Dave Filoni onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)

    While it’s unclear at the moment if the film will tell the story of the Prime Jedi, a canonical character who debuted a part of a mosaic in the Jedi temple on Ahch-To in The Rise of Skywalker, Mangold says the project is “a chance to tell the entire story of its own: the birth of the Force.” Mangold said he pitched the film to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy as “a kind of Ben-Hur or The 10 Commandments about the birth of the Force.”

    “The Force has become a kind of religious legend that soans through all these movies,” said Mangold. “But where didn’t come from? How is it found? Who was the first Jedi?” asked Mangold, causing legions of Star Wars fans to wonder if midichlorians will make an appearance in the film.

    Those are questions that fans will have to wait to have answered. While there are Star Wars films slated for theaters in 2025 and 2027, no date was given for Mangold’s project.

    Source: The Wrap, Variety

  • SWCE: Daisy Ridley Returns as Rey in ‘The Rise of the Skywalker’ Sequel by Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    SWCE: Daisy Ridley Returns as Rey in ‘The Rise of the Skywalker’ Sequel by Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    Here’s the double-whammy, as it seems that not only do we finally know what exactly Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has been working on based on a script by Damon Lindelof, who sadly left the project recently, but also who is going to be the main star. It is none other than Daisy Ridley, who is set to return as the character of Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

    The story will seemingly pick up 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as she tries to rebuild the Jedi Order. It is ironic that after every trilogy someone is trying to rebuild the order somewhere, but it’s going to be interesting to see how they connect this story to the past while setting up a new future.

    There’s no word if she’s actually the main star of the franchise or potentially just a side character. While the film has no official title just yet, they unveiled a timeline to help those put the pieces together when these projects take place across the wide Star Wars timeline, and it was given the simple name of “New Jedi Order “with a rather familiar logo.

  • SWCE: Dave Filoni to Direct a ‘Star Wars’ Film Wrapping Up the “Mandoverse”

    SWCE: Dave Filoni to Direct a ‘Star Wars’ Film Wrapping Up the “Mandoverse”

    It seems that they might be wrapping up the franchise that started with The Mandalorian, as during Star Wars Celebration it was announced that the one and only Dave Filoni is going to direct a Star Wars film. Now just that, but it’ll also seemingly wrap up everything that has been building up since the first season of The Mandalorian.

    His involvement with a film was hinted at for some time now with a rumor dropping right before the Celebration event even kicked off. The question does remain if this will be a Disney+ original film given how it connects to the other entries, or if this is perhaps a cinematic release that just uses story bits from the various characters and brings them all together. We#ll have to wait to find out.

    Source: Twitter

  • SWCE: James Mangold Set to Direct New Star Wars Film about the First Jedi

    SWCE: James Mangold Set to Direct New Star Wars Film about the First Jedi

    Star Wars fans have been doing some serious handwringing over the theatrical future of the franchise. Kathleen Kennedy did her best to ease those concerns at Star Wars Celebration 2023 by announcing multiple films, including one by director James Mangold.

    Set before the Old Republic in a new era called Dawn of the Jedi which takes place 25,000 years before the event of The Mandalorian, Mangold’s film will follow the “first Jedi to wield the force” in what was called a “biblical epic.” The new film provides an opportunity for Mangold to break ground and really dig into the foundations of the Jedi Order. Canonical stories set during the High Republic era have recently revealed that the Jedi were just one of several factions of Force users in the galaxy, so it’ll be interesting to see if any of those come into play in Mangold‘s film.

  • RUMOR: Lucasfilm to Announce Dave Filoni Directed Film during Star Wars Celebration

    RUMOR: Lucasfilm to Announce Dave Filoni Directed Film during Star Wars Celebration

    As Star Wars Celebration 2023 kicks off in London a rumor about a potential new project is making waves. On the latest episode of The Hot Mic Podcast, Jeff Snieder reported that Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni, who has directed several episodes of The Mandalorian, is directing a film that is expected to be announced at Celebration.

    According to Snieder, three movies are going to be announced during Celebration and one of them will be directed by Filoni. The film will reportedly “codify the Star Wars universe around the world” built by Filoni and Jon Favreau.

    The story of Mandalore and its disparate clans of Mandalorians is something Filoni has been building both through animation and live-action for over a decade. Beginning in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, continuing through Star Wars Rebels and now The Mandalorian, Filoni created a culture and mythology around characters such as Bo-Katan Kryze, Sabine Wren and Din Djarin. Those characters and their stories captured the attention of audiences and now it seems likely that their journeys–and a few other characters’ journeys as well–will come together on the big screen.

  • The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    The next installment in Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, hits theaters on May 5, 2023. The Guardians’ story started in 2014 and unexpectedly captured the hearts of audiences across the globe. Those same hearts are set to break as James Gunn closes out the Guardians trilogy with an emotional finale that is sure to see at least one member of the team meet their ultimate fate.

    More than just an emotional roller coaster, Vol. 3 looks to be jam-packed and will be the longest film of the trilogy. The threequel will make good on one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s stingers by introducing Will Poulter‘s Adam Warlock as a weapon pointed directly at the team. As if Warlock won’t be enough to handle, the team will ultimately make their way to Counter-Earth where they’ll meet the man responsible for the pain and suffering that has defined Rocket: the High Evolutionary, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. And they’ll be doing all that while their leader, Chris Pratt‘s Peter Quill, continues to deal with the loss of the love of his life, Gamora, while a Variant version of her ends up working with the team out of their brand-new base in the severed head of a Celestial known as Knowhere. Vol. 3 has a lot in store for audiences but to appreciate what’s happening and where things are going in that film, there’s plenty of homework to be done which is why you’re here for the latest installment of…The Ultimate List of Things to Watch Before!

    Tier One

    These projects are non-negotiable. If you want to know what’s going on right when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 kicks off, you’ll have to find time to get these in before hitting the theater.

    Guardians of the Galaxy

    It all started with 2014’s surprise summer hit and any rewatch or first watch should start with the original Guardians of the Galaxy. The core team has grown quite a bit since they first came together in the space prison known as the Kyln in the first film but their origin story is one of the most rewatchable films in the Marvel Studios catalog, even if it does have one of the MCU’s worst villains. Rocket’s tragic origin, which is set to be explored in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is hinted at here making it worth the watch for that alone. It’s also the start of the romantic relationship between Peter and Gamora which ultimately results in the emotional state Peter is in when Vol. 3 begins.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

    While James Gunn will undoubtedly include something with the Sovereign in Vol. 3 to help newbies catch up, if you didn’t watch Vol. 2 you might not fully understand why Will Poulter‘s golden godman, Adam Warlock, is after the Guardians…but that’s hardly the only reason to check out Vol. 2. The 2017 sequel is all about relationships, some of which will be key to how you feel walking into and out of Vol. 3. Peter and Gamora’s romance grows; Drax and Mantis begin forming their wonderful friendship; Gamora and Nebula begin the process of repairing their sisterly bond. The core team also expands its roster during the film, adding Mantis and Kraglin. It’s certainly worth a watch to see how hard the next projects hit.

    Avengers: Infinity War

    Outside of Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War is arguably the most important project to take in ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Not only does the team play a key role in attempting to stop Thanos’ efforts to cut the population of the universe in half but it’s also the final appearance of “Prime” Gamora. Her death, at the hands of her father, changed Peter forever, something that’s center stage in Vol. 3.

    Tier Two

    If you can’t get to the Tier Two projects before you head to the theaters for Vol. 3, you’ll probably be caught up on the important events in them early on in the threequel. It’s not to say that they aren’t important because to have a complete understanding of each of the characters, every second of time they spend on screen is ultimately important. However, these two projects don’t add to the overall story as much as the others.

    Avengers: Endgame

    Gamora is back! Except it’s not really Gamora. Nebula’s redemption is complete. The Guardians take off with Thor on some new adventures.

    The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

    While the Holiday Special is incredibly entertaining, for a project whose entire focus is on the Guardians, it’s hardly essential viewing. It established that the team has made Knowhere its base of operations and reintroduced and more fully developed Cosmo. It feels more like a Drax and Mantis comedy project and while the pair offer some great laughs, their relationship with each other doesn’t really change much. The Holiday Special’s effort to treat the audience to a shocking reveal falls pretty flat as most everyone who watched Vol. 2 already figured out that Mantis and Peter were siblings. It would seem that everything important about this project could be summed up in 3-5 seconds of screen time in Vol. 3.

    Tier Three

    Thor: Love and Thunder

    Other than showing that Nebula has officially joined the team, the Guaridans’ time in Thor: Love and Thunder was entirely uneventful and, other than for continuity reasons, entirely unnecessary. Of course, the same might be able to be said about Thor: Love and Thunder itself, so it’s hardly the Guardians’ fault. However, if the film is entertaining at all, it is during the scenes on Indigarr when Thor and the Guardians help King Yakan take on the Booskan army led by Habooska the Horrible. Don’t go out of your way to watch it, but if you’re a completist, fast forward to this battle and then turn the TV off immediately.

    While it’s not as extensive as other Ultimate Lists have been in the past, it’s still enough to keep you busy in the coming weeks as you prepare for the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5th!

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer Jeff Loveness Confirms One of the Film’s Major Rewrites

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer Jeff Loveness Confirms One of the Film’s Major Rewrites

    Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania‘s theatrical run had a less than stellar theatrical run as it ran out of steam pretty quickly after a big opening weekend in mid-February. Much of the dropoff has been attributed to the generally poor word of mouth around the film, which was essentially an offbeat sci-fi B movie dressed up as an MCU flick. Writer Jeff Loveness has been the target of significant ire from fans who have consistently criticized some odd edits and lack of stakes in the film’s third act. Interestingly enough, in an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, Loveness confirmed that one part of the film’s ending was significantly altered from his original drafts; now, in a new interview, he’s revealed further changes to the film.

    In an interview with Backstory Magazine, Loveness confirmed that he had written the death of a member of the Ant-Family into an early draft of Quantumania. “We were going to kill Hank at one point,” said Loveness, “and I was going to have him be, like, reanimated.” Loveness is a huge comic book fans and has written books for Marvel Comics. When he was hired for Quantumania, I was told that his understanding of the source material was key to Marvel Studios being brought on board, so it’s not too surprising that he was going to “reanimate” Hank Pym in a very comic book-y way. “His consciousness was going to live on through the ants, and he was going to be like mentally controlling them,” he explained before adding, “yeah, he was going to be almost like this hive mind of the ants, and I like that… that didn’t go too far.“

    Given Loveness‘ admission that he liked his own idea, it’s hard to believe he was the one who cut the idea from the script and that it was likely done by the studio somewhere during the editing process. The revelation by Loveness continues to call into question just what went on between early drafts and even early screenings of the film and the final product. Reliable plot leaks suggest a much different cut of Quantumania existed at one point and set photos confirm that the final scenes of the movie were reshot roughly 6 weeks before release. While this news won’t stop the “bad writing” bandwagon from rolling, it’ll hopefully at least give some fans a reason to stop and think about who’s responsible for what when they see a film. Writers write. Editors edit. And someone else makes all the final decisions.

  • ‘Aquaman 2’ Hitting Theaters Earlier This Holiday Season

    ‘Aquaman 2’ Hitting Theaters Earlier This Holiday Season

    As the tides at DC continue to change, the sequel to one of the most successful DC films to date has gotten a new release date. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which was originally slated to release on Christmas Day, will now hit theaters on December 20th.

    James Wan’s sequel, which will now now on a Wednesday rather than a Monday, will be going head to head in theaters with the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife which recently began production.

    Updating…

    Source: Deadline

  • Frank Grillo Doubts a Crossbones Return to the MCU, Hints at DCU Future

    Frank Grillo Doubts a Crossbones Return to the MCU, Hints at DCU Future

    There’s always a discussion surrounding how villains are treated in any comic book cinematic franchise. Most commonly, they survive for mostly one film and those that make it out alive aren’t around for too long. So, while the heroes continue to get some development, outside of Loki, most villains end up one-dimensional due to the lack of screen time.

    As it turns out, Crossbones actor Frank Grillo feels the same. His character was seemingly set up for a long future with the Marvel Cinematic Universe but faced an untimely end during Captain America: Civil War. One might argue that without his character, the events of that entire film wouldn’t have taken place but it seems Grillo wasn’t a fan of how his character was treated, and seemingly confirms he’ll appear in an upcoming DC project.

    They never told a story [about Crossbones]. The mythology of the MCU and just what Marvel has in its pool of characters, it’s so deep. Crossbones was there for a minute, but he was supposed to be there longer, then they went the direction they did. I think Crossbones serves a purpose, but I think the interesting thing is that if you see how many people around the world have responded to Crossbones, and again, he’s on the screen for a very f–king short amount of time, I think there’s more there. I think there was more meat on the bone. I was disappointed, which is why I went over to DC.

    Frank Grillo

    It’s certainly a bit strange as he probably had more screen time than any villain in the MCU. Plus, he also returned for two projects even after his character died, as he returned in Avengers: Endgame and even voiced Crossbones again in What If…?. So, he wasn’t a character that was completely sidelined and it would’ve been great to see him return especially with future multiversal storylines. But going by his comments, that ship has sailed.

    Source: ComicBook.com