Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Sets Its Sights on a Franchise Best Opening Weekend

    ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Sets Its Sights on a Franchise Best Opening Weekend

    Following the lackluster opening weekend of Shazam: Fury of the Gods, it looks like the Baba Yaga’s fourth big-screen adventure is set to kick ass at the box office. After getting glowing advace reviews that resulted in a 94% Fresh Rating at Rotten Tomatoes and a Metascore of 78, John Wick: Chapter 4 is setting up to have the franchise’s best opening weekend take.

    The franchise has always outperformed expectations, with each sequel significantly outperforming its predecessor at the box office. The three previous installments opened to $14M, $30.4M and $56.8M, respectively, and the trend looks to continue with the fourth film currently looking at a domestic opening weekend estimate of $70M and over $100M worldwide. Such a global opening would mean much of the film’s $100M production budget would be covered in the first three days of its theatrical window.

    The universe of John Wick is rapidly expanding with theatrical and streaming spinoffs planned but there seems to be no hint at waning interest from the audience. Perhaps superhero fatigure is real, but John Wick is tireless.

    Source: Variety

  • First ‘Captain America 4’ BTS Pics Feature Anthony Mackie on Location

    First ‘Captain America 4’ BTS Pics Feature Anthony Mackie on Location

    With all the attention focused on Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: New World Order quietly began production on location in Atlanta this week. The first set photos from the film show Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson visiting a West Virginia diner.

    The new film will be the fourth installment in the Captain America franchise and the first big screen outing for Mackie’s Wilson since he took on the mantle in the Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Rumors have the plot of the film revolving around the discovery of Adamantium on the body of the Celestial Tiamut and a world going to war over the precious resource.

    The photos seem to show work being completed on an unfinished set of a location called Smyth’s Diner which is a location that has been visited in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1991’s The Adventures of Captain America #2.

    Location filming is expected to continue throughout the week and expect Mackie to be joined by co-star Danny Ramirez who will be reprising his role and Joaquin Torres and suiting up as the Falcon.

    Captain America: New World Order was co-written by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson and will be directed by Julius Onah. The film is currently slated for a May 3, 2024 theatrical release.

    Source: Just Jared

  • ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel Kicks Off Production

    ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel Kicks Off Production

    2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife had a strong launch at the box office in November 2021, taking in $44M in its first weekend on the way to a domestic total of $129M. The film’s $204M global gross more than offset its moderate $75M budget and while it wasn’t a critical darling, an A- CinemaScore meant it resonated with audiences. It didn’t take long for Sony to announce a sequel and in December 2022 they announced that Oscar nominee Gil Keenan was on board to direct and co-write with producer Jason Reitman, who directed the first film. Since then, things have stayed pretty quiet around the project but development must have gone well because Keenan and Reitman have revealed that production has begun.

    The screenwriting duo took to Twitter to reveal that they were “Back in the Firehouse” on the first day of principal photography for the untitled sequel. The project’s working title, Firehouse, was revealed by Reitman on Ghostbuster’s Day in June of 2022 and is obviously a nod to the HQ of the original group of Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters: Afterlife saw the return of original Ghostbuster Winston Zeddemore to the gang’s firehouse and teased big things for the future of the franchise.

    Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd and McKenna Grace are all expected to be returning for the sequel, as well as Ernie Hudson. The untitled sequel is currently slated to hit theaters on December 20, 2023.

  • Too Short: ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Theatrical Window Looks to Be Closing Soon

    Too Short: ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Theatrical Window Looks to Be Closing Soon

    Shazam: Fury of the Gods had a tough opening weekend at the domestic box office where it only pulled in $30.5M, not a good number for a superhero film and less than the 2022 box office bomb Morbius. The film has been harshly reviewed, especially compared to its 2019 predecessor, and the B+ Cinemascore doesn’t really bode well for it to have legs, especially with John Wick: Chapter 4 blasting into theaters this weekend. All those factors work together to paint a pretty grim picture of the future of the film and it looks like Warner Bros. may have looked at that picture and decided to shake things up.

    A listing for Shazam: Fury of the Gods on Amazon Prime Video indicates that it will be available on the streaming service as of midnight Eastern time on April 18th.

    Should that digital release date hold true, it would mean Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ theatrical release window would end after just 32 days. Nothing is official just yet but given all the negativity surrounding the film and the competition it faces at the box office, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this pan out. Of course, this news won’t do any favors for the film’s second (or third or fourth) weekend at the box office as families who may be considering seeing the film may just opt to wait a few more weeks and catch it at home.

  • Always in Motion Is the Future: Damon Lindelof Exits Top Secret Star Wars Project

    Always in Motion Is the Future: Damon Lindelof Exits Top Secret Star Wars Project

    Days after an interview with /Film in which he expressed his hesitation to work on a Star Wars film, writer Damon Lindelof has reportedly left the top secret project that he’d been working on for the past year. Lindelof had been co-writing the film with Justin Britt-Gibson, who has also left the project, which was expected to be directed by  Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

    According to Above the Line, the duo turned in a screenplay in February before parting ways with Lucasfilm, who has already brought a new writer on board, and the film still has the green light. Lucasfilm will reportedly announce the film during April’s Star Wars Celebration and reveal that it’s slated to hit theaters in December of 2025. After a recent report revealed that long-developing projects such as Rogue Squadron and the untitled Kevin Feige film were no longer on the slate, speculation ramped up that the top-secret Lindelof/Britt-Gibson/Obaid-Chinoy project was on deck for Lucasfilm. A more recent rumor indicated that the project had already found its star in Yahya Abdul-Mateen II which may lend some credence to Above the Line’s report that production on the project is currently expected to begin in February 2024.

    The shockwave of Lindelof’s departure was slightly reduced by his recent admission that he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue “cooking” a Star Wars project given his admiration and attachment to the franchise he grew up on.

    I will just say, that for reasons that I can’t get into on this Sunday morning, on this day, the degree of difficulty is extremely, extremely, extremely high. If it can’t be great, it shouldn’t exist. That’s all I’ll say, because I have the same association with it as you do, which is, it’s the first movie I saw sitting in my dad’s lap, four years old, May of ’77. I think it’s possible that sometimes when you hold something in such high reverence and esteem, you start to get in the kitchen and you just go, “Maybe I shouldn’t be cooking. Maybe I should just be eating.” We’ll just leave it at that.

    Damon Lindelof

    It’ll be interesting to follow the project and see how it develops beyond Lindelof and Britt-Gibson’s draft and if the pair are ultimately granted a writing credit for whatever version of the project hits theaters. A previous report from THR indicated that the film was expected to be set in the aftermath of the sequel trilogy and would bring back some characters from those films. That same report suggested that while Lucasfilm was moving away from its trilogy model, they were open to sequels to the Obaid-Chinoy project should it be successful. With Star Wars Celebration kicking off in just over two weeks on April 7th, fans won’t have too long of a wait to see which of these rumors is true.

    Source: Above the Line, /Film

  • Breaking: Victoria Alonso Leaves Marvel Studios

    Breaking: Victoria Alonso Leaves Marvel Studios

    In a stunning move, executive Victoria Alonso has parted ways with Marvel Studios. According to THR, Alonso’s final day with the studio was Friday, March 17th and no reason has been disclosed for her move.

    Alonso has served as an executive producer on dozens of Marvel Studios’ projects dating back to 2012’s The Avengers. In 2021, she assumed the position of president of physical, postproduction, VFX and animation at the studio and has taken the lead in the studio’s push to increase diversity in its projects in front of and behind the camera.

    The move ends a 17-year career for Alonso who began working as the studios’s chief of visual effects and post-production in 2006. She also co-produced the studio’s first film, Iron Man, in 2008.

    Source; THR

  • ‘The Batman-Part II’ Rumored to Include a Surprising Return Character

    ‘The Batman-Part II’ Rumored to Include a Surprising Return Character

    Paul Dano‘s Edward Nashton drove Robert Pattinson‘s Batman to the edge in 2022’s The Batman; ultimately, the World’s Greatest Detective discovers the endgame of Nashton’s riddles and nabs Carmine Falcone. Of course, as Riddler is “captured” and shipped off to Arkham, Batman discovers too late the secondary plan to flood Gotham and wash away its history of corruption. While Batman was able to intervene to some extent, Riddler’s extravagant plan was a success and Gotham will certainly be in all manner of disarray when it’s next seen in the HBO Max series The Penguin and again in 2025’s The Batman-Part II.

    Set to film in late 2023, little is known about Matt Reeves‘ The Batman-Part II. It survived the great purge when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over at DC and formed DC Studios and will be released under that studio’s new Elseworlds banner which means the stories developed by Reeves will take place outside of the DCU’s main continuity. What story is The Batman-Part II going to tell? There are plenty of rumors out there but the truth is nobody knows what Reeves has in mind; however, a new rumor from a reliable insider might at least give fans an idea of who some of the key players will be in the new chapter.

    According to Daniel RPK, both Colin Farrell and Paul Dano will reprise their respective roles in 2025’s The Batman-Part II. To be sure, most everyone probably expected Farrell’s Oz to return; the streaming series The Penguin is set in the immediate aftermath of the events in The Batman and looks to be diving into the turmoil unleashed in the criminal underworld of Gotham following the death of Carmine Falcone. Dano’s return, however, might come as much more of a surprise, especially given the breakdown he suffered in the film’s closing moments.

    With all the talk of Mr. Freeze somehow being incorporated into the sequel, a return by the Riddler might not be exactly what fans are hoping for. Of course, Dano’s return doesn’t mean he’ll play a major role or be the primary antagonist once again, especially as Reeves looks to build Batman’s Rogues Gallery throughout the different projects set within his Gotham-verse. Given there are over two years until The Batman-Part II hits theaters on October 3, 2025, this is just the first turn of the rumor mill for the cast of the film.

  • Willem Dafoe is Open to Reprise Green Goblin Role in a Future Marvel Film

    Willem Dafoe is Open to Reprise Green Goblin Role in a Future Marvel Film

    We know Marvel Studios’ new “Endgame” for the Multiverse Saga. As many could’ve predicted the moment we saw the opening and final moments of Loki, the franchise is heading to a live-action adaptation of the iconic Secret Wars storyline in a new Avengers film. It opens up many possibilities to revisit some characters from the past and it seems one actor is down to return.

    After once again reprising the role of Norman Osborne in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Willem Dafoe reveals that he’s certainly open to potentially playing the character one more time “if everything was right.” He highlights how much joy he has playing the character(s) and the depth it allows him to bring to the role.

    I mean, that’s a great role. I liked the fact that it’s a double role both times. Twenty years ago, and fairly recently, both times [were] very different experiences, but I had a good time on both.

    Willem Dafoe

    It definitely would be great to see him return, especially with No Way Home’s focus on a recognizable version of the character. We haven’t had the chance to meet a unique take on the character in live-action as the Green Goblin. So, they could use the opportunity to introduce a good version of the character appearing in Avengers: Secret Wars joining an unlikely alliance.

    There’s also the fact they could experiment with the look of the Goblin, as the previous iteration mostly re-used his Power Rangers-style suit from the original Spider-Man film. So, we could potentially ee the mechanical version that was scrapped make an appearance once again with Dafoe once again having fun in the role.

    Source: Inverse

  • ‘Shazam 2’ Fizzled Out at the Box Office with Low $30M Domestic Opening

    ‘Shazam 2’ Fizzled Out at the Box Office with Low $30M Domestic Opening

    The debates over the box office results of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was quite all over the place, as the film faced a steep drop after its initial weekend. Yet, it still made a big splash that one expects from a Marvel Studios offering and fizzled out faster due to higher expectations on such projects and the fact that there’s always a Disney+ release around the corner, as taught in the past by how releases were handled.

    Yet, it seems 2023 isn’t kind to superhero films in general as the latest DC film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods faced an even harsher box office release with one of the worst openings for a DC Extended Universe entry. With an $11.7M Friday, the film is projected to end at around $30M. That would put it quite a bit below the initially expected $35M to $40M. Many had believed the film had a chance to garner some momentum going into the weekend but it seems it has swiftly fizzled out.

    What makes this hurt, even more, is that it’s quite a bit lower than 2019’s Shazam! which opened at $53.5M at the box office. It does have the same $100M price tag as the previous entry but with a B+ CinemaScore, the question will be how its legs perform. Many have used it as a way to get a feeling for where it’s going but its key audience families are still struggling to get back to theaters. It was a hope they might strengthen even Ant-Man‘s box office run as they had a much higher affinity with the film, but it seems they are still a market that has yet to find their way back.

    Perhaps there’s a correlation between more family-friendly offerings and the recent drop in box office for animated releases. If you’re not a “must-watch” released in theaters, they simply won’t make the trip like with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or even Minions: Rise of Gru last year. The box office is certainly doing better but not every target audience is quite where some might have hoped it would be. So, more adult and teen-driven releases like the recent successes of Scream VI and Creed III might be on the horizon.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Grades Out with the Same Cinemascore as ‘Black Adam’

    ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Grades Out with the Same Cinemascore as ‘Black Adam’

    As Shazam: Fury of the Gods pushes through its opening weekend, early reviews don’t seem to be helping it at the box office where it only pulled in $3.4M in its Thursday previews and estimates have it finishing up between $30-35M after adding $7.6M more on Friday night . Poor early reviews aren’t always a death knell for films; sometimes positive word of mouth from fans can help propel a film beyond the estimated projections. However, it’s not looking good for the Shazam! sequel on that front either.

    After polling opening night audiences about the film, Cinemascore has revealed a B+ grade for Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

    B+ seems to be the sweet spot for DC projects. Black Adam, Birds of Prey, Joker, Justice League, Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman 1984 all received B+ Cinemascores from moviegoers. It’s an interesting grouping to be sure as some of those films are held in a bit higher regard than others, yet they all sit at the same Cinemascore. For comparison’s sake, 2019’s Shazam! was given an A Cinemascore by audiences.

    Currently sitting at a 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, Fury of the Gods has taken a hit by critics for not living up to its predecessor in terms of comedy or plot and for lacking the charm that made Shazam! a bit of a surprise hit. It was already highly unlikely that the franchise would continue on at the new DC Studios, but its performance and fans’ general lack of interest and awareness would seem to cement the fact that this will be the last adventure for the this iteration of the Shazamily.

    Sources: Cinemascore, Deadline