Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix’s ‘Resident Evil’ Won’t Return for Season 2

    Netflix’s ‘Resident Evil’ Won’t Return for Season 2

    Netflix has decided not to move forward with its Resident Evil series, which will end with only one season that was made available back on July 14th. The series hasn’t had a strong following as the streamer hoped for, as it wasn’t dominating its Top 10 category and it seems that the viewing numbers just weren’t there either. To be fair, the idea of releasing anything after the monolith that is Stranger Things also didn’t help and undercut the project’s release which hit a decent 72.7M hours viewed at the #2 spot. It didn’t quite get the word-of-mouth they may have hoped as it dropped in its second weekend and was no longer in the Top 10 after three weeks.

    Netflix’s model isn’t very friendly to new projects starting out, as their expectations are extremely high for any project, and the higher the budget, the more retention it needs to show. Even The Sandman which has had one of the slowest drops for any series may not get a renewal simply for how high the expectations are for this project. There is still quite a bit out there for those looking for their fill, but keep that in mind that binging the show and keeping it high is important to keep it going. Wednesday, One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more are good contenders for more IP-based offerings with growing potential.

    Resident Evil was created by Andrew Dabb and takes place 14 years after the virus hit. We explore Jade’s story, the daughter of Albert Wesker, as she uncovers the connections between her father and the Umbrella Corporation. While the series had some creative elements, it didn’t quite go viral as The Sandman did with most people pointing out the random dancing sequence, which ended up getting shared on social media platforms like Tik Tok. It also shows that an IP name doesn’t ensure success for these projects.

    Source: Deadline

  • Episode Count for ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season Revealed

    Episode Count for ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season Revealed

    After a successful fourth season on Netflix, it’s bizarre to think that work is only just really getting going on the final season of Stranger Things. Shortly after its release, the official writers’ account on Twitter revealed that they started work on the fifth and (sadly) final season of the Netflix cult hit.

    Now, they have shared a new update as it seems like they are now grinding out the upcoming final season of Stranger Things. Of course, they aren’t teasing any plot lines or even characters but it definitely looks like they are only steps away from starting work on the episodes. What is surprising though is that this may have confirmed that the final season will consist of eight episodes.

    Of course, things might change as they prepare the episodes and various plotlines but it does seem safe to say that eight episodes is what they are currently going for with the release. The series creators, the Duffer brothers, have hinted that they are avoiding another nine-episode season and trying to keep it smaller in the last season. While we’ll have to wait quite a bit until we get more details on what exactly the season has to offer, it looks like things are finally moving along for the final confrontation between Vecna and Eleven.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hunger Games’ Director Francis Lawrence to Direct ‘BioShock’

    ‘Hunger Games’ Director Francis Lawrence to Direct ‘BioShock’

    The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence has lined up his next project. Lawrence is set to direct the adaptation of the renowned video game franchise, BioShock. The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting that Netflix has been looking at A-list directors and writers for the job since it was announced earlier this year, recognizing the large scope of the property. Lawrence has been on their radar since Spring given what he has done with the Hunger Games franchise. The studio has also brought on Michael Green, who penned Logan, to write the script.

    With Lawrence in production on the Hunger Games prequel, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the plan is to have Green write the script while Lawrence is hard at work on that project. This will make it so that Lawrence can easily move on to BioShock once The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is completed. Lawrence, of course, took over the Hunger Games franchise after Gary Ross left ahead of the sequel, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. He went on to complete the franchise with the two-part Mockingjay before returning for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

    BioShock is set across multiple dystopian and visionary landscapes gone wrong with the games featuring a unique blend of horror and science-fiction. The first game was released in 2007 and has since sold more than 39 million copies worldwide. The franchise consists of BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite.

    The movie will be produced by Roy Lee through his Vertigo Entertainment along with Lawrence for his about:blank banner. As of now, BioShock does not have a release date on Netflix.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘One Piece’ Director Promises “Great Fights” Alongside “Tears and Laughter”

    ‘One Piece’ Director Promises “Great Fights” Alongside “Tears and Laughter”

    While it’s unclear just how long the wait might be until the series finally releases on Netflix, One Piece director Marc Jobst has taken to his Twitter account to hype up what the show has to offer Many long-time One Piece fans will know that while the action is a big part of the franchise, the love that many have for the project comes down to the emotional moments. Jobst made sure to highlight that we’ll definitely get all three in the upcoming series.

    It certainly sounds promising if they can truly bring these elements together the way they intend. A while ago, now-showrunner Matt Owens joined the online One Piece community to highlight that these elements are definite when adapting Eiichiro Oda‘s original work that’s been running for 25 years.

    The Netflix series has been slowly wrapping up production, as most of the main cast have seemingly already made their way home. Just earlier today, Sanji actor Taz Skylar shared a heartfelt post on Instagram thanking everyone he had a chance to work with on the production, highlighting just how close the team has grown throughout the production of Netflix’s One Piece.

    There’s no definite release date or even window for the series; which Netflix commonly only confirms just a few months before it is set to release. Though they started promoting it even before they showed anything from their other big IP adaptation, Avatar: The Last Airbender. With a cast and crew that came together like a family echoing how Oda approaches his stories, it seems it is in good hands.

    Source: Instagram, Twitter

  • Steve Blackman Boards Netflix’s Adaptation of ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’

    Steve Blackman Boards Netflix’s Adaptation of ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’

    Following the news that Netflix has renewed The Umbrella Academy for a fourth and final season, Deadline has revealed Steve Blackman has boarded the streamer’s adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn. The news comes as the showrunner has re-upped his big, eight-figure overall deal with the streaming service.

    Under the deal, Blackman will write and produce various series for Netflix through his newly launched Irish Cowboy production banner. Two projects that will be developed through this deal will be the ISS drama Orbital, and Horizon Zero Dawn, the adaptation of the popular PlayStation game of the same name. News that Netflix was looking to adapt Zero Dawn was first announced in May, at the time it was believed the project was still very much in early development. With Blackman now involved, that looks like it’ll change within the coming months.

    Expressing excitement over both projects, Blackman noted both series are “hallmarks” of what Irish Cowboy Productions looks for in projects. “Horizon Zero Dawn and Orbital are elevated, event-level projects grounded in characters that fans will love and relate to, which are hallmarks of Irish Cowboy productions. We’re thrilled to be working with Netflix and all of our partners on developing these ground-breaking stories.”

    Horizon Zero Dawn is based on the popular video game of the same name. It is set a thousand years in the future and follows an outcast named Aloy. The world around her is “strange and beautiful” featuring a mix of primitive lifestyles and high-tech machines. When the high-tech machines, which include Tallnecks, Snapmaws, and Sawtooths, begin to turn into dangerous hunters, Aloy will seek to discover a way to save her world while figuring out the truth of what happened in the past. The series proved to be a best-seller for PlayStation, having sold over 20 million global copies as of last year. The sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, was released earlier this year.

    Executive Producers for Horizon Zero Dawn will be Blackman, Michelle Lovretta and Abbey Morris, as well as Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions. They’ll be joined by Jan-Bart van Beek and Ben McCaw of Guerrilla and Roy Lee and Matthew Ball of Vertigo.

    Source: Steve Blackman

  • ‘The Umbrella Academy’ to End With Season 4 on Netflix

    ‘The Umbrella Academy’ to End With Season 4 on Netflix

    Netflix has renewed The Umbrella Academy for a fourth and final season. The news was announced by the streaming service early Thursday morning. The Netflix Geeked account tweeted, “gather ’round, Brellies. we’re going to embark on our fourth and final adventure.”

    The renewal comes a little over a month after Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy premiered. Season 3 reportedly opened at #1 in Netflix’s English-language TV weekly rankings having pulled in 124.5 million hours viewed. It also spent five weeks in the Top 10 on Netflix. While the official renewal wasn’t announced until today, Deadline reports that the season has already “largely been written.”

    Steve Blackman, who helped launch the series, will remain on board as the showrunner for the final season. Confirmed to reprise their roles for Season 4 are Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Ritu Arya, and Colm Feore.

    In a statement to the press, Blackman noted his excitement over being able to get the Hargreeves siblings a proper send-off. “I’m so excited that the incredibly loyal fans of The Umbrella Academy will be able to experience the fitting end to the Hargreeves siblings’ journey we began five years ago,” he said. “But before we get to that conclusion, we’ve got an amazing story ahead for season four, one that will have fans on the edge of their seats until the final minutes.”

    Executive producing the hit Netflix series alongside Blackman are Jesse McKeown, who also serves as co-showrunner, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, Scott Stuber and Beau Bauman. Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá who created the comic book series on which the Netflix show is based serve as co-executive producers.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Simu Liu Joins Jennifer Lopez in Netflix’s ‘Atlas’ as a Villain

    Simu Liu Joins Jennifer Lopez in Netflix’s ‘Atlas’ as a Villain

    After having become world-renowned for his portrayal of the titular hero in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Simu Liu is slated to portray someone on the dark side in Netflix’s Atlas. The actor has signed on to play the antagonist opposite Jennifer Lopez. In addition, it’s been revealed that Sterling K. Brown has also joined the cast in an unknown key role. Brad Peyton is set to helm the project with Aron Eli Coleite currently writing a new draft of the script based off of Leo Sardarian’s original script.

    Atlas is set to heavily involve the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Jennifer Lopez stars in the titular role as she fights for the future of humanity due to an AI who has broken bad (assumedly, this will be Simu Liu’s role in the film) with the agenda of killing the species for the sake of the world peace. Due to this, Lopez’s Atlas must work with a different AI as the only chance to defeat this villain.

    With this new role, Simu Liu has continued his fast ascent into the upper echelon of modern Hollywood with a large variety of roles. Fans of Liu will have the ability to see the actor continue to branch out his acting range with his upcoming portrayal of a Ken doll in Warner Bros’ Barbie film alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. That film is due for its theatrical release in the summer of 2023. He joins a distinguished group of fellow actors in playing characters on both sides of the morality aisle. Though it certainly remains to be seen if Atlas can match the same level of success Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has maintained on both a commercial and critical level.

    Source: Deadline

  • Myha’la Herrold Has Joined the Cast of ‘Black Mirror’

    Myha’la Herrold Has Joined the Cast of ‘Black Mirror’

    Industry actor Myha’la Herrold is the latest confirmed casting for Netflix’s Black Mirror.

    Deadline reports that Herrold will appear in the show’s forthcoming sixth season. While details are currently unknown regarding her role, she’s confirmed to appear in an episode of the anthology series. She’ll join the recently announced Rory Culkin, as well as Zazie Beetz, Paapa Essiedu, Josh Hartnett, Aaron Paul, Kate Mara, Danny Ramirez, Clara Rugaard, Auden Thornton and Anjana Vasan.

    Herrold can currently be seen in A24’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, which is now playing in theaters. She can also be seen in the HBO/BBC drama, Industry, which centers on a group of interns competing for roles at a prestigious London investment bank. She recently wrapped production on the Netflix adaptation of Rumaan Alam‘s Leave the World Behind, which she’ll star in alongside Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke.

    The sixth season of Black Mirror is the first season to be produced through writer Charlie Brooker‘s Netflix-backed banner, Broke & Bones, which he runs along with Annabel Jones. Production on Season 6 of Black Mirror is currently underway. While little is known about this season, it is expected it’ll consist of limited episodes that are closer to feature film length like with Season 5. As of this writing, Season 6 of Black Mirror does not have a release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘The Sandman’ Creator Hints It Being No. 1 on Netflix “May Not Be Enough” for Season 2 Renewal

    ‘The Sandman’ Creator Hints It Being No. 1 on Netflix “May Not Be Enough” for Season 2 Renewal

    Netflix is the home of many franchises and there have been quite a few that went on for a surprising amount of time. It seemed as if the company was finally moving away from its two-season death streak but it seems that even getting. multiple seasons are quite the challenge now. Neil Gaiman, the mastermind behind The Sandman comic book series and its Netflix adaptation, has revealed that while the series is in the Top 10 list globally for a third week in a row, it “may not be enough” to secure a second season.

    The reveal comes in a tweet by Gaiman when a fan asked for a potential second-season announcement. He also goes on to reveal that the show was quite expensive and that may be one of the reasons the viewership numbers need to continue to grow to truly get that boost for a renewal. We’ve recently seen it with a high-budget production that was Cowboy Bebop that even seemingly had its second season already planned out.

    So, if there’s a show you’re excited about then make sure that you are watching it. Netflix has an issue with some stand-out projects potentially diluting their expectations for most projects to achieve. Squid Game managed to pull some massive viewership numbers worldwide but it also raises the expectations for others. Here’s hoping that they might see the potential of a growing viewership for future seasons instead of expecting a Squid Game every time.

    Source: Variety

  • Emily Rudd Has Wrapped Work on Live-Action ‘One Piece

    Emily Rudd Has Wrapped Work on Live-Action ‘One Piece

    It looks like work has wrapped up on the first season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece. Actress Emily Rudd, who is set to take on the role of the Cat Burglar Nami, has taken to her personal Instagram to announce that she’s wrapped up work. She looks back at the long production and shares her excitement about bringing her dream role to life.

    It’s crazy to think how much time has passed since the production started back in January. There’s still we don’t know yet about the project, as not all directors have been confirmed and there are still some discussions on how the show will be structured. East Blue Saga has a lot to cover and there are also the questions of what the creative team might even adapt or change from the original.

    Showrunners Steve Maeda and Matt Owens have shown their dedication to bringing the franchise to life. Eiichiro Oda is also involved in the project, which adds that extra layer of authenticity. With an excited and dedicated cast, it may have the chance of becoming one of Netflix’s next big franchises, as they see it as their next Stranger Things. With a cast and team like it has, it certainly is on the right track.

    Source: Instagram