Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Netflix

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Secret Invasion’ and Many More Productions to Shut Down for 90 Days Due to IATSE Strike

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Secret Invasion’ and Many More Productions to Shut Down for 90 Days Due to IATSE Strike

    Just yesterday, reports were going around about a potential IATSE Union strike to ensure reasonable expenses and breaks for crew members. It was hinted that they were going to go on strike Monday, but a new rumor might point to it taking place as of tomorrow. According to Star Wars Time, it seems that the production of The Mandalorian‘s third season will shut down alongside other Lucasfilm productions. It seems that the plans for the company are to close up shop for around 90 days with 60,000 film and TV workers affected. They do highlight that there is a slim chance they might avoid a potential shutdown, but the chances seem quite slim.

    There are also rumblings surrounding Marvel projects eyeing a similar development. So, we can assume the same will happen with other projects like the currently filming The Last Of Us, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, or the recently started Secret Invasion. There’s also the uncertainty of how it may affect post-productions due to VFX departments and editors. The latter may fall into IATSE Local 700 of The Motion Picture Editors Guild. Star Wars Time highlights that their source at the time was unsure. So, the projects like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and other productions could also face delays. There’s also the question of projects that require reshoots within that 90-day window.

    It’s an important step for the industry, as it faced many new challenges with the pandemic. We’ve seen discussion for fair compensation on many levels of Hollywood’s talent, such as Scarlet Johansson‘s ongoing feud with Disney over Black Widow. These actions ripple out to others and draw the attention of the industry to see how they may influence the future. We’ll surely keep a close eye on how it develops, but once the strikes happen we can expect quite a few delays of future releases moving forward.

    Source: Star Wars Time, Variety, Editor’s Guild

  • ‘Squid Game’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Series Launch

    ‘Squid Game’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Series Launch

    The Korean drama Squid Game has been all the rage lately and it seems that Netflix managed to nab another international hit. It seems that the mini-series garnered around 111 million viewers in just its first month. As such, it’s their biggest launched series since Bridgerton, whose record was beaten within 28 days. It was in the top spot throughout 90 countries since its September debut with 30 language options available. Squid Game joins the ranks of international hits like Money Heist, Dark, and Lupin.

    What is quite impressive lies in how Netflix’s internationalization strategy is strengthening its grip on the market. As Deadline highlights, it’s quite an investment to realize that a series can find an audience worldwide no matter the language. The concept of Squid Game also has the advantage of telling a story that connects with many. The struggle of the low and middle-class forces many people’s hands to desperate options. The Battle Royale concept has generally also become quite popular throughout media, may it be through film, TV, or video games.

    Not everything has been golden for the streaming service, as they recently halted their Jupiter’s Legacy project, which originally included a multi-year contract with the expansion of the Millarverse. Instead, they are moving forward with a Supercrooks spin-off series that won’t directly tie into the franchise. They’ve been eyeing quite a few projects based on Dark Horse comics and even bringing Anime to live-action, such as the upcoming One Piece project.

    Source: Deadline

  • Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp Returning for Netflix’s “That ’70s Show’ Spinoff

    Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp Returning for Netflix’s “That ’70s Show’ Spinoff

    It looks like Netflix truly wants to play with our nostalgia, as Variety has just shared they are developing a spinoff of That ’70s Show titled That ’90s Show. It’ll be a multi-cam sitcom with ten episodes currently ordered. It’ll take place in 1995, where we’ll meet Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric and Donna. Over the summer, she’s visiting her grandparents and introduces us to a familiar location 20 years in the future. Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith are set to return as Kitty and Red Forman.

    That’s not all that is returning, as alum Gregg Mettler will be serving as showrunner alongside the original’s creators Bonnie, and Terry Turner, who’ll be joined by their daughter Lindsey. Smith and Rupp also join as executive producers. The Carsey-Werner Company’s Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner are also returning to executive produce. We’re seeing a lot of talent return from the 1998 Fox show.

    It’s not the first time a continuation was pitched, as they originally wanted to tackle a spinoff in the ’90s way back. So, it’s not too surprising that quite a few of the original writers and even the creators are returning. It’ll be interesting to see how the show captures the spirit and if we might see other familiar faces return. Netflix’s The Ranch acted as a reunion show for many actors from That ’70s Show. The show was popular when it streamed on the service, and it might not be the last time they bring back a classic franchise.

    Source: Variety

  • The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of September 27-October 2

    The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of September 27-October 2

    The Skrulls Are Coming, The Skrulls Are Coming

    Early in the week, I got the go ahead to share just a little bit of information about the roles of Kingsley Ben-Adir and Killian Scott in Marvel Studios 2022 streaming series Secret Invasion. Nobody was going to be surprised that Ben-Adir, who was cast as the villain in the series, would be playing a Skrull; however what puts a little more meat on the bone of his role is that he’s playing one that has a shared history with Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos. Speaking of Skrulls, it looks like Scott will be playing one as well, partnering up with Ben-Adir’s character.

    Fans Have Much More Marvel Studios Content Coming

    Newly promoted Marvel Studios exec Victoria Alonso gave fans something to chew on when she revealed in an interview that the studio has 31 projects currently at some stage of development. Even the hardest of the hardcore have a hard time coming up with all 31 could be, but with 13 films scheduled between 2022 and 2024, a half dozen or so Disney Plus series and some animated shows on the list, we know there’s going to be diversity not only in the type of projects we’ll see, but also in the people creating and starring in them.

    Star Wars Fans Won’t Have It So Bad, Either

    It’s not quite 31, but it’ll do. Disney Plus has plans to release 10 series set in a galaxy far, far away over the next few years. We know that will start on December 29th with The Book of Boba Fett and we know a few other titles, but it seems Disney Plus still has a few surprises up their sleeve.

    ScarJo and Disney Are Friends Again

    After taking a $40M settlement from Disney, Scarlett Johansson is ready to make some more movies with the studio after suing them over the hybrid release of Black Widow. Disney and Johansson are expected to continue their collaboration with the upcoming Tower of Terror film.

  • Taking a Closer Look at ‘Squid Games’ Manga Inspirations

    Taking a Closer Look at ‘Squid Games’ Manga Inspirations

    Netflix may have found its next big hit, as the South Korean drama known as Squid Game introduces us to a rather dark and twisted look at classic children’s games. Whoever wins six games will garner the massive cash price to pay off their debt. Yet, it makes you question how much worth your life truly has in such a dark and twisted game. Its unique visuals and dark twist on childhood games put it on the map. As it’s Netflix’s new rising star, it’s the perfect time to explore the stories that inspired it.

    Squid Game": Neue Netflix-Serie schreckt vor keiner Grausamkeit zurück | STERN.de

    The script by Hwang Dong-hyu was first written back in 2008 before he scrapped it for some time. He shared that he was inspired by the mangas Liar Game by Shinobu Kaitani, and Nobuyuki Fukumoto‘s Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji (Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji). They center around a similar storyline where unsuspecting people are brought into dangerous games to pay their debts. The former even got a South Korean TV series back in 2014. Kaiji was so popular it expanded into five additional series that offers a dark glimpse into the world of gambling.

    While the name and games are inspired by the Korean children’s game by the same name, there was some controversy due to the similarity to one rather specific manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro titled As the Gods Will (Kami-sama no Iu Tōri). In this series, high schools are suddenly infiltrated by Daruma dolls that force students to play the game. If they fail to stay by the rules, they end up dying. The worst part, it isn’t just one game. In 2014, it was adapted into a live-action film, which has been brought up in comparison by critics.

    AS THE GODS WILL ENDING EXPLAINED IN HINDI - YouTube

    Yes, the concept of a children’s game leading to death is quite similar but the basis is different. As the Gods Will doesn’t give its players anything to win, they are simply unwilling pawns in a game of death. In reality, all these series have one shared origin in the Japanese novel Battle Royale by author Koushin Takami. It explores a fictional world where high schoolers are forced to kill each other on an island for the amusement of a fascist government. It famously got adapted into a film in 2000 that inspired many similar stories. Dong-hyu‘s tale of desperation isn’t a new concept but builds upon almost two decades of storytelling while adding a unique twist on the concept.

    Source: Chosun, Insight

  • Alice Waddington to Adapt Dark Horse’s ‘Dept.H’ for Netflix

    Alice Waddington to Adapt Dark Horse’s ‘Dept.H’ for Netflix

    Netflix continues its ongoing adaptation spree, as Deadline shared that Paradise Hills‘ Alice Waddington has joined the upcoming adaptation of Dept.H. T.S. Nowlin, who penned The Maze Runner, will tackle the script with Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, and Paul Schwake of Dark Horse Entertainment producing. It’ll explore the story of how the death of a scientist leads his estranged daughter six miles below the ocean floor to uncover what lead to his untimely end. It becomes a race against the time as it might become her underwater grave.

    Dept.H was written and illustrated by Matt Kindt, which started under the Dark Horse banner back in 2015. Ever since their success with Umbrella Academy, they’ve been expanding their ventures with Dark Horse Entertainment, such as the recent announcement of Grendel. The streaming market has been quite competitive and it continues to grow with each new competitor.

    Netflix has been focusing more and more on developing well-known IPs to build its brand. Umbrella Academy proved that their model has some potential, and we’re seeing recent developments with them going beyond just Dark Horse. They are tackling live-action adaptations of popular Anime, such as the recent showcase of Cowboy Bebop. It’s going to be interesting to see how it continues to grow moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’s Production Gearing Up in South Africa

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’s Production Gearing Up in South Africa

    After a long wait, it looks like the upcoming One Piece live-action adaptation is slowly nearing a production start. We’re still waiting for any news regarding its take on the iconic manga from 1997. There are some concerns that the cartoony world created by Eiichiro Oda might not work in live-action. Netflix has recently promoted its Cowboy Bebop series by recreating the iconic opening, which does look quite fateful. So, there’s some hope for this project, especially with the original creator supervising it.

    Still, we know very little about the series. We were recently able to confirm that Marc Jobst would direct the pilot episode. It is now working under the production name “Project Panda.” It was a surprising change, as it initially was known as “Project Roger.” A recent Instagram story by showrunner Steven Madea‘s assistant Steven Cho revealed that he received some items in South Africa for the production. What sticks out is that the mailing includes the name “Afrika Project Panda Pty Ltd.” that we reported recently. It also includes the filming location at Cape Town Film Studios, where Raised by Wolves, Mad Max: Fury Road, and many more come from.

    It looks like whatever was delivered is required for the Studio 1. As the team is slowly moving its production to South Africa, it’s safe to assume that they are gearing up for production. It, hopefully, is also a sign we might get some casting news shortly. So far, we’ve only heard rumors that Ludi Lin is potentially up for the role of Zoro. Yet, we haven’t heard anything about the other Straw Hat pirates outside of Steven Maeda and his team staying true to their descriptions by Oda. The adaptation of East Blue will offer some iconic and easily recognizable characters from the franchise’s earliest outing. Here’s hoping we get a look at our favorite pirate crew and the Merry.

    Source: Instagram, IMDb

  • First Look at ‘Cowboy Bebop’s Vicious Released Alongside Netflix’s Take on the Iconic Opening

    First Look at ‘Cowboy Bebop’s Vicious Released Alongside Netflix’s Take on the Iconic Opening

    Netflix has a lot riding on the upcoming Cowboy Bebop series. It’s their latest attempt at proving they can successfully adapt an anime into live-action, but also tackle one of the most beloved franchises in the genre. It’s a tall order for any company and it may pave the way for their future success in this new endeavour. They have oddly still played coy on showing us full sequences or a trailer, but they did unveil a very faithful adaptation of the original anime’s opening.

    https://twitter.com/bebopnetflix/status/1441829604436557830

    Not only that, but we also got our look at the various supporting characters that will join our ragtag gang of space cowboys. The opening does include some hints at upcoming plotlines and familiar characters. It’s a surprising but clever move to showcase that they care about the original inspiration of the franchise. This way, we get a feeling that they are trying to stay true to what the original offered while still adding their own spin. Netflix also shared the first look at Tamara Tunie as Ana, Mason Alexander Park‘s Gren, Alex Hassell as Vicious, and Elena Satine as Julia.

    So far, the series looks very impressive but it’ll be important to get a feeling if the adaptation can stay true to the original. Tomorrow Studio will also showcase their ability with handling these franchises, as they’re going to bring Eiichiro Oda‘s One Piece series to Netflix in the near future. Here’s hoping that we’re entering an age where live-action anime adaptations will work.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter

  • Chris Hemsworth Reteams with Russo Brothers for ‘EXTRACTION 2’

    Chris Hemsworth Reteams with Russo Brothers for ‘EXTRACTION 2’

    Chris Hemsworth is officially returning for Extraction 2.

    Netflix announced the news during its Tudum event earlier today. Also returning is director  Sam Hargrave, as well as producers Joe and Anthony Russo. The first film was written by Joe Russo and proved to be a massive hit for the streaming service.

    Hemsworth’s Tyler was thought to have died at the end of the first film when his character was shot and fell into the water, where it was thought he drowned. However, Tyler managed to survive despite it all. In the official teaser, which you can see below, Netflix tagged the teaser as #RakeLives before revealing the sequel was coming “soon.”

    A release date has not yet been announced for Extraction 2.

  • Netflix Renews ‘THE WITCHER’ for Season 3 Alongside New Anime Film and Children Series

    Netflix Renews ‘THE WITCHER’ for Season 3 Alongside New Anime Film and Children Series

    Ahead of the premiere of Season 2 of The Witcher, the streaming service has given the series an early renewal. The news came during Netflix’s TUDUM event, where they took to Twitter to announced that the series will also be joined by a brand new family-friendly series in the same world, as well as a second anime feature film. It looks like Netflix is all in on The Witcher franchise and there’s going to be a lot more heading our way in the future.

    https://twitter.com/witchernetflix/status/1441842621786181638

    Netflix has seen some success with the series’ first season and the animated spin-off titled Nightmare of the Wolf. The fact they’re renewing it for a third season alongside multiple expansions really showcases the draw this series has for the streamer. They’ve also released a new clip from the upcoming season, which you can check out here:

    TUDUM has been a rather successful event for the streamer, as they showcased some of their biggest upcoming series. Stranger Things got a new trailer and we even got our first look at the DC adaptation of The Sandman. Netflix continues to expand with well-known IPs to continue expanding with other streams offering quite the competition. We’ll see what the future has in store for Netflix as they continue to expand. You can also check out our exclusive on the upcoming One Piece adaptation here.

    Source: Twitter