Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix and HBO Max in a Bidding War for ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

    Netflix and HBO Max in a Bidding War for ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

    It looks like the next entry in the Monsterverse saga will have a new home. According to Hollywood Reporter, Netflix made an offer for over $200 million to get their hands on Warner Bros. Godzilla vs. Kong. Surprisingly, they declined the offer and are hoping for a bid by HBO Max to keep it in their own house. It is a curious move as Netflix would’ve covered 75% of the budget. Legendary still has plans to release the film in theaters, especially in international markets. A third of its Box Office was in China alone, which doesn’t have any Netflix presence. So, they might be hoping to still bank on that market potential outside of the US. Plus, this film combines two franchises in a massive crossover, which would surely draw attention to theaters.

    The film is still slated for a May release next year. It is uncertain if theaters will open by then, so it is a risk to wait it out and not take the digital route. Godzilla vs. Kong‘s future is in Legendary’s hands, who decide its release even if they only have a 25% stake in the film. There is a good chance they’ll wait out the success of Wonder Woman 1984, which will have a theatrical and digital release simultaneously in December. They might be nervous about giving Netflix the release, as it could restrict their attempt at a theatrical release. Plus, their main goal is to grow the internal streaming service, so it would be a waste not to use such a tentpole franchise to draw in new subscribers. Godzilla: King of Monsters sadly underperformed, so there was hope that this crossover could bring more attention to the franchise. Yet, this decision could make it difficult to determine if the Monsterverse will continue beyond this entry.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Digital Spy

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Adds Robert Englund and More

    ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Adds Robert Englund and More

    Strangers Things has become quite the household name since it premiered on Netflix in 2016. Over the past few seasons, the show has used many popular ’80s films as inspiration for its storyline. It follows the unfolding mystery of the upside-down and the things that bump within. The upcoming fourth season will even include nods to classic horror films, such as Alien and Maximum Overdrive. The pandemic has become the bane of many productions’ around the world, slowing and even completely halting them. Netflix’s tentpole franchise was no stranger to these delays, as it began filming earlier this year before being quickly shut down due to safety concerns. At least now, we are getting some major casting news for the series.

    It’s being reported the show’s fourth season has just about rounded out its cast with some exciting editions that are sure to make horror fans and ’80s nostalgia junkies excited. Possibly the most exciting addition to this season is a horror icon, Robert Englund, most known for his portrayal of Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Englund will portray Victor Creel, who’s been locked up in a psychiatric hospital for some vicious murders that he committed in the 1950s. Joining Englund is Tom Wlaschia, most known for his role as Jaqen H’ghar on the HBO series Game of Thrones. Rounding out these exciting additions to the cast are Jamie Campbell Bower, Eduardo Franco, Joseph Quinn, Mason Dye, Nikolaj Djuricko, and Sherman Augustus.

    Stranger Things‘ fourth season is currently in production and will change up what we are used to. The first trailer for the next installment teased that our favorite characters won’t all be together in Hawkins, Indiana. It is slated to air sometime next year.

    SOURCE: Variety

  • ‘Umbrella Academy’ Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix

    ‘Umbrella Academy’ Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix

    The second season of Netflix’s hit show Umbrella Academy, based on the comics by Singer/Songwriter Gerard Way, released its second season in late July and received critical praise for approving upon much of what was already great within the first season. For a while, many have wondered if the show was to come back for a third season and the long-term radio silence from Netflix didn’t bode well considering their track record this year.

    It’s now being reported the show will indeed return for a third season on the popular streaming service. The second season finale found the team sent back to the present day after being trapped in the 60s for over a year. After escaping the apocalypse, they returned to find the timeline altered by their actions causing the Umbrella Academy to cease to exist with the new and mysterious Sparrow Academy in their place. With the reveal of the time altered Sparrow Academy at the end of the shows previous season, it wouldn’t be much of a far cry to assume that they’ll be adapted the Hotel Oblivion storyline, a fairly recent addition to the source material, having been released only in June of 2019.

     

    The third season will begin production in February, will consist of 10-hour long episodes and will see the return of stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, Justin H. Min, Aidan Gallagher, Ritu Arya, David Casteneda, Emmy-Raver-Lampman and Robert Sheehan.

    SOURCE: Variety 

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘STRANGER THINGS’ Season 4 Horror Influences Revealed

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘STRANGER THINGS’ Season 4 Horror Influences Revealed

    Production recently resumed on Stranger Things Season 4 in and around Atlanta and some interesting news has made it our way! The series has always been heavily inspired by 80’s films ranging from Fast Times at Ridgemont High to The Thing to Sixteen Candles. The brothers have also often expressed how much of the DNA of Stranger Things was inspired by legends like John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, Stephen King and James Cameron among others. It looks like a pair of mid-80’s King and Cameron horror films may have exerted a heavy influence on Season 4.

    The set of Season 4 is rich with Easter Eggs that point towards Cameron’s Alien franchise and Maximum Overdrive, a film written and directed by King based off one of his own short stories. As production has moved around Atlanta, fans have noticed that location signs have included Weyland and Mule as code names for the production. The Weyland reference isn’t quite as deep of a cut as Mule, but for those who aren’t familiar, here’s a little breakdown.

    Weyland refers to the Weyland Corporation established in Cameron’s Alien franchise. It’s been heavily retconned as the franchise crossed over with Predator, but it was first seen as the Weyland-Yutani Corp in 1979’s Alien. In that future, Weyland-Yutani is one of the world’s mega corporations that has pushed human colonization of other worlds with the hidden agenda of acquiring Xenomorphs to be weaponized against their competitors.

    Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Corporation's History Explained

    As stated above, Mule is a little more of a deep cut. In 1986, King’s Maximum Overdrive, which he himself referred to as a “moron movie”, the Master of Horror toyed with the idea of what would happen to humans if the machines in the increasingly automated world we lived in, became sentient. Mysteriously “awakened” by a comet, sentient machines such as ATMs, vending machines and (most memorable to me) a semi with a Green Goblin face began to take out humankind. Key among the film’s main antagonists was a military vehicle, the M274 Mule (seen below), which is thankfully destroyed by the heroic Bill (played wonderfully by Emilio Estevez!).

    IMCDb.org: Willys M274 Mechanical Mule in "Maximum Overdrive, 1986"

    While it’s no surprise to see the Alien franchise’s influence exerted once again (it’s been pretty much omnipresent over 3 seasons), it’s incredibly interesting to see what influence, if any, Maximum Overdrive will exert on Season 4. The film’s message about our dependence on machines is a pretty common theme, but it could always be done again. Maybe Emilio Estevez will cameo? Season 2 gave us Ghostbusters and we know the series is moving through the mid-80s, so with Maximum Overdrive and Aliens both having been on screen in 1986, which seems like where Season 4 should fall on the Stranger Things timeline, maybe the kids are watching or discussing it in an episode.  Whether thematically or directly, however, it seems King’s self-described “learning experience” and Cameron’s beloved sequel are a part of Season 4’s DNA.

  • ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Series in Development at Netflix

    ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Series in Development at Netflix

    Assassin’s Creed is one of those gaming franchises that are perfect for a live-action adaptation. We finally got the first attempt in 2016, which featured Michael Fassbender in the titular role. Sadly, while the film was a step-up of previous video game adaptations, it still only managed to get an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes with a mixed audience score of 43%. It seemed like that would be it for any future adaptations of the iconic Ubisoft franchise for the time being. Seems like they weren’t done yet, as Netflix has announced that they are developing a brand new series that wishes to re-explore the history of the Assassins. Jason Altman, Head of Ubisoft Film and Television gave the following statement.

    or more than 10 years, millions of fans around the world have helped shape the Assassin’s Creed brand into an iconic franchise. We’re thrilled to create an Assassin’s Creed series with Netflix and we look forward to developing the next saga in the Assassin’s Creed universe.

    Netflix is known for greenlighting projects early on before they even have a creative team ready. Just recently, they did the same thing with their new show focused on the iconic Conan the Barbarian franchise. This time it is no different as Netflix is still searching for a showrunner. As such, it is uncertain how long it would take before the show would enter production. Netflix’s Peter Friedlander also gave the following statement.

    We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that Assassin’s Creed is beloved for. From its breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy.

    It also looks like an official logo to mark the new cooperation was released. This reveal will also be the start of larger cooperation that will include animated and anime series, similar to their approach with The Witcher.

    It also will be exciting to see how they explore the different eras. The show concept could lend itself to each season focusing on a unique timeline to further develop the plot. Plus, this would allow Netflix to keep the show running for multiple seasons, as each one would feel fresh and new. It won’t be cheap to constantly switch between new sets, costumes, and much more so we’ll see what direction they take.

    Source: Rotten Tomatoes, The Hollywood Reporter, Twitter

  • First Look at Netflix’s ‘Godzilla: Singular Point’ Anime Revealed

    First Look at Netflix’s ‘Godzilla: Singular Point’ Anime Revealed

    Godzilla is one of my favorite franchises. I grew up with the original Toho films as a kid when they showed re-runs on our local channel on weekends. The American 2014 remake is a personal favorite, as it highlighted just how massive of a titan he truly was. Netflix has also been investing in the franchise, as they released the Planet of the Monsters film trilogy. Well, it looks like 2021 will be adding one more anime in the Godzilla franchise titled Godzilla: Singular Point. The series announcement also includes our first look at the characters and new Godzilla design.

    Not going to lie, this looks fantastic. Character designer Kazue Kato is well-known for his manga Blue Exorcist and he has a very unique style that really makes the characters stand out. Eiji Yamamori, who is well-known for his work as a Ghibli animator, also reveals a very unique and detailed design for the iconic lizard. it will be interesting to see if they stick to this level of detail once they animate him. I am in general happy that they seem to be sticking to a 2D animation style, as the before-mentioned trilogy was made with a very stiff 3D animation.

    The concept of a series based around Godzilla is actually nothing new. The first attempt at an American film had an animated spin-off that ran for three seasons. We even got an animated series by Hanna-Barbera that was produced together with Toho back in 1978. It will be interesting to see how they balance the characters and monster action. Of course, we will hopefully see some of the iconic monsters fight Godzilla like King Ghidorah, Destroyah, Biollante, or Hedorah. They have enough material to run for a few seasons. Hopefully, we get a trailer reveal that teases the giant in action in the coming months.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘GLOW’s Fourth Season Retroactively Canceled Due to COVID Pandemic

    ‘GLOW’s Fourth Season Retroactively Canceled Due to COVID Pandemic

    Netflix has been canceling shows left and right long before the pandemic was a thing. We have talked about their overall strategy in the past of axing shows around the second or third season. So, many were relieved when it was announced that GLOW was at least renewed for a final fourth season back in August of 2019. Now, over a year later, Netflix has decided to cancel the show after all due to COVID restricting productions. . Series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch did offer a statement regarding the sudden news.

    COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show. Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW. We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. And now that’s gone. There’s a lot of sh*tty things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don’t get to see these 15 women in a frame together again.

    This sadly makes sense. The main focus of the series is on wrestling, which requires a lot of physical interaction. It is quite the risk to film this project, especially if it consistently has to shutdown production. It wouldn’t even air until 2022 at the earliest which would mean that fans would’ve waited two and a half years between seasons. Keep in mind, the fourth season already started production and was suspended mid-March. So far, only one episode had been completed before they could move on to the second one. Also, this reveal comes at a point were many other shows have just returned to their production. GLOW isn’t the only COVID-affected show as the renewed shows of The Society and I Am Not Okay With This were also cancelled. It is uncertain if other shows might share the same fate moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • “Conan The Barbarian” Series in Development at Netflix

    “Conan The Barbarian” Series in Development at Netflix

    A new live-action adaption based on Conan The Barbarian has been put into development over at Netflix. The project is currently on the hunt for a writer or showrunner. The project is currently being developed by Frederik Malmberg and Mark Wheeler from Pathfinder Media. This is planned to be the first of many projects developed from Netflix’s deal with Conan Properties International. Netflix now has full access to its library for any form of adaptation. Sadly, it is unclear to say how long this will be stuck in early development limbo. Netflix has a habit of greenlighting projects long before they even enter pre-production. It will be interesting to see which stories they will adapt from the character.

    Conan The Barbarian was created by Robert E. Howard. He also is the mind that brought us Red Sonja, Thulsa Doom, Solomon Kane, and Kull of Atlantis. Its been nine years since the last time we saw the character on screen. He was played by Jason Momoa at the time. Most might fondly remember the 1982’s Conan The Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character has seen a lot of success through comics and games. He even made recurring appearances in DC comics fighting alongside Wonder Woman. Amazon actually tried to develop a drama series two years ago. Currently, it is unclear how far in development they got before Netflix purchased the rights. It is great to see the character get another chance at a live-action adaptation. The character has a rather deep history and lore that would be worth exploring in its own franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • Tom Sturridge In talks to Lead Netflix’s “Sandman”

    Tom Sturridge In talks to Lead Netflix’s “Sandman”

    Back in July of 2019, Netflix announced that it had begun the development of a live-action adaption of the popular Vertigo comic series Sandman. Creator Neil Gaiman was also to be heavily involved in the process. It was announced that Netflix had given the project an 11-episode green light. Allan Heinberg set to write and serve as showrunner on the project. Gaiman and David S. Goyer are to serve as executive producers. After Gaiman recently revealed on September 27th that the project would begin shooting in a mere three weeks, it seems we finally have our first bit of casting.

    The pandemic has delayed quite a few productions, so it was unsure if they will stick to the production start. Well, it looks like the project is moving ahead, as Tom Sturridge is reportedly in talks to play the titular character himself, Sandman. He is one who goes by many names such as Morpheus, Dream, Kai’ckul, or Oneiros. He is one of seven all-powerful beings that represent endless ideas. The other beings being Death, Desire, Despair, Destruction, Destiny, and Delirium. Sturridge has worked on various projects, such as Velvet Buzzsaw and Mary Shelley. The project currently has no set release date and has made no further castings, more could come as filming gets closer and closer in the coming weeks.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Fourth Season Eyeing September Production Return

    ‘Stranger Things’ Fourth Season Eyeing September Production Return

    One of Netflix’s biggest series is undoubtedly the nostalgia trip of Stranger Things. The series focuses on a group of youths that are trying to get through their teenage years while facing extra-dimensional monsters. They started production on the third season back in February before getting hit by the pandemic and shutting it down. At the time, they announced that David Harbour‘s character Jim Hopper has returned with a small teaser. There we see him imprisoned in the Russian snowy wasteland after he was seemingly killed during the ending of the last season. His absence led to Winona Ryder‘s Joyce Byers moving away with her sons and Eleven. The show was renewed for a fourth season, so this would be the first time the show would leave the suburbs of Hawkins.

     

    As bad as the delays have been, it gave the show’s writers plenty of time to get the scripts together. The official Twitter account revealed that they finished the scripts for all eight episodes in June. This way they don’t have to catch up as the season films and could focus on ironing out the details. Now, the fourth season’s production can finally return to filming. They are currently eyeing September 28th to resume shooting in Georgia. Deadline did state that Netflix did not comment but it makes sense as other productions have also resumed over the last few weeks.

    This is exciting news and curious how this upcoming season will change what we know about the series. Hopper’s return is a bizarre choice after killing him off but Harbour stated that this resurrection is similar to that of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.

    I’ve had those discussions with [the Duffer brothers] from the very first season. We were always interested in that idea of the Gandalf resurrection – Gandalf the Grey who fights the Balrog and then becomes Gandalf the White. It’s the idea of the resurrection of the character. And mythologically, Hopper, in a sense, had to change. I mean, you couldn’t go on the way he was going on. He has to resurrect in some way.

    Duffer brothers have stated they planned most of the seasons in advance, so it isn’t too surprising that his death and resurrection were on the table for some time. Seems Harbour used the time between seasons to keep the secret, something he probably also had to learn during the filming of Black Widow. There is a good chance that the Hopper we know has changed drastically and that could be a point of conflict if he reunites with Joyce and Eleven. I am quite curious about how these stories will intersect and if Hopper will even return to the U.S. anytime in the upcoming season.

    Source: YouTube, Twitter, Deadline, IndieWire