Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Peacock

  • ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s Heading for Record-Breaking $68M Opening

    ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s Heading for Record-Breaking $68M Opening

    Some might be wondering what makes an opening of $68M record-breaking may have forgotten that horror films may have legs but they aren’t big openers. Five Nights at Freddy’s is the next major video game adaptation of the year that has seemingly kicked off with Thursday night previews of $10.3M. That helped catapult it to a powerful $34M Friday opening and is setting the film on a path to open at around $68M. Word-of-mouth is going to be critical especially with this being a day-and-date release on Peacock.

    That opening is higher than Halloween Kills ($49.9M) and Halloween Ends ($40M). It has now gained the biggest opening weekend for any horror release. It’s the third biggest opening for a video game adaptation; it may still dethrone Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s $72M if word-of-mouth is strong, and it’s even the second biggest Blumhouse opening. It’s also the second largest day-and-date release since Black Widow during the peak of COVID, which opened to $80.3M.

    The film has strong Social Media coverage given how large the fandom surrounding Five Nights at Freddy’s has grown. The film is based on a video game franchise from a single person that started as his final gamble of finding a foot in the industry before it ballooned into one of the biggest horror gaming franchises based on an indie property. The film is facing the usual PostTrak exits of its genre so the weekend hold is going to be interesting moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney May Return to Licensing its Films and TV Series to Rivals

    Disney May Return to Licensing its Films and TV Series to Rivals

    Disney+ was a big venture for Disney with a strong focus on creating a singular hub for everyone loving any of their properties. They went out of their way to purchase 20th Century Studios to ensure they could expand their library in a way that would allow them to do exactly that. Yet, the losses taken throughout the last few years under new management of Bob Chapek didn’t truly shape an optimistic outlook on streaming’s future.

    With the return of Bob Iger, we’re seeing some traditional directions for the company such as an increase in movies hitting theaters in future years and it seems they may be back peddling on some decisions. As part of their Disney+ venture, Disney pulled back on a variety of external licensing deals for their films and television series. This consequently added to their overall loss and made it more difficult to truly showcase the potential of streaming.

    Now, it seems they are once again exploring selling their library to their rivals by establishing new licensing deals. It’s a strategy that has worked quite well for Sony Pictures, who have actively avoided sinking their cash into building their own streaming service. They’ve managed to create a deal with Netflix and Disney+ to offer their expanding library to multiple services in a layered rollout.

    It makes sense and it might become a new standard moving forward for many of streaming services. We might not see Moon Knight or Percy Jackson on Netflix for quite some time but the various Marvel movies are likely to hit streaming services in a few years. If they play their cards right they’ll keep exclusivity rights for at least a year and then expand their offerings. It’s a double catch and very likely the future direction for the entire streaming industry. Streaming won’t go away anytime soon but the market landscape is surely going to change once again.

    Source: Bloomberg

  • Peacock’s ‘Pitch Perfect’ Spinoff Series Gets Season 2 Renewal

    Peacock’s ‘Pitch Perfect’ Spinoff Series Gets Season 2 Renewal

    It hasn’t been easy on streaming services, as quite a few shows are facing some harsh developments or even outright cancelations just as production is about to finish. HBO Max started the trend and AMC+ has somehow jumped on the bandwagon leaving the streaming market in disarray. While we wonder what exactly the future looks like for the market, Peacock is happily renewing its new Adam Devine-led spinoff series from Pitch Perfect.

    Levine reprises his role as Bumper Allen in a tour-de-force through Germany to revive his music career in Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin. It seems the series pulled in quite an audience after its November premier last year, as highlighted by NBCUniversal Television’s Susan Rovner.

    We knew fans of the Pitch Perfect franchise were going to sing the praises of Bumper in Berlin and enjoy seeing a new side of Adam Devine’s character. Along with our partners at UTV, [showrunner] Megan Amram and [executive producers] Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman crafted an incredibly unique and charming story with new takes on iconic songs. We can’t wait to dive further into this new hit with Peacock audiences.

    Susan Rovner

    Pitch Perfect was a standout franchise that managed to get two sequels running from 2012 until 2017. There’s no word if there’s interest to develop a new sequel but the trilogy lives on through this spinoff focusing on Bumper. With more seasons, it does open up the possibility to have some original cast members return to the franchise in smaller roles and who knows if a new season also means Bumper gets to explore other places.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Twisted Metal’ Producer Promises “Balls-out Fun and Craziness”

    ‘Twisted Metal’ Producer Promises “Balls-out Fun and Craziness”

    Video games are once again all the rage and Peacock, one of the many new streaming services trying to put their name on the map, has been inspired to tackle an unlikely adaptation. They are set to bring the iconic Twisted Metal games eries to life, and it seems that they’re take will be strongly inspired by Zombieland due to the adaptation also being written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.

    PlayStaiton Studios Senior Producer Carter Swan promises that the upcoming film will have all the “balls-out fun and craziness” that the original gaming series did. He goes on to highlight that Reese and Wernick are “able to kind of take these violent, ridiculous things and make them fun. Zombieland’s a good barometer if you look at what happens in that movie as to what we could do.” It definitely sounds like they’ll have a lot of fun with the adaptation by showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith, which will star Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Will Arnett, and more.

    Source: IGN

  • ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel Series in Works at Peacock

    ‘Friday the 13th’ Prequel Series in Works at Peacock

    Peacock is looking to revisit Camp Crystal Lake. It was announced on Monday that the streaming service is developing a prequel to Friday the 13th. The series hails from Bryan Fuller, the man behind Pushing Daisies and Hannibal. He’ll serve as the showrunner, writer and executive producer on the prequel. He’ll develop the project along with A24, the studio behind hits like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Pearl.

    Crystal Lake, which was given a straight-to-series order, is a prequel to the 1980s horror film, Friday the 13th. The move comes after rights to the franchise were tied up after the rights moved from Paramount to New Line. The original movie’s director and producer Sean S. Cunningham and original screenwriter Victor Miller were stuck in a copyright dispute, with the long battle finally coming to an end back in May. Miller ended up securing the rights over the script and original characters but not over the Friday the 13th title or the concept of an adult Jason and/or the character’s now iconic hockey mask. Because of this, the prequel series, could not be called Friday the 13th.

    “I discovered Friday the 13th in the pages of Famous Monsters magazine when I was 10 years old and I have been thinking about this story ever since. When it comes to horror, A24 raises the bar and pushes the envelope and I’m thrilled to be exploring the camp grounds of Crystal Lake under their banner. And [NBCUniversal’s] Susan Rovner is simply the best at what she does. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be working with her again.”  

    Fuller

    Miller and his copyright attorney, Marc Toberoff, will also serve as executive producers on the project alongside Fuller and Rob Barsamian. The series is being likened to the A&E series, Bates Motel, and is described as a drama. As of now, no release date has been set.

    Source: THR.

  • Peacock’s ‘Girls5eva’ Returns for Season 3 on Netflix

    Peacock’s ‘Girls5eva’ Returns for Season 3 on Netflix

    It looks like Peacock’s series Girls5eva is getting a new home, as it was announced that its third season is now heading to Netflix. It seems the third season will only be available on the streamer while the previous two entries remain on Peacock but also join Netflix for those that haven’t had a chance to check out the series.

    It’s a surprisingly bittersweet addition, as this marks a reunion for creator Meredith Scardino alongside producers Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, and Jeff Richmond. Fey and Carlock famously worked on the Netflix smash hit Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where Scardino worked as a writer. Richmond also served as a composer in addition. They had the following to say in a joint statement:

    Our deepest thanks to Peacock for bringing ‘Girls5eva’ to life and supporting us creatively at every turn since the first pitch. And we are endlessly grateful to our partners at NBCU for their boundless commitment. Today, we are thrilled to announce that our reunited girl group will be re-reunited at Netflix. We are so thankful to everyone at the streamer who fell in love with our music-filled comedy. We cannot wait to introduce Dawn, Wickie, Summer, and Gloria to the global Netflix audience. Well, not fully introduce, if you look closely, ‘Girls5eva’ can be seen in the background of the Woodstock ’99 documentary setting a porta potty on fire

    Girls5eva is the story of a one-hit-wonder girls’ group that reunites since their success from the 1990s faded. It’s not a new concept but certainly, one that offers some fun ideas to play around with for everyone involved. It’ll be interesting to see if the show will go through some changes when it starts production for its new home.

    Source: Variety

  • Six Seasons…and a Movie! ‘Community’ Film Officially in Development at Peacock

    Six Seasons…and a Movie! ‘Community’ Film Officially in Development at Peacock

    After having long been prophesied, the concept of “six seasons and a movie” for Community will officially be completed. Aftering having aired over 100 episodes between 2009 and 2015, the Peacock streaming service has ordered a feature film to serve as a finale to the sitcom franchise. This comes after an extensive bidding war amongst various streamers to acquire the rights to said film. The full series library will also be moving to Peacock on a non-exclusive basis.

    Dan Harmon will return to write the final film alongside Andrew Guest. Meanwhile, numerous stars of the original series are slated to return. This includes the likes of Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong. There is no official word on original starring cast members who left the series during its run such as Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Chevy Chase. Though it’s probable none of them will have a significant role in the film (especially Chase, due to his contentious exit from the series after the fourth season).

    Community initially released in 2009 on NBC as a compatriot with shows such as The Office, Parks & Rec, and 30 Rock. Though after fledgling ratings, its sixth and final season aired on the now-defunct Yahoo! Screen service. While never receiving the television rating acclaim of the other three sitcom stalwarts, the genre-bending comedy has maintained a strong niche fanbase. The news of the closing film is certainly bound to draw mass excitement from audiences and be a major driving force for the young Peacock streaming service.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Halloween Ends’ Set For Day-and-Date Release in Theaters and Peacock

    ‘Halloween Ends’ Set For Day-and-Date Release in Theaters and Peacock

    Halloween is coming to an end, and audiences will be able to witness the thrilling conclusion from either a theater seat or their couch at home. Halloween Ends, the final film in David Gordon Green‘s Halloween trilogy, is officially set for a day-and-date simultaneous October 14th release on both the big screen and NBC’s streaming service Peacock.

    The news comes from a video posted to the project’s social media accounts, which features original Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis delivering the information to fans. Of important note, the film will only be available on Peacock to paid subscribers who use Peacock Premium or Premium Plus. The free version of the service, which is supported by advertisements, will not stream the movie. This release plan follows the same strategy that made Kills such a massive success, and prompted audiences to question the future of the theatrical experience.

    Curtis returns to the franchise for what is likely the last time, completing a story arc established in 2018’s Halloween reboot and continued in 2021’s Halloween Kills. This third chapter will pick up four whole years after the end of Kills, which was an immediate continuation of its predecessor. Trailers have teased a dramatic climactic showdown between Curtis‘ Laurie Strode and the monstrous Michael Myers, who has been terrorizing the town of Haddonfield since 1978.

    Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, Omar Dorsey, Nick Castle, and James Jude Courtney will also appear in the film, which is being produced by Jason Blum and his renowned horror company Blumhouse.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘John Wick’ Prequel Series Finds New Home in Peacock

    ‘John Wick’ Prequel Series Finds New Home in Peacock

    NBCUniversal is slated to add another potential stalwart series to its young streaming service in Peacock. The Continental, which serves as a prequel series to the John Wick film franchise, is set to move from Lionsgate’s Starz to the NBCU streamer.

    This serves as a highly unconventional move in the streaming age in a developing property outright switching to a different distributor. It certainly is a large win for Peacock, who recently also acquired the film rights for Keanu Reeves-led John Wick. Meanwhile, this move is in line with the restructuring Starz has been in the process of recently focusing more on targeting female-demographic audiences.

    In an official statement about the acquisition, Peacock’s president Kelly Campbell spoke about the excitement of having the new series under the NBCU banner.

    The John Wick films have become a global phenomenon, are among the most watched titles on Peacock and we are thrilled and honored to partner with Lionsgate to extend this incredible franchise. We understand the value of a global franchise and Val Boreland (EVP and Head of Content Acquisitions for NBCUniversal) and team knew that by bringing this special event series to Peacock and putting the full power of NBCUniversal behind it, the premiere of The Continental will be the streaming event of the year.

    Kelly Campbell

    In addition, Kevin Beggs, the Lionsgate Television Group Chair, equally shared excitement for the partnership between the two groups to expand the John Wick franchise.

    John Wick has become part of the cultural zeitgeist with a massive, passionately engaged fan base around the world. We’re delighted to partner with Peacock to continue expanding the John Wick Universe. This agreement reflects the collaboration of our Motion Picture Group, which has grown the franchise from the beginning and was excited by the opportunity to bring it to the next level, Jim Packer (President of Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution for Lionsgate) and his Worldwide Television Distribution team, which found the perfect home for The Continental, and the Lionsgate Television creative group, which created a brilliant and enduring property that is one of the most highly-anticipated streaming events of 2023.

    Kevin Beggs

    The Continental, which will follow the perspective of a young Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell in the series, and previously portrayed by Ian McShane in the films) as he navigates the criminal-filled underbelly of 1970s New York City at the titular hotel. The series is slated to release in 2023. Meanwhile, the franchise’s next theatrical release John Wick: Chapter Four is scheduled to release in theaters in March of 2023.

    Source: Deadline 

  • Peacock Sets Premiere Dates for ‘Vampire Academy’ and ‘Pitch Perfect’

    Peacock Sets Premiere Dates for ‘Vampire Academy’ and ‘Pitch Perfect’

    Peacock has set premiere dates for a slew of upcoming series. On deck for the streaming service are the small screen adaptations of both Vampire Academy and Pitch Perfect. The former, of course, is based on the best-selling book series by author Richelle Mead, while the Pitch Perfect series is a continuation of the beloved film franchise.

    Vampire Academy, which consists of six books, was originally adapted for the big screen in 2014. The film starred Zoey Deutch, Dominic Sherwood, Lucy Fry and Danila Kozlovsky. The film was both a critical and box office failure, receiving a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning just $15 million at the worldwide box office. The new series hails from Julie Plec, who helped adapt The Vampire Diaries for the small screen, and Marguerite MacIntyre. It stars Sisi Stringer, Daniela Nieves and Kieron Moore.

    Set to debut on Sept. 15th, the synopsis for Vampire Academy is as follows:

    From executive producers Julie Plec & Marguerite MacIntyre comes a story of friendship, romance and danger. In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter vampire society. One as a powerful Royal, the other a half-vampire Guardian trained to protect against the savage ‘Strigoi’ who threaten to tear their society apart. That is, if Royal infighting doesn’t do the job first.

    The small screen continuation of Pitch Perfect is titled Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin. It will debut on Peacock on Nov. 23rd. The television series will take place several years after the last Pitch Perfect film. Adam Devine‘s character, Bumper Allen, has since moved to Germany in hopes of reviving his music career and soon finds one of his songs has become huge in Berlin.

    Source: Variety.