Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: prime video

  • Angela Kang Boards Sony and Amazon’s ‘Silk: Spider Society’

    Angela Kang Boards Sony and Amazon’s ‘Silk: Spider Society’

    Amazon and Sony are officially looking to expand the Spider-Man universe on the small screen with Silk officially a go. After first being announced in September 2020, the series seemed to land Watchmen‘s Tom Spezialy as its showrunner. However, The Walking Dead‘s Angela Kang is now overseeing the project for both Sony and Amazon/MGM. The project has also received a new title in Silk: Spider Society.

    Kang, who was originally set to showrun the upcoming Norman Reedus-led The Walking Dead spinoff, has since moved her overall deal to Amazon. Kang exited the spinoff series earlier this year after Melissa McBride exited the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kang’s overall deal with Amazon has been in the works for a bit now, and that is why she ultimately exited that project. Regarding the move, Kang expressed her excitement over both getting to work on Silk: Spider Society, as well as other various projects for Amazon.

    “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the Amazon Studios family for this next chapter of my career. I look forward to working with the executive team on diverse, character-forward, watercooler shows for a global audience and am so excited to dive in to my first challenge — bringing Korean-American superhero Silk to life on screen.”

    In a statement to the press, Sony Television president, Katherine Pope, expressed excitement over working with Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Kang to bring Cindy Moon’s story to life in live-action. She also revealed that the series will debut domestically on MGM+ before hitting Prime Video globally.

    “We can’t wait to bring the adventures of Cindy Moon to life, thanks to the creative dream team of Chris and Phil, Angela and Amy, along with our partners at Marvel and Amazon. We know this exciting series with new and never-before-seen characters and storylines will wow audiences watching first on linear MGM+ and then around the world on Prime Video.”

    Silk: Spider Society is the first of many series being developed by Sony as the studio looks to expand its Spider-Man universe on the small screen. As of now, it’s unknown what other projects are in development, although THR has teased that characters from Into the Spider-Verse might be on the table.

    Source: THR.

  • Prime Video Unveils First Look at Emma Roberts in ‘Space Cadet’

    Prime Video Unveils First Look at Emma Roberts in ‘Space Cadet’

    Prime Video has unveiled the first official look of Emma Roberts in the new movie, Space Cadet. The film, which is written and directed by Liz W. Garcia (Purple Hearts), follows a Florida party girl named Rex (Roberts), who “turns out to be the only hope for the NASA space program after a fluke puts her in training with other candidates who may have better resumes, but don’t have her smarts, heart, and nerve. “

    Along with releasing the first look at Roberts’ Rex, Prime Video also confirmed the supporting cast. Joining Roberts are Poppy Liu (Hacks), Gabrielle Union (L.A.’s Finest), Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy), Colombian pop star Sebastián Yatra, David Foley (The Kids in the Hall), and Desi Lydic (Awkward). Also appearing in the film are Kuhoo Verma (Plan B), Yasha Jackson (The Flight Attendant), Troy Iwata (Dash & Lily), Andrew Call (Z: The Beginning of Everything), and Josephine Huang.

    Space Cadet is being produced by Stampede Ventures, Greg Silverman, and Jon Berg. Executive producing the project are Gideon Yu, Chris Bosco, Emma Roberts, Liz W. Garcia, and Michael Tadross. Set to launch on Prime Video in over 240 countries sometime next year, Space Cadet does not yet have a release date.

  • REVIEW: ‘The English’ Tells a Bleak Story on a Beautiful Canvas

    REVIEW: ‘The English’ Tells a Bleak Story on a Beautiful Canvas

    There’s always something about the Wild West that has been turned into a more “heroic” showcase of the good Sherrif taking down the bad. Even when people are being shown at their worst, there’s generally a very specific view that is offered with these kinds of stories to not lose the audience in the depravity reflected of a time we barely can imagine the way it was lived. The English doesn’t hold back in that regard to offer the bleak view you’d expect from that time. At its center, it keeps two hopeful souls to center the story’s most bleak moments.

    There is something honest about the portrayal of that time and the people that lived through it. In this story, there’s no true right or wrong but people simply trying to find a way to survive. At its center, we have the simple story of Emily Blunt‘s Cornelia Locke and Chaske Spencer‘s Sgt. Eli Whipp. Two strangers meet at a crossroads of fate which ends up intertwining in unlikely ways throughout their journey. There’s a tough balance this story has to handle to not fall into rather questionable territory, but it manages to keep that sturdy line throughout.

    The series is on the slower side of pacing, which is surprising given the six episodes given to explore a rather simple story. At many points in time, a story is being spun beyond our leading two which works at times but also leaves you wanting more from the dynamic that was set up. A lot of time is spent in this time period with an unflinching eye that does evoke a “who do you trust” mentality in the viewer throughout. It’s the series’ most effective weapon to establish a believable world these characters live in and the challenges set given their own unique backgrounds.

    Spencer‘s performance is strong throughout, as Whipp is put into positions that ostracize him from either side of the conflict in this world. Once the safety belt is off early on, the series doesn’t waste time to showcase just how brutal this world is and it adds to the bleak outlook of this time period. He’s put to the test often, and there’s a subtlety in how he handles the character; fitting for the world he’s living through. We see how these challenges try to push him in one direction, while he tries to stay true to his own path.

    On the other side, Emily Blunt gives us the look at a person changing as a result of events unfolding around her. She starts off innocent in a world ready to devour her. It almost does if it weren’t for surprising help that would push her further down a path of change. It’s refreshing to see a character that starts off on the meeker side and see her adapt to this dangerous place. She still shows her softer side throughout and it’s not that consequences don’t affect her; she simply has to live with it for as long as possible.

    There are some moments where the story tends to take its time before suddenly rushing. Given its mostly slow pace, it feels like a suprrising rush through plotlines that seemingly are relevant before completely left behind. It also seems to set up a mystery with additional characters that sometimes get sidelined and creates this uncertainty about how exactly it’ll tie together. At times the story feels like it could’ve been told with fewer episodes, but in others, it feels just right.

    It should be highlighted that this bleak story is punctuated by the irony of its beautiful shots. Some of the beautiful shots act as a contrast to the dark world they live in. The cinematography is worth highlighting at times even if it does seem to rely mainly on dialogue. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but there’s no necessity to do so. Director Hugo Blick makes great use of shot composition to build up tension, which is highlighted by a great score by Federico Jusid.

    The English is a recommendation for those that enjoy something with a slower pace and more personal storytelling. It’s not quite your typical Western but doesn’t shy away from elements that are familiar to fans of the genre. What makes it stand out is how it tells a bleak story on a beautiful canvas, not shying away from the darker sides of a world long forgotten while still trying to keep that glimmer of hope alive. We all face our personal demons, but sometimes the question is if the world around us makes us confront them.

  • James Patterson’s ‘Alex Cross’ Series Adds ‘Black Adam’ Star

    James Patterson’s ‘Alex Cross’ Series Adds ‘Black Adam’ Star

    Black Adam‘s Hawkman is set to return. Well, at least Aldis Hodge is, as he has already nabbed his next high-profile project in the adaptation of James Patterson‘s Alex Cross. Amazon Prime Video has ordered the adaptation to the series with Hodge attached as its main lead. It’ll be titled Cross and has seemingly been in the works since January 2020. Amazon’s Head of Global Television, Vernon Sanders, shared his excitement about the series.

    James Patterson is among the best at captivating audiences with his undeniably enthralling novels and we are confident that with Ben Watkins’ artistic vision, Cross will do the same for our global customers. We are proud to work with James and Ben alongside Paramount Television, Skydance, and the extremely talented Aldis Hodge, who we know will do an exceptional job of bringing Alex Cross to life.

    Vernon Sanders

    Ben Watkins is attached to write and executive produce the series as its showrunner. Hodge is not only taking on the leading role but is also set to act as a producer. Patterson joins as executive producer alongside Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, and Craig Siebels. Skydance Television is set to produce with Paramount Television Studios and James Patterson Entertainment attached.

    In Variety’s announcement, they teased that the series’ take on Cross hints at him being “brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.”

    It’s great to see the actor nab a big project after one of fall’s biggest releases. There’s still no word if we can expect a Black Adam sequel starring Hodge in the near future, or if Hawkman might get his own spinoff at some point, but the actor will certainly be quite busy moving forward.

    Source: Variety

  • Seth Rogen’s ‘Sausage Party’ Returns With New Series

    Seth Rogen’s ‘Sausage Party’ Returns With New Series

    You read that title correctly, Seth Rogen‘s adult-animated film about talking grocery items is about to make a return. This time around, the story continues in an eight-episode TV series that’ll be titled Sausage Party: Foodtopia. It’ll stream on Amazon Prime Video but story details are being kept under wraps. The announcement from Rogen on Twitter highlights the returning cast of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Edward Norton, and more.

    Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg shared the following joint statement on the new series announcement.

    Film used to be the superior art form to television, and we humbly reached the pinnacle of what can be achieved with film in our remarkable opus, Sausage Party. But now that film is completely dead and TV is the forever-king of entertainment, we’ve decided to continue the epic adventures of our culinary crew in the soon-to-be-legendary televised masterpiece Sausage Party: Foodtopia.

    SethRogen and Evan Goldberg

    The series will act as a sequel to the 2016 film, which followed the story of the sausage Frank, voiced by Rogen, and his love for the hot dog bun Brenda, played by Wiig. Curiously, it does seem like Salma Hayek is not returning for this series, as she played Teresa del Taco in the film and had a significant role. It’ll be interesting to see how they adapt this as a series, especially with its raunchy humor and the shock value of the original concept no longer being its main selling point. Perhaps humans will try to take back the grocery store that the food items took over, or some infighting due to their believes could lead to more carnage. Whatever it may be, it looks like we’re going to find out in 2024.

    Source: Twitter, IGN

  • Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Adds 7 to Cast

    Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Adds 7 to Cast

    The second season of Prime Video’s Harlem has added a slew of new cast members. Deadline has announced that Rachel True (The Craft), Courtnee Carter (Charmed), and Luke Forbes (S.W.A.T) are set to recur. While Rick Fox (Greenleaf), Sherri Shepherd (Sherri), Countess Vaughn (The Parkers), and Lil Rel Howery (Vacation Friends) are all set to guest star.

    True will portray Aimee, an “earthy, ethereal” owner of a plant shop in Harlem who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Tye. While Carter is set to play Zoe, a character described as a “confident player who has a reputation for leaving a trail of broken hearts.” As for Forbes, he will portray the “handsome and professional” Michael who just so happens to be one of New York’s top real estate agents.

    Fox will play Quinn’s father, Phil, who is described as “an affluent man.” Shepherd plays Sonya, Angie’s “boisterous, loving mother” who also happens to be her biggest fan and cheerleader. While the talented Vaughn will play herself in a light-hearted moment with Angie. Finally, Howery will play Freddie, Angie’s step-brother who is described as high-spirited and supportive.

    The first season of Harlem focuses on a group of women in Harlem, New York: Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers) and Angie (Shoniqua Shandai). Having gone through their twenties together, the group finds themselves trying to navigate their thirties while living in Harlem and dealing with the bumps life has to offer along the way.

    Harlem hails from Girls Trip‘s Tracy Oliver. The entire first season can currently be watched on Prime Video.

    Source: Deadline.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ Finale Plays Like Emotional 3D Chess

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ Finale Plays Like Emotional 3D Chess

    Morfydd Clark stands solemnly by a gorgeous river, glaring at an open scroll. Her character, Galadriel, has just realized she’s made a horrible mistake. Always so surefooted, the Elven warrior exudes a guttural disbelief. It’s something so shocking that the audience feels it too, their insides twisting with hers as the literal face of evil steps from around the corner. There begins a sequence with enough impact, it may stand as one of the best scenes television has offered this year. In Alloyed, its season finale, The Rings of Power comes full circle and demands to be lauded. It’s a cerebral thrill ride from beginning to end, one designed for faithful fans of the franchise and newcomers alike.

    Alloyed plays like an emotional game of 3D chess. There are quite a few players on the board, and each one of them is wildly clever. Every time one thinks they might know what’s going to happen next, a different character unveils their hidden scheme and throws the rest of it out of whack. It makes for an insanely entertaining hour, especially for those watching without the aid of knowing extensive lore. Even if one does view the finale with years of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s works under their belt, however, they’ll likely be surprised and delighted by what the finale does with established moments in Lord of the Rings history. Alloyed takes a myriad of concepts and plotlines and spins them together until they’re fit for live-action storytelling. It’s impressively cinematic, and in the end, pretty gosh darn satisfying.

    The performances in the episode are what really bring it all to the next level. As mentioned, Clark has been a revelation all season. The nuance she brings to Galadriel has elevated the character far beyond what fans saw in Peter Jackson‘s film trilogy, and every ounce of energy she’s put into her role is on full display here. Lloyd Owen and Cynthia Addai-Robinson, too, put their best foot forward in a memorable scene as Elendil and the Queen Regent Míriel. Standing together in the belly of their ship, the two actors share a moment so genuine it threatens to become more powerful than all of Middle-earth’s mithril combined. Something similar could be said about Markella Kavenagh‘s little Harfoot, Nori, and Daniel Weyman‘s giant Stranger, who finally get some answers and set the show on a path toward its second season.

    Really, the finale’s greatest achievement is the way it’s able to move The Rings of Power forward. As wonderful of a season as it’s been, the many mysteries surrounding it’s characters and locations often left episodes running in circles and biding their time for eventual payoff. Alloyed is that payoff, and it’s executed beautifully. Now, with true allegiances revealed and a world beginning to take shape, there’s a clear map drawn for what comes next. With everything going on the past few weeks, pacing hasn’t been as much of an issue as it once was, but the seeming promise of Alloyed is that it’s all full steam ahead from this point on. Hopefully, that means the second season will be even more anticipated than the first. Either way, it has one heck of an episode to jump off from.

  • Russo Brothers’ Italian ‘Citadel’ Entry Adds Matilda De Angelis as its Lead

    Russo Brothers’ Italian ‘Citadel’ Entry Adds Matilda De Angelis as its Lead

    Russo Brothers have been quite busy with their various projects and it looks like they are already eyeing to kick off their Amazon Prime Video series, Citadel. Once again taking a step into the world of spies and thrillers, they have cast the rising Italian star, Matilda De Angelis, as its lead, who recently made her name with her work on Susanne Bier‘s The Undoing. The project has now started production and was announced by Amazon Studios at Rome’s MIA content market.

    For those wondering, Citadel is part of a wider event series with a U.S.-based main series and various spinoffs. Currently, Prime Video plans to expand it into India and Mexico as well with Arnaldo Catinari spearheading this project based on head writer Alessandro Fabbri‘s scripts. ITV Studios’ Cattleya is also currently producing the series with Gina Gardini set as its showrunner and executive producer alongside Marco Chimenz, Giovanni Stabilini, and Riccardo Tozzi.

    The series has already cast Bernhard Schütz, Lorenzo Cervasio, Thekla Reuten, Julia Piaton, Filippo Nigro, and Maurizio Lombardi in undisclosed roles. This is the first local production to start and the U.S.-based series has already added Stanley Tucci, Richard Madden, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. It’s unclear if they will all be under the same title of Citadel or potentially each get their own titles moving forward but the project is certainly ambitios.

    Source: Variety

  • First Look at Firecracker and Sister Sage in ‘The Boys’ Season 4

    First Look at Firecracker and Sister Sage in ‘The Boys’ Season 4

    Two new Supes are set to join Vought International. Series newbies Susan Heyward and Valorie Curry are set to debut as Sister Sage and Firecracker, respectively, and we now have our first look at them in costume. The costumes, as shown below, were designed by Laura Jean Shannon who also designed Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy costume in Season 3.

    Susan Heyward as Sister Sage
    Valorie Curry as Firecracker

    Curry has starred in The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn, as well as shows like The Tick, The Following, Veronica Mars and House of Lies. While Heyward has starred in shows like Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, and the short-lived Playstation live-action take on Powers based on the graphic novels by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.

    The duo along with Cameron Crovetti, who plays Homelander’s son Ryan, will star alongside Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Jessie T. Usher and Erin Moriarty.

    The Boys is based on the bestselling comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The TV series hails from Eric Kripke who works as a showrunner, writer and executive producer on the series. He produces the hit series alongside Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver. Season 4 of The Boys does not yet have a release date, but production is currently underway in Toronto.

    Source: Variety.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ Explores Trauma in Heartfelt ‘The Eye’

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ Explores Trauma in Heartfelt ‘The Eye’

    Ashes fill the air, bodies cover the ground, and even those with the strongest of will have been brought to their knees. With this week’s episode, The Rings of Power takes a deep dive into a topic it’s been dancing around since the very beginning. Trauma, and the grief that comes with it, weighs heavy on The Eye, the penultimate episode of Prime Video’s hit Lord of the Rings prequel. Last week saw Adar and his army of orcs emerge from the battle of Ostirith victorious, laying waste to the Southlands and giving rise to Mordor at the cost of countless innocent lives. Now, the heroes of Middle-earth must deal with the fallout – something they aren’t incredibly well-equipped to handle.

    The Eye is a necessary step back in energy after last week’s action-packed installment. Before the series can go full throttle into what will undoubtedly be a hectic finale, it needs to let its characters settle into the next status quo. The people of Númenor and the Southlands suffered great losses, and the episode does a wonderful job of letting them confront it honestly. Lloyd Owen‘s Elendil, especially, is the standout of this week’s entry. All season, the Captain has presented himself stone-cold and unfeeling, even if his underlying soft side was always threatening to break through the surface. In The Eye, the disappearance and presumed death of his son, Maxim Baldry‘s Isildur, finally pushes the emotion through. Owen‘s performance is heartbreaking and genuine. In an episode where the likes of Morfydd Clark‘s Galadriel and Cynthia Addai-Robinson‘s Queen Regent Míriel are faced with unthinkable challenges, it’s Elendil who forces viewers to feel the true pain of loss.

    This feeling extends to the caverns of Khazad-dûm, where Owain Arthur‘s Prince Durin painstakingly claws his way through familial relations in an attempt to help his friend, Robert Aramayo‘s Elven favorite Elrond. Probably the other best performance in the episode, and this one has a lot of great performances, Durin’s tearful commitment to chosen family and the good of Middle-earth turns out to be the centerpiece of hope for the realm’s future. While all feels lost, Durin is willing to sacrifice his own birthright for what he knows to be good in his heart. Hope has been a theme throughout The Rings of Power, and many of the characters fashion themselves as symbols of it, but it’s the little Dwarf with a golden soul who makes it all feel real.

    The writing for the show has really been kicked up a notch in the season’s back-half. The issues with pacing that were present in the first few episodes have all but vanished, with even the slower moments feeling faster and less arduous than they did before. It makes the anticipation for the finale more grand than one might have anticipated in the beginning. Even the Harfoots, who have been largely absent from the last couple weeks, have made their way into tie-in territory with the rest of the series. As it turns out, their humble encampment is not immune to the horrors of Middle-earth, and their loss – simultaneous with the events in Ostirith – hits surprisingly hard. The development of the Harfoot characters truly shines through in this sequence, as they look for ways to carry on and accept new methods of survival. After a full season of build-up, it’s nice to see how it all occurs so organically.

    As with every week, there is also the usual commentary on set design and the beauty of the show’s effects. Mordor looks haunting, as it should, and the mines of Khazad-dûm are as stunning as the look on Durin’s face suggests they’d be. Among those effects, however, are several terrifying hints toward the future of the show. It would appear that the Balrog is still alive, deep in the mountain, and there are still many questions surrounding the identities of the mysterious stranger and the group of sketchy magic-wielders who are seemingly after him. Let’s hope the cast of characters in The Rings of Power got their fill of recovery in The Eye, because they still have much to take care of when the show’s finale drops next week.