Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Sony

  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson Teases Sony’s New Take on ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    Aaron Taylor-Johnson Teases Sony’s New Take on ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    We’ve all scratched our heads when Sony once again continued its goal of expanding the Spider-Man rogue’s gallery without the webhead’s direct involvement. While El Muerto is still the most surprising choice, Aaron Taylor-Johnson will also take on the role of Kraven the Hunter. Now that the famous hunter doesn’t have his iconic prey, it does seem like they’re taking a different direction with the character. Luckily in an interview with Variety, Taylor-Johnson offered some insight.

    While calling Kraven “Spider-Man’s number one rival” but highlights that what makes him stand out is that he’s “not an alien, or a wizard. He’s just a hunter, a human with conviction. An animal lover and a protector of the natural world. He’s a very, very cool character.” He also highlights that the character is more of an anti-hero which we saw in the past with the character’s development in the past.

    The big reveal is that this version of Kraven is “an animal lover and a protector of the natural world.” As such, he may no longer be the “hunter” in the traditional sense and has put his focus on taking down others that harm animals. It’s definitely a departure from the character’s usual origin and it’ll be interesting to see how he brings him to life on the silver screen. Plus, there’s the tease of how it may all tie together with the post-credit sequence of Morbius, as the “human with conviction” might need a few tweaks to be inspired in taking down a human dressed as a spider.

    Source: Variety

  • Former ‘Fast X’ Director to Adapt Sony’s Live-Action ‘One Punch Man’

    Former ‘Fast X’ Director to Adapt Sony’s Live-Action ‘One Punch Man’

    If you’ve been wondering if the live-action adaptation of One Punch Man is still happening, we just got the confirmation Now that Justin Lin’s schedule has opened up after leaving Fast X behind, he has seemingly jumped on his next project. The film is set to be written by Jumanji: The Next Level and Venom‘s duo Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. They will develop the film for Sony Pictures, who acquired the rights from Shueisha and will see Avi Arad and Ari Arad in producing roles. Lin is also set to join as a producer and will help rewrite an earlier draft of the film.

    It looks like they aren’t going to waste much time on the project either, as they are planning to start production on the film by the end of the year. It’s unclear if they will stick to the Japanese aspects of the story which explores the story of Saitama in a world filled with superheroes, as he is cursed to be so powerful he can defeat anyone with a single punch.

    Originally, the series started off as a webcomic by artist ONE before it went viral and started publishing on Tonari no Young Jump Next with Yusuke Murata providing illustrations. With some iconic visuals and a hilarious base concept, Saitama’s story has become a sensation and even joined New York Times Manga Bestsellers list. the series was even nominated for a Harvey and Eisner Award, highlighting just how massive this project has become over the years.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Footage Description Reveals New Cast, Plot Details

    ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Footage Description Reveals New Cast, Plot Details

    After what feels like a lifetime of waiting, fans are finally getting more news on Sony Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The animated sequel to 2018’s surprise hit held a presentation at the annual Annecy Festival, where a series of new clips revealed a few more famous faces will be joining the film’s cast. Jason Schwartzman was formally announced as the main villain of the project, voicing lesser-known baddie The Spot in another inter-dimensional conflict for Miles Morales. On top of this, a few other classic Spider-Man characters were confirmed to be making appearances in his latest cinematic outing.

    The first clip played by Sony took place in the world of Hailee Steinfeld‘s Spider-Gwen. Her universe is described as being beautiful, designed with watercolors, paper textures, and layered brush strokes. There, we finally see Gwen’s father, the revered police Captain George Stacy, responding to a disturbance at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The elder Stacy will be voiced by veteran actor Shea Whigham. However, Gwen beats her pops to the scene, where she bumps into a couple surprise guests.

    Two other Spider-People are already there, in the form of previously announced cast members Oscar Isaac and Issa Rae. The former’s Spider-Man 2099 is described as not having spider-sense or natural powers, and instead relies on a heavily technological suit. He has claws for climbing, super strength, a flying wing suit, and “a giant laser web.” Rae‘s Spider-Woman, on the other hand, is called “a certified badass.” Jessica Drew is also shown to be pregnant, confirming the movie will lift an element from Dennis Hopeless‘ recent comic book run on the character.

    Also there is an “anachronistic” version of The Vulture, voiced by Jorma Taccone. It’s implied this Vulture is from a separate timeline, though not specified which. This will be the third character played by Taccone in the franchise, after giving life to the Green Goblin and Spider-Man ’67 in the first entry. Another brief clip played after this features Miles running late for a meeting with his parents and his school counselor, set to be played by the incomparable Rachel Dratch. Unfortunately, his day is ruined when the aforementioned Spot shows up to throw a wrench in all of reality.

    More will be revealed when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Verse’ Producers Offer Update on ‘Silk’ Series 

    ‘Spider-Verse’ Producers Offer Update on ‘Silk’ Series 

    Sony’s Spider-Verse continues to expand, and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller are steadfastly at the helm of it all. Not only are the duo hard at work on the next two animated Spider-Man entries, Across the Spider-Verse and it’s sequel, they’re also currently developing several spin-off projects. One of their top priorities is Silk, a live-action series based on the Korean-American hero of the same name. The show, set to debut on Amazon Prime, was announced nearly two years ago with little-to-no official word since.

    However, in a recent interview with Deadline’s Crew Call podcast, Lord and Miller offered a promising update on the series’ production. The creative team confirmed the project is still in the works, and fans should expect more information soon:

    We’re developing all that stuff with great care and there’s a really exciting start for Silk. It’s coming along. There’ll be news someday soon.


    Phil Lord

    Silk revolves around Cindy Moon, a former classmate of Peter Parker who is bitten by the same spider that gave him his spectacular abilities. Tiffany Espensen previously played a character named “Cindy” in the MCU, though it was never confirmed if this was intended to be a version of the hero or if she will reprise the role for Sony’s upcoming series. Hopefully, Lord and Miller are true to their word and more news drops sooner than later.

    Source: Deadline

  • Isabela Merced Joins Sony’s ’Madame Web’

    Isabela Merced Joins Sony’s ’Madame Web’

    Sony continues to expand its spider web. Isabela Merced has officially joined the cast of Madame Web in an undisclosed role, joining the previously announced Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Celeste O’Connor in the upcoming blockbuster. The film is set to be directed by S.J. Clarkson, and is aiming for a release on July 7, 2023. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless have written the script, after a previous attempt from Kerem Sanga.

    This is the third major comic book project Merced has had her name attached to. The actress, best known for her role as Dora the Explorer in 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, was a finalist for the role of Ratcatcher II in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and contended for a part in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her credits also include roles in Transformers: The Last Knight and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, as well as a leading part in the forthcoming novel adaptation Turtles All the Way Down. While the nature of her involvement in Madame Web is still unknown, it seems like this is only the next step in a promising young career for Merced.

    The plot of Madame Web is also being kept under wraps, though the character has been described as the closest thing Sony has to Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Traditionally an elderly woman confined to a chair, Web is usually more of a psychic character than a physical one. Although, there have been a few iterations of the spider-themed mentor in the comics. This includes one named Julia Carpenter, who is younger and was once a Spider-Woman. These traits may be closer to what ends up in the final film, if the casting of Johnson is any sort of indicator.

    Source: Deadline

  • First Look at the Logo for ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Unveiled

    First Look at the Logo for ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Unveiled

    Sony’s next installment in there expanding universe of Marvel characters who are related to, but never feature, Spider-Man, is Kraven the Hunter. The film will see Aaron Taylor-Johnson suit up in Kraven’s traditional white collar outfit and take on the dangers of the streets of London, such as treacherous minivans. Production on the film has been underway for several weeks and now, as at least part of the crew wrapped their work on the film, we have our first look at a logo for the film.

    Other than the bright colors of the very tactical-looking logo, the first thing that jumps out is that it does include what appears to be a spear, which is one of Kraven’s traditional weapons. It remains to be seen how Kraven will brandish the spear against a minivan and what, if any, effect it would have on the vehicle.

    The above logo was on a backpack gifted to crew. Could it be a hint that Kraven will also wield a backpack as he navigates the rowdy streets of London? Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until January 13, 2023 or later to know for sure.

  • REPORT: Sony Developing ‘Horizon’ and ‘Gran Turismo’ TV Series

    REPORT: Sony Developing ‘Horizon’ and ‘Gran Turismo’ TV Series

    Sony has been hard at work on adapting some of its most iconic franchises. In March, we heard that they were working on a God of War series together with Amazon Prime, but not much has come from that project since. Now, during their Investor Relations, Sony has not only confirmed that the series is being developed but also added two more to that list.

    The biggest surprise is that they are seemingly working on a Horizon adaptation with Netflix, which is perfect timing piggybacking off of the success of Horizon: Forbidden West released not too long ago. That is not all, as they are also currently developing a Gran Turismo series, but there was no home mentioned for this adaptation. So, it is likely still being pitched currently.

    There’s no word how far along these projects are, but it sounds like they are just getting started if they don’t have any talent currently attached. Horizon adaptation makes quite a bit of sense given the story of Aloy traversing a post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic animals. Yet, Gran Turismo is a curious one as it’s mostly a driving simulator. Perhaps they’ll use this concept to have a racing-type series but just use the branding. We’ll see if more details head our way in the near future.

    Source: Sony IR via Twitter

  • Ariana DeBose Offers Update on ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    Ariana DeBose Offers Update on ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    Hot off of her success with West Side Story, Ariana DeBose has joined her first major blockbuster production. While many Marvel fans were hoping to see her as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was Sony that ended up casting her first in the role of the voodoo priestess Calypso in their live-action Kraven the Hunter movie.

    Not much is known about how they’ll adapt her character into live-action, but she did offer a small update on how far the production is coming along in an interview with Deadline.

    It’s cool. It’s going well. I mean, for as much as I believe I’m allowed to say about it, I think it’s going swimmingly.

    Ariana DeBose

    She also talked about what it’s like being part of a franchise as large as Marvel, highlighting her excitement on being involved with the role but also what her focus is when taking a role, no matter what project it is.

    Yeah. I’m proud of them. I think all of these franchise pieces, it’s all about your growth. And it’s exciting to be a part of something that feels like it’s taking a step in a different direction. I feel like they’re just allowing this to live in whatever world it needs to live in, which is kind of cool. I don’t like work experiences, period, where I feel like I’m asked to fit a box, because my job is to discover the box and to define the box. That’s my job, in my opinion. I mean, it is 2022.

    Ariana DeBose

    As it’s another Spider-Man spinoff without the iconic wallcrawler, there are many questions on how they might adapt the character’s origin story and how it may fit into the overall world they are building. Morbius‘ post-credit sequence hinted at a potential Sinister Six team featuring a dimension traveling Vulture, but at this point, it’s difficult to say what the future has in store for Sony’s Marvel franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • Sony is Working on More ‘Ghostbusters’ Films

    Sony is Working on More ‘Ghostbusters’ Films

    If you’ve been wondering if Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the last entry in the franchise, you don’t have to worry any longer. In an interview with Deadline, Sony Chairman Tom Rothman discussed the future of their focus on keeping theatrical releases alive with their entries. He highlights that they’ve produced a good number of original productions that aren’t sequels or caped-focused while also confirming that more entries in the Ghostbusters franchise are in development.

    He didn’t go into any detail or reveal if this will see a single sequel, or even a build-up into a larger franchise. In a world where many well-known IPs try to build their own cinematic universes, it’s not uncommon to assume that is the approach going in. Ghostbusters has many untapped stories to explore, especially with its surprising history as with only two films in its filmography. The franchise found a second life in a variety of animated series and even video games.

    While the female-centric Ghostbusters film didn’t quite pick up, Afterlife gave the franchise an extra jolt of energy and is potentially going to set up a new generation of Ghostbusters to carry on the torch. We’ll see if we get some kind of announcement in the coming months and if some of the creative team, as well as the cast might return as well. Still, it’s great to know that there will still be someone to call.

    Source: Deadline

  • Michell Williams Hopes to Return for ‘Venom 3’

    Michell Williams Hopes to Return for ‘Venom 3’

    Venom: Let There Be Carnage has made quite the splash at the box office, as it was one of the first films to inch closer to a $100M domestic release, which was a rarity back in 2021. Its success seemed like a sure-fire hint that Sony is ready to start working on a third entry in the franchise. While there’s no exact word on a sequel being in development or how far it is, with many hoping to see Andy Serkis return as a director, it looks like Michelle Williams is also excited to return for a threequel.

    I have every intention of continuing with the series. I certainly hope they bring me back.

    Michelle Williams

    Shea also talks bout the unique challenge these films bring pretending someone else has taken over your body and highlights how much Tom Hardy brings to the table.

    Pretending that a monster is getting into your body and then taking over and leaving your body, that’s hard. The stuff Tom [Hardy] does is really challenging. They’re big movies and he’s climbing a lot of mountains in them.

    Michelle Williams

    It’s always great to see an actress excited to return to a franchise, and it seems she’s having a lot of fun with it. She talks about Venom 3 in the same article as her excitement to hopefully make a sequel to Greatest Showman, highlighting she loves “making things for kids that are full of joy and positivity.”

    Source: Variety