Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Streaming

  • What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23

    What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23

    Just two weeks after Marvel Studios made a splash at SDCC ’24 by announcing Robert Downey Jr. and the Russos were returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, Kevin Feige will be back on stage with more to share at D23. Marvel will have two chances to wow D23 attendees this weekend with a portion of Disney’s Entertainment Showcase carved out for their live-action slate and a separate panel dedicated to Marvel Animation.

    Before the festivities get started, let’s take a look at what’s likely to go down in Anaheim.

    Marvel Animation Sneak Peek (Saturday-12:45 PM PDT/3:45 PM EDT)

    On Saturday afternoon, the newly formed Marvel Animation studio will have its first D23 solo panel. There’s not much guesswork to be done here in terms of what to expect because Disney already paid it out on the official D23 website.

    Eyes of Wakanda and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man were included on the studio’s 2024 slate as shared by Disney in late 2023 and there’s still plenty of time for both projects to steam, especially since Eyes of Wakanda only consists of four episodes. Teaser trailers will almost certainly be debuted for both and will likely also make their way online.

    Given the success of X-Men ’97, the hour-long panel will certainly feature a heavy dose of news on Season 2. With the second season already well into production, a teaser isn’t out of the question nor is a release date. Like Season 2 of X-Men ’97, Season 3 of What If…? is deep into production if not already complete. “What If…? Season Three is — that might be the one that comes out next, in terms of animation,” said Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum in May 2024. The studio already rolled out a teaser for Season 3 following Season 2’s streaming finale, so there’s no reason to think they won’t AT LEAST show that to the audience.

    We’re actually close to completing that one, and it really feels like you’ve gone through this amazing emotional experience with Uatu, in a way that’s… What’s great about The Watcher is that he presents himself as uncaring, and cold, and just an observer, but he cares more than everybody [and] anybody. That is on full display in that third season.

    -Brad Winderbaum on What If…? Season 3

    Outside of what’s promised in the description, only Marvel Zombies is known to be far enough down the road to be included in the panel; however, more than any other type of project, animated projects are far, far easier to keep under wraps so it’s entirely in the realm of possibilities that the folks at Marvel Animation have some tricks up their sleeve for their first big panel.

    Disney Entertainment Showcase (Friday-7 PM PDT/10 PM EDT)

    Friday night’s Entertainment Showcase is a two-hour-long presentation that will feature projects from across all of Disney’s major studios. That means Pixar, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios will all join Marvel Studios in showcasing their upcoming theatrical and streaming slates. So while Kevin Feige won’t have an hour to himself like he did in San Diego, he’ll have a big chunk of time and since it’s Disney’s event, he’ll actually have as much time as he wants (in 2022 the two-hour panel took longer than two hours). Marvel Television will take the spotlight, especially after not being included in Feige’s hour-long SDCC panel but that doesn’t mean there might not be some update on the film slate. Here’s what to expect:

    Agatha All Along

    Kathryn Hahn‘s WandaVision spinoff is on deck for the studio and no insider information is necessary to know that Agatha All Along will be a focal point of Marvel’s portion of the panel. With the two-episode premiere just six weeks away, a new trailer for the streaming series is due. It’s likely a good chunk of the cast will be on hand to bow, wave and, more importantly, do the press line following the panel.

    In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

    -Official Synopsis, Agatha All Along

    Daredevil: Born Again

    Charlie Cox has already confirmed that he’ll be in Anaheim to promote Daredevil: Born Again and it would be shocking if co-star Vincent D’Onofrio weren’t there alongside him. With the 9-episode streaming series set to premiere in March 2025 and with production having wrapped several months ago, there’s certainly a trailer ready to roll. The question here is whether or not it’s a D23 exclusive for those in attendance or it the studio will release it to the public. Given the hype around the show, it would make quite a bit of sense to let it out into the wild but Disney isn’t always in the business of making sense.

    Longtime rivals Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) try to leave behind their darker alter-egos to serve the people of New York only to have their pasts catch up to them.

    Synopsis, Daredevil: Born Again

    Ironheart

    First announced at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, Ironheart has been in the can for a couple of years and still has no release window. Marvel Studios actually rolled out a first look at the project during Disney’s 2022 Entertainment Showcase at D23 and it looked like a lot of fun! At the time, Feige explained that the focus on “dark arts vs. technology” would be the “unique calling card” of the series which will pit Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams–introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–against Anthony Ramos‘s Parker Robbins, aka The Hood. “Parker believes truly that what he is doing is good,” Ramos shared at 2022’s D23. “He loves his people. I’m over-trying to dance around the plot because I can’t give you all the deets! Parker kicks ass. I don’t know if I can say that, but I said it already.” An in-person exclusive trailer is all but a sure thing and it wouldn’t be asking too much for Feige to reveal a release window for the series which had been targeting a September 2025 launch.

    Charming teenage super genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago in her iron suit and begins to unravel threads that bring danger and adventure to her doorstep.

    -Synopsis, Ironheart

    Wonder Man

    Despite having completed production earlier this year, some fans still doubt that Wonder Man truly exists. While Marvel Studios exec Stephen Broussard confirmed its existence earlier this year, Wonder Man has never been mentioned by Feige at any conventions so a simple logo reveal and release window would be great; however, given it’s been wrapped for some time, it’s quite possible a sizzle reel or teaser could be shown to those in attendance.

    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    –Stephen Broussard on Marvel Television’s Wonder Man

    Vision

    Likely to join Wonder Man on Disney Plus in 2026, the Paul Bettany-led WandaVision spinoff was recently confirmed by Feige. It is expected to start production this Fall, so a title treatment and a release window are about all we might get unless Bettany is on hand to do a little song and dance.

    Future Streaming Projects

    Five streaming series is probably about all the studio will have time to discuss during its portion of the panel. However, if the studio is ready to move ahead with the second season of Hawkeye, having Jeremy Renner step on stage to announce it would certainly bring down the house. Rumors have the sophomore season headed to D+ for Christmas 2026 which means it’s certainly not “too early” to confirm it’s in the works. With the Nova series not a top priority and Bob Iger‘s mandate to cut down on content now fully integrated into the way Marvel Studios does business, further announcement seem highly unlikely.

    Theatrical Slate

    Disney loves marching out cast members during their big fan event. In 2022, the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and their two 2023 releases, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels all took the stage at D23. In addition, Feige used the big stage to announce the cast of what was then Captain America: New World Order, including the big surprise reveal that Tim Blake Nelson was returning to the MCU as Samuel Sterns.

    The core cast of Thunderbolts was also trotted out on the stage by Feige with some fun concept art displayed on the big screen behind them. What’s of interest here is that both Cap 4 and Thunderbolts were first announced at SDCC ’22 but Marvel saved the big cast reveals for D23. The One Above All may make the same move here, using the closing moments of his time on stage to bring out the full casts of any or all of the studio’s upcoming projects such as The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s also reasonable to think that Feige might make mention of the two 2026 Marvel Studios films that remain untitled.

    Murphy’s Multiverse will be providing full coverage and recaps of both panels this weekend so count on us to deliver all the news you need!

  • The Power 15 List: Which Franchises Have the Most Juice With Fans Right Now?

    The Power 15 List: Which Franchises Have the Most Juice With Fans Right Now?

    1. Marvel Cinematic Universe (Disney/Sony)

    On the heels of winning San Diego Comic-Con with the Avengers news that shook the fandom, and with a film at the box office in Deadpool and Wolverine which is breaking records, the MCU is riding high. And this weekend’s D23 event may provide an additional jolt of enthusiasm about the franchise. However, with only Agatha All Along on Disney Plus to sustain content appetites for the rest of the year, we can expect to see some loss of momentum, particularly when the next shoe drops with respect to the beleaguered Blade film.

      2. Game of Thrones (WBD)

      This weekend’s House of the Dragon finale will likely cap a season that undoubtedly restored the feeling for the television franchise that reigned over the monoculture like a Targaryen Dynasty. And with additional spinoffs in the works, all skepticism about sustainability has been melted away with dragon flame. Warner Brothers Discovery’s flagship franchise is flying high, and we continue to whistle that iconic theme.

      3. Star Wars (Disney)

      The mixed reaction to The Acolyte and the continuing Culture War noise surrounding this franchise have really left Star Wars vulnerable. A Skeleton Crew trailer release is imminent, and maybe an infusion of Stranger Things energy into the graying, embittered fandom will do it some good. This is a franchise built on childlike wonder, and much of the recent content has been lacking in that regard.

      4. The Boys (Amazon)

      Head-to-head against The Acolyte, the most recent season of The Boys held its own in terms of mindshare, and even though Season 4 didn’t hit the highs of previous seasons, that hasn’t stopped Amazon from greenlighting a prequel spinoff to go with the Mexico-set spinoff announced a while back. The fact that the next season will be its final one will center it even more firmly in the discourse, as fans and critics will wonder if it can “stick the landing.” If anything, The Boys’ biggest Achilles heel might be the extent to which real-life steals its absurdist thunder.

      5. Dune (WBD)

      With one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year, a sequel expected to be fast-tracked, and the spinoff prequel Dune: Prophecy series set for November on HBO, 2024 has been quite the year for the Dune franchise. And that’s before the memes. However, it does still remain to be seen how far the franchise climbs in the pop cultural consciousness, or whether this year will be its apex, given that other franchises were hobbled by the pandemic and the strikes, and given that things get extra weird on Arrakis from here on out.

      6. DC Elseworlds (WBD)

      While James Gunn‘s DCU prepares to pull out of the station, fans of those characters will get to visit Gotham twice this fall, as the HBO series The Penguin returns us to the world of Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga. And although Robert Pattinson’s Batman is unlikely to feature heavily in the series, his shadow will likely loom over the story. And at the cinema, the highly anticipated sequel to the billion-dollar grossing Joker will offer us another glimpse into Todd Phillips’ Scorsese-tinged hyper-reality, as Lady Gaga‘s Harley Quinn enters the fray. Other alternate universe projects have yet to be announced, and details remain limited on the proper sequel to The Batman, but needless to say, the more successful these two projects are, the more likely that others will also see the light of day.

      7. DCU (WBD)

      Superman has recently wrapped, the first teaser trailer for Creature Commandos (dropping in December) has been released, and news items about upcoming projects continue to surface. Still, while anticipation for what James Gunn is cooking up remains high, excitement is muted. There was no SDCC panel, and it’s possible that audiences won’t get non-set leak Superman footage until 2025. So for the remainder of 2024, we could very well be in “wait and see” mode.

      8. Star Trek (Paramount)

      Although it’s been many years since the last Star Trek film (despite Quentin Tarantino‘s best efforts to give audiences “Hard R Trek”), the franchise has been flourishing on streaming, with a number of well-regarded series on Paramount Plus, and more on the way. And the recent announcement of the first live-action comedy in the franchise’s history could push Star Trek further into the mainstream than it’s been in years.

      9. MonsterVerse (Legendary/WBD)

      Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was moderately successful at the box office, and the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streaming series was well-received, albeit underappreciated, with a second season on the way. This franchise still has its drawing power, but its days at the top of the zeitgeist may be behind it.

      10. Spider-Verse (Sony)

      Tom Holland‘s MCU Spider-Man franchise is represented elsewhere, but through the power of the Spider-Verse franchise, every possible Spidey and Spidey-adjacent character — be they in the Amazon researching spiders before dying, bonding with goopy alien symbiotes in San Francisco, or…doing whatever Kraven is doing — is connected via multiversal web. And Beyond the Spider-Verse very well might connect these divergent threads. There’s still no word on when that movie will drop, but for now, fans of the Venom films can look forward to the conclusion of that trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance, which releases in October.

      11. Transformers/GI Joe (Paramount)

      Last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts revealed that the two franchises were being merged, and while there’s a degree of uncertainty as to when we’ll get that film, next month’s Transformers: One animated film will give longtime fans the robot-centric big screen adventure they’ve clamored for since they first discovered Stan Bush’s “The Touch.”

      12. Lord of the Rings (WBD/Amazon)

      While technically, the rights to the Tolkien books have been bifurcated, and the Rings of Power series will likely never cross over with the LOTR projects in the works at Warner Brothers, each is capable of elevating the overall excitement around the stories told on Middle Earth. But unfortunately, Season 1 of Rings of Power, despite its budget and the advertising blitz around it, never really hit the mainstream, and it’s hard to see Season 2 breaking through.

      13. Jurassic Park/World (Universal)

      Yes, they’re still making these, and yes, the films still have a billion-dollar upside. But with less than a year until the next film, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, is slated to hit theaters, it’s hard to see what new ground this franchise could stake out to fire up the fanbase.

      14. Harry Potter (WBD)

      Putting aside the toxic JK Rowling of it all, this franchise needs a cultural reset, and indeed, WBD is looking to introduce a new generation to the world of wizards and wands. They’re still a few years away from getting that project out, though, and who knows what nonsense JK could say or do to further sully the franchise’s legacy before then.

      15. Anne Rice Immortal Universe (AMC)

      Yes, The Walking Dead has been an AMC mainstay, but while that seems to be limping along, the series based on the Anne Rice novels seem to be gathering momentum. However, despite their highly engaged fan followings, particularly for Interview With the Vampire, the media landscape for these shows doesn’t seem favorable for a jump into the mainstream anytime soon.

      Honorable Mention:

      The Walking Dead (AMC), Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Fast & Furious (Universal), Mad Max (WBD), John Wick (Lionsgate), Ghostbusters (Sony), James Bond (EON)

    1. Kevin Feige Confirms the Return of Another Major ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Star

      Kevin Feige Confirms the Return of Another Major ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Star

      With the Multiverse Saga in danger, Marvel Studios turned to its big guns to save it. To end its Hall H panel at SDCC ’24, the studio brought Anthony and Joe Russo on stage and announced that the brothers were returning to the fold to direct the next two Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Then, as an intended cherry on top, the Russos revealed that Robert Downey Jr., the actor behind the greatest hero of the Infinity Saga, was set to join them in returning to the MCU, this time to play Victor Von Doom.

      It remains to be seen how the move to bring Downey back as a villain will be received. It’s not yet entirely clear whether he’s playing Victor Von Doom or a Tony Stark Variant gone rogue. If it is the latter, however, it turns out Downey won’t be the only actor putting a new spin on his MCU character.

      In an interview with Inverse, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, confirmed that the studio is working with Star Trek: Picard show runner Terry Matlas to develop a Vision streaming series for star Paul Bettany.

      A Vision-centric series has been reported to be in the works since 2022 with WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer developing the streaming series. In May 2024, Variety reported that Matlas had taken over for Schaeffer as the show runner with an eye on a Fall 2024 start of production on the UK.

      Despite the trade reports over the years, the project had never been publicly discussed by Feige until recently when he confirmed Matlas was working on the series. In an interview with Inverse, Feige revealed he turned to Matlas to develop the series after having seen Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.

      “That’s how I got to know him,” said Feige of Matlas  “It was from his amazing [work on Picard Season 3. I said: This is incredible. I don’t know how this exists. Let me find the person who made this.”

      It’s no secret that Feige is a Star Trek fan; now, his love for that universe has brought the show runner of one of Star Trek’s most highly-acclaimed series to the MCU to help craft a new path forward for one of the Infinity Saga’s mightiest heroes.

      Though no mention of the Vision series was made at SDCC, one might expect some information to be shared during D23.

      Source: Inverse

    2. First Look, Release Date Revealed for Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Streaming Series

      First Look, Release Date Revealed for Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Streaming Series

      As fans continue to digest Lucasfilm’s latest Star wars streaming series, The Acolyte, the studio has turned its attention to its next project. Via People Magazine and official Star Wars social media accounts, Lucasfilm has provided the first look at Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

      Co-created by MCU Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts and and Spider-Man: Homecoming writer Christopher Ford, Skeleton Crew follows four kids on a journey through the galaxy far, far away. Child actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern) will star alongside Jude Law, who plays Jod Na Nawood, in the new series which will make its streaming debut on December 3rd in Disney Plus.

      “It is a fun place to be, the universe of Star Wars,” said Law, adding that “seeing children in that environment in a Star Wars environment is thrilling and very, very unique.”

      When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

      -Official Synopsis, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

      Being part of the Star wars universe means joining one of Hollywood’s longest running shared narratives in mid-stream. Skeleton Crew is set during New Republic era (home to The Mandalorian and Ashoka) and according to Law, “there are great references to old films and recent episodes and series. There’s a lot of originality and I hope that will bring the feeling of fun to those who watch it.“

      The series has been compared to Richard Donner‘s 1985 classic, The Goonies, and based on Law’s comments, that seems like a fair comparison. all in constant state of confusion and jeopardy and challenge.” He adds that Skeleton Crew is “very much a piece about working together and overcoming fears and overcoming…perhaps [one’s] opinion of oneself or one’s own weaknesses in order to succeed.” Sounds like a bit of Jedi wisdom being shared by Law, though he’s not the only help the kids will have along the way.

      In addition to Law’s Nawood, the kids will be added in their journey by “the first mate of a mysterious ship,” according to Watts. That first mate will be “a rusty old, cranky droid” known as SM-33. Voiced by Shaun of the Dead star Nick Frost, SM-33 “sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way,” says Watts while nothing Frost’s voice work was “fun” and “perfect.” It’s not Star Wars without a droid!

      With D23 just a week away, fans might expect a teaser trailer for the series to be right around the corner.

      Skeleton Crew wil begin streaming on Disney Plus on December 3rd.

      Source: People.com

    3. Details Emerge on Nic Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Streaming Series

      Details Emerge on Nic Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Streaming Series

      After spending a little more than a year in development, Amazon and MGM+ are now moving forward on their live-action Spider-Man Noir streaming series starring Nic Cage. After debuting in the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cage’s character became a fan favorite which led producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Amy Pascal to put gears in motion on the project with Oren Uziel developing the scripts. The series, titled Spider-Noir, series will tell “the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.” Now, as casting on the project gets underway, details about Spider-Noir have begun to emerge.

      As was originally reported, Cage’s Depression-era hero won’t be a variant of Peter Parker but rather Ben Reilly. Brendan Gleeson was recently cast and some new information on the project from a reliable source may reveal which Spidey villain he’ll be playing. Insider Daniel RPK has shared a brief of the project’s plot which includes NYC mob boss Silvermane and cop turned vigilante Yuri Watanabe.

      We follow Ben Reilly, a PI, as he stumbles down a rabbit hole of corruption in 1933 New York City, while also establishing his past as a superhero. Reilly investigates the death of Edward Addison, which leads him to discover that the Mayor is up to something nefarious that involves crime boss Silvermane and femme fatale Yuri Watanabe.

      -Spider-Noir details via Daniel RPK

      It does seem possible that Gleeson could fill the role of Silvermane though there’s already some speculation that he might portray the Noir universe’s Norman Osborn. Gleeson joins a cast that currently only consists of Cage and Lamorne Morris (New Girl), who is set to play Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson. With casting underway, Spider-Noir should begin filming late in 2024 which means much more information on the project will come to light over the next several months.

    4. ‘Ms. Marvel’ and ‘What If…?’ Writer Taking Over for Fired ‘X-Men ’97’ Showrunner

      ‘Ms. Marvel’ and ‘What If…?’ Writer Taking Over for Fired ‘X-Men ’97’ Showrunner

      Marvel Studios’ most recent foray into animation, X-Men ’97, checked all the boxes. From beginning to end, the revival captivated the audience with shockingly high stakes and ended on such a high note that fans were clamoring for news about Season 2. The good news is that the sophomore season of X-Men ’97 is already deep into its production and could hit D+ as early as 2025; however, with showrunner Beau DeMayo being let go by Marvel Studios despite having a long-term plan for the series, the question of who would take the reigns of the successful series continued to hang overhead. Now, that problem has been resolved.

      According to Deadline, Matthew Chauncey has agreed to join the creative team of the animated series as the head writer for Season 3 of X-Men ’97.

      Chauncey is an in-house hire for the studio, having worked both in live-action on Ms. Marvel and in animation on Seasons 1 and 2 of What If…? and the upcoming Eyes of Wakanda. With Season 2 of X-Men ’97 currently in production, Chauncey will have plenty of time to get to work on drafting Season 3 which should allow for him to find his groove with the characters and the pre-existing stories and churn out some banger episodes. While he has writing credits for more than a half-dozen episodes of What If…?, he was the sole writer for Season 2, Episode 7, “What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?”, which was one of the season’s most fascinating installments.

      Source: Deadline

    5. Marvel Studios Unveils the Official Synopsis for ‘Agatha All Along’

      Marvel Studios Unveils the Official Synopsis for ‘Agatha All Along’

      Marvel Studios rolled out the first look at its next Disney Plus streaming series, Agatha All Along and, as usual, sent some extra goodies out as well. In addition to some promo photos and a great looking poster, the studio also provided an official synopsis for the series.

      In “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

      The goth Teen mentioned is, of course, Joe Locke’s Nicholas Scratch Billy Kaplan and the Witches’ Road is sure to be drought with peril!

      Agatha All Along premieres September 18th on Disney Plus.

      Updating

    6. DC Studios No Longer Moving Ahead with a Matt Reeves’ Gotham-Verse Series

      DC Studios No Longer Moving Ahead with a Matt Reeves’ Gotham-Verse Series

      Before James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reigns as co-chairs of DC Studios, Matt Reeves had quite the vision for bringing Gotham to life on the big and small screens. In addition to his trilogy of Batman films, Reeves had several streaming series in the works and while one of those, The Penguin, is set to debut on Max this September, news has come down that development on another series has been halted.

      According to Variety, the untitled Arkham Asylum streaming series will no longer move forward.

      The GCDP thing, that story has story has kinda evolved. We’ve actually now [moved] more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie, and some of the characters… almost leaning into the idea of… it’s like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham.

      –Matt Reeves on the evolution of his Arkham project

      Originally imagined as a Gotham City Police Department series to be written by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter and set within Reeves’ universe, the premise of the project changed over time. By March 2022, the GCPD project became an Arkham Asylum-centric series that would involve horror elements with Joe Barton taking the reigns on the script. In the fall of 2022, Antonio Campos took over as showrunner and development continued. Now, the long-gestating project is no more.

      The idea, again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character. You go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh. And so in our work on Gotham, that story started to evolve, and it started feeling [like], ‘Wait, we should really lean into this.’ And then that’s kinda where that’s gone.

      –Matt Reeves on the evolution of his Arkham project

      Even with the show not moving forward, Reeves‘ vision for Gotham still lives on. In addition to Colin Farrel’s The Penguin series, Robert Pattinson will return in The Batman Part II in 2026.

      Source: Variety

    7. ‘The Acolyte’: Exploring the Mystery Planet’s Connections to the Sith

      ‘The Acolyte’: Exploring the Mystery Planet’s Connections to the Sith

      Episode 6 of The Acolyte, “Teach/Corrupt”, may not have been the most action-packed of the series and it really didn’t do much to further the plot of the series. That doesn’t mean the latest installment of Lucasfilm’s newest Star Wars series didn’t have something to offer to the overall mythology of the galaxy far, far away.

      With both Master Sol and The Stranger seeing through the Parent Trap swap fairly quickly, the episode slowed down considerably compared to the previous installment which was as action-packed as Star Wars has ever been. “Teach/Corrupt” split time with the Aniseya twins and their swapped masters and while Mae and Sol still have some things to work out, The Stranger’s time with Osha was indeed revelatory. Together on an “unknown planet”, The Stranger begins his seduction of Osha, intending to have her replace her sister as his acolyte. As the two spend time in his bad-guy lair, The Stranger works to repair his helmet which Jecki damaged in the last episode. For the first time in Star Wars canon, the metal used to build the helmet, cortosis, is named and its properties are explained as it becomes apparent that the “unknown planet” is rich with the valuable metal. And as interesting as The Stranger’s tale of his time as a Jedi is, the island has been at the center of much of post-episode discussion and it turns out it may not truly be unknown.

      While some fans believed the island planet may have been Ahch-To, showrunner Leslye Headland dismissed the idea while keeping the name of the planet a secret. However, some fans have come to believe that the planet has already appeared in Star Wars canon in the novel Darth Plagueis. Published in 2012, the canonical novel by author James Luceno tells the story of Sleepy Sheev Palpatine’s Sith Master, Hego Damask, aka Darth Plagueis. In that novel, Plagueis killed his own Master, Darth Tenebrous, on an ocean planet rich with cortosis ore. That planet, Bal’demnic, clearly has a whole lot in common with The Stranger’s “unknown planet” and given that The Acolyte is set about 65 years before Plagueis killed Tenebrous on Bal’demnic, it’s entirely possible that the first season of the series is setting the stage for that part of the Sith’s history to ultimately be told should the series be renewed.

    8. ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Renewed for Season 3, Will Adapt New Source Material

      ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Renewed for Season 3, Will Adapt New Source Material

      Just as Anne Rice‘s 1976 novel of the same name ultimately did, AMC’s Interview with the Vampire has become the cornerstone upon which an entire shared universe of stories will be built. Spinning out of the staggering success of the first season of Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe continues to grow.

      2023’s Mayfair Witches explored a different corner of Rice’s supernatural catalog and a second season is already in production. Two additional projects inspired by Rice’s novels–a six-episode series about the Talamasca and six-part digital short series entitled Night Island–are also on the way but given her Vampire Chronicles make up the bulk of her bibliography, Rice’s vampires will almost certainly remain at the center of AMC’s Immortal Universe. And so it’s no surprise, especially given the series’ popularity, that a third season of Interview with the Vampire has been given the go ahead at AMC.

      With the Season 2 finale just around the corner, AMC has shared the news that Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for a third season and, in doing so, revealed that it will be based on Rice’s sequel to her first vampire novel.

      Via THR, AMC released the lifeline for Season 3 of Interview with the Vampire. As fans of Rice’s novels will immediately recognize, the logline for the next season of the series indicates that it will adapt Rice’s 1985 novel, The Vampire Lestat.

      Resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy best-seller Interview With the Vampire, the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can — by starting a band and going on tour. Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed and others we can’t tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time and trauma. No Auto-Tuning. No Trigger Warnings. All Feels Amplified

      In a statement, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, Dan McDermott, talked about the renewal and praised showrunner Rolin Jones and Immortal Universe executive producer Mark Johnson.”When you buy the rights to 18 Anne Rice novels that have sold more than 150 million copies, in your wildest dreams you hope there’s a show as good as Interview on the other end,” said McDermott. “What Rolin has done with these stories and characters, working so closely with Mark, as the steward of this universe, has exceeded the loftiest version of our expectations,” he continued. “We can’t wait to see where this creative team takes the series from here and know we are walking alongside an incredibly loyal and passionate base of fans who feel as strongly about this material as we do.“

      Ahead of the renewal, Jones had indicated his desire to see the third season draw from Rice’s sequel novel saying, “The next book was the one I wanted to do. So I hope I get a shot at it — The Vampire Lestat.” Now that his wish is granted, fans will see Lestat emerge into modern times to give his version on the stories told by Louis, form a rock band and expand on the history and mythology of the world of vampires.

      The Season 2 finale of Interview with the Vampire will air Sunday, June 30th, on AMC+ and AMC.

      Sources: THR, Nerdist