Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • ‘The Flash’s Grant Gustin Shares His Feelings on the CW Series Ending

    ‘The Flash’s Grant Gustin Shares His Feelings on the CW Series Ending

    CW’s The Flash is coming to an end with its upcoming ninth season. Not only that, but it’ll also be a shorter run, which was also the case with some other CW shows. With its ninth season, it’ll also be the Arrowverse series to have had the longest season count as it has now passed Arrow, which ended with eight seasons.

    Of course, it’s not every day that a franchise ends after such a long tenure and it won’t be an easy change for many of the cast. Grant Gustin, who played the series take on Barry Allen, got a chance to share his thoughts on wrapping up work on the role and what it’s like leaving the role behind after all this time.

    I’m really excited to get to do this one more time, finish on our terms. I’m going to enjoy every minute of it, as much as I can…. I couldn’t be more honored to be associated with this character, probably for the rest of my life and career. It is seriously a true honor.

    Grant Gustin

    There’s been an outcry of support for the actor to take on the role of the cinematic version of The Flash, especially with the drama surrounding Ezra Miller. Though, one could say Gustin deserves a break after such a long tenure in the role. Who knows what future role he is eyeing and if there’s a project he’s already set his eyes on potentially joining at some point in the near future?

    Source: TVLine

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Won’t Guarantee 45-Day Theatrical Release Window Anymore

    Warner Bros. Discovery Won’t Guarantee 45-Day Theatrical Release Window Anymore

    The 45-release window was a controversial one, as many feared that streaming demands are pushing films out of theaters. While some films revel in their long-running theatrical release, it has offered the opportunity for others to not only pull in a strong box office run but also a high view count to boost the various streaming offerings. While Disney+ is seemingly sticking to it, Warner Bros. Discovery may have other plans moving forward.

    To say that the shake-ups over at Warner Bros. Discovery have been bizarre is to only paint one picture. While the previous group strongly focused on growing its new streaming service with HBO Max, the current one is moving away from the foundation that was laid out. A part of that is the reveal that they are no longer guaranteeing that they will adhere to the modern 45-day release window. So, we might see many big-budget projects make use of a longer running time as much as possible.

    Streaming hasn’t run its course just yet, but we are seeing some bumps along the way. More and more competitors have entered the market creating some concerns among investors. We’re likely seeing a realigning of strategies due to the events that have unfolded since the pandemic died down. The post-pandemic era has set a new precedent and we’re seeing many business decisions hit a snag along the way. It’s not uncommon and with Netflix losing its subscribers for the first time since it started, we’re simply seeing a new era as people slowly embrace leaving their homes once again.

    Source: Decider

  • ‘The Santa Clauses’ Adds Laura San Giacomo to its Cast

    ‘The Santa Clauses’ Adds Laura San Giacomo to its Cast

    Laura San Giacomo, who was last seen in Barry and NCIS, is the latest actor to board Disney Plus’ The Santa Clauses limited series. The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting San Giacomo has joined the series as La Befana, a Christmas Witch from Italian folklore. Per the outlet, San Giacomo‘s La Befana is said to deliver treats to good children on the morning of the epiphany.

    The Santa Clause limited series will see Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin/Santa Claus prepare to turn over the title ahead of his 65th birthday.

    “Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s suddenly starting to lose his Santa magic, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the North Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.”

    Deadline

    San Giacomo joins the previously announced Allen, as well as Elizabeth Mitchell and David Krumholtz, who reprise their roles as Mrs. Claus and Bernard the elf from the original films. The series will also star Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, Devin Bright as Noel, Austin Kane as Cal, Matilda Lawler as Betty, Rupali Redd as Grace and Kal Penn as Simon Choski.

    The limited series is helmed by Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt, whom San Giacomo worked with on Just Shoot Me. As of this writing, the series does not yet have a premiere date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Director Backtracks on Season 2 Tease, Hints at Interest in Exploring Character’s Judaism

    ‘Moon Knight’ Director Backtracks on Season 2 Tease, Hints at Interest in Exploring Character’s Judaism

    Not too long ago, Moon Knight director Mohamed Diab was asked by a fan alongside Oscar Isaac, who was visiting Cairo at the time, if they were working on a second season. At the time, they jokingly stated why else they’d be there and Diab also shared a “Season 2” tease on Twitter. So, it seemed like maybe there was a chance that something is happening. Yet, it seems the director may have backtracked on that statement in a new tweet.

    Moon Knight had a strong focus on its Egyptian mythology and DID, which led to some fans being disappointed with the lack of Jewish representation. while it was present, there have been many discussions on if it was enough. In response to a tweet on the matter, Diab has hinted that not only is he definitely open to exploring it more but also now backtracked that there are no talks in regards to the character’s future.

    It’s confusing as we don’t know if the previous teases were just them playing around or he may have accidentally revealed something he wasn’t supposed to. Moon Knight definitely feels right to continue after that post-credit sequence. Jake Lockley was teased throughout the entire season for a last-minute reveal, and there’s also the question of how exactly they might want to include the character in future projects.

    Considering that two personalities left the life of a superhero behind, it would be odd not to further explore that dynamic before throwing them into a crossover storyline. There’s definitely something interesting to explore with the concept of the inner conflict with being used by an Egyptian god with a Jewish background. Here’s hoping they get the chance to further explore it.

    Source: Twitter

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Working on 10-Year Plan for DC Franchise

    Warner Bros. Discovery Working on 10-Year Plan for DC Franchise

    In the beginning many were frustrated to see Warner Bros. rushing through the DC Extended Universe, jumping the gun to catch up with Marvel Studios. The course correction never really came and since 2017, its been an uphill battle for fans. With the Discovery merger the new heads seem to be dedicated in expanding and pushing the DC property to its fullest potential with quality content.

    During the Q2 earnings call for Warner Brothers Discovery, David Zaslav announced that DC is one of their highest priorities in getting situated. On top of the announcement that DC would be becoming its own studio within the company, Zaslav has confirmed that they’ve put a team together to run said studio and have put together a ten-year plan, mentioning outright it is similar to what Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have built over at Disney.

    No word has been made on what exactly this “10-year-plan” entails and it’s unknown if WBD will announce a slate anytime soon. Another interesting part of this announcement is what’s going to happen with the current universe. Could the new plan be set on the foundations of the old one, with The Flash mentioned during the call and Zaslav saying he thinks the studio can make the film better? This could possibly hint at reshoots for the film and maybe allow them to alter the ending so that it could allow another new DC Universe to be born of it as a result, as it seems Zaslav is not a fan of the Keatonverse idea.

    The third time’s the charm, as many say, but this might even be closer to their fourth. No matter what, let’s just hope that they can get it right this time and the DC universe is able to thrive the way everyone knows it can.

    Source: Twitter

  • HBO Max to Merge With Discovery+ by Summer 2023

    HBO Max to Merge With Discovery+ by Summer 2023

    A major bit of news in the age of streaming has come to be during the Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call. JB Perrette, the CEO and President of Global Streaming and Interactive at Warner Bros. Discovery announced that HBO Max and Discovery+ are set to be combined into a singular streaming service in the US next summer. On the earnings call, Perrette discussed the plans for rolling out this new operation.

    Our primary focus for the rollout will be in the markets where HBO Max has already launched. We plan to launch the service sequentially starting in the U.S. next summer. Latin America will follow later in the year. European markets with HBO Max will follow in early ‘24, with additional launches and key Asia Pacific territories and some new European markets coming later in 2024. There’s much work to be done over the coming months. There’s lots to do, we’re determined to get it right, which will take a bit of time.

    JB Perrette

    JB Perrette also spent time discussing the rationale for this decision, with the more appointment viewing experience of HBO Max and the comfortable viewing experience of Discovery+ being more strongly served on a singular platform.

    These are two critical and powerful components of a strong and sustainable subscription business. Coupled with our world-class collection of globally recognized brands, franchises and characters, it is truly an unprecedented combination in an already crowded market.

    JB Perrette

    The news of this radical shift from Warner Bros. Discovery is coming off the heels of an already loud week from the company in terms of shuttering projects. This includes the cancelations of Batgirl and the sequel to Scoob, despite them being well into the post-production process. It remains to be seen how much more will be altered in this new status quo from David Zaslav’s newly minted regime at the Hollywood stalwart.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘First Kill’ Showrunner Blames Netflix’s Poor Marketing for Cancellation

    ‘First Kill’ Showrunner Blames Netflix’s Poor Marketing for Cancellation

    When the marketing for First Kill kicked off back in May, the marketing seemed to enjoy drawing comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer while also trying to use the teenage lesbian aspect as a selling point. The marketing never truly went beyond either, giving First Kill shaky legs to begin with, only for the poor reviews to tear the Netflix series down further. So, it’s no surprise that the showrunner, Felicia D. Henderson, has spoken out against the show’s poor marketing, citing it as the reason it was ultimately canceled.

    Two days after the news broke that First Kill would not be returning for Season 2, Henderson sat down to speak with the folks at the Daily Beast about the cancellation. “I so enthusiastically signed on to this show [because] it has something for everyone,” she explained. “Strong women leads, supernatural intrigue, an epic, Shakespearean battle between warring families, and a prominently featured Black family in the genre space, something Black viewers crave and a general audience needs to be treated to.”

    However, as she notes, while the marketing for the series was stunning, it never really did a great job at selling what First Kill was about. “The art for the initial marketing was beautiful. I think I expected that to be the beginning and that the other equally compelling and important elements of the show — monsters vs. monster hunters, the battle between two powerful matriarchs, etc. — would eventually be promoted, and that didn’t happen.”

    Here are some of the posters released for reference.

    While Henderson’s comments are understandable, it’s also worth noting the romance aspect was the center focus of the story. Still, Netflix did fail to showcase the powerful families in the series, as well as the various monsters lurking nearby.

    While First Kill did make Netflix’s Top 10 for within its first week, the show had trouble with audiences completing the series. Deadline reports that First Kill ranked at Nov. 7 with 30.3 million hours watched, peaking at No. 3 in its first full week of release with 48.8 million, going on to clear 100 million hours viewed within its first 4 weeks. Despite all of that, the series lacked the competition hours necessary for Netflix to renew it.

    Still, in the end, Henderson is grateful for Netflix did do. “They licensed the IP, paid for a pilot script, and gave it a healthy production budget.”

    First Kill is streaming now on Netflix.

    Source: Daily Beast.

  • OFFICIAL: Keanu Reeves Boards Hulu’s ‘Devil in the White City’

    OFFICIAL: Keanu Reeves Boards Hulu’s ‘Devil in the White City’

    Back in January, news circulated that John Wick actor, Keanu Reeves, was in talks to board Hulu’s adaptation of Devil in the White City. Now, it looks to be finally official as Hulu has announced Reeves will star in the adaptation of Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City.

    Devil in the White City was given a limited-series order by Hulu consisting of eight episodes. It tells the story of two men, an architect (Daniel H. Burnham) and a serial killer (Henry H. Holmes), who soon find their fates forever link thanks to the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Burnham is described as brilliant and fastidious, desperately seeking to leave his mark on the world, while Holmes is a handsome and cunning doctor who created his own pharmaceutical “Murder Castle” on fairgrounds — a palace is meant to seduce, torture and mutilate young women. Production is expected to kick off next year for a 2024 launch.

    Along with starring in the series, Reeves will also serve as an executive producer on the project alongside Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Also executive producing the series are Rick Yorn, Jennifer Davisson, Stacey Sher, Sam Shaw, Todd Field, and Mark Lafferty. Shaw is also writing the series and will serve as its showrunner, while Field will direct the project.

    The Devil in the White City has been in development for quite some time. As previously noted, DiCaprio picked up the film rights back in 2010 with the project originally being set as a film at Paramount for Scorsese to direct. Eventually, though, Hulu acquired the project in 2019 and announced its plans to make a big-budgeted adaptation of the novel with DiCaprio and Scorsese still on board as producers. This will mark the biggest television role for the ever-busy Reeves, who is best known for starring in the John Wick films these days.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Disney+’s ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘RuPaul Drag Race’ Winner

    Disney+’s ‘Ironheart’ Adds ‘RuPaul Drag Race’ Winner

    A new casting announcement has arrived for Marvel Studios’ latest Disney+ series Ironheart. According to Deadline, RuPaul Drag Race winner Shea Couleé has joined the production in a secret role. The production is spearheaded by head writer Chinaka Hodge and has been in some form of development since its initial announcement back in December of 2020. There is no word what character they might be playing but the series’ cast has been growing as production began recently.

    We still don’t know what to expect from the Disney+ series, especially as the character will appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Dominique Thorne will take on the mantle of Riri Williams and will likely get her first armor in the upcoming film as teased by various merchandise. Though, it’s unclear if the show will continue her storyline from that film or act more as a smaller side story. Still, it’s the first new character to get introduced in a Marvel film only to spin off into her own project.

    So, it’s going to be interesting to see where they take this character. Especially how the Multiverse Saga might tie to her character, as with many Young Avenger popping up, she may seemingly take the spot once held by Iron Lad. Perhaps there’s something they are building up in the future that could connect with Kang the Conqueror in some interesting way.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Director and Oscar Isaac Tease Potential Season 2

    ‘Moon Knight’ Director and Oscar Isaac Tease Potential Season 2

    Moon Knight offered a different kind of Disney+ show, especially with the thriving force in the psychological analysis of DID on DIsney+. It ended in a way that left a lot open and many were surprised that there wasn’t any confirmation for a second season. San Diego Comic-Con left us with quite a few announcements but nothing on Moon Knight. Luckily, a new video and curious tweet could be adding some fuel to the fire on a potential season 2.

    A new sighting of director Mohamed Diab and Oscar Isaac potentially sparks renewed hope for a second season. If that wasn’t enough, he also shared it on Twitter sparking more potential that a second season might be something they are considering for the empty spots in Phase 6. The reveal of Jake Lockley in the post-credit sequence has had many hoping for a continuation to further explore the dynamic setup

    The video on Tiktok also had a fan asking Isaac and Diab if there is a second season coming, especially as they were meeting in Egypt, Cairo. Their response was “Why else would we be in Cairo” teasing the fan. So, it definitely does add some hope that more is on the horizon. So, here’s hoping a potential announcement is heading our way at Disney+ Day or even D23, which may give us a bigger hint at the franchise’s future.

    Source: Twitter