Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • ‘Koala Man’ Executive Producers Preview Upcoming Series

    ‘Koala Man’ Executive Producers Preview Upcoming Series

    Hulu will be the home to the latest creation from the mind of animator Michael Cusack, a rising star within the field based on the cult followings from various recent projects. Koala Man follows middle-aged dad Kevin and his not-so-secret identity, whose only superpower is a burning passion for following the rules and snuffing out petty crime in the town of Dapto. During the past weekend’s San Diego Comic Con events, Murphy’s Multiverse had the opportunity to sit down with Cusack, alongside executive producers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez to discuss the upcoming series.

    Michael Cusack and Benji Samit discussed how this project serves as a major step towards creating a project appealing to a more general audience, but also maintaining the goal of keeping the content of the show generally in line with the content of Cusack’s previous work.

    Koala Man is the experiment in doing something more mainstream, more for a broad audience. But still trying to keep that edge that I had on YouTube and with other projects. But seeing how to marry that with something that’s a bit more serialized.

    Michael Cusack

    I sort of took it as a mission to take Michael (Cusack)’s Youtube, AdultSwim energy…which is also funny and good, but bringing it to a half-hour family sitcom adventure, superhero thing. To bring in a bigger audience and widen it, but also not lose sight on what makes Michael uniquely Michael.

    Benji Samit

    One element of this series that stood out during the interview was the creative team discovering a surprisingly emotional core to the show that has helped define Koala Man as a truly distinct entity in the universe of Michael Cusack projects and adult animation at large. Executive Producers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez both discussed this topic.

    We’re also really proud that the show is weirdly very optimistic and very emotional…Koala Man really loves his family, and really loves his town, and really cares about other people in a kinda earnest, almost naive kind of way sometimes. I think there is a sweetness to the show that is a little bit unexpected in the adult animated space.

    Benji Samit

    One of the cool things with the show is that it kinda sneaks up on you that it’s a superhero adventure. And that by the end of the season, you’re like ‘I’m really invested in the story of what’s happening and I really didn’t expect that’. And that was intentional on our part. That was something that we really spent a lot of time talking about. I think a lot of the time, the more seriously that you take something, the more funny it is and that it can actually offer it at the same time. And I think that this has been a real experiment in that. So at least for me, when I watch the finale, I’m emotionally moved.

    Dan Hernandez

    Koala Man is produced by 20th Television Animation and will be released on Hulu. The main cast consists of Michael Cusack, Hugh Jackman, Rachel House, Jarrad Wright, Claudia O’Doherty, Michelle Brasier, and Natalie Tran. And this past Thursday’s San Diego Comic-Con panel confirmed the additions of Sarah Snook and Demi Lardner to the principal cast. 

    This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Writer Thought Daredevil Appearance Was a Prank

    ‘She-Hulk’ Writer Thought Daredevil Appearance Was a Prank

    There was already a lot to be excited about in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but the latest trailer might have given fans their biggest reason to tune in yet. In the footage released by Marvel Studios at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, it was officially revealed that Charlie Cox would be returning to his role as the vigilante Daredevil at some point in the series run.

    Decked out in his classic yellow-and-red attire, this will be the first time viewers see Cox in action since Daredevil was canceled by Netflix in 2018, and the second time he’ll appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following a brief cameo in last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. The return is a long time coming, but the opportunity to put Daredevil in their show never felt real to the creatives working behind the scenes.

    In a recent interview with Collider, She-Hulk head writer Jessica Gao explained that the writer’s room thought they were being pranked when Marvel told them Daredevil was available to use:

    I don’t think we ever, in a million years, thought that we would be allowed to use them, because we didn’t know what the status was of the character. And then, I can’t remember how, we got wind that he was coming back and that it was Charlie Cox, and we were like, ‘Wait, does that I mean we can use him? Are we allowed?’ And when they told us yeah, I mean, we couldn’t believe it, we thought we were being pranked.

    Jessica Gao

    As surreal as it may have been, the inclusion actually makes a lot of sense. Both Daredevil and She-Hulk are lawyers in the Marvel universe, and they both deal with the same corner of C and D-List villains in and out of the courtroom. This must have provided plenty of room to throw Matt Murdock in the mix, as Gao continued to reveal there’s more Devil of Hell’s Kitchen in the series than originally expected:

    We just kept writing him in, and we kept rolling with the story just thinking like, ‘Okay, any moment now they’re going to tell us we can’t use them. They made a mistake. They actually don’t have the rights.’ But it just kept [becoming] more and more real. And it was so hard to keep that secret!

    Jessica Gao

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuts on Disney+ on August 17th.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ Producer Clarifies Series Place in the MCU

    ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ Producer Clarifies Series Place in the MCU

    Spider-Man: Freshman Year has certailny added some confusion in regards to where it takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The official press release continued to hint that it’ll act as a prequel to Captain America: Civil War but then the San Diego Comic-Con revealed that the story will explore Peter’s time learning from Norman Osborne. So, confusion was the result for many on how the series connects to the MCU.

    As it turns out, it doesn’t. It seems that they are telling a different kind of story where the events of Civil War are explored in a part of the multiverse. It’ll explore what happens if instead of Tony Stark, Norman Osborn is there to welcome him. So, perhaps this new version of Peter Parker could potentially become part of the mainline MCU in a future project as we further explore the multiverse. Here’s the full quote from Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel Studios’ animation department.

    Well, like we said, in the panel, it follows the pattern that you see in [Captain America:] Civil War. Down to Peter getting the broken Blu-ray player from the trash and he walks into his department for the famous moment where Tony Stark is waiting for him to offer him the stark internship and take him to Berlin. But because of things that happen in the multiverse because of new, random occurrences, it’s not Tony Stark who’s waiting for him there. It’s Norman Osborn and that sends his life in an unexpected trajectory that collides him with many unexpected characters in the Marvel universe

    Brad Winderbaum

    It’s unclear if the other Avengers are still a part of the normal timeline and only his story changes, but we do know Daredevil and Doctor Strange will appear. Charlie Cox will even voice his iconic hero, which adds to the potential connection between these projects. It would be fun if we also get an animated version of Wilson Fisk joining the project to pay tribute to the original 90s animated series and his major role in that project.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • RUMOR: Olivia Colman May be Playing an Iconic Comic Character in ‘Secret Invasion’

    RUMOR: Olivia Colman May be Playing an Iconic Comic Character in ‘Secret Invasion’

    We’ve long been wondering what to expect from Secret Invasions. There’s a lot of talk surrounding the project, especially with its Skrull invasion potentially putting everyone’s identity on the line. Who knows if the people we’ll follow are human or Skrulls? For now, it seems that a new report by Illuminerdi may offer a little insight into who one character is playing, Olivia Colman.

    According to their sources, Colman will take on a gender-swapped version of Union Jack. There are currently three versions of the character,e and it’s unclear if they are sticking to the recent version of Joseph Chapman, who had a run-in with the Skrulls. There is also James Montgomery Falsworth and his son Brian Falsworth. Perhaps she’s a gender-swapped version of Falsworth, which would keep the door open for the mantle to be passe don potentially at one point in the future.

    It’s great seeing more international characters get adapted, and it’ll be interesting to see if we explore their shared history as fellow agents. Perhaps Fury and this gender-swapped version of Union Jack share quite the history that’ll help add to the suspense of when they can’t trust anyone anymore. We’re definitely interested to see how they tackle this project and especially toy with us from week to week, as we start questioning who is and isn’t part of the invasion.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Jessica Jones’ Star Joins ‘Orphan Black’ Spinoff

    ‘Jessica Jones’ Star Joins ‘Orphan Black’ Spinoff

    Krysten Ritter has booked her next TV gig. The Jessica Jones actress will star in AMC’s Orphan Black follow-up, Orphan Black: Echoes, which is slated to hit the small screen sometime next year.

    Along with starring in the follow-up for AMC, Ritter will also executive produce the 10-episodes series. Echoes is set in the world of the original series, and will revolve around a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives, embarking on a thrilling journey that will unravel the mystery of their identity – all while uncovering a story of love and betrayal. Ritter will portray Lucy, a character that is described as trying to find her place in the world. Like with the original show’s star, Tatiana Maslany, who is now leading She-Hulk, Ritter will more than likely play multiple clones in the series.

    Orphan Black: Echoes was first announced as being picked up to series back in April. This marks the first casting announcement for the series. Anna Fishko (The Society) serves as Echoes‘s creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer. The original series was created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett, who will serve as co-showrunner on Echoes. Returning from the original series are Boat Rocker’s David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, who will executive produce alongside the company’s Katie O’Connell Marsh, Nick Nantell, and Kerry Appleyard.

    While a release date has not yet been announced, Orphan Black: Echoes is set for a 2023 release.

    Source: THR

  • Netflix to Launch Immersive ‘Squid Game’ Experience This Fall

    Netflix to Launch Immersive ‘Squid Game’ Experience This Fall

    Netflix is launching an immersive Squid Game’s experience for fans of the hit series. The immersive experience will see players – 2 to 6 people at a time – navigating games from the series, including both Red Light Green Light and Marbles, two of the show’s most iconic games. The games will take place in game boxes developed by Immersive Gamebox and will utilize touch screen and motion sensor technology to heighten the experience. The immersive experience will kick off in New York City this September. Those interested in participating will need to be at least sixteen years old.

    “People are constantly seeking new and different ways to remain invested in their favorite content,” said Immersive Gamebox CEO Will Dean in a statement to the press. “To reimagine Netflix’s most popular show in an entirely new format offers customers more ways to stay connected to Squid Game.”

    While Immersive Gamebox has locations in Dallas, Chicago, Houston and Denver, the Squid Game experience is only confirmed for New York City as of now. Live experiences are great revenue for Netflix, while also allowing the streaming service to create experiences for fans in the real world much like Disney’s theme parks. Netflix also recently crafted experiences for both Stranger Things and Bridgerton, two of its most popular series, with the Stranger Things experience taking place in New York, London and San Francisco, while the Bridgerton experience allowed fans to experience the Queen’s Ball in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

    The decision to create an immersive game experience is sure to raise some concerns from fans, especially after it was recently announced that Netflix was developing a spinoff reality series. The reality series, Squid Game: The Challenge, will see contestants compete for $45 million and is expected to cast 456 players, much like in the show. 

    The first season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix, while Season 2 is currently in development.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Solar Opposites’ Executive Producers Discuss Creative Process for the Series

    ‘Solar Opposites’ Executive Producers Discuss Creative Process for the Series

    Solar Opposites recently released its third season, consisting of 11 episodes, on Hulu, and much praise has been given to the extremely high concept ideas that are presented and the overall strong writing from the adult animated series. During this past weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con events, Murphy’s Multiverse had the opportunity to sit down with series co-creator Mike McMahan and executive producers Josh Bycel and Danielle Uhlrik to talk about the creative and writing process behind Solar Opposites. McMahan opened the interview by discussing the ultimate creative freedom the team has and their ability to formulate absurd pitches into tangible content. 

    Half the time, I’ll pitch an insane thing, Joshua (Bycel) will go, ‘Well we can’t do that,’ and we’ll spend the day thinking how we can do it.

    Mike McMahan

    A good portion of the “insane” ideas that end up being folded into the series come from a deep lexicon of film and television references. Both Danielle Uhlirk and Josh Bycel spent some time talking about these inspirations that permeate in the writer’s room.

    We love TV and movies so much that the more we can break the rules, the better. And then we are just surprising ourselves, because, at the end of it, we are just trying to entertain ourselves in the (writer’s) room.

    Danielle Uhlrik

    So many times, so many of the nods or the homages are only things that we like that no one else is asking for. Like no one was asking for us to do a storyline about Sylvester Stallone’s movie Daylight, but we thought it was funny and Mike (McMahan) and I liked it.

    Josh Bycel

    With that in mind, Mike McMahan brought up the advantages that the animation medium has in being able to reach these unpredictable concepts that the creative team produces.

    When you’re watching an animated show, you know right at the beginning…it isn’t going to be a ‘standard’ show. So how are we going to wield that? Executives always ask, ‘Why is this animated?,’and for us, it’s because you’re never going to predict what happens in the show.

    Mike McMahan

    Josh Bycel also took some time to discuss the joy he and the writing team get to have in getting to branch out into various genres of film and television for this show, even within their distinct background of comedy.

    When we get to do The Wall stuff and now with this new season, SilverCops…for us it’s so fun as we get to cosplay being drama writers. We’re like nerdy comedy writers that no prestigious drama would ever hire, but we get to do our own prestigious drama with tiny little people eating Peeps.

    Josh Bycel

    On the concept of The Wall, Mike McMahan revealed that the Solar Opposites team still has large amounts of story to be told from that arc that will cover a good portion of the show’s future.

    I think for The Wall, we have at least two or three more seasons figured out, but luckily it’s such an open book. Because you can switch the genre and because it’s just little people in a society…it’s like a video game in a way. We can always adjust it and change it, we just have to introduce new villains and new heroes and let time pass. The one thing we push the breaks on is we don’t want to jump ahead, it’s more funny to us to be like ‘Okay, now the Cherie character has a baby, but next season it can’t be a teenager, that almost has to be a toddler and let it be a slow, unexpected serialized thing.’ But then because we get to genre-change all the time, it feels like a different Oscar-movie thriller every year which we never get to write that stuff as comedy writers. It’s like a whole new sandbox, and we never run out of ideas

    Mike McMahan

    If Solar Opposites is able to maintain the high level of creative quality it has exuded thus far for the multiple future seasons of content the writing team has accounted for, Hulu could have a long-term success story on their hands. All three seasons of Solar Opposites are currently available to watch on Hulu and a fourth is currently in development.

    This interview was done in conjunction with Saturday Morning Cereal, Pixelated Geek, and JVS Media & Productions.

  • ‘iCarly’ Renewed For Third Season at Paramount+ 

    ‘iCarly’ Renewed For Third Season at Paramount+ 

    Leave it all to them, because the iCarly crew isn’t going anywhere. Variety revealed today that the hit revival series has been renewed for a third season at Paramount+, bringing the total number of iCarly seasons to an impressive number nine. The show serves as a more mature continuation of the original program, which ran for six years from 2007 to 2012 on Nickelodeon. The entire cast is expected to return for the next batch of episodes, including legacy leads Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor, and Nathan Kress.

    Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of streaming for Paramount+, released the following statement regarding the renewal:

    ‘iCarly’s’ loyal fan base grew up with Carly, Spencer and Freddie, and have now fallen in love with Harper and Millicent, too. We’re thrilled to have Miranda, Jerry, Nathan, Laci and Jaidyn return for a third season and we know Paramount+’s growing YA audience is as well. And I, for one, must find out what happens with #Creddie!

    Tanya Giles

    As referenced by Giles, the iCarly revival saw two major additions to the regular cast in the form of Laci Mosley and Jaidyn Triplett. The duo portray Carly’s roommate Harper and Freddie’s adopted step-daughter Millicent, respectively. The new characters were added to iCarly’s ensemble after Jennette McCurdy chose not to return as Carly and Freddie’s best friend Sam. Paramount+’s iCarly season 3 is expected to release in 2023, with Ali Schouten-Seeks serving as showrunner in place of original series creator Dan Schneider.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Rick & Morty’ Season 6 Release Date Revealed 

    ‘Rick & Morty’ Season 6 Release Date Revealed 

    The unhinged adventures of mad scientist Rick and his grandson Morty are far from over, and now fans know when to expect the latest batch of shenanigans on Adult Swim. The series’ official Twitter account revealed today that Rick & Morty will return for it’s sixth season on September 4th, at 11 p.m. ET/PT. This marks one of the shortest lengths between seasons in the history of the program, which typically takes it’s time to make new episodes. Rick & Morty’s speedier-than-usual turnaround is likely the result of the 70-episode renewal it received in 2018, giving creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland a larger heads up to start working on new stories.

    Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, released the following statement in regards to the sixth season’s release, hinting that fans should pay attention to marketing in the lead up to September:

    It’s hard to overstate the impact of ‘Rick and Morty.’ More than a hit show, it is truly a global phenomenon. As we prepare to launch this soon-to-be iconic season, we will be giving fans a unique way to be part of the fun – so keep your eyes peeled.

    Michael Ouweleen

    As for what to expect when Rick and Morty find themselves back on television, Adult Swim’s season 6 synopsis reads “Who knows?! Piss! Family! Intrigue! A bunch of dinosaurs! More piss!” The season will reportedly pick up where the fifth season left off, with the titular duo down on their luck and looking for better things. Sarah Chalke, Chris Parnell and Spencer Grammer are expected to return to the main cast alongside Roiland, who pulls double-duty as both leads.

    Source: Variety

  • David Krumholtz Set to Return as Bernard in ‘The Santa Clauses’

    David Krumholtz Set to Return as Bernard in ‘The Santa Clauses’

    The Santa Clauses has a new cast member. Per Deadline, David Krumholtz is set to reprise his role as Bernard the Elf in the upcoming Disney+ series. Krumholtz portrayed Bernard the Elf in both the original 1994 film and later returned for the sequel in 2002. The character of Bernard the Elf is a grumpy but effective taskmaster who works in Santa’s workshop.

    Krumholtz will reunited with former co-stars Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell, who will reprise their roles as Scott Calvin/Santa and Carol Calvin/Mrs. Claus in the series. Also starring in the series are 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 Santa Clauses will see Allen’s Scott realizing he cannot be Santa forever as he approaches his 65th birthday. As his Santa magic begins to fade, Scott sets out to find a new replacement Santa, all while readying his family for a brand-new adventure as they prepare for life South of the North Pole.

    The Disney+ series hails from Jack Burditt (30 Rock, Modern Family) who will executive produce and serve as the showrunner. Allen is also stepping into an executive producer role on the project, alongside his former Last Man Standing boss, Kevin Hench. As of this writing, the series does not yet have a premiere date.

    Source: Deadline