Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV News

  • ‘One Piece’ is Netflix’s Biggest Production in Afrika “in Scope and Budget”

    ‘One Piece’ is Netflix’s Biggest Production in Afrika “in Scope and Budget”

    It’s only been a few weeks since the live-action adaptation of One Piece finally got the ball rolling on its production. The series started production in South Africa to bring the iconic manga from Eiichiro Oda to life teasing larger-than-life replicas of ships and sets to bring the series to life. In an official statement by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, we finally realize just how large this project is. Working under the project title “Project Panda, which we reported last year in September, the series is the biggest project in Africa in terms of scale and budget.

    The press release also reveals that 50 South African cast members and 1,000 crew members are currently involved with the production at the Cape Town Film Studios. A big part of Netflix’s commitment is to support black creatives. So, they also are working together with the Academy of Creative Excellence mentorship program that sees 30 young aspiring filmmakers helping the production. This project is also in collaboration with SA Film Academy. President Ramaphosa also visited the set of the production and shared some photos that tease the various locations.

    We’ve heard some time ago that the upcoming production won’t be cheap, as Tomorrow Studio and Netflix were all-in to bring the manga to life that has managed to outsell Batman comics going back over 70 years. There have been quite a few high-budget projects filming in Cape Town, such as Raised by Wolves, Outlander, Black Mirror, Black Sails, and so many more. the potential of this series also opening the door to more high-budget productions from Netflix is definitely an exciting prospect for the country’s filming industry.

    Source: The Presidency Republic of South Africa, Twitter

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’s Trailer May Hint at Kamala Khan’s Ability to Polymorph After All

    ‘Ms. Marvel’s Trailer May Hint at Kamala Khan’s Ability to Polymorph After All

    There has been quite a bit of a heated debate when it came to the upcoming Ms. Marvel series and the handling of her abilities. Most of the trailer highlights that she has a new take on her powers that seem to be powered by bracelets rather than her Inhuman genes. Even the first promotional photo seemed to hint that she is just creating a crystal fist out of energy rather than polymorphing her own. Yet, if you look closely, the trailer might actually reveal that she has the ability to polymorph after all and it might even tie into her story arc.

    The trailer has this odd trend of teasing Kamala shooting out her crystalized fist but doesn’t really show us the full movement of the ability. We either see her fist jet out in the corner of a frame against Red Dagger, or just her already retracting it. There’s this odd sense of the trailer purposefully keeping elements hidden from the viewer. We rarely see Kamala in action fighting. Yet, some scenes do hint at her having the ability to polymorph, especially when we see her leaping in the air.

    At first, I believed that it was just an energy field expanding on her body, but if you take a close look, her limbs are stretching out during her leap. While the focus has been on the ability to create crystal lily pads to jump off from, her body is definitely being warped as she moves closer and clenches her fist to hit whatever she is aiming for. We don’t linger on this shot long enough to really get a good look, and it might connect to a later scene as she faces off against a SWAT team protecting someone from their shots, as she has her full costume on.

    Of course, one visual isn’t a confirmation just yet if it weren’t for one more moment in the trailer that shows her limbs stretched out. Towards the end, there’s a brief sequence with a shockwave pushing various cars into the air. It’s only a few seconds long, but if you look closely in the corner, it’s Ms. Marvel creating the shockwave. Yet, what stands out is not only the pose that many might recall from the comics and even the Marvel’s Avengers game, but her body seems to be stretched in a similar manner as well. You can see that her legs are quite a bit longer and her body seems proportionally off in a way that you’d see when she does a ground pound attack while embiggened in other media.

    The only element that seems to be pure crystal is her fists, but if the previous image of her leaping is an indicator, her body might be changing underneath that layer. So, the trailers do make a case that she has the ability to polymorph, but it’s not the focus of what’s being shown. Keep in mind, Ms. Marvel’s ability to polymorph is a bit more complicated than just stretching her body. In the comics, she is exchanging mass with herself at a different point in time. So, she technically travels through time on a molecular level every time she changes her form. So, the crystals might be a visual representation of that ability.

    There’s a chance that it’s connected to the Quantum Realm, as it is how the Avengers traveled through time back in Avengers: Endgame. If they still want to build up her Inhuman background, perhaps the crystals in the gauntlet are Terrigen that activate her dormant abilities to tap into the time traveling-realm. The visual addition is due to it temporarily acting as a conduit as long as she is wearing it. While it doesn’t explain the lily pad and shield abilities, it may be that she’s using the gauntlet as a way to siphon the energy from the Quantum Realm into reality. Her imagination is a big focus of the trailer and it could be how she brings them to reality.

    I’d even argue that she might lose the gauntlets by the end of the season, and it may result in her realizing that she doesn’t have to depend on them. It would make for a great story arc for her character, and could still build up towards her inherent Inhuman nature. The comics had the advantage of a Terrigen bomb going off and creating a world filled with Nuhumans. There was the promotional material that did tease the crystal fist with a smaller one underneath, which hasn’t changed, but they could’ve adapted it going into the reshoots to add the polymorph ability after seeing some of the feedback online. We’ll have to see if a new trailer might give us a better look at her new abilities and if she is polymorphing after all. My only wish is that she actually shouts Embiggening.

  • New ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Set Photos Reveal Return of Axe Woves

    New ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Set Photos Reveal Return of Axe Woves

    It looks like Din Djarin won’t be the only Mandalorian in the upcoming third season of The Mandalorian Disney+ series. It seems that Simon Kassianides will make his return as Axe Woves, who briefly appeared in the Bo-Katan introduction episode back in the seconds season. He was the only member of her trio that was noticeably absent during the finale. Luckily, Bespin Bulletin dropped a few set photos from the production that reveals an actor with the same armor on the set.

    They do highlight that it’s very likely Kassianides himself, and he was working alongside Katee Sackhoff as well. So, we might see Bo Katan make her return in the upcoming season as well. The actress has hinted in the past on why Woves may have been absent during the final moments, but it’s uncertain if they might further explore the Night Owl’s moving forward. It is still surprising they haven’t gotten their own spinoff with how popular they were, especially when Sackhoff continued to play the role from the animated series.

    Still, it’s great to see more involvement of the other Mandalorians in the upcoming sequel, especially with the series potentially moving towards further exploring Mandalore, as another rumor by Bespin Bulletin hinted at the potential visit of the mines below Mandalore that the Armorer teased. So, we’ll likely see more of their race pop up as the series continues and an unlikely following gathers around Din Djarin, the one to wield the Darksaber.

    Source: Bespin Bulletin

  • Disney+ Will Add 4K Upgrade for ‘Daredevil’, ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Luke Cage’ and More Soon

    Disney+ Will Add 4K Upgrade for ‘Daredevil’, ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Luke Cage’ and More Soon

    After a long wait, the now titled Defenders Saga has found its way home to Disney+. The various Netflix series including Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher have gotten added to the Disney-owned streaming service in select countries. Yet, many may have noticed that they’re only restricted to HD/SDR. Well, it turns out that Disney+ will add 4K and UHD versions at a later date, as revealed in a tweet by the Disney+ Help Twitter account on an inquiry.

    They might’ve considered some limitations in providing the amount of content they did. In addition to the Defender Saga, certain markets also got Agents of SHIELD on Disney+ which adds around seven seasons’ worth of content. With such a massive addition to the library, the 4K UHD version may have overloaded the server. It’s safe to assume that they’ll release the updates through batches moving forward, but don’t worry, you’ll get access to them.

    It’s still uncertain about their international plans moving forward, as some markets like my own have not received the series just yet. So, there’s still a lack of an official word on when the rest of the world can expect the Netflix projects, as Agents of SHIELD was already available since the streaming service launched. We’ll see if the coming weeks come with updates on their addition.

    Source: Twitter

  • Chance Perdomo Joins ‘The Boys’ Spin-Off

    Chance Perdomo Joins ‘The Boys’ Spin-Off

    We just got our first look at the upcoming third season of The Boys, promising an equally raunchy and gory follow-up. The show has been a smash hit for Amazon Prime, as it already spawned its first spinoff The Boys: Diabolical, an animated anthology series featuring some fantastic one-off storylines. After what seemed a long tough development process things look to be moving along on the current second unnamed spinoff series.

    Just last week it was announced that the unnamed spin-off of The Boys has lost Aimee Carrero and Shane Paul McGhie due to the long production process behind the scenes. The series has already found a replacement for McGhie, casting The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actor Chance Perdomo. Deadline states that this isn’t a straight recasting, as the project has seemingly seen some creative changes, specifically with the character McGhie had initially been set to play. There is currently no word on the character Carrero was going to tackle.

    The series is set to see the best and brightest a new upcoming generation of supes has to offer at a Vought-run university. The characters will be put to the test as they compete against each other for the best contracts in order to be the next big hero. Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters will serve as showrunners on the series as well as executive produce. Butters and Fazekas will executive produce the series alongside Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Garth Ennis, and Craig Rosenberg, who wrote the initial script for the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Anansi Boys’ Round Outs Its Cast With Jason Watkins, CCH Pounder, and More

    ‘Anansi Boys’ Round Outs Its Cast With Jason Watkins, CCH Pounder, and More

    The upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s Anansi Boys is currently busy filming in Edinburgh, Scotland. Variety has now revealed a few more additions to the cast that includes Jason Watkins, Fiona Shaw, and CCH Pounder. They join the production about a young boy played by Malachi Kirby, who discovers that his father (Delroy Lindo) was a trickster god, better known as an Anansi.

    Shaw will take on the role of Maeve Livingstone, who is a retired dancer that is suspecting her late husband’s agent is embezzling from what remains of their fortune. Pounder takes on the role of Mrs. Higgler, who is an old friend of Charlie Nancy, who is Kirby‘s character. Last but not least, Watkins will take on Grahame Coats, the previously mentioned agent.

    The rest of the cast additions are of L. Scott Caldwell, Joy Richardson, and Lachele Carl. They join a production where the original author is acting as co-showrunner and executive producer. He’s been very excited about the project and it’ll likely make another great adaptation of his work, as he’s also busy working on the second season of The Good Omen.

    Source: Variety

  • James Gunn to Cameo in ‘Harley Quinn’ Season 3

    James Gunn to Cameo in ‘Harley Quinn’ Season 3

    It looks like while we know very little about the upcoming third season of Harley Quinn, we did get one hidden reveal. In the article on the upcoming spinoff focused on Kite Man, it seems that series creator Patrick Schumacker confirmed that James Gunn, who’s a vocal fan of the R-rated series, will appear in the series as himself. Of course, as a director, he will take on some fictional directing duties on one of the Waynes.

    He is playing himself, and is directing a movie about Thomas Wayne.

    Patrick Schumacker

    The Suicide Squad director is known for his own ventures into an R-rated world. So, he’s the perfect addition to the series and it’ll be fun to keep an eye out for when we might expect him. Thomas Wayne wouldn’t be the film I’d expect him to tackle living in the world of DC, but it would be fun to see some of his usual directing flourishes find their way into the fictional work. Imagine a hard R-rated adaptation of Thomas Wayne’s life, as he sits on his expensive bed in his tidy whities. It’ll be interesting to see if we also get some callbacks to his own DC ventures, especially with the new popularity of Peacemaker.

    Source: Slash Film

  • Jack Black Returns as Po in ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight’

    Jack Black Returns as Po in ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight’

    A new original animated series is heading to Netflix which will see the return of Jack Black as Po, the Dragon Warrior. The series titled Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight will be the first time he voiced the character since the third entry back in 2016. So far, he has not voiced the character in the other animated series, and it seems this project may have caught his eye making him want to return.

    We’ve also got a first look alongside the official synopsis for the new entry in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

    Kung Fu Panda: Dragon Knight

    When a mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons, Po must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade. Together, these two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to find the magical weapons first and save the world from destruction — and they may even learn a thing or two from each other along the way

    Kung Fu Panda

    Peter Hastings and Shaunt Nigoghossion join the project as executive producers. There’s no word if others are joining the project as well, as the original films had quite the stacked cast including Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and more. for now, it’s great to see Black return to the role he made so iconic, and hopefully, the animation can also live up to the original.

    Source: The Wrap, TV Insider

  • Nick Fury and War Machine Will Interact for the First Time in ‘Secret Invasion’

    Nick Fury and War Machine Will Interact for the First Time in ‘Secret Invasion’

    Samuel L. Jackson seems to like to reveal fellow Secret Invasion cast members without a care in the world. Just recently, he revealed that Martin Freeman has a role in the upcoming Disney+ series, but another quote has found its way online where he also confirms Don Cheadle has a role in the upcoming series.

    What makes this interesting is that while we did see a newspaper with him on it, this is the first confirmation that he’ll also have a role of some kind in the six-episode series, as he’ll share scenes with Jackson‘s Nick Fury. So, it seems that the Avenger might help them take on some Skrulls, or could even turn out to be one. What is interesting is that this will be the first time the two interacted in one of these projects.

    C’mon, man, you walk on the set, Emilia’s amazing… Ben Mendelsohn, he’s awesome. Don, Don Cheadle… I got Don, that’s my golf buddy. I didn’t realize it, but til we did this thing, I was like, ‘We’ve never worked together.’ We just kinda know each other, hang out and laugh… but we’d never worked together, and we finally [got to work together].”

    Samuel L. Jackson

    Jackson certainly is excited, but won’t reveal any details that could give away what role Rhodey might have in the upcoming series. His addition does open up a potential connection to Armor Wars, but it’s uncertain where it takes place in the timeline. Given the original story included quite a few Avengers, it makes you wonder who else we might see make an appearance in the project. At this rate, anything is possible.

    Source: The Playlist

  • ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ Lands on Disney Plus, Denied Spot in the MCU

    ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ Lands on Disney Plus, Denied Spot in the MCU

    After leaving Netflix earlier this month, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has found a new, an likely permanent, streaming home on Disney Plus. For several weeks now, fans have been anticipating its arrival on the streaming service, hoping to learn more about its status as Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, which is an ongoing debate in the Marvel fan community. Now that the long-running network soap opera has made its way to Disney Plus, what’s the answer?

    It looks as though the people at Disney Plus received instructions NOT to include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the MCU timeline. The series is not present in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe”, “Marvel Cinematic Universe in Timeline Order” or in any of the “Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase” categories. Instead, fans can find it in a category titled “Marvel Series and Specials”, which is where series like Runaways and Inhumans, which are also absent from the MCU categories, can be found.

    Of note to it’s exclusion from the MCU is that several One-Shots featuring Phil Coulson, the main character of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., are located within each of the MCU-related categories. Of course, nothing short of an explicit statement from Kevin Feige of where it stands canonically will convince its fanbase of its status, but at least it has found a home where fans can enjoy it alongside all their favorite Marvel content.