Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • ‘Mission Impossible’ Almost Got a Paramount+ Spinoff Series

    ‘Mission Impossible’ Almost Got a Paramount+ Spinoff Series

    As many people may know, before Tom Cruise was the face of Mission Impossible, the franchise actually began as a 1960’s TV show for CBS. Reportedly, the series was almost set to return to the realm of television via Paramount+, but the show never came to be.

    With Paramount+ needing to bolster its offerings to compete in the streaming wars, the obvious answer is to create sequels, spin-offs and reboots to their biggest franchises. Naturally, Mission Impossible is of course a prime candidate. The streamer reportedly wanted Tom Cruise‘s production company to develop a show in the same universe, but it never came to be, likely because of the release disputes over MI:7. The production crew was also pitched a Days of Thunder show, also as a streaming exclusive, but that one fizzled out as well.

    With Paramount+ definitely needing content when compared to the juggernauts like Disney, HBO, and Netflix, these potentially large and exciting projects must be a tear in their plans. While the shows aren’t going forward right now, things are constantly changing in the industry. Maybe another opportunity will arise after Mission Impossible 7 releases next year.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘The Last of Us’ Set Photo Shows Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey Alongside Some Familiar Faces

    New ‘The Last of Us’ Set Photo Shows Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey Alongside Some Familiar Faces

    It appears HBO’s The Last of Us series may have cast a few integral characters without anyone noticing. A new set photo making its way around Twitter is seemingly giving fans their first look at brothers Sam and Henry in all their live-action glory. The image shows a pair of actors, whose ages and appearance match the aforementioned duo, standing alongside Pedro Pascal‘s Joel and Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie. It’s not clear enough to determine who the actors potentially playing Sam and Henry are, but the image could very well be the first confirmation that the characters will be in the adaptation.

    In the original video game, Sam and Henry are a pair of brothers who Joel and Ellie meet while they traverse their way through a dystopian Pittsburgh. The boys temporarily team with the protagonists to get past the malicious Hunters, a violent group of survivors who have taken over the city and leave behind no prisoners. The four leads hit it off at first, with the younger brother Sam even forming a blossoming friendship with Ellie.

    Unfortunately, like most things in The Last of Us, the partnership ends in tragedy. Franchise creator Neil Druckmann has gone on record to say some major events from the game will play out differently on the show, so perhaps there’s still hope for Sam and Henry when the series begins to air.

    The Last of Us currently has no release date.

    Source: Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Netflix’s Live-Action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Currently Casting Key Members of the Northern Water Tribe

    EXCLUSIVE: Netflix’s Live-Action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Currently Casting Key Members of the Northern Water Tribe

    Netflix has been quite busy with their live-action adaptations of classic animated and Anime projects. Most notably, they are currently in production on an adaptation of One Piece and Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Especially the latter has been in production since last year, as it’ll tackle one of the most populated Western animated series. Luckily, we can offer an update on the project which is currently starting to cast some key members of the Northern Water Tribe.

    The series, which is currently in production under the working title Blue Dawn, is looking to cast recurring guest performers of Indigenous descent to appear in approximately two episodes. While the characters are being cast with code names, their descriptions give us hints on who exactly they are playing and confirm that they are key roles for the adaptation of the Sieg of the North storyline from Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s first season.

    Let’s start off with a character by the name of “Chief Red Crow.” They are actively looking for an Indigenous actor in his 40s up to his 50s. As his name implies, he’s the leader of his tribe, and the description highlights that he’ll lead his people into a battle. He also has a daughter named “Grace” that is the most important thing to him, as he wants to make sure she is happy. The description matches the Northern Water Tribe’s Chief Arnook, especially with the mention of his daughter who is likely Princess Yue.

    2022 - Avatar: The Last Airbender – Nebenfiguren, von denen wir gerne mehr wüssten - News Text Area

    Yue’s code name is also once again mentioned with the character of “Henry.” Not only is the battle mentioned again, but he is highlighted as in love with Grace, while she has eyes for someone else. Henry isn’t too far away from the character of Hahn. He was a strong warrior that was arranged to marry Yue. The only difference is that the character was quite self-centered and egotistical in the original series, who was interested in Yue due to her being the chief’s daughter. He was constantly fighting Sokka, who is played by Ian Ousley, who is the “other” mentioned in the description.

    Avatar - Der Herr der Elemente / Avatar Bilder – TV Wunschliste

    The next major casting is for the role of “Brother Rain.” The character is the village’s “martial arts master” and the teacher of the village’s warriors. This description matches Pakku, who was the one to teach Aang (Gordon Cormier) how to master their waterbending techniques. There’s also a line that highlights he loves “adhering to tradition over progress” which would hint that Pakku’s storyline of only teaching male waterbenders will also have a role in the upcoming adaptation.

    Pakku - All Waterbending Scenes - YouTube

    He’s not the only teacher in this village, as there’s also the character of “Ayana.” The description highlights her as a healer that teaches women of their tribe. The description perfectly matches Yugoda, who thought Katara (Kiawentiio) some healing techniques while she also continued to pursue Pakku to break his tradition to teach her. The castings are currently hinting that the Avatar Team’s visit to the Northern Water tribe will take place over approximately two of its eight-episode run, which is quite substantial and highlights we’ll get to see quite a bit of this cast.

    Avatar: The Last Airbender: 10 Weakest Benders, Ranked | CBR

    Recent rumors have pointed to the upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender to have a budget that is on par with projects like The Mandalorian, Marvel Studios’ various Disney+ series, and even Game of Thrones. The Siege of the North won’t be a cheap sequence to recreate, as the entire Water Tribe fights off the invasion of the Fire Nation. Plus, it’s when Aang enters his Avatar State, which will definitely be quite the visual spectacle. It’ll be interesting to see how they bring these iconic characters to live-action and who they might cast in the respective roles.

  • Latest Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Garp’s Ship

    Latest Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Garp’s Ship

    One Piece is the series that keeps on giving, as more set photos have leaked online. This time around, we get a good look at another new ship under construction. While only parts of the ship are finished, the figurehead is quite telling on what they are working on. While we only see half, you can clearly recognize the dog’s ears and nose. Plus, we also get the spiked collar as part of its design. The only part that is unsure if it makes it into live-action would be the bone the dog head is holding in its mouth. The images come courtesy of @OP_Netflix_Fan.

    The biggest aspect of this reveal is that it further solidifies that the cover stories from the East Blue, most notably the one involving Helmeppo and Coby, are going to be part of the upcoming series. The upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece will likely take liberties with how it approaches the original story. They may try to connect some story points to the overarching narrative, as they will adapt it to Western storytelling in some regards.

    Garp’s casting did make some waves in the community, as he is a character that doesn’t have a real role in the East Blue Saga. Plus, he doesn’t become that relevant to the story of One Piece until the Post-Enies Lobby arc, where his identity and connection to Luffy are revealed. It’ll be interesting to see if they will hint at it, or be a bit more straightforward with his role in the story. The inclusion of his ship does hint that there are definitely are some plans.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Netflix’s Live-action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Budget on Par with ‘The Mandalorian’

    RUMOR: Netflix’s Live-action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Budget on Par with ‘The Mandalorian’

    Netflix has been all-in with their upcoming live-action adaptation wave. We recently learned that their One Piece series will be the streamer’s biggest production “in scope and budget” as it continues production in South Africa. If a new rumor is to believe, their other major IP adaptation, Avatar: The Last Airbender, has also quite the budget behind it and continues a trend for Netflix’s dedication to their upcoming high profile adaptations.

    According to Avatar News, the upcoming series will have a budget of $15M+ per episode. As the first season is set to run with around eight episodes, that would put it at around $120M+ total budget. They can’t share an exact number, but it would definitely put it on par with shows like The Mandalorian, which had around $100M for its eight-episode season. Though it eyeing beyond $120M, it’ll likely be closer to the budgets that Marvel Studios gives its Disney+ productions.

    We still don’t know the exact budget for One Piece, but it’s also been speculated to be on a similar level. It was certainly higher than the one planned for Cowboy Bebop, which sadly ended up getting canceled. Netflix seems quite dedicated to these series and is planning high-budgets going in to build up a future season investment. Avatar: The Last Airbender is an extremely popular series and it makes sense they’d see the potential building upon the already existing fanbase. We’ll see if we get some teases from the ongoing production that hints at how they are tackling the adaptation moving forward.

    Source: Avatar News, Business Insider

  • ‘The Flash’, ‘Superman and Lois’, ‘Riverdale’ and More Get Renewal by CW

    ‘The Flash’, ‘Superman and Lois’, ‘Riverdale’ and More Get Renewal by CW

    The CW has always been known for renewing its scripted programs early. While we didn’t get the usual January confirmation, as the current climate things have changed a bit and it seemed like it may not be the one to lead the charge. Luckily, it looks like that tradition continues as the broadcast has renewed not one but seven of its scripted series. Deadline has revealed that they’ve given a new season order to their two DC series The Flash, as well as Superman and Lois. The ever-chaotic Riverdale is also set to make a return alongside All American, Nancy Drew, Kung Fu, and Walker.

    While the early renewals are a good sign, there have generally been discussions for the CW’s future. Nexstar, an affiliate group, is potentially eyeing the broadcast network and a new majority owner would change the renewal process as well as how streaming rights help boost its revenue stream. There are also quite a few series still on the bubble missing a renewal, such as the newly released Naomi, Legends of Tomorrow, Charmed, Batwoman, and more.

    The Flash is entering its ninth season and is now the longest-running series beating out Arrow which ended on its eighth. There’s no word if this might be the final season, or they might want to go for a nice round 10 seasons to end its run. Superman and Lois will return for its third season. Riverdale will join with its seventh season, but also uncertain if it’ll continue afterward. The biggest surprise with Nancy Drew, which was on the bubble even with a spinoff on the horizon.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘The Addams Family’ Veteran Christina Ricci Joins Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Series

    ‘The Addams Family’ Veteran Christina Ricci Joins Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Series

    The Addams Family is about to get a make-over with a new Netflix series that aims to reinvent the cooky family as part of a new murder mystery series focused on Wednesday Addams. Not only that, but it seems that the series has added Christina Ricci, who famously played the character in Barry Sonenfeld’s 1990 version of The Addams Family, has joined the series. Her role remains tightly under wraps, but she won’t be an older version of the character but rather a new one. She’ll join Jenna Ortega, who is taking on the titular role of the newest addition to Nevermore Academy. Catherine Zeta-Jones has already been cast as Morticia Addams and Luis Guzán is taking on the role of Gomez.

    The addition of a series veteran is a great touch, especially with how Ricci defined our modern understanding of the character. Her wanting to also join the project is a sign that it’s acting like a passing of the torch between the generations of actors that brought the character to life. When the series was first announced, there was actually a fan petition for her to take on the role before Ortega was cast. The actress has been busy, she joined Showtime’s Yellowjackets and also appeared in The Matrix: Resurrections.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘One Piece’ Twitter Teasing a Potential First Look at Netflix’s Live-Action Series for Next Week

    ‘One Piece’ Twitter Teasing a Potential First Look at Netflix’s Live-Action Series for Next Week

    The live-action adaptation of One Piece has started production some time ago after a long wait, but we’ve only gotten our real first look at the production through some leaked set photos. While we did get a first look at the Marines, the main cast has been hidden quite well so far. Many have been hoping to see what the cast would look like in their costumes, especially with how they’d tackle bringing their designs to live-action. Perhaps the latest tease by the official One Piece Twitter account may hint at some reveal heading our way.

    It first started off with a cryptic tweet stating “confidential” and the date of March 28th. While it didn’t say anything else on it, most speculated it might connect to the recent reveal from chapter 1043, as Luffy seemingly awakened his fruit to a new form. Speculation went wild on what exactly it might be, such as a potential figurine on Luffy’s new design or maybe something connected to it, as the date would match with the usual reveal.

    That all changed when a second tweet dropped. Not only did it confirm we are probably getting daily updates, as it is advertised as the second of six tweets, but also what it’s about. If you look closely, we have a picture of a real straw hat alongside what seems to be a part of some kind. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that the location shot is definitely from South Africa, where the series is currently filming.

    While we may only get brief glimpses as the rest of these tweets release, it seems like we might get our first look at the series or maybe even the cast in their costumes by March 28th. The timing seems fitting, as 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the series, and it would make sense to build up the production with a first look at the cast. It may also be the first “selling point” for many doubting the project and how faithful it might be to the original series. It’s unclear what exactly they might reveal, and it could also just be the first look at Iñaki Godoy‘s Luffy. Whatever it may end up being, it’s going to be fun to speculate as the week goes on.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Reservation Dogs’ Director Sydney Freeland Confirms Involvement in Marvel Studios ‘Echo’

    ‘Reservation Dogs’ Director Sydney Freeland Confirms Involvement in Marvel Studios ‘Echo’

    In December, we connected the dots and speculated that Reservation Dogs director Sydney Freeland might be attached to direct Marvel Studios streaming series Echo. It seems now that there’s no doubt that Freeland is attached to the show as she has spread the word of a casting search via her Instagram account.

    The post, which calls for background actors with a focus on Native American, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, confirms that the streaming series is prepped and ready to begin production next month in and around Peachtree City, Georgia. With that start of production just a month away and no news on who will direct the series, Freeland remains THE top candidate, especially now that she’s confirmed her involvement. Marvel Studios has used multiple directors for some projects, so it’s not clear if Freeland will be the project’s only director.

    Echo will flesh out the story of Maya Lopez, who first appeared in the MCU in 2021’s Hawkeye. The series has been looking to fill nearly a half-dozen lead role with Native American talent, such as Graham Greene, who recently joined the project, and it’s expected to see Lopez spend some time in a small town while tangling with some mid-level thugs. The series has yet to be given a release date, but a mid-2023 debut seems likely.

  • Oscar Isaac Looking Forward to Bringing the Midnight Sons to the MCU

    Oscar Isaac Looking Forward to Bringing the Midnight Sons to the MCU

    With the debut of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight just under two weeks away, star Oscar Isaac is already looking ahead to the future of the character. The series, which was recently screened by critics, is said to have very little connective tissue to the rest of the MCU, allowing it to explore some new ground. Without ties to Captain America, Captain Marvel, Thor or the Hulk, Marc Spector is free to make his own friends down the road.

    In an interview with The CineGeek, Isaac was asked about which friends he would like to see Moon Knight make down the road, and his answer will make comic fans FIRED up:

    Interviewer: “My last question: I’d like to see Moon Knight with two other Avengers characters. Which two characters would you like to have as teammates?“

    Isaac: “The truth, for me, more than the Avengers, is the Midnight Sons. Imagine, with Punisher, Ghost Rider, Daredevil… I think that would be a very interesting group.“

    Fans have been clamoring for the arrival of the Midnight Sons, a team of heroes who take on some of the darker, more supernatural threats in Marvel Comics, since the announcement of the Moon Knight project. Isaac is certainly no stranger to the team and lists off the makings of an interesting squad, including Daredevil, who was once rumored to make a cameo appearance in Moon Knight.

    The team has always been a bit of a revolving door, but if there is one character associated with it most often, it’s another one name dropped by Isaac: Ghost Rider. Rumors of Marvel Studios circling an actor for the role of Ghost Rider have kept the character in the discussion and Isaac naming him here will only keep it going.