Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV

  • ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ Has Found its Ezra Bridger

    ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ Has Found its Ezra Bridger

    If there’s been one casting that everyone is talking about with Ahsoka it is whoever may end up playing Ezra Bridger. The popular Jedi padawan was first introduced in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and when first hints with Ahsoka’s arrival in The Mandalorian hinted at a continuation of where that series left off, it seemed obvious he’d make his eventual live-action premiere as well. Now, it seems we finally know.

    While we got a tease of Ezra in Ahsoka back during Star Wars Celebration, it was still the one casting that has never been confirmed. As it turns out, we just had to wait until just ahead of D23 for the confirmation Eman Esfandi will take on the role of Ezra Bridger in the live-action spinoff heading to Disney+.

    He joins a stacked cast that already consists of Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, Ray Stevenson, Hayden Christensen, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo. We’ll see what the project will look like and how it will potentially tie in all open points in regards to Star Wars Rebels, as well as set up a future for these characters in this new post-The Mandalorian universe.

    Source: Cinelinx

  • D23: First Look at Tim Allen’s Return as Stana Clause for Disney+ Series

    D23: First Look at Tim Allen’s Return as Stana Clause for Disney+ Series

    D23 is finally upon us, as we anxiously await any reveal or tease of what’s to come in Disney’s future. While Disney+ Day surprisingly didn’t include any reveals for the streaming service, it led to many speculating that they are keeping their reveals and potential trailers for the upcoming Disney-owned event. Luckily, it turns out that while they are only getting started we’ve already gotten a first look at one of the upcoming projects

    As shared by Matt Dobrovolsky, it seems that they are showing some glimpses of what’s to come during D23. While he shared quite a few teases of what’s to come with the theme park side of Disneyland, it seems that they also included a first-look video where Tim Allen’s return in the upcoming The Santa Clauses Disney+ series has been unveiled.

    It definitely looks like Santa Clause and is our first look at the series. So, it seems likely that we might get our hands on a first trailer during the event. It also opens up the possibility of other Disney+ originals might get some promotion as well for what other new original series or legacy series are in development. Perhaps we’ll also see more from the National Treasure series that has been teased quite a bit. It’s a great little way to kick off D23.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘One Piece’ Cinematographer on Making Netflix’s Live-Action Version Distinct from the Anime

    ‘One Piece’ Cinematographer on Making Netflix’s Live-Action Version Distinct from the Anime

    There’s a lot of pressure for the live-action One Piece team to bring this iconic manga series to life. Not only will they be compared to the original work but also any other adaptation out there, most notably its anime. Still, it’s not an undertaking that is taken lightly and it seems cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker prepared quite a bit to bring this series to life.

    In an interview with the Filmmakers Academy, she reveals how she consulted with cinematographer Paul Cameron of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as well as some grips that worked on Life of Pi to get a better feeling for how she can film with boats. She also revealed that she had her crew for six weeks ahead of production, which just wrapped today.

    She has also actively prepared for the project for around three months in advance to prepare how she can tackle the project. In the interview, she confirms that she was mainly responsible for the “first block of production, which amounts to 62 days” as she worked alongside director Marc Jobst on the project. In the interview it was highlighted how they tried to make it stand out from the anime.

    They wanted it to stand out on its own and not just be a carbon copy of the anime. Together, they referenced different films along with photography and the look of the show. 

    She still did her homework as she actively watched 1,000+ episodes of the anime alongside her son, who’s seemingly a fan. She also seemingly read the manga to her kid in the past, which adds an extra connection to the project. She highlighted the following in regard to how they set it all up.

    There will always be fans and critics. You can’t please everyone but at the heart of it, the most important thing is the story. And if the story isn’t there, and that doesn’t grab the viewers, it doesn’t matter what you do. We can only hope that we’re going to gain a new audience and people that find it fascinating and interesting.

    Nicole Hirsch Whitaker

    It definitely sounds like she had quite a bit of fun working on the live-action One Piece series, and making it stand on its own feet to “gain a new audience” is exactly the right approach. While these projects are made for fans alike, it’s always a trouble to fall into familiar territory that pays more tribute to fans but doesn’t ease in new viewers. So, it’ll be exciting to see how they approached the series and added their own visual touch to make it stand out from the rest.

    Source: Filmmakers Academy

  • Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series Wraps Production

    Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series Wraps Production

    It’s hard to believe but Netflix’s upcoming live-action One Piece series has officially wrapped production. We’ve first heard about it all the way back in 2017 when Eiichiro Oda revealed that they were starting work on the project but it wouldn’t truly start production until 2022. It’s been a long road but even more so for showrunners Steven Maeda and Matt Owens.

    To celebrate the wrap-up, Maeda took to his Twitter account to share some photos from his time in Cape Town, as well as look back at the family he won through the time they worked on thee production. Of course, he also shared his hopes that this series will get picked up for another season which many of us share.

    Owens took to his Instagram account to share some fun pictures from his time in South Africa while also playing on the “the One Piece is real” meme making the rounds.

    That’s not the end of it, as the main star himself, Iñaki Godoy, has also announced he’s wrapped up his work on the production and is sharing what he learned from portraying a character like Monkey D. Luffy.

    There’s a lot of hope for this adaptation to break the curse that many have seen in the past. One Piece is an important franchise for many and has been running for 25 years, which is already impressive considering its entire story is from a singular person. With a recent boom in popularity in the Western markets, we may see the franchise get a second life even after dominating the world market with France and Japan alone.

    Source: Twitter, Instagram

  • Home Office and Higher VFX Demand Led to Marvel Studios’ Increase in Leaks

    Home Office and Higher VFX Demand Led to Marvel Studios’ Increase in Leaks

    Many have noticed that throughout COVID, a lot more things have leaked from the normally super secret house of Marvel Studios. The company was well-known for keeping things tightly under wraps but much has changed in the last few years. COVID and a rise in home office have become one of the sources of their dismay as of late, at least according to a new report by The Hollywood Reporter.

    They have shared that quite a few leaks have happened not because people are sharing them directly from home but rather curious family members or friends get a quick snapshot. They also highlighted how their dependency on smaller studios also led to a rise in demand, which also meant schooling a lot of new people and scattering their offerings across more vendors. Of course, scattering their footage also didn’t help from things finding their way online.

    That didn’t stop them from their usual strict guidelines according to an anonymous source for THR, as they still tried to keep a tight lid as usual even during these difficult times:

    I had to go through a whole training course to make sure that I know exactly what I need to do and where to report [anything suspect.

    Anonymous VFX Artist

    There has been an increase in security since the COVID leaks from Marvel Studios, especially surrounding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which seemingly had the least information hit the web so far. It’s seemingly the return for many to their office that has helped even if some things still might find their way online in the future.

    Kevin Feige has openly discussed the leaks and focused on keeping the experience alive with or without knowing ahead of time. So, we’ll see how much finds its way online with future releases or if merchandise remains our main source for first looks at projects.

    Source: THR

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’ Director on Paying Homage to Ray Harryhausen

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’ Director on Paying Homage to Ray Harryhausen

    With the Cars on the Road series hitting Disney+, we finally get a chance to discuss some of the fun additions. Earlier concept art even dating back to last year’s Disney+ hinted at an episode including the duo of Lightning Mcqueen and Mater in prehistoric times. As it turned out, the episode also was a way for the animation team to pay tribute to Ray Harryhausen‘s claymation era.

    In an exclusive interview with the creative team behind Cars on the Road, Steve Purcell shared the initial inspiration for tackling this episode and why they decided to include a tribute to Harryhausen. Plus, he praises his animation team for managing a way to bring that unique animation type to live in a new medium.

    I think in that case it was really specifically wanting to see that and I think it worked because it’s in a dream environment. It helps to separate that world from the regular world but I had this itch I wanted to scratch. I wanted to see this world animated in that style and I thought our animator’s swung for the fence and they hit it.

    Steve Purcell

    Furthermore, he also highlighted that they used the opportunity to pay homage to Harryhausen with the way they animated the prehistoric T-rex-inspired car.

    There’s a little homage in there where the dino kind of let’s go and waits for a minute and then snaps him up again. It goes back to any kind of dinosaur movie from the 30s or 60s.

    Steve Purcell

    It’s great to always see how these stories come together and use the opportunity to pay tribute to the animations that paved the way to the modern era. It also sounds like a unique challenge for the animators that wanted to add a special flair to what the Disney+ series has to offer.

  • REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 4

    REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 4

    The fourth episode of the nine-part series of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law doubles down on its intent to embrace an episodic half-hour comedy, and it is consistent with the success of Episode 3 with this premise. Episode 4 keeps She-Hulk as funny as ever. It is perhaps the first MCU project that will get fans excited for each week, not because they want to find out what happens, but simply because it is so enjoyable.

    With certain characters and concepts (like Wong) carrying across multiple episodes, the series is avoiding a super strict “weekly” episodic structure that might forget all previous episode narratives. Still, the B story seems to act as an anchor for the structure—while certain stories span multiple episodes, the magic of Donny Blaze keeps it nicely choppy. It is a solid balance that embraces its MCU-unique style without limiting the stories and story arcs to miniature blips that exist purely within one short episode. She-Hulk is making it clear that it can do both. 

    Episode 4 continues many of the themes and tones the series has previously set out. The Donny Blaze story is small, but Wong’s inclusion gives it more weight and intrigue. The fact that Wong can be reframed in this series in such a funny way without necessarily affecting the character in the greater MCU is brilliant. She-Hulk feels like comics or comic runs where characters take on very different facets of themselves at different times, but the MCU has previously avoided treading into this territory. In fact, some fans tend to lend harsh criticism to the studio if their favorite character comes across differently than how they have in the past.

    But She-Hulk’s embrace of this strategy undoubtedly will go on to benefit how the MCU is able to tell different stories. It is especially clear at the tail end of Phase 4, a very experimental and sometimes messy phase, that the MCU wants to expand its offerings in a variety of directions. This series is a prime example of how the studio can do this successfully. Perhaps some stern fans simply need to embrace stories as they come, rather than investing themselves fully in one idea of what the MCU is. “Wongers” will certainly prove to be practice for some to take things less seriously, but Daredevil’s eventual appearance in She-Hulk will surely be a real test.

    In any event, after two episodes that fully embrace the format and structure, it seems obvious from this episode that the back half of the series is going to be even better than what we have already seen. Supporting cast, cameos, and one-off performances are all hitting at the same level, meaning the episodic and mini-story experience can thrive. If anything, She-Hulk has only had a couple of episodes to fully take advantage of that structure, and those couple of episodes were some of the MCU’s best television. With five more episodes to go, things are only looking up for the unique series.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’s Steve Purcell Talks Exploring New Sides of Familiar Characters

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cars on the Road’s Steve Purcell Talks Exploring New Sides of Familiar Characters

    Cars on the Road will take the unlikely duo of Mater and Lightning McQueen out of Radiator Springs out into the world. The new Disney+ series offers a new perspective on these characters and the world they live in. It’s a simple concept that also uses the opportunity to pay tribute to many films and franchises that have come before.

    In an exclusive interview with Steve Purcell and the creative team behind the project, he reveals that the main idea of a road trip was the first concept that came together. He also highlighted the excitement of taking these well-known characters and introducing them into new scenarios.

    I think the road trip idea came first and then we started adding the sort of baggage of what kind of place it would be fun to see them in, because what we love about the characters: We know what they’re going to be like so what would they be like here or be like here, and so I think that’s what was cool about working on this.

    Steve Purcell

    Purcell went on to highlight that the idea of blending these stories with different genres or even paying tribute to iconic films came naturally afterward. They started adding them to the different locations once they had the high concept together. He also highlighted that the initial pitch also included many more episodes that could’ve potentially explored similar ideas.

  • ‘The Boys’ Star Speaks Out Against Mysogonistic Fans

    ‘The Boys’ Star Speaks Out Against Mysogonistic Fans

    The Boys has become quite a phenomena with a strong third season and even setting up a future spinoff with Gen V. Yet, the series’ strong themes have seemingly gone over the head of some watchers, as a new increase in misogynistic comments has surrounded the project, especially in regards to Erin Moriarty‘s Starlight. Especially in how reactions towards a fictional character are commonly thrown towards an actor playing a role.

    In reaction to a post that highlighted this very issue, the actress took to her personal Instagram account to share how it has affected her and generally used the opportunity to speak out against the misogynistic comments that are being sent her way since the third season’s release.

    I do feel silenced. I do feel dehumanized. I do feel paralyzed. I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into this role (over & over & over again), I’ve grown UP in this character’s shoes (*emphasis on grown up – we change & evolve mentally AND physically). So with that I say: a) thank you to @butcherscanary b) this does break my heart – I’ve opened up a vein for this role and this kind of trolling is exactly what this role (Annie) would speak out against and c) everyone’s going through their own battle(s); let’s not add to that. I will never intentionally (and ESPECIALLY) publicly add to yours. This has only strengthened my empathy muscle and to anyone who comes at me: I see you, I don’t hate you, I only empathize and forgive.

    Erin Moriarty

    It’s great to see Moriarty speak out against the things that are being thrown at her, especially with how much support she receives from her co-stars. We’ve seen a lot of misogynistic and racist comments made towards popular franchises, especially the recent reactions to House of the Dragon, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, as well as any Marvel or Star Wars release.

    There’s a general odd trend surrounding the series take on political and pop culture satire. While it mocks DC and Marvel, it also owes a lot of its storylines and concepts to those franchises. The existence of counterculture isn’t new and is a recurring element we’ve seen throughout the years; even with the original The Boys comic back in the day. Yet, it’s being taken to a different level with hard-R and violent action being “for adults” and making comparisons to other superhero media out there.

    Source: Instagram

  • The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

    The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

    In March of 2022, it was reported that Sabir Pirzada, who worked with Marvel Studios on both Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, was developing a Nova project with the studio. The trade report indicated that it was unclear whether or not Pirzada’s work was for a film or streaming series and, as of publishing, that was still unclear. However, Prizada’s current track record with Marvel allows one to lean towards expecting a series about The Human Rocket.

    Confidence is high that Destin Daniel Cretton’s sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings will hit theaters ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It seems like Cretton and star Simu Liu are going to be very busy starting in 2023.

    When the search for an actress to portray Kamala Khan was ongoing, a rumor indicated that whoever would eventually take on the role would have a pretty heavy workload that would consist of Season 1, a film, and Season 2 all being filmed over the course of 3 years. If that rumor still holds any water, Iman Vellani is going to find herself on set for Season 2 of Ms. Marvel sometime in the next year so that she can also be available to fit Avengers: The Kang Dynasty into her schedule. It would not be incredibly surprising if this were among the announcements made during either Disney Plus Day or Marvel Studios’ Showcase at D23.

    It’s been a long, long time since our original scoop that Marvel Studios was developing a Nomad project. However, no news does not always equal bad news. Confidence is high that Nomad is still in development and is intended to be included as part of the Multiverse Saga.

    The first of what is currently set to be a 2025 Avengers double-feature, The Kang Dynasty might just have a lot to do with some of the artifacts fans have already seen in some of Phase 4’s early projects. It remains to be seen, but it’s very possible that both Ms. Marvel and Shang-Chi’s accessories might play major roles in the Multiverse Saga.

    A second Moon Knight season seems a sure thing. Star Oscar Isaac and director Mohamed Diab have teased it. Fans are hungry for it. There’s no reason Kevin Feige doesn’t announce it at D23…unless it’s not happening. That would be a good reason not to announce it.

    At this point, why not? Rumors about this film have dried up, but a recent piece of information that Marvel Studios may regain the distribution rights to live-action Hulk films does give some hope that it might come to fruition. Bruce Banner’s trip to Sakaar in Episode 2 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is right in line with the earliest rumors I ever heard about what will essentially be a prelude to this film, but we’ll have to wait until Episode 9 to find out if Marvel Studios is going forward with this project…unless they decide to grace fans with a Hulk-sized gift at D23.

    *NOTE*

    While it’s not a Disney project and won’t be announced at D23, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Spider-Man 4 hit theaters in the space between Marvel Studios May 2nd film and their November 7th film.

    According to the Phase 6 slate unveiled by Kevin Feige at SDCC ’22, there’s one spot left to fill and, to be honest, there isn’t enough strong info around any one project to confidently place it here. With that in mind, rumors of a Harry Styles-led Starfox project made the rounds some time ago, and while I initially dismissed them, I was told by someone I trust that to keep an ear to the ground as there might be some fire to that smoke. So while we’d set the odds very low here (I’d say under a 1% chance this is correct), it’s as good of a guess as any.

    The capstone of the Multiverse Saga, fans should expect Marvel Studios to pull out all the stops for this one and for it to include all the bells and whistles, including possibly bringing back some of the biggest stars from the Infinity Saga. It could also serve as a way for the studio to reset things with new actors in old roles, old actors in new roles, or any manner of shenanigans.