Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Warner Bros.

  • DC’s ‘The Flash’ First Screening to Take Place at CinemaCon

    DC’s ‘The Flash’ First Screening to Take Place at CinemaCon

    We’ve known for a while that DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery have put a lot of hope into the new multiverse-based film The Flash. It’ll see the return of Michael Keaton in the role of Batman and offer a unique take on the original Flashpoint comic storyline. It seems that Warner Bros. believes they have a gem at their hands as they will give the first debut screening at the upcoming CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

    What makes this worth its own announcement is the fact that it’ll premiere on April 25th, quite some time ahead of its actual premiere in theaters. That commonly is a sign that they believe in the film similar to what we saw last year with Top Gun: Maverick; though it might not have the same box office performance as that film. Still, Warner Bros. is putting a lot of hope into this film even with the controversies surrounding its main star, Ezra Miller.

    So far, they managed to keep the actor out of any new headlines that could hinder the film’s release and they also have two additional stars they are putting a lot of focus on. The early advertising has a strong focus on Keaton’s return as Batman and it’s almost a bit too much given that it’s supposed to be a film about the Flash. There’s also the premiere appearance of Sasha Calle as Supergirl, but her own future is in doubt given James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new vision. Here’s hoping positive buzz can overshadow any real confusion moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Constantine’ Sequel Still Moving Ahead at Warner Bros.

    ‘Constantine’ Sequel Still Moving Ahead at Warner Bros.

    DC Studios officially unveiled its official slate earlier this month and noticeably absent was the previously announced Constantine sequel with Keanu Reeves. The film’s absence led many to believe the film was no longer in development, however, that does not look to be the case.

    According to Entertainment Weekly, Warner Bros. has confirmed that despite rumors suggesting otherwise, the sequel has not been scrapped. The news comes after reports stated that because the film wasn’t listed as part of DC Studios’ Chapter One slate, it was no longer in development. Many were quick to believe this to be the case as the sequel was ordered before James Gunn and Peter Safran, the heads of the newly formed DC Studios, took over DC’s future for Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s unclear how the film will fit in with DC Studios’ current plans, although DC will also offer the Elseworlds banners for films that fall outside the DCU continuity.

    Reeves, who starred in the first film, will return to reprise the titular role with director Francis Lawrence returning to direct the sequel. As of now, the film does not yet have a release date.

    Source: EW.

  • Greg Berlanti Signs New Deal at Warner Bros. Television

    Greg Berlanti Signs New Deal at Warner Bros. Television

    Greg Berlanti is staying put. It was announced on Monday that Berlanti has signed a new four-year deal with Warner Bros. Television. The new deal, which is being described as massive, will keep Berlanti Productions at the studio for its television operations into the year 2027. Details regarding the financial terms of the deal were not made available, however, Deadline reports that the new deal is structed differently than his last, which was estimated to be between $300 million and $400 million over the course of six years.

    “Greg is a huge talent, and the impact of his prolific and powerful storytelling on Warner Bros. and audiences, and on our culture, is just ‘wow,’” David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement to the press. “He began his career with us, and we are incredibly fortunate that he will continue to build and grow our TV studio into the future.”

    “We’re beyond thrilled to continue our partnership with one of the most accomplished, celebrated, and compelling storytellers in the industry,” Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman and CEO Channing Dungey said in a statement to the press. “Greg is a visionary, a pioneer, and a leader, but more than that, he’s a treasured member of the Warner Bros. family. Collaborating with Greg is a tremendous privilege, and we can’t wait to see what stories he and his team will bring to life in the coming years.”

    Berlanti’s new deal will see the producer work on titles for all platforms, including WBD’s HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and the broadcast networks. He’s currently busy directing the feature film Project Artemis for Apple, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. Up next for the ever-busy producer are Found for NBC and More and The Girls on the Bus for HBO Max.

    Source: Deadline.

  • HBO Max and Discovery+ Merger May Simply be Named “Max”

    HBO Max and Discovery+ Merger May Simply be Named “Max”

    You read that title correctly, but it seems a name has potentially been found for the merging of two streaming giants. If you’ve questioned Warner Bros. Discovery’ overall direction since CEO David Zaslav took over, it seems that their plans to simply title the merger of HBO Max and Discovery+ “Max” is a curious choice. The plans are to launch it in the near future, but there are still many questions on what their focus is moving forward.

    HBO Max and Discovery+ were infamously compared with very distinct focus groups, and the Discovery head has no interest to truly invest into creatives if there’s no clear return on investment. AS such, his main focus with streaming will be to push cheap content that can draw in a massive crowd. So, reality TV is definiteley on their radar, such as when they shared with pride their 90 Day Fiance Universe tagline during an earnings call after the merger.

    The source from CNBC has pointed that the company’s lawyer is currently vetting the name, which isn’t the definite name as of now. They may have other ideas on the table, but it’s surprisng they aren’t trying to bank on the Warner Bros. brand if they are moving away from HBO. Supposedly, they are taking inspiration from Disney+’s design with brand focused sections. It will be interesting if they keep some of the elements alive from the original streaming services, especially with HBO Max being among the most visually stunning.

    Source: CNBC

  • Legendary Finds New Partner in Sony, ‘Dune’ and MonsterVerse Remain with Warner Bros.

    Legendary Finds New Partner in Sony, ‘Dune’ and MonsterVerse Remain with Warner Bros.

    Hollywood is going through a massive change once again, as another surprise development has shown its hands. Long-time Warner bros. collaborator, Legendary Entertainment has seemingly moved on and has a new partner in Sony Pictures. As such, the production company will distribute and market their films globally with Legendary East still handling China. It also means all home entertainment and TV distributions will be handled by their new partner.

    This deal also marks an interesting development for their streaming ventures. Sony, unlike Warner Bros. and Disney, has no internal streaming service and simply works with those that exist in the market. As such, Legendary will continue to partner with streaming services for various productions, such as Enola Holmes that has found its home on Netflix. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group’s Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch had the following to say on the deal:

    ’s a rare opportunity to partner in this mutually beneficial way with true pros, who are completely aligned in our theatrical commitment and vision for this business. The creative brilliance and power of Legendary is huge and we look forward to bringing their work to theaters across the world.

    If you’re wondering what this means for the upcoming releases of Dune and the Monsterverse franchise, they are still with Warner Bros. Dune: Part Two is still set to release in November next year with WBD. Though, it’s unclear what this might mean for future entries moving forward, especially when former WarnerMedia head Jason Kilar released their films on HBO Max alongside its theatrical release. While Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong still were some of Warner Bros. most successful releases since the pandemic started, it left a bitter taste. Either way, Warner Bros. Discovery’s current development also may have led to this decision and Legendary is moving on.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • DC Studios May Unveil Future Plans in a Few Months

    DC Studios May Unveil Future Plans in a Few Months

    Peter Safran and James Gunn have only recently taken on the role of DC Studios’ co-CEOs. Warner Bros. Discovery gave them the daunting task of creating a future timeline for how they envision a united DC Comics-based cinematic universe. CEO David Zaslav wants his Marvel Cinematic Universe and he found the perfect guys for the job. Yet, they only joined three weeks ago and it seemed like we’ll have to wait a while before we get any news.

    A new post by The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez on Twitter has seemingly hinted that we could find out about their plans sooner rather than later. He not only teased that a Superman revival starring Henry Cavill is potentially on ice until this long-term plan is finalized but also they may unveil it in the coming months. It’s unclear though if he is referencing a presentation within Warner Bros. or even plans to share it publicly.

    While Marvel Studios knows how to get a crowd riled up with their San Diego Comic-Con showcase, it would be a first for them to fully showcase a roadmap like this. It could be a way to stand out even from the monster that is Marvel Studios, but it would seem unwise to show all your cards if they will have to change either way. Of course, there is a possibility that they simply tease projects that are set to arrive as of 2025 to set the groundwork for what exactly they are planning. For now, we’ll have to wait and see.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Opens to $3.1M in Previews

    ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Opens to $3.1M in Previews

    Don’t Worry Darling looks to be showing promising signs for its box office performance. The Olivia Wilde-directed film has opened to over three million dollars from preview screenings between Monday’s IMAX fan screenings and Thursday’s official opening. The film was initially projected by Warner Bros to open with a total of approximately $17 million in its first weekend, however, industry sources have begun leaning towards a $25+ million opening.

    This would definitely be a positive for the studio following what has been a harsh review season for Don’t Worry Darling, which currently sits at 36% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. And audiences appear to be skewing more positive with an 87% approval rating on the website. Don’t Worry Darling stacks up relatively well in relation to other notable past releases such as House of Gucci and Get Out’s preview openings of $1.3M and $1.8M.

    While initially being a highly anticipated second feature outing for rising star director Olivia Wilde, much of the intrigue in the past month has been based around ample amounts of tabloid-esque controversy surrounding the project. This includes the disputed nature of Shia LaBeouf‘s exit from the film, rumored conflict between Wilde and star actress Florence Pugh, and potential that Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine at the Venice Film Festival (which has been proven false).

    Overall, following the rumored production and publicity nightmares of the film, Warner Bros could end up finding Don’t Worry Darling to be a commercial success for a studio in desperate need of financial gains.

    Source: Deadline

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Believes ‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out of Proportion” by the Media

    Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Believes ‘Batgirl’ Shelving Was “Blown Out of Proportion” by the Media

    There have been many discussions surrounding the decision of Warner Bros. Discovery in regards to Batgirl, and it seems like their CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels has quite a strong opinion about how it was portrayed online. According to him, it was “blown out of proportion” during the Bank of America Media, Communications, and Entertainment Conference. He had the following to say in regards to how the media has discussed it, as he believes “media likes to talk about media.”

    Media likes to talk about media, I guess. We have healthy relationships with talent, and we are offering one of the best platforms for anyone in the creative space.

    Gunnar Wiedenfels

    It’s certainly a high statement if one considers that Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock fall wasn’t because of a singular film. Plus, it’s vague enough to avoid any of the pitfalls that surrounded osm of the rather questionable decisions made, especially with not naming any talent involved with the project but speaking in broad strokes.

    Wiedenfles highlighted that they’ll continue to conduct “significant investments” on content but there is quite a bit more to this story. The sudden drop of animated originals and original HBO Max films from the platform revealed a rather questionable decision to save on taxes. There has not been a statement on any of the creatives that worked on Batgirl and for now the future still seems quite unsure.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ezra Miller Met With Warner Bros. Executives to Ensure ‘The Flash’ Isn’t Scrapped

    Ezra Miller Met With Warner Bros. Executives to Ensure ‘The Flash’ Isn’t Scrapped

    DC and Warner Bros. Discovery are in the headlines for many different reasons. While mostly the reception to whatever WB is currently up to has been quite negative, the drama surrounding Ezra Miller wasn’t helping. After scandals started piling on, many feared or wondered what exactly the future has in store for the long-in-development The Flash film. As it turns out, Miller has now had a sit-down with the studio executives to discuss everything that has been going on.

    There are no exact details on what was discussed in the meeting, but given the recent circumstances, it’s not hard to imagine. They sat down with executives Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca joined by their agent, who recently took over the motion picture division from Toby Emmerich. As many different issues are coming together and a project with a massive budget of $250M is on the line, there’s a lot to ensure.

    It seems that the potential scrapping of the project has also pushed Miller to seek help, which is a good sign and shows how committed they are to the character. It seems this was the first time they’ve talked since they took over the division especially as the film is still in its post-production stage. Warner Bros. Discovery believes in the project as it has tested as high as Christopher Nolan‘s Batman films, which is definitely something they are striving to ensure makes its way into theaters. So, here’s hoping everything works out moving forward.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘Multiversus’ Image Reveals ‘Gremlins’ Stripe and Black Adam as Playable Characters

    New ‘Multiversus’ Image Reveals ‘Gremlins’ Stripe and Black Adam as Playable Characters

    It looks like a new leak may have revealed the next two additions to Warner Bros. Multiversus. The latest Super Smash Bros. clone uses the vast library of the WB license to have characters from Game of Thrones, Adventure Time, DC Comics, and many more iconic franchises face off against each other. Now, it seems two more additions have been revealed in a newly leaked banner for the game.

    It seems that the game is eyeing adding a character from Gremlins, Spike, as a playable character alongside DC Comic’s anti-hero Black Adam. The latter is definitely a perfectly timed addition with Dwayne Johnson‘s upcoming film hitting theaters in the coming months. It’s also great to see such a cult classic like the 1984 horror film getting some representation. You can see the banner as shared by @InTheShadeMV here:

    https://twitter.com/InTheShadeMV/status/1559037386243424256

    He has also uploaded a closer look at the two new additions in a new tweet that offers a better look at the details going into their designs:

    https://twitter.com/InTheShadeMV/status/1559166513717944322

    It’s interesting that Black Adam is closer to his comic design rather than what he’ll look like in his film. Of course, it likely wouldn’t be cheap to get Dwayne Johnson‘s likeness in the game. Though, they have recently added LeBron James as a playable character from the latest Space Jam film, which means that skin could be in the cards at some point. So, anything is possible with Multiversus right now.

    Source: Twitter