Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022) (1 Viewer)

[Sean Bryan]

Groovy

 

[Jake Lipson]

I'm just going to leave this here.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

In my ignorance, I'm not certain why Sam Raimi hasn't directed a film since 2013's Oz. But he is an intriguing choice to direct Doctor Strange.

I've continued to rant to anyone in earshot that the MCU owes an ENORMOUS debt to Raimi...his Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) are the very templates from which resulting MCU films have been sketched.

 

[Malcolm R]

I think he's been busy producing, rather than directing of late. Sadly several of those films were remakes of varying quality (Evil Dead, Poltergeist, The Grudge), with a couple of quite good originals: Don't Breathe and Crawl. Plus the TV series Spartacus, and Ash vs. Evil Dead.

But it looks like he may be getting back to directing, with possibly this film and a couple others announced.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Michael Waldron, who is the head writer on the Disney+ Loki show, has been hired to rewrite this:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...ge-2-lands-new-writer-loki-showrunner-1277278

On the one hand, this is exciting because it demonstrates that Marvel is happy with what they're getting on Loki. It also makes sense because we've heard that Loki will have some relationship to the events of this film, so bringing in the same writer will make connectivity easier. And if Raimi does end up closing a deal to direct, he'll probably have some input on the script instead of just being asked to shoot what was in development before he came on. So all that sounds good to me.

However, the flip side of that is that we've heard this is supposed to start shooting in May. So Waldron is going to have to work fast if they want a finished script before production begins, which I would if I were them.

Good luck to him.

 

[Sam Favate]

Michael Waldron, who is the head writer on the Disney+ Loki show, has been hired to rewrite this:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...ge-2-lands-new-writer-loki-showrunner-1277278

On the one hand, this is exciting because it demonstrates that Marvel is happy with what they're getting on Loki. It also makes sense because we've heard that Loki will have some relationship to the events of this film, so bringing in the same writer will make connectivity easier. And if Raimi does end up closing a deal to direct, he'll probably have some input on the script instead of just being asked to shoot what was in development before he came on. So all that sounds good to me.

However, the flip side of that is that we've heard this is supposed to start shooting in May. So Waldron is going to have to work fast if they want a finished script before production begins, which I would if I were them.

Good luck to him.

Wait, this movie is supposed to be in theaters in 15 months and it doesn’t have a script?!? Uh, they’re going to need some real magic to pull this one out of their hat.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, if none of this film has been shot, what is this image from?

 

[Jake Lipson]

Wait, this movie is supposed to be in theaters in 15 months and it doesn’t have a script?!?

The best I can figure is that maybe they are still using part of the earlier drafts that Derrickson was part of and Waldron is just being brought in to punch it up or inject some ideas of Raimi's into it. That could probably be done in a few months.

If they are throwing out the earlier drafts being developed under Derrickson, then that is a much bigger challenge.

If it were me, I would consider moving the release date, but they won't do that because Doctor Strange is their big release for next May, and it's important for Disney to keep that slot occupied with a Marvel title because they always have one there. Spider-Man 3 might end up being a bigger title overall, but that is Sony's to release, so Doctor Strange is the biggest one that Disney has next summer.

 

[Jake Lipson]

So, if none of this film has been shot, what is this image from?

Concept art maybe? I do know it hasn't been shot yet. It doesn't even have a director right now officially (Raimi is still "in talks" although likely to do it.)

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Concept art maybe? I do know it hasn't been shot yet. It doesn't even have a director right now officially (Raimi is still "in talks" although likely to do it.)

Searching around I guess that image is from the first Doctor Strange film but I had seen it being used in discussion of this sequel so I thought it was from the new film. I've only seen Doctor Strange once and it was the last comic book film I've watched. I thought the images were gorgeous but typically the writing was atrocious. I thought the film would play much better if you turned down the sound and just played it with music of your choice playing...like a long music video.

If this sequel really is a gothic horror film that may get me to watch it.

 

[dpippel]

So, if none of this film has been shot, what is this image from?

View attachment 68291

That's definitely from the first Doctor Strange film, when The Ancient One separates Strange's spirit from his body for the first time.

 

[Jake Lipson]

C. Robert Cargill, who is Scott Derrickson's frequent co-writer (including on the first Doctor Strange film) wrote the following on Twitter.

Since it keeps coming up in news stories, it's worth noting that Scott and I never had the opportunity to write a draft of MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, so whatever they are working with now isn't derivative of our work. I am of course very excited to see where they take Stephen next.

https://twitter.com/Massawyrm/status/1225938365608058881

Based on this, it appears that Michael Waldron is in fact starting from scratch on something that is expected to shoot this summer and be in theaters next May.

I usually don't doubt Marvel, but this seems like a challenging task without moving the release date (which I assume Disney won't allow.)

Good luck to him and the team involved.

 

[Sam Favate]

Wow. Page to screen in 15 months.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Page to screen in 15 months.

Let's hope it doesn't suffer. If this were some small indie drama, I would have no concern about that, but obviously Doctor Strange is going to be a very elaborate and effects-heavy production.

I hope we're all here in 15 months talking about how great the movie is and how it was silly to ever worry about it.

But it's certainly going to be a big undertaking to do this on that timetable.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

So what? It’s essentially a television production. Feige is the driving force, not the director or writer. And they’re hiring a television writer - someone who used to get a week to write a script is now getting months to turn an approved concept into a script. And if they end up needing more time, they’ll take it - but it doesn’t hurt anything to act like the world is still spinning until it’s not. I really don’t see any cause for concern.

 

[Jason_V]

So what? It’s essentially a television production. Feige is the driving force, not the director or writer. And they’re hiring a television writer - someone who used to get a week to write a script is now getting months to turn an approved concept into a script. And if they end up needing more time, they’ll take it - but it doesn’t hurt anything to act like the world is still spinning until it’s not. I really don’t see any cause for concern.

Agreed. I'm also going to add on Marvel Movies haven't let me down yet (with the exception of Thor: The Dark World and Iron Man II). The have an incredible track record of quality, so they have a super long leash with me.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm with Jason. Marvel seems to know what they're doing.

 

[Todd Erwin]

If it were me, I would consider moving the release date, but they won't do that because Doctor Strange is their big release for next May, and it's important for Disney to keep that slot occupied with a Marvel title because they always have one there. Spider-Man 3 might end up being a bigger title overall, but that is Sony's to release, so Doctor Strange is the biggest one that Disney has next summer.

Also, WandaVision is supposedly tied into this film, so moving it any further back would mean also moving WandaVision from its new December 2020 premiere back to possibly it's original early 2021 date or further. Disney+ is kind of suffering right now with a lack of new, original series aimed at an older audience now that The Mandalorian is on hiatus until October.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

They just announced something like 24 million subscribers in just three months. Doesn’t sound like suffering to me.

 

[Sean Bryan]

They do have a script already, but it was written by another writer (Jade Bartlett), and not Derrickson and Cargill, which is all that Cargill's tweet said. And that is the script that the Loki writer is working on updating.

Also back when DS2 was first confirmed by trades to have Derrickson directing, THR's article about it said that MS was looking for a new writer to do the script (and they did).