Interviews
Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan Talk Universal’s New Monster Series
In a new chat with Variety, writers Alex Kurtzman (Transformers) and Chris Morgan (Furious 7) have expanded upon the new world of Universal Monsters that they will be creating, beginning with The Mummy, which films in 2016. Their goal is to bring the classic monsters that we know and love and give them a modern twist while still trying to remain faithful to what the originals presented.
The goal is to create a series of films much like The Avengers, where each monster has their own focused film but they still communicate with each other and live in the same world. Donna Langley, who is the chair of Universal Pictures, explains, ““The characters will interact with each other across movies. We’re incubating it at the moment, and we’re taking the time to get it right.””
“This is not a heightened world. We’re exploring issues of family identity and questions of, ‘Where do I belong in the world?’” Morgan tells the site.
Much like Saw and Paranormal Activity, the plan is to have a new film come out each year. According to the site, the characters that are being focused on after The Mummy will be “…Dracula, Van Helsing, Bride of Frankenstein and the Wolfman.”
Now, for many of us horror fans, the thought of these films being remade/rebooted borders on blasphemous. After all, is nothing sacred anymore?
Kurtzman understands those fears and often asks himself, “What are the rules? What can we break and what are the ones that are untouchable?”
The question that many of us have is why? Why resort to these classic monsters for new material when there are original stories just waiting to be plucked?
According to Morgan, it’s because we are tired of seeing perfection on the screen. “Heroes tend to be perfect, but most people in an audience aren’t ever going to know what it’s like to be the smartest, strongest or fastest person alive. But there’s a darkness inside everybody. And everyone wants to be able to turn a curse into empowerment. The monsters have been in the shadows, and now it’s time to bring them out into the light.“
As the inaugural season of Apple TV+’s stellar new series “Widow’s Bay” barrels toward its finale in two weeks, the latest episode gives Kate O’Flynn the spotlight as her character revisits her trauma with the Boogeyman.
“Your Baggage“, directed by Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), sees O’Flynn’s scene-stealing Patricia once again renew her fight with the Michael Myers-like stalker that slaughtered her peers during her adolescence. Thrillingly, it makes for one extended chase sequence that sees Patricia trying to warn others, while evading the undead killer.
In short, this episode’s incredible riff on Halloween and the slasher subgenre transformed Patricia into a fierce Final Girl.
“Well, that felt like a bucket list that I didn’t know was on my bucket list until I did it, but when I did it, I just lapped up every minute,” O’Flynn tells Bloody Disgusting of her triumphant turn this episode. “It felt fantastic for her to get that moment where she is becoming a badass. That was amazing.”
The actress turned to a few notable references for her performance. “Horror-wise, I go back to my youth, which was referenced in some of the episodes: Wicker Man, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby, that sort of thing is my kind of vibe.”
O’Flynn also notes how the series’ unique tone allows for so much creative freedom to make bold swings. “There’s something very freeing about it. Every moment is up for grabs, so it’s like we don’t have to totally land in one direction or another. It keeps it alive.“
Patricia is the eccentric assistant to Matthew Rhys‘ Mayor Tom Loftis, who’s at the forefront of trying to solve the island’s pesky curse predicament. Rhys felt the same about “Widow’s Bay” and its rare ability to make you laugh and scream in equal measure, stemming from series creator Katie Dippold.
“The mandate was, ‘It’s a real world with real people. You play for real.’ There’s no playing for comedy or horror,” Rhys echoes O’Flynn’s sentiments on how freeing the series’ tone has been.
New episodes will release every Wednesday through June 17 only on Apple TV+.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming on Apple TV.
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