If this whole thing works, it could be really cool for us all.
What do we know about Univeral’s in-the-works Dark Universe, which will reboot the studio’s iconic monsters and bring them together under one epic umbrella? Well, for starters, we know that Universal is going BIG with their Marvel-inspired universe, sparing no expense in an effort to ensure it works.
The newly-titled Dark Universe kicks off with this month’s The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise, and will continue with a new take on Bride of Frankenstein that may star Angelina Jolie. That’s headed our way in 2019, followed by modern day upgrades of both Frankenstein and The Invisible Man that will star Javier Bardem and Johnny Depp. And according to rumors going around this week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may eventually star in another remake of The Wolfman.
Needless to say, a whole lot of money will be spent to bring these iconic monsters back to the big screen. But according to THR this week, Universal may also be considering the idea of adding to the Dark Universe with lower-budget films that would tie into the bigger ones. According to the site, “sources say Universal-based microbudget horror producer Jason Blum has expressed interest in tackling a low-budget monsterverse outing.”
Of course, the future of the Dark Universe is hinging on the success of The Mummy, but how cool would it be for Universal to expand beyond the expected and really do something special with this whole project? I’m thinking they could even bring original monsters into the fold, using the umbrella to tell wholly new stories and introduce new monsters that can stand alongside the greats. The possibilities are truly endless… provided audiences are on board with the vision.
At its organizing principle, Dark Universe films are connected by a mysterious multi-national organization known as Prodigium. Led by the enigmatic and brilliant Dr. Henry Jekyll, Prodigium’s mission is to track, study and—when necessary—destroy evil embodied in the form of monsters in our world.
