However, before all of this, Universal Studios pioneered the idea successfully in the 1930s and 1940s with their Universal Monsters brand, which often saw the various monsters cross paths and fight each other. It was hugely popular, and even over 60 years after their original releases, these movies and characters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Invisible Man, Mummy) still speak to audiences. Their images have become iconic and known around the world. So it only made sense for Universal Pictures to try to use these different monsters to create a new shared universe, and their plan was dubbed The Dark Universe.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
After a small, unceremonious kickoff with 2014’s Dracula Untold, the project really started to take shape with the 2017 release with The Mummy starring Tom Cruise. The Mummy franchise has already been successfully rebooted once into a profitable franchise, and with Tom Cruise, one of the biggest action stars on the planet, Universal Studios has been steaming ahead with its plans for a new franchise. They created a special logo, unveiled a publicity photo showcasing the movie star talent they acquired, and set The Mummy for a summer release date. Everything seemed ready to go, but once audiences saw The Mummy, everything changed.
The Mummy received negative reviews from critics and audiences alike, and on its opening weekend it came in at number two at the box office behind Wonder Woman, which was in its second weekend. The Mummy only made $80 million domestically (it was slightly offset by a worldwide haul of $409 million), but it turned out that The Dark Universe was dead before it even started. Universal spent the summer of 2017 trying to save the franchise, but by the end of the year it seemed like everyone had moved on and all new adaptations and reimaginings of classic monsters would be standalone pictures. With how much Universal Pictures was betting on this new franchise, they released plenty of titles and details about their plans. Here is a list of all canceled movies in Universal’s Dark Universe.
In 2004, Universal tried to revive its brand of classic monsters with the movie Van Helsing and tapped director Stephen Sommers of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns to hopefully recapture that magic for Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. Despite a massive marketing push and star power like Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, the film was a box office disappointment.
Related:
Best Universal Monster Movies, Ranked
However, Universal seemed interested in revisiting the idea, as in 2012 it was reported that the studio was considering a reboot alongside The Mummy in the early stages of what would become The Dark Universe. Initially, Tom Cruise was to play the role of Van Helsing, but he eventually moved on to The Mummy. In 2017, it was reported that Universal Pictures was considering Channing Tatum for the role, but a few months later Universal dropped their original Dark Universe plans.
Universal Pictures had been developing a new version of The Invisible Man since at least 2006, but the project really picked up steam in February 2016 when Johnny Depp signed on to play the titular character. Ed Solomon (Men in Black) was set to pen the script, and The Invisible Man has been confirmed to take place in the next shared universe that Universal Studios is planning. Depp was seen in the Dark Universe publicity photo released in 2017 alongside The Mummy stars Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella and Russell Crowe, as well as Javier Bardem who had signed on to play Frankenstein’s monster.
However, the combination of The Mummy’s box office disappointment and disturbing headlines surrounding Depp and his divorce from star Amber Heard resulted in the project being scrapped. It was eventually reworked into the smaller standalone version released in 2020 by producer Jason Blum, a modern feminist horror classic that grossed $143.1 million worldwide.
The Phantom of the Opera and the Hunchback
While not immediately iconic members of the Universal Monsters, Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback are two of Universal Picture’s oldest cinematic monsters. Universal Pictures released two versions of Phantom of the Opera, the first in 1925 starring Lon Chaney and a remake in 1943 starring Claude Rains. Universal Pictures released The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1923, which also featured Lon Chaney as the titular monster.
Related:
These Actors Should Play Universal Monsters in Movie Reboots
While no official plans have been made for either project, Dark Universe architect and The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman named the two characters as monsters the franchise wanted to explore.
However, before all of this, Universal Studios pioneered the idea successfully in the 1930s and 1940s with their Universal Monsters brand, which often saw the various monsters cross paths and fight each other. It was hugely popular, and even over 60 years after their original releases, these movies and characters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Invisible Man, Mummy) still speak to audiences. Their images have become iconic and known around the world. So it only made sense for Universal Pictures to try to use these different monsters to create a new shared universe, and their plan was dubbed The Dark Universe.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
After a small, unceremonious kickoff with 2014’s Dracula Untold, the project really started to take shape with the 2017 release with The Mummy starring Tom Cruise. The Mummy franchise has already been successfully rebooted once into a profitable franchise, and with Tom Cruise, one of the biggest action stars on the planet, Universal Studios has been steaming ahead with its plans for a new franchise. They created a special logo, unveiled a publicity photo showcasing the movie star talent they acquired, and set The Mummy for a summer release date. Everything seemed ready to go, but once audiences saw The Mummy, everything changed.
The Mummy received negative reviews from critics and audiences alike, and on its opening weekend it came in at number two at the box office behind Wonder Woman, which was in its second weekend. The Mummy only made $80 million domestically (it was slightly offset by a worldwide haul of $409 million), but it turned out that The Dark Universe was dead before it even started. Universal spent the summer of 2017 trying to save the franchise, but by the end of the year it seemed like everyone had moved on and all new adaptations and reimaginings of classic monsters would be standalone pictures. With how much Universal Pictures was betting on this new franchise, they released plenty of titles and details about their plans. Here is a list of all canceled movies in Universal’s Dark Universe.
In 2004, Universal tried to revive its brand of classic monsters with the movie Van Helsing and tapped director Stephen Sommers of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns to hopefully recapture that magic for Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. Despite a massive marketing push and star power like Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, the film was a box office disappointment.
Related:
Best Universal Monster Movies, Ranked
However, Universal seemed interested in revisiting the idea, as in 2012 it was reported that the studio was considering a reboot alongside The Mummy in the early stages of what would become The Dark Universe. Initially, Tom Cruise was to play the role of Van Helsing, but he eventually moved on to The Mummy. In 2017, it was reported that Universal Pictures was considering Channing Tatum for the role, but a few months later Universal dropped their original Dark Universe plans.
Universal Pictures had been developing a new version of The Invisible Man since at least 2006, but the project really picked up steam in February 2016 when Johnny Depp signed on to play the titular character. Ed Solomon (Men in Black) was set to pen the script, and The Invisible Man has been confirmed to take place in the next shared universe that Universal Studios is planning. Depp was seen in the Dark Universe publicity photo released in 2017 alongside The Mummy stars Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella and Russell Crowe, as well as Javier Bardem who had signed on to play Frankenstein’s monster.
However, the combination of The Mummy’s box office disappointment and disturbing headlines surrounding Depp and his divorce from star Amber Heard resulted in the project being scrapped. It was eventually reworked into the smaller standalone version released in 2020 by producer Jason Blum, a modern feminist horror classic that grossed $143.1 million worldwide.
The Phantom of the Opera and the Hunchback
While not immediately iconic members of the Universal Monsters, Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback are two of Universal Picture’s oldest cinematic monsters. Universal Pictures released two versions of Phantom of the Opera, the first in 1925 starring Lon Chaney and a remake in 1943 starring Claude Rains. Universal Pictures released The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1923, which also featured Lon Chaney as the titular monster.
Related:
These Actors Should Play Universal Monsters in Movie Reboots
While no official plans have been made for either project, Dark Universe architect and The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman named the two characters as monsters the franchise wanted to explore.
