It’s no secret what happened to Universal’s failed attempt to launch the Dark Universe. Film fans watched the events unfold in real-time. First, the studio announced that Tom Cruise would team up with director Alex Kurtzman for a new take on “The Mummy” that would introduce some key figures to this new shared story. Then, Universal took the bold step to announce the entirety of its first phase of films, with an all-star cast including Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, and more. But then it all fell apart after “The Mummy” crashed and burned at the box office, in spectacular fashion.
Now, speaking during a recent THR Roundtable discussion, Universal chairwoman Donna Langley admits that the Dark Universe was a failure and that the idea of a shared universe for the Universal Monsters characters probably isn’t a great idea. Basically, no matter how hard studios try, no one can force an audience to accept a cinematic universe.
“We had an attempt at interlocking our monsters and it was a failed attempt,” Langley said. “What we realized is that these characters are indelible for a reason, but there’s no urgency behind them and certainly the world was not asking for a shared universe of classic monsters. But we have gone back and created an approach that’s filmmaker-first, any budget range.”
The new “approach” that Langley touches on begins this month with Blumhouse’s “The Invisible Man.” Universal has given Jason Blum and writer-director Leigh Whannell the keys to one of the studio’s most classic characters with the mandate to make the best possible film, with no worries about setting up sequels or a larger universe.
Of course, reviews haven’t been released and we don’t know how horror fans will react, but it appears that Universal is happy with the results, as the studio has already greenlit various other reimaginings. There’s “Renfield” from director Dexter Fletcher, which is going to put a new spin on Dracula. Then you have “Bride of Frankenstein, with producer Amy Pascal. And Paul Feig is even working on his own monster movie with the studio.
No matter what happens with this new strategy, clearly Universal feels this is the right way to move forward. And who knows? Maybe fans will want a big crossover film years from now? No doubt, Universal would love to get Dark Universe 2.0 up and running.