Universal has officially announced the launch of its own Dark Universe! While it may feel like bandwagon jumping, Universal has a deep library of classic monster films to back it up. The launch of the Dark Universe will begin with remakes of The Mummy and the Bride of Frankenstein, followed by releases of the Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster. The Mummy will hit theaters first on June 9, 2017 with the Bride of Frankenstein following on February 14, 2019.
Universal appears to be crafting the Dark Universe with care by not rushing the subsequent movies out to theaters. The Mummy will kick things off starring Tom Cruise as Nick Morton, Sofia Boutella as Ahmanet (the Mummy), and Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll. The universe is tied together by Dr. Jekyll, who runs a multi-national organization known as The Prodigium. The Prodigium is a secret underground organization that works outside of any government entity. Its mission is to protect the public from the evil that exists unseen beneath the surface of everyday life. They track, study, and even kill the monsters when necessary.
The actress for the Bride of Frankenstein film has not been named, but it was revealed that Javier Bardem will play Frankenstein’s Monster and Johnny Depp will play the Invisible Man. These both seem like great choices for their respective roles. It was also announced that Bill Condon, fresh off of his Beauty and the Beast success, will direct the Bride of Frankenstein. Alex Kurtzman, director and producer of The Mummy, along with producer Chris Morgan, expressed their enthusiasm for the Dark Universe:
“When Universal approached us with the idea of reimagining these classic characters, we recognized the responsibility of respecting their legacy while bringing them into new and modern adventures,” said Kurtzman and Morgan. “The studio and our fellow creative collaborators have championed and challenged us as we’ve begun to spin the web of Dark Universe. It’s our hope these movies will engross longtime fans and spark the imaginations of brand-new ones.”
The Dark Universe kicks off with its own trailer that is featured before The Mummy. As a bonus, the trailer includes an original score by none other than Danny Elfman! The trailer teases other Universal monsters such as the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Wolfman, Dracula, and the Phantom of the Opera. The trailer is also available now on YouTube. Check it out for yourself below:
What do you think about Univeral’s Dark Universe?
