So long, Dark Universe, we barely knew ye. Universal is shifting gears on their legacy monster movies, starting withThe Invisible Man.Varietyreports thatUpgradewriter-directorLeigh Whannellhas signed on to direct anInvisible Manmovie for Universal, re-teaming withUpgradeandInsidiousproducerJason Blum, who will produce through his Blumhouse Productions banner.
The new strategy is a big shift for the studio, turning away from the star-studded shared universe that was the short-livedDark Universein favor of " bringing creative directors with distinctive visions to the classic characters." After years of development, Universal launched their shared Monster universe withThe Mummyafter casting a series of mega-stars as the iconic characters, but when theTom Cruise-ledMummyupdate disappointed at the box office, the studio was forced to reevaluate their approach to the franchise.
Per the report, Universal has shelved the idea of an interconnected universe, but they’re still high on the monster legacy and are now leaning into filmmaker-driven projects that will allow directors to bring their own unique spin to the characters without being beholden to an interconnected franchise. Variety notes “the titles will be rooted in horror, with no restrictions on budget, tone, or rating,” and filmmakers are open to take some liberties with origin stories and interpretation to update the material for modern audiences.
“Throughout cinematic history, Universal’s classic monsters have been reinvented through the prism of each new filmmaker who brought these characters to life,” said Peter Cramer, Universal’s president of production. “We are excited to take a more individualized approach for their return to screen, shepherded by creators who have stories they are passionate to tell with them.”
Johnny Deppwas previously attached to star inThe Invisible Man, but word is he will no longer be a part of the revamped project. However, he and previously attached talent have the option to return for monster projects if they chose to do so. The other would-be Dark Universe stars includeJavier Bardem(Frankenstein), andRussell Crowe(Jekyll and Hyde).
Whannell may be the first filmmaker to sign on for the newly imagined monster franchise, but the report notes that Universal has met with a number of prominent directors for monster projects and those pitches are also coming together so Whannell’s hiring doesn’t mean thatThe Invisible Manwill head into production first.
The Invisible Manis the next in many projects Whannell and Blum have worked on together, starting with the firstInsidiousfilm, which Whannell wrote and co-starred in. Whannell has stayed on board theInsidiousfranchise as a writer and actor for all four films and made his directorial debut withInsidious: Chapter 3. Blum and Whannell teamed again for last year’s excellent action/sci-fi/horror hybridUpgrade.
This isphenomenalnews for fans of the classic monsters. Look, I was actually all aboard the goofy idea of making an MCU with monsters for superheroes, butThe Mummyjust wasn’t it and ever since the Dark Universe fumbled at the starting line, I’ve been praying that Universal would team with Blumhouse to revamp the universe. Sometimes dreams really do come true. And coming off up the pure delight and adrenaline rush that wasUpgrade, I’d be thrilled to see whatever Whannell did next, but this is a next-level exciting project for the filmmaker. From top to tail, this is just good news.
What do you guys think? Who would you like to see in the lead role if Depp’s out? (Personally, I’d love to see Whannell re-team with Logan Marshall-Green after his powerhouse performance inUpgrade.) What other projects do you hope to see out of Universal’s revamped monster strategy? Sound off in the comments and for more on the saga of the Dark Universe, check out the links below.
