Since Marvel studios dominated the box office with its cinematic universe, studios have tried to replicate its success. One such studio to try and cash-in on this system has been Universal with their Dark Universe. The series was set to feature the studios classical monsters such as Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and co. existing in this Universe. But following the failure of The Mummy and recent departure of masterminds Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, many are wondering if the Dark Universe is already dead.
As soon as The Mummy hit theaters things were looking bleak for the future of this series. The film was torn apart by critics and barely made a profit, earning just $409 million globally. The next blow came when plans for a Bride of Frankenstein remake, headed by Bill Condon, were scrapped in October just as the film was about to begin pre-production.
The downward spiral continues, with THR reporting that key figures behind the dark Universe, Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, have departed from the franchise. Kurtzman is set to turn his attention to the small screen, while Morgan is reportedly returning to the Fast and Furious Franchise. Things are certainly looking grim for the Dark Universe. THR reports that Universal is considering offering the franchise to “high-profile filmmakers or producers”. Once such high-profile individual whom talk surrounds is Jason Blum. It seems the plan is to give up on the shared universe and instead work on crafting individual films.
Universal clearly had high hopes for this franchise, even going as far as releasing an image for the potential cast of their Dark Universe. The image included The Mummy stars Sofia Boutella and Russell Crowe as well as Johnny Depp (expected to play the Invisible Man) and Javier Barden (expected to take the role of Frankenstein’s Monster).
A serious issue with The Mummy was that it seemed confused as to what genre it should fit. Both action and horror movies dominate the box office (when done well, that is). If Universal wishes to continue with their Dark Universe, it might be best to make their monsters actually scary.
Are you disappointed that we most likely won’t see any more of the Dark Universe? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!