With Blumhouse teaming up with Universal to bring their timeless horror characters back to the big screen, they're kicking things off with The Invisible Man, and the first casting news for the new movie has now been confirmed.
According to Entertainment Weekly and Deadline, Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale, Us, Mad Men) will star in the new Invisible Man movie, confirming an earlier report by Variety. Details on who Moss will play have yet to be revealed. As previously reported, Leigh Whannell (Upgrade, Insidious: Chapter 3) will write and direct The Invisible Man for Blumhouse and Universal.
Although Johnny Depp was previously attached to star in The Invisible Man back when the Dark Universe was moving forward, Variety reports that he is not expected to appear in this film, although he could reportedly be involved in a different Universal Monsters movie.
Back in 2017, it looked like the Universal Monsters would be resurrected in a new series of movies, but following the release of The Mummy, the shared cinematic "Dark Universe" never came to be. While the blueprints for the Dark Universe included movies that existed in a shared cinematic landscape, Variety reveals that the new Universal Monsters movies are expected to be individual films with an emphasis on horror and distinct creative styles.
Via Variety, here's what Peter Cramer, Universal's President of Production, previously had to say about the new plans for the Universal Monsters:
"Throughout cinematic history, Universal’s classic monsters have been reinvented through the prism of each new filmmaker who brought these characters to life. 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.”
The Invisible Man character was created by legendary author H.G. Wells in his 1897 novella, The Invisible Man. In the novella, a scientist named Griffin engages in criminal activities after performing an irreversible experiment on himself that causes his body to become unseen by the human eye.
The Invisible Man has been adapted for film and television numerous times, beginning with Universal Pictures' 1933 film starring Claude Rains. Universal Pictures followed up their first film with various sequels and other adaptations, including the Vincent Price-starring The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Invisible Woman, Invisible Agent, The Invisible Man's Revenge, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.
In addition to The Invisible Man, additional takes on other Universal Monsters are currently being pitched, and with a large catalog of characters to choose from (including Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and Dracula), we might not have long to wait for new films featuring Universal's classic horror characters. We'll keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are revealed.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
