The new slate of Universal Monsters movies looks to be in need of a revitalizing lightning bolt, as it's being reported that major changes are underway in the Dark Universe.
According to THR, Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan have departed Universal's Dark Universe, a new initiative that was supposed to feature a shared cinematic universe of the classic Universal Monsters. Kurtzman and Morgan were overseeing a writers' room that was going to offer new takes on characters like The Invisible Man (played by Johnny Depp) and Frankenstein's Monster (portrayed by Javier Bardem), with a photo of the Dark Universe actors even shared back in May. It's unclear if actors like Cruise, Russell Crowe, and Depp will stay involved with the Universal Monsters movies moving forward, especially if the Dark Universe plans are altered.
Kurtzman will shift his primary focus to Star Trek: Discovery, while Morgan is staying busy with the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw. In addition to producing and overseeing the ambitious Dark Universe undertaking, Kurtzman directed The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella, but the reimagining of the iconic character underperformed at the box office this past summer. Several months after the release of The Mummy, Universal pulled the new Bride of Frankenstein movie from their release schedule and put a hold on the film's pre-production in London. Bill Condon (2017's Beauty and the Beast) was set to direct (and according to THR, could still be involved if the film ever does move forward) with Angelina Jolie rumored to play the lead role, but her participation was never confirmed.
Despite Kurtzman and Morgan leaving the Dark Universe, it doesn't necessarily mean that new Universal Monsters movies won't be made in the future. Universal is reportedly exploring new options that potentially would deviate from the Dark Universe initiative, including giving filmmakers and producers the chance to make standalone films based on the iconic characters (Jason Blum's name has reportedly come up in these plans).
Whatever happens next, it seems like the Universal Monsters will still continue to find their way back to the big screen, albeit in different ways than initially planned, as evidenced by Universal president of production Peter Cramer, who told THR, "We've learned many lessons throughout the creative process on Dark Universe so far, and we are viewing these titles as filmmaker-driven vehicles, each with their own distinct vision. We are not rushing to meet a release date and will move forward with these films when we feel they are the best versions of themselves."
We'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated on the latest news regarding the Universal Monsters. In the meantime, what do you want to see in future films featuring these timeless characters?
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.
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