Universal Renames Their Monster Film Universe

Well there you go. Universal has renamed their Monster Cinematic Universe cover to now be that of the "Dark Universe" films.


Now with any film universe, you would think that characters would show up throughout, like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I'm wondering the same for this film universe. If anything, doesn't good always defeat the evil and that's it, a one-shot film for the monster?

If that's the case, then this might be just a rebranding/marketing effort to get inerest back in the monsters again, and boost their film/home theater sales.

But then Universal had this to say about the films and the connecting threat between them:

"At its organizing principle, Dark Universe films are connected by a mysterious multi-national organization known as Prodigium.  Led by the enigmatic and brilliant Dr. Henry Jekyll, Prodigium’s mission is to track, study and—when necessary—destroy evil embodied in the form of monsters in our world.  Working outside the aegis of any government, and with practices concealed by millennia of secrecy, Prodigium protects the public from knowledge of the evil that exists just beyond the thin membrane of civilized society…and will go to any length to contain it."

And they aren't casting just anyone in key roles.

You have Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and Sofia Boutella in the upcoming Mummy movie, where Crowe plays Hyde.



Johnny Depp will be playing the new Invisible Man. (Does that mean he can still be dressed up as a pirate, but we won't see it?)

Javier Bardem will be playing Frankenstein's monster.

The thing I am bummed about was that when Dracula Untold, starring Luke Evens came out, the hints were that this was going to be genesis of this monster universe. But in late 2016, it was announced or decided that Untold would not be a part of the universe, and that's a bummer, because I really enjoyed that particular take on Dracula's origin.

Be it as it may, in the included sizzle reel, they do allude to Count Dracula, but my guess is that he will be a part of the Van Helsing film that will be a part of the Dark Universe.

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The creative team behind this Dark Universe includes writer/director Alex Kurtzman, Fast and Furious screenwriter Chris Morgan, and Mission: Impossible filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie.

With all that said, here's the proposed lineup of films from The Dark Universe:

The Mummy,
Bride of Frankenstein,
Untitled Creature from the Black Lagoon,
Untitled Invisible Man film,
Untitled Van Helsing film,
Untitled Wolf Man film.

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Again, I was hoping the Wolfman film starring Benicio del Toro that came out in 2010 was also going to be part of this universe, but I guess not. Boo... THAT was a fun remake.

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{ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCm2PX5Iz00 }

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