Universal---Dark Universe

Agent Coulson

Universal Pictures is bringing its roster of classic movie monsters back to the forefront with its newly named Dark Universe series — the long-promised web of films kicking off with The Mummy this summer. The next film in the series to hit theaters will be Bride of Frankenstein on Feb. 14, 2019.

Universe has ditched its previous plans to release a Dark Universe movie in 2018 and will instead focus on the 2019 Bride of Frankenstein, which will be directed by Beauty and the Beast’s Bill Condon. There are no details on who will play the titular role, though Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley called the movie a story about “a very modern woman in a very classic tale.”

As for other characters in the cinematic universe, Johnny Depp and Javier Bardem are already onboard to play the roles of The Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster, respectively, while Russell Crowe is making his debut as Dr. Jekyll in The Mummy. The cast for that film also includes Tom Cruise as the lead and Sofia Boutella in the role of the mummy. According to Universal, the films are connected by the “mysterious, multi-national organization” Prodigium, specifically led by Dr. Jekyll.

In a video released on its website and Twitter, Universal teased a retrospective of the classic films to build hype for its “new world of gods and monsters.”

Bebopclown

I really wish company's would stop jumping the gun on these things. This monsters universe sounds incredibly dumb (which is a shame as it could be done well). They're trying to create The Avengers with monsters, joy ��

StringerBell

Big fan of Penny Dreadful, doubt they will improve on that tbh

Ben Gadot

Bebopclown wrote: »

I really wish company's would stop jumping the gun on these things. This monsters universe sounds incredibly dumb (which is a shame as it could be done well). They're trying to create The Avengers with monsters, joy ��

Universal did it first. Watch Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein, great craic.

RockSalto

For the love of God, just give us a decent werewolf movie!

conorhal

Agent Coulson

The Mummy only made $80m in the US box office so is this the beginning of the end of the Dark Universe I wonder.

Universal Takes 'Bride of Frankenstein' Off Release Schedule

Universal has removed monster movie Bride of Frankenstein from its release schedule.

The feature, which is meant to be part of Universal's Dark Universe series, was originally slotted for Feb. 14, 2019.

Bill Condon is set to direct the remake of the 1935 classic in which Javier Bardem is expected to play Frankenstein's monster. Angelina Jolie is in talks to star. Mission: Impossible scribe David Koepp is penning the screenplay.

“After thoughtful consideration, Universal Pictures and director Bill Condon have decided to postpone Bride of Frankenstein," the studio said in a statement. "None of us want to move too quickly to meet a release date when we know this special movie needs more time to come together. Bill is a director whose enormous talent has been proven time and again, and we all look forward to continuing to work on this film together.”

Condon recently spoke about the film's script, which he described as turning "everything on its head," from the classic work of filmmaker James Whale.

"This is Eve before Adam; the bride comes first. So in its own way — you know, we all know the Bride only exists for 10 minutes in the Whale movie. She's there and the movie's over. So I keep thinking [it's], in a way, at least a tribute to what Whale might have done if he'd made a third Frankenstein movie and he'd done it in the 21st Century," he told Collider.

The Dark Universe is meant to be the studio's banner that will house its new films based on its classic monster properties. This year's Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy was the first chapter in the cinematic universe, but it disappointed at the domestic box office with an $80 million pull. (The movie proved more successful at the foreign box office with $327 million in earnings.)

An Invisible Man movie, starring Johnny Depp, and a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde installment, starring Russell Crowe, are also in development, to be released under the Dark Universe title.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/universal-takes-bride-frankenstein-release-schedule-1046105

Skerries

I felt that would be the case

TerrorFirmer

The Mummy was so crap I'd say it killed interest for most people. It was almost offensive how they tried to shove such a wide range of characters from a planned 'universe' down audiences throats in the film. I think it's the first total turkey I've seen Tom Cruise in.

Sad Professor

Despite everything I heard, I still wasn't prepared for just how bad The Mummy was. Definitely the worst film of Cruise's career.

What I don't understand is that they announced the Dark Universe not long before the film came out, so they knew how bad it was, but went ahead anyway.

It's a pity as Cruise wasn't even that bad in it. It was a classic fare from him and he was actually a bit decent. The rest of the movie was an absolute planewreck (see what I did there?) Had they stuck with the main story, it might have been better.

The introduction of Hyde was a misstep. It would have been better if they had introduced him as just Jykll had alluded to everything else.

It's how Marvel did it with the introduction of Fury.

faceman

It was easily one of worst non Michael Bay blockbuster movies ever created.

Cruise was awful, the female sidekick couldn't act and the Mummy herself was about as menacing as an angry tadpole.

I agree that bringing Hyde into it was a bad creative choice. Hyde looked ridiculous. It's as if they got me really drunk and asked me to do Russell Crowe's make up.

Best they kill this now.