Universal's Dark Universe got off to a bad start with Dracula Untold and while the studio hoped moviegoers would forget about that by relaunching this shared world with The Mummy, it too being a critical and commercial dud was a major setback. Now, just five months after the release of the cast photo above, it appears as if this monster movie universe has already reached a premature end.
Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan were hired to spearhead a slate of films revolving around everyone from Frankenstein to the Wolf Man but both have chosen to walk away following The Mummy's failure. They're arguably responsible for that movie bombing, of course, and now Kurtzman will focus on Star Trek: Discovery while Morgan is turning his sights back to the profitable Fast & Furious franchise.
Universal pulled the plug on Bride of Frankenstein's pre-production last month because studio execs felt that writer/director Bill Condon's script just wasn't where it needed to be and that February 19th, 2019 release date has been shelved. Offices on the Universal lot which were revamped and redecorated in monster regalia at great expense now sit completely empty in Hollywood.
So, is the Dark Universe dead? Well, Universal is now considering offering its monsters to the likes of Jason Blum with one-off movies not connected to a shared world. In other words, yes, it probably is.
"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," says Universal president of production Peter Cramer. "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."
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