Universal Reportedly Courting Channing Tatum For VAN HELSING; Angelina Jolie Eyed For BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
Since Tom Cruise opted for The Mummy, it appears as though Universal has chosen to go in a very different direction with their Van Helsing star as they've possibly set their sights on Channing Tatum!
It's no secret that Tom Cruise (American Made) was initially Universal's top choice to headline their upcoming Van Helsing reboot, but due to an inability to crack the script on time, they instead partnered with Cruise on The Mummy while Van Helsing went back to the drawing board. However, after being fast tracked, The Mummy ended up not faring too well with critics this past June, but due to Cruise's star power, the studio was still able to rake in over $390.2 million worldwide on a $125 million budget (without P&A), which while not ideal, isn't awful either and now, it sounds like the disappointing performance has given Universal new perspective on their burgeoning Dark Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is, as expected, still moving forward with their rebooted Dark Universe but will do so at a much slower pace in order to allow more time for script development. Russell Crowe (The Nice Guys) is also expected to play a key role in the franchise's buildup and will reprise his role as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in future installments, essentially serving as the connecting tissue between different monster movies.
The report then adds that Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans), who recently inherited scripting duties from the writing team of Eric Heisserer (Arrival) and Jon Spaihts (Doctor Strange) is just about done polishing the script and that Universal may be eyeing Channing Tatum (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) to take on the lead role as a modern day Abraham Van Helsing (or a descendant).
Also, after months of rumors, it appears as though Universal is finally gearing up to make a formal offer to Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) for their next Dark Universe adventure, Bride of Frankenstein, which is being helmed by Academy Award-winner Bill Condon (Beauty and the Beast) and would pair her with fellow Academy Award-winner Javier Bardem (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales). It's also being reported by the fansite Universal Monsters Universe that another Academy Award-winner, Charlize Theron (Atomic Blonde), may also be in the running for the highly-coveted role. The monster feature is due out in theaters Valentine's Day 2019.
Johnny Depp is slated to star in The Invisible Man and while unconfirmed, Cruise is also likely to return at some point or another to continue the adventures of Nick Morton, who last we saw had become one with the living embodiment of evil, death, destruction, chaos, and storms.
So, what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!