The Wolfman
ThoughThe Invisible Manis making waving for Universal Studios , not every attempt to launch theDark Universewas as successful . When it was announced that Universal plan to work withmodern revulsion masters Blumhouseon vivify their classic monster picture show , fan seemed almost take over by the newsworthiness . Universal has been try out to get back the iconic cinematic monster that made them famous during theGolden Age of Hollywoodfor decades now , and it just never seemed to take off . Each attempt seemed mussy and less appealing to audiences than the last , culminate in the highly expensive disaster that was 2017 ’s Tom Cruise - lead reboot ofThe Mummy .
The Dark Universe is arguably one of the most notable examples of how a major studio attempted to found a dealership and neglect miserably . In an age of the expanded universe good example where every manufacturer urgently tries to replicate the wildly successful structure of theMarvel Cinematic Universe , there is something especially captivating about how many time Universal seek to revive their lusus naturae franchise by replicate the megahit of the day .
Now , it finally seems to have stuck , with Universal letting Blumhouse move around theclassic storey ofThe Invisible Maninto a truly terrific contemporary narrative of domestic ill-usage and gaslighting , head by a startling public presentation by Elisabeth Moss . It ’s a film that read the core appeal of those classic stories but is bright enough to update its motif to reflect modern concerns , something that horror does better than any other genre when it ’s firing on all cylinders . This is a manoeuvre that Universal seemed sadly unable to see for many years , as tell by their many fail attempts to make the Dark Universe find .
Van Helsing
In 2004 , aVan Helsingmovie seemed like a fun idea . Stephen Sommers had helped put Universal monsters back on the mathematical function withThe Mummystarring Brendan Fraser , a reboot that miscellaneous classic repugnance with Indiana Jones - vogue adventuring , and Hugh Jackman was quickly becoming one of the most bankable name in Hollywood follow the runaway success of theX - Menfranchise . Instead of adapting one intimate title likeDraculaorFrankenstein , Van Helsingwas a bona fide freak mash , mixing together the classic brute with the worldwide mood of gilt age horror , all through a modern blockbuster genus Lens . Universal had big plan forVan Helsing , including an reanimate prequel that went straight to videodisk and sequels aplenty to infix even more Hellenic monster .
Van Helsingwas savaged by critics for its derivative nature and want of creativity - plus some badly ropey CGI - but it did make over $ 300 million worldwide , which was nothing to sneeze at in 2004 . Still , with a reported budget of $ 160 million , those numbers were n’t expert enough , and Universal put its franchise dreams to layer for a few more years .
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Even asVan Helsingfailed , Universal still had their popular reboot ofThe Mummyon their side to keep their franchise ambition afloat . They even free a financially successful subsequence , The Mummy Returns , albeit one the fans liked far less than its predecessor.1999’sThe Mummyworks so well because it ’s an unabashedly former - school legal action - adventure helmed by a goofily charismatic Brendan Fraser carrying into action and a distinct want of gruesomeness . Universal was sure enough confident enough to induct in a third motion picture , Tomb of the Dragon Emperor , starring jet plane Li as the villain . unhappily , the magic was run short , as was Rachel Weisz , replaced by a game but waste Maria Bello . It just lacks the personality and magic spell of the first two films , and they never managed to recapture it . The celluloid did well enough at the box office but was still the lowest - gross cinema inThe Mummytrilogy , which down plans for a quaternary film feature Antonio Banderas as the villain and an Aztec setting .
Related : Will Dracula Untold 2 Happen ? Dark Universe Future Explained
Universal initially declare their remake ofThe Wolfmanin 2006 , andOne Hour Photodirector Mark Romanek was brought on board to helm the project . After he dropped out due to originative conflict , he was replaced by Joe Johnston , a more traditional studio - O.K. music director , which seemed to be a house of unfortunate things to amount . The Wolfmanis the reboot of the ecumenical monster series that adheres most closely to its source cloth in terms of stylus and tone of voice , mostly due to it being a menstruum piece , but that ’s as close as it gets to capturing any of the original ’s eerie spell . The legendary Rick Baker was bring on display board to do the werewolf core and make - up , but the film ended up rely far more on CGI , which proved detrimental to the overall motion-picture show ’s effectiveness . While Benicio del Toro is excellent in the lead role , The Wolfmanis mostly muted and bereaved of panic attack . Even Ronald Meyer , then - president of Universal Studios , say the"crappy"film was"one of the worst motion-picture show we ever made . “Audiences agreed , and the pic failed to recoup its lofty $ 150 million budget .
Dracula Untold
WithDracula Untold , Universal was once again ready to go all - in on a monsters enfranchisement , and what good elbow room to do it than by resurrect the pappa of them all , Count Dracula ? By 2014 , Marvel clear ruled the roost of megahit picture palace , and every studio apartment seemed eager to copy their formula . It made a lot of sense for Universal to want to follow suit , given that their original monster series bank heavily on a similar style of cross - overs , continuation , and familiar characters jumping from film to shoot .
The outcome withDracula Untoldis that it seems far too keen to take over from Marvel rather than Universal ’s own story . This extrasensory historical action movie envisage Dracula as the diachronic figure of Vlad the Impaler , as act by Luke Evans , who then chooses to become a lamia to push a war against the Ottoman Empire . The plastic film sadly does n’t work as anIron Man - style origin taradiddle or as a reimagining of a literary classic . The end result is a upset mish - mash that ’s decidedly miss in any sort of fun or creative appeal . The film did well enough given its relatively slim budget , but it was clear that thisDracula would n’t be returningto the heavy screen any metre soon .
The Mummy (2017)
Universal was so confident that their late reboot ofThe Mummywould be a smash and set in motion a whole new franchise that they even created a logo for theDark Universe . Even more influenced by the Marvel mold of blockbuster cinema thanDracula Untold , 2017’sThe Mummywas a big - budget Tom Cruise fomite , sell more on its flashy stunts than the monster mythos . alas , the film possessed none of the technological flair found in Cruise’sMission : Impossiblefranchise , and the last production failed to take fire excitement among world-wide audience . The mummy herself , dally by Sofia Boutella , became a total non - entity in what was ultimately TheTom CruiseShow , and the attempts to establish Prodigium , the enfranchisement ’s version of S.H.I.E.L.D. headed by Russell Crowe ’s Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde , was dead on reaching . Audiences simply did not care about this concept , and given that the entire film existed only to build up this idea for a multi - film dealership , that was obviously a bad signaling . The hubris from Universal to declare an all - sensation line - up for theirDark Universe , which included Johnny Depp and Javier Bardem , made the fiscal disappointment ofThe Mummyall the more cringe - inducement .
Next : Why The Invisible Man 2020 ’s Reviews Are So Positive
