We’ve know for quite some time now that the upcoming The Mummy would be the kick-off of Universal Pictures ‘Dark Universe’, a shared universe that will bring together all their classic monsters under one umbrella. We’re talking The Mummy, Dracula (Dracula Untold was said to be the start of this universe, but after it’s lacklustre box office haul, expect that to get a reboot), Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, Phantom of the Opera, The Invisible Man, and many more. With the Mummy just around the corner (June 9th to be specific), the studio has officially announced Dark Universe with a pretty nifty video that highlights the storied history of these monsters on the big screen.
On top of that, Universal has announced the creative team that will shape the shared universe going forward, made up of The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman, screen writer Chris Morgan (the Fast & Furious franchise), Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie (also a frequent collaborator with Tom Cruise), and screen writer David Keopp, whose currently working on Bill Condon’s Bride of Frankenstein, the next instalment of the Dark Universe due out on February 14th 2019. While the Bride’s casting hasn’t been announced as of yet, other roles have already been filled out, with Javier Bardem on board as her beau, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Johnny Depp officially announced as The Invisible Man. And since they took the time out to pose all these stars in the photo below, it’s safe to say Sofia Boutella’s The Mummy, Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll (whose roster tracking organisation Pordigium seems to be the universe’s connecting tread), and Tom Cruise’s Nick Morton (I have a feeling The Mummy will reveal the hidden importance of this character) will be returning for future movies.
There are a lot more characters to come, including Van Helsing and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, but it seems Universal is taking their time with the Dark Universe, introducing everyone one at at time, instead of just throwing them at us all at once. Which can only be a good thing.
On top of that, Universal has announced the creative team that will shape the shared universe going forward, made up of The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman, screen writer Chris Morgan (the Fast & Furious franchise), Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie (also a frequent collaborator with Tom Cruise), and screen writer David Keopp, whose currently working on Bill Condon’s Bride of Frankenstein, the next instalment of the Dark Universe due out on February 14th 2019. While the Bride’s casting hasn’t been announced as of yet, other roles have already been filled out, with Javier Bardem on board as her beau, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Johnny Depp officially announced as The Invisible Man. And since they took the time out to pose all these stars in the photo below, it’s safe to say Sofia Boutella’s The Mummy, Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll (whose roster tracking organisation Pordigium seems to be the universe’s connecting tread), and Tom Cruise’s Nick Morton (I have a feeling The Mummy will reveal the hidden importance of this character) will be returning for future movies.
There are a lot more characters to come, including Van Helsing and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, but it seems Universal is taking their time with the Dark Universe, introducing everyone one at at time, instead of just throwing them at us all at once. Which can only be a good thing.
