2014’s Dracula Untold was a dark fantasy/action movie take on the classic horror icon, offering up an origin story for both the eponymous bloodsucker and Universal’s planned reboot of their monster-filled cinematic universe from the 1930s/40s. As it happened, though, Untold’s middling critical reception and unremarkable box office resulted in the studio reducing the movie’s importance. When 2017’s The Mummy rolled around, it was marketed as the new beginning of the franchise – now dubbed Dark Universe – and fans were told to disregard Dracula Untold entirely.
Nonetheless, the film’s star, Luke Evans, hopes to reappear as Dracula in future entries into the Dark Universe. He admitted that he doesn’t have any clue as to where the franchise is headed, but he’s still game to be involved.
“I think it was a really enjoyable process for me. I think it definitely had a few flaws in it but I’ve had a lot of good feedback from it and I get people me asking me will there be a sequel. We left it very wide open, you know, this is a character who could transcend many different times and different periods of history. Who knows. I’d love to bring him back in some concept or context, but honestly, you know as little as I do when it comes with what is going in on the dream rooms of Universal Studios. I really don’t know.”
Unfortunately for Evans, not only is a Dracula Untold sequel in doubt, but the whole of Dark Universe is also in jeopardy. After The Mummy bombed both financially and critically, it looks like Universal has taken the initiative back to the drawing board. The franchise’s former architect, Alex Kurtzman, is unsure of his involvement in the future and filming on the next project, Bride of Frankenstein, has just been delayed at the last minute.
Still, if Universal can pick up the pieces and restart Dark Universe (for the third time), Evans might just get a call asking him to don a pair of fangs and a cape again. After all, though the likes of Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp and Russell Crowe have been brought on board to play Frankenstein’s monster, the Invisible Man and Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, respectively, the studio have yet to recast the role of the Prince of Darkness, so perhaps there’s hope for Evans yet?
