Universal had big plans for their Dark Universe, a rebooted version of their classic horror franchise that would let them remake titles like The Invisible Man and more with big names in the lead. Unfortunately for the studio, however, Tom Cruise’s The Mummy hopelessly unravelled at the box office, leaving the future of their shared universe uncertain.
Things got a lot clearer, though, when franchise architects Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan walked away from the Dark Universe and Universal shut down pre-production on Bill Condon’s Bride of Frankenstein. You can’t help but wonder, then, if the studio needs to find some other filmmakers with a strong vision for how to remake these horror movies in a successful way in the modern climate.
One who springs to mind is Jason Blum, the founder of Blumhouse, the production company that’s delivered some of the most innovative, smart and enjoyable horror films in recent years (not least the Oscar-nominated Get Out). During a Twitter Q&A, the producer was asked by a fan whether he’d be interested in taking over the Dark Universe, and Blum replied with a brief, but very positive, “Yes!!!!”
Of course, Blum isn’t the only horror filmmaker who would like to do the Dark Universe right. The Shape of Water‘s Guillermo del Toro previously admitted that he regrets turning down the opportunity to helm the franchise back in 2007. Presumably, his career’s moved on now, so he’s not at the point where he can accept the offer. Otherwise, Universal would be smart to snap up either the Oscar-winning filmmaker or an innovator of the genre like Blum.
That said, it’s possible the studio’s learned not to run before they can walk and is actually getting the franchise together behind the scenes. Artist Robert Vargas teased a few months back that he was working with Universal on some “monster things” to come in the near future. So, who knows, maybe the Dark Universe could make a Frankenstein-like return from the dead, after all?
