Armie Hammer and Alexander Skarsgård are Universal's top choices to star in their Invisible Man movie reboot. For years now, Universal has wanted to remake its classic monster properties like Dracula and Invisible Man as part of a modern shared universe (a la the MCU or DCEU). However, they've already failed twice to launch such a franchise; first with Dracula Untold in 2014 and then with the Tom Cruise-led The Mummy in 2017. The studio is now hoping to turn their fortunates around by bringing Blumhouse Productions founder Jason Blum onboard as a producer on these films.
To start things off, Blum will produce Universal's Invisible Man remake, with Leigh Whannell - Blum's collaborator on the Insidious movies and Upgrade - writing and directing. The project has started to quickly come together in the six weeks or so since Whannell's involvement was announced, with casting already underway and production expected to begin relatively soon. Elisabeth Moss is currently being eyed for the movie's female lead, and could end up starring opposite one of two A-list actors in the horror reboot, according to a new report.
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According to THS, Hammer and Skarsgård are Universal's top picks to star in Invisible Man as Adrian Griffin, a billionaire (and sociopath) who developed an invisibility suit for the Department of Defense. Johnny Depp was originally lined up to star in the film when it was part of the Dark Universe - the name of the monster franchise that The Mummy was designed to kick-off - but he's no longer part of the project.
Availability could be the issue that decides if Hammer, Skarsgård, or a third party ultimately stars in Invisible Man. Hammer might be busy with filming on Death on the Nile later this year and was recently rumored to be the front-runner to star in Matt Reeves' The Batman (though he's refuted the claim for now). Skarsgård, meanwhile, has been shooting Godzilla vs. Kong in recent months and is slated to appear opposite Cara Delevingne in the thriller Fever Heart in the foreseeable future. Both actors would be excellent picks to play a handsome and wealthy but immoral scientist driven mad by their creation in Invisible Man and have played similarly untrustworthy types before. But again, their busy schedules could prevent them from signing on here.
Like Blum's other projects, Invisible Man will be a low-budget affair and, in turn, a relatively shorter shoot, which should make it easier for either Hammer or Skarsgård to add the film to their to-do list. The movie could end up being the start of a new franchise as well, assuming it performs strongly enough to warrant a sequel or a connection to a future Universal monster movie reboot. Either way you cut it, it's an intriguing project that's coming together pretty rapidly - so keep your eyes peeled for additional Invisible Man updates in the near future.
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Source: THS