Summary

• Dracula Untold 2 remains unconfirmed and unlikely due to budget issues and the failed Dark Universe franchise.
• The Mummy replaced Dracula Untold as the start of the Dark Universe, leading to the cancellation of other planned films.
• The success of The Invisible Man and the upcoming Renfield movie suggest a shift towards a more humorous tone for monster movies, impacting the potential for a dark and brooding Dracula Untold sequel.

Though Luke Evans was set up to carry on a new vampire franchise, the Dark Universe crumpled and Dracula Untold 2 may never happen. Dracula Untold started as a project dubbed Dracula: Year Zero, which told the origin story of the monster. Alex Proyas was set to direct while Sam Worthington (Avatar) would play the lead, but Universal canceled the project over budget issues (via IndieWire). After it was retooled, Gary Shore came on as director, while Evans signed up as Dracula. While there were many questions about how the movie would setup the planned Dark Universe, nearly a decade later and Dracula Untold 2 remains unconfirmed.

Universal announced a plan for a Dark Universe — a cinematic universe featuring classic monsters like Frankenstein's Monster and the Invisible Man. To that end, producers decided to rework Dracula Untold, so it could be tied into this new universe. New scenes were filmed with Charles Dance's Master Vampire, who was being set up as a connecting character like Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury. Charlie Cox (Daredevil) originally played this role, but his scenes were cut when it was decided to make the character much older (via GameRant). Discounting unsubstantiated online rumors, there have been few actual signs of a Dracula Untold sequel since.

Will Dracula Untold 2 Ever Happen?

A Slew Of New Dracula Movies Makes Dracula Untold's Sequel Less Likely

Dracula Untold 2 got lost in the shuffle of Universal's ever-changing plans, but hopes for the project were dealt a devastating blow when The Mummy was the first movie of the Dark Universe. The original movie ended with a clear setup for a sequel, but since Dracula Untold was only a modest success and its rejected connection to the now-failed Dark Universe is part of its legacy, it seems Dracula Untold 2 is very unlikely. Dracula Untold producer Alissa Phillips stated that they hoped to have a sequel with Evans returning to the role (via HeyUGuys), but little has been heard about it since 2014.

In 2021, things began to look even direr for Dracula Untold 2, as Universal announced plans to have Eternals helmer Chloé Zhao direct a Western sci-fi take on Dracula. Along with 2023's Renfield, director Robert Eggers is also developing a remake of Nosferatu starring Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Bill Skarsgård that could touch on many of the same story aspects, making the cinematic Dracula market a bit saturated.

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The Mummy Replaced Dracula Untold As The "First" Dark Universe Film

The Mummy's Failure Ended The Shared Monster Universe Before It Began

Dracula Untold's status as the start of the Dark Universe always felt tenuous, and when Alex Kurtzman came on board to direct Tom Cruise in The Mummy, it was decided to ignore Dracula Untold and make The Mummy the start of the freshly dubbed Dark Universe (via Collider).

This would have given the filmmakers free rein to reinvent Dracula again, but the mostly negative reviews and lukewarm box office of The Mummy immediately put plans for the Dark Universe in danger. Before Cruise moved on to set new box office records with Top Gun: Maverick, a Bride Of Frankenstein movie that was set to star Angelina Jolie and Javier Bardem was placed on hold (via Variety), and since then, it seems the enterprise has been quietly canceled.

The Invisible Man Was The Second Attempt To Restart The Dark Universe

The Lower Budget And Smaller Scale Take Worked Better For The Modern Monster Story

Blumhouse produced a low-budget reboot of The Invisible Man from director Leigh Whannell in 2020, which was a critical and commercial success. One of the major issues The Mummy and the Dark Universe critics had was taking character-driven horror stories and turning them into flashy action movies, so Whannell's film was a return to the character's horror roots. Whannell's Invisible Man starred Elisabeth Moss as a woman tormented by her supposedly dead scientist ex-boyfriend, who'd discovered a way to make himself invisible.

Renfield Is The Latest Dark Universe Launch Pad (Which Is Bad News For Dracula Untold 2)

Nicolas Cage's Acclaimed Dracula Could Continue On

Dracula Untold 2 may never see the light of day, especially as Renfield's Dracula could reboot the Dark Universe. The horror-comedy also didn't blow away critics away, but Nicolas Cage's performance as Dracula was praised. His take on the classic vampire highlights the new direction the Dark Universe could take with a lot of humor mixed in with the scares and gore. It is easy to see other monster movies, with the likes of The Wolfman or Frankenstein, take on a similar tone.

Unfortunately, this is another blow to the hopes of Dracula Untold 2 ever happening. The tonal difference between Dracula Untold and Renfield makes it clear that these two movies cannot exist in the same universe. It also suggests there might be more interest in a fun and humorous tone rather than the dark and brooding route the Dark Universe seemed to be heading down with its early entries.

Dracula Untold Wasn't That Bad

The Baggage Of The Dark Universe Has Tainted The Solid Horror-Fantasy

Dracula Untold 2 may not ever be in the works, but Dracula Untold as a standalone movie isn't as bad as its reputation suggests. Instead of viewing it as the failed kickoff to the Dark Universe, it should be seen through the lens of a historical fantasy epic, and it acts as a grounded approach to a Dracula origin story. For all its criticisms, Dracula Untold featured some pretty solid action sequences. In addition, the cinematography, costuming, and sets are a wonder to behold in and of themselves. It's an entirely fresh way to look at the origins of Dracula, as he fights to save his wife, family, and country.

Dracula Untold may have failed as the foundation of a Dark Universe franchise, but it was a brand-new take on the classic tale, and Dracula Untold should be recognized for its efforts. It also is worth noting that Vlad the Impaler, upon whom Dracula is based, is still considered a bit of a folk hero in Romania. Dracula Untold carefully focuses on pre-vampire Dracula and provides a fascinating backstory for the monster that everyone has grown to know. So, even though Dracula Untold 2 isn't in the cards, the first film isn't a bad installment at all.

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  Dracula Untold

  Summary:

  This reboot of the Dracula story deviates from Bram Stoker's novel, creating an original backstory for the famous vampire. Vlad Draculea, a prince of Transylvania, seeks help from an ancient vampire in preparation for war - but falls victim to the curse himself.

  Release Date:

  2014-10-10

  Cast:

  Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Banks, Luke Evans, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance

  Director:

  Gary Shore

  Rating:

  PG-13

  Writers:

  Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless

  Runtime:

  92

  Genres:

  Horror, Thriller

  Budget:

  $70 million

  Studio(s):

  Universal Pictures

  Distributor(s):

  Universal Pictures

  Franchise(s):

  Dracula