Universal's classic monsters, known as the Dark Universe, have all been prominently featured on the big screen before, recent years have seen a distinct lack of success at resurrecting them. Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man and the studio's most recent approach seems to be the best chance, heralding in other titles within this new Dark Universe for future release.
The Dark Universe has seen some trouble getting off the ground in recent history, with critical and box office failures like 2017's Tom Cruise-led The Mummy sinking Universal's hopes at a complete turnaround for some of their most classic franchises. At one point, they had many films lined up with this new formula, including a different version of The Invisible Man which had Johnny Depp attached as its star. However, this fell through, leaving other films that were planned on the chopping block indefinitely, despite having other major stars like Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem, and Angelina Jolie attached.
The Invisible Man has gotten largely positive reviews from critics and audiences, holding a 91% rating from Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. According to projections, its opening weekend could near $30 million, which is staggering based on its $7 million budget. This is a far better return on investment than The Mummy and proves how effective Blumhouse's micro-budget horror formula is for studios. With success looming on the horizon for the start of this new Dark Universe, here are all the movies slated to follow The Invisible Man.
Dark Army - TBA
Dark Army is a project in development by director Paul Feig, who also did the 2016 Ghostbusters movie and Bridesmaids. While not likely a comedy, given Universal's desire to shift toward horror with these franchises, Feig's upcoming project - which could very well be under its working title - seeks to unite classic Universal monsters with original characters created by the director. Feig also wrote the script, which has at least a completed draft finished, though no release date or cast have been announced. Not much about the plot is known beyond the fact that Feig cites Bride of Frankenstein as an influence.
Renfield - TBA
Renfield is a standalone origin story based on a character first introduced by Bram Stoker's Dracula. Renfield served as Count Dracula's odd, insect-eating assistant. While an interesting angle to approach, perhaps given the over-saturation of vampires in modern horror media, it seems on par with the path Universal is trying to take. Their new approach is based on standalone films rather than connecting into a grander universe with overlap and crossovers, and aspires to tell the best stories. The story idea came from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. Ryan Ridley (Rick & Morty) is set to write the script. Dexter Fletcher will direct.
Frankenstein - TBA
Frankenstein has been told many times from different angles, and is one of the most enduring stories in horror history. So much so, it seems it might prove difficult to tell an original story about either Dr. Frankenstein or his monster. James Wan, who has become an icon both in horror and as a director of more mainstream films, is a producer of the project, which means it will be in good hands.
The Invisible Woman - TBA
Elizabeth Banks, who has dabbled in all areas of film and has recently been involved with Brightburn and Charlie's Angels, is bringing The Invisible Woman to audiences as a one-woman show. Banks is starring, directing, and producing the film, which stems from an idea she developed herself. She is also co-writing the script with Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train). Sources who have been clued in to the project have reported that it's a much different story than The Invisible Man.
Monster Mash - TBA
First announced February 2020, Monster Mash is a different take on Universal's monsters in that it is a musical. The film will be helmed by Matt Stawski, who is a Grammy award nominated music video director. The idea stems from Stawski, and the script is written by Will Widger (Black List). While not confirmed, the title and idea could stem from the 1962 Boris Pickett song of the same name, which held a number one slot on the Billboard Charts.
Bride Of Frankenstein - TBA
Bride of Frankenstein has been discussed as a cinematic part of the Dark Universe before in recent history, but seems to be a more concrete idea as of February 2020. Amy Pascal, producer of Spider-Man: Homecoming, has been attached to produce this project. John Krasinski (A Quiet Place 2) and Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) have both been in talks to potentially direct the film. David Koepp, who has a storied career in nearly every imaginable genre of film, is in talks to write the script.
