The Universal Classic Monsters are to feature in a new animated mini-series developed by Universal Pictures and Epic Games, which will debut in the online game, Fortnite. Since the release of Dracula in 1931, the Universal Classic Monsters have become pop-culture staples with the studio's interpretations of characters like The Mummy and Frankenstein's Monster becoming instantly recognizable. Despite their status as icons, they have struggled to achieve mainstream success in the modern era as can be seen in attempts as recent as the failed Dark Universe.
THR has confirmed that Universal Pictures is partnering with Epic Games to produce an animated mini-series called We Will Be Monsters, reinterpreting several of Universal's Classic Movie Monsters for a modern audience. The series consists of 4 episodes, the first of which features Dracula and the Bride of Frankenstein, and will screen within Fortnite during its Shortnitemares Festival on October 28th with the remaining episodes releasing in early 2022. Rick Famuyiwa, known for directing episodes of The Mandalorian, will helm each installment of the series after his experience in working on VR sets on the Disney+ original. Check out the trailer from Universal Pictures below:
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group President, Abhijay Prakash, indicated that diversity was at the forefront of this new iteration, with the stories swapping the traditional European settings for locations such as Hong-Kong, Morroco and L.A. This inclusion extends to the on-screen talent portraying the monsters as Chemon Theys, Victory Ndukwe and Emmy Saheki play Frankenstein's Bride, Frankenstein's Monster and the Mummy, respectively. Prakash made it clear that this new project is an attempt to engage new audiences with these reincarnations and to extend the IP through new formats (i.e. online gaming). Indeed, the influence the game has may serve to reintroduce the classic monsters to a new generation and further develop how studios choose to attract the attention of audiences.
We Will Be Monsters premieres October 28th in Fortnite.
Source: THR