Universal's remake of the horror classic The Invisible Man is reportedly eying Elisabeth Moss for a starring role. Based on H.G. Wells' novel, the original Invisible Man starred Claude Rains as a scientist who discovers the key to invisibility, but also discovers the horrible price that comes with his newfound power. The 1933 film, directed by James Whale, was one of Universal Studios' original monster movies, along with classics like Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy.
All these many decades after the studio first made its reputation as a purveyor of cinematic horror, Universal is revisiting many of its classic titles. Of course, at one point the studio was planning to create an entire cinematic universe, dubbed the Dark Universe, around characters like Dr. Jekyll, The Mummy and The Invisible Man, but those plans were scrapped after the first installment The Mummy tanked at the box office. Nevertheless, Universal is pushing forward with The Invisible Man, but with low-budget horror specialists Blumhouse as their partners - and without originally announced lead actor Johnny Depp. Upgrade director Leigh Whannell has signed on to helm the film.
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As reported by Variety, Universal is now pressing ahead with casting of The Invisible Man, and is currently eying The Handmaid's Tale star Elisabeth Moss for a lead role. Moss is said to be in the very early stages of negotiation however, so nothing is solid at this point. Details about Moss's character, and indeed the project in general, are being kept under wraps. The original Invisible Man did feature a major female role in the title character's love interest Flora Cranley, who was played in the film by future Titanic star Gloria Stuart.
A Golden Globe winner for her role in the dark, dystopian Hulu drama The Handmaid's Tale, Moss has become one of the most sought-after actors in both movies and TV. Of course, most of the world first became aware of her thanks to her unforgettable role as the ambitious Peggy Olson on the AMC drama Mad Men. Since rising to fame on Mad Men, Moss has starred in everything from indie dramas like The One I Love to acclaimed foreign language films like The Square to series like Top of the Lake. She has also become the muse of indie filmmaker Alex Ross Perry, starring in his quirky movies Listen Up Philip and Queen of Earth, as well as his new punk rock drama Her Smell. Moss is also set to appear in Us, Jordan Peele's horrifying follow up to Get Out.
No matter how scary Universal and Blumhouse's update of The Invisible Man turns out to be, it's unlikely that it will top the horror Moss already deals with on The Handmaid's Tale, which is itself set to return for a third season. It will be interesting to see who ultimately is chosen to play the title role in The Invisible Man alongside Moss, now that Depp has been dropped along with the Dark Universe concept.
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Source: Variety