Jason Blum wants to make a Frankenstein movie. Blum is the founder of Blumhouse Productions, which is currently operating under a first look production deal with Universal Pictures. The company mainly focuses on the horror/thriller genre and is responsible for films such as Saw, Insidious, Get Out, and the Halloween reboot. They have, on occasion, dipped their toes into more straight on dramas with movies like Whiplash.
The Blumhouse model has proven to be very effective within the Hollywood landscape. The company aims to produce movies using a relatively small budget, opening the door for the chance at even bigger profits. Get Out, for example, was made for $4.5 million and brought in an estimated $255 million at the worldwide box office. This goes against the recent trend of big blockbusters having increasingly large budgets. It’s not uncommon for the newest superhero film to cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce. Jason Blum, on the other hand, is more concerned with using smaller budgets to foster creative talents like James Wan or Jordan Peele.
Now, according to The Evolution of Horror podcast (via ComicBook), fans may be one step closer to Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's classic monster story, getting the Blumhouse treatment. This is not to say that anything is currently in development, but that Jason Blum would be interested in tackling the material. Blum stated in regards to the Frankenstein story, “I would love to try and I’m waiting for the great idea.” After Universal gave him the reigns to a character like The Invisible Man, Blum seems to think he could successfully tackle other, similar material.
Blumhouse made headlines this past weekend with its opening of The Invisible Man, directed by Leigh Whannell. The movie stars Elisabeth Moss and puts a contemporary spin on H.G. Well’s original story. The film received a 91% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and scored a 88% fan approval rating. That, combined with the $29 million three-day opening it had and its $7 million budget, makes the release another big win for the company.
This news seems appropriate considering the success Blumhouse just had revamping a classic monster character. The success of a film like The Invisible Man is proof that, when done right, audiences will flock to the theaters to see these types of stories. While The Mummy failed in 2017 to kick off a cinematic Dark Universe for Universal, The Invisible Man won’t follow a similar fate. Although Jason Blum may not be looking to create an Avengers-like cinematic universe with his company’s films, he may be motivated to continue to support similar, modern-day spins on classic monster tales. Frankenstein’s monster is a perfect character for that. Recent iterations, like I, Frankenstein and Victor Frankenstein, haven’t fared well critically or at the box office. If it were done right, the Frankenstein idea could attract a lot of attention and provide Blumhouse with another huge financial and critical success.
Source: The Evolution of Horror (via ComicBook)