Summary

• Universal Monsters reboot continues with renewed hope after the failed Dark Universe attempt, with successful recent projects like The Invisible Man.
• Directors like Chloe Zhao and James Wan bring fresh, innovative takes on iconic characters like Dracula and Frankenstein to modern audiences.
• Universal explores different genres with plans for animated monster musicals, family-friendly hybrids, and potential crossovers like Dark Army, facing budget concerns.

Though the original plans for the so-called Dark Universe were an infamous misfire, there are still plans for a Universal Monsters reboot to bring some of the studio's most iconic creations back to the big screen. The studio's roster of horror creatures, including Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster and his Bride, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon (among others), are among the most recognizable horror characters in pop culture history. While these characters headlined countless hit movies in the 1930s and 1940s, bringing them into the modern day has proven difficult.

In 2017, Universal launched its most ambitious attempt at reviving its monster franchise with the announced plans for the Dark Universe. However, the shared universe was seen as an attempt to cash in on the success of the MCU without establishing a solid foundation to build a cinematic universe. When 2017's The Mummy bombed at the box office, it effectively ended those plans. However, in recent years, there have been more movements regarding the Universal Monsters reboots. The success of The Invisible Man reignited hopes and there are some intriguing upcoming projects on the way.

The Invisible Woman

A Sequel To The Invisible Man Starring Elizabeth Moss

Following the runaway monster movie success of The Invisible Man (2020), Universal quickly approached the film's star, Elizabeth Moss (who played Cecilia "Cee" Kass), about appearing in a follow-up. Moss elected to tackle a new interpretation of The Invisible Woman, a comedic spinoff of the original The Invisible Man (1933) produced by Universal in 1940. The new sequel to the Invisible Man reboot will likely have little to do with the original.

No release date has been announced but Moss gave a brief update in 2022 (via Comicbook.com) that shed some light on when fans can expect The Invisible Woman:

"None of us involved have any intention of just cracking out another thing and throwing it up and just seeing what happens. We really want it to be as good, if not better, than the first one. Did I actually answer the question at all? It's not in the rearview. How's that?"

If Universal is attempting to rebuild its Dark Universe and create a cinematic universe out of these properties, it would make sense that they would be interested in continuing The Invisible Man franchise. It remains the biggest proven success in this endeavor and shows the success that could come from updating these classic horror stories.

Dracula

A Sci-Fi Western Directed By Chloé Zhao

Dracula is the most iconic character in the Universal Monsters catalog while also being one of the most recognizable figures in all of pop culture. However, it has not been easy bringing the iconic vampire to the big screen in recent years with 2023 seeing Universal's two Dracula movies bombed at the box office with Reinfeld and The Last Voyage of the Demeter. However, Universal doesn't seem ready to give up on the character as they are bringing in an Oscar-winning director for the next attempt.

In her first followup to the divisive Marvel movie Eternals, Chloé Zhao will deliver a new Dracula movie with a twist. Zhao's unusual and unique version of Dracula has been described as an “original, futuristic, sci-fi Western” that will tackle the concept of vampires as the "other" in society. While there is no release date announced yet, Zhoa gave a promising update in March 2023 revealing that she was in the midst of writing it.

Frankenstein

James Wan's Interpretation Of Frankenstein

If there is any Universal Monster who can compete with Dracula in terms of popularity and iconic status, it is Frankenstein's Monster. Another horror creature born out of classic literature, the tragic monster has been the subject of many movies over the years and Universal seeks to bring Frankenstein back again with the help of a modern horror master with plans of James Wan taking on the project started back in 2020.

Famous nowadays for kickstarting the Conjuring franchise and directing Aquaman, Wan's Frankenstein pitch involves a group of teenagers who discover the famous monster being constructed in the basement of their next-door neighbor. There has been little word on the project for the last number of years, and now Universal has some stiff Frankenstein competition on the way. Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is helming a star-studded take with Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, and Jacob Elordi.

Bride Of Frankenstein

Scarlett Johansson Is Circling A Frankenstein Spinoff

There are several projects currently in development that are new takes on the iconic Bride of Frankenstein, including a film set to star Scarlett Johansson. However, Universal's new version is entirely separate from Johansson's project and has been in development for years. Originally planned as a Dark Universe film directed by Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), David Koepp's script has miraculously survived the death of the failed shared universe, and after multiple rewrites, it has been green-lit for production.

There is no release date. Koepp has said in interviews that his approach was inspired by The Invisible Man, and called the current script a "twisted little number." (via EW) However, it also has some competition with Maggie Gyllenhaal directing her own take on the story with Bride! for Warner Bros. Her movie will star Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley.

The Wolfman

A Wolfman Remake Starring Christopher Abbott

Originally slated to appear as a Dark Universe film (and rumored to star Dwayne Johnson in the lead role), Universal's latest attempt to reboot the Wolfman is moving forward at Blumhouse, though it has gone through its own tumultuous production process as well. The movie was originally going to star Ryan Gosling, based on his own story pitch. The movie would have also reteamed Gosling with his Blue Valentine and Place Beyond the Pines director Derek Cianfrance.

The actor and the director both eventually left the project with Christopher Abbott taking over the main role and The Invisible Man's Leigh Whannell taking over as director. The movie is said to be another modern take on the classic horror character. While production is underway, its planned release date of October 2024 has been pushed to January 2025.

Dark Army

Paul Feig's Monster Team-Up Movie

One of the most epic in-development monster reboots is Dark Army, an ambitious crossover movie that will feature a large cast of iconic creatures from Universal's pantheon. Writer/director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, the 2016 Ghostbusters) will take on the big-budget project. Feige has called the story one of his all-time favorites, and despite budgetary concerns from the studio, Feig has promised to see the film through to completion.

However, the latest update on Dark Army did not sound promising, with Feig admitting that there are numerous budget concerns for the movie:

"That’s one driving me crazy. The problem with that is that some people read it and think it’s too expensive. I never saw it that way, but that’s what I hear. I’m still working on it and trying to get it to that sweet spot, but it’s hard. I don’t even want to tell you about a couple of other things that we can’t get sold. It’s like, “Oh, my God, who wouldn’t want this?” But probably every producer in town feels that way too. I have to make a monster movie. I have to make my monster movie."

Feig's determination is somewhat encouraging, but the hesitation from the studio could be based on the embarrassing failure of the Dark Universe the first time around. Many studios have attempted to duplicate the success of the MCU with their own shared universe only to find that rushing into it is a bad idea. Universal looks to be taking a more gradual approach this time and Dark Army could seem like too much too soon.

Monster Mash

An Animated Monster Musical

Universal's plans for the classic monsters aren't just limited to live-action horror films. The studio is also planning an animated musical film based on a pitch from music video director Matt Stawski. While little is currently known about the film, it will likely be loosely inspired by the classic song. In 1967, Rankin Bass released a Halloween special that was a loose adaptation of the "Monster Mash" song, entitled Mad Monster Party? which followed all of the classic monsters converging on an island for a party.

This movie shows that Universal is willing to try different approaches to what they do with these monster movies and hopefully reach audiences of all kinds. The Hotel Transylvania movies have shown the kind of fun and popularity that can come from kid-friendly takes on these characters.

Little Monsters

An All-Ages Animated/Live-Action Hybrid

The Universal Monsters reboot has more family-friendly content planned for the future with the upcoming Little Monsters. Though it has no connection to the cult classic 1989 movie of the same name starring Howie Mandel, the film will instead be a live-action and animation hybrid movie featuring some of the Universal Monsters creations.

The movie will serve as the first live-action movie from director Josh Cooley who had previously helmed Toy Story 4 for Pixar. There is very little known about the movie and there haven't been any major updates on it since it was first announced in 2020. However, it was described as an attempt to bring Universal’s classic monster movie characters to a new generation (via The Wrap). The title might also suggest that the monsters in question will be less terrifying and more adorable.

Canceled Universal Monster Movies

The Dark Universe Saw Several Star-Studded Movies Go Down

The cancelation of the Dark Universe saw a number of announced Universal Monster movies canceled before they ever really got going. The Mummy clearly set up a sequel with Tom Cruise becoming the titular monster who was also a hero. The Mummy also set up a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story with Russell Crowe originating the character in The Mummy.

As a sign of the Dark Universe moving too quickly, the proposed follow-ups to The Mummy had already been cast before the studio even knew how audiences would respond to the first movie. As such the reboot of Frankenstein starring Javier Bardem and The Invisible Man reboot starring Johnny Depp all fell apart almost immediately following The Mummy's disastrous release.

While The Mummy is often seen as the first movie of the Dark Universe, Universal initially tried to kick things off with Dracula Untold, an origin story of the iconic vampire starring Luke Evans. The lackluster reception of that movie canceled the Dracula Untold sequel while Universal then attempted to ignore that failed attempt by repositioning The Mummy as the new start to the shared universe.