Universal’s “Dark Universe,” the studio’s reimagining of their classic movie monsters which was meant to compete with Marvel and DC’s shared cinematic universes, has been officially shelved. The series, which started with The Mummy starring Tom Cruise, was supposed to eventually feature the Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Van Helsing, The Wolf Man and Quasimodo, but The Mummy‘s terrible reviews and lack of box office has put it all to bed.
That’s not to say all is dead with Universal movie monsters. Variety is reporting that the studio is going ahead with The Invisible Man, though it will no longer be part of the shared universe, and it will no longer star Johnny Depp. Peter Cramer, Universal’s president of production, had this to say:
“Throughout cinematic history, Universal’s classic monsters have been reinvented through the prism of each new filmmaker who brought these characters to life. We are excited to take a more individualized approach for their return to screen, shepherded by creators who have stories they are passionate to tell with them.”
Leigh Whannell (Upgrade) will be directing, writing and co-producing the film for Jason Blum’s Blumhouse productions.