The Mummyopens this Friday, and it’s supposed to signal the beginning of Universal’sDark Universefranchise based around classic movie monsters. Producer andMummydirectorAlex Kurtzmanhas been one of the guiding forces of this franchise alongsideChris Morgan(Fast & Furious), and he already has an outline of the films they want to tackle going forward.
Speaking toFandom, Kurtzman said:
“We know we’re going to doFrankenstein,Bride of Frankenstein,Dracula,Creature from the Black Lagoon,Phantom of the Opera,Hunchback of Notre Dame,Invisible Man,” he says.
IfDraculais on the list, that’s probably the final nail in the coffin forDracula Untoldever being considered part of this universe. Sorry,Luke Evans.
However, there are some other actors Kurtzman would like to bring into the fold. He tells Fandom, “I’d love to bringMichael Fassbenderin, I’d love to bringJennifer Lawrencein, I’d love to seeCharlize Theronin there,Angelina Jolie…”
It’s worth noting that the next film in theDark Universe,Bill Condon’sBride of Frankenstein, still doesn’t have its title character, and I could easily see the studio eager to cast Lawrence, Theron, or Jolie in the role.Javier Bardemis already signed on to play Frankenstein.
While I understand Kurtzman’s eagerness to get the franchise rolling, one of the things I’ve admired is that they’re not getting ahead of themselves. While roles have been cast such asJohnny Deppas the Invisible Man, they’re not setting down release dates and then rushing to meet them.Bride of Frankensteinis the only movie on the schedule, and it’s not due out until 2019. That gives them plenty of time to figure out how to tackle all of these other pictures.
That being said, we’ll have to wait and see howThe Mummyperforms over the weekend to see if audiences are really interested in this new world of gods and monsters.
