• News
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles and Long Reads
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Flickering Myth Films
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on FlickeringMyth.com
    • Write for Flickering Myth

Flickering Myth

Film & TV News, Reviews and Features

  • Movies
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Long Reads
  • Trending

The Dark Universe That Never Was: A Short History of Universal’s Failed Monster Franchise

June 1, 2020 by EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno on the short history of Universal’s Dark Universe…

Join our host EJ Moreno as he ventures back to 2017 to figure out what happened to the Dark Universe.

Universal Pictures had a short-lived plan to create a cinematic universe, a la the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it didn’t last more than a year. Was it the strange castings (including the likes of Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Sofia Boutella) or the lackluster reaction to 2017’s The Mummy that ultimately led to its demise?

Let’s go on a short, yet compelling journey…

What are your thoughts on the Dark Universe? Are you disappointed that it didn’t get beyond the one movie, or was it an ill-conceived plan from the start? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…

 

Originally published June 1, 2020. Updated June 17, 2020.

Filed Under: Articles, Opinions and Long Reads, EJ Moreno, Flickering Myth TV, Movies Tagged With: Bride of Frankenstein, Dark Universe, Dracula Untold, Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Sofia Boutella, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Tom Cruise, Universal Monsters

About EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno is a film and television critic and entertainment writer who joined the pop culture website Flickering Myth in 2018 and now serves as the executive producer of Flickering Myth TV, a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With over a decade of experience, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who is also part of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Feel the Heat: Uncomfortably Hot and Sweaty Films

7 Great Dystopian Thrillers of the 1970s

Overhated 2000s Horror Movies That Deserve Another Look

The Essential Hirokazu Kore-eda Films

10 International Horror Movies You Need To See

12 Erotically Charged Thrillers You Need To See

From Dusk Till Dawn at 30: The Story Behind the Cult Classic Horror Genre Mash-Up

10 Reasons Why Predator Is Awesome

Eight Great Prison Movies You Might Have Missed

The Essential Modern Conspiracy Thrillers

FEATURED POSTS:

10 Essential Thrillers from 2016

Apple TV Review – Cape Fear

4K Ultra HD Review – Steven Spielberg: The Spotlight Collection

Robert the Doll returns with horror franchise reboot

Movie Review – Chum (2026)

Movie Review – Office Romance (2026)

Movie Review – Scary Movie (2026)

4K Ultra HD Review – Slither (2006)

Movie Review – Signal One (2026)

Movie Review – Masters of the Universe (2026)

FLICKERING MYTH FILMS

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Rise and Disappointing Disappearance of Director Richard Kelly

Is AI About to Make Creatives Irrelevant?

Fantastical, Flawed and Madcap: 80s British Horror Cinema

Not for the Faint of Heart: The Most Shocking Movies of All Time

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles and Long Reads
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Flickering Myth Films
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on FlickeringMyth.com
    • Write for Flickering Myth

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Movies
  • Features and Long Reads
  • Trending
  • Flickering Myth Films
  • About Flickering Myth
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth