The name of the game in blockbuster filmmaking right now is “Cinematic Universe,” meaning we’re beginning to see film continuity and shared storytelling define the way studios make tentpole films. Marvel started the trend with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and DC will be following suit with their burgeoning Justice League-centric universe that began with Man of Steel. 20th Century Fox has created a shared, cohesive universe for the X-Men franchise, while Sony is building one around The Amazing Spider-Man films, with villain-centric spin-offs like Venom and Sinister Six.
The “shared universe” mentality has spread to non-superhero properties as well, like the Fast and the Furious franchise (which pays respect to past films by bringing old characters into new installments), and Disney’s longterm plan for Star Wars (which will include official saga “Episodes” as well as spin-off films and solo character adventures).
Universal is now hoping to take a similar approach with their extensive library of classic movie monsters, like Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Creature of the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Mummy.
In what Deadline calls a “substantial new production endeavor,” Universal is aiming to “expand and unify” these monster-centric franchises, and have hired Star Trek and The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s Alex Kurtzman, along with Fast & Furious 6 producer Chris Morgan to serve as “narrative architects.”
There’s no word yet on whether or not Kurtzman or Morgan (who wrote five of the Fast and Furious films) will pen any of the scripts for the new films, but they will reportedly “be going around town enlisting talent” to bring this new, cohesive franchise plan to fruition.
Interestingly, it appears that the upcoming Dracula Untold will not be a part of this new slate, as Deadline notes that “they’ve begun the meetings to put together an interconnected slate of Monster films, and the first will be a reboot of The Mummy,” which hits theaters on April 22, 2016.
This is a smart move for the studio, and an exciting one for fans of these old franchises. We’ve been dying to see these monsters back on the big screen, so seeing the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man on screen together someday, in a sort of Avengers-esque Monster film, would be pretty awesome.
What do you think of this news? Would you like to see a shared Universal Monsters film universe, or would you prefer to see standalone films? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Originally published July 17, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
