Fun Universal Monsters
- Thread starter Doctor Omega
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Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
I hope that the Mouse doesn't try to buy this studio too! 
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
‘Dark Universe’ Collapsing As Key Pair Exit
Universal Pictures’ plans for a shared cinematic universe with its classic monsters looks like it’s being strangled in its crib as Heat Vision reports that producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, the pair who created and are in charge of this shared universe initiative, have departed their posts.
In fact their offices set up on the studio lot for the multi-prong franchise are now practically empty. At present the only film from the initiative in development is Bill Condon’s “Bride of Frankenstein” which is undergoing a script overhaul.
This follows in the footsteps of the disappointing returns for the Tom Cruise-led “The Mummy” which scored just $80 million domestic and some of the worst reviews of Cruise’s career. Worldwide managed to save it from disaster, meaning the film ultimately garnered $409 million from a $125 million budget.
Universal had plans for a Javier Bardem-led “Frankenstein,” Johnny Depp as “The Invisible Man,” Dwayne Johnson was being sought for “The Wolfman,” Angelina Jolie was wanted for “The Bride of Frankenstein” and new takes on Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula and Creature from the Black Lagoon were planned – all of it linked by Russell Crowe’s Dr. Henry Jekyll and his Prodigium multi-national organization.
‘Bride’ was in pre-production until after “The Mummy” came out, then Jolie left talks and signed on for the “Maleficent” sequel while the ‘Bride’ script underwent reworking to potentially remove the Prodigium elements or simply to wait for Jolie.
Dark Universe may not be entirely dead though as a new mastermind could be brought in to take over, or the focus could be shifted to lower budget individual monster movies that simply sit under the same branding as opposed to sharing story elements.
Kurtzman and Morgan are currently occupied with “Star Trek: Discovery” and the “Fast and Furious” spin-off.
Universal Pictures’ plans for a shared cinematic universe with its classic monsters looks like it’s being strangled in its crib as Heat Vision reports that producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, the pair who created and are in charge of this shared universe initiative, have departed their posts.
In fact their offices set up on the studio lot for the multi-prong franchise are now practically empty. At present the only film from the initiative in development is Bill Condon’s “Bride of Frankenstein” which is undergoing a script overhaul.
This follows in the footsteps of the disappointing returns for the Tom Cruise-led “The Mummy” which scored just $80 million domestic and some of the worst reviews of Cruise’s career. Worldwide managed to save it from disaster, meaning the film ultimately garnered $409 million from a $125 million budget.
Universal had plans for a Javier Bardem-led “Frankenstein,” Johnny Depp as “The Invisible Man,” Dwayne Johnson was being sought for “The Wolfman,” Angelina Jolie was wanted for “The Bride of Frankenstein” and new takes on Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula and Creature from the Black Lagoon were planned – all of it linked by Russell Crowe’s Dr. Henry Jekyll and his Prodigium multi-national organization.
‘Bride’ was in pre-production until after “The Mummy” came out, then Jolie left talks and signed on for the “Maleficent” sequel while the ‘Bride’ script underwent reworking to potentially remove the Prodigium elements or simply to wait for Jolie.
Dark Universe may not be entirely dead though as a new mastermind could be brought in to take over, or the focus could be shifted to lower budget individual monster movies that simply sit under the same branding as opposed to sharing story elements.
Kurtzman and Morgan are currently occupied with “Star Trek: Discovery” and the “Fast and Furious” spin-off.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
I love the irony that Universal have spent millions trying and failing to revive a series of films that were made cheaply and weren't trying to be classics.
But that's what they became and that's what these new efforts will never be, no matter how many dollars they throw at these productions.
It might also help if the creatives behind these new cinematic "gems" went back and actually looked at the original films without what almost seems to be a dismissive contempt.
Certainly none of the unique qualities of the originals seems to be present in the new films
But that's what they became and that's what these new efforts will never be, no matter how many dollars they throw at these productions.
It might also help if the creatives behind these new cinematic "gems" went back and actually looked at the original films without what almost seems to be a dismissive contempt.
Certainly none of the unique qualities of the originals seems to be present in the new films
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Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
chainsaw_metal1
Member: Rank 8
They don't even need look that far back. Just look at what Hammer did with the properties. They understood, keep the gothic settings, keep the simple premises, and don't try to make a blockbuster. Hammer knew what it was that made the originals classics. All they did was add color, blood and cleavage. And those last two things make everything better.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Just to remind ourselves, this was the mission statement Universal made, before THE MUMMY was even filmed....
The plan is for a new monster movie to come out every year. The first of these, based on the character of the Mummy, will begin shooting in early 2016, with other pictures centered on Dracula, Van Helsing, Bride of Frankenstein and the Wolfman following in short order. To prepare, Kurtzman and Morgan obsessively watched Universal monster films made with the likes of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and to broaden the sense of genre, augmented that with a diet of Hammer Horror pictures and other creepy works.
“We’re creating a mythology, so we’re looking at this canon and thinking, ‘What are the rules?’ ” Kurtzman says. “What can we break and what are the ones that are untouchable?”
Storyboard artists and designers are creating the look and feel of the various productions, and each of the 10 writers working on the project has been assigned a monster to oversee.
“The idea is that we have a deep bench of brains to consult with about how their monster fits into our world as we go forward,” Kurtzman explains.
To head its team, Universal brass has found two self-confessed horror geeks who credit pictures like “Dracula” and “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” with inspiring their love of film.
“I was raised on monster movies,” Morgan says. “I used to make my own fake puke, so I wouldn’t have to go to school and could stay home and watch things like ‘Cat People’ on TV. I can still tell you what I used — orange juice, Saltines, Pepsi and milk.”
Both men think that after more than a decade of seeing Captain America, Batman and other heroes routinely save civilization, moviegoers are ready for a change of pace.
“Heroes tend to be perfect, but most people in an audience aren’t ever going to know what it’s like to be the smartest, strongest or fastest person alive,” Morgan says. “But there’s a darkness inside everybody. And everyone wants to be able to turn a curse into empowerment. The monsters have been in the shadows, and now it’s time to bring them out into the light.”
The plan is for a new monster movie to come out every year. The first of these, based on the character of the Mummy, will begin shooting in early 2016, with other pictures centered on Dracula, Van Helsing, Bride of Frankenstein and the Wolfman following in short order. To prepare, Kurtzman and Morgan obsessively watched Universal monster films made with the likes of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and to broaden the sense of genre, augmented that with a diet of Hammer Horror pictures and other creepy works.
“We’re creating a mythology, so we’re looking at this canon and thinking, ‘What are the rules?’ ” Kurtzman says. “What can we break and what are the ones that are untouchable?”
Storyboard artists and designers are creating the look and feel of the various productions, and each of the 10 writers working on the project has been assigned a monster to oversee.
“The idea is that we have a deep bench of brains to consult with about how their monster fits into our world as we go forward,” Kurtzman explains.
To head its team, Universal brass has found two self-confessed horror geeks who credit pictures like “Dracula” and “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” with inspiring their love of film.
“I was raised on monster movies,” Morgan says. “I used to make my own fake puke, so I wouldn’t have to go to school and could stay home and watch things like ‘Cat People’ on TV. I can still tell you what I used — orange juice, Saltines, Pepsi and milk.”
Both men think that after more than a decade of seeing Captain America, Batman and other heroes routinely save civilization, moviegoers are ready for a change of pace.
“Heroes tend to be perfect, but most people in an audience aren’t ever going to know what it’s like to be the smartest, strongest or fastest person alive,” Morgan says. “But there’s a darkness inside everybody. And everyone wants to be able to turn a curse into empowerment. The monsters have been in the shadows, and now it’s time to bring them out into the light.”
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Based on this mission statement they seemed to be thinking the right way about it. Work out the key factors that are important, identify some "rules" to break to keep things interesting without taking away what makes the monsters who they are. And focus on the characters highlighting the dichotomy between good and evil. It's a shame they seemed to not pay any attention to that so far, instead signing up big names for all the roles and trying to roll out standard action blockbusters and hope that the actors names will sell the movie.
chainsaw_metal1
Member: Rank 8
Right? They tend to forget that the stars of the original films were all character actors, not stars, at least not until these movies came out. No one had heard of Lugosi or Karloff. Even when Hammer did their take on the films, they didn't go with star power (I mean, they did, but they were still unknown).
My biggest problem is that when you take movies that work best in an archaic setting and bring them into the modern day, some of the magic is lost. Sure, you can make a vampire or werewolf movie in the modern day, but these particular characters work best in the Victorian or Edwardian setting. That's one thing the 90s remake of The Mummy got right, keeping it in an earlier setting.
Plus, these movies worked better in spite of not having modern SFX, not because of them.
Okay, I'm done ranting.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
There have been some not too bad attempts at spin off novels over the years.....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
And I used to have this glow in the dark jigsaw as a kid.....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Then there were these....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
And this is the book that really got me interested in horror films in general....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
The DARK UNIVERSE has been officially and quietly cancelled.
Universal are not making a huge announcement of this, but it is the case.
The two men who originated this "shared universe" are gone from the studio and THE MUMMY debacle has stopped this thing in it's tracks. THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN has been "pulled from the schedules" and all other previously announced titles such as THE INVISIBLE MAN, VAN HELSING and THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON have been quietly forgotten.
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Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Here's to an abandoned world of Gods and Monsters......
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Meanwhile another studio went ahead and kind of made a CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON film anyway.....
https://www.imdforums.com/threads/the-shape-of-water-2017-dec-8th.2955/
