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Details Emerge From Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe

By Mark Hodge (doddleNEWS)

While Sony and Fox are trying to imitate Marvel and Warner Brothers’ superhero tentpoles by expanding the Spider-Man and X-Men/Fantastic Four universes, respectively, Universal has its own monster plan to devour the worldwide box office.

As we reported last week, the studio has enlisted Alex Kurtzman (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious) to develop a mega franchise around classic monsters such as Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

And while those characters may not have the box office cache of Batman or Spider-Man, they are still a big part of popular culture and have performed well, commercially at least, for Universal in the past.

In fact, the Brandon Frasier-led Mummy franchise has grossed over $1 billion worldwide, while 2004′s Van Helsing took a decent $300 million from a $160 million budget.

And much like rival studios, Universal has a strategy for their new tentpole, which basically involves employing filmmaking talent of highest possible standard.

Kurtzman recently told Collider: “I think it's incredibly important to all of us to start focusing on each movie, and make each movie great, rather than thinking, "Okay, we want to do?The Avengers next." If that comes along, it will come along organically.”

He continued: “When I was a kid, going to Universal Studios, which was all I wanted to do, all the time, there was a show that was all the monsters, and I loved that show. I was obsessed with Dracula. I was obsessed with Frankenstein. I was obsessed with the Wolfman. his guy used to get stretched on a rack, live and in front of the audience. It was so cool. It's very exciting. It's like being a kid in a candy store, getting to play with all those things again, at the very studio that birthed these monsters, in the first place. Most importantly, we're really wanting to just do each one right. I think the world will come to us, if we build them correctly.”

Firstly, rumors point to Tom Cruise being lined up to lead a Van Helsing reboot – and if you’re wanting to create a hugely successful blockbuster franchise, the Mission: Impossible star is certainly a great choice.

Also Guillermo del Toro could be in consideration over a Frankenstein movie, which the director revealed would be dream project. He once stated he’d like to adapt artist Bernie Wrightson’s take on it.

He said (via Collider): “I would love to. I mean, look, I would love to do Frankenstein and Bride, or Frankenstein for sure."

He added: "I think that it's a great universe to develop. I personally think that they should all be period movies. I would love to see Creature from the Black Lagoon in Victorian England with the Victorian exploration, with a balloon and steam riverboats. I would love to see The Hunchback, Phantom, you know?"

Of course, Universal will have been concerned with Lionsgate’s I, Frankenstein (2014), which was a box office disaster. Although, with a filmmaker of del Toro’s talent and credentials attached, the studio will be confident that their incarnation of Mary Shelley’s character will hit the right spot with audiences.

What could be the first franchise installment, Dracula Untold, hits theatres this October, with British actor Luke Evans playing the title character.

In fact, Bram Stoker’s original novel is actually an unconventional love story, and Dracula himself is far more complex than the subsequent film adaptations would have you believe. In short, the character was originally much more morally ambiguous and could certainly be the protagonist in a feature film if written correctly.

The Mummy is also being rebooted, although the film, which will arrive in 2016, has already had two directors drop out of the project.

Stay tuned for more news on Universal’s monster movie franchise.

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