dark universe ( film )
plot unknown. described as a film in universal' s
dark universe
franchise .
plot unknown. described as the second film in universal' s
dark universe
franchise .
universal’s ‘dark universe’ films will have wildly different budgets; warner bros. considering legal action over the name
2. matt schneps and phil sadler the creators of a private universe describe their motivation for making the film .
universal monsters are coming back with a vengeance in the dark universe, and we have the dates to howl about .
in a conversation with heat vision, kurtzman discusses the future of the dark universe and the surprising way his first job as a production assistant on heat came full circle while directing the film .
inspired by the success of marvel’s cinematic universe, the dark universe is a planned reboot of all of universal’s classic monster characters including the bride of frankenstein and the creature from the black lagoon .
the dark universe is a combined setting of monster films produced by universal pictures, featuring reimagined takes of the classic universal horror characters .
10. a private universe 20 years later a session about the making of a private universe, with remarks from the creators, education leaders, and heather, the former middle schooler featured in the film .
plot unknown. feature film based on one of universal pictures' classic monster characters .
canon discontinuity: dracula untold, which was intended to be the first in this line of films when it was made, is separate from the dark universe, its role as the first film being taken by the mummy .
a remake of the 1930s monster movie starring boris karloff (don’t go in hoping for a remake of brendan fraser’s movie), the mummy is the first film in the brand new dark universe, a cinematic universe which universal aims to emulate the marvel cinematic universe with remakes of the studio’s classic 1930s monster films including the invisible man and bride of frankenstein .
but the name dark universe could prove problematic for universal. warner bros. already has plans for the title with a supernatural - themed justice league movie and a series of announced comic books branded under the dark universe banner. warners is mulling legal action, according to a studio source .
this weekend, “ the mummy ” inaugurates universal pictures’ dark universe, a streak of films centered on famous monsters that first appeared onscreen in the 1920s and ‘30s. but the studio didn’t even wait for the tom cruise spectacle to find success before moving forward with its dark universe initiative .
with “ the mummy, ” starring tom cruise and sofia boutella, releasing this weekend, universal is officially kicking off its “ dark universe. ”
dark matter by blake crouch 342 pp. crown. $ 26. 99 .
5. bassam shakhashiri the head of the nsf education directorate, which funded a private universe in 1981, used the film to rebuild federal support for science education .
the first instalment in universal pictures’ dark universe series, the mummy, was shot on location in namibia, london and surrey. the film’s opening scenes were shot in and around the coastal city of swakopmund, which was doubled for egypt and iraq .
in a new interview with fandom, kurtzman casually added a few additional titles to the dark universe queue: “dracula, ” “frankenstein, ” “phantom of the opera” and “the hunchback of notre dame. ” especially notable: “phantom of the opera” and “the hunchback of notre dame” had not yet been mentioned among chatter about the dark universe’s development. meanwhile, “dracula untold, ” the 2014 fantasy starring luke evans, was originally intended to kick off the dark universe, but universal has since sidelined that film as a standalone, opting to launch the sequence with “the mummy” instead .
i feel like i’ve been hearing about the film and television adaptations of this series for a while .
kurtzman, the writer behind the transformers and rebooted star trek film series, is a key architect of the universe as a producer, and also worked on the story for the mummy .
universal pictures has been talking up its interconnected universe of monster movies for a few years now. with the first entry, the mummy, arriving on june 9th, the studio has today given the universe a name and announced the next film in the planned franchise .
however, the most interesting thing to note from a new article about the creation of dark universe is that not every film will be a giant tentpole release. in fact, a producer who specializes in low - budget horror wants to take a stab at one of the movies .
the high - stakes blockbuster arrives with so - so tracking as tom cruise leads a risky foray into the
dark universe ,
a superhero - style series of interconnected films .
the “modern woman in a very classic tale” is a bit of a tease for bride of frankenstein while the “danny” langley refers to is in fact composer danny elfman. elfman wrote the main dark universe theme, which was revealed in a sizzle reel featuring clips from the classic universal monster films and the unveiling of the dark universe logo. check it out below .
the film from director alex kurtzman is launching dark universe, based on universal' s monsters. universal has a number of films in the works, with bride of frankenstein up next in 2019. stars attached to the universe include tom cruise (the mummy' s nick morton), johnny depp (the invisible man), javier bardem (frankenstein’s monster), and russell crowe, whose dr. jekyll is introduced in the mummy and will be a linchpin to the universe .
originally intended to launch with 2014' s dracula untold, development of the dark universe was postponed when that film underperformed. it instead began with 2017' s the mummy reboot, starring tom cruise as canon foreigner nick morton, russell crowe as dr. jekyll, and sofia boutella as the titular mummy .
universal pictures’ long - discussed plans for a shared cinematic universe reviving its classic movie monsters got off to a shaky start in with the mummy, which arrived in june to negative reviews and a disappointing worldwide box office of $ 397. 6 million. now alex kurtzman, the film’s director and one of the architects of the dark universe, is casting doubt on his own future with the franchise .
universal' s bigger issue comes from its lack of memorable, beloved protagonists to stitch such a cinematic universe together. sure, a high - budget monster - versus - monster film could have fun, silly moments, but the current contenders for
best cinematic universe
( as in, marvel ,
not exactly. people are describing the dark tower as a sequel or continuation of the entire novel series .
asked whether he’s still involved with the dark universe, kurtzman told ign, “you know the truth is, i don’t know. i really don’t know. i haven’t really decided is the honest answer. ”
the first great movie character universe was a vision of carl laemmle jr.' s ,
says sean daniel, who produced this mummy and the last three .
so creating this dark universe brand and bringing back these characters makes sense. done right, people will always love monster movies .
the mummy premieres today in uk cinemas nationwide. the film stars tom cruise, sofia boutella, annabelle wallis and courtney b vance .
the trailer for the dark tower dropped early this morning, giving us our first glimpse of the long - awaited adaptation of stephen king’s epic series. but this film isn’t your typical adaptation, where the movie is largely based on the novel. this movie is actually a kind of sequel to the entire series, and there are bigger plans beyond just a film franchise for the story .
a dark force threatens alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. special operatives valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha, but the future of the universe .
the mummy is not only raising the dead, it' s giving rise to a new shared universe .
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the movies will collectively be known as the dark universe, and the bride of frankenstein is set to follow the mummy on february 14th, 2019. that film will star javier badem as frankenstein’s creation, though no casting has been confirmed for the titular monster. bill condon (beauty and the beast, dreamgirls) will direct from a script by david koepp (spider - man, mission: impossible). it looks set to be more of a gothic romance as opposed to the blockbuster action film that is the mummy .
with “the mummy, ” starring tom cruise and sofia boutella, releasing this weekend, universal is officially kicking off its “dark universe. ” though reviews for “the mummy” have been unfavorable and box office tracking is far from through the roof, the studio hasn’t said it will slow down on its planned monster universe. the films will mine [ … ]
3. irwin shapiro the former head of the harvard - smithsonian center for astrophysics reminisces about his role in getting harvard to sign off on the film .
how much do you think the reception to the mummy will affect plans going forward? the studio is said to be considering a range of budgets for the dark universe, so there' s potentially a lot of variety there for these monsters movies .
it remains to be seen whether this series will follow the modern
cinematic universe
model as codified by the marvel cinematic universe or blend closer to the original as it goes on. the first film seemed like it swung more modern but given because of that performance the second has been delayed to rework the script, that might change in order to allow bride of frankenstein to roll along .
the dark tower is close, now. the crimson king awaits. soon roland will raise the horn of eld. and blow. urltoken
another interesting tidbit involves warner bros. , who aren’t happy with universal’s chosen name for their cinematic universe. when i initially wrote about the dark universe reveal, i joked that wb probably wasn’t going to be happy because that was also the working title of their superhero movie that would have teamed up various supernatural dc comics characters (a project more commonly known as justice league dark around the internet). but this may not turn out to be a laughing matter, as thr claims warner bros. is considering legal action :
the film has struggled with critics and is poised to come in at no. 2 at the u. s. box office this weekend, but it is headed to a huge international debut. universal is banking on that international appeal, as well as a slate of projects that could include a mix of big - budget, medium - range, and even lower - budget monster movies, to make dark universe a success .
6 / 13 / 18: not a whole lot is going on with the franchise as of right now... . but channing tatum is rumored to be starring in' van helsing'. all of the upcoming movies in universal' s dark universe franchise .
following the disappointing response to solo, lucasfilm is reportedly focusing its attention on star wars: episode ix and what the next trilogy of star wars film will be after that .
the stars are out for universal' s
monster universe
plans... but, uh, where' s drac ?
universal’s dark universe feels like gamble. what if audiences don’t embrace the mummy? what if their burgeoning cinematic universe built around classic monsters like frankenstein and the invisible man dies on the vine? we’ll see which direction the wind blows in the weeks ahead, but with a bill condon - directed bride of frankenstein waiting in the wings and more movies in the works, universal seems to be counting on this thing working out .
the mummy has been released and the dark universe is here. a new 21st century take on the beloved universal monsters from the 1930s and' 40s, this is something fans have either anticipated or feared, but as it' s here, we explore what it will transform into next .
near the end of the film, judy lawson fires a single - shot flare pistol at the monster. moments later, she fires a second time with no evidence of having reloaded .
the implication here is that the film is set after the dark tower (the novel): roland has been sent back to the beginning of his quest, and the events of the gunslinger will play out in a slightly different way. as we saw in the trailer, he meets jake chambers, and is going after the man in black. so, the film could essentially be an adaptation of the gunslinger, but a continuation of the story at the same time. it also looks like it’ll be set partially in our own world .
he continues: “our experience with the mummy provided a rare chance to ten young people to be attached for training in various departments on the production. namibia could expect more tourists this year as a result of our locations having been featured in the film. film tourism is a growing phenomenon worldwide, stimulated by the growth of the entertainment industry and the increase in international travel. ”
in addition to the mummy and the bride of frankenstein, the dark universe is also slated to include a creature from the black lagoon entry, as well as films centered around the invisible man, van helsing, wolf man, frankenstein, dracula, phantom of the opera and the hunchback of notre dame .
to understand the film, you need to know a little bit about the books that the film is associated with. stephen king is easily one of the best - known genre writers in the world. while king is known as a horror writer, having written classics like carrie and the shining, he’s more than that: he experiments with epic fantasy, horror, and science fiction. the dark tower, as a series, is a bit of a mash - up of all those genres, and it’s a series he considers his magnum opus .
the next and only officially slated dark universe movie is a remake of the crown jewel in universal monsters canon: bride of frankenstein. the original was released in 1935 and still remains as one of the few truly breathtaking examples of a horror sequel that builds on what came before and makes its own wonderful achievement .
that appears to be the logic coming from the programming wizards at universal studios. the film production company took the (mummy) wraps off its
dark universe
initiative on monday, and its intent is clear: to
reboot
the company' s old monster - movie franchises over the next few years with big - name actors, interconnecting plots, and a rising tide of evil—a tide, of course, that can only be stopped by good guys who don' t always follow the rules .
6. joel mintzes the science education research director for the follow - on series minds of our own discusses the research base for a private universe .
8. heather mars talk heather mars, the middle schooler in a private universe, recalls the reaction to the video and her subsequent experiences in education .
but then there’s this interesting tidbit. jason blum of blumhouse productions, the company behind get out, split, the purge movies, the paranormal activit y series, the insidious movies, and tons of other horror films (both great and terrible) is interested in playing a role in dark universe. here’s the relevant information from thr :
who says cinematic universes have to be so expensive? why can’t dark universe consist of modestly budgeted gothic horror movies instead of summer tentpoles? we’ll see how things proceed, but the news that universal is open to making films of all sizes and budgets bodes well for a horror movie universe where some of the entries are actually, you know, horror movies. honestly, i’d much rather see jason blum and some fresh talent tackle a classic monster and try to make it scary again than another giant spectacle .
on may 22, universal pictures unveiled its
dark universe ,
an umbrella under which its monster movies will be released. at least five films are on the way, including the invisible man (with johnny depp), dr. jekyll (russell crowe), frankenstein' s monster (javier bardem) and bride of frankenstein (not yet cast). but the future of the universe hinges on the performance of june 9' s the mummy, a tom cruise - led reboot of a trilogy of films started in 1999. early tracking suggests the alex kurtzman - directed film may debut in the low $ 40 million range in north america — a modest opening salvo for what is hoped to be a series that could someday rival dc and marvel .
the invisible man of the 21st century will also like all dark universe movies be produced by alex kurtzman and chris morgan, and is being written by ed solomon (now you see me, charlie’s angels). the picture is also ostensibly based on h. g. wells’ 1897. yet, that novel, as well as the ’33 film that starred claude rains as the eponymous translucent face, made the invisible man a rather dangerous and insane scientist. one wonders that if this is the beginning of a new franchise for depp, whether it will be possible to keep that homicidal mania here ?
the production’s stay in swakopmund required 650 members of cast and crew, 215 of whom were sourced locally while the rest were brought in from south africa and the uk. moonlighting film production services were hired to help coordinate the shoot .
the central saint martins building in camden was also staged as a hospital for a shoot in april 2016, with 180 cast and crew present. the site was recently featured in woody harrelson’s live - feature film, lost in london .
behind the scenes, universal execs are said to be especially concerned about mummy, even though insiders say a $ 40 million bow (plus a strong overseas haul) would be enough to move forward with the universe as planned. comcast, universal' s parent company, is giving the film its so - called symphony marketing push in the u. s. in which multiplatform divisions work together to promote a single project. and the film is expected to do the majority of its business abroad, where cruise continues to be a major draw. the mummy will open day - and - date in more than 60 markets, including china .
universal isn’t the only studio attempting to reap the benefits of a cinematic universe without bothering to put in the groundwork. zack snyder’s batman v superman: dawn of justice (with ben affleck as the caped crusader) was supposed to put rocket fuel in the dc extended universe (dceu) ’s engine by setting the comics’ two biggest beasts in opposition. but audiences so far seem much more keen on patty jenkins’ wonder woman, an old - school superhero origins movie with the previously unknown gal gadot in the lead, and a film that would have made the perfect introduction to a slow - building shared universe. it remains to be seen whether the forthcoming justice league can take advantage of this unexpected but completely welcome fillip for the dceu – that joss whedon is involved is a positive sign .
last we heard, the show is due to enter production this year, with a 10–13 episode season slated to hit in 2018. the film is set to hit theaters this summer, so it’ll likely tie in with that as a prequel. depending on how well the dark tower does at the box office, it’ll probably be part of a strategy similar to what marvel is doing with its films and various television shows. we’ll find out in august .
the last gunslinger, roland deschain, has been locked in an eternal battle with walter o' dim, also known as the man in black, determined to prevent him from toppling the dark tower, which holds the universe together. with the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only roland can defend the tower from the man in black .
behind the scenes, koepp is working with the mummy director alex kurtzman and writer christopher mcquarrie, plus writer chris morgan (the fate of the furious), as universal’s dark universe braintrust. the studio isn’t rushing any of the other films into production, however, choosing instead to give the creative teams to ample time with each project. “the enterprise masterfully developed by chris and alex will allow each subsequent chapter the right time to find the perfect cast, filmmakers, and vision to fulfill it, ” said universal pictures chairman donna langley in a statement. “as we launch dark universe with danny’s provocative theme before the mummy and collaborate with a brilliant filmmaker like bill to weave the story of a very modern woman in a very classic tale, we feel confident we’re off to a tremendous start. ”
starring tom cruise, annabelle wallis, sofia boutella, jake johnson, courtney b. vance and russell crowe, the mummy grossed just $ 74. 5 million domestically on an estimated $ 125 million production budget. one positive that could keep the dark universe afloat is that the film performed well overseas. still, universal hopes to be able to tap into the domestic audience next time around. “i think every movie will be different, ” kurtzman said. “i certainly know that the legacy of the monsters have endured across the world throughout the years. almost a century. so i have to believe american audiences will find it too with the right ingredients. ”
andjene andreas of the namibia film commission explains: “the production took place around the rossing mountains, sunset dunes, pyramid dunes, swakop canyons (pictured below), tent dunes, rossing mountain airstrip and messum crater which are all in the erongo region. ”
) have beloved heroes spilling from all sides. universal has van helsing (whose 2004 film made tons of money in spite of sucking), and... uh... another generic, flat tom cruise character. maybe
scary german guy
from
the softly, softly approach to universe - building is not the only trick universal seems to be missing. apart from jackson, the marvel cinematic universe flourished largely by casting unlikely actors in the key roles. the iron man and avengers movies helped transform the likes of robert downey jr and scarlett johansson into star names, but neither would have been automatic first pick to lead a new franchise 10 years ago .
by contrast, the “dark universe” seems to be on a rabid mission to hire as many middle - aged hollywood a - listers as possible, from tom cruise as soldier - of - fortune nick morton in the mummy, to crowe as jekyll / hyde and johnny depp as the upcoming invisible man. we’re expected to find out soon who is playing the bride of frankenstein in 2019’s bill condon - directed effort, with rumours swirling around angelina jolie .
a veteran writer and producer whose credits include transformers, star trek and the amazing spider - man 2, kurtzman was tasked, along with chris morgan (the fast and the furious franchise) to shepherd the dark universe; they’re expected to produce 2019’s bride of frankenstein, from beauty and the beast director bill condon. however, now kurtzman is saying, “i have to stay interested in it. i have to feel like my passion is there for it. ”
so, we’re not only getting the film, but a tv series. word broke about that last september, and the show is going to be designed to flesh out this pretty epic story that they’re telling. apparently, it’ll include idris elba (who’s playing roland in the movie), and it’ll explore his backstory a bit. it’ll be based a bit on the gunslinger, and it’ll have parts of the fourth book, wizard and glass. so, in some ways, it looks like it’ll be an actual adaptation of the novels, whereas the film is a continuation of that .
part of the appeal of this universe is the big stars you' ve attached, and in the mummy in particular, seeing tom cruise and russell crowe fight is a draw. how' d you approach that scene ?
in addition to badem, dark universe will include the mummy stars tom cruise as nick morton; russell crowe as dr. jekyll / mr. hyde; and sofia boutella as the mummy herself, ahmanet. crowe’s jekyll / hyde will be the binding agent between all the movies, which will include a johnny depp - starring the invisible man, and, presumably, the wolfman and dracula. an image of all the main stars cast so far (above) was also revealed today .
in the technical sense of the term, blake crouch’s “dark matter” is definitely a book. even the advance galley i just read (in one sitting) was printed on actual paper, with an artfully designed cover and everything. but rather like the mysterious cubelike chamber invented by the physicist jason dessen in crouch’s novel — well, let’s say by at least one version of jason and perhaps by several; indeed, perhaps by an infinite or incalculable number of jasons — “dark matter” is a portal into other dimensions of reality .
i think that variety is going to be our good friend when it comes to the evolution of dark universe. you obviously want to set a somewhat consistent tone, so that people know what to expect when you see these movies, but it would be ideal for each movie to have its own identity, which is largely going to be dependent on who is directing the films and who is starring in the films. i' m really excited to see what bill condon does with bride of frankenstein .
aside from “the mummy, ” “bride of frankenstein” is the only planned movie to be dated thus far, to be released on feb. 14, 2019. “the invisible man” and “frankenstein” have already nabbed stars in johnny depp and javier bardem, respectively. angelina jolie has been linked to the lead role in “bride of frankenstein, ” but has yet to officially sign on. a new musical theme for the “ dark universe, ” composed by danny elfman, will debut in theaters ahead of “the mummy. ”
dark universe films are connected by a mysterious multinational organization known as prodigium. led by the enigmatic and brilliant dr. henry jekyll, prodigium' s mission is to track, study, and—when necessary—destroy evil embodied in the form of monsters in our world. working outside the aegis of any government, and with practices concealed by millennia of secrecy, prodigium protects the public from knowledge of the evil that exists just beyond the thin membrane of civilized society... and will go to any length to contain it .
at its organizing principle, dark universe films are connected by a mysterious multi - national organization known as prodigium. led by the enigmatic and brilliant dr. henry jekyll, prodigium’s mission is to track, study and—when necessary—destroy evil embodied in the form of monsters in our world. working outside the aegis of any government, and with practices concealed by millennia of secrecy, prodigium protects the public from knowledge of the evil that exists just beyond the thin membrane of civilized society…and will go to any length to contain it .
not much is currently known about the invisible man remake other than it stars johnny depp. despite weathering recent controversies, depp is still a star with solid clout in hollywood and has always had an affinity for classic horror, which the 1933 james whale film, the invisible man, was one of the earliest forerunners for .
while the only other film in this setting whose title has been announced thus far is bill condon' s bride of frankenstein remake, javier bardem and johnny depp have been cast as frankenstein' s monster and the invisible man, respectively. prolific composer danny elfman composed a leitmotif for the franchise, titled
monsters legacy
.
this film has experienced a bit of a convoluted production. way back in 2007, j. j. abrams, carlton cuse, and damon lindelof (the people behind lost), first optioned the series with an eye for adapting all seven novels. nothing came of that project, and in 2010, the rights expired .
however, king announced in 2009, that he had an idea for another dark tower novel, and he polled his readers on his website to see which book they’d like to see first: a new dark tower novel, or a sequel to the shining. it was close, but readers picked the wind through the keyhole. (dr. sleep, the shining’s follow - up, would come a year later .) he wrote the wind through the keyhole, which is set about halfway through the series, but it’s a bit more standalone than the other installments .
this time around, the awareness is greater, though rival studios question why universal opted for a mummy poster without cruise. still, the film' s first trailer has been viewed more than 179 million times, beginning with its broadcast debut in december on nbc sunday night football; a second trailer had more than 134 million views .
‘i wanted to be able to honour the heritage and the history of the original karloff film through the summers movies, even the hammer movies, and also bring something new to the table, bring it into the modern day by making the mummy into a woman – and obviously tom cruise and russel crowe changes the game quite a bit. ’
i don’t mean that as disparagement, or mostly i don’t. “dark matter” is far too cheerful and indeed too earnest to feel cynical, even as crouch pilfers material from dozens of sources and mixmasters together multiple genres of popular fiction. this book is alternate - universe science fiction bolstered by a smidgen of theoretical physics. it’s a countdown thriller in which the hero must accomplish an impossible task in constrained circum­stances to save his family. under deeper cover, it might also be a fantasy novel shaped by c. s. lewis’s “chronicles of narnia” or lev grossman’s postmodern “magicians” series .
the crucial difference between the clumsy approach taken by warner bros and universal and the more carefully crafted marvel model is that marvel was always confident in its brand. in the case of the dark universe, no amount of star quality is going to help if audiences don’t connect to this brave new world of gods and monsters. these movies need to lure us into the cinema, gauzy - eyed and rapt with fascination to see these classic monster stories retold, which is tough when the first instalment looks like a common - or - garden tom cruise action fest – 21st - century fiftysomething beefcake edition .
fans went nuts, because what king tweeted is a reference to the final book of the series, the dark tower. that’s where [ spoilers ] roland finally reaches the dark tower and faces off against a villain known as the crimson king. it’s there that he discovers that he’s gone on this quest before, many times, and is sent back to the beginning of his journey by a being known as gan each time. in prior quests, roland had left the horn of eld with a dying compatriot after a battle. in this latest version of the quest, he kept it with him, which changes things for the next cycle of the story .
on the other hand, crouch’s obsessive need for speed sometimes leads him to tread upon his better writing and his more imaginative ideas. much of his scene - ­setting is strictly thrillerism: an abandoned building in an industrial zone on the shore of lake michigan, a luxuriously appointed apartment, a secret high - tech facility many floors underground. but when jason finds himself in a film - noir universe where a neon sign sputters in the rain outside a hotel - room window while a shadowy stranger watches from behind a lit cigarette, or in an especially nightmarish technological upgrade of c. s. lewis’s “wood between the worlds, ” i’d have appreciated more expansiveness and more relish .
every new universe has to start somewhere ,
says box - office analyst paul dergarabedian .
if you look at [ universal' s ] fate of the furious, 80 percent of its box office came from international. tom cruise is an international superstar, and he remains so .
‘chris morgan, who is my partner in the universal monsters, and i are working on all of them as producers, and the idea is that we’re going to do one a year, and that we’ve set a tone in this film but different directors will be able to come in on different films and bring their imprint, and unique vision to the idea of these monster movies, ’ said kurtzman .
so far, so not too bad. but then the film does something that the marvel movies, which set the template for this whole shebang, never would have. the plummy - toned jekyll messes up his injection and all of a sudden we’re confronted with the sight and sound of crowe doing his best ray - winstone - on - steroids as the fiendish, green - tinged mockney demon mr hyde .
or at least into other dimensions of media. crouch’s wayward pines trilogy became the basis for a fox television series whose pilot episode was directed by m. night shyamalan, possibly because crouch’s episodic tale about a rural idaho town that is not what it appears to be was more like a shyamalan film than anything the director has made in years. “dark matter” is surely destined for a similar fate, and as you read it on paper it inhabits a state of quantum transubstantiation, or “superposition, ” to use jason dessen’s lingo. it’s a novel right now, one that barely qualifies as beach reading because you’ll gulp it down in one afternoon, or more likely one night. but the next time you look, it will have metamorphosed into some other form .
for those obsessive enough to want every little detail about dark universe and universal’s plans for their iconic monsters, this entire hollywood reporter article is worth a read. it touches on some things we already knew: that universal still wants angelina jolie to play the bride of frankenstein (javier bardem is on board to play frankenstein’s monster himself), that the studio is considering dwayne johnson to play a new version of the wolf man (a rumor that first howled across the internet about a year ago), and that the studio is rightfully nervous about the mummy tracking for a $ 40 million opening at the domestic box office (it’s budged at $ 125 million) .
the short answer is that it’s an epic story about roland deschain, who’s on a quest to find the dark tower, a building that’s said to link all the worlds in existence together. he’s the last living member of an order of knights known as gunslingers, living in an alternate world (part of king’s larger multiverse) known as mid - world .
though reviews for “ the mummy ” have been unfavorable and box office tracking is far from through the roof, the studio hasn’t said it will slow down on its planned monster universe. the films will mine from universal ’s vault of monsters — dracula, frankenstein, invisible man, etc. — and reboot them for movies in the next few years .
the door is still open for luke evans’ vlad tepes, aka dracula, to be the count of the shared universal monsters universe. when we talked with evans in october 2016, he definitely seemed eager about donning the fangs again and saying that discussions are continuing about connecting the two potential franchises. however, it is still currently up in the air .
leaving aside the questionable wisdom of making jekyll / hyde the central, connecting figure of this universe in the first place, did we really need to see him transform? in the marvel movies, we didn’t meet samuel l jackson ’s fury until the end - credits scene of 2008 party - starter iron man. those movies worked because the studio slowly built up a bigger picture of a world inhabited by superheroes, rather than throwing all its cards on the table in the first half - hour. part of the fun was in seeing the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle gradually clicking into place. but kurtzman and co have hired crowe to play their main man, and just can’t resist showing him off – even though doing so ends up semi - sidelining boutella’s ancient egyptian horror in the movie that bears her name, and has no effect whatsoever on the events of the rest of the film .
detailing the london portion of the shoot, filmfixer director andrew pavord notes: “there were two main angles the production needed from the helicopter. one was an overhead shot of a convoy crossing waterloo bridge from a height of about 500 feet. the second was a low - flying panning shot of the vehicles, from about the same height as the bridge. the production managed to film what they needed in two hours. and in fact, in that time frame, only half an hour of flying was needed. ”
while the subject matter is cool, the series has the potential to do some interesting things with film. as we’ve seen, the story is playing with not just being a straight - up adaptation of the series, but being an additive part to it. additionally, we’ve seen places like disney do some interesting things with their marvel franchise: cross - over television shows and films. we’ve seen these sorts of cinematic universes with comics and science fiction, but this has the potential to become another bit thing like those properties .
what makes dark universe intriguing is that — unlike with dc and marvel — the budgets of the films will range dramatically and could even include low - budget forays. for instance, sources say universal - based microbudget horror producer jason blum has expressed interest in tackling a low - budget monsterverse outing. also, insiders are quick to point out that universal doesn’t have to buy the ip (as disney did with marvel and lucasfilm) because the studio has the titles in its library, dating to carl laemmle jr. ’s reign at universal when he oversaw a 1931 dracula and frankenstein, a 1932 the mummy, a 1933 the invisible man and a 1935 bride of frankenstein. still, despite their long association with the studio, most of the monsters exist in the public domain, so there’s little to stop other studios from pursuing films based on the characters .
what makes dark universe intriguing is that — unlike with dc and marvel — the budgets of the films will range dramatically and could even include low - budget forays. for instance, sources say universal - based microbudget horror producer jason blum has expressed interest in tackling a low - budget monsterverse outing. also, insiders are quick to point out that universal doesn' t have to buy the ip (as disney did with marvel and lucasfilm) because the studio has the titles in its library, dating to carl laemmle jr.' s reign at universal when he oversaw a 1931 dracula and frankenstein, a 1932 the mummy, a 1933 the invisible man and a 1935 bride of frankenstein. still, despite their long association with the studio, most of the monsters exist in the public domain, so there' s little to stop other studios from pursuing films based on the characters .
1. a private universe this video brings into sharp focus the dilemma facing all educators: why don' t even the brightest students truly grasp basic science concepts? interviews are held with high school students and ivy league graduates asking them to explain what causes the seasons and the phases of the moon. even the brightest students in the class have false ideas based on enduring misconceptions that traditional instructional methods cannot overcome .
here’s the rub: universal has no idea how “the mummy” will perform, yet it’s already staking hundreds of millions of dollars on a franchise that will stretch well into the 2020s. (the next installment, “bride of frankenstein, ” is slated for 2019 .) in other words, there is no verifiable proof that audiences are interested in these monster flicks, beyond the blanket notion that the characters are already household names. to boot, early box - office tracking for “the mummy” has been tame. costing a reported $ 135 million, the movie is forecasted to lose the no. 1 slot to “wonder woman” after earning a lukewarm $ 35 million domestically this weekend. like many contemporary franchises with established marketability, that puts the onus on foreign grosses, making patrons in these movies’ home country an afterthought. even if “the mummy” were to bomb outright with american audiences, the dark universe will continue, with a little parisian pizzazz tossed in, thanks to “phantom” and “hunchback. ”
the fact that crouch barely pretends to answer this — the jason with a wife and kid who narrates the story is the “real” one, of course! — won’t slow you down much as you plow through “dark matter. ” but higher - order speculation about the nature of identity amid the quantum science of uncertainty is by no means new to science fiction, and i couldn’t help reflecting on the various ways genre masters less concerned with forward momentum — ursula k. le guin, neil gaiman, peter f. hamilton — have tangled with such things .
global audiences may very well gobble up familiar monster names for a fun weekend flick, but the full
universe
cash - in potential—toys, clothes, video games, comics, repeat screenings, etc. , etc. —will depend on these series inspiring the kind of unabashed fanboy and fangirl love that gets dumped onto other universes' biggest stars. good luck getting anywhere near darth vader and han solo levels of fandom for dr. jekyll and... mick... chester ?
david koepp, who contributed to the script for the mummy and also wrote 2016' s inferno, apparently turned in a script for the film in 2016 that was well received by the studio. but much more promising is that bill condon has signed onto the project. condon is most well known these days for blockbusters like 2017' s box office - enchanted beauty and the beast and the fourth and fifth twilight pictures. but he won an oscar for his screenplay to gods and monsters, a movie he wrote and directed about james whale. and whale, of course, was an early hollywood auteur that directed and really masterminded the original bride of frankenstein .
with its famous opening scene at a harvard graduation, this classic of education research brings into sharp focus the dilemma facing all educators: why don' t even the brightest students truly grasp basic science concepts? this award - winning program traces the problem through interviews with harvard graduates and their professors, as well as with a bright ninth - grader who has some confused ideas about the orbits of the planets. equally useful for education methods classes, teacher workshops, and presentations to the public, a private universe
gunning for a marvel - esque connected universe, universal had already announced “bride of frankenstein” (starring javier bardem as frankenstein’s monster) and “the invisible man” (starring johnny depp as dr. griffin). “the mummy” director alex kurtzman has said a “van helsing” script is in the works from jon spaihts (”passengers”) and eric heisserer (”arrival”). kurtzman also revealed last year that the creature from the black lagoon and wolf man could be incorporated, as well. russell crowe’s dr. jekyll will link these films .
still, the film represents a considerable gamble for universal given that recent reboot attempts of aging intellectual property haven' t fared well (see alien: covenant, smurfs: the lost village and king arthur: legend of the sword). in addition, kurtzman, one of hollywood' s top writers, has only one feature credit as a director — the 2012 drama people like us, which earned just $ 12. 4 million worldwide. but these days it' s not unusual to enlist a director with no tentpole experience for a big - budget movie (think jurassic world' s colin trevorrow, pirates 5' s joachim ronning and espen sandberg, and wonder woman' s patty jenkins) .
for starters, this five - actor announcement reeks of bet - hedging. universal' s
monsters
universe contains all kinds of supernatural monster silliness, backed by nearly a century of schlocky films. but the whole thing seems half - baked without staking (sorry) anybody for dracula or an otherwise vampiric role, and plenty of other obvious choices are missing from this reveal: the wolfman, the creature from the black lagoon, or either of the wolves of london. (let alone the abbott & costello tie - in possibilities! )
that limitation is quite likely all to the good, because if we weren’t being thrust relentlessly forward in jason’s quest to figure out why he was kidnapped by a ­familiar - seeming stranger in the middle of the night, injected with powerful narcotics and catapulted, like howard the duck, into a world he never made, we might notice how familiar it all is. despite the light dusting of pop physics — specifically, the “many worlds” version of multiverse theory, in which virtually every choice made by every sentient being engenders a new universe — crouch is effectively repurposing and joining two well - worn channels of fictional speculation. there’s the idea of another universe as an inverted or ironic reflection of ours, as in the movie “sliding doors” or the “star trek” episode featuring an evil, bearded spock or the philip k. dick classic “the man in the high castle. ” and then there’s the literary conceit, going back at least as far as poe and dostoyevsky and henry james, that throughout our lives we remain ­haunted by what we might have been, by the ghosts of people we never became.
dark universe is a 1993 horror/science-fiction film starring blake pickett , cherie scott , bently title , john maynard , paul austin saunders , patrick moran , tom ferguson , steve barkett , and joe estevez as rod kendrick . the soundtrack was composed by jeffrey walton . the film was written by patrick moran , executive-produced by fred olen ray , grant austin waldman , and jim wynorski , and directed by steve latshaw . 
dark universe is a 1993 horror/science-fiction film starring blake pickett, cherie scott, bently title, john maynard, paul austin saunders, patrick moran, tom ferguson, steve barkett, and joe estevez as rod kendrick. the soundtrack was composed by jeffrey walton. the film was written by patrick moran, executive-produced by fred olen ray, grant austin waldman, and jim wynorski, and directed by steve latshaw.
dark universe is a 1993 horror/science-fiction film starring blake pickett, cherie scott, bently title, john maynard, paul austin saunders, patrick moran, tom ferguson, steve barkett, and joe estevez as rod kendrick. the soundtrack was composed by jeffrey walton. the film was written by patrick moran, executive-produced by fred olen ray, grant austin waldman, and jim wynorski, and directed by steve latshaw.