In a world of cinematic universes full of superheroes, Universal was hoping to use the Dark Universe as a way to compete with studios such as Disney, Marvel, and Warner Brothers. It’s no secret though, that the first film in the universe, “The Mummy,” bombed right out of the gate, throwing a big corporate plan into disarray.
READ MORE: ‘The Mummy’: Gods & Monsters Can’t Save This Dreadful Dark Universe [Review]
While director Alex Kurtzman stated that he had made the movie for audiences and not for critics, the film only managed a domestic haul of $80m against its $125m budget and received a 35% rotten score from audiences on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Moreover, and more devastating to the entire concept, Kurtzman, who was the originator and architect of the Dark Universe, quietly exited the entire project and took on a new film. As Universal began putting a pause on many soon-to-shoot Dark Universe films (some just a few short months away from production), many assumed it was curtains on this monsters franchise.
READ MORE: Universal’s Dark Universe Looks Like It’s Dead Before It Even Got Started
However, regardless of the reception of “The Mummy” and the terrible press, it appears that the Dark Universe may not be dead after all.
Taking to Instagram, artist Robert Varga wrote: “Great meeting this morning with the amazing #DarkUniverse team. Thank you #Universal Exec, Holly Goline and Crash for the hospitality. Looking forward to contributing to the Universal Pictures legacy with my work. Monster things in the works! Stay tuned.”
READ MORE: Universal Presses Pause On Dark Universe & ‘Bride Of Frankenstein’
The producers hired to lead the franchise, Kurtzman along with Chris Morgan, left the fold this past November. So, Universal continuing on with the franchise, especially after seeing the world so disappointed in how “The Mummy” turned out, doesn’t seem as compelling as it once did. However, the Dark Universe and its monsters are still some of the most valuable properties in genre cinema, and it does seem silly to let the A-list roster of actors, including Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Russell Crowe and Sofia Boutella, go to waste.
For now, we aren’t going to hold our breath since what Varga was up to at Universal is unknown, but we can’t say it won’t be interesting to see how Universal gets beyond its opening blunder.
It’s obviously undead.