Dark Universe Supposedly Dead In The Water As Producers Exit

Universal Studios attempted to launch their own cinematic universe with the release of The Mummy this year. That film was supposed to open the "Dark Universe" for Universal, but was met with the worst reviews. Fans already thought that the DU wasn't going to kick-off, and things are looking grim now that the producers have exited the project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer/producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan have exited the franchise. The two were supposed to be the "architects" for Universal's "Monsterverse," but it looks like they would rather work on some different projects for now; Kurtzman with his work on Star Trek: Discovery and Morgan writing a spinoff of the Fast and Furious franchise for The Rock and Jason Statham.

Universal president of production Peter Cramer had this to say about the franchise:

"We've learned many lessons throughout the creative process on Dark Universe so far, and we are viewing these titles as filmmaker-driven vehicles, each with their own distinct vision… We are not rushing to meet a release date and will move forward with these films when we feel they are the best versions of themselves."

With cinematic universes being the current Hollywood trend, it makes sense that Universal may want to bank in on the characters that they own; the sad fact is, though, you can't just do the same thing they did with the Avengers to characters like Frankenstein's monster or the Wolf-man.

To be honest, I would have been more interested in these films if Universal wasn't trying so hard to sell the eventual "team-up." I would have gladly watched modern updates of solo films or a Van Helsing remake already including all the monsters. There's also the option of rebooting Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The next movie in line for the Dark Universe was supposedly Bride of Frankenstein, but it looks like Universal has put that film on hold for now.

See Also: Honest Trailers: The Mummy Killed The Dark Universe Franchise Before It Began