My thoughts on why 'the Mummy' failed to launch Dark Universe

[Milk Tray Guy]

I don't think Universal was pleased with the reception to Dracula Untold. Go figure the reception for The Mummy would be even worse.

You mean critically? I wouldn't have thought that meant hit the cancel button. Sure make some adjustments, but it seems a lot of people liked Evans as Dracula. I mean the critical mauling that BvS got didn't stop them pushing forward with the DCEU

 

[metaphysician]

I guess Universal is so vague in their own plan that they are easily set off course?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I guess Universal is so vague in their own plan that they are easily set off course?

Maybe. Honestly, it makes me wonder just how unrealistic their expectations for the movie were.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Producer and Mummy director Alex Kurtzman has been one of the guiding forces of this franchise

I havent heard anything from Alex after the Mummy's release. Is he in hiding ? or has he gone back to the drawing board so quickly?

 

[Drizzle]

You mean critically? I wouldn't have thought that meant hit the cancel button. Sure make some adjustments, but it seems a lot of people liked Evans as Dracula. I mean the critical mauling that BvS got didn't stop them pushing forward with the DCEU

It only grossed $56 million domestically. The critical response didn't help either.

 

[pixen]

Blaming the failure of a movie all on the shoulders of the female villain... Sure, that makes A LOT of sense. How about it was a poorly written movie, that only had a purpose to create a universe. Don't go in expecting to make a franchise, go in thinking this is your ONLY shot at this one movie. They clearly didn't and it failed because of it.

 

[MydnightPhoenix]

I think the movie looked generic from the beginning and I had no interest in it. Stories like The Mummy and Dracula were originally horror movies right? Even 1999 movie had some horrifying elements. Seems with The Mummy they wanted to make it a generic action film with a sexy super human female mummy.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Don't go in expecting to make a franchise, go in thinking this is your ONLY shot at this one movie.

^This. I've heard Christopher Nolan say the exact same thing.

 

[Lighthouse]

Dracula Untold was a movie that was in development for years. It used to be called Dracula: Year Zero and was supposed to be directed by Alex Proyas with Sam Worthington. It was never meant to be a part of the Dark Universe, although the producers of that movie really wanted it to be, hence the ending to that film, but there is no indication that it was ever supposed to be part of Kurtzman and Morgan's Dark Universe they were building.

The first film in the Dark Universe(and maybe the last) is "The Mummy".

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

According to the Wikipedia entry for The Mummy...

"Shortly after the film opened, Variety reported that Cruise had excessive control over the film and firm control of nearly every aspect of production and post-production, including re-writing the script and editing to his specifications, telling Kurtzman how to direct on set, and enlarging his role while downplaying Boutella's. Universal contractually guaranteed Cruise control of most aspects of the project, from script approval to post-production decisions."

Anybody know/heard anything about this?


Also...


May be of interest...

http://www.scified.com/news/is-universal-pictures-dark-universe-dead

 

[jmc]

Downplaying Sofia's role was the worst thing to do. As I said on the previous page Ahmanet needed to be the focus of that film.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

The choice of involving the ego maniac Tommy boy was a mistake. If all that is true on how closely he controls everything, almost having an executive producer role, then why even have a 'godfather' for this universe to shepard it in any direction if Tommy boy is going to follow his own rules?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

The choice of involving the ego maniac Tommy boy was a mistake. If all that is true on how closely he controls everything, almost having an executive producer role, then why even have a 'godfather' for this universe to shepard it in any direction if Tommy boy is going to follow his own rules?

Yes, in fact I had to double-check Wikipedia and IMDb that he doesn't have any producing credit (or editing ).

 

[MydnightPhoenix]

That sux, because one of the things I didn't like about the movie was how they made Tom the Mummy at the end.

 

[TheVileOne]

It's probably one reason why him not playing Tony Stark is probably for the best. Cruise sort of likes a very hands-on role with his films.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

Im sure the original script had his character dead or was not carried over and he had it re-written he becomes the mummy to continue on with the franchise. That was all speculation on my part but not far off the mark i bet.

 

[jmc]

You do have to wonder whether Cruise would be able to work in an ensemble Avengers-style movie where he's not the focus. I know he's done the odd small ensemble film here and there but the vast majority of his big films have had him as the star. I don't recall him doing any big ensemble films where he had to share the screen with other big name actors.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Yes I can't see it personally. Wasn't that part of the reason that Edward Norton was replaced as Banner/Hulk?

 

[Peyton Westlake]

You do have to wonder whether Cruise would be able to work in an ensemble Avengers-style movie where he's not the focus. I know he's done the odd small ensemble film here and there but the vast majority of his big films have had him as the star. I don't recall him doing any big ensemble films where he had to share the screen with other big name actors.

The only 2 I can think of..............before he was a household name, he was in the Ousiders (1983) which when you look back at it had an all-star cast.
The other I can think of was Tropic Thunder(2008) Where I think he was praised for his smaller role. He should realize based on those 2 films a smaller role could be good as being the star.

 

[BestGirl]

^Yeah, but I'll bet smaller roles don't pay as much.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I saw this movie on a plane last week and I can see why it wasn’t a hit. Nothing about it was really very interesting. It just seemed unfocused, like they didn’t know what to do with it or what made the first two Fraser Mummy movies work. Those films were Indiana Jones-style adventures (not as good, but still a lot of fun). This... just felt like a boring romp through the backwoods of England.

Cruise and Boutella were okay but that’s about all I can say for it. Annabelle Wallace was as bland as she was on The Tudors, and Russell Crowe was wasted. I also wasn’t a fan of the guy from New Girl haunting Cruise and giving him clues throughout the movie. I feel like I’ve seen that trope in like 10 different (better) horror films.

 

[TheVileOne]

He got an Oscar nomination in the supporting role for Magnolia. But yeah, he probably pulls in bigger money as the leading man.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I really like Cruise when he steps out of his comfort zone. I feel like his performance in Rock of Ages was seriously underrated. I’d rather he do more stuff like that than generic action crap like this and Jack Reacher. He already has one (good) action franchise with M:I. I don’t know why he keeps trying to start new ones.

 

[Peyton Westlake]

^Yeah, but I'll bet smaller roles don't pay as much.

Not monetarily....but sometimes payoff big for exposure & performances

 

[Deck Rickard]

Is this “universe” still happening? I haven’t heard anything about it since the Mummy movie flopped.