Universal Monsters

[Rorschach2012]

A new Dracula movie, "Dracula Untold" will be out soon, and it looks pretty awesome. I think that movie should be tied into 2010's The Wolfman with Benicio Del Toro. They should reboot The Mummy and Frankenstein into the same universe, and all of these films could be a build up to a teamup film. Getting all these characters in a modern movie is something I've always been interested in seeing.

maybe all the films could be a build up to a movie where Van Helsing has to take on all of these monsters. Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman is kind of a similar concept. It was a good idea, but it wasn't executed well. a good story could be crafted around this idea.

It'd be like The Avengers style build up and pay off for horror movie fans

 

[jonathancrane]

I would love to see the Wolfman kept in continuity, but chances are, they're prolly gonna be reboot it.

 

[Orb]

A new Dracula movie, "Dracula Untold" will be out soon, and it looks pretty awesome. I think that movie should be tied into 2010's The Wolfman with Benicio Del Toro. They should reboot The Mummy and Frankenstein into the same universe, and all of these films could be a build up to a teamup film. Getting all these characters in a modern movie is something I've always been interested in seeing.

maybe all the films could be a build up to a movie where Van Helsing has to take on all of these monsters. Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman is kind of a similar concept. It was a good idea, but it wasn't executed well. a good story could be crafted around this idea.

It'd be like The Avengers style build up and pay off for horror movie fans

That is actually what Universal hopes happens. They want their own "Universe" which will include the Mummy and Van Helsing reboot that are in development. They're betting everything on the Dracula movie.

 

[Rorschach2012]

holy ****! that's awesome! yeah i support the hell outta that then. i hope this Dracula movie is awesome.

Whoa so a Van Helsing movie in the same universe as Dracula Untold?

 

[Orb]

Yeah *SPOILERS FOR DRACULA UNTOLD ENDING*

Spoiler

They filmed a scene with Dracula set in Modern day setting which future movies might take place in.

Lets not forget that Universal were the first to do this sort of "universe building" movies back in the day . (Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, House of Frankenstein)

 

[Jochimus]

Yeah *SPOILERS FOR DRACULA UNTOLD ENDING*

Spoiler

They filmed a scene with Dracula set in Modern day setting which future movies might take place in.

Lets not forget that Universal were the first to do this sort of "universe building" movies back in the day . (Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, House of Frankenstein)

Except that wasn't "universe building" so much as it was "playing it cheap by putting everybody in one movie instead of wasting money on diminishing returns, continuity be damned".

And Toho's decision in the early '60s to start having THEIR monsters mixing it up was almost as after-the-fact half-@$$sed, too.

 

[Evil Twin]

Except that wasn't "universe building" so much as it was "playing it cheap by putting everybody in one movie instead of wasting money on diminishing returns, continuity be damned".

And Toho's decision in the early '60s to start having THEIR monsters mixing it up was almost as after-the-fact half-@$$sed, too.

I tend to agree about Universal, even if Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a lot of fun.

I'm not sure where you get that about Toho, though. Godzilla was battling other kaiju by the second Godzilla movie and battled King Kong in the third. Bringing in Mothra and Rodan at that point was actually pretty organic. Heck, Mothra vs. Godzilla is one of the best Godzilla movies after the original. I'd say it wasn't until the late 60s around Son of Godzilla and Godzilla's Revenge where it was being targeted specifically for kids that Toho can really be called out.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Yeah *SPOILERS FOR DRACULA UNTOLD ENDING*

Spoiler

They filmed a scene with Dracula set in Modern day setting which future movies might take place in.

Lets not forget that Universal were the first to do this sort of "universe building" movies back in the day . (Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, House of Frankenstein)

Hmm. I'm not sure if I'd want the team up to be a modern day movie, that could be cool though. 2004's Van Helsing was set in 1880, that's a good era for a team up film.
IDK if 2010's The Wolfman is connected, but it should be, and if it is, it was set in 1891.

Maybe this could be the lineup
The Wolfman
Dracula Untold
The Mummy
Frankenstein
Van Helsing
Dracula

 

[Octoberist]

Dracula twice?

 

[Man in the Suit]

Didn't see this thread, so I'll repost it:

Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan are developing the Universal Monsters universe starting with The Mummy in 2016.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/universal-classic-movie-monsters/

 

[Rocketman]

I think this is a tricky idea. Maybe even a bad idea.

If they treat these characters as "heroes" or protagonists, we obviously won't be afraid of them, which defeats the purpose of them being classic Horror characters.

If they treat them purely as HORROR icons and keep them as villains/antagonists, it would seem rather cheesy/silly to make them all team up to create a Super-Bad-Guy team that terrorizes people.

If they keep them "grey", and treat them as anti-heroes, the audience might not know what to feel or who to root for. That's the whole reason the Freddy franchise went into the toilet; the burnt-pedophile-guy suddenly had coloring books and action figures.

Now, *if* Universal has a CLEAR, distinct vision on how to treat the characters, and they're not dancing around the idea of how they should be, I'm all for it. But on paper, it sounds like it could be a total crash and burn.

There isn't an audience for this. The group that wants to see Horror movies wants to see Saw/Paranormal Activity/The Conjuring, and won't be interested in Evil-Doers in make-up who create a Super Team, and the group who wants to see Superheroes will just want to see Superheroes, not Frankenstein's Monster.

BUT, if we're talking about a children's franchise, maybe CGI, who cares. Go for it.

 

[Orb]

LOL this was exactly what I was gonna post but then I saw your post and now its moot, and Im also in the same place as you.

EDIT: I feel its about time Monster movies made a comeback. Most horror movies nowadays are becoming so repetitive. I think it would be best if they painted everyone in the "grey". This would distinguish themselves from the Superhero universes that are being made right now. Audiences have rooted for "grey/bad guys before.

EDIT2: Also Im 98.99% sure if Dracula Untold is successful, it would be apart of this universe with The Mummy.

 

[cryptic name]

The idea really intrigues me as long as the movies are good. You have to walk a fine line with these characters and really have vision for the world. There are things I really liked about the 2010 Wolfman, but overall the movie was a disappointment. I have no interest in Dracula Untold because I don't want to see a heroic Dracula. If they want this to work, they need to get Del Toro in on the brain trust behind it all. Get Rick Baker and his shop involved for the make up effects, and most importantly, get some quality writers and filmmakers who understand atmosphere and tone. An endeavor of this size is going to require PG-13 ratings, so successfully using these characters is going to depend on a solid Gothic atmosphere and serious but still fun tone. My examples (not exactly perfect movies, but completely solid as far as what I'm talking about) would Burton's Sleepy Hollow, the Del Toro-produced Don't be Afraid of the Dark, and Mike Dougherty's Trick-r-Treat.

 

[Rocketman]

LOL this was exactly what I was gonna post but then I saw your post and now its moot, and Im also in the same place as you.

EDIT: I feel its about time Monster movies made a comeback. Most horror movies nowadays are becoming so repetitive. I think it would be best if they painted everyone in the "grey". This would distinguish themselves from the Superhero universes that are being made right now. Audiences have rooted for "grey/bad guys before.

EDIT2: Also Im 98.99% sure if Dracula Untold is successful, it would be apart of this universe with The Mummy.

I agree, but most of the time with grey/anti-hero characters, they don't really get too successful or take the world by storm. You have Blade, Punisher, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Hellboy (anything with "devil" or "hell" or "punish" or "ghost" in the name, lol), and those are the characters who are mostly off the radar lately. Constantine has been reduced to television. So has Daredevil. Remember League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Didn't think so.

The only REAL exception is Batman, and that's because they distinctly said upfront that 1) He's just a human being, 2) He vows never to kill anyone, and 3) He's a Christ-like figure here to save the city. Americans gobble up #3 like Skittles. Wolverine's last solo movie didn't really shatter records, and his solo movie before that is largely regarded as a complete disaster. Put him in the X-Men GROUP movies, and he's fine.

People want heroes, and they want to be TOLD "This is a hero. Root for him." You can't do this with Dracula. You either make it a genuine Horror movie where the teenagers are running away from Dracula afraid for their lives, or don't bother. Don't do this wishy-washy stuff where Frankenstein is suddenly the Hulk-Smash character, and Wolf-Man is a sarcastic guy with one-liners and sunglasses.

Look at I, Frankenstein. That's the golden example of how NOT to do this.

 

[Orb]

Well if Dracula Untold is any indication of their intentions, they're most likely going with a sympathetic path. I dont know how the hell they are gonna deal with Mummy but look at Wolfman and the Frankenstein Monster.

The Wolfman is easy to root for because Lawrence would be just a regular normal guy. He's a good person with a terrible curse. He would be actively trying to cure himself (much like Banner/Hulk). That's pretty easy.

Frankenstein Monster is another one who could easily be good/anti-hero. Its the whole discussion of nature vs Nurture. He wasnt born bad, he was good who wanted to learn but was outcast by humanity. People would feel sorry for him. If you havent watched Penny Dreadful, watch that they do a good job with Frankenstein. It does a pretty good job of bringing together these darker characters and have people root for them. On their own, its much difficult but group movies are easier to sell.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Dracula twice?

Dracula Untold doesn't look to be following Bram Stoker's Dracula, it seems more like the story of Vlad Tepes. the second Dracula movie could be based on Stoker's Dracula

I'm so excited about all this.

I'm guessing Wolfman isn't in continuity..

and we'll see what happens with Dracula Untold , Luke Evans is the man, I'd love for him to be the Dracula of this new universe

 

[jmc]

I guess there's no better time than now for Universal to do this given they kinda pioneered the 'team up' or 'vs' concept way back when.

 

[Rorschach2012]

If Dracula Untold is unconnected, here's my typical fanboy dream cast.

Dracula: Tom Hardy

Frankenstein's Monster: Benedict Cumberbatch

The Mummy: Giancarlo Esposito

The Wolfman: Mads Mikkelsen

Van Helsing: Christian Bale

 

[Orb]

Here's a snippet from the article:

They will also reevaluate projects which have preexisting attachments, and bring it under one cohesive strategy.

This could very well include Dracula Untold and The Wolfman movie (but since it flopped I doubt it). So it is possible for other movies to be connected.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

This makes me feel all warm inside. Universal Monsters rule; I've been wanting a new Dracula/Frankenstein/Wolf Man beat 'em up for years.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Here's a snippet from the article:



This could very well include Dracula Untold and The Wolfman movie (but since it flopped I doubt it). So it is possible for other movies to be connected.

Awesome, it'd be great if they were connected, Benicio Del Toro and Luke Evans would be huge assets.

and that Van Helsing movie had some good ideas, i hope they do a similar idea again, just executed better

 

[Gort Baringa]

I always preferred Werewolf of London over the later Wolf Man film. It got jumpin' practically straight away into supernatural stuff whereas Larry Talbot's character did not arrive until at least half an hour into the short film by today's standards.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

There is no indication these guys will team up or be anti heroes. ****, a line we hear from Dracula Untold is "Sometimes the world doesn't need another hero. Sometimes what it needs is a monster." The trailer doesn't look like we're getting some mopey Vlad Dracul who takes the power for the good of the people, it looks more like a prideful man who wants power for his own gain. That seems very promising and in the right direction.

None of the monsters are misunderstood anti heroes. Dracula is an unholy beast pretending to be a man, the Wolf Man is a man cursed to be a savage, the Mummy is a resurrected condemned man out for reconciliation no matter the cost, the Invisible Man is a power-hungry maniac, the Gill Man is a prehistoric relic too primitive and dangerous for our times, and the Frankenstein monster is an abomination of nature undeservedly confounded in the world. All different, but all monsters.

Transylvania is a big enough place where these characters can cross paths without, "I'm evil, you're evil, it just makes sense." That's pretty lame. I like to think that anyone who would give these characters a modern take wouldn't resort to such lazy and incorrect characterization. The very first crossover of the franchise was Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, where Talbot tries to meet Dr. Frankenstein, believing he could cure his lycanthropy. Along the way, Talbot finds the monster and yada, yada, yada, they fight at the end and it's awesome. That's the kind of project I want from this "shared universe."

 

[SpideyFan866]

I would love to see the Wolfman kept in continuity, but chances are, they're prolly gonna be reboot it.

They already announced a Wolfman reboot, currently titled "Werewolf" (though that's likely to change). And on a positive note, its said theyre aiming to make it more in line with the original film than Del Toro's film was, and might share a link with the original.

That said, this is all info from 2011, so plans may have radicaly changed since then.

 

[DACrowe]

They almost did this with the Wolfman in 2010.

That movie had the right look, design, and make-up. The problem was the script sucked, so the movie didn't work.

My hope is that they have learned their lesson and can execute that again. Then again Showtime's Penny Dreadful is kind of already doing this in a way.

My main concern is that the monsters will become heroes (see the bland looking Dracula Untold trailer) and that is a bad idea. Also, Kurtzman is not a name I associate with quality.