“The superstition of yesterday can become the reality of today.” With these words, the monster hunter known as Van Helsing gave audiences a portent of things to come in the classic 1931 film ‘Dracula.’ Now, over 80 years later, production company Universal Pictures keeps the monster mayhem strong on the silver screen with their impending relaunch of the monster-movie “shared universe,” now officially known as the “Dark Universe.”
With the first film in the relaunched film series, ‘The Mummy,’ coming to theaters in just a few weeks, Universal is doubling down on promotional efforts, not just to let fans know about this film, but their plans for the future. They have announced that their next Dark Universe film coming to theaters will be ‘Bride of Frankenstein‘ in 2019, directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon, fresh off his impressive directorial work on Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ earlier this year.
‘Bride of Frankenstein’ is currently scheduled to come to theaters on February 14, 2019. The actress to play the title role “will be announced soon,” according to Universal’s press release. Of the new film, Condon said in a statement:
“I’m very excited to bring a new ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ to life on screen, particularly since James Whale’s original creation is still so potent. ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ remains the most iconic female monster in film history, and that’s a testament to Whale’s masterpiece—which endures as one of the greatest movies ever made.”
Universal also gave us a rendering of their new Dark Universe logo, as seen above, as well as sizzle reel revealing the new cinematic monster franchise and a photo that collects several of their major players in the shared universe so far: Johnny Depp (playing the Invisible Man), Javier Bardem (playing Frankenstein’s Monster), and the trio starring in the upcoming ‘The Mummy’ film: Tom Cruise (playing Nick Morton), Russell Crowe (playing Dr. Henry Jekyll), and Sofia Boutella (playing the Mummy). Take a peek:
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. For more visit: www.WelcometoProdigium.com.
Universal’s current ‘Dark Universe’ offerings kick off with ‘The Mummy,’ coming to US theaters on June 9, 2017.
Tony Schaab rolls his eyes when he hears kids reference a screen-cap of the original NES Super Mario game as a “Minecraft Mario” – you damn kids, get off my lawn! A lover of most things sci-fi and horror, Tony is an author by day and a DJ by night. Come hang out with Tony on Twitter or follow him on Facebook to hear him spew semi-funny nonsense and get your opportunity to finally put him in his place.
