Though Universal’s 2014 film ‘Dracula Untold’ was successful at the box office– $215.5 million against a budget of $70 million– it was a critical failure and wasn’t fondly embraced by filmgoers.  What you may have forgotten is that after the film was completed, Universal ordered reshoots in order to use the film to launch its Dark Universe of monster movies.  If you hadn’t forgotten, Universal wishes you would.  The studio has pretty much let ‘Dracula Untold’ vanish into the ether and heavily pushed this summer’s ‘The Mummy’ as the official start of the Dark Universe.

Star Luke Evans, who played Vlad Tepes, holds out hope that his Dracula may still find a place in Universal’s still unfolding shared universe:

“I think it was a really enjoyable process for me. I think it definitely had a few flaws in it but I’ve had a lot of good feedback from it and I get people asking me will there be a sequel. We left it very wide open, you know, this is a character who could transcend many different times and different periods of history. Who knows. I’d love to bring him back in some concept or context, but honestly, you know as little as I do when it comes with what is going in on the dream rooms of Universal Studios. I really don’t know.”

Things don’t look promising.  Even though ‘Dracula Untold’ was intended to set up Dark Universe, and Evans’ Vlad Tepes was set to cameo in ‘The Mummy’, in late 2016, producer Alex Kurtzman confirmed that ‘Dracula Untold’ was no longer considered in-canon, although video extras on ‘The Mummy’ Blu-Ray confirmed that vampires were a part of this continuity and that includes the possibility of Count Dracula.  A reboot of 2004’s ‘Van Helsing’ is also in the works from Universal, so that could incorporate the character as well.

But Evans’ participation is unlikely if the studio wants to disavow ‘Dracula Untold’.  That would be too bad, considering Evans’ performance was one of the most praised aspects of the otherwise lackluster thriller.  And, Evans’ star is rapidly rising.  He is part of the blockbuster ‘Fast & Furious’ brand, starred as Gaston in this year’s highest-grossing film, ‘Beauty & The Beast’ and can currently be seen in the critically acclaimed film ‘Professor Marston and the Wonder Women’.  So you never know.  Universal may decide to give him another shot.

Would you like to see a follow-up to ‘Dracula Untold’?

Source: Screen Rant