Ever since Marvel’s Avengerโs initiative really took off – creating different phases for the many different films in the universes – extended movie universes have been popping up left and right, from the DC superhero films to M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable series. While theyโve teased it for a while, Universal is officially throwing their hat into the ring, and their universe will be called the Dark Universe.
The first film to start that universe, The Mummy, is set to star Tom Cruise as the lead and feature Sofia Boutella and Russell Crowe in other important roles. Recently it was revealed that Crowโs character would actually be the infamous Dr.Jekyll and Hyde.
Fans of the original are well aware that the British psychopath had nothing to do with the Mummy franchise, so his inclusion came as quite a surprise. But Dr. Jekyll and Hydeโs integration into the film will be the first of many to crossover with The Mummy (and vice versa), as Universal plans to bring back its roster of classic movie monsters to set up an established universe.
The next movie in the Dark Universe will be Bride of Frankenstein, which was originally set to be released in 2018. Instead, the second installment in the universe will be released to theaters on Feb. 14, 2019.
Beauty and the Beastโs director Bill Condon will be directing the modern day Bride of Frankenstein, but the lead role has yet to be cast. The star power for the film is already pretty big though, as Johnny Depp will play The Invisible Man and Javier Bardem has been cast as Frankensteinโs Monster.
Welcome to a new world of gods and monsters. #DarkUniverse https://t.co/yMPyGVMcvH pic.twitter.com/Yg1KAxg4WX
— #DarkUniverse (@darkuniverse) May 22, 2017
Outside of Crowโs role in The Mummy, itโs unsure just exactly what Universals exact plans are for the Dark Universe, but they teased a retrospective of the classic films on twitter to build hype for its โnew world of gods and monsters.โ
The universe kicks off June 9, 2017, when The Mummy officially hits theaters. For more information on the other movies in the Dark Universe, be sure to check back to the site for updates.
