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Post by thisguy4000 on May 28, 2017 1:08:17 GMT
How feasible do you think doing a shared universe around a bunch of classic monsters like the Mummy, the Wolfman, and the Frankenstein's Monster is by today's standards? I know that the Universal Monsters have the distinction of being one of the earliest shared universes in Hollywood, but those movies came out in a time when established franchises were practically non-existent.
These days though, with all the competition out there, is a new shared Universal Monster universe really worth the trouble? Keep in mind that unlike Marvel and DC, the Universal Monsters (despite their name) are all in the public domain. In other words, any studio is free to make a movie about the Mummy, or Dracula. I feel like that kind of puts Universal at a disadvantage. Assuming 'The Mummy' does well, what's to stop other studios from trying to cash in on its success by making their own movie about a classic monster?
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barkingbaphomet
Junior Member
all backlit and creepysmoking
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Post by barkingbaphomet on May 28, 2017 13:55:12 GMT
i think it could be great but i'm unconvinced that they are approaching it from the proper angle. looking at the Mummy it just seems to be an attempt to shoehorn the characters and concepts into superhero or disaster porn blockbusters. it strikes me as hollow, ridiculous, and pointless.
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Post by politicidal on May 28, 2017 14:24:08 GMT
i think it could be great but i'm unconvinced that they are approaching it from the proper angle. looking at the Mummy it just seems to be an attempt to shoehorn the characters and concepts into superhero or disaster porn blockbusters. it strikes me as hollow, ridiculous, and pointless. This. We had this concept fifteen years ago already with Van Helsing (2004) and the Mummy remake series (1999-2008). I would love a retro Gothic horror treatment for a new franchise. Something like Crimson Peak in terms of style and visuals. That'd be awesome and actually unique compared to what they are doing now as you said: generic popcorn action. |
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Post by JudgeJuryDredd on May 31, 2017 0:05:39 GMT
I feel if the Dark Universe really takes off, we'll see more variety in horror with these characters and their associates the way other shared universes like Marvel have shown diversity in action-adventure. Already Universal has a remake/reboot of The Bride of Frankenstein in the works by Bill Condon, who's not exactly known for helming or being associated with popcorn fare outside of sharing writing credit on F/X 2 26 years ago.
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Post by JudgeJuryDredd on May 31, 2017 0:23:15 GMT
The characters are public domain, HOWEVER their on-screen iterations from Universal in the 30's and 40's are not public domain and cannot be completely replicated without Universal's approval. This is why when other people make movies about mummies and werewolves they are not always Imhotep or Larry Talbot( Though Showtime's Penny Dreadful actually got permission to use the name Larry Talbot for their werewolf). Other studios that produce feature film or television versions with these characters decidedly modify their versions to avoid legal trouble. Given how long ago those films came out the ramifications between what is and what is not acceptable can be sketchy at times.
Other studios could try to create their own universe with these characters, but unless they are radically different from Universal's Dark Universe, assuming its a major success, chances are they won't go ahead with the idea.
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