Post by JudgeJuryDredd on Jun 6, 2017 18:44:04 GMT
Just days before The Mummy hits theaters, Universal is expanding its recently named Dark Universe with two more films. In an interview with Fandom, director Alex Kurtzman revealed that the studio is working on new versions of The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame to add to its already crowded roster.
“We know we’re going to do Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Invisible Man,” he told the site.
1923’s The Phantom of the Opera and 1925’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame were two of Universal’s first monster movies, and they laid the groundwork for the studio’s later films. Pulling the two characters into the Dark Universe shows that it’s going back to its horror roots, even though modern audiences are more likely familiar with the two characters from theatrical musicals or Disney films. However, it’s worth noting that neither the Phantom nor the Hunchback are monsters in any traditional sense, just disfigured men. Universal will likely inject some supernatural elements into their stories so they make sense in a world filled with vampires and invisible men. Still, the idea that Quasimodo’s affliction makes him monstrous will almost surely garner criticism, depending on how the material is handled.
Still, this does show how bullish Universal is with its new Dark Universe experiment. The studio is launching its Marvel-esque cinematic universe this week with The Mummy, and Bride of Frankenstein, starring Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster, is currently scheduled for release in February 2019. The upcoming films will all center around a mysterious organization called Prodigium, led by Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe). While reviews have yet to even come in for The Mummy, Universal is clearly banking hard on its new franchise
“We know we’re going to do Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Invisible Man,” he told the site.
1923’s The Phantom of the Opera and 1925’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame were two of Universal’s first monster movies, and they laid the groundwork for the studio’s later films. Pulling the two characters into the Dark Universe shows that it’s going back to its horror roots, even though modern audiences are more likely familiar with the two characters from theatrical musicals or Disney films. However, it’s worth noting that neither the Phantom nor the Hunchback are monsters in any traditional sense, just disfigured men. Universal will likely inject some supernatural elements into their stories so they make sense in a world filled with vampires and invisible men. Still, the idea that Quasimodo’s affliction makes him monstrous will almost surely garner criticism, depending on how the material is handled.
Still, this does show how bullish Universal is with its new Dark Universe experiment. The studio is launching its Marvel-esque cinematic universe this week with The Mummy, and Bride of Frankenstein, starring Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster, is currently scheduled for release in February 2019. The upcoming films will all center around a mysterious organization called Prodigium, led by Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe). While reviews have yet to even come in for The Mummy, Universal is clearly banking hard on its new franchise
I'm a bit split on the idea of integrating both The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame into the mix, both characters I don't see contributing much of anything to their roster of monster characters and really you can only do so much with them( One film is enough). Both characters are basically deformed men, supernatural elements have been added in later versions but none too successful( Like the version of The Phantom in the 80's starring Robert Englund, Freddy himself) , and they also work best in period pieces.
I suppose it is possible that, in the case of The Hunchback, they may transition him into Igor, that could work if they play their cards right.
If Universal insists on reimagining these two characters it would probably be for the best that their solo outings be released in 2023 and 2025 respectively, as they would celebrate the 100th anniversaries of the Lon Chaney Sr. originals.
Interesting bit of trivia - I remember going to the website of 2004's Phantom of the Opera movie with Gerard Butler and on it they listed all film versions of the story, and even listed a movie for 2025. I am not making this up.
