Universal Talks Monster Movie Reboot Plans
It’s hard not to be cautiously excited about Universal Studios’ plans to reboot all of its monster properties and unite them under one Avengers-style umbrella, as the idea will prove to be either brilliant or disastrous. The studio has a lot riding on this one, and today we’ve learned more.
Per Variety, universe architects Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan spoke about their plans, confirming that The Mummy is the first film in the works. Reboots of Van Helsing, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolfman will follow; and different writers will tackle each monster.
“The idea is that we have a deep bench of brains to consult with about how their monster fits into our world as we go forward,” Kurtzman explains. “We’re creating a mythology, so we’re looking at this canon and thinking, ‘What are the rules?’ What can we break, and what are the ones that are untouchable?”
“This is not a heightened world,” Morgan adds. “We’re exploring issues of family identity and questions of, ‘Where do I belong in the world?’”
“Heroes tend to be perfect, but most people in an audience aren’t ever going to know what it’s like to be the smartest, strongest, or fastest person alive,” he continues. “But there’s a darkness inside everybody. And everyone wants to be able to turn a curse into empowerment. The monsters have been in the shadows, and now it’s time to bring them out into the light.”
Universal’s big plan is for a new monster movie to come out each year, and the films will update the classic stories for modern times while retaining familiar elements. Much like in The Avengers universe, those individual characters will not necessarily be confined to their own movies.
“The characters will interact with each other across movies,” says Donna Langley, chair of Universal Pictures. “We’re incubating it at the moment, and we’re taking the time to get it right.”
The brand new Mummy film will begin shooting in early 2016.
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