The History & Wasted Potential of the Dark Universe

Universal should have just ripped off castlevania make Dracula overarching threat time manipulating castle and boom ya done

I think they pulled the plug way too soon

Honestly Van Helsing wasn't perfect, but good God if it isn't my favourite movie

If I were to do a shared cinematic universe based around the Universal Monsters, this is how I would do it: Hire filmmakers who are primarily known for horror to work on it, have it be set in the late 19th century - early 20th century, maybe have Van Helsing be at the centre of it, have them be R-rated movies, have them be more smaller budgeted movies so you don't go loosing $100 million plus at the box office, maybe have Dracula be the overarching villain of a series of movies, don't cast super big-named stars.

If the dark universe was successful I bet the villain of the first team up movie would be an overpowered van helsing

If you were to create a cinematic universe and link these monster movies together, there needs to be an element that connects to all of them in some shape or form. The Mummy could've been the secret origin of vampirism. A substance used to bring the Frankenstein monster to life, could've originated in South America.

You know I really wanted this to work and I hope one day they get it right and make this cinematic universe I think Universal's mistake was having Tom Cruise onborde giving him creative control and having it not focus on its a lot on its titled character.

Dark Universe deserves a second chance!

So I really like your videos have been watching quite a few of them. But you mention how Dark Universe couldn't have worked with all the creatures together and that isn't true. Dark Universe was supposed to be a modern take on the Universal Monsters which had done the whole crossover and existing in the same universe long before probably anyone, at least certainly the MCU anyways. Also Monster Squad is a really good example. I don't know how well it did when it came out but I was a fan from the beginning and it has a cult following now I'm sure. But I do agree with you that they should have took their time and mapped out their universe. They should have worried more about quality and maybe stuck with what had already worked. Not worrying about quality is I think one of the reasons why the DCEU failed, although it obviously still did way better than the Dark Universe.

I think they should have focused on making more stylistic horror movies instead of action cashgrabs. It should be a spiritual cinematic universe. Here's my slate pitch:

The Universe Name: Dark Monster Universe

1) THE DRACULA : I think it should be the proper adaptation of Bran Stroker's Novel. It should be stylistic gothic horror. It should be directed by Robert Eggers. Christian Bale is my ideal Dracula.

2) Dracula Year Zero : It will be a prequel to the dracula movie. It should be the same movie as Dracula Untold with some minor changes. Christian Bale will be Vlad the Impaler.

3) Creature from the black lagoon: It will be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. It will be the same movie as the shape of water. I think creature should be played by cillian murphy.

4) Frankenstein: It should also be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Doctor Frankenstein should be played by Oscar Isaac and the Monster should be played by Andrew Garfield.

5) The Mummy: I would prefer a really scary version of The Mummy closer to something like the 1999 film.

6) The Wolf Man: I think it should be similar to the 2010 movie with minor changes. I think it should be played by Jake Gyllenhal.

7) Nosferatu: It will also be directed by Robert Eggers. Nosferatu should be played Bill Skarsgard.

8) The Invisible Man : It will be the same as the 2020 movie.

Universal said they might still do it after the 2020 invisible man movie did well

If we do see other Classic Horror MONSTER on the Big screen that's Hope It's Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde that would make a prefect psychological thriller

Van Helsing is the only movie I have ever walked out of in the theater. Just awful!!!

If only they've made it in the 2000s ? It would sell lots of tickets my favorite dark universe movies is the mummy trilogy alongside Brendan Fraser ,but tom cruise didn't really do it for me.

Dracula from the 90s is my favorite as well alongside the scorpion king with Dwayne Johnson the rock.

Alongside in the invisible man with kevin bacon.

VanHelsing. Was the key to all of that. But they screw it up badly. Vanhelsing book. Of monster he faced. Trying to find his books has been lost. Each book describe how to kill or capture an monster. Its like Stones from marvel.

I guess we're just ignoring hotel Transylvania exists and brought all them together?

Stop making monsters “the good guys”, instead reinvent them with a good story where they’re actually scarier and evil, and even modernized like they did with the 2020 invisible man. (You don’t see Chucky being a good guy after all these years, lol).

I can tell you exactly where the Dark Universe went wrong, making a Tom Cruise movie instead of making a mummy movie. It was Mission Impossible sprinkled with some Egyptian visual effects. Disgraceful.

Lol Scrift
That's funny, I've never heard that word before

Imma be honest; I'm actually really tired of shared universe if only because people and exects with zero clue or creativity just jumped on it thinking it was an easy money printer but more often than not, it's a boring waste of viewers' time.

I have more respect for people that can make one strong stand-alone movie than some jackass trying to force a bunch of movies that have vauge similarities and themes as a 'shared universe' who then later acts as if they're the one who came up with the idea, thus we're obligated to kiss their ass.

These studios didn't strike when the iron was hot. They tried to sharpie over someone else's name while having none of the stuff needed to back up their big project ideas. But most of all, like you said they lacked fun and excitement. The Fraiser Mummy movies ARE fun and filled with energy as well as being 'period pieces' as opposed to everything being set at current date at the time.

It was like the mindset going on was that audiences will accept any and all movies if they're set in a 'shared universe' without thinking once about making the movie actually engaging, PERIOD.

"That movie was boring as shit but at least it's a shared universe movie!"

They murdered the ending of Dracula Untold. That was a great movie.

Maybe make the dark universe an anthology type deal.

I think The Dark Universe was doomed it began. I the remember the initial coverage of this universe. It all sounded good until two things were said.
We're aiming at making the Dark Universe PG-13 and exciting as possible.
You bring up the best point, they weren't horror movies. They were action movies with horror aspects.
The Dark Universe should have been a hard R horror franchise. It would have been great competition at that time.

Dracula untold is an amazing movie and so much better than the new Mummy movie The old mummy y movies are great. The Van Helsing movie was great also

I really want a new Van Helsing sequel with Hugh Jackman or at least a new movie.

Right now would be good to reboot those movies because I don’t know if it’s me but these movies now a days suck. They need to make them like the mummy action comedy.

Universal really should of started the Dark Universe with the 1999 Mummy movie

The 90s Mummy was good for what it was but it's tone wouldn't be able to carry a cinematic universe. What the Dark Universe should have done was go back to its roots by doing things how the origonal monster films did. If you really look at them the classic universal monster films was the original cinematic universe before a good 100 years or close to before Marvel ever did.

All i want is a book accuraye version of Frankenstein

I think they got a second chance and a way to revive/reboot the dark universe. Universal is releasing another Nosferatu remake and another wolf man remake pretty soon and they both look promising and could set up a dark universe. An anthology series of movies that leave possibilities for crossovers

I really want to see a new mummy movie succeed, so 2017 was a bit of a let down. Doesn't help that tom cruise kinda had to much creative freedom with the film and made it more about himself (the man's older than Russell Crowe and put a line in the script about being a younger man).

The Mummy 1999 is one of my favourite movies ever and I love Egyptian mythology, so I want to see more of it on the big screen, but with a good story and not a convoluted mess.

If they had started with anything other then the Mummy it would have went differently. Everyone was ruined for Mummy Movies after Brendan Frasier. It was doomed to fail.

I think you’re forgetting about Abbott and Costello

What wasted the move is that it was a Tom Cruise movie not a Dark Universe one.

I don’t see a movie with Tom Cruise and The Rock together. Considering it was rumored that Tom Cruise rewrote much of the film for him to be the superhero type character and it shows. Both actors seem to have large egos and main character syndrome. Tom Cruise with his stunts and The Rock with his “can’t loose a fight” clause in his contract

There's already a Universal monster universe, its Upgrade (2018), and the Invisible Man (2020)

Its a shame about it because ironically enough Universal had the first cinematic universe (Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula) and those films are very much liked. All they really had to do was to make some solo films, do a few versus films akin to Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, and then have a big avenger's type meetup, and they could've had a good universe there.

the mummy and vanhelsing are my two favourite films that I go back and watch again and again, todays films I wouldnt even want to watch once

i just think on my opinion,perhaps fun wouldnt be the thing need to rediscover, i think it should return to 1930’s to 1940’s horror route , modern horror might work but without this element, it will not work.

I think we have our DARK UNIVERSE:
- The Wolfman with Benicio DelToro
- The Mummy 1999
- Dracula Untold (yes, it counts)
- The Shape Of Water
- Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon
- Phantom of the Opera with Gerard Butler
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Keneth Brannagh) OR Victor Frankenstein with James MacAvoy
- Dorian Gray with Ben Barnes
- Mary Reilly (Jekyll & Hyde) with Julia Roberts
- Van Helsing & League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as an extra Goodie

I like you're claim on the modern horror route. And also you can have the monsters come together in crossovers. Not as a team up movie but as VS movies , ala Frankenstein meets The Wolfman

Is it Possible that del toros movies can be a universe two

Creature commandos proved this could of worked if done right .

Kinda weird how we manage a wacky pooh verse then this 😂💀

I was actually excited to see this universe. Too bad it flopped on his first film.

Hey kid, you do know the original mummy was the one with Boris Karloff, right?

Can you please credit all the music you used in this video?