Though they seem to run studios these days, the concept of a shared cinematic universe was started by the Universal Monsters. It ran from roughly the 1930s to the 1950s and features films based on very well-known classic monsters like Dracula, The Wolf Man, and Frankenstein. It's structured slightly differently than cinematic universes as they're known now, but still is generally credited as the first.
Universal attempted to revive this in 2014 with Dracula Untold and start the Dark Universe, but it was a failure in all senses of the word. They tried again in 2017 with The Mummy and, yet again, it was torn apart by critics and audiences. However when Universal partner Blumhouse released The Invisible Man in 2020 and it was a huge success, there was hope for the Dark Universe yet again. Now that there are other additions to the Dark Universe on the docket for the future, they should take some notes from what was done in The Invisible Man and keep up that energy.
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The Invisible Man was directed by Leigh Whannell of Saw fame, and was a very socially conscious and grounded take on the classic story. It revolves around Cecilia, played by Elisabeth Moss, who escapes from an abusive relationship. She learns that her abusive ex has passed away shortly after leaving him, but begins to suspect that he is still alive and haunting her in some way. The film is dark and moody, genuinely scary, and has a poignant message. It's subtle, but some scenes will really catch audiences off guard.
A new Dracula film, directed by this awards season's biggest winner Chloé Zhao, as well as Wolfman, again directed by Whannell, are the next confirmed films to come out in the Dark Universe but there will surely be more. Hopefully, the filmmakers recognize why The Invisible Man succeeded and the others didn't. It was so dark and so scary, and its subject matter and metaphor are so incredibly relevant. The previous films were not like that. They were overproduced and lacked any nuance or subtlety. They also were not scary, and while that may not be necessary for a monster movie it certainly helps.
The Invisible Man takes a social issue, and turns it into a metaphor that makes sense. The film doesn't hit the audience over the head with it, but it pushes it enough that it's not too much of a stretch to figure out what's going on. It also tells a modern story that so many people, too many people unfortunately, will relate to. The upcoming Dark Universe films should really play into this, and stick to the subtle and dark tones. Using a monster to relate to something realistic and scary in real life can be a very effective metaphor, and they should take advantage of combining that with the use of existing IP that people already love.
The Invisible Man is a standalone film, and also very finite in its ending, it's unlikely that they will feature the character in anything else. The Dark Universe should follow this lead, and continue this style. It should be a series of standalone films that maybe have subtle nods to each other instead of an MCU-style shared universe with team-ups. Not only is that staying true to the original Universal Monsters series, but it works a whole lot better with a dark and scary tone. Adding extra team-ups and a lot of crossover flicks is just kind of asking for a more goofy moment and this universe just shouldn't be that.
Horror that's heavily focused on social issues has always been popular, but it seems especially so right now. If Universal wants to really play into this and do this well, reinventing the Universal Monsters into the Dark Universe is a brilliant way to do so. It's the best way to stay away from goofiness, and away from a convoluted time with their new series. It also helps minimize the risk of being heavily compared to the original works, which often results in people thinking poorly of the remake. The Invisible Man separates itself from the original works brilliantly, having subtle nods to the classic story but completely remaining its own story.
There is so much potential for the Dark Universe to be amazing, but it has to be done right. Clearly, the over-the-top and kind of goofy action attempts with Dracula Untold and The Mummy did not work as the whole idea was almost shelved. But The Invisible Man worked so well and meant something to so many people. Clearly, they did something right. Hopefully, that means that the other works can follow suit and take some hints from what works. No matter what, after how well The Invisible Man did and based on who is involved, Dracula and Wolfman will likely be financial hits. The buzz and tone about how actually good the movies are though will become more clear when more is known about the films. Hopefully, the Dark Universe can become the greatness it deserves to be.
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