If there's one thing that movie audiences will apparently always turn out to see, whether they want to or not, it's a cinematic universe. Marvel popularized the idea with its nearly 15 years of worldbuilding since 2008's Iron Man and everyone else has been scrambling to get a piece of that action ever since. It turns out Paul Feig, director of 2016's Ghostbusters (which is already getting its own reboot) and 2011's Bridesmaids, wants a slice of the pie as well and plans on doing so with classic Universal Monster characters, assuming he can clear just one big hurdle.
Some may be familiar with Universal's rather short-lived plan for what they called the "Dark Universe," in which they would unite the studio's catalog of classic monsters like Dracula, The Wolf Man, and The Mummy into a shared continuity. Unfortunately for that idea, it lost momentum following the lackluster performance of 2017's The Mummy, leaving the concept to stagnate. But Feig has apparently reignited that spark within Universal, planning his own take on a shared Universal Monster universe with a projected titled Dark Army. The company seems to like the proposal (even enough to approve a creative new take on Dracula), but not the price tag.
Speaking to Collider, Feig spoke fondly about the passion project that he hopes will one day realize its potential. "I love that project so much," he said. "I think the studio thinks it’s a little too expensive, perhaps." As ambitious as the idea is, and as much as Universal seems to like it, it seems that they aren't yet willing to meet Feig's full needs to properly pull it off. "It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written," he continued. "It’s one of my favorite lead characters I’ve ever come up with. So, fingers crossed that we will make it someday."
It makes sense why Dark Army would demand such a high budget. After all, it's set to feature several classic Universal Monster characters alongside new ones created by Feig himself. Considering the money flying around behind the scenes of most big crossovers, it might have been an even bigger surprise if Universal was willing to go forward with it. Of course, this doesn't mean the project is dead in the water. It just means there's a bit of a stalemate depending on whether the studio eventually deems the price acceptable or Feig offers a more affordable proposal.
All hope isn't lost. It's clear that Universal is willing to work with their old properties, as proven by a recently announced reboot of Dwayne Johnson's The Scorpion King. But there are likely many other factors at play here. Aside from the requested budget, there's the timing to consider. 2017's The Mummy may still be fresh in the minds of some, so a new attempt at such a Universal Monster project may not inspire the utmost confidence just yet.
On the other hand, perhaps there's something else holding things up financially and Universal is actually very excited about Dark Army. Either way here's hoping the ball gets rolling soon and the world gets some more fantastical films for experts to debunk.
The Mummy (2017) is now available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Collider