Dude del Toro should have been the Kevin Fiege of the Universal Monsters. The thing is that he almost *did* , the was offered back in 2007 but he rejected (probably because he was busy at the time). He even said that rejecting the offer was the *one* thing he regretted not doing (which is saying something from a director infamous for having so many Unmade Projects).
Rumor has it that Del Toro actually proposed doing his own remake of "Black Lagoon" for Universal, but they turned him down, so he just filed off the 'serial numbers' and made it anyway ^_^ If this is true, its a real shame, as their first entry into the Dark Universe would have been a Best Picture winner as well (something not even the Lord of the Rings trilogy did first time out).
For what it is worth, DRACULA UNTOLD was actually a good film and had the potential to go in a fresh direction with the Dracula mythos. Yet, you are correct, The Dark Universe need not be a carbon copy of the MCU or any other action franchise.
I know right! Everyone seems to forget that Dracula Untold was what was originally supposed to kick start everything. And surprisingly, it was the better starting point than Tom Cruise The Mummy was
@@tjjordan4207 so true and Universal should have stayed the course with Dracula Untold, the reason why The Mummy wasn't good was because Tom Cruise was THE Problem, he wrecked the film with his ego by changing it from horror into action as well as a Vanity Project all about him which I am not surprised at. Because R. Lee Ermey even said that Tom Cruise destroyed Stanley Kubrick's last film Eyes Wide Shut. There was no need to get that circus midget being how The Mummy was going to be female and why have a franchise centered around a circus midget pushing 60.
@@stainshield as he said universal needs to hire horror, comedian or drama directors for their universal monsters, because both will make them all tragic and "path of the tyrant" characters if they got the "serious/grounded" route, matt reeves showed you can take a fictional concept and ground it still invisible man did that...for example instead of the wolfman being cursed why not make it a "speed/enhancement" steroid put into wolves gone wrong and talbot gets bit by one of the advanced wolves and that it becomes more like a virus and it only comes out during nightfall or explained a lunar moon earth change alters the virus and causes a "werewolf like" effect (similar to the batman tas episode where a track star takes a steroid with timbewolf dna in it), dracula being a product of a blood disease that is breaking down his organs , hes a known king of say romania whos rich and they try to use the same type of steroid with talbot but with bats (he instead of him being immortal just make it a genetic disease passed down to generations (but the townspeople think its the same man due to their similar features and every generation goes along with the ruse so it makes it seem like immortality) and he kills people to drink their blood because he needs red blood cells/plasma to live frankenstien's monster can be a quadrplegic victim (maybe his brother or his father that he feels responsible for their conditon) that he dr vitkor uses cyborg enhancements with cadaver organs and limbs (in fact george lucas based darth vader's injuries on the frankenstein monster) and it makes him go insane that hes a "monster" the mummy could be played off like a imotep cult that worships him and an archologist leads this cult as he thinks he can ressurect him so much he hears about the "steroid" that dracula and talbot got and forces the same dr who made them to make a "rigormortis healing" type of drug that he gets injected into imotep's mummy it doesnt work so puts it in his body and it makes his body inbetween death and life causes a "mummy" like appearance his idea for the creature from the black lagoon was spot on again id go with the "steroid" idea but make it a homeless person they expriement on and this person becomes more aquatic like and abraham van helsing should be the connective tissue that blends them all together but i think he should be a commisioner or a sheriff who doesnt believe in the supernatural and explains that theres always a scientic explation to these socalled "supernatural" looking murders and attacks....i do think they should also have a "supernatural" cryptologist and a forensic crimologist working with van helsing as well but i'd play the cryptologist like a "fanboy/fangirl" with a serious tone.. just my two cents
The original Dark Universe shocked the world because they never saw the like of it before. It was Gothic, romantic, sinister, poetic, frightening and macabre with humour that evolved from the elements of each story. The original Dark Universe did not have "movie stars" it had actors who gave pathos and meaning to the characters. Most of these were written in the Victorian era, when people were fascinated by the macabre and conflicts of morality. When Hammer made their versions they introduced blood and a sexuality that was more telling than before, and again used actors, not stars. DRACULA: He is cursed with an immortality, the story tells the horror of that, and the penalty ( consuming blood ) that needs to be performed to sustain it. Although thought of as the epitome of evil, he fears God and fears death. FRANKENSTEIN: The point of the story was, why man should not play God, and consequences of when he does. He is so focused on creating life that he doesn't realise how far from humanity he keeps going away from, and that it is he and not his creation that is the monster. THE MUMMY: Being buried alive because he fell in love, he has spent thousands of years of a living hell, that once released nothing can stop his revenge. THE WOLFMAN: Cursed by circumstance out of his control, the story is about him trying to find a cure while trying not to kill the people whom he cares about. To succeed with a Dark Universe, each story has to be organic with a genuine Gothic and unsettling atmosphere. These are human stories, that reflect the frailties of the the human mind. We need to go back to original movies to see why are we still watching them, and will we watch the modern film in 90 years time.
If a Robert Eggers' Nosferatu actually happens my film life will be complete. The Witch is one of my favorite movies of all time and he could make something transcendent out of Nosferatu.
I think it's definitely gonna happen considering all the acclaim he got with The Witch and The Lighthouse, he has already established himself as a talented director and people will definitely be interested in investing in his vision. Besides if no one else does it, there is always A24 to rely on like both of his previous films.
He's been working on it for a while, apparently pouring a lot of blood sweat and tears into it. Honestly not sure what the delay is or what's going on with the project, but everything I've seen from him he still really wants to do it, so if it doesn't end up happening it'll be some studio to blame. The Witch and The Lighthouse are both masterpieces in my mind, with some of the most gorgeous cinematography, pitch perfect dialogue and production design. His eye for historical detail in Nosferatu would seriously be the coolest thing ever.
COVID related issues and theater closures probably didn't help in getting the green light. Plus The Northman had a number of scheduling issues (Skarsgard's departure) and a COVID delay. Hopefully it's next on the list.
I didn't like The Witch it was more of a boring period piece drama than a Horror movie and the talking Goat at the end was hilarious, so personally I wouldn't watch his adaptation of Nosferatu, though The Lighthouse was a bit better because Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson and kept my attention unlike The Witch, it still lacked any horror and had Animals doing weird at times comedic things though this time Seagulls instead of the Rabbit. I just don't like these art house "horror" movies, and while A24 has made a couple good things (The Monster and Room) if I see a movie from that studio I'll typically skip it because most the time it's a lot of dumb movies in my opinion.
Guillermo Del Toro is the PERFECT man to spearhead a Dark Universe....his gothic storytelling about monsters which reveal more about human nature than the monsters itself are the perfect way to make movies about these ancient horror characters....
It is funny that Van Helsing had almost no critical possitive reviews, since the movie does have the best werewolves even now. (compared to the Wolfman and Underworld).
It's definitely campy, and silly at times but I've always loved it. Some of the best cinematography I've ever seen, some of Danny Elfman's best work too IMO, and just a fucking great time at the movies.
I'm kind of glad its hype is more lowkey and dare I say, bordering on cult-classic because it's certainly its own self-contained product that need not be franchised and sequelled to death. Rewatchable is putting it lightly; such a beautifully shot film that also isn't afraid to have fun with itself.
It’d be tough to have a dark universe where all the monsters exist in the same world, maybe the common thread is a family of monster hunters or civilizations that have had encounters with them throughout history and that impacts the future and so on. A lot of potential but you need the right person in charge and you gotta put in the effort
It also gives more of an anthology feel (like the videogame series Dark Pictures), giving more creative freedom since it’s not automatically tied to a pre-established time period, previous narrative or cast of characters. Contrasting directorial styles are also accounted for, and period pieces won’t be out of place or require a flashback narrative to justify it.
@@jbcatz5 Absolutely, as long as the monsters are somewhat consistent then each director can put their own spin on it, we can see how different people and time periods react to the existence of these monsters and their methods for dealing with them, at some point you can have a big ensemble movie where you throw a lot of these monsters in a blender and see what kinda chaos they cause
We already have some films where all the universal monsters exist in the same world. Those films are Monster Squad, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Van Helsing.
@@Destino2493 YES THIS, that is what we want. Just give each monster it’s own movie and let the finale film be an ensemble with all of them. I’m talking Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster, The Creature, The Invisible-Man, The Mummy, all stuck in one place and let’s just see the chaos insue. No monster team ups but just a good Monster Mash like the classics.
@@Destino2493 Um, the original "Universal Monsters" films shared the same universe. But, yes, it would be better if the focus was on stories for individual monsters, while crossovers still occasionally occur.
Eiko Ishioka's costumes for Coppola's Dracula remain some of THE best film costumes of all time. I don't care if they're historically inaccurate, they are iconic.
They are GORGEOUS. And I'm of the mind that films should feel comfortable forging their own sense of history, if it elevates the art then I'm all here for it.
You mean to tell me that people in the time-period of vampires didn't wear ludicrous fuck-off cloaks all the time? Yanno what, in my universe, they totes did 😤
Thanks dude! I sincerely hope so too, when it was first announced I got so hyped. A big budget HORROR franchise?!! Sign me up! But then they just bungled the hell out of it, and it doesn't even feel like horror lol
I wanted a creature from the black lagoon reinterpretation I think the mummy could have worked if it didn’t have tom would have worked the other mummy movies were horror comedy and action movies
Penny Dreadful and A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen were wonderful monsterverse crossovers in my opinion. I also enjoyed Dracula Untold and del Toro's Wolfman. Compared with Fraser's Mummy, Tom Cruise's money was terrible though.
Impressive, I personally thought the dark universe attempts were over after the failure of the mummy and after the invisible man movie. Also I had no idea there were “previous attempt’s” of the dark university before Dracula untold and I still hope that eventually someone , somehow will be able to creat an amazing and well deserved “dark universe “.
I was pretty keen at the time for a Dark Universe but it seems that stand alone films in some kind of franchise continuity is proving to be a successful trend recently.
I believed in the potential of this universe, and while Dracula untold didnt get that much love, I believed it was a great start. Also if you count del torros wolfman. But Tom cruises mummy derailed it for me and the dark universe as a whole. Still I think it’s a good idea.
Watching Dracula Untold and The Mummy honestly made me so sad. Awful, AWFUL movies, especially The Mummy, arguably one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
Modernizing 'The Mummy' by making it a present day-set action movie is to aim it to a sea of same-ness of modern spectacle blockbusters. As if that wasn't bad enough, they missed and rather than float in that sea of same-ness, it drowned.
I know what you mean. I’ve come to dislike movies that always take place in modern day. I love movies that takes place in fantasy worlds or older times.
that Mummy movie must have been a new level of bad because it killed the universe after one movie, like they didn't even attempt to give it another go, that must be a new record. Can it even be called a universe anymore when theres only one film in this continuity?
As far as I'm concerned, Universal could still right now pump some money into refining the vfx and Joe Johnston's Wolfman would suddently become a perfect movie.
THANK YOU!!! Del Toro was actually offered the Dark Universe but turned it down due to too much involvement by the studio. But can you imagine if he actually took them up on it??? Oh a girl can dream! I think that sometimes big budgets are a hinderance on movies. The Lost Boys was a low budget movie and because of that, the various parts of the movie (filming, costume, FX, etc) had to get creative and it worked in their favor. With the big budgets, directors think, "throw in a huge CGI set piece" or "this is where we can have a huge battle/chase" and it is for no reason, it doesn't add to the story. Another example is Knives Out, this was a relatively low budget movie but because of the writing and vision of the film, Rian Johnson was able to get big names for the cast and the film was a critical success. Compared to the updated Murder on the Orient Express, it felt like an unneeded update where a cast of great actors were given little to do or had to do what they could with the script that they were given. Out of Dracula Untold and The Mummy with Tom Cruise, I think Dracula Untold is a stronger and better movie. The Monster Films (both Universal and Hammer) were so great because of the connection that the audience made with the monsters; you saw yourself in their struggles and their wants. With the updated Mummy movie and the addition of a female Mummy, I thought this would be a great tale of feminism. A story of a woman who was erased from history or had been turned into a villain due to the narratives spun my male counterparts. (My "fix-it" would have made Amanet take on the power of Set to save her kingdom from a great sickness or an incoming enemy army. With her kingdom saved, she locked herself away to never give Set a corporeal form. However, The Pharaoh had a son and Amanet was erased from history or her Father took the glory that was meant to be hers and instead wrote her off as a power hungry daughter that was punished for not knowing her place. She could wake up in modern day and after being constantly told that she is evil or finding out what was done to her story, she says Fuck it. She becomes the antagonist rather than the villain as she sees that the world has not changed and she will be the one to change it. A little better, no?) Instead, they turned her into a power hungry bitch who could have just killed her family without the help of a God. Imotehp just wanted to be reunited with his love who was married to the Pharaoh, details aside, we have all had or experienced a second hand a relationship like this. The Studio also went immediately in with the shared universe, why not either make the universe shared through the updated and mature story telling like suggested or keep it within the same world. I'll explain, make these various stories all happen through out history to build a sense of time and shared space. Instead of bringing in this secret society in the first movie, put Easter eggs through out each film until you unveil that there was an organization documenting each supernatural instance. Remember in Iron Man, Agent Coulson didn't even say "S.H.I.E.L.D." until the end of the movie. You didn't truly get to see a SHIELD base until The Avengers. So, okay, you introduce a cabal like organization that documents and jails these supernatural creatures. Is it a prequel with its establishment by Abraham Van Helsing or a movie where a descendant joins the organization? Maybe the updated Mummy should have been a period piece, maybe not the 1920's but perhaps the 1960s/1970s when a time of sexual revolution was going on. I think that the Invisible Man is a good film that takes the situation of an abusive/stalker relationship one step further and makes the "how" of the invisible man relatable in the modern era. But there is a part of me that wishes that the Dark Universe worked out because there was potential to change the "cinematic universe" format. The studio wanted to immediately be at Marvel level without having to do any of the work of building the universe. It's the same short cuts that we have seen before. For example, Fox and the Dark Phoenix Saga; the Phoenix has to have its storylines before going to Dark Phoenix. Universal wanted to have 10th movie success on movie 2 of a franchise and that was their downfall.
@@stainshield Oh what could have been! Imagine having the Shape of Water being the beginning of the Dark Universe? This would have been a great way to revamp the "Creature of the Black Lagoon" as well as the Monster movie in general. The monster was the good guy and gets the girl in the end!
Great video man. 👍 It's refreshing to see a different perspective on Dark Universe. Because generally I've seen most people only making fun of it for trying to imitate MCU but they never mention something like what you have talked about here. I hope Universal hires all those amazing Talanted Modern Horror directors that you mentioned and let them make an interesting horror films with higher budget about these iconic characters.
Thanks man! I always try to treat things with a certain level of respect, but moreover, I just like imagining how things could have gone better, I tried to do the same with my last video as well. I feel like anyone can pick a part why something sucks when it's an obviously shit movie, but I thought it was cool to look through the annals and try and find what I think would be their best solution moving forward.
It's sad because del Toro approached Universal about making The Shape of Water but brought it to Searchlight Pictures after they wanted him to remove all the romance aspects.... Their loss. This is a great video, I'd love to see more big budget, classy horror films like Sleepy Hollow. That has to be the most visually stunning horror film I've ever seen, just incredible.
There are two good ways to do a dark universe. One, make it Lovecraft’s combined universe. Yes, Lovecraft had a combined universe before those things were cool. His books exist in a shared universe and it could be explored with the right directors and vision. Two, if you want to include the “classic” monsters, make the movies in the Chronicles of Darkness universe. Yes the gothic horror role play games by White Wolf/Obsidian Games. You want to tell the Dracula story again? Tell Dracula as portrayed in Vampire: the Requiem and tell the lead up to the vampiric organization Ordo Dracul that exists in the game. Want to tell a wolf man story with a fresh take? Make a Werewolf: the Forsaken movie, it’s got an original take on werewolves that’s got potential for multiple movies and can tie into the larger universe of monsters. Frankenstein? Here’s why I suggested Chronicles of Darkness and not World of Darkness. Make a Frankenstein movie from the lens of Promethian: the Created (a game that didn’t exist in WoD). The Mummy? Mummy: the Cursed could easily follow a mummy character’s journey across time, starting with their origins in Unknown Irem, and following the monstrous deeds of a mummy and its cult across the ages as the mummy slowly breaks free of the control of the Judges of Ma’at and attains Apotheosis. This has lots of tie in potential with Vampire as well as lots of historical story telling. The Invisible Man? That could easily be a Mage from Mage: the Awakening. More specifically, one of the Maad. Don’t pull a Spawn and just shove the backstory of these genres in the audience’s face with blunt exposition up front either. Let the audience get a show drip of reveals as each story goes along. It’s okay for the audience to be ignorant and not omniscient. Part of horror is the fear of the unknown. I’m telling you, if you want to put the Universal monsters in a combined cinematic universe, then Chronicles of Darkness is the way to go. It also allows the universe to expand in unexpected directions with IPs like Changeling: the Lost, Demon: the Descent, and Hunter: the Vigil.
The Shape of Water actually started out as a remake of Creature From the Black Lagoon. In 2002, Del Toro was signed on to direct a remake by Universal but they didn't like his idea of the film being from the creature's perspective and him having a love interest so that film never got made
I completely agree. I love the old Universal Monster films. I had them all on DVD as a kid. I'd love to see them given the respect they deserve if they are going to remake/reimagine them. But they have to stay true to what the characters and stories were all about. There is an audience out there that is longing for some 'proper' films, not action ones disguised as horror. I want to see horror films that have characters that you get to know and actually care about. Ones that build up the tension and suspense slowly. I don't want to see action 'horror' or cheap jump scare 'horror' films... That's not what true horror is suppose to be about at all.
It's like people forget how terrifying those original stories were when they first came out, but they were undeniably horror films meant to scare people. It's why I did enjoy The Invisible Man at least, definitely takes the time to build the tension and emotion to make for better horror, and honestly one scene in particular is one of the best horror scenes I've seen in a long time.
I support what you say, why do we need action/funny/horror hybrids what happened to the gothic horror of old. Even if they made a movie in black and white I’d watch that for some uniqueness.
@@daniel_netzel the invisible man was so good because how near realistic is was with abusive partners, ptsd, gaslighting, paranoia,mental breakdown, etc. The ending was very satisfying with her becoming the invisible women to kill him and make it look like suicide.
Great video man, I personally really wanted the dark universe and still want to happen. I happen to me the few who actually liked "The Wolfman 2010", along with "Dracula Untold 2014", and even "The Mummy 2017". I liked the idea the director had of The Mummy that it's in the same universe as Brendan Frasers movies since we saw the Golden Book of Amun Ra, probably to get less hate of being a reboot, but I still liked the idea. I hope they can get their shit together.
In the same vein, i feel like the haunting of hill house and Bly manor do provide a bit of a template to create classy gothic horror in a contemporary setting. It's less pulpy than Penny Dreadful, but it's still a good exemple of bridging the cap between Indie psychological horror and classic gothic vibes.
This is absolutely perfect!!! I've loved the classic Monsters for a while but have a hard time explaining my frustrations with the Dark Universe. You encapsulated a lot of horror fans thoughts so perfectly for this!
I know it's sounds a little too pulpy for his wheelhouse, but I would kill to see David Fincher direct a gothic period piece werewolf, mummy, or Jack the Ripper movie. Imagine the clinical noir of Se7en mixed with the visceral adventure of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the timeless, gritty aesthetic of the 1990's universal horror movies. I have a suspicion that this kind of gothic pulp horror fundamentally can't work in a modern setting, it's just too stark, sparse, and sleek. Even The Invisible Man (2020) while intriguing felt limited by it's very contemporary setting and visual palette. My tastes always revert to the foggy moors and archeological expeditions of the past. Also, great video, man.
The world, settings, styles and tones help make the movies too. I mean if you bring back old characters or a sequel to a movie/s from years back or more you need to bring that world back too or do it in modern new movies too which they are or might/seem to be doing now
If anyone is interested in a good example of what a "dark universe" can be, I recommend the series Penny Dreadful. It's a gothic horror show set in victorian London with almost all the classic monsters; fair warning: is a slow burner. Also I'm referring to the first version of the series, the one with Eva Green, avoid the "city of angels" version like the fracking plague.
This could genuinely be the resurgence of horror we desperately need, if they actually connected respecting artistic vision with a connected universe. It could end up forcing the filmmakers to create new horror techniques and ideas that the genre desperately needs right now. Sadly, they probably won't do it. If in like ten years they haven't yet, don't worry I'll take care of the problem.
I think one of the major difficulties with trying to adapt Universal's horror properties to the same style as the Marvel and DC superhero movies is the fact that the titular characters in those old films were generally the villains. In films such as Dracula, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Mummy, those classical horror characters weren't the heroes, the heroes were the human characters whose role was to either kill them or contain them in order to prevent them from doing harm to the world or to their loved ones. It's pretty hard to build a Justice League with a mashup of characters that are literally the villain from their own films and expect audiences to go along with it.
@@daniel_netzel Personally I think putting an action spin on these stories can work, so long as it's done in a way that does not contradict established canon or attempt to glorify the creatures. However I feel like both Dracula Untold and the Mummy 2016 had either overshot the mark or missed it completely. With Dracula Untold I feel Luke Evans made the character way too sympathetic, to the point that he was no longer the same Dracula from Bram Stoker's novel that we know and love. There's a reason Stoker based the character on Vlad Tepes, a 15th century Eastern European warlord known for his cruel and wicked nature. In the movies and the novel they are based, Dracula is meant to be a unsympathetic fiend, a demon incarnate that the heroes are supposed to take down without any reservations. But I honestly think giving Dracula a sympathetic backstory in his own prequel could have worked, had it been played up for tragedy. They could of had him start out as a prince who sought to become a vampire in order to better protect his family and home from the encroaching Ottoman Empire (like they did in the film), but overtime his newfound vampirism warps his personality to the point where by the end of the film he loses all humanity and ends up becoming the Dracula of Stoker's novel. As for the Mummy 2016, They seem to have tried going the Terminator 2 route by turning Tom Cruise into a good mummy fighting the bad mummy. I suppose that could have also worked except they didn't do it in a way that made the bad mummy very powerful at least compared to Cruise. In fact Sofia Boutella's character didn't appear like a particularly big threat. They were able to take her down very easily nearly halfway into the film, with Tom Cruise killing her effortlessly by the end. The past Mummy films established the titular character as a supernatural threat that the protagonists had to come up with creative ways and risked their lives to defeat. Boutella's mummy was very non-threatening.
The list of Dark Universe Movie that i know like from MCU and DCEU if Del Toro can design the monsters and horrors: -Van Helsing. -Dracula Untold. -The Mummy. -The Wolf Man. -The Birth of Frankenstein and his Bride. -The Creatures of The Black Lagoon. -Tales of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. -The Invisible Man. -Sherlock Holmes. -Lupin The World's Greatest Thief. -Captain Nemo and The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. -The Legend of Tarzan Lord of The Apes. -Solomon Kane. -Esmeralda The Gypsy Sorceress. -Countess Marya Zaleska. -Martin Hesselius The Ghost Detective. -The Phantom of Opera. -The Shrinking Man and The 50ft. Giant Woman. -Sleepy Hollow. -Sun Wukong. -The Curse of Gorgon Medusa. -Mina Harker. -Gods, Monsters, and Mutants. -Attack of The Undead. -Supernatural Secret Service.
The best way to do a “cinematic universe” with these horror icons is to just say they all take place in the same universe and leave it there. No meetings or anything. Just that they all happen to take place in the same world. So that way the films can all do their own thing and no one needs to compromise their vision.
Then what's the point of placing them in the same universe? They don't need to have a big Avengers-style team-up with all the monsters, but they could still do something to justify or take advantage of them being connected. Imagine if Sony decided to put Men in Black, Ghostbusters, and Godzilla 1998 all in the same universe just because they're all owned by them and take place in New York City. Some people might think that's a cool idea, but unless the characters from those movies actually start interacting or even just acknowledge each other's existence in some way, then what Sony says doesn't really matter if them being in the same universe doesn't contribute anything to the individual series.
The show Penny Dreadful is the perfect template if they ever wanted to reboot the Dark Universe! It's pretty much the Dark Universe but in a TV format.
Get people that understand gothic or atmospheric visuals onboard, and use directors with a passion for horror and you could truly create a great dark universe. Even Zack Snyder did a better job at horror than whoever directed the Tom Cruise Mummy film. And really great video on this subject!
I think any Universal Studios, Blumhouse, or any other studio wants should do what Paramount did with the Writers room for the Transformers Cinematic Universe but better and with horror. Also they should get also the writers to get to know with the Directors. I think James Wans should direct one if the horror films. Or even better just create new Iconic monsters for the century and work together and work together to create a shared Universe. Sort of like the Conjuring Universe but with better spinoffs or even do a anthology franchise.
It’s funny that the studio tried TWO times to get this cinematic universe started but never learned from their mistakes. Then again, it does make sense when all things considered.
The dark universe could totally work, if each movie was set in a different era ;example The mummy in late 1890s to early 1900s or the Wolfman during medieval Romania. Have the story based on the hero of thousand faces and why they’re destined to fight their nemesis for all eternity leading up to facing a far greater evil something beyond stars and human understanding.
Not gonna lie, the ONLY way I could watch an Avengers-style team up is if they fought some Lovecraftian entity, and that would honestly be pretty dope.
I want this to work so bad. But they must go back to the gothic horror vision these films are intended to have. Lose the action movie focus first and foremost. And I agree, I also really enjoyed the updated version of The Invisible Man. It kept it's gothic style (or feel if you will) while also modernizing it. Very underrated in my opinion.
Exactly! But it's what I'm talking about, they tapped people known for other action franchises instead of horror filmmakers, and I will literally never understand that.
@@daniel_netzel You put the finger on it, they wanted to be marvel with the faintest gothic edge, because they don't trust "prestige" horror to work. It's weird how their approach to risk aversion is turning what could be reliable low budget affairs into all in bets for 400 million action blockbusters (once marketing is included), plus all the scrapped pre-production on cancelled sequels and follow up movies. The issue is that they probably went about it backwards: they looked into their catalogue for a franchise to compete with Marvel and Warner, and landed on their classic monsters, rather than taking the classic monsters and wondering the best movies they could make out of them. I can't completely blame them given the movie market and pressure to build franchises out of everything, besides , figuring out the right balance of fun spectacle vs disturbing and psychological is always tough, especially when you want franchise potential and not just good individual movies.
This is an amazing video essay! The content is exactly what I love, the editing is fantastic, and your voice is natural and relaxing. Great job! Also I agree with pretty much all your takes on the great horror directors and the direction these movies should go.
They have a treasure trove of characters, it would be such a shame if they let it go to waste. This is an awesome video, I’m not sure why this doesn’t have more views.
There isn't any script writers, or movie directors with passion for the dark and twisted old school movies and books. What horror truly needs is imagination, and the ability to go into the dark and twisted part of the mind. I cant remember the last time I was actually scared by a movie. I would do anything for a Stephen King, Tim Burton team up for a horror film.
Robert Eggers, Brandon Cronenberg, Adam Wingard, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Soska Sisters. There's a few out there who'd push the boat out. Not many bit a few.
I did think of an idea for Universal Monsters. It's more of a tv show kinda thing where Dracula wakes up to a modern world where Humans and Monsters Co-Exist, finds his friends have happily adapted to this world and he's trying to convince them once again 'humans bad monsters good' while the monsters are like 'we know humans suck but Monsters are no better'. Just a silly animated comedy, probably adult animated, idk i haven't gotten to that part
I completely agree with you. I actually loved Dracula Untold and thought it was a wicked good movie to start the Dark Universe. But, I believe, because they switched the date of release from October 24 a week before Halloween weekend to October 10 due to another bigger movie being released before it and them wanting to get ahead of it by a week the movie suffered. And I don’t think they gave it a good promo campaign, they could’ve done better. But the film was great and I wish they’d make a sequel. They ruined the mummy reboot, which became the Tom Cruise show and not the Mummy show as it was meant to be. But yes I see a lot of potential, hopefully they’ll resurrect the Dark Universe again someday with a new cast and a more solid vision and storyline. Directors, I think, have more power now, thanks to social media where fans can back them up and literally change studio directions to make projects happen. So fingers crossed 🤞!!!
Dark Universe would have been awesome. So much squandered potential. They just need to make good movies with small references to other films, not change the core of the story for the sake of making a shared universe.
I think a lot of people (including studio executives who are knee-jerking from failed concepts) have this notion that interconnectedness is somehow to blame for a franchise's failure at the box-office. The wisdom goes something like this: in attempting to build up a Marvel style cinematic universe, writers and filmmakers end up sacrificing too much of a story's plot in the service of setting up future films. So by course correcting to individual projects that share an aesthetic or "spiritual" connection but that aren't connected narratively, filmmakers are freed from the restraint of having to connect their project to others in the shared universe. DC has done this. So has the Dark Universe. But lets really look at that for a moment: in attempting a postmortem on a failed franchise, we keep trying to find that ONE THING that will answer the question "Why did this fail?" This is human nature. We want to organize things cognitively. We want to find the problem so we can fix it. And in so doing we often rely on scapegoats: single "problematic" things we can use as foils for our dissatisfaction with events. By heaping all of our malcontent onto one particular thing, we can banish it from our sight and our dissatisfaction along with it. I think that's what's happening here with the concept of interconnectedness. One of the reasons it works with Marvel is that each film has it's own particular tone and influences. Iron Man gave us the template for success, but movies like Thor branch out with Branagh's Shakespearean take, while Winter Soldier views like a spy thriller. Black Panther, while being essentially a better version of the first Thor movie on a fundamental level, delves into the essence of racial inequality and generational trauma in a way a bunch of Nordic Superbeings could never accomplish (and an attempt to do so would be horrifying, Idris Elba aside). The Dark Universe could have benefited from this same concept by allowing each movie some breathing room to be more than blockbuster spectacle. Dracula Untold has the seeds of a story about rulership and sacrifice. There are some very interesting moments in the film, such as when Dracula spreads vampirism among his subjects to grant them the power to defeat the invaders. This concept of Power & Rulership, and the sacrifices that fuel them, is a compelling concept, but the difference between Dracula and Thor or T'challa is that Dracula is (or I suppose, should have been) consumed by a power that is corrupting. This is the Dark Universe. And attempts such as Dracula Untold or The Mummy to turn these monsters into heroes is, I think, one of the major places that the franchise steered wrong. How much more interesting would it be to set these monsters up as, well, MONSTERS. As creatures of the outer darkness, as Van Helsing puts it in the '92 Dracula. But then to bring them together (under the guidance of Dr. Jekyll - I actually really liked this concept in The Mummy) in order to overcome a greater Evil-with-a-capital-E. Where The Mummy fell short, I believe, is that this "Greater Evil" was just sort of... well... Evil as a Concept. It wasn't personified in the way that, say, Ahmanet was in the Mummy. It was more of a "Hey, there's evil in the world, gotta Suicide Squad this shit." This may have been where the franchise was headed - setting up a big bad like Thanos that was seeded over a decade - but here in lies one of the problems you cite - trying to emulate Marvel, and thereby twisting their IPs into super-hero-shaped outlines they don't really fill. Ultimately, there are other directions they could have taken - they didn't need the Dark Avengers with Dracula, The Wolfman, the Invisible Man, etc. all teaming up to drop-kick Satan, or the Red Death, or The Demiurge, or whatever. But there's nothing inherently wrong with that concept - the problem is in execution. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen used this sort of setup to great advantage in the comics, and successfully. Where the film version failed wasn't at the conceptual level, but at the executive one. Anyway, this is all to say that interconnectedness IS FUN. That's part of why Marvel works, but it isn't something that other franchises are doomed if they try to incorporate. They're only doomed if they try to emulate it without understanding the IPs they have to work with. There's a moment in The Mummy where Ahmanet is about to plunge the ritual dagger into Tom Cruise as he's held on a sarcophagus by her undead minions. At the very last second her hand stops, right before stabbing the protagonist. She stops because she realizes the jewel is missing from the dagger's pommel, and if she kills him now, Set won't be able to join with him as the ritual will fail. This was a great narrative moment. It shows the sort of understanding of the source material - in an aesthetic, spiritual way - that could have been leaned on more to make a better film. The Mummy is about ancient magic, curses, the horror of another time brought to this age. The Undead Crusaders, resurrected by Ahmanet's power, was another great moment that played this up. But these elements were ultimately lost in the rest of the movie's attempts to hit that blockbuster tone. We see similar things with Dracula Untold - for every pitch-perfect scene, such as when Vlad confronts the vampire in his mountain cave lair and asks to be given the Dark Power - there's another scene that takes the wind out of the movie's sails, like the big bat cloud being used more or less like the Green Lantern's ring manifesting a giant fist to beat people up with. Anyway, once again, all of this is to say, there are problems beyond interconnectedness, and studios getting gun-shy after a flop and blaming everything on attempted tie-ins is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
@@SevenEllenwell then your gonna confuse it with the Monsterverse. The universe Warner Bros owns consisting of Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, King Ghidorah, the Mutos, Behemoth, Rodan, & more. That’s why I was thinking of Universal Monster Universe UMU because first Universal owns these classics, not to confuse it with the Monsterverse, & the Dark Universe kind of sounds bland and nothing inspiring really sort of.
I, despite me being mid teens, am a huge fan of the Universal Monsters. Have been since 7, still love it even today, and my favorite movie of all time is The Invisible Man. When I heard they were starting a connected franchise, you can imagine 9 year old me more hyped than I was for No Way Home. Unfortunately, at the time, I couldn't watch a PG-13 movie, despite my mom saying I could watch most of them on literally my 10th birthday, more than a month after The Mummy was released. I was still hyped for the rest of the movies. So much so, I kept track of the planned releases. The day their version of Bride of Frankenstein was supposed to come out, I looked up trailers and scenes...only to find nothing. Okay, I figured, maybe they didn't have everything together, but I'm sure they'll be ready. So I waited months and months for the film to be made. It was also around that their version of The Invisible Man, my most hyped up of the bunch, was supposed to come out...but it seemed as if Universal were big procrastinators. April 2019 rolled around, and bored, I watched my first episode of the Nostalgia Critic, Captain America 90s in case you were wondering. It was then I discovered the truth...there are some movies that stink. Eventually, I watched his and Angry Video Game Nerd's review of The Mummy, and it was then I knew the FULL truth. It's now April 19th, 2021, 7:10 PM here in Western New York, and as I write this, I sit there thinking I could've done it more justice, despite never writing a script before, and I've decided based on a fanfic, I would film my own version of the REAL Dark Universe.
I feel like they picked the wrong franchises to start the Dark Universe. Like The Mummy is too general a term. When you hear The Mummy, it just sounds like a generic Mummy movie. And there are so many movies with vampires and Dracula that their one doesn’t seem special. They should have started with Frankenstein or Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. There iconic, have interesting stories you might want to revisit, and have few movies that are so old you would want to a modern take
I'll be honest, I haven't seen any of the classic monster films, but I have gotten my hands on the books. ( The classic movies were made before I was born and the books were were available.) Going over the books and reading the characters made me realize the monsters were, I think, ment as a cautionary tale of some sort and the consequences that could arise. With these modern monster films, one or two get them spot on or just change the story and characters so much that you barely recognize them. The classic monsters were not sympathetic ( though I'd argue about Frankenstein's monster and the Phantom of the Opera, even though they do horrible things and should pay for those, you could get a sense of why they did them.) And that is what makes them compelling that you want to know more about these characters. The modern movies give that, I'll admit, but they either make them too sympathetic, I.e. good guy wronged by _____ in _____- or make every one else unlikable so we root for the monster. While it could work in a sense, I think the best thing to do is just read the book and make your own guess as to the characters actions
This is such an interesting point and I think that for some folks there is a disconnect between these characters now like I thought The Invisible Man was brilliant but how you said since they're one offs there is a disconnect with the history of these monsters. Would be great to see how they could link the movies in some way as they go forward. This also reminded me of the league of extraordinary gentlemen which while some didn't like I enjoyed how it brought such an array of characters like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, invisible man, lady Dracula, Oscar wilde even lol so it would be great to see an updated version with so many of these characters that haven't been given the screen time.
In 2017 The Mummy, though it was bad, I liked that evil was referred to as a disease and that could link the iconic monster character. Evil goes through evolution and the protagonist has to find a cure. I think it was fascinating. Though, the filmmakers were going the wrong way with the stories.
The Dark Universe failed because Universal put more effort into hyping up the fact that a shared universe was being made than making sure that this shared universe could even get off the ground. The reason why the Marvel Cinematic Universe got made was because the first movie did so well, and they weren't even thinking about a shared universe at the time. At the time, the Nick Fury cameo in Iron Man was just a little wink and nod to the Avengers, instead of a promise that an Avengers movie was actually going to be made. Thankfully, most of these horror characters are public domain, like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, etc. So anyone can make their own Dark Universe-style shared universe between the different horror icons and fix what Universal broke. They could even put Count Orlok, the Bat, Dr. Moreau, the Men in Black (the original urban legend, not the characters from the movies and comics) and the various Cthulhu Mythos creatures/deities in there for good measure.
All universal has to do is watch Trisatr’s 1987 film, “Monster Squad”, To know exactly what to do with classic movie monsters, though this movie maybe outdated, it could still function as a dated instructional videos for those who lost their way around making good classic monster movies. It isn’t bad to update said classic movie monster, just have it line up with a good script.
I also hope horror gets the same treatment, but I doubt Universal will do it justice. Most studios only care about money. I do have hope for Ryan Goslings Wolfman though. Only time will tell if we will get amazing horror movies in the future.
Awesome video, I too wish for a good Dark Universe, I dont know how Dracula untold was to be a starter to the monster universe. I actually liked Dracula untold along with The Wolfman and even The Mummy Remake. The invisible man was fantastic.
Excellent points. I really hope Universal revisits its plans. At this point, I'd love if they'd re-release the old classics in regular theaters. I'd pay good money to see them on the big screen.
I'd love to see David F Sandberg's take on Creature From The Black Lagoon. Also I'd kinda like to see "The Dark Universe" more as an umbrella for adapting the series as an Anthology series. Maybe get Patrick Stewart or Michael Fasbender to "host" each film in the same way Rod Serling did for Twilight Zone. It'd be different, but why not
I think The Wolf Man would be a good movie to pursue from a more psychological realm. A good Jacobs Ladder meets The Fly or Malignant would be kind of awesome. I would love a film where it toys with your ideas.
Something I feel is not talked about enough is Netflix’s Dracula Mini-series. It’s basically the classic Dracula, done justice. Production value is high enough to where nothing looks or feels cheap, but its also not among for anything but horror. If we got some monster movies in line with that series I will be happy
James Wan, Guillermo Del Toro and Jordan Peele are the best big names of modern horror and are perfect for Universal's Horror MCU. Guillermo Del Toro could do Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula,The Mummy and Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Jordan Peele may do The Wolf Man or The Invisible Man. Or James Wan can do The Creature of The Black Lagoon or many others. They're the big three of modern horror.
Lemme get this out the way. I think The Wolfman is a great film. It has good cinematography, gore, and the rampage through London and Werewolf fight at the end was damn entertaining. That said lemme thanks you for highlighting why the MCU works because I can't stand the contrarian dipshits complaining about how they're all "the same" and "there's too many" despite something like this is what hero fans have wanted. Sometimes I feel we just take it for granted because it has the Disney monolith behind it.
I'm not entirely sure what the point would be of a shared universe of horror monster characters, at least done in the same style as the MCU. With superheroes, the "they team up to fight greater threats" thing is kind of baked in, it's in more or less every comic book universe, with the Godzilla stuff that whole franchise was built on "lets watch these enormous things fight each other" - but the horror monsters are just that, horror monsters. I don't think there'd be much of a novelty in seeing them on screen together, at least not so much that it'd warrant building a whole universe for it. Personally I'd get a lot more out of just more of these movies actually getting made and made well.
I would love to see The Creature From the Black Lagoon get a movie, I mean Shape of Water was close, but I want an updated Gillman like they did with the Invisible Man anytime they try and relaunch the Universe he's always absent. Also I feel like none of the Dracula adaptations have really captured the horror of the book, the original is still great, but the book has moments that are legitimately creepy, like the Ship that Dracula boards and kills off 1 at a time with the locals finding a 'Dog' as the only survivor of the Ship and the Captain using rosaries to keep his notes of the encounter safe, it was creepy definitely reminded me of the Medan. But it's lost when it comes to films. I really want them to show Dracula as horrifying as the books do instead of campy, action hero, or some sexy Vampire from a YA Novel.
That's why I want to see Robert Eggers do Nosferatu so badly, I think he sense of tone and dread is just amazing. Dracula is a truly creepy novel, many scenes stick out that made me feel genuinely uneasy, and I've yet to see an adaptation capture that.
I think that the only way the dark universe could succeed is in a horror anthology. Honestly, I don’t think the horror genre was designed to take on the shared universe approach as comic books. With an anthology series, you can have standalone stories while taking place in the same world. If you want to add a connecting element, make a web series about a group exploring the world of monsters.
8:29 REALLY!? It’s one of the best films universal ever made on the Wolfman since the original. The design for the wolfman was fantastic and I thought the movie itself was fine.
What the Mummy in particular didn’t do was be its own movie, have the narrative focused on its beginning, middle and end and the cast of characters to tell those steps with. The film stops at one point to set up the core of the interconnectedness meant to thread the Dark Universe together, teasing all these things we could see but yet to finish the first movie! It’s trying to run before learning to walk and stumbling before the first hurdle. What the MCU did and that some of these wannabe franchises seem to miss is that Iron Man was its own story, and while the seeds were planted, it wasn’t in the main story but rather the post-credits scene. Avenger elements were built up around character introductions and development so that by the time they teamed up for the first time we knew who these people were and were familiar with their personalities as well as their powers. Whereas the Mummy puts more focus into spectacle, which usually means a lot of CGI effects you’re going to forget about after watching unless you’re ranting about how bland they are.
The biggest issue with the great vision you see is that it won't feel so much as a cinematic universe and more like movies acting separately from one another, one of the main reason why there was a goal to make a Marvel type of structure for the Dark Universe was the hope that we see those beloved character interact with each other in the future sadly the dark universe didn't pan out as we saw nobody felt the same way as seeing Dr. Jackal be in the same movie as the Mummy wasn't the same as seeing Iron Man with the Hulk and etc.
Del Toro is literally THE perfect guy to do something like this.
Dude del Toro should have been the Kevin Fiege of the Universal Monsters. The thing is that he almost *did* , the was offered back in 2007 but he rejected (probably because he was busy at the time). He even said that rejecting the offer was the *one* thing he regretted not doing (which is saying something from a director infamous for having so many Unmade Projects).
That is if he doesn't loose interest and jump ship.
@@jtcob8486 Lol the dude would commit and then bail on like he has for dozens of projects. definition of a flake.
Rumor has it that Del Toro actually proposed doing his own remake of "Black Lagoon" for Universal, but they turned him down, so he just filed off the 'serial numbers' and made it anyway ^_^
If this is true, its a real shame, as their first entry into the Dark Universe would have been a Best Picture winner as well (something not even the Lord of the Rings trilogy did first time out).
he's a lazy bastard
For what it is worth, DRACULA UNTOLD was actually a good film and had the potential to go in a fresh direction with the Dracula mythos. Yet, you are correct, The Dark Universe need not be a carbon copy of the MCU or any other action franchise.
It should be horror for The Universal Monsters are Tragic Villains Of Horror, not Awesome Action Heroes or Comical Circus Clowns.
I know right! Everyone seems to forget that Dracula Untold was what was originally supposed to kick start everything. And surprisingly, it was the better starting point than Tom Cruise The Mummy was
@@tjjordan4207 so true and Universal should have stayed the course with Dracula Untold, the reason why The Mummy wasn't good was because Tom Cruise was THE Problem, he wrecked the film with his ego by changing it from horror into action as well as a Vanity Project all about him which I am not surprised at. Because R. Lee Ermey even said that Tom Cruise destroyed Stanley Kubrick's last film Eyes Wide Shut. There was no need to get that circus midget being how The Mummy was going to be female and why have a franchise centered around a circus midget pushing 60.
@@stainshield 100% AGREE
@@stainshield as he said universal needs to hire horror, comedian or drama directors for their universal monsters, because both will make them all tragic and "path of the tyrant" characters
if they got the "serious/grounded" route, matt reeves showed you can take a fictional concept and ground it still
invisible man did that...for example instead of the wolfman being cursed why not make it a "speed/enhancement" steroid put into wolves gone wrong and talbot gets bit by one of the advanced wolves and that it becomes more like a virus and it only comes out during nightfall or explained a lunar moon earth change alters the virus and causes a "werewolf like" effect (similar to the batman tas episode where a track star takes a steroid with timbewolf dna in it),
dracula being a product of a blood disease that is breaking down his organs , hes a known king of say romania whos rich and they try to use the same type of steroid with talbot but with bats (he instead of him being immortal just make it a genetic disease passed down to generations (but the townspeople think its the same man due to their similar features and every generation goes along with the ruse so it makes it seem like immortality) and he kills people to drink their blood because he needs red blood cells/plasma to live
frankenstien's monster can be a quadrplegic victim (maybe his brother or his father that he feels responsible for their conditon) that he dr vitkor uses cyborg enhancements with cadaver organs and limbs (in fact george lucas based darth vader's injuries on the frankenstein monster) and it makes him go insane that hes a "monster"
the mummy could be played off like a imotep cult that worships him and an archologist leads this cult as he thinks he can ressurect him so much he hears about the "steroid" that dracula and talbot got and forces the same dr who made them to make a "rigormortis healing" type of drug that he gets injected into imotep's mummy it doesnt work so puts it in his body and it makes his body inbetween death and life causes a "mummy" like appearance
his idea for the creature from the black lagoon was spot on again id go with the "steroid" idea but make it a homeless person they expriement on and this person becomes more aquatic like
and abraham van helsing should be the connective tissue that blends them all together but i think he should be a commisioner or a sheriff who doesnt believe in the supernatural and explains that theres always a scientic explation to these socalled "supernatural" looking murders and attacks....i do think they should also have a "supernatural" cryptologist and a forensic crimologist working with van helsing as well but i'd play the cryptologist like a "fanboy/fangirl" with a serious tone..
just my two cents
The original Dark Universe shocked the world because they never saw the like of it before.
It was Gothic, romantic, sinister, poetic, frightening and macabre with humour that evolved from the elements of each story.
The original Dark Universe did not have "movie stars" it had actors who gave pathos and meaning to the characters. Most of these were written in the Victorian era, when people were fascinated by the macabre and conflicts of morality.
When Hammer made their versions they introduced blood and a sexuality that was more telling than before, and again used actors, not stars.
DRACULA: He is cursed with an immortality, the story tells the horror of that, and the penalty ( consuming blood ) that needs to be performed to sustain it. Although thought of as the epitome of evil, he fears God and fears death.
FRANKENSTEIN: The point of the story was, why man should not play God, and consequences of when he does. He is so focused on creating life that he doesn't realise how far from humanity he keeps going away from, and that it is he and not his creation that is the monster.
THE MUMMY: Being buried alive because he fell in love, he has spent thousands of years of a living hell, that once released nothing can stop his revenge.
THE WOLFMAN: Cursed by circumstance out of his control, the story is about him trying to find a cure while trying not to kill the people whom he cares about.
To succeed with a Dark Universe, each story has to be organic with a genuine Gothic and unsettling atmosphere.
These are human stories, that reflect the frailties of the the human mind. We need to go back to original movies to see why are we still watching them, and will we watch the modern film in 90 years time.
I wish there was a genuine modern interpretation of Frankenstein
Perfect
@@runman624 I'm still waiting for a movie to show Frankenstein's monster as the disturbingly beautiful creature he is in the book...
@@Ma55ey Check out 1973 TV movie Frankenstein: The True Story starring Michael Sarrazin as the "creature".
You forgot the creature from the black lagoon and the invisible man...
If a Robert Eggers' Nosferatu actually happens my film life will be complete. The Witch is one of my favorite movies of all time and he could make something transcendent out of Nosferatu.
I think it's definitely gonna happen considering all the acclaim he got with The Witch and The Lighthouse, he has already established himself as a talented director and people will definitely be interested in investing in his vision.
Besides if no one else does it, there is always A24 to rely on like both of his previous films.
He's been working on it for a while, apparently pouring a lot of blood sweat and tears into it. Honestly not sure what the delay is or what's going on with the project, but everything I've seen from him he still really wants to do it, so if it doesn't end up happening it'll be some studio to blame. The Witch and The Lighthouse are both masterpieces in my mind, with some of the most gorgeous cinematography, pitch perfect dialogue and production design. His eye for historical detail in Nosferatu would seriously be the coolest thing ever.
COVID related issues and theater closures probably didn't help in getting the green light. Plus The Northman had a number of scheduling issues (Skarsgard's departure) and a COVID delay. Hopefully it's next on the list.
@@daniel_netzel He felt like it would be too arrogant of him to make a remake of a classic movie this early in his career.
I didn't like The Witch it was more of a boring period piece drama than a Horror movie and the talking Goat at the end was hilarious, so personally I wouldn't watch his adaptation of Nosferatu, though The Lighthouse was a bit better because Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson and kept my attention unlike The Witch, it still lacked any horror and had Animals doing weird at times comedic things though this time Seagulls instead of the Rabbit. I just don't like these art house "horror" movies, and while A24 has made a couple good things (The Monster and Room) if I see a movie from that studio I'll typically skip it because most the time it's a lot of dumb movies in my opinion.
Guillermo Del Toro is the PERFECT man to spearhead a Dark Universe....his gothic storytelling about monsters which reveal more about human nature than the monsters itself are the perfect way to make movies about these ancient horror characters....
It is funny that Van Helsing had almost no critical possitive reviews, since the movie does have the best werewolves even now. (compared to the Wolfman and Underworld).
Honestly all of these movies have the potential to be truly great modern horror movies. I don't want them to be action movies.
I think we could put some action too ,an action horror movie could be made
I think balance is important
Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite films, I love its level of horror as someone who isn't a big fan of horror.
It's definitely campy, and silly at times but I've always loved it. Some of the best cinematography I've ever seen, some of Danny Elfman's best work too IMO, and just a fucking great time at the movies.
One of my favorites. I watch it every halloween season.
I'm surprised Disney hasn't made their own updated live-action Sleepy Hollow adaptation.
I'm kind of glad its hype is more lowkey and dare I say, bordering on cult-classic because it's certainly its own self-contained product that need not be franchised and sequelled to death. Rewatchable is putting it lightly; such a beautifully shot film that also isn't afraid to have fun with itself.
@@viscountrainbows6452 agree
It’d be tough to have a dark universe where all the monsters exist in the same world, maybe the common thread is a family of monster hunters or civilizations that have had encounters with them throughout history and that impacts the future and so on. A lot of potential but you need the right person in charge and you gotta put in the effort
It also gives more of an anthology feel (like the videogame series Dark Pictures), giving more creative freedom since it’s not automatically tied to a pre-established time period, previous narrative or cast of characters. Contrasting directorial styles are also accounted for, and period pieces won’t be out of place or require a flashback narrative to justify it.
@@jbcatz5 Absolutely, as long as the monsters are somewhat consistent then each director can put their own spin on it, we can see how different people and time periods react to the existence of these monsters and their methods for dealing with them, at some point you can have a big ensemble movie where you throw a lot of these monsters in a blender and see what kinda chaos they cause
We already have some films where all the universal monsters exist in the same world.
Those films are Monster Squad, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Van Helsing.
@@Destino2493 YES THIS, that is what we want. Just give each monster it’s own movie and let the finale film be an ensemble with all of them.
I’m talking Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster, The Creature, The Invisible-Man, The Mummy, all stuck in one place and let’s just see the chaos insue. No monster team ups but just a good Monster Mash like the classics.
@@Destino2493 Um, the original "Universal Monsters" films shared the same universe. But, yes, it would be better if the focus was on stories for individual monsters, while crossovers still occasionally occur.
Eiko Ishioka's costumes for Coppola's Dracula remain some of THE best film costumes of all time. I don't care if they're historically inaccurate, they are iconic.
They are GORGEOUS. And I'm of the mind that films should feel comfortable forging their own sense of history, if it elevates the art then I'm all here for it.
I watched it the other day..fucking amazing! Some of the best costumes I think I have ever seen
You mean to tell me that people in the time-period of vampires didn't wear ludicrous fuck-off cloaks all the time?
Yanno what, in my universe, they totes did 😤
Very true.
I loved this video. I really hope that a unique iteration of the Universal Monsters makes it and actually succeeds.
Thanks dude! I sincerely hope so too, when it was first announced I got so hyped. A big budget HORROR franchise?!! Sign me up! But then they just bungled the hell out of it, and it doesn't even feel like horror lol
I wanted a creature from the black lagoon reinterpretation I think the mummy could have worked if it didn’t have tom would have worked the other mummy movies were horror comedy and action movies
Penny Dreadful and A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen were wonderful monsterverse crossovers in my opinion. I also enjoyed Dracula Untold and del Toro's Wolfman. Compared with Fraser's Mummy, Tom Cruise's money was terrible though.
Impressive, I personally thought the dark universe attempts were over after the failure of the mummy and after the invisible man movie.
Also I had no idea there were “previous attempt’s” of the dark university before Dracula untold and I still hope that eventually someone , somehow will be able to creat an amazing and well deserved “dark universe “.
I was pretty keen at the time for a Dark Universe but it seems that stand alone films in some kind of franchise continuity is proving to be a successful trend recently.
I just don't think Dracula was ever meant to be Iron Man, ya know? And I agree, even Marvel has been more experimental lately and people love it.
@@daniel_netzel I would've just loved easter eggs in the Dark Universe.
2:00 after watching unhinged, I really want A Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Russel crowe film, he was easily the best part about the mummy
I believed in the potential of this universe, and while Dracula untold didnt get that much love, I believed it was a great start. Also if you count del torros wolfman. But Tom cruises mummy derailed it for me and the dark universe as a whole. Still I think it’s a good idea.
I like a lot that dracula movie
The failed Dark Universe doesn’t get talked about enough
Watching Dracula Untold and The Mummy honestly made me so sad. Awful, AWFUL movies, especially The Mummy, arguably one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
The Mommy, from 1999, made a stable Franchise, without even trying, unlike The Mummy from 2017. How ironic!!!
@@arthurfortes8398 Tom Cruise was THE Problem.
It gets talked about way more than most cinematic universes
@@daniel_netzel Dracula untold was awesome bro
Modernizing 'The Mummy' by making it a present day-set action movie is to aim it to a sea of same-ness of modern spectacle blockbusters. As if that wasn't bad enough, they missed and rather than float in that sea of same-ness, it drowned.
I know what you mean. I’ve come to dislike movies that always take place in modern day. I love movies that takes place in fantasy worlds or older times.
That was because Tom Cruise was THE Problem.
@@stainshield I thought you said it was a technical problem?
Tom: Technically i was the problem
@Dick Figgus excellent point
that Mummy movie must have been a new level of bad because it killed the universe after one movie, like they didn't even attempt to give it another go, that must be a new record. Can it even be called a universe anymore when theres only one film in this continuity?
Dracula untold was a good movie, in my opinion. I loved it. It is a shame there's no sequel.
As far as I'm concerned, Universal could still right now pump some money into refining the vfx and Joe Johnston's Wolfman would suddently become a perfect movie.
THANK YOU!!! Del Toro was actually offered the Dark Universe but turned it down due to too much involvement by the studio. But can you imagine if he actually took them up on it??? Oh a girl can dream! I think that sometimes big budgets are a hinderance on movies. The Lost Boys was a low budget movie and because of that, the various parts of the movie (filming, costume, FX, etc) had to get creative and it worked in their favor. With the big budgets, directors think, "throw in a huge CGI set piece" or "this is where we can have a huge battle/chase" and it is for no reason, it doesn't add to the story. Another example is Knives Out, this was a relatively low budget movie but because of the writing and vision of the film, Rian Johnson was able to get big names for the cast and the film was a critical success. Compared to the updated Murder on the Orient Express, it felt like an unneeded update where a cast of great actors were given little to do or had to do what they could with the script that they were given. Out of Dracula Untold and The Mummy with Tom Cruise, I think Dracula Untold is a stronger and better movie. The Monster Films (both Universal and Hammer) were so great because of the connection that the audience made with the monsters; you saw yourself in their struggles and their wants. With the updated Mummy movie and the addition of a female Mummy, I thought this would be a great tale of feminism. A story of a woman who was erased from history or had been turned into a villain due to the narratives spun my male counterparts. (My "fix-it" would have made Amanet take on the power of Set to save her kingdom from a great sickness or an incoming enemy army. With her kingdom saved, she locked herself away to never give Set a corporeal form. However, The Pharaoh had a son and Amanet was erased from history or her Father took the glory that was meant to be hers and instead wrote her off as a power hungry daughter that was punished for not knowing her place. She could wake up in modern day and after being constantly told that she is evil or finding out what was done to her story, she says Fuck it. She becomes the antagonist rather than the villain as she sees that the world has not changed and she will be the one to change it. A little better, no?) Instead, they turned her into a power hungry bitch who could have just killed her family without the help of a God. Imotehp just wanted to be reunited with his love who was married to the Pharaoh, details aside, we have all had or experienced a second hand a relationship like this. The Studio also went immediately in with the shared universe, why not either make the universe shared through the updated and mature story telling like suggested or keep it within the same world. I'll explain, make these various stories all happen through out history to build a sense of time and shared space. Instead of bringing in this secret society in the first movie, put Easter eggs through out each film until you unveil that there was an organization documenting each supernatural instance. Remember in Iron Man, Agent Coulson didn't even say "S.H.I.E.L.D." until the end of the movie. You didn't truly get to see a SHIELD base until The Avengers. So, okay, you introduce a cabal like organization that documents and jails these supernatural creatures. Is it a prequel with its establishment by Abraham Van Helsing or a movie where a descendant joins the organization? Maybe the updated Mummy should have been a period piece, maybe not the 1920's but perhaps the 1960s/1970s when a time of sexual revolution was going on. I think that the Invisible Man is a good film that takes the situation of an abusive/stalker relationship one step further and makes the "how" of the invisible man relatable in the modern era. But there is a part of me that wishes that the Dark Universe worked out because there was potential to change the "cinematic universe" format. The studio wanted to immediately be at Marvel level without having to do any of the work of building the universe. It's the same short cuts that we have seen before. For example, Fox and the Dark Phoenix Saga; the Phoenix has to have its storylines before going to Dark Phoenix. Universal wanted to have 10th movie success on movie 2 of a franchise and that was their downfall.
That is true and he regrets turning them down.
@@stainshield Oh what could have been! Imagine having the Shape of Water being the beginning of the Dark Universe? This would have been a great way to revamp the "Creature of the Black Lagoon" as well as the Monster movie in general. The monster was the good guy and gets the girl in the end!
Great video man. 👍 It's refreshing to see a different perspective on Dark Universe. Because generally I've seen most people only making fun of it for trying to imitate MCU but they never mention something like what you have talked about here.
I hope Universal hires all those amazing Talanted Modern Horror directors that you mentioned and let them make an interesting horror films with higher budget about these iconic characters.
Thanks man! I always try to treat things with a certain level of respect, but moreover, I just like imagining how things could have gone better, I tried to do the same with my last video as well. I feel like anyone can pick a part why something sucks when it's an obviously shit movie, but I thought it was cool to look through the annals and try and find what I think would be their best solution moving forward.
They need to hire Jordan Peele.
It's sad because del Toro approached Universal about making The Shape of Water but brought it to Searchlight Pictures after they wanted him to remove all the romance aspects.... Their loss.
This is a great video, I'd love to see more big budget, classy horror films like Sleepy Hollow. That has to be the most visually stunning horror film I've ever seen, just incredible.
I really liked Dracula Untold. It was pretty cool. Plus, it was basically the live action Castlevania Lords of Shadow movie I’ve always wanted.
Great video, engaging commentary
That's kind of you to say! Thank you :)
There are two good ways to do a dark universe.
One, make it Lovecraft’s combined universe. Yes, Lovecraft had a combined universe before those things were cool. His books exist in a shared universe and it could be explored with the right directors and vision.
Two, if you want to include the “classic” monsters, make the movies in the Chronicles of Darkness universe. Yes the gothic horror role play games by White Wolf/Obsidian Games. You want to tell the Dracula story again? Tell Dracula as portrayed in Vampire: the Requiem and tell the lead up to the vampiric organization Ordo Dracul that exists in the game. Want to tell a wolf man story with a fresh take? Make a Werewolf: the Forsaken movie, it’s got an original take on werewolves that’s got potential for multiple movies and can tie into the larger universe of monsters. Frankenstein? Here’s why I suggested Chronicles of Darkness and not World of Darkness. Make a Frankenstein movie from the lens of Promethian: the Created (a game that didn’t exist in WoD). The Mummy? Mummy: the Cursed could easily follow a mummy character’s journey across time, starting with their origins in Unknown Irem, and following the monstrous deeds of a mummy and its cult across the ages as the mummy slowly breaks free of the control of the Judges of Ma’at and attains Apotheosis. This has lots of tie in potential with Vampire as well as lots of historical story telling. The Invisible Man? That could easily be a Mage from Mage: the Awakening. More specifically, one of the Maad.
Don’t pull a Spawn and just shove the backstory of these genres in the audience’s face with blunt exposition up front either. Let the audience get a show drip of reveals as each story goes along. It’s okay for the audience to be ignorant and not omniscient. Part of horror is the fear of the unknown.
I’m telling you, if you want to put the Universal monsters in a combined cinematic universe, then Chronicles of Darkness is the way to go. It also allows the universe to expand in unexpected directions with IPs like Changeling: the Lost, Demon: the Descent, and Hunter: the Vigil.
Exactly! It's like you read my mind. Either idea would be great.
Actually loved Dracula untold and I could at least put up with the new mummy movie I wish they'd kept making movies and continue Dracula's story
Exactly it was a good vampire Dracula movie seen it bunch of times best one imo
@@jon_ovo3653 yeah
The Shape of Water actually started out as a remake of Creature From the Black Lagoon. In 2002, Del Toro was signed on to direct a remake by Universal but they didn't like his idea of the film being from the creature's perspective and him having a love interest so that film never got made
I completely agree. I love the old Universal Monster films. I had them all on DVD as a kid. I'd love to see them given the respect they deserve if they are going to remake/reimagine them. But they have to stay true to what the characters and stories were all about. There is an audience out there that is longing for some 'proper' films, not action ones disguised as horror.
I want to see horror films that have characters that you get to know and actually care about. Ones that build up the tension and suspense slowly. I don't want to see action 'horror' or cheap jump scare 'horror' films... That's not what true horror is suppose to be about at all.
It's like people forget how terrifying those original stories were when they first came out, but they were undeniably horror films meant to scare people. It's why I did enjoy The Invisible Man at least, definitely takes the time to build the tension and emotion to make for better horror, and honestly one scene in particular is one of the best horror scenes I've seen in a long time.
I support what you say, why do we need action/funny/horror hybrids what happened to the gothic horror of old. Even if they made a movie in black and white I’d watch that for some uniqueness.
@@daniel_netzel the invisible man was so good because how near realistic is was with abusive partners, ptsd, gaslighting, paranoia,mental breakdown, etc. The ending was very satisfying with her becoming the invisible women to kill him and make it look like suicide.
Great video man, I personally really wanted the dark universe and still want to happen. I happen to me the few who actually liked "The Wolfman 2010", along with "Dracula Untold 2014", and even "The Mummy 2017". I liked the idea the director had of The Mummy that it's in the same universe as Brendan Frasers movies since we saw the Golden Book of Amun Ra, probably to get less hate of being a reboot, but I still liked the idea. I hope they can get their shit together.
I totally agree with you. It would be great to see some of my own old favourite monsters back on the main screen,
They already did a Dark Universe. It was an awesome TV Show called Penny Dreadful
There is a similar "Dark Universe" tv show out there that's pretty good IMO.
PENNY DREADFUL!
In the same vein, i feel like the haunting of hill house and Bly manor do provide a bit of a template to create classy gothic horror in a contemporary setting. It's less pulpy than Penny Dreadful, but it's still a good exemple of bridging the cap between Indie psychological horror and classic gothic vibes.
Imma save you all the trouble.. two words...
PENNY DREADFUL
This is absolutely perfect!!! I've loved the classic Monsters for a while but have a hard time explaining my frustrations with the Dark Universe. You encapsulated a lot of horror fans thoughts so perfectly for this!
Incredibly well edited.
Some of the best I've seen.
That's kind of you to say!
@@daniel_netzel Happy to.
You've earned it.
I would LOVE this!!
I know it's sounds a little too pulpy for his wheelhouse, but I would kill to see David Fincher direct a gothic period piece werewolf, mummy, or Jack the Ripper movie. Imagine the clinical noir of Se7en mixed with the visceral adventure of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the timeless, gritty aesthetic of the 1990's universal horror movies.
I have a suspicion that this kind of gothic pulp horror fundamentally can't work in a modern setting, it's just too stark, sparse, and sleek. Even The Invisible Man (2020) while intriguing felt limited by it's very contemporary setting and visual palette. My tastes always revert to the foggy moors and archeological expeditions of the past.
Also, great video, man.
The world, settings, styles and tones help make the movies too. I mean if you bring back old characters or a sequel to a movie/s from years back or more you need to bring that world back too or do it in modern new movies too which they are or might/seem to be doing now
If anyone is interested in a good example of what a "dark universe" can be, I recommend the series Penny Dreadful. It's a gothic horror show set in victorian London with almost all the classic monsters; fair warning: is a slow burner. Also I'm referring to the first version of the series, the one with Eva Green, avoid the "city of angels" version like the fracking plague.
This could genuinely be the resurgence of horror we desperately need, if they actually connected respecting artistic vision with a connected universe. It could end up forcing the filmmakers to create new horror techniques and ideas that the genre desperately needs right now. Sadly, they probably won't do it.
If in like ten years they haven't yet, don't worry I'll take care of the problem.
I love the Brendan Frasier Mummy movie. It has that kind of pulpy, retro adventure feel to it. Plus, it's a period piece.
I think one of the major difficulties with trying to adapt Universal's horror properties to the same style as the Marvel and DC superhero movies is the fact that the titular characters in those old films were generally the villains. In films such as Dracula, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Mummy, those classical horror characters weren't the heroes, the heroes were the human characters whose role was to either kill them or contain them in order to prevent them from doing harm to the world or to their loved ones. It's pretty hard to build a Justice League with a mashup of characters that are literally the villain from their own films and expect audiences to go along with it.
Exactly, they were never meant to be the protagonist. It's why these stories are just better left out the action genre in general.
@@daniel_netzel Personally I think putting an action spin on these stories can work, so long as it's done in a way that does not contradict established canon or attempt to glorify the creatures. However I feel like both Dracula Untold and the Mummy 2016 had either overshot the mark or missed it completely.
With Dracula Untold I feel Luke Evans made the character way too sympathetic, to the point that he was no longer the same Dracula from Bram Stoker's novel that we know and love. There's a reason Stoker based the character on Vlad Tepes, a 15th century Eastern European warlord known for his cruel and wicked nature. In the movies and the novel they are based, Dracula is meant to be a unsympathetic fiend, a demon incarnate that the heroes are supposed to take down without any reservations. But I honestly think giving Dracula a sympathetic backstory in his own prequel could have worked, had it been played up for tragedy. They could of had him start out as a prince who sought to become a vampire in order to better protect his family and home from the encroaching Ottoman Empire (like they did in the film), but overtime his newfound vampirism warps his personality to the point where by the end of the film he loses all humanity and ends up becoming the Dracula of Stoker's novel.
As for the Mummy 2016, They seem to have tried going the Terminator 2 route by turning Tom Cruise into a good mummy fighting the bad mummy. I suppose that could have also worked except they didn't do it in a way that made the bad mummy very powerful at least compared to Cruise. In fact Sofia Boutella's character didn't appear like a particularly big threat. They were able to take her down very easily nearly halfway into the film, with Tom Cruise killing her effortlessly by the end. The past Mummy films established the titular character as a supernatural threat that the protagonists had to come up with creative ways and risked their lives to defeat. Boutella's mummy was very non-threatening.
The list of Dark Universe Movie that i know like from MCU and DCEU if Del Toro can design the monsters and horrors:
-Van Helsing.
-Dracula Untold.
-The Mummy.
-The Wolf Man.
-The Birth of Frankenstein and his Bride.
-The Creatures of The Black Lagoon.
-Tales of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
-The Invisible Man.
-Sherlock Holmes.
-Lupin The World's Greatest Thief.
-Captain Nemo and The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
-The Legend of Tarzan Lord of The Apes.
-Solomon Kane.
-Esmeralda The Gypsy Sorceress.
-Countess Marya Zaleska.
-Martin Hesselius The Ghost Detective.
-The Phantom of Opera.
-The Shrinking Man and The 50ft. Giant Woman.
-Sleepy Hollow.
-Sun Wukong.
-The Curse of Gorgon Medusa.
-Mina Harker.
-Gods, Monsters, and Mutants.
-Attack of The Undead.
-Supernatural Secret Service.
Your rundown of the history of connected franchises was pretty informative, and though I'm quite ready for more superhero stories, awesome video.
The best way to do a “cinematic universe” with these horror icons is to just say they all take place in the same universe and leave it there. No meetings or anything. Just that they all happen to take place in the same world. So that way the films can all do their own thing and no one needs to compromise their vision.
Then what's the point of placing them in the same universe? They don't need to have a big Avengers-style team-up with all the monsters, but they could still do something to justify or take advantage of them being connected.
Imagine if Sony decided to put Men in Black, Ghostbusters, and Godzilla 1998 all in the same universe just because they're all owned by them and take place in New York City. Some people might think that's a cool idea, but unless the characters from those movies actually start interacting or even just acknowledge each other's existence in some way, then what Sony says doesn't really matter if them being in the same universe doesn't contribute anything to the individual series.
The show Penny Dreadful is the perfect template if they ever wanted to reboot the Dark Universe! It's pretty much the Dark Universe but in a TV format.
Your editing is top notch.
Thanks dude! I do my best :D
Get people that understand gothic or atmospheric visuals onboard, and use directors with a passion for horror and you could truly create a great dark universe. Even Zack Snyder did a better job at horror than whoever directed the Tom Cruise Mummy film. And really great video on this subject!
I think any Universal Studios, Blumhouse, or any other studio wants should do what Paramount did with the Writers room for the Transformers Cinematic Universe but better and with horror. Also they should get also the writers to get to know with the Directors. I think James Wans should direct one if the horror films. Or even better just create new Iconic monsters for the century and work together and work together to create a shared Universe. Sort of like the Conjuring Universe but with better spinoffs or even do a anthology franchise.
It’s funny that the studio tried TWO times to get this cinematic universe started but never learned from their mistakes. Then again, it does make sense when all things considered.
The dark universe could totally work, if each movie was set in a different era ;example The mummy in late 1890s to early 1900s or the Wolfman during medieval Romania. Have the story based on the hero of thousand faces and why they’re destined to fight their nemesis for all eternity leading up to facing a far greater evil something beyond stars and human understanding.
Universal should also use their 1994 cartoon Monster Force as the base for The Dark Universe.
Not gonna lie, the ONLY way I could watch an Avengers-style team up is if they fought some Lovecraftian entity, and that would honestly be pretty dope.
Excellent video Daniel!
Thank you so much!
@@daniel_netzel Of course. I love your editing style! It's very clean and reminds me a lot of kaptainkristian if you've seen his stuff.
I love kaptainkristian, he was always one of my favorites on TH-cam, so that means a lot to me :)
Just a comment for the algorithm keep up the good work man. Top notch content as always
Thanks Ben, TH-cam is a better place for having people like you!
I want this to work so bad. But they must go back to the gothic horror vision these films are intended to have. Lose the action movie focus first and foremost. And I agree, I also really enjoyed the updated version of The Invisible Man. It kept it's gothic style (or feel if you will) while also modernizing it. Very underrated in my opinion.
Well asking Alex Kurtzman to do it was the first mistake they've made...
Exactly! But it's what I'm talking about, they tapped people known for other action franchises instead of horror filmmakers, and I will literally never understand that.
@@daniel_netzel true that along with Tom Cruise who was also THE Problem as well.
@@daniel_netzel You put the finger on it, they wanted to be marvel with the faintest gothic edge, because they don't trust "prestige" horror to work. It's weird how their approach to risk aversion is turning what could be reliable low budget affairs into all in bets for 400 million action blockbusters (once marketing is included), plus all the scrapped pre-production on cancelled sequels and follow up movies.
The issue is that they probably went about it backwards: they looked into their catalogue for a franchise to compete with Marvel and Warner, and landed on their classic monsters, rather than taking the classic monsters and wondering the best movies they could make out of them.
I can't completely blame them given the movie market and pressure to build franchises out of everything, besides , figuring out the right balance of fun spectacle vs disturbing and psychological is always tough, especially when you want franchise potential and not just good individual movies.
They should get the dude who did Penny Dreadful to help out. He technically did the Dark Universe in the show.
This is an amazing video essay! The content is exactly what I love, the editing is fantastic, and your voice is natural and relaxing. Great job! Also I agree with pretty much all your takes on the great horror directors and the direction these movies should go.
Wow, thank you! You are too kind. P.S. Thanks for checking out some of my other videos 👏
@@daniel_netzel Absolutely!
"The horror... the horror... of universal's dark universe." - true fan exhales last breath.
They have a treasure trove of characters, it would be such a shame if they let it go to waste. This is an awesome video, I’m not sure why this doesn’t have more views.
Thanks my brother, hoping that algorithm lifts me up on eagle's wings.
There isn't any script writers, or movie directors with passion for the dark and twisted old school movies and books. What horror truly needs is imagination, and the ability to go into the dark and twisted part of the mind. I cant remember the last time I was actually scared by a movie. I would do anything for a Stephen King, Tim Burton team up for a horror film.
Robert Eggers, Brandon Cronenberg, Adam Wingard, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Soska Sisters. There's a few out there who'd push the boat out. Not many bit a few.
I did think of an idea for Universal Monsters. It's more of a tv show kinda thing where Dracula wakes up to a modern world where Humans and Monsters Co-Exist, finds his friends have happily adapted to this world and he's trying to convince them once again 'humans bad monsters good' while the monsters are like 'we know humans suck but Monsters are no better'. Just a silly animated comedy, probably adult animated, idk i haven't gotten to that part
I'm a simple man. I see a video uploaded by Daniel Netzel I hit like
My man ;)
I completely agree with you. I actually loved Dracula Untold and thought it was a wicked good movie to start the Dark Universe. But, I believe, because they switched the date of release from October 24 a week before Halloween weekend to October 10 due to another bigger movie being released before it and them wanting to get ahead of it by a week the movie suffered. And I don’t think they gave it a good promo campaign, they could’ve done better. But the film was great and I wish they’d make a sequel. They ruined the mummy reboot, which became the Tom Cruise show and not the Mummy show as it was meant to be. But yes I see a lot of potential, hopefully they’ll resurrect the Dark Universe again someday with a new cast and a more solid vision and storyline. Directors, I think, have more power now, thanks to social media where fans can back them up and literally change studio directions to make projects happen. So fingers crossed 🤞!!!
The Mummy 2017 was actually a good film. So sad it was compared to the Brendon Fraser one even though the original 1930s ones are close to 2017 one.
Dark Universe would have been awesome. So much squandered potential. They just need to make good movies with small references to other films, not change the core of the story for the sake of making a shared universe.
I think a lot of people (including studio executives who are knee-jerking from failed concepts) have this notion that interconnectedness is somehow to blame for a franchise's failure at the box-office.
The wisdom goes something like this: in attempting to build up a Marvel style cinematic universe, writers and filmmakers end up sacrificing too much of a story's plot in the service of setting up future films.
So by course correcting to individual projects that share an aesthetic or "spiritual" connection but that aren't connected narratively, filmmakers are freed from the restraint of having to connect their project to others in the shared universe.
DC has done this. So has the Dark Universe.
But lets really look at that for a moment: in attempting a postmortem on a failed franchise, we keep trying to find that ONE THING that will answer the question "Why did this fail?"
This is human nature. We want to organize things cognitively. We want to find the problem so we can fix it. And in so doing we often rely on scapegoats: single "problematic" things we can use as foils for our dissatisfaction with events.
By heaping all of our malcontent onto one particular thing, we can banish it from our sight and our dissatisfaction along with it.
I think that's what's happening here with the concept of interconnectedness.
One of the reasons it works with Marvel is that each film has it's own particular tone and influences. Iron Man gave us the template for success, but movies like Thor branch out with Branagh's Shakespearean take, while Winter Soldier views like a spy thriller. Black Panther, while being essentially a better version of the first Thor movie on a fundamental level, delves into the essence of racial inequality and generational trauma in a way a bunch of Nordic Superbeings could never accomplish (and an attempt to do so would be horrifying, Idris Elba aside).
The Dark Universe could have benefited from this same concept by allowing each movie some breathing room to be more than blockbuster spectacle. Dracula Untold has the seeds of a story about rulership and sacrifice. There are some very interesting moments in the film, such as when Dracula spreads vampirism among his subjects to grant them the power to defeat the invaders. This concept of Power & Rulership, and the sacrifices that fuel them, is a compelling concept, but the difference between Dracula and Thor or T'challa is that Dracula is (or I suppose, should have been) consumed by a power that is corrupting.
This is the Dark Universe. And attempts such as Dracula Untold or The Mummy to turn these monsters into heroes is, I think, one of the major places that the franchise steered wrong.
How much more interesting would it be to set these monsters up as, well, MONSTERS. As creatures of the outer darkness, as Van Helsing puts it in the '92 Dracula. But then to bring them together (under the guidance of Dr. Jekyll - I actually really liked this concept in The Mummy) in order to overcome a greater Evil-with-a-capital-E.
Where The Mummy fell short, I believe, is that this "Greater Evil" was just sort of... well... Evil as a Concept. It wasn't personified in the way that, say, Ahmanet was in the Mummy. It was more of a "Hey, there's evil in the world, gotta Suicide Squad this shit." This may have been where the franchise was headed - setting up a big bad like Thanos that was seeded over a decade - but here in lies one of the problems you cite - trying to emulate Marvel, and thereby twisting their IPs into super-hero-shaped outlines they don't really fill.
Ultimately, there are other directions they could have taken - they didn't need the Dark Avengers with Dracula, The Wolfman, the Invisible Man, etc. all teaming up to drop-kick Satan, or the Red Death, or The Demiurge, or whatever. But there's nothing inherently wrong with that concept - the problem is in execution. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen used this sort of setup to great advantage in the comics, and successfully. Where the film version failed wasn't at the conceptual level, but at the executive one.
Anyway, this is all to say that interconnectedness IS FUN. That's part of why Marvel works, but it isn't something that other franchises are doomed if they try to incorporate. They're only doomed if they try to emulate it without understanding the IPs they have to work with.
There's a moment in The Mummy where Ahmanet is about to plunge the ritual dagger into Tom Cruise as he's held on a sarcophagus by her undead minions. At the very last second her hand stops, right before stabbing the protagonist. She stops because she realizes the jewel is missing from the dagger's pommel, and if she kills him now, Set won't be able to join with him as the ritual will fail.
This was a great narrative moment. It shows the sort of understanding of the source material - in an aesthetic, spiritual way - that could have been leaned on more to make a better film. The Mummy is about ancient magic, curses, the horror of another time brought to this age. The Undead Crusaders, resurrected by Ahmanet's power, was another great moment that played this up. But these elements were ultimately lost in the rest of the movie's attempts to hit that blockbuster tone.
We see similar things with Dracula Untold - for every pitch-perfect scene, such as when Vlad confronts the vampire in his mountain cave lair and asks to be given the Dark Power - there's another scene that takes the wind out of the movie's sails, like the big bat cloud being used more or less like the Green Lantern's ring manifesting a giant fist to beat people up with.
Anyway, once again, all of this is to say, there are problems beyond interconnectedness, and studios getting gun-shy after a flop and blaming everything on attempted tie-ins is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Bravo! I applauded at the end!
Thank you ☺
I think they should’ve called this Dark Universe the Universal Monster Universe aka UMU or Universal Monster Cinematic Universe aka UMCU.
Too wordy. "The Monster Universe" is long enough.
@@SevenEllenwell then your gonna confuse it with the Monsterverse. The universe Warner Bros owns consisting of Godzilla, King Kong, Mothra, King Ghidorah, the Mutos, Behemoth, Rodan, & more. That’s why I was thinking of Universal Monster Universe UMU because first Universal owns these classics, not to confuse it with the Monsterverse, & the Dark Universe kind of sounds bland and nothing inspiring really sort of.
The biggest mistake was turning Tom Cruise into Mummy. I can't see where they could have gone next with that ending.
Good point! And no... you are definitely not the only one hoping and waiting to see that some day...
I, despite me being mid teens, am a huge fan of the Universal Monsters. Have been since 7, still love it even today, and my favorite movie of all time is The Invisible Man. When I heard they were starting a connected franchise, you can imagine 9 year old me more hyped than I was for No Way Home. Unfortunately, at the time, I couldn't watch a PG-13 movie, despite my mom saying I could watch most of them on literally my 10th birthday, more than a month after The Mummy was released. I was still hyped for the rest of the movies. So much so, I kept track of the planned releases. The day their version of Bride of Frankenstein was supposed to come out, I looked up trailers and scenes...only to find nothing. Okay, I figured, maybe they didn't have everything together, but I'm sure they'll be ready. So I waited months and months for the film to be made. It was also around that their version of The Invisible Man, my most hyped up of the bunch, was supposed to come out...but it seemed as if Universal were big procrastinators. April 2019 rolled around, and bored, I watched my first episode of the Nostalgia Critic, Captain America 90s in case you were wondering. It was then I discovered the truth...there are some movies that stink. Eventually, I watched his and Angry Video Game Nerd's review of The Mummy, and it was then I knew the FULL truth. It's now April 19th, 2021, 7:10 PM here in Western New York, and as I write this, I sit there thinking I could've done it more justice, despite never writing a script before, and I've decided based on a fanfic, I would film my own version of the REAL Dark Universe.
I feel like they picked the wrong franchises to start the Dark Universe. Like The Mummy is too general a term. When you hear The Mummy, it just sounds like a generic Mummy movie. And there are so many movies with vampires and Dracula that their one doesn’t seem special. They should have started with Frankenstein or Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. There iconic, have interesting stories you might want to revisit, and have few movies that are so old you would want to a modern take
No lies told! Thank you! ❤️
Superb Editing - I wanted to single that out for this video. I hope my editing gets as good as this.
I'll be honest, I haven't seen any of the classic monster films, but I have gotten my hands on the books. ( The classic movies were made before I was born and the books were were available.) Going over the books and reading the characters made me realize the monsters were, I think, ment as a cautionary tale of some sort and the consequences that could arise. With these modern monster films, one or two get them spot on or just change the story and characters so much that you barely recognize them. The classic monsters were not sympathetic ( though I'd argue about Frankenstein's monster and the Phantom of the Opera, even though they do horrible things and should pay for those, you could get a sense of why they did them.) And that is what makes them compelling that you want to know more about these characters. The modern movies give that, I'll admit, but they either make them too sympathetic, I.e. good guy wronged by _____ in _____- or make every one else unlikable so we root for the monster. While it could work in a sense, I think the best thing to do is just read the book and make your own guess as to the characters actions
This is such an interesting point and I think that for some folks there is a disconnect between these characters now like I thought The Invisible Man was brilliant but how you said since they're one offs there is a disconnect with the history of these monsters. Would be great to see how they could link the movies in some way as they go forward. This also reminded me of the league of extraordinary gentlemen which while some didn't like I enjoyed how it brought such an array of characters like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, invisible man, lady Dracula, Oscar wilde even lol so it would be great to see an updated version with so many of these characters that haven't been given the screen time.
In 2017 The Mummy, though it was bad, I liked that evil was referred to as a disease and that could link the iconic monster character. Evil goes through evolution and the protagonist has to find a cure. I think it was fascinating. Though, the filmmakers were going the wrong way with the stories.
The Dark Universe failed because Universal put more effort into hyping up the fact that a shared universe was being made than making sure that this shared universe could even get off the ground. The reason why the Marvel Cinematic Universe got made was because the first movie did so well, and they weren't even thinking about a shared universe at the time. At the time, the Nick Fury cameo in Iron Man was just a little wink and nod to the Avengers, instead of a promise that an Avengers movie was actually going to be made.
Thankfully, most of these horror characters are public domain, like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, etc. So anyone can make their own Dark Universe-style shared universe between the different horror icons and fix what Universal broke. They could even put Count Orlok, the Bat, Dr. Moreau, the Men in Black (the original urban legend, not the characters from the movies and comics) and the various Cthulhu Mythos creatures/deities in there for good measure.
All universal has to do is watch Trisatr’s 1987 film, “Monster Squad”, To know exactly what to do with classic movie monsters, though this movie maybe outdated, it could still function as a dated instructional videos for those who lost their way around making good classic monster movies. It isn’t bad to update said classic movie monster, just have it line up with a good script.
Dracula untold best vampire movie imo wish it got a sequel if it ever gets a reboot I’d like Luke even to Star again
To be fair Godzilla already was, ties to other film series Inc toho king Kong, mothra, Manda etc
I also hope horror gets the same treatment, but I doubt Universal will do it justice. Most studios only care about money. I do have hope for Ryan Goslings Wolfman though. Only time will tell if we will get amazing horror movies in the future.
Pennydreadful was able to create a beautiful shared universe with a lot of these characters.
Boom.
Awesome video, I too wish for a good Dark Universe, I dont know how Dracula untold was to be a starter to the monster universe. I actually liked Dracula untold along with The Wolfman and even The Mummy Remake. The invisible man was fantastic.
Excellent points. I really hope Universal revisits its plans. At this point, I'd love if they'd re-release the old classics in regular theaters. I'd pay good money to see them on the big screen.
I'd love to see David F Sandberg's take on Creature From The Black Lagoon.
Also I'd kinda like to see "The Dark Universe" more as an umbrella for adapting the series as an Anthology series. Maybe get Patrick Stewart or Michael Fasbender to "host" each film in the same way Rod Serling did for Twilight Zone. It'd be different, but why not
I think The Wolf Man would be a good movie to pursue from a more psychological realm. A good Jacobs Ladder meets The Fly or Malignant would be kind of awesome. I would love a film where it toys with your ideas.
Something I feel is not talked about enough is Netflix’s Dracula Mini-series. It’s basically the classic Dracula, done justice. Production value is high enough to where nothing looks or feels cheap, but its also not among for anything but horror. If we got some monster movies in line with that series I will be happy
Van Helsing is a crazy underrated and underappreciated film.
James Wan, Guillermo Del Toro and Jordan Peele are the best big names of modern horror and are perfect for Universal's Horror MCU.
Guillermo Del Toro could do Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula,The Mummy and Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Jordan Peele may do The Wolf Man or The Invisible Man. Or James Wan can do The Creature of The Black Lagoon or many others. They're the big three of modern horror.
Lemme get this out the way. I think The Wolfman is a great film. It has good cinematography, gore, and the rampage through London and Werewolf fight at the end was damn entertaining.
That said lemme thanks you for highlighting why the MCU works because I can't stand the contrarian dipshits complaining about how they're all "the same" and "there's too many" despite something like this is what hero fans have wanted. Sometimes I feel we just take it for granted because it has the Disney monolith behind it.
I'm not entirely sure what the point would be of a shared universe of horror monster characters, at least done in the same style as the MCU. With superheroes, the "they team up to fight greater threats" thing is kind of baked in, it's in more or less every comic book universe, with the Godzilla stuff that whole franchise was built on "lets watch these enormous things fight each other" - but the horror monsters are just that, horror monsters. I don't think there'd be much of a novelty in seeing them on screen together, at least not so much that it'd warrant building a whole universe for it. Personally I'd get a lot more out of just more of these movies actually getting made and made well.
I would love to see The Creature From the Black Lagoon get a movie, I mean Shape of Water was close, but I want an updated Gillman like they did with the Invisible Man anytime they try and relaunch the Universe he's always absent. Also I feel like none of the Dracula adaptations have really captured the horror of the book, the original is still great, but the book has moments that are legitimately creepy, like the Ship that Dracula boards and kills off 1 at a time with the locals finding a 'Dog' as the only survivor of the Ship and the Captain using rosaries to keep his notes of the encounter safe, it was creepy definitely reminded me of the Medan. But it's lost when it comes to films. I really want them to show Dracula as horrifying as the books do instead of campy, action hero, or some sexy Vampire from a YA Novel.
That's why I want to see Robert Eggers do Nosferatu so badly, I think he sense of tone and dread is just amazing. Dracula is a truly creepy novel, many scenes stick out that made me feel genuinely uneasy, and I've yet to see an adaptation capture that.
I think that the only way the dark universe could succeed is in a horror anthology. Honestly, I don’t think the horror genre was designed to take on the shared universe approach as comic books. With an anthology series, you can have standalone stories while taking place in the same world. If you want to add a connecting element, make a web series about a group exploring the world of monsters.
The dark universe failed the very instant someone read the script for Dracula Untold and went "Yeah, this is good, lets make this."
8:29 REALLY!? It’s one of the best films universal ever made on the Wolfman since the original.
The design for the wolfman was fantastic and I thought the movie itself was fine.
What the Mummy in particular didn’t do was be its own movie, have the narrative focused on its beginning, middle and end and the cast of characters to tell those steps with. The film stops at one point to set up the core of the interconnectedness meant to thread the Dark Universe together, teasing all these things we could see but yet to finish the first movie! It’s trying to run before learning to walk and stumbling before the first hurdle. What the MCU did and that some of these wannabe franchises seem to miss is that Iron Man was its own story, and while the seeds were planted, it wasn’t in the main story but rather the post-credits scene. Avenger elements were built up around character introductions and development so that by the time they teamed up for the first time we knew who these people were and were familiar with their personalities as well as their powers. Whereas the Mummy puts more focus into spectacle, which usually means a lot of CGI effects you’re going to forget about after watching unless you’re ranting about how bland they are.
despite critics i was still excited to see all the films they planned on releasing....damn
Guillermo del Toro is the only director that can make a high budget dark film at this point
The biggest issue with the great vision you see is that it won't feel so much as a cinematic universe and more like movies acting separately from one another, one of the main reason why there was a goal to make a Marvel type of structure for the Dark Universe was the hope that we see those beloved character interact with each other in the future sadly the dark universe didn't pan out as we saw nobody felt the same way as seeing Dr. Jackal be in the same movie as the Mummy wasn't the same as seeing Iron Man with the Hulk and etc.