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'Dark Universe' Core Creative Alex Kurtzman May Leave The Franchise

L

LordOfLore

Banned
Link.

The future of The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman's involvement with Universal's shared monsters Dark Universe franchise is in doubt.

When IGN asked Kurtzman during the Television Critics Association press tour (where Kurtzman is promoting Star Trek: Discovery) if he is still involved in the Dark Universe in the wake of The Mummy, Kurtzman said he wasn't sure.

"You know the truth is, I don't know. I really don't know," Kurtzman told IGN. "I haven't really decided. Is the honest answer."

Kurtzman directed this year's action horror flick The Mummy, which opened to poor domestic box office and critical response. He is still currently slated to produce 2019's The Bride of Frankenstein, as well as subsequent entries featuring the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man, Van Helsing, and more.

The answer came in the wake of another question about knowing when to call it quits on a franchise.

"I have to stay interested in it," said Kurtzman. "I have to feel like my passion is there for it. I think in the case of Star Trek if your passion isn't there you shouldn't be doing it."

In a separate interview, Kurtzman addressed The Mummy's box office success in China, and whether or not subsequent Dark Universe films might be more tailored to a foreign audience.

"It's hard for me to know, is the truth," said Kurtzman. "I think every movie will be different. I certainly know that the legacy of the monsters have endured across the world throughout the years. Almost a century. So I have to believe American audiences will find it too with the right ingredients."

Universal Pictures' classic monsters shared universe was officially named the Dark Universe franchise back in May, and kicked off with The Mummy in June. The Dark Universe is set to include Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man, Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster, and Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll.

Bride of Frankenstein will be directed by Beauty and the Beast's Bill Condon, and is set for a February 14, 2019 release.
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S

SpaceWolf

Banned
trre.gif
 
K

kmfdmpig

Member
Is anyone really optimistic about the outlook of this "franchise". Dracula Untold and Mummy haven't exactly paved the way for a "franchise".

I suspect that the Hasbro shared universe franchise will fail just as spectacularly.
 
B

Busty

Banned
"I haven't really decided. Is the honest answer."
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You haven't decided? Sure, Alex.

Given the way the studio threw Tom Cruise under a bus after The Mummy did so poorly, to the surprise of no one, I thought they'd keep Kurtzman.

Evidently they are cleaning the decks of everyone. Which seems utterly redundant given that the core concept is flawed never mind the people hired to work on it.
 
T

Truant

Member
I seriously think a cinematic universe for the Universal monsters can be done well both creatively and commercially, but not like this. They need to be actual horror films, and the monsters can't be the heroes.

Godzilla/Kong are on to something, even though I think those films are weak for totally different reasons.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Despite The Mummy being all over the place, I'm still morbidly curious what Bride of Frankenstein will look like.

I have no issue with the concept of a Monster-verse, that's the premise of one of my favorite shows, Penny Dreadful. But Universal's approach is flawed. They're depending on big names, which means these all pretty much have to be these big expensive event movies. The rest of these are probably going to yield the same results. The Mummy opened about where Tom Cruise movies that aren't Mission Impossible usually open up.

They'd be better off just giving like $50 million to some fresh talent and letting them get weird with it. Domestic audience doesn't give a shit about this current direction, obviously.
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
Truant said:
I seriously think a cinematic universe for the Universal monsters can be done well both creatively and commercially, but not like this. They need to be actual horror films, and the monsters can't be the heroes.

Godzilla/Kong are on to something, even though I think those films are weak for totally different reasons.
Click to expand...

Yep. I would have been up for this in a second if they were given a more horror angle and also set in the past. (And without this wasteman behind it)

Oh well. We still have the old universal monster movies which are great. Bride of Frankenstein in particular is so dope
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
ughhh

i really want a Horror Cinematic Universe but this all fucked up

Freddy vs Jason is really the best we'll get huh 😭
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
Bill Condon up next, to remake the best universal monster movie

Fuck it. Cancel this whole thing. With or without kurtzman who cares.

Corpsepyre said:
Zack could turn this into a masterpiece. I want to see him direct a monster pic. Get him on the phone.
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Would honestly prefer it over these other bums on the slate. His dawn of the dead remake was decent and if anything maybe he would push for setting it in the past.
 
T

Toa TAK

Banned
You guys really think Snyder would've made this all better?

HAVE YOU SEEEEEN Batman v Superman or Man of Steel (don't be too harsh I like this one)? You want him in another Cinematic Universe?

We'd get good action in The Mummy but that's it. I'd be willing to be the story in The Mummy would still be better than whatever he's churn out.

Discotheque said:
Fuck it. Cancel this whole thing. With or without kurtzman who cares.
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My thoughts exactly.

If they made these things period pieces and tried to make monsters scary again, I'd be all for it. But that's not what they're doing. Even the basic idea of a Dark Universe in modern day isn't inherently horrible, but the creative teams don't give me hope.
 
Q

QuantumBro

Banned
Toa TAK said:
You guys really think Snyder would've made this all better?

HAVE YOU SEEEEEN Batman v Superman or Man of Steel (don't be too harsh I like this one)? You want him in another Cinematic Universe?

We'd get good action in The Mummy but that's it. I'd be willing to be the story in The Mummy would still be better than whatever he's churn out.
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I think most would rather have him destroy a film universe that no one gives a shit about than go back to DC.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Truant said:
I seriously think a cinematic universe for the Universal monsters can be done well both creatively and commercially, but not like this. They need to be actual horror films, and the monsters can't be the heroes.

Godzilla/Kong are on to something, even though I think those films are weak for totally different reasons.
Click to expand...
Pretty much. Penny Dreadful and The Witch are the templates they needed for these monsters to work. Horror and gothic, not action movie blockbusters
 
J

JdFoX187

Banned
I had hope for this Dark Universe, even in spite of The Mummy and how...unentertaining it was. But they need to revamp it moving forward if they want to succeed. They should have never tried to make these modern day with $150-200 million budgets. It seems as if the whole thing was flawed from the start, but the idea and premise is sound.
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
Uh he remade dawn of the dead (It was a dumber remake but still a fun zombie flick)

If Snyder was in charge of this universe perhaps the movies would not be good, or maybe they would turn out ok. But I'm damn sure that they would have at least attempted to go for a more Victorian horror aesthetic as opposed to this basura.

Definitely would not have been mummy impossible that's for sure.

Even the hugh jackman van helsing movie was way more fun to watch than this shit
 
J

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
More_Badass said:
Pretty much. Penny Dreadful and The Witch are the templates they needed for these monsters to work. Horror and gothic, not action movie blockbusters
Click to expand...

YES that should be the inspiration for this, not Mission Impossible: Literal Ghost Protocol
 
U

Unit 33

Member
Truant said:
I seriously think a cinematic universe for the Universal monsters can be done well both creatively and commercially, but not like this. They need to be actual horror films, and the monsters can't be the heroes
Click to expand...

I would love some faithful adaptations, something more akin to Moore's League of Exraordinary Gentlemen.

And I don't mean literally make another League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film, it's fine as it is in graphic novel form.

I think period films exploring these kind of characters could be fantastic, especially if they were more aware of the historical context (i.e not glorifying Victorian Imperialism etc).

I just want a good Invisible Man film, but I'm content with the 1933 for now, it's fab.


Penny Dreadful comes very close!
 
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