Remember Universal’s short-lived Dark Universe that died an agonizing death when The Mummy opened in theaters to lower than expected numbers? It may have had a short lifespan, but it looks like the Dark Universe could potentially be rising from the grave. Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse, says he is interested in bringing the Dark Universe back to life. More on the story here below.
Blum took to Twitter to reveal his interest in the revival. The Dark Universe was supposed to be Universal’s version of a shared universe which could feature their classic monsters like from their Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and Bride of Frankenstein films. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. The Mummy opened lower than expected, which forced Universal to do a major overhaul of the Dark Universe. In fact, they eventually put it in the can, where it was thought to be forgotten.
That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Here’s what Blum had to say.
In the above tweet, Blum is asked, “Would you be willing to take over the Dark Universe?” to which he replied, “YES!!!”
Universal’s plans for the Dark Universe were ambitious. They were turning these terrifying monster properties into summer action blockbusters, a stark contrast to the films’ dark and eerie sensibilities. It was a change of pace that was clearly not welcomed with open arms as The Mummy, which starred Tom Cruise, wasn’t what many had hoped for and was just another generic action film that just so happened to feature a mummy.
Sure, Blum may have given one of the most enthusiastic “yeses” on Twitter, but let’s remember, this is far from a confirmation. So let’s not get too excited. Still, the prospect of a shared universe from Blumhouse sounds intriguing. For one thing, Blumhouse knows how to make a film on a low budget and make a profit. So it would be an excellent return of investment for Universal, as the production company’s horror/thrillers are near masterpieces. They get to the heart of the story without having to go overboard.
Additionally, Blum responded to the possibility of overseeing other horror franchises.
Now, this is an interesting response. Blumhouse acquired the rights to Halloween, which allowed them to produce the new reboot with John Carpenter, David Gordon Green, and Danny McBride. Judging by the looks of the first trailer, it looks like the franchise is going back to its root. So what else could Blum be looking to acquire? Well, here’s where it even gets more interesting!
So, Blum has said, openly, that he has tried to acquire the rights to Friday the 13th and The Crow. Both films which would benefit from the Blumhouse low-budget formula. But it’s obvious that the studios that have the rights to those films – Paramount owns Friday The 13th and Sony has the rights to The Crow – do not want to let them go.
It would be interesting to see if Blumhouse can acquire these rights to any of the aforementioned properties. If anyone can make a success out of a small budget, it’s Blumhouse. But I do like their original content, which includes the likes of Get Out, Whiplash, and Split. So let’s just hope that they don’t get too in over their heads by taking on too much.
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