This weekend, Universal will launch the start of their brand new Dark Universe monsters franchise with a reboot of The Mummy. Directed by Alex Kurtzman, the film will bring together some of our favorite classic monsters in an all new shared universe involving Universal Monsters. It will be followed up by the Bill Condon-directed Bride of Frankenstein, starring Javier Bardem; Creature of the Black Lagoon from screenwriters Jeff Pinkner and Will Beall; The Invisible Man, starring Johnny Depp; and Van Helsing, from Prometheus scribe Jon Spaihts, Arrival writer Eric Heisserer, and Dan Mazeau.

But that is just the beginning. Because Kurtzman says there are more Dark Universe films on the way. In a new interview, the man responsible for building this new Universal Monsters shared universe says Dracula, Frankenstein, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Phantom of the Opera are being developed. More on the story below.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the fifth installment of the popular franchise. While the first three told a harrowing trilogy that brought back the swashbuckling fun of pirate films, the fourth was a minor sidestep in a different direction. But Dead Men Tell No Tales is a return to form for the franchise. Johnny Depp is back, reprising the role everybody is a fan of, and he is joined by some familiar faces like Geoffrey Rush who is back to play Captain Hector Barbossa. Newcomers Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario will join Depp as they attempt to find the legendary Poseidon’s Trident while trying out outrun the evil Salazar (Javier Bardem) a vengeful Spanish sea captain bent on getting revenge on Sparrow for cursing him in his decayed form.

We had a chance to attend the film’s press day where we got to join our fellow journalists and talk to Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, the directors of the film. During our interview, the two talked about what it was like to join a blockbuster franchise, keeping things grounded, a possible director’s cut, and more. Check it all out below.

Javier Bardem has played some iconic characters throughout his career, but he is best known for his work as the villain. He takes on that role once more in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, playing the vengeful Salazar, an undead Spanish sea captain who escapes his ghostly prison in the Devil’s Triangle and kills every pirate he comes across on the seven seas to hunt down and kill Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp).

We were recently invited to sit down with our fellow journalists to talk to Bardem about his role in the film and approach to the character. He also revealed his history working with Depp, and how he and his wife share something in common. Check out the full interview below.

Shared universes can be a tough sell nowadays, especially now since they can be perceived as derivative. However, if a studio puts the right creative minds together, these shared universes can be very successful.

Universal Pictures will take their first steps into launching their own starting with a reboot of The Mummy. And they are confident enough in their monsters filled universe that they have announced that the series of films reviving the studio’s classic characters for a new generation will be known as their “Dark Universe.” More on the story below.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Director: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Screenwriter: Jeff Nathanson
Cast: Johnny Depp, Kevin McNally, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG-13 | 129 Minutes
Release Date: May 26, 2017

While it may be based on a theme park ride, there’s no denying that Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise is the very definition of popcorn summer movie fun. Pure escapism. Though the last entry, On Stranger Tides, tried to do something different to reinvigorate the series, the film was a minor misstep. But now comes the next adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

With a pair of new directors in Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki), and a new screenwriter in Jeff Nathanson, the franchise sails back to its roots and what makes these films so wonderful. Big on excitement, plenty of great characters, and lots of fun. The only problem is that there isn’t enough rum to go around. Check out the full review below.