The Dark Universe ranked at number one on our list of failed shared universes, thanks mainly to the fact the entire enterprise seemed to be completely abandoned after the first instalment bombed at the box office.
Universal's plan to bring back classic monsters The Mummy, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, the Wolfman (and kinda-sorta Dracula in Dracula Untold) simply didn't connect with audiences. Even The Mummy's director didn't like it.
That was despite a massive wave of hype, and a vainglorious promo picture that put all of the 'stars' of the respective franchises into a now infamous group shot.
But, wait, perhaps we spoke too soon! It looks like the Dark Universe is about to be resurrected from death, much like many of the ghoulish characters that were supposed to feature in each movie.
Our first clue the Dark Universe will return came from the unlikely source of artist Robert Vargas, perhaps best known for his mural work, who announced on Instagram in May 2018 that he was working with the Dark Universe team on a mysterious project.
Then, all went quiet – until a voice from the darkness… Well, an article in Variety, actually.
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Leigh Whannell was officially announced as the first director to take a fresh approach to Universal's monster-based series, with the studio scaling down the blockbusting intentions of Dark Universe for something more creator-focused, at a lower budget level.
And the film Whannell will be tackling? A fresh take on The Invisible Man (which may or may not still feature Johnny Depp but does feature Elisabeth Moss).
"Throughout cinematic history, Universal's classic monsters have been reinvented through the prism of each new filmmaker who brought these characters to life," said Peter Cramer, Universal's president of production.
"We are excited to take a more individualised approach for their return to screen, shepherded by creators who have stories they are passionate to tell with them."
But what should we expect from The Invisible Man when we see it (or don't see it, BOOM BOOM).
We're glad you asked! We've wrapped some bandages around our head and stuck on some sunglasses to go and find out.
The Invisible Man release date: When's it out?
Universal had previously picked March 13, 2020 for The Invisible Man's release which puts it head-to-head with Godzilla Vs Kong. That's a Friday, by the way – which could be unlucky for someone.
However, they recently moved the release date forward by two weeks and The Invisible Man will now be out in cinemas on February 28, 2020.
That's because film fans who love SFX-heavy movies based on films that came out in 1933 are going to have a tough choice that weekend.
Yep, the original Invisible Man came out in 1933, as did King Kong which, when you think about it, is pretty weird. Progress, eh? Isn't it wonderful?
The Invisible Man cast: Who will be in it?
Whannell's Invisible Man will star Elisabeth Moss and Storm Reid. The Haunting of Hill House star Oliver Jackson-Cohen has joined the cast in the eponymous role.
Both Hidden Figures' Aldis Hodge and Killing Ground actress Harriet Dyer are also attached to the project.
But don't ask Moss any more about it. "I would say that I can't talk about it. I can't really talk about it, but I would say that it's – I can't say anything about it," Moss said when asked if she was involved. We're just going to go ahead and take that as a yes (actors who aren't in stuff aren't contractually obliged not to talk about being in stuff).
One person who probably won't be popping up on the IMDB page is Johnny Depp, despite the fact he was announced as the title character when Universal’s plans for a new Invisible Man were first confirmed. Why? Well, you’ll understand in a moment.
The Invisible Man plot: What will it be about?
While Elisabeth Moss is apparently the star, and despite the fact The Invisible Man franchise has previously included an 'Invisible Woman' movie, Whannell's take isn't a gender-swap.
According to reports, this new film focuses on Elisabeth Moss' Cecilia, a woman who's dealing with the death of her abusive ex-husband. But when weird things start happening around her, she starts to think her ex isn't as dead as he appears.
So, yeah, with the controversy still raging around Amber Heard's accusations around Depp's alleged domestic abuse (allegations which he has strongly denied), he'll probably want to stay away from this one.
The premise is similar to an old Batman: The Animated Series episode 'See No Evil', in which a scientist with an invisibility cloak stalks his ex-wife and his daughter. And who played the daughter in that episode? Elizabeth Moss. Woah.
Still, even if it isn't completely original, the premise is brilliant, with the film sounding like a weird mixture of ghost story and science-fiction horror. Which is probably a better fit for the property than 'Tom Cruise blockbuster'.
"It was like the Blumhouse version of The Invisible Man, it's a lower-budget movie. It's not dependent on special effects, CGI, stunts. It's super character-driven, it's really compelling, it's thrilling, it's edgy, it feels new," Jason Blum has said.
"Those were all things that felt like they fit with what our company does. And it happened to be an Invisible Man story, so it checked both boxes. And we responded to it because I think Leigh is just an A+ director."
One thing's for sure – it'll be scary.
Sounds like Universal has listened to the advice we gave about why The Conjuring's shared universe is a better template than the MCU for this series. It also seems they listened to our more general advice about how to rescue the Dark Universe. Our consultation fee cheque is in the post.
The Invisible Man trailer: When will we see it?
It's here! Watch it now.
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Freelancer writer
Sam is an entertainment writer with NCTJ accreditation and a twenty-year career as a film journalist.
Starting out as a staff writer at Total Film, moving up to Deputy Online Editor, Sam was responsible for Total Film’s YouTube channel, where he revolutionised the magazine’s approach to video junkets, creating influential formats that spread to other outlets.
He’s interviewed a wide range of film icons, including directors such as David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay and Sam Raimi, as well as actors such as Meryl Streep, Nic Cage, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman, Kermit the Frog, all of the Avengers and many more.
Sam has also interviewed several comic creators, including Stan Lee, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and he has a zombie cameo in The Walking Dead comic.
In 2014, Sam went freelance, working directly for film studios including Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Disney, as well as covering red carpet events for film marketing company PMA Productions.
Sam is the co-host, producer and editor of the Arrow Video podcast, which has seen year-on-year growth since its creation in 2017, gaining over half a million listens in that time.
His byline has appeared in outlets such as Yahoo, MTV, Dazed, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Good Housekeeping among others.
In 2012, Sam made it to the final of the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition, and went on to become a filmmaker himself, directing three features that have all played major festivals, and secured distribution – starring in two of them.
Jim Carrey once mistook Sam for Johnny Cash, and John Carpenter told him to ‘Keep up the good work.’ He promises to try his best.
