Universal's Dark Universe Will Return From The Dead In An Unexpected Place

Cinematic universes were all the rage back in 2017 when Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" premiered in theaters. Following on the heels of successful franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Extended Universe, and the MonsterVerse, the film marked Universal's own attempt at kickstarting an interconnected web of feature films. The studio's beloved catalog of classic monster movies would serve as the pool of inspiration and adaptation, with 2014's "Dracula Untold" being retroactively wrapped into the new fold.

But then "The Mummy" came out and was widely panned. Universal's so-called "Dark Universe" was killed off before it really got a chance to start, and future planned projects like the "Invisible Man" remake were spun out into fully independent projects.

Now, years later, the Dark Universe branding is back, and it's returning in an unexpected place: the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida. Universal recently unveiled plans for a new super-park called Epic Universe, which will feature subsidiary sections themed after the "How to Train Your Dragon" movies, "Harry Potter," and the Dark Universe, among others. Since the franchise in question never really got off the ground, to begin with, the use of this specific label is curious, to say the least. From the sound of it, the new park will be pulling heavily from the old-school versions of characters like Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein's Monster, but could this plan also foreshadow a resurgence in the modern-day Dark Universe film series?

With the Dark Universe label returning for the Epic Universe park, fans might be wondering if it's finally time for the interconnected cinematic franchise that never was to return. The short answer to that question, however, is no. The studio has remained adamant recently that it has no intentions of starting up such a universe of nostalgic horror films.

The question came up most recently about Abigail, a remake of the 1936 film "Dracula's Daughter" starring Melissa Barrera currently slated for release on April 19, 2024. In official statements regarding the film, Universal has reiterated that it is a standalone story, similar to other recent releases like "Renfield" and "The Last Voyage of the Demeter." Presumably, NBCUniversal will continue to produce new versions of old horror classics from the vault, but we're still not building up to any kind of "Avengers"-style team-up movie. Given how much the MCU has struggled in recent years, that might be a smart call.

Still, the Dark Universe section of the Epic Universe park could be a fun place for die-hard fans of the Universal movie monster roster to explore. The park's attractions will involve a gender-bent character named Victoria Frankenstein and will likely pull from all eras and versions of the studio's beloved horror history.