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The Dark Universe That Never Was: A Short History of Universal’s Failed Monster Franchise

June 1, 2020 by EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno on the short history of Universal’s Dark Universe…

Join our host EJ Moreno as he ventures back to 2017 to figure out what happened to the Dark Universe.

Universal Pictures had a short-lived plan to create a cinematic universe, a la the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it didn’t last more than a year. Was it the strange castings (including the likes of Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Sofia Boutella) or the lackluster reaction to 2017’s The Mummy that ultimately led to its demise?

Let’s go on a short, yet compelling journey…

What are your thoughts on the Dark Universe? Are you disappointed that it didn’t get beyond the one movie, or was it an ill-conceived plan from the start? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…

 

Originally published June 1, 2020. Updated June 17, 2020.

Filed Under: Articles, Opinions and Long Reads, EJ Moreno, Flickering Myth TV, Movies Tagged With: Bride of Frankenstein, Dark Universe, Dracula Untold, Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Sofia Boutella, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Tom Cruise, Universal Monsters

About EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno is a film and television critic and entertainment writer who joined the pop culture website Flickering Myth in 2018 and now serves as the executive producer of Flickering Myth TV, a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With over a decade of experience, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who is also part of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

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