No Country for Old Wolfmen
Hollywood is all a-flutter over the idea of shared universes these days, with many studios putting in motion plans to launch their own interconnected film series in a bid to emulate Marvel Studio's hugely successful model.
Interestingly, this phenomenon isn't just limited to comic book properties - we're also beginning to see studios cobble together different IPs, character and franchises that don't quite fit into the superhero mold. The most interesting of these is undoubtedly Universal's Monsters Universe, an attempt to bring together some of the silver screen's most memorable bogeymen and women (a list which includes Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, Dracula and Van Helsing) and place all of them within a shared and persistent world. Kind of like a modern day, big budget version of Penny Dreadful.
Normally I'd be the first to accuse Universal of hopping on the bandwagon, but I actually really like this idea and think it could lead to some very interesting and entertaining projects. Universal are certainly hoping so, and are going to great lengths to round out their stable with an enviable list of actors, producers and writers, including John Spaihts, Alex Kurtzman, Aaron Guzikowski, Noah Hawley, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and Russell Crowe.
In addition to the stars above, rumours persist that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Angelina Jolie, and now, Javier Bardem are also being courted for starring roles. The latest round of murmurs suggest that the Oscar-winning Bardem is in talks to take on the role of Frankenstein. Whether that means he's in the frame to play the creature's creator or the creature itself is unclear.
Personally, I think Bardem would make a great monster - he's imposing enough to give the creature a real sense of malice and menace, but also an incredibly skilled performer, one that can bring to life the pathos and emotional tumult that has always defined the character.
Given the amount of talent (potentially) involved in these pictures, I'm very interested to see how the Monsters Universe shapes up, particularly a modern day take on The Wolfman - if there's one thing the world needs, it is more werewolf movies.
Looking forward to what Universal is cooking up in their lab? Let us know your thoughts on the Monsters Universe below!
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