By We’ve known since 2014 that Universal wanted a piece of this super hot ‘cinematic universe’ (©Marvel) action. It’s all the rage. After all, they’re friggin’ UNIVERSAL—how could they not have one. What we didn’t know was how they were going to create a story arc to tie their universe of classic monster properties together. Now we know.
Enter the Center for Research of and Absolute destruction of monsters or Possible near –destruction of leaving room for sequels, or CRAP Prodigium, a mysterious multi-national organization, according to Universal, whose mission is to track, study and—when necessary—destroy evil embodied in the form of monster in our world. Evil embodied in the form of anything else, terrorists, mass murderers, rapists, terrible screenwriters, is cool.
Prodigium is Led by Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe), already featured in the forthcoming The Mummy and presumably featured throughout the monster franchise reboot. He or his charming tugboat Tugger, who will accompany him as he drunkenly stumbles around the word picking fights with paparazzi and strangers evil monsters, until climactically, it is revealed that he himself is a monster!
Welcome to the Dark Universe, for which we have a new logo, seen here. Dark retellings are so hot you guys, seriously. Gritty. Dark. Our name, cleverly punned with itself and paired with dark. Boom.
Cast alongside geriatric megastar Tom Cruise as soldier of fortune Nick Morton, are Johnny Depp (as the Invisible Man), Havier Bardem (as Frankenstein’s Monster) and Sofia Boutella (as the Mummy). No word on who shall play the cuddly Wolfman.
Is it just me, or does this mummy bear a quite unfortunate resemblance to Suicide Squad’s Enchantress? They’re both all rags, tats, and shitty sooty auras. Thoughts? Does this villain resemble an already bombed-at-the-not-too-distant-Box-Office villain? Should ancient female villains wear more anatomically supportive garments for world-ending destruction? General vibe on this Dark Universe and its box office fate? Leave the word below.
Along with the new universe’s synopsis, cast, and logo, is a teaser website featuring voiceover from Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll that details just how he’ll eradicate evil, and some nifty images from the June-9-bowing The Mummy and others that hint at future Dark Universe tie-ins like Dracula.
