It’s the Booze Talkin: Should Blumhouse take over the Dark Universe?

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It was the summer of 2017. What should have been the rebirth of the classic movie monster universe ended up toppling what could have been. I didn’t hate THE MUMMY starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella. In fact, I found a ton of fun in this attempt to reinvigorate the classic haunts of old. Unfortunately, the film was a big old miss for American audiences, even if fans around the world brought the total worldwide box office to nearly $409 million after an estimated cost of $125. And while many summer blockbusters find more love in foreign markets, this particular case attracted so much backlash that it was enough to end what could have been the return of many familiar faces in the world of horror. That was seemingly the final word on the Dark Universe – an attempt to remake all the classic Universal monsters movies.

While I realize I may be in the minority when it comes to enjoying THE MUMMY, I also understand that something was missing in the finished project. This is especially true when it came to scares and actual horror. Either way, after the film suffered a severe critical bashing and less than stellar US box office receipts, it appeared that the hopeful franchise had vanished into dust. Happily,Dark Universe chief Alex Kurtzman went on to find success on CBS All Access with Star Trek: Discovery, and Tom Cruise enjoyed yet another blockbuster year with his hit MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT. But what about the planned returns of THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON? I love those old scary movies that terrified audiences decades ago, and yes, I’d love to see a proper return for them. The question is, can anybody bring the dead back to life? Perhaps someone like Jason Blum?

Recently, the producer extraordinaire took to Twitter for an #AskBlum session. Since he’s such a personable guy, he seemingly had a ton of fun answering questions for folks. And then came a Tweet that asked if he would be interested in reviving the Dark Universe. He answered with an emphatic “Yes!!!!” To be fair, this doesn’t mean a damn thing really. Just because he answered so positively, Hollywood won’t suddenly make the material available and give Blumhouse a crap load of money to do the job. In fact, Blum also answered questions about taking on other projects including FRIDAY THE 13TH and THE CROW. However, the idea of Jason bringing BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN back is more than an intriguing thought for this fan.

What I love about Blumhouse is their commitment to bringing fresh and exciting names to horror. They also learn from their mistakes. Take OUIJA for example… no, really, take that crap away. When that movie made a ton of money – even when the overall critical response was as bad as it was – it only made sense for a sequel to go into production. Instead of just making a lazy carbon copy of the original, the prequel/sequel was put into the very capable hands of Mike Flanagan for the impressive OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL. It is a terrific feature, one far better than the original.

More impressive? Blumhouse has helped renew interest in M. Night Shyamalan thanks to THE VISIT, SPLIT and the upcoming GLASS.

And then there is one of the most anticipated horror features of the year. The upcoming HALLOWEEN sequel could end up being pure brilliance. For me, this looks to be the best sequel in the whole damn franchise. When you have Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, as well as John Carpenter returning to the fold, you may have something really f*cking special. Blumhouse looks to be handling this upcoming feature perfectly. While there may be a few of you out there with a little hesitation, I truly feel that we are in for a Halloween treat. And I can guarantee if this turns out to be as good as some people are predicting, somehow Blumhouse will come closer to acquiring the rights to  FRIDAY THE 13TH and/or THE CROW. Aside from being a smart producer, Jason Blum loves horror and he loves making movies. We need more of that in Hollywood.

Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, but if anyone could bring back the Dark Universe, it would be Jason Blum. Look, I get it, it was just a simple answer to a Twitter question, but I can’t stop thinking about how amazing it would be to see the world of Universal Monsters return in a satisfying way. And since Blumhouse works on reasonable budgets with oftentimes intriguing takes on familiar tales, I believe he could pull it off. Of course the chances are slim to none that this will happen. Yet something tells me that if the upcoming HALLOWEEN ends up being as big of a hit as we think, we shouldn’t be surprised if Blumhouse decides taking on another major genre franchise.