Upgrade director Leigh Whannell to helm Invisible Man film for Universal

Steel yourselves, cinephiles, because Jason Blum and Universal Pictures are firing up the old Monster Legacy machine, once again, with the announcement that UPGRADE director Leigh Whannell is now set to helm a reboot of THE INVISIBLE MAN. The newly-rekindled project is of course part of a fresh take on Universal's classic movie monster lineup, which the studio hopes to revitalize for a whole new generation of horror fans. In addition to directing the Invisible Man property, Whanell will also co-produce.

As you may recall, Universal made a previous attempt to reboot the classic character, with Johnny Depp set to star as the titular transparent lead. However, that arrangement has since disappeared, with Whannell looking to take the idea in a different direction. That being said, sources close to Universal's plan have stated that Depp is being considered for other projects related to the Monster Legacy reboot, so I wouldn't count him out of the running just yet.

Not long ago, Universal's plan was to create an interconnected universe shared between a number of the studio's classic movie monster properties, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man. Unfortunately, the stars did not align for what was asuredly a massive undertaking, after the first film in the planned relaunch, THE MUMMY, bombed at the box office. As a result of the Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella-starrer landing like a limp pile of rags hitting the sand, the studio was forced to re-think their long-gestating monster mash.

“Throughout cinematic history, Universal’s classic monsters have been reinvented through the prism of each new filmmaker who brought these characters to life,” said Peter Cramer, Universal’s president of production. “We are excited to take a more individualized approach for their return to screen, shepherded by creators who have stories they are passionate to tell with them.”

Perhaps an "individualized approach" is best, no? After all, that would give Universal and its filmmakers a newfound sense of freedom when creating unique stories for these classic characters. Besides, there isn't anything in the rule book that says that Universal can't pair two (or even several) monsters together down the road. I can picture it all now, an AVENGERS-style monster movie, Drac and Frank fighting side-by-side against the forces of … good? Alright, so perhaps that wouldn't work, but I'm sure that people who get paid the big bucks to write this stuff will think of something.

Are you ready for Universal's classic movie monsters to being sexy back? With new horror properties being announced on the daily, is there even room for Dracula, the Wolfman, the Bride, or the Invisible Man? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.