How the death of the Dark Universe breathed life into Leigh Whannell’s monster movies

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In 2020, writer-director Leigh Whannell impressed viewers with his adaptation of The Invisible Man. Five years later, in 2025, he returns to the big screen with a new take on the Wolf Man, but these monster films came about because the Dark Universe franchise did not continue.

Back in May 2017, Universal Studios revealed plans for a terrifying series of movies focusing on characters like The Mummy, Dr. Jekyll, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein’s Creature.

Labeled the “Dark Universe,” it boasted a notable cast lineup, featuring Tom Cruise in The Mummy, Johnny Depp portraying The Invisible Man, Russell Crowe donning the role of Jekyll, and Javier Bardem taking up the task as a monster character.

On the day before The Mummy premiered, a picture featuring the cast was shared. Meanwhile, it was announced that Bride of Frankenstein would be released on Valentine’s Day 2019. However, The Mummy failed at the box office, and Valentine’s Day 2019 came and went without Bride of Frankenstein appearing. Strangely enough, this marked the end of the Dark Universe project.

The birth of Leigh Whannell’s Invisible Man

For Leigh Whannell, this marked a new beginning. As the writer and actor behind Saw and Insidious, he was now transitioning into directing with the horror sequel, Insidious: Chapter 3, and the action film, Upgrade, which Leigh was currently editing.

Leigh shared with Mike Flanagan on his podcast that they summoned me for a chat,” he said. “I thought for sure they were going to heap praise on Upgrade, so I hurried over, always eager to stock up on accolades like a squirrel gathering nuts for winter.

Upon arriving, I found myself in the company of Universal executives who seemed uninterested in discussing ‘Upgrade’. As a passionate fan, I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What on earth am I doing here?’

Over time, their conversation shifted towards the enigmatic ‘Dark Universe’, a topic tainted by their substantial investments that failed to yield success. They lamented about the disappointing outcome, describing it as a major letdown.

One executive expressed that it’s challenging to create these films because when The Invisible Man is portrayed as the protagonist, determining the antagonist becomes difficult. Additionally, they questioned what fears the Invisible Man might have and how to introduce an opponent for him in a compelling way.

Initially, I stated that he’s not a hero, in fact, he’s the antagonist. Afterward, I left without giving it much thought, and later, my representative phoned me excitedly saying they were impressed with my proposal for ‘The Invisible Man’.

I explained, ‘I didn’t present any ideas – all I suggested was not making him look good as a solution. That approach seemed to work.’ He replied, ‘Whatever advice you gave, they appreciated it, and they want you to move forward with it.’

As a die-hard fan, I’ve got to share an exciting piece of movie history: I was part of the crowd that witnessed Leigh Whannell, both writing and directing The Invisible Man, which turned out to be a chilling success! This film earned an astounding $150 million at the box office, making it a blockbuster hit from its humble beginnings with a budget of just $7 million. Simply put, it’s a testament to Whannell’s skill and the enduring appeal of horror stories.

How Universal convinced Leigh Whannell to make Wolf Man

When I met up with Leigh to talk about the upcoming movie, “Wolf Man”, I inquired if he had presented his idea to Universal Studios on this occasion. However, it turned out that he hadn’t, and their discussion followed a similar pattern as before.

Whannell stated, “It was a point they brought up to me again.” He compared it to the Invisible Man scenario where they suggested ‘Wolf Man’, and his initial reaction was, “Ah – I’ve already done that! I don’t want to rehash.” However, this feeling only lasted about 10 minutes as he began contemplating the character.

Jason Blum is skilled at planting ideas, often asking questions like, ‘As a hypothetical scenario, how would you approach this project if it was yours?’ He does so intentionally to gauge their thoughts and abilities.

Initially, an idea sprang to mind for me – a scene of a man and a woman facing off, with her speaking but him unable to comprehend her words, only hearing jumbled nonsense. This mental picture served as my foundation, and I expanded the movie concept from there, step by step.

When you reach that stage, your work is essentially complete; you’re now in the process of creating the film. However, once you become deeply absorbed and start thinking about it frequently, that’s when the actual creation begins.

In early 2024, Leigh will complete work on “Wolf Man,” a film shot in New Zealand, which will premiere on the big screen on January 17, 2025. This project is centered around an image that has been lingering in his mind.

Leigh will finish off “Wolf Man,” a movie filmed in New Zealand and due for release on January 17, 2025, in early 2024. The film revolves around the image that’s been haunting him since then.

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2025-01-12 15:50