If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. That seems to be Universal Pictures' motto with their monster movies, and hopefully, it works this time.
If it wasn't evident, the studio is soft-rebooting its cinematic universe centered around supernatural creatures like werewolves, mummies, and vampires. While not part of a shared world, Universal Pictures has Wolf Man slated for early 2025, and The Mummy in 2026. Others are yet to be announced.
As for Wolf Man, the Leigh Whannell movie follows a family stuck in a remote farmhouse after an animal attack. Little does the family know that one of their own is slowly transforming into a werewolf. You can guess what happens next.
While the premise of Wolf Man sounds similar to past iterations, it's unclear if the story is meant to go anywhere. Keep in mind that if the ending departs on a cliffhanger, fans should expect to see a post-credits sequence teasing crossovers with like-minded monsters. That's how movie studios establish connectivity nowadays, so it's how we'll know if Wolf Man and The Mummy are part of the same universe.
As far as The Mummy goes, Lee Cronin's take on the story is supposed to be unique. The director told The Hollywood Reporter, "It's unlike any Mummy movie you've laid your eyeballs on before." He concluded his statement with a euphemism about digging into the Earth. No other details are available at this time.
Looking at Cronin's other movies, though, we may have an idea. The Evil Dead Rise director did well when crafting a possessed character, meaning Cronin might center his upcoming film around an everyday individual who becomes possessed by an Egyptian god. It's taking cues from past incarnations, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The only thing the 2019 version starring Tom Cruise did well was create a compelling character by transforming a money-hungry mercenary into a complex hero. Hopefully, that'll be the case again because who doesn't like a redemption story?
It's worth mentioning that Universal Pictures isn't officially assembling a shared universe for the new monsters. The studio's current goal is to work on standalone features, which goes against the latest trend of shared spaces. Said projects will remain individualized to focus more on the story, but that doesn't necessarily mean the studio can't change course in the future. Invisible Man (2020) served as its own story while, at the same time, leaving a cliffhanger open for the central character to return. Nothing says Wolf Man will go down the same route, although a family man struck with the werewolf curse who doesn't have anywhere to go might reach out, potentially to someone who can understand his unorthodox problems.
For now, details on the upcoming monster movies remain scarce. But when Universal Pictures offers an update, we'll be promptly reporting them here. Stay tuned.
Wolf Man premieres in theaters on January 17, 2025. The Mummy is TBA.