After past attempts at a connectedmonster-movie universefailed to impress, Universal Pictures is going in a different direction. The studio is developing numerousstandalone featuresfor each respective monster instead of connecting them with crossovers, cameos, etc. Universal recently releasedWolf Man, confirming that the studio is separating their monsters from one another. What's next is up in the air.
Currently, Universal has quite a few irons in the fire. For one, the studio has twoDraculaprojects in development—one of which is a dark thriller starring Keanu Reeves.The Matrixactor's casting is a bit of a surprise, considering he's portrayed the vampire lord's antithesis, Jonathan Harker, in the past. It's not strange; simply a funny coincidence.
As for the otherDraculamovie, its focus is more akin to thePenny DreadfulShowtime series than recent carnations. It reportedly will center around a love story starring Caleb Landry Jones rather than a conflicted serial killer. Luc Besson's take on the Count will also be a reimagining, so this version of Dracula may be a lost soul in seclusion until a chance encounter with a damsel in distress triggers a new drive for love. That would be a different direction for the character—without rehashing past depictions of a smooth-talking wraith who seduces young maidens as they daydream on verandas. And it's not impossible to write Count Dracula into a romantic; he simply needs to tone down the wanton murders.
Frankenstein
In addition to twoDraculamovies, the studio has aFrankensteinmovie coming soon. Previews haven't traveled down the pipeline yet, but the core details are already known. Guillermo Del Toro is directing, with Oscar Isaac cast as Victor Frankenstein. andJacob Elordi playing the doctor's monster.
Strangely, though, there'll be a time jump in the movie. Its events happen 40 years after an incident that leads bystanders to believe Frankenstein's monster is dead, except he lives. Dr. Pretorious receives the task of hunting down the creature. Mind you, Pretorious is a deplorable fellow, which means the monster will likely be the protagonist.
Fans might recognize the hunting trope from other iterations, and that's because several interpretations of Frankenstein have begun with the monster dying. The thing is, it typically survives and goes into hiding. Stephen Sommers used that movie device in his 2004 movieVan Helsing, and that'll once again be the case in Del Toro's film.
Del Toro's Frankensteindebuts on Netflix later this year.
The Mummy
Universal Pictures, for whatever reason, hasn't been able to getThe Mummyright since the 2000s series starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. But the studio is rebooting the series yet again.
Along with the standalone titles mentioned above,Lee Cronin will direct a reboot. Cronin's previous credits includeEvil Dead RiseandHole In The Ground. Cronin hasn't revealed details about the film, but he claimed it "will be like, unlike any Mummy movie you have ever laid your eyeballs on." That doesn't say much, but with Cronin approachingEvil Dead Risewith fresh eyes, it's safe to assume his Mummy movie will be equally original.
Lee Cronin's The Mummyreleases on April 17, 2026.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Creature From The Black Lagoon
Those are all the current titles in development. Universal doesn't have plans to develop a sequel to 2020's The Invisible Man, nor are there projects scheduled for Dr. Jekyll or the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Of course, with the success of Wolf Man, things can change. The studio backtracked on a full-fledged lineup of monsters in a single cinematic universe, so who's to say plans won't change again?
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