There’s been a lot going on with Universal’s Classic Monsters lately, now that the studio has brought together a team of veteran producers and writers to spearhead a new chapter of Universal Monsters that will reintroduce iconic characters to modern audiences. Recently, we heard that Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley and Prisoners scribe Aaron Guzikowski had been brought into the fold to pen entries in the new cinematic universe, and now we have another name to add to that growing lineup: Now You See Me and Men in Black screenwriter Ed Solomon.
Hawley, Guzikowski and Solomon will form a sort of brain trust with producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, both well-respected scribes in their own right. All of them will work on one another’s movies and help out where needed to ensure that the new Universal Monsters installments feature the kind of serialized storytelling that the studio is looking for.
Currently, Guzikowski is attached to lead up a new Wolfman feature, which will introduce that monster while also planting the seeds for other characters to appear in future films. No word yet on which titles Hawley and Solomon will take point on, as the studio’s vision is still taking shape.
The Mummy will be the first installment of this new universe to hit theaters. Kurtzman is sitting behind the camera on that title, working from a script by Doctor Strange scribe Jon Spaihts and Captain Phillips writer Billy Ray. It’s set to arrive June 24th, 2016.
After that, an unspecified Universal Monsters movie will land on April 21st, 2017. That may well be Guzikowski’s Wolfman pic, but other characters in line to get their own titles include Dracula (Dracula Untold serves as an unofficial first chapter in the Universal Monsters franchise thanks to a post-credits scene, but it’s unclear whether Luke Evans is attached to reprise the part again), Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein and vampire hunter Van Helsing.
Stay tuned, as we’ll keep you posted with the latest on Universal Monsters as we get it.