Universal's plan to reboot all its classic monster franchises into one shared universe seems to have failed. Instead of a Marvel-style cinematic canon, the studio will release individual, unconnected films like The Invisible Man (2020). This is the second time Universal has tried to resurrect multiple monsters into one narrative, and the second time it has failed.
The first time? Universal released Van Helsing, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, in May 2004. The film was supposed to start a franchise, in the spirit of Indiana Jones, and a spinoff series for corporate parent NBC. Unfortunately, the film wasn't very good. It made less than twice its budget, which classified it a disappointment, if not an outright failure—not to mention it has a score of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. The sequels and TV show never happened, though we did get a video game and an animated prequel.
If Universal ever decides on a third attempt, they can learn more from Van Helsing's mistakes—and from the elements it got right—than from the Tom Cruise-led Mummy from 2017.
Let's examine the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Give Women a Leading Role
Kate Beckinsale's Anna Valerious was a princess, but she was no damsel in distress. She faced down a werewolf in her first scene and fought with a cool sword. She was the last of a long line of vampire-hunters, cursed by a centuries-old crime to fight the creatures forever. The original films weren't as kind to women, almost always featuring them as passive victims; even the Bride of Frankenstein only gets a few minutes of screen time. The 2017 film made a good effort, Sofia Boutella as the Mummy. Though the Invisible Man was, well, a man, that film's protagonist was played by Elizabeth Moss. More of this, please.
Pay Tribute to the Classics
Possibly the best part of Van Helsing is its prologue, which hearkens back to the original films. It's shot in black and white and ends with angry villagers burning down a windmill with the monster inside, as they did in 1931's Frankenstein. The whole sequence has the look and sound of the classics, and shows how much writer/director Stephen Sommers respected the material. Hopefully Universal's team of filmmakers will drop little hints, references, and Easter eggs into the new films for the hardcore fans, just as the Marvel and Star Trek films do.
Keep it Simple
Maybe Van Helsing didn't work because the film had so much to do: It had to introduce the Big Three monsters—plus Mr. Hyde, and the title character, and Anna Valerious. The result was that some scenes were confusing and others featured too much exposition. Universal seems to have received the message and is following Marvel's model of films focusing on one character, which will lead to "Monster Mashes" like the original Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and House of Dracula. The mixture of science, supernatural, and history can require a lot of attention from audiences, so it pays to start with basic storylines before working up to complex plots of monsters and humans conspiring against each other. Then again, the 2017 Mummy reboot was pretty straightforward, but it didn't make up for other problems.
Dracula's Brides
They didn't do much in the original film, but Van Helsing made them important supporting characters—even giving them names. They were beautiful and seductive in a Tim Burton-esque sort of way, but could transform into terrifying winged harpies with fangs and claws. In a universe with far too few women characters (see above), they deserve at least a part of the spotlight. With a female Mummy already checked off the list, and the Bride of Frankenstein still due to appear, a powerful female vampire could form a new "Big Three" for the 21st century. And while we're at it, let's stop calling these characters "brides"; they're awesome enough without having to be attached to another monster.
More Monsters
Right now, Universal has produced, announced, or canceled films for Dracula, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Invisible Man. Van Helsing featured the Big Three but also slipped in an ogre-like Mr. Hyde. I think Universal can raise the monster factor once the shared universe is underway. There are still a few creatures from both the studio's vault and the public domain that are worth including.
I'd suggest the Phantom of the Opera. Universal made a silent version in 1925 and a sound version in 1943. Maybe this property has been watered down by the famous stage musical, but I think a dramatic version—set in the Paris Opera House and the sewers beneath it—has the potential to be very scary. Also: Mr. Hyde, who made it into Van Helsing after all. As someone who transforms into a killer, he might be too close to the Wolf Man, but since Hyde is really just an aspect of Jekyll's personality, and not a mindless animal, the character might be more relatable to a modern audience. American monsters like Bigfoot and the Headless Horseman could also be fun.
Music of the Night
An overlooked aspect of the classic horror films is the music. It's a great way to create a sense of dread without showing any violence or gore. The Wolf Man has his own, haunting three-note leitmotif that you can hear in this track, and AllMusic said of Franz Waxman's score for Bride of Frankenstein, "With its strange, sweeping yet disquieting melodies and unusual timbres, it was some of the most ambitious music ever written for the screen." Alan Silvestri's score for Van Helsing was well-received by critics and helped the film as much as possible, with some pieces that were fast and intense, and others that were grand and epic. But other factors suggest otherwise: The Mummy's composer, Brian Tyler wrote the scores for Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. But does anyone remember the music from The Mummy?
Jason Ginsburg studied film at USC, was a tour guide at Universal Studios, and is a lifelong fan of the classic monsters.