The original series began withDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) and ended withThe Creature Walks Among Us (1956). While the early installments were initially created as stand-alone films based on published novels, their financial and critical success resulted in various cross-over releases between the monsters, as well as other properties such asAbbott and Costello. Following the positive response to various viewings of these films via television redistribution which began airing in the 1950s, the studio began developing the characters for other media. In the 1990s, it became priority for Universal to promote their catalogue with official packaging that presented films with the official franchise title. Through a number ofVHS editions, their popularity continued into contemporary entertainment. This included additional development through modern-filmmaking adaptations, beginning withDracula (1979) and most recentlyWolf Man (2025).
Modern analyses describe the titular characters as "pop culture icons",[1] while the franchise as a whole is often cited as the prototypical example of theshared universe concept in film.[2][3][4] In addition to the films, the franchise has expanded to include novels, comics, and theme park rides.
History
Universal's early horror films were adaptations of work from familiar authors and texts to give their films a prestige appeal. These includedDracula (1931), whose success led to the production of other works such asFrankenstein (1931).[5][6]Frankenstein's ending was changed by studio headCarl Laemmle Jr., who wanted Universal to be able deploy key characters from the film into subsequent Universal productions.[6] Following the release of other Universal films such asThe Mummy (1932),The Invisible Man (1933) andBride of Frankenstein (1935), there was a dry spell of horror films.[7][8][9][10] Universal only returned to the style following a successful theatrical re-release ofDracula andFrankenstein. The renewed interest in horror films led to new works, starting withSon of Frankenstein (1939).[7][8][9]
Universal would only introduce a few new monsters in the 1940s, with the most famous beingLon Chaney Jr. asThe Wolf Man inThe Wolf Man (1941).[11] The decade had Universal's horror output include many remakes and sequels, with films often directly reusing old sets, footage, and narratives to replicate moments in their earlier horror productions.[12]
Universal's first transmedia properties appeared in the 1940s and the 1950s with the filmsFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943),House of Frankenstein (1944),House of Dracula (1945) andAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).[13] In these films, the monsters from the studio's earlier films "team up" against various characters. Author Megan De Bruin-Molé suggested that the Universal Classic Monsters films exist as a loosemash-up, which allowed forDracula to exist and be watched separately fromFrankenstein but allowed their characters to be systemically and consistently brought together and developed in other films and media.[14] These productions made were often crossovers and sequels, such asFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,House of Frankenstein,House of Dracula and several occurrences in comedy films ofAbbott and Costello meeting the monsters. These meetings started withAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and ended withAbbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955).[14][15] De Bruin-Molé wrote that this approach from Universal was for commercial marketing terms, as it would establish the company as the "real" home of horror. Their films contained a world where potentially all monsters may dwell.[16] The sole new monster films that Universal produced in the 1950s were theCreature from the Black Lagoon (1954) andThe Mummy (1959), the latter as a co-production with the BritishHammer Film Productions.[17]
Towards the 1960s, the Universal monsters grew beyond film and became more consistentlytransmedial. Initially, this began in 1957 when Universal struck a ten-year television deal withScreen Gems to distribute 52 of their own titles.[17] These television screenings and the films being included on Mel Jass'Mel's Matinee Movie (1958-1979) would also prove to be popular.Stephen Sommers, director ofThe Mummy (1999), stated that his introduction to the series was on Jass's program.[18] Universal became part of theMusic Corporation of America (MCA) in 1962. By 1964, Universal Studios tours would eventually include appearances from Frankenstein's monster.[19] Several products based on the characters from Universal's film series were released, ranging fromplastic model kits, Halloween masks, figures, plush dolls, toys, drinking glasses, coloring books and postage stamps. While some of these objects bear similarity to the actors who portray them, others are more generic interpretations.[20] Other mediums featured the Universal monsters in tandem, such asBobby "Boris" Pickett's 1962 popular song "Monster Mash" and the television seriesThe Munsters (1964) which was based on the likeness of the Universal characters.[19]
In 1990, Universal was part of a merger between Matsushita, now known asPanasonic, and several other corporations. Between 1991 and 1994, Universal releasedVHS home video editions from their catalogue of horror films. This was the first time these films were packed together as the "Classic Monster" line, accompanied with a newly designed logo.[19] Prior to this home video series, the Universal films that featured multiple monsters were called "Super-Shocker[s]" or "monster rallies".[21] Louis Feol, the head of Worldwide Home Video forUniversal Studios, said that the most important thing was the packaging of their sales. He added that it was "probably our single biggest priority and has been for a number of years", and that it was key to make the series of films "look like a line".[22][23] In a 1999 interview, Feol stated that creating the series was to "reinvigorate and re-market" the Universal catalog, specifically with their series ofDracula,Frankenstein,The Invisible Man,The Phantom of the Opera,The Wolf Man, andThe Mummy.[23]
The 1990s also saw a trend in the merchandising of Universal Monsters material as part of a trend for the decade of recycling and reinventing old material from the past.[19] This led to the release of Stephen Sommer'sThe Mummy (1999) and a "monster rally"-styled film withVan Helsing (2004).[24] Merchandizing of the characters in formats such as clothing and board games has continued into the 21st century.[25][26] The franchise will be featured in the Dark Universe portion of Universal's upcoming Orlando theme park,Universal Epic Universe.[27]
Beginning in October 2013, Universal hiredRoberto Orci andAlex Kurtzman to collaborate in developing a relaunch of the Universal Monsters characters as a newshared universe of films similar in fashion to theMarvel Cinematic Universe, notably a franchise which includes interconnectivity that originated previously in the classic Universal Monsters films.[116][117][better source needed] By July 2014, the studio officially hired Chris Morgan to replace Orci and work alongside Kurtzman in overseeing development of an interconnected series of films based around rebooted versions of the Universal Monster characters. The duo was tasked with creating the overall outline for the titular monsters.[118] The development of a cinematic universe continued as Kurtzman and Morgan became involved with additional photography forDracula Untold (2014); reshoots positioned the final scenes of the film in modern-day, in order to connect with other films and to allow the cast to reprise their roles in future installments.[119] The film's connections to the new franchise were later downplayed following its mixed critical and financial reception,[120][better source needed][121] withThe Mummy (2017) repositioned as the official start of the shared film universe.[122] In May 2017, the slate of reimagined incarnations of titular monsters was officially titledDark Universe. The studio announced the franchise with a press release, which debuted the official logo, website,trailer, andscore.[123] Universal Pictures, in collaboration with Kurtzman and Morgan, created a writer's room consisting of various contributors to create stories that were to be expanded into scripts,[124] which were intended to be rooted inhorror as opposed to theaction adventure nature of the studio's previous remakes.[125][better source needed][126][better source needed]The Mummy introduced its ancient titular monster (played bySofia Boutella), alongside the heroic character portrayed byTom Cruise whose adventures as a monster were intended to expand upon in later installments.[127][128] Prior to the film's release, additional cast officially joined the franchise as announced by Universal Pictures.[129][better source needed][130] The studio announced aslate of films,[131][132] but following the poor critical reception and underwhelming box office performance ofThe Mummy (2017), Universal postponed all plans for theDark Universe slate of films.[133]
In January 2018, the production studio began reconfiguring their approach to the Universal Monsters,[134][135] and following the departures of Kurtzman and Morgan from their roles as co-architects of the franchise,[133] the studio decided to abandon a shared cinematic universe in favor of returning to standalone adaptations of the characters instead.[136][137] After previously expressing interest in working with Universal Pictures on relaunching the characters for modern audiences,[138][139][140] Jason Blum officially signed on to collaborate on a number of the projects in development. The producer later stated in 2020 that control of theDark Universe and the Universal Monsters remains under the direction of Universal Pictures.[141]
Dark Army: By September 2019, the film featuring monsters from the original films as well as new characters was in development.Paul Feig was attached as director, from a script of his own, and as co-producer with Laura Fischer. The project is a joint production between Universal Pictures and Feigco Productions.[151] By October, Universal was reviewing his script as a reworking of theDark Universe concept, whileThe Bride of Frankenstein is cited as a major influence.[152] By February 2020, Feig was working on a second draft of the script upon receiving input from Universal Pictures.[153] By that May, the filmmaker completed the newest draft while describing the tone as closer to the original films with horror elements, but a portrayal of the monsters as rejects.[154] Feig had been given the option to develop films of any characters from the roster of monsters owned by Universal Pictures, prior to his chosen project.[155][156]
Frankenstein: Originally announced in June 2017, the project was initially planned as a part of theabandoned shared universe films withJavier Bardem cast to portray the titular character, and following the studio's standalone approachJames Wan signed on as producer in November 2019.[157] Jason Blum expressed interest in joining the production in a producing role.[158] Robbie Thompson was hired as screenwriter in 2020, while the plot is said to center around a group of teenagers who discover that a neighbor is creating a monster in their basement. The project is a joint production between Universal Pictures andAtomic Monster.[159]
The Invisible Woman: In November 2019, a reboot ofThe Invisible Woman was revealed to be in development.Elizabeth Banks was attached to star in, and direct the film, from a script written byErin Cressida Wilson which was based on an original story written by Banks, also serving as a producer with Max Handelman.[160] Banks was given options to develop a film from any characters in the roster of monsters owned by Universal Pictures, while she chose the Invisible Woman.[155][156]
Monster Mash: In February 2020 amusical titled after and centered around thenovelty song "Monster Mash", was revealed to be in development.Grammy Award nominee Matt Stawski was hired as a director, with Will Widger as screenwriter, from an original story written by Stawski; while Marty Bowen was put as producer. The project is a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures andTemple Hill Entertainment.[161]
UntitledDracula film: In February 2021,Chloé Zhao was hired to write and direct a separate futuristic sci-fi Western film centered around Dracula.[162] The filmmaker stated that she was continuing to work on the script in March of 2023.[163]
Little Monsters: In July 2020,Josh Cooley was hired as both writer and director, with a story centering around the characters from the Universal Monsters, inspired and based on drawings of the monster characters made by Crash McCreery who will be given an executive producer credit. The project is intended to serve as a "love letter to classic Hollywood and the history of film-making with a story that takes a multi-generational approach to the monsters and a more PG-rated, lighthearted family-friendly tone in the tradition of the classic '80s Spielberg films fromAmblin Entertainment to match as well". The film is said to be a live-action/CGI hybrid, withTodd Lieberman andDavid Hoberman attached as producers. The project is a joint production between Universal Pictures andMandeville Films.[164]
UntitledInvisible Man sequel: In February 2020, Leigh Whannell stated that thoughThe Invisible Man (2020) was developed as a standalone film, he may consider making a follow-up to this film.[165] By May sequel discussions were ongoing,[166] and by that July, Leigh Whannell was working on writing the story.[164] In April 2024, Moss revealed that she was working in collaboration with Blumhouse through her production company Love & Squalor Pictures to develop a sequel, while stating that the project was closer to realization than it had ever been before.[167][168] By January 2025, however, Whannell stated that he will not be involved with a sequel, while expressing being content with the first film's story.[169]
Bride of Frankenstein: Initially planned as a part of theabandoned shared universe films,[170] the studio continued development after shelving all projects associated with the Dark Universe.[131] In February 2020, Universal hiredAmy Pascal as producer on a new standalone adaptation of the character where the producer discussed rehiring David Koepp who had worked on the previous drafts of the script. After initially discussing the project withSam Raimi who passed on the opportunity, Pascal began working on the film withJohn Krasinski. The project is intended to be a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures,Pascal Pictures, andSunday Night Productions.[171]
UntitledScorpion King reboot: In November 2020, a reboot ofThe Scorpion King film series was announced as being in development.Jonathan Herman was hired as screenwriter, with the plot taking place during modern-day and involving a contemporary adaptation ofMathayus of Akkad / Scorpion King.Dwayne Johnson, who started his acting career as the titular role inThe Mummy Returns, was attached as producer alongside Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia. The project is a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures andSeven Bucks Productions.[172]
Untitled film: An untitled project was announced in November 2020, withChanning Tatum tentatively attached to star. Wes Tooke was hired as a screenwriter, from a story written byReid Carolin, whilePhil Lord and Christopher Miller were attached as producers alongside Tatum, Carolin, Peter Kiernan, and Aditya Sood. The plot is described as "a modern-day, tongue-in-cheek thriller", while being "a bold genre reinvention of one of the studio's most beloved characters from the Monsters Universe". The project is a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, Free Association Productions.[173]
Van Helsing: Originally announced in 2015, the project was originally planned as a part of theabandoned shared universe films,[174] though the project had re-entered development in December 2020.Julius Avery was hired to direct, from a script based on a previous draft byEric Pearson. James Wan was set to produce, with the project intended to be a joint-production between Universal Pictures andAtomic Monster.[175]
Phantom: After previously attempting an adaptation that was planned as a part of theabandoned shared universe films, Universal purchased aspeculative screenplay in December 2021, written byJohn Fusco which will function as a modern-day reboot ofThe Phantom of the Opera. The writer authored the script while working on his own record albums while in self-isolation during theCOVID-19 pandemic. Fusco determined to write a script that would be amusical, and be set in theFrench Quarter, Vieux Carré area of New Orleans in the United States. Incorporating aspects ofrhythm and blues,jazz,neo-soul, andfunk, the story is said to utilize French Creole nightlife culture of the geographical area, includingvoodoo andMardi Gras, as well as theromance andmystery aspects of the original film.Harvey Mason Jr.,John Legend, andMike Jackson signed onto the project as producers, with the project being a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures, Harvey Mason Media, and Get Lifted Film Co. in a collaborative effort.[176]
The Creature from the Black Lagoon: Universal attempted various incarnations of producing a remake centered around the titularGill-man throughout a number of decades (beginning as early as 1982), with various filmmakers attached at different times including:John Landis,[177]John Carpenter,[178]Peter Jackson,[179]Ivan Reitman,[180]Guillermo del Toro,[181] andBreck Eisner.[182] Some time in 2004,James Gunn pitched an adaptation of the character but the studio passed on adapting the script,[183] while del Toro's later repurposed his material for anotherunrelated project.[184] Beginning in June 2017, the project was planned as a part of theabandoned shared universe films.[131][132] By August 2024, the modern-day adaption was once again in development and James Wan was hired as producer in addition to being in early discussions to serve as director.[185] By September, Sean Tretta was hired to write the script, which is based on an original story co-authored by Wan, Rafael Jordan, and Bryan Coyne. The project is a joint-venture production between Universal Pictures, and the newly-merged Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Productions.[186]
Cancelled and repurposed projects
Dark Universe: In development as early as October 2013, the series of films was intended to relaunch the Universal Monsters characters, through a format similar to theMarvel Cinematic Universe andDC Extended Universe.[116][117][187][better source needed] The projects were officially announced in July 2014, as Universal hired Chris Morgan and Alex Kurtzman to oversee the development of the rebooted modern-day versions of the Universal Monsters,[118] with the duo's first involvements beginning with additional photography scenes filmed forDracula Untold (2014) which positioned the characters of the film in modern-day.[119] After the film underperformed its connections to the Dark Universe were downplayed,[121] withThe Mummy (2017) repositioned as the official start of the new film series.[122] In May 2017, the slate of reimagined incarnations of titular monsters was officially titled, by the studio through a press conference including official logo, website, trailer video, andscored theme music composed byDanny Elfman.[123] Universal Pictures worked with Kurtzman and Morgan to create a writer's room of various contributors to create stories that were to be expanded into scripts,[124] where the films were intended to havehorror as their primary genre, as opposed to theaction adventure nature of the studio's previous remakes.[125][126]The Mummy introduced its ancient titular monster (played bySofia Boutella), alongside the heroic character-turned monster portrayed byTom Cruise whose monstrous origins depicted in the film were intended to be expanded upon in later installments.[127] Prior to the film's release, Universal Pictures announced the additional main cast of additional characters for the intended series alongside Cruise, includingRussell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde,Johnny Depp as Dr. Griffin / the Invisible Man, andJavier Bardem as the Frankenstein Monster.[129] Following poor critical reception and an underwhelming box office performance ofThe Mummy (2017), Universal postponed all plans for theDark Universe slate of films.[188] In January 2018, the production studio began reconfiguring their approach to the Universal Monsters,[134][135] and following the departures of Kurtzman and Morgan from their roles as co-architects of the franchise,[188] the studio abandoned the planned shared cinematic universe in favor of individualizedstandalone adaptations of the monsters.[136][137] The studio had revealed an official slate of films including:[131][132]
Frankenstein:[131][188]Javier Bardem was cast in the role of Frankenstein's Monster in May 2017, while the character was intended to initially debut inBride of Frankenstein before starring in his own film.[189][190]
Bride of Frankenstein:[131][188] The project was announced in May 2017, and was intended to be directed byBill Condon with a script written byDavid Koepp,[170] with a February 14, 2019 release date.[194]Angelina Jolie was in negotiations with the studio to star in the lead role,[195][196] before the film was delayed and removed from its scheduled release in October.[197]
Dracula:[131][31] In June 2017, Alex Kurtzman announced plans for a feature film titled and centered around the titular vampire, as a part of the Dark Universe franchise.[188]
Creature from the Black Lagoon: A feature film centered around the character was initially in development as a part of the planned slate of films.[131]Will Beall was hired to write the script,[198][188] while the studio consideredScarlett Johansson for a role in the film.[199][200][31]
The Invisible Man:[131][188] Announced initially in February 2016 withEd Solomon writing the script,Johnny Depp was cast to star in the lead role.[201]
Phantom of the Opera:[131][31] In June 2017, Kurtzman announced plans for a feature film centered around the titular character.[188][202]
Hunchback of Notre Dame:[131][31][better source needed] Alex Kurtzman announced developments for a Dark Universe film centered around the titular monster in June 2017.[188]
Van Helsing:[131][188] Development began on the project as early as June 2012,[203] when Alex Kurtzman worked on the first draft of script,[204] taking inspiration fromThe Dark Knight as an influence.[203] By July 2016,Eric Heisserer andJon Spaihts were hired to collaborate on a new draft of the script, where the co-authors looked towards the lead character of theMad Max franchise for further inspiration.[205] The studio had been courtingChanning Tatum to star in the lead role, after Tom Cruise had initially been considered to play the character prior to being cast his starring role inThe Mummy (2017) instead.[196][31]
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:[131][31] In June 2017, Alex Kurtzman confirmed plans for a feature film centered around the titular character.[188]
Untitled Mina Harker film: By March 2020,Karyn Kusama was hired to direct a film centered aroundDracula, from a script co-written byMatt Manfredi andPhil Hay. The project was to be a joint-venture production, with Blumhouse Productions serving as the production studio.[206][207] In June of the same year, Kusama stated that the film would be a "faithful adaptation" ofBram Stoker'sDracula, including the plot device of being told from various perspectives.[208] The plot was intended to take place in modern-dayLos Angeles with the working titleMina Harker.Jasmine Cephas Jones was cast to playMina Harker while Dracula would have used the alias of Vladimir, but in April 2022, three weeks prior to its principal photography start date, the project was cancelled by the associated studios due to creative differences with Kusama. At the time that it was shelved,Miramax had been intended to be one of the associated production studios.[209]
Main cast and characters
This table includes the Universal Monster characters and their respective actors for each film in the franchise. Additional characters include recurring primary characters of the Universal Studios Monsters franchise.
Created by comic book author and artistMarv Wolfman, in collaboration withUniversal Cartoon Studios, the show was developed to reintroduce the Universal Monsters to child audiences. The plot centers around a group of college-age students and their professor Dr. Reed Crawley to form a squad call the Monster Force, who through the use of some supernatural skills and technological weaponry must combat Dracula and his army called the Creatures of the Night. The series aired through broadcast syndication from April to July 1994. With mild viewership, the show was canceled after its first season.[214][better source needed][215]
Abbott and Costello Meet the Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Developed in collaboration withColgate-Palmolive-Peet, the short was released duringThe Colgate Comedy Hour as a live-television comedy sketch created to introduce audiences toThe Creature from the Black Lagoon. Continuing the trend with previous installments whereBud Abbott and Lou Costello meet the Universal Monsters, the short follows a plot where the two actors explore the studio's prop room which references some of their previous interactions with the various characters, while encountering the Invisible Man, Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange), andthe Gill-Man (Ben Chapman).[218][219][220]
Van Helsing: The London Assignment (2004)
Developed as ananime-styled prologue to the 2004feature-length film, the short was directed by Sharon Bridgeman from a script written by Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens. The plot takes place immediately before the live-action film and follows Gabriel Van Helsing's investigation in the grisly murders plaguing Victorian era London, and his discovery of a monstrous killer namedMr. Hyde. Marketed as the prequel to the theatrical release, it was produced for thestraight-to-home video market by Universal and was received with mixed reception.[221][222][223]
Other media
Home video collections
The franchise has received a variety of home video packing boxsets including:The Classic Collection (1991-1994), theClassic Monster Collection (1999),The Legacy Collection (2004), theEssential Collection (2012), and theComplete Collection (2018).
Universal Pictures collaborated with a number of publishing companies to produce a variety mediums of literature, featuring the Universal Monsters characters, including novels, young adult fiction, graphic novels, comic books, and limited series.
Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride: Opening in 2004 at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood, the roller coaster withdark ride elements is based on the first twoMummy films of the remake era.[352]
Universal Epic Universe: In June 2024, it was revealed that Universal would be repurposing the concept and title of cancelled shared universe of films throughUniversal Destinations & Experiences's planned expansion of theOrlando park location. As a part of the expansion, a portion of the park namedUniversal Epic Universe will be developed to incorporate and center around the Universal Monsters, and will be titledDark Universe. Thematically inspired by each of its films, the park is intended to serve as a modern day follow-up to the original films, where attendees can explore a town named Darkmoor Village. There they discover that the great-great-granddaughter ofHenry Frankenstein named Victoria, has continued followed in the mad scientist footsteps of her family and has begun creating monsters of her own. Visitors attending the park will see the events of a plot unfold, where her latest experiment which was intended to bring all of the Universal Monsters under her control backfires as a result of Dracula's revolt. The Dark Universe will include attractions, locales from the films, a number of rides, and a combination ofactors,animatronics,special effects, and cutting-edge technology that was developed for the park. The Dark Universe portion of the Universal Epic Universe park will open on May 22, 2025.[353][354] The location will include Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Wolf Man, Bride of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, Invisible Man, and various others from the studio's films.[355]
Universal Horror Unleashed: A haunted house attraction featuring characters from the Universal Classic Monsters franchise will open in August 2025.[356]
Influence on unrelated media
The Universal Monsters have been attributed with directly influencing the horror genre and its filmmakers in the decades that followed,[357] as well as also retroactively adding additional depth to the source material for the characters.[358][359] The popularity of the franchise inspired decades of horror films that followed,[360] including leading to various unrelated media based on the characters and adapting in a variety of means.[361]
The Munsters franchise (1964–2022): A comedic sitcom formattedparody of horror, where a family of benign monsters navigate their existence among normal American experiences. Produced in collaboration withUniversal Television, the franchise was able to employ the copyrighted designs of the Universal Monsters for the Munster family.[362] Versions of Frankenstein's Monster, Count Dracula, the Gill-Man, Dr. Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera, Bride of Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde feature throughout its installments.[363]
Mad Monster Party? (1967): Developed byRankin/Bass Productions Inc. as astop motionanimatedmusicalcomedy, the adaptation features incarnations of Universal Monsters with distinct variations to avoid copyright, including: Dr. Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff), Frankenstein's Monster, Bride of Frankenstein, Count Dracula, the Wolf Man, The Mummy, Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and Invisible Man among various other monster-themed characters. Directed byJules Bass, with a script written by Len Korobkin andHarvey Kurtzman, based on an original story fromArthur Rankin Jr., the plot centers around Dr. Frankenstein's invitation for all monsters to attend a retirement celebration at Castle Frankenstein to name is successor.[364] The feature-length film has been cited as acult classic in the decades since its release.[365]
The Shape of Water (2017): Directed by Guillermo del Toro, from a script he co-wrote withVanessa Taylor which was based on an original story by del Toro, the project initially entered development as aCreature from the Black Lagoon remake. Universal ultimately passed on del Toro's script, which would go on to earn various awards and recognition.[184]
^Goode portrayed the character inAbigail (2024), where the character has the alias of Kristof Lazaar.
^The actresses (Dvorak, Thaw, and Tree) portrayed the characters inDracula (1931).
^A trio of uncredited actresses portrayed the characters in the Spanish-language version of the filmDrácula (1931).
^The actresses (Anaya, Colloca, and Maran) portrayed the characters inVan Helsing (2004), where the characters are named Verona, Aleera, and Marishka, respectively.
^Strange portrayed the character inHouse of Frankenstein (1944),House of Dracula (1945), andAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
^Hensley portrayed the character inVan Helsing (2004).
^Clive portrayed the character inFrankenstein (1931), andThe Bride of Frankenstein (1935), while the actor's likeness was used for reference on the oil painting familial portrait inSon of Frankenstein (1939).
^Hardwicke portrays theghostly apparition of the character during ahallucination sequence inThe Ghost of Frankenstein (1942).
^West portrayed the character inVan Helsing (2004).
^Karloff portrayed the character inThe Mummy (1932).
^Chaney Jr. portrayed the character inThe Wolf Man (1941),Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943),House of Frankenstein (1944),House of Dracula (1945), andAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
^Kemp portrayed the character inVan Helsing (2004), where the character is named Velkan Valerious.
^del Toro portrayed the character inThe Wolfman (2010).
^Abbott portrayed the character inWolf Man (2025).
^abAlthough originally produced and released byParamount Pictures,MCA Inc. obtained the rights to the film in 1958 and acquired Universal in 1962 and branded it with Universal Studios Monsters in its 1991 home video release.[240]
^Proctor, William (2021). "Building Imaginary Horror Worlds: Transfictional storytelling and the Universal Monster franchise cycle". In McKenna, Mark; Proctor, William (eds.).Horror Franchise Cinema. Routledge. p. 44-45.ISBN978-0367183271.
^Herman, David; Jahn, Manfred; Ryan, Marie-Laure, eds. (2005). "Transfictionality".The Routledge Companion of Narrative Theory. Routledge. pp. 612–613.
^Proctor, William (2021). "Building Imaginary Horror Worlds: Transfictional storytelling and the Universal Monster franchise cycle". In McKenna, Mark; Proctor, William (eds.).Horror Franchise Cinema. Routledge. p. 42.ISBN978-0367183271.
^abcdefghijFink, Richard & Amanda Minchin (February 1, 2024)."Dark Universe: All the Canceled Films Planned".MovieWeb. RetrievedAugust 14, 2024.Dr. Henry Jekyll of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is considered perhaps one of the first Universal Movie Monsters (though that title technically goes to his alter ego, Edward Hyde) in 1913. At the time, Universal was known as The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, a name that would soon be shortened to the one moviegoers know and love today.[better source needed]
^abMelzer, James (October 22, 2024)."Wolf Man Director Reveals the Universal Monster He'd Love to Update Next".MovieWeb. RetrievedDecember 18, 2024.Whannell wasn't shy about expressing his desire to tackle Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel, which was brought to life by Universal in 1913, and starred King Baggot as the titular doctor with a penchant for self-experimentation.[better source needed]
^abcDamaske, Damion (August 5, 2021)."Meet the original Dark Universe monsters!".JoBlo. RetrievedAugust 14, 2024.DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE was actually produced by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Incorporated, before the studio got its name shortened to Universal. Thus, he is really the first Universal monster, making his debut in the 1913 27-minute silent horror film.
^Shaffer, R.L. (January 17, 2012)."The Phantom of the Opera (1925) Blu-ray Review".IGN. RetrievedJanuary 1, 2025.Admittedly, the 1925 version ofThe Phantom of the Opera is an acquired taste. ...doesn't quite reach the intensity ofThe Hunchback of Notre Dame, Universal's second monster movie, following the short filmDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
^Kit, Borys (May 9, 2023)."'Matilda: The Musical' Star Alisha Weir Joins Melissa Barrera in Untitled Monster Movie From 'Scream VI' Filmmakers (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedOctober 5, 2024.Without copping to the project's plot or lineage (Dracula's Daughter was a classic Universal horror movie produced in 1936), the studio is noting that the untitled horror feature is in the vein of recent Universal films such as Leigh Whannell'sThe Invisible Man and the Nicolas Cage starrerRenfield in that it will be a unique take on legendary monster lore and will represent a fresh, new direction for how to celebrate these classic characters.
^Barnhardt, Adam (December 18, 2023)."Radio Silence's Universal Monster Movie Wraps Filming".ComicBook.com. RetrievedOctober 5, 2024.It's a Universal Monster movie and that, for us, is insane that we're making a Universal Monster movie", Radio Silence's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin shared with ComicBook.com. "...Let's make this original movie, it's a standalone movie, there is a monster in it, that much is for sure.
^Garmon, Larry Mike; Garmon, Larry Mike (2002).The mummy. Universal Studios monsters. Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress). New York: Scholastic Inc.ISBN978-0-439-30346-0.OCLC48888321.
^Mosley, Matthew (November 4, 2023)."The Invisible Man Was Almost Played by a Different Universal Monster Icon".Collider. RetrievedDecember 18, 2024.No studio is as closely associated with monster movies as Universal Pictures. Their contributions to the genre during the Golden Age of Hollywood are among the most recognizable in film, with some leaving such an indelible mark on popular culture they eclipsed the popularity of their original novels...[better source needed]
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