On Thursday, a fantasy blockbuster that was supposed to be part of a big new monster universe is airing on VOX. The franchise, however, was quickly scrapped.
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a model, studio Universal also wanted to build a larger franchise that would combine classic monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy in a modern guise. The first film from the planned Cinematic Universe was 2014’s Dracula Untold, which airs Thursday on VOX. However, nothing came of the franchise.
This is what Dracula Untold is about
The story of Gary Shore’s fantasy blockbuster is dedicated to the real-life Dracula inspiration Prince Vlad of Transylvania (Luke Evans), who risks his life as a young nobleman in the 15th century to save his wife and son from the clutches of a murderous sultan. By a curse, he is doomed to become the very first vampire and must quench his thirst for blood.
Dracula Untold is part of a doomed monster universe
With a budget of $70 million, the fantasy film grossed over $217 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Commercially, Dracula Untold was a minor success as a result. Across the board, the film still failed. A post-credit scene shot after the fact was supposed to create a bridge to the subsequently launched The Mummy starring Tom Cruise, but it was completely ignored.
After the Mummy reboot fell short of expectations financially and neither film was able to build a solid foundation for a Cinematic Universe, Universal put all plans for the so-called Dark Universe on hold.
