Earlier than film theaters shut down as a result of coronavirus pandemic, the 12 months began off pretty robust. One of many greatest success tales, in fact, was The Invisible Man. Even with its theatrical run minimize quick, the film — which price simply $7 million — earned $123 million worldwide.
Director Leigh Whannell’s earlier film, 2018’s Improve, solely introduced in $16 million throughout its launch. In fact, The Invisible Man has the advantage of a recognizable model identify. However even with that on its facet, the movie nearly by no means materialized in any respect.
Common Monsters was the primary cinematic shared universe
Right this moment’s moviegoers could also be all concerning the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nevertheless it was Common Monsters who first kicked off the notion of a big-screen shared universe. Motion pictures like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, and sure, The Invisible Man launched moviegoers to those unforgettable creations. And for many years, the movies largely thrived.
Through the years, audiences misplaced curiosity within the traditional Common monsters. The characters began appearing sporadically on the large display. However given the truth that lots of them are within the public area, most of those subsequent productions had been made exterior of Common. The studio did strive intermittently to adapt the Common Monsters, nevertheless.
1999’s The Mummy was a smash which led to 2 sequels. But, 2004’s Van Helsing and 2010’s The Wolfman — which starred Hugh Jackman and Benicio del Toro, respectively — didn’t make the type of affect essential for a full-fledged reboot. Likewise, 2014’s Dracula Untold underwhelmed and underperformed financially.
The Darkish Universe fell aside earlier than it may actually start
By the point 2017 rolled round, Common believed they’d cracked the code. A brand new model of The Mummy led by Tom Cruise appeared to slam the doorways large open for the “Darkish Universe.” The movie even includes a fancy brand for the franchise and a supporting flip by Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll (and, you guessed it, Mr. Hyde).
Audiences, it appears, weren’t prepared for “a brand new world of gods and monsters.” The Mummy bombed on the field workplace and went down as one of many 12 months’s most embarrassing misfires. And plans for an bold slate of films — together with a Bride of Frankenstein remake starring Javier Bardem — had been dashed. Common even canceled a Johnny Depp-led The Invisible Man.
After such a expensive, time-consuming endeavor, no surprise Common was hesitant to dip into its traditional monsters once more. In actual fact, it wasn’t till Whannell pitched the other method the studio appeared . Relatively than a $125 million manufacturing like The Mummy, Whannell’s grim, very R-rated The Invisible Man would reveal the story’s dirty underbelly.
‘The Invisible Man’ leads a monstrous resurgence
As a substitute of taking the attitude of the title character, Whannell’s The Invisible Man flips the main focus onto his ex (Elisabeth Moss). The whole movie serves as a metaphor for coping with the trauma of an abusive relationship. In doing so, Whannell creates one thing much less about spectacle than harrowing emotional grounding. And, this time, audiences cherished it.
Maybe a part of what makes The Invisible Man work so properly is that it doesn’t intention to set the stage for a bigger cinematic universe. Common could be very a lot tapping into the archives of its traditional monsters, together with a brand new Dracula. However at this level, there are not any plans for The Invisible Man to kickstart any anticipated cross-overs. For now, that’s most likely for one of the best.
If the studio is ready to efficiently apply the identical method to different Common Monsters, then maybe a few of these characters will cross paths once more. Nonetheless, Whannell’s film defied the percentages by resurrecting a lifeless franchise in probably the most sudden of the way. The very last thing Common — and followers — need is for the studio to begin seeing greenback indicators and kill it once more.