The Dark Universe Franchise (R.I.P. 2017-2017)

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domino harvey
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#26 Post by domino harvey » Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:33 pm

I suspect Cruise signed on to this one because Universal enticed him with some outrageous stunt he'd get to perform. I'm also sure it doesn't matter if this bombs here, it'll recoup and then some overseas. If it dies in China, then you can write the franchise off

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#27 Post by Ribs » Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:38 pm

I think it's just as simple as Tom Cruise sees what Robert Downey, Jr., an actor of similar age as Cruise that also had to overcome some stigma about his private life, has in terms of "star power" and is interested in accomplishing a similar thing. Cruise, obviously, is well aware that other than Leonardo DiCaprio he's probably still the most bankable star in Hollywood, but it's increasingly been reliant on overseas grosses (in addition to the fact that they've already got Bardem and Depp under contract, this is the other reason why this will continue at least for one more movie). It's not quite a perfect comparison and I don't really think his upcoming slate will do him too many favors (after American Made, which very well could be another great fourth-decade-Cruise film, it's Mission Impossible 6, Top Gun 2, and Edge of Tomorrow 2). But I understand it, and I think there's enough in this movie that indicates he still was pretty involved the way he usually is nowadays in the actual production decisions behind the film.
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And it's pretty clearly set up he'll be the linking element of these films, as a "good" Monster to convince/cure the others evils in the world.
I had a good enough time with this one but I'm absolutely a converted member of the cult of Tom Cruise who liked Jack Reacher 2 so I'd not really take my opinion for anything.

I'm mildly confused that a common criticism I'm seeing in the reviews is that it ignores the horror roots of this property, as if that wasn't plainly the reason they started with this one (as they've already done this as a fun action movie, it makes sense as the basis upon which to establish a whole series of films in that style).

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knives
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#28 Post by knives » Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:46 pm

I hope Cruise isn't going the Downey route since he has had very few non-Ironman roles in the last five years.

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Ribs
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#29 Post by Ribs » Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:49 pm

Well, I think the moral of RDJ's story is it didn't *actually* turn him back into a movie star any more than how Chris Hemsworth isn't a movie star. He still does movies, but very few people are going out of their way to see a movie *just because he's in it* unless he's playing his beloved iconic character(s). Sherlock Holmes was an aberration; everything else since then has been a big nothing both financially and critically, more or less. So the fact Tom Cruise is trying to be the Iron Man of this whole thing and the central figure in it is strange, considering that he does still have that sort of appeal that less than a handful might have at this point.

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captveg
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#30 Post by captveg » Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:55 pm

Despite how bad I thought this movie was, I'm still curious about Condon doing Bride of Frankenstein.

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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#31 Post by Werewolf by Night » Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:31 pm

Yes, and I'd still be interested to see a Russell Crowe Jekyll & Hyde movie (as long as it isn't some overblown action/CGI mess like this mummy movie appears to be).

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Ribs
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#32 Post by Ribs » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:09 pm

Variety has a fascinating hatchet job placing blame solely and exclusively on Tom Cruise, which to me reads like it was a piece expressly bought and paid for by Universal to offload the blame off their shoulders.

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matrixschmatrix
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm

Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#33 Post by matrixschmatrix » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:44 pm

Interesting piece- I agree that it comes off as trying to lay the blame for forced series continuity and franchise bloat and so forth at Cruise's feet in a way that's not convincing, particularly since I can't imagine that he's not a known quantity at this point (does anyone hire Cruise NOT knowing how he will behave on set?) It also tried to push the twilight of the movie stars angle to a degree that seemed like the authors just wanted to get it in there- I mean, maybe the issue here isn't that movie stars have no pull, it's that everyone they're hiring (apart from Bardem) is a movie star from 10-15 years ago.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#34 Post by domino harvey » Wed Jun 14, 2017 8:49 pm

Variety has been pushing an anti-Cruise narrative for the past couple weeks with several nonsensical articles and thinkpieces, no idea why but even their readers have been calling them out for their specious arguments and claims on this front

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Brian C
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#35 Post by Brian C » Wed Jun 14, 2017 9:38 pm

Honestly that article makes Cruise look good once you strip the editorializing out of it. It's a story about no one knowing what they were doing on a major studio production, and Cruise being apparently the only one giving a damn.

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thirtyframesasecond
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:48 pm

Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#36 Post by thirtyframesasecond » Thu Jun 15, 2017 9:38 am

I hope The Mummy does well because I'm really looking forward to Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man!

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colinr0380
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#37 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:17 pm

At least it might stop another wacky Depp costume! Though he'll have a long way to go to beat Ed Begley Jr's seminal performance in the role!

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domino harvey
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#38 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:19 pm

This movie def needed Henry Silva barking "Bullshit"

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colinr0380
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#39 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:21 pm

domino harvey wrote:This movie def needed Henry Silva barking "Bullshit"
Still the Jack The Ripper conspiracy theory that I subscribe to!

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captveg
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 pm

Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#40 Post by captveg » Thu Jun 15, 2017 1:13 pm

Brian C wrote:Honestly that article makes Cruise look good once you strip the editorializing out of it. It's a story about no one knowing what they were doing on a major studio production, and Cruise being apparently the only one giving a damn.
Agreed. Cruise has been a producer on his projects for decades now because he's generally quite good at it and knows what his audience wants. He was more wrong than right in this instance, but this hit piece smells pretty blatantly of "let's blame the public face rather than the collection of people who all contributed to the film's problems."


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FigrinDan
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#42 Post by FigrinDan » Thu Oct 05, 2017 2:40 pm

The next installment of Universal's Dark Universe, The Bride of Frankenstein, has been..... postponed.
BloodyDisgusting wrote:“After thoughtful consideration, Universal Pictures and director Bill Condon have decided to postpone Bride of Frankenstein,” Universal said in a statement to Deadline. “None of us want to move too quickly to meet a release date when we know this special movie needs more time to come together. Bill is a director whose enormous talent has been proven time and again, and we all look forward to continuing to work on this film together."

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matrixschmatrix
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Re: The Dark Universe Franchise (2017-?)

#43 Post by matrixschmatrix » Thu Oct 05, 2017 8:27 pm

I get the feeling that if they bother to make any more of these- and who knows if they will- they will pull back the connected universe elements, the way WB is planning with their DC properties. It's hard to think of any of these things that have worked out that weren't made by Disney, and even there it's only really the Marvel movies so far- Star Wars is kind of a different beast, and they've only actually put out one major release that isn't part of a direct narrative line.


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