9 Nov – The highly-ambitious monsters cinematic universe, Dark Universe, might be rolling back onto the shelf before the project actually takes off. The Hollywood Reporter brought words that writer-producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan, who were attached as the universe architects, have stepped away from the franchise to take on other projects. Kurtzman will now be placing his focus on CBS All Access' "Star Trek: Discovery" television series while Morgan has returned to the "Fast and Furious" franchise and is writing for the spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. Following "The Mummy's" poor performance at the box office and with movie critics, the Dark Universe has since been going on a downward spiral with the studio halting production on "Bride of Frankenstein" and shelving its 14 February 2019 release date. And with its new office building – which was revamped specifically to house Dark Universe offices – now sitting mostly empty, it seems that the project would just be left as a failed idea.
Despite all these, the studio still remains optimistic and is exploring other options which include offering the IP for one-off movies to high-profile filmmakers, or finding a new person to spearhead the universe. "We've learned many lessons throughout the creative process on Dark Universe so far, and we are viewing these titles as filmmaker-driven vehicles, each with their own distinct vision," Universal Pictures' President of Production Peter Cramer said. "We are not rushing to meet a release date and will move forward with these films when we feel they are the best versions of themselves." While things might not be looking good for the Dark Universe at the moment, fans can still find relief in knowing that "Bride of Frankenstein", which supposedly will star Javier Bardem and Angelina Jolie, is still under development and not thrown overboard just yet.