Shared Universe for Classic Movie Monsters On the Way

Recently, Universal set out on a course of rebooting their line of classic movie monsters such as Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, and the Mummy. Their first act was hiring ex-creative partners Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to spearhead this effort, and the plan they hinted at was to create a cinematic universe similar to what Disney has done with The Avengers. And now that plan is going into effect courtesy of the folks who brought you Transformers and The Fast and the Furious.

Alex Kurtzman, a writer on Star Trek and two of the Transformers movies will be teaming up with Fast & Furious franchise writer/producer Chris Morgan to craft an "interconnected slate" of monster flicks beginning with 2016's The Mummy reboot. Len Wiseman had been attached to direct that film but he dropped out and now it seems to be in a state of flux. Also considered to be part of the group of classic creatures up for a redo are The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon, basically every monster that made up Universal's popular run of horror films in the 1920s through the 1950s.

If recent history is any guide Universal have a tough road ahead of them. It wasn't that long ago they attempted a remake of The Wolfman led by Benicio Del Toro and audiences stayed clear. The Mummy franchise, once lucrative in the days of Brendan Fraser (how often you hear something like that??) are now just a bunch of lame straight-to-DVD spinoffs. It's also unclear if the Van Helsing remake, which once had Tom Cruise attached, is a part of this whole deal.

A better gauge for how this could turn out will be the performance of Universal's Dracula Untold, starring Luke Evans and opening October 17th. [Deadline]

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Blu-Ray Deal of the Week: 64% Off Universal Classic Monsters

If you're a fan of classic movie monsters and some of the great horrors of all-time, then now is your chance to stock up on the works of Bela Lagosi, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney. This week's Blu-Ray deal is 64% off Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection, an 8-disc set that includes Dracula, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Wolf Man, and more! This set can be yours for only $54.49, or less than $7 per disc, which is quite the steal.

Click on the above link or go here to order yours today! We appreciate the support you continue to show our sponsors. Punch Drunk Critics earns a small fee every time one of our readers buys from any of our links.

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Fox Dates Secret Marvel Film, 'Fantastic Four 2', 'The Wolverine 2', 'Taken 3, and Mystery Ridley Scott Film

Bryan Singer isn't the only one looking way into the future of his X-men franchise, 20th Century Fox has their plans laid out all the way through 2018. The studio has just set in stone a number of release dates for their superhero line-up, Taken 3, plus a couple of projects shrouded in mystery.

Let's start off on the Marvel side, with Fox slating James Mangold's sequel to The Wolverine for March 3rd 2017. Mangold has recently stated filming will begin once Singer wraps up on X-men: Apocalypse, but as it stands right now Hugh Jackman is not confirmed to come back. He likely will, it just hasn't happened yet.

While there were rumors of a creative shake-up on Josh Trank's Fantastic Four, that's in the past and Fox is confident enough to set the sequel for July 14th 2017. It's too early to know if Trank will return although it doesn't seem likely considering he didn't bother coming back for Chronicle 2.

Strangely enough, Fox has also set a date of July 18th 2018 for a mystery Marvel project. The natural assumption is this will be an off-shoot of Fantastic Four or X-men, with Jeff Wadlow's developing X-force film likely to be in that slot. It's always possible someone has finally decided to green light Deadpool, but we'll just have to wait and see on that.

Also getting release dates are Taken 3, the Liam Neeson-actioner being set for January 9th 2015. Paul McGuigan's Frankenstein, which stars Daniel Radcliffe, has been pushed back nine months to October 2nd 2015.

There's also a secret Ridley Scott project that Fox has slated for March 4th 2016. Could this be his oft-rumored Prometheus sequel? Scott has more projects on his calendar than most directors have actually completed, so it could be anything.

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Jessica Brown Findlay In 'Frankenstein'; Olivia Thirlby Joins 'The Wedding Ringer'; Ray Stevenson Hunts 'Big Game'

* Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay has been making some pretty big moves lately, and she's just landed the female lead in an updated Frankenstein, opposite Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy. Written by Max Landis and directed by Paul McGuigan, plot details are under wraps but we know Radcliffe will play Igor while McAvoy is Victor von Frankenstein. [THR]

* The uber-talented Olivia Thirlby has come aboard Jeremy Gerelick's untitled comedy starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, and Kaley Cuoco. Hart plays a charismatic guy who offers best man services to grooms without the friends to fill the role. Gad is a husband-to-be who fabricates not only his  best man, but all of his groomsman, and he must team up with Hart to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch. Cuoco plays the selfish fiancee, while Thirlby is her sister who falls for Gad's character. *UPDATE*  The film has now been titled The Wedding Ringer, and will co-star Cloris Leachman, Alan Ritchson, Jorge Garcia, and Mimi Rogers.

* Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson, and Mehmet Kurtulus have joined the cast of Big Game, which is probably best known as the action flick with Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States. Written and directed by Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale), the film follows a shy 13-year-old boy (Onni Tommila) who must prove his manhood by spending a day and night alone in the wilderness. That evening Air Force One is shot down by terrorists nearby, and the boy must team with the President to stay alive. Filming begins tomorrow so we can probably expect Big Game ready for 2014.

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Wes Bentley Goes 'Interstellar'; James McAvoy Builds 'Frankenstein'; Michael Hoffman Directs 'The Best of Me'

* You have to give it up to Christopher Nolan. He's always been able to secure top notch stars for his films, and Interstellar is certainly no different. As of now he's secured the talents of Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck, Ellen Burstyn and John Lithgow for the ambitious sci-fi film. Not a slouch in the bunch, really. But when it comes to the supporting cast, Nolan is still shooting for the stars with Mackenzie Foy, Bill Irwin and Topher Grace on board. And now the latest to head into space with them is Wes Bentley, continuing his comeback that began with his awesomely-mustached performance in The Hunger Games. Of course, we have no info on his role, because the only information out there about the film is that it centers on a team of explorers traveling through wormholes on some sort of heroic mission. Interstellar takes off on November 7th 2014.

* As James McAvoy continues to duel Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier in X-men: Days of Future Past, he's not letting that distract him from adding one more unexpected film to his crowded slate. This year we've seen him branch out in truly inspiring ways, starring in Trance, the crime flick Welcome to the Punch, and later on we'll see him in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and Irvine Welsh's Filth. And now he's won the role of Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein, beating out the previously rumored contenders Toby Kebbell and Jack Huston. He'll join Daniel Radcliffe, co-starring as Igor, in an update on the Mary Shelley classic penned by Max Landis and directed by Paul McGuigan.

* Ready for another Nicholas Sparks adaptation? Well, tough if you aren't because they keep making money so...enjoy! Michael Hoffman (The Last Station) will direct and rewrite the script for The Best of Me, another deep south romance following two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks. No seriously, the plot synopsis literally says they're "from opposite sides of the tracks". >sigh<  Twentyfive years after the couple splits up after high school, they are reunited in their North Carolina hometown for their mentor's funeral, discovering that he left behind instructions that reveal deeply held secrets and help rekindle their passion.

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Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell Eyed For 'Frankenstein'

After not really appearing on screen since Van Helsing, there are now a couple of Frankenstein movies in the works. One is the Aaron Eckhart-led I, Frankenstein, which nobody seems to be talking about. The other, simply titled Frankenstein, has quite a bit of heat behind it thanks to a genre-bending script by Chronicle scribe, Max Landis. Daniel Radcliffe came aboard to play a version of Igor a few months ago, and now two more names have emerged for the role of Victor Frankenstein himself.

Deadline reports that Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell are being flown out to London to read for director Paul McGuigan and 20th Century Fox. I thought Huston was pretty good in David Chase's directorial debut, Not Fade Away, and he's great as Jack Kerouac in this fall's Kill Your Darlings. I've never seen him in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, but supposedly he's good in that, as well. Kebbell is still probably best known for his breakout in Guy Ritchie's Rocknrolla, and can be seen now in Brit Marling's The East.

We're seeing studios do this a lot, lately, putting bigger stars in flashy supporting roles only to give the lead to a lesser name. Disney is doing it right now in The Lone Ranger, and Fox deserves credit for following the same path. Expect a decision to be made within the next week.

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Daniel Radcliffe will star in 'Frankenstein' for Fox

In the wake of Shawn Levy moving on from Fox's planned Frankenstein film, ultimately replaced as director by Paul McGuigan, a big name emerged as a potential star. Last September, Daniel Radcliffe was said to be "interested" in the lead role, but we didn't hear anything more about it until now. Variety says the contract is nearly signed, sealed, and delivered for Radcliffe to star in the monster movie.

This version of Frankenstein is said to be a little different from the classic version, with screenwriter Max Landis (Chronicle) throwing in a few sci-fi elements. Radcliffe would be playing Igor the Hunchback, who is said to be "pathologically dirty and dressed in old clowns clothing". The story also deals in themes of friendship and redemption, something Radcliffe is very familiar with from the Harry Potter movies.

Between this, The Woman in Black, and the adaptation of Horns, Radcliffe seems to have fallen in love with the horror genre. Filming on Frankenstein is due to being this fall.

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Sure Shots: Daniel Radcliffe; Michael Hoffman; Ben Kingsley

* Now that Shawn Levy is out of the way and replaced by Paul McGuigan(Push) as director, Fox is moving forward on their revisionist take on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and they may have just landed their first big name to headline it. Daniel Radcliffe is reportedly interested in taking on the lead role of the Hunchback in the film, which features a much-hyped script by Max Landis(Chronicle) that features sci-fi elements. The Hunchback is described as "pathologically dirty and dressed in old clowns clothing", which is definitely a departure from the norm. I can't see Radcliffe in the role, but I'm basing that on a traditional interpretation of the character. Another pass at the script will be made before final talks on casting commence. [TheWrap]

* Oh, and you thought Nicholas Sparks movies were over!? No no no, kemosabe, more easily digestible tragi-romance crap is headed your way. Enjoy. Michael Hoffman(The Last Station) will direct The Best of Me, which you'll be shocked....SHOCKED to learn is about two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks who are derailed by unforeseen events, only to be reunited years later by a tragedy. >sigh<  Hoffman is so much better than this. Sparks pitched the story to Warner Bros. before he even wrote the book(ugggghhhhh), proving that he's pooping out this stuff so he can get movie deals out of them. Will Fetters, who wrote the most recent Sparks drivel The Lucky One, is being eyed to rewrite the script. [Deadline]

* The always versatile Ben Kingsley is eying a role in Mary Mother of Christ, and as you might expect it's a film about Jesus' mommy. Yep, another Biblical epic for you to chew on, folks. Already starring Peter O'Toole, Julia Ormond, and Odeya Rush(The Odd Life of Timothy Green) as Mary, the story follows her defiance of the king in order to save her son. Kingsley is interested in playing King Herod, who didn't take too kindly to Jesus being known as the "king of the Jews". Judi Dench and Hugh Bonneville are being targeted for roles as well. Alister Grierson(Sanctum) is directing. [TheWrap]

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Miranda Otto and Yvonne Strahovski join the cast of I, Frankenstein

With the latest surge of Australian actors currently sweeping through the upper ranks of Hollywood's elite, one who has been around longer than most has been mostly forgotten. That would be Miranda Otto, who got her big break here as Eowyn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, but ever since has been flying under the radar. She would have been part of Mark Romanek's hyped Locke & Key TV series if it hadn't been axed before ever getting out of the starting gate. That adaptation of the very popular comic book would have made her a geek favorite, and it did when the pilot was shown at the most recent Comic-Con. She'll have to settle for being a part of another comic book adapatation, instead, as THR reports she'll join I, Frankenstein, based on the horror series from writer Kevin Grievoux(Underworld).

Otto won't be alone, as she's bringing Yvonne Strahovski(Chuck, Killer Elite) along with her, adding a double dose of sex appeal to the monster flick. Directed by Stuart Beattie, the story sends Frankenstein's monster(Aaron Eckhart) into modern times where he finds himself stuck in the middle of a war between two supernatural monster clans. Bill Nighy will play the villain, with Otto as the Queen Gargoyle seeking to assist Frankenstein. Strahovski is the female lead, a scientist tricked into working for demons and their plan to create an undead army.

Filming will kick off next winter in Australia.

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Danny Boyle's Frankenstein stage play to broadcast in US movie theaters for one night only

When we had a chance to meet up with Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle last year while doing press for 127 Hours, he revealed that he'd be busy for the next few months putting together a theater adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. As sick as that sounded, the chances of any of us poor critc schlubs seeing it were slim since it was only playing in the UK. Turns out we might get our wish afterall, as Deadline reports that the  March 17th show will be broadcast in movie theaters around the world.

375 cinemas will be showcasing the event, with 85 of those here in the United States. So hopefully one of those will be in my neck of the woods, otherwise I might have to cut somebody. A second showing has also been set aside for Europe and the UK only, which will feature the two lead actors, Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch swapping the roles of Frankenstein and the monster.

The play has been met with overwhelming financial success right from the start, selling out the first 10 weeks and getting extended until May. This is the first play Boyle has directed in over 15 years. Once we have details on the theaters that will be showing this event you can bet we'll have it here on the site....after I've already bought my ticket.

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