Fans of Universal's classic monsters -- Frankenstein, The Mummy, the Invisible Man, and others -- got big news from the studio Monday: the long-planned cinematic universe inhabited by those monsters just got its name.
- Film series will be known as 'Dark Universe'
- Series introduced with 'The Mummy," starring Tom Cruise
- Next film, "Bride of Frankenstein," coming February 2019
Universal announced that "Dark Universe" will be the overall title for new films featuring the monsters, starting with next month's "The Mummy," starring Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, and Sofia Boutella.
According to a media release issued by Universal Pictures, these new "Dark Universe" films will all be connected by a mysterious organization devoted to destroying evil in the world embodied in the form of monsters. The organization is lead by none other than Dr. Henry Jekyll, who will be played by Crowe.
The studio will follow up "The Mummy" with "Bride of Frankenstein," slated for release on February 14, 2019. Directed by Bill Condon ("Beauty and the Beast"), "Bride of Frankenstein" will feature actor Javier Bardem as Frankenstein's Monster.
Finally, the studio released a group photo showcasing the stars of "The Mummy" along with two stars of upcoming "Dark Universe" projects. The photo includes Cruise, Crowe, Boutella, Bardem, and Johnny Depp, who is signed to play The Invisible Man in a future project.
Depp and Bardem, of course, star together this summer in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," opening in theaters May 26.
For more information about the "Dark Universe," visit www.darkuniverse.com.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures.