Officially it’s cancelled but unofficially still ongoing. Dracula Untold ended on a very “Let the games begin ” Marvel-esque cliffhanger. Mummy ended with Nick only just becoming immortal. Universal Pictures had been trying to repeat the success of the MCU by having interconnected films (even with a “Shield”-like organization known as “Prodigium”), but unfortunately the movies kept failing. A-List celebrity Tom Cruise was the Dark Universe’s last hope, but even with him as the star, the movie failed hard with very negative reception. So after repeat very low box office bombs, an intentional Dark Universe was canned. However, Universal Pictures still holds the rights to make those classic monster films, so they continued to do so. The recent remakes (Invisible Man 2020, Renfield 2023, Last Voyage of the Demeter, etc.) are now more focused on being individual stories rather than building a connected universe. They’re no longer alluding to any other monster films and characters, but they also aren’t retconning and erasing them either. (Note: Dracula Untold was technically removed from the current Dark Universe, so Nicholas Cage’s Dracula does not retcon Luke Evans’ Dracula.) It’s now completely up to interpretation whether the current Dark Universe films are still connected or not. As you can see by this sub and the fandom wiki, there are many that still believe they are. Basically, an intentional Dark Cinematic Universe died with The Mummy in 2017. But the Dark Universe unofficially still lives on because UP will continue to make these movies, and while they won’t reference each other, they will not step over or erase each other. It’s a neutral area. Answer from strawbebb on reddit.com
🌐
Dark Universe Wiki
dark-universe-universal-monsters.fandom.com › wiki › Dark_Universe
Dark Universe | Dark Universe Wiki | Fandom
3 days ago - ↑ Universal Pictures Unveils "Dark Universe" with Name, Mark and Musical Theme For Its Classic Monsters Series of Films. Universal Pictures. prnewswire.com. May 22, 2017. ↑ When Can We Enlist in Paul Feig's Upcoming "Dark Army"?. Biscotti, ...
🌐
IMDb
imdb.com › list › ls064507436
THE UPCOMING DARK UNIVERSE
All of the upcoming movies in Universal's DARK UNIVERSE franchise. The studio has decided to ditch their bigger and more action oriented scope....for more smaller horror based films.
🌐
MovieWeb
movieweb.com › home › movie lists › dark universe: all the canceled films planned
Dark Universe: All the Canceled Films Planned
February 1, 2024 - While the shared universe did not happen as planned, we can still glean from this not just what could have been but what might still be from these headlines. Here is a breakdown of all the canceled films in Universal's Dark Universe and how the brand has, like a good movie monster, returned from the dead.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/darkuniverse › is the dark universe cancelled?
r/DarkUniverse on Reddit: Is the Dark Universe Cancelled?
September 15, 2024 -

Hi, im trying to figure out if this universe was actually cancelled. Ive looked online and i get different answers, on the Dark Universe fandom it says the plan was shelved after the failure of 2017’s The Mummy but then goes to say 2020’s The Invisible Man, 2023’s Renfield, and 2024’s Lisa Frankinstin and Abigail are part of the Universe! Now we have next year’s Wolfman movie. So which is it?

Top answer
1 of 14
17
Officially it’s cancelled but unofficially still ongoing. Dracula Untold ended on a very “Let the games begin 😏” Marvel-esque cliffhanger. Mummy ended with Nick only just becoming immortal. Universal Pictures had been trying to repeat the success of the MCU by having interconnected films (even with a “Shield”-like organization known as “Prodigium”), but unfortunately the movies kept failing. A-List celebrity Tom Cruise was the Dark Universe’s last hope, but even with him as the star, the movie failed hard with very negative reception. So after repeat very low box office bombs, an intentional Dark Universe was canned. However, Universal Pictures still holds the rights to make those classic monster films, so they continued to do so. The recent remakes (Invisible Man 2020, Renfield 2023, Last Voyage of the Demeter, etc.) are now more focused on being individual stories rather than building a connected universe. They’re no longer alluding to any other monster films and characters, but they also aren’t retconning and erasing them either. (Note: Dracula Untold was technically removed from the current Dark Universe, so Nicholas Cage’s Dracula does not retcon Luke Evans’ Dracula.) It’s now completely up to interpretation whether the current Dark Universe films are still connected or not. As you can see by this sub and the fandom wiki, there are many that still believe they are. Basically, an intentional Dark Cinematic Universe died with The Mummy in 2017. But the Dark Universe unofficially still lives on because UP will continue to make these movies, and while they won’t reference each other, they will not step over or erase each other. It’s a neutral area.
2 of 14
11
Dark Universe was in fact canceled. Lisa Frankenstein is not a DU film. But fun fact, Lisa Frankenstein takes place in the same universe as Jennifer's Body. I believe the list shown in your post is from the fandom page and is unofficial.
🌐
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Universal_Monsters
Universal Monsters - Wikipedia
4 days ago - Merchandizing of the characters ... portion of Universal Orlando theme park, Universal Epic Universe, which opened on May 22, 2025....
🌐
ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › movies › movie lists › every canceled dark universe movie explained (& why the universal project failed so badly)
Every Canceled Dark Universe Movie Explained (& Why The Universal Project Failed So Badly)
January 1, 2025 - It is set to be opened on May 22, 2025, showing that Universal Studios is 100% committed to continuing on their most enduring legacy. The Dark Universe may be over in a cinematic sense, but there is still a lot to look forward to from these ...
🌐
IMDb
imdb.com › list › ls557230161
Universal’s Dark Universe - Ultimate List
Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night · Centuries-old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan ...
Find elsewhere
🌐
Polygon
polygon.com › home › horror › a dark universe reboot in the year 2025? it might just work…
A Dark Universe reboot in the year 2025? It might just work…
January 9, 2025 - What happened to the Dark Universe? It’s getting a relaunch this year, with the Epic Universe theme park and new movies from Universal and Netflix.
🌐
MovieWeb
movieweb.com › dark-universe
Dark Universe | MovieWeb
... Universal is partnering with James Wan for a mysterious Monster movie, which should get horror fans excited. ... With the release of The Invisible Man looming, a Universal Executive has opened up about the attempt at creating the Dark Universe.
🌐
CBR
cbr.com › tag › dark-universe
Dark Universe | CBR
The film that was supposed to kickstart Universal's Dark Universe is now a hit on Netflix. ... Wolf Man producer Ken Kao reveals if the upcoming Blumhouse horror movie will revive Universal's Dark Universe franchise.
🌐
Dark Universe Wiki
dark-universe-universal-monsters.fandom.com › wiki › Dark_Universe_(film_studio)
Dark Universe (film studio)
JavaScript is disabled in your browser · Please enable JavaScript to proceed · A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser
🌐
ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › movies › movie features › every upcoming universal monster movie (& which were canceled)
Every Upcoming Universal Monster Movie (& Which Were Canceled)
April 11, 2024 - One of the most epic in-development monster reboots is Dark Army, an ambitious crossover movie that will feature a large cast of iconic creatures from Universal's pantheon. Writer/director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, the 2016 Ghostbusters) will ...
🌐
Collider
collider.com › home › movie features › what went wrong with universal's dark universe?
What Went Wrong With Universal's Dark Universe?
February 12, 2024 - Upcoming titles like 2024's remake of The Wolfman (the reins of whose titular character have recently been passed from Ryan Gosling to Christopher Abbott) also seem to be beating their drum when it comes to reimagining Universal Monsters figures.
🌐
Digital Spy
digitalspy.com › dark-universe
Dark Universe movies, cast and spoilers
March 18, 2021 - Have the Dark Universe movies been cancelled? More on the monster movies including The Mummy, Dracula, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein and the Van Helsing reboot.
🌐
Polygon
polygon.com › home › movies › a single flop couldn’t kill the dark universe
The Dark Universe did not end with a single flop
October 8, 2023 - With two of this year’s entries, Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, joining their brethren in at-home streaming for spooky season, let’s take another look at that not-so-new world of gods and monsters. There may be more — and better — movies to the Dark Universe than you originally thought.
🌐
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Dark_universe
Dark universe - Wikipedia
May 26, 2025 - The Dark Universe (film), a planned DC Comics comic book film based on Justice League Dark
🌐
Quora
quora.com › I-ve-created-20-film-ideas-for-a-reboot-of-the-Dark-Universe-I-titled-Universal-Monster-Cinematic-Universe-with-2-phases-and-planning-more-what-should-I-do-with-these-ideas-after-I-m-finished-with-Phase-3-and-Phase
I’ve created 20 film ideas for a reboot of the Dark Universe I titled “Universal Monster Cinematic Universe” with 2 phases and planning m...
Answer (1 of 7): I admire your enthusiasm and passion, but you need to pause your efforts and reconsider before you expend more of your time and resources. There are many obstacles in your path: * Are you represented by an agent, manager or entertainment attorney who has a working relationship ...
🌐
ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › horror › every dark universe movie releasing after the invisible man
Every Dark Universe Movie Releasing After The Invisible Man
February 27, 2020 - This is a far better return on investment than The Mummy and proves how effective Blumhouse's micro-budget horror formula is for studios. With success looming on the horizon for the start of this new Dark Universe, here are all the movies slated to follow The Invisible Man.