In an official announcement of the unidentified project (which would’ve seemed like a strange event years ago, but now has become commonplace as studios lay out their plans for cinematic universes as early as possible), Universal has announced that the next installment of its Universal Monsters universe will land in theaters April 21, 2017.
Related: Dracula Untold finds mediocrity in the middle of the road
While it has yet to reveal any details about the project, it stands to reason that it will serve as the introduction of one of the following classic creatures that (along with Dracula and The Mummy) formed the core of the studio’s monster movie franchises: Frankenstein’s monster, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, or The Creature From the Black Lagoon (pictured here).
The Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s monster seem like the most likely featured monsters to follow The Mummy to the screen given their high profile, but it’s easy to see the appeal of a lesser-known but still iconic monster The Creature From the Black Lagoon, which would give filmmakers considerable leeway to re-imagine the subject’s introduction to audiences.
With Dracula Untold serving as the official kick-off of Universal’s monster-movie universe, the next entry in the series will be The Mummy, which features a script by Prometheus writer Jon Spaihts. The film will be directed by Alex Kurtzman and hit theaters June 24, 2016.
