Paul Feig Universal Monster Movie Dark Army

[ben6543]

Deadline reports that Feig will write and direct the monster movie, titled Dark Army, from an original idea. Feig will also produce alongside Laura Fischer via his Universal-based banner Feigco Productions. While the report is scarce on details, specifically when it comes to how the new film will fit within a broader monster universe, if at all, word is the film will see monsters from the classic Universal library tangle with original characters created by Feig.
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The state of Universal’s broader plans for their classic monsters is quite a curious question at the moment. The studio has struggled with giving their iconic horror characters new life in recent years, first with 2014’s Dracula Untold and again with 2017’s The Mummy, which was intended to launch the ill-fated “Dark Universe” — an interconnected universe of monster epics in the vein of spooky superhero movies. The Tom Cruise-led blockbuster underperformed critically and at the box office, leading the studio to revamp their plans for their classic catalogue. Feig’s Dark Army joins Leigh Whannell‘s The Invisible Man, which is a Blumhouse co-production, as the first post-Dark Universe monster movies to get the greenlight.

Feig is coming off the absolutely killer comedic thriller A Simple Favor, which was a bit slept on at the box office (though it made a nice $90 million worldwide on a reported $20 million budget), but based on the social media chatter, has been killing it on streaming. For good reason, it’s Feig’s best film in years (though I will always go to the mat for The Heat); bracing, stylish, fun, and fearlessly wild — exactly the kind of qualities I would love to see in a re-imagining of a Universal monster movie. Especially if they decide to go the Abbot & Costello route with a new line of comedic monster pics.

Next up, he has the holiday romance Last Christmas (also at Universal), which lands in theaters on November 8, 2019.

http://collider.com/paul-feig-new-mo...twitter#images

[CelluloidPal]

Paul Feig directing a monster movie?



This one's guaranteed to suck.

[imsounoriginal]

I like Feig's movies so why not. Bridesmaids is great, Ghostbusters was fine, and I even liked A Simple Favor more than I expected to.

EDIT: forgot about Spy, that was also solid.

[ben6543]

Originally Posted by CelluloidPal

Paul Feig directing a monster movie?



This one's guaranteed to suck.

First he ruins ghostbusters and now the Universal Monsters. Though to be fair Universal has shit the bed with terrible dark universe movies.

[mwynn]

Movie Fans: "Hollywood should do more original movies"

Dark Army, from an original idea.


Movie fans "Nah I don't want that".

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by mwynn

Movie Fans: "Hollywood should do more original movies"

Dark Army, from an original idea.


Movie fans "Nah I don't want that".

That isn't the issue and you know it. This isn't about not wanting original ideas, it's about not wanting ideas from a terrible filmmaker.

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by CelluloidPal

That isn't the issue and you know it. This isn't about not wanting original ideas, it's about not wanting ideas from a terrible filmmaker.

[Evangelos]

I don't know how alone I am in this,but I thought the Wolf Man from 2010 was a perfect way to adapt the classic Universal monsters for the modern age.Serious approach,great cast and Gothic production design,surprisingly gory.
Haven't seen any of the directors works so I can't really comment on this,but it will propably be just a modern update of the Monster Squad.

[kirkman1987]

I can’t believe how incompetent Universal has been FOR YEARS with this. They clearly don’t have a clue what to do with them. Also, not judging too much but how did Feig get anywhere near This after how much Money the Ghostbuster’s reboot lost.

Why not get someone that has a horror background and actually likes the Universal Monsters? How about Sam Raimi?

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by kirkman1987

I can’t believe how incompetent Universal had been FOR YEARS with this. They clearly don’t have a clue what to do with them. Also, not judging too much but how did Feig get anywhere near you his after how much Money the Ghostbuster’s reboot lost.

Why not get someone that has a horror background and actually likes the Universal Monsters? How about Sam Raimi?

I hear your point, but if you're gonna place a boot on it, then it's worth saying Raimi's last film was a huge financial flop as well.

[Shingster]

It was a flop in the sense that when you spend $215million on a film you expect it be a huge hit, but it wasn't a huge financial flop by any stretch, grossing just shy of $235mill domestically and just shy of $259million abroad for a $493million total. Probably broke even once marketing is taken into account.

I've got no problem with Paul Feig having a crack at a Universal Monster movie, it's not like they can get any worse. I just hope he can resist the temptation to keep the script in his back pocket and let the cast improvise their way through the film. You can get away with that shit to an extent in comedy, but not horror.

[DanTheMan]

I’d like for Universal to eventually reach the point where they can attract an esteemed director like Guillermo del Toro and allow him mostly free rein for whatever project he would prefer from the monster universe.

Unfortunately, the studio also has to get the franchise off the ground with successful films in the meantime, and looking to Paul Feig, of all people, doesn’t seem like the safest “sure bet” Universal should take a chance with IMO.

[Shingster]

Hasn't Frankenstein been GDT's dream project for years? You'd think he'd be picketing the Universal lot to get the gig.

[pikeman1]

I like most of Paul Feig's movies so I'm looking forward to this, should be intersting

[Cremildo]

The only Feig films I've seen are Bridesmaids and Spy, both of which are passable as far as comedies go. If he's willing to branch out, fine. I'm not at all excited for this, but I'll wait for a trailer before completely dismissing it.

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

The only Feig films I've seen are Bridesmaids and Spy, both of which are passable as far as comedies go. If he's willing to branch out, fine. I'm not at all excited for this, but I'll wait for a trailer before completely dismissing it.

Spy was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I didn't even make it through half of that movie...and I saw it for free.

[phobicsquirrel]

Originally Posted by CelluloidPal

Paul Feig directing a monster movie?



This one's guaranteed to suck.

Well, his ghostbusters was a monster disappointment so....

I agree this will suck though.

[darkness2918]

The only Feig movie I really liked was Spy & Ghostbusters was just ok but I might give this a chance.

[thewerepuppygrr]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

I like Feig's movies so why not. Bridesmaids is great, Ghostbusters was fine, and I even liked A Simple Favor more than I expected to.

EDIT: forgot about Spy, that was also solid.

Exactly my sentiments. He's a good filmmaker, though he lets his cast improv too much at times. I'm interested - can't be worse than Cruise-Mummy.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Shingster

It was a flop in the sense that when you spend $215million on a film you expect it be a huge hit, but it wasn't a huge financial flop by any stretch, grossing just shy of $235mill domestically and just shy of $259million abroad for a $493million total. Probably broke even once marketing is taken into account.

By my guess Oz the Great and Powerful made $140,947,095 domestically (60% of $234,911,825) and $103,360,000 internationally off $258,400,000 (40%). So that's $244,307,095 off an estimated budget of $215 million.

If we add in marketing (which is generally done overall and not per picture) and other expenses, it was a disaster. Disney were expecting another Alice in Wonderland.