Failed Universal’s Dark Universe Film Finds New Success on Streaming

June 26, 20243 Mins Read

The official launch for Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe was meant to be with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy, but the studio also considered Luke Evans’ Dracula Untold for a first Marvel-inspired universe. Although that didn’t work out, the film has just become a huge hit on streaming services.

Dracula Untold recently hit Netflix and, according to the streaming service, has been a huge success. The Luke Evans-led film is a reboot of the famous story by Bram Stoker, inspired by the Romanian ruthless leader Vlad III Tepes or Vlad the Impaler. The film premiered in 2014 to mixed reception, but it became a hit on Netflix, reaching the third spot in its first week, with 6.7 million views.

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Dracula Untold generated interest as soon as it hit the platform, and it’s no surprise. The film was an interesting new take on the famous vampire story, portraying Dracula as an antihero, and marking the perfect setup for a new franchise. The film was reworked several times during production, adding new scenes so it could link to other Universal planned films. In the end, the film didn’t mark the beginning of the Dark Universe, which was supposed to kick off with 2017’s The Mummy.

The 2014 film was successful in theaters, ending its theater run with $220.2 million worldwide, on a budget of $70 million (via The Numbers), making a sizable profit. However, its critical reception wasn’t as positive. The film currently holds a score of only 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 58% from the audience. Universal’s Dark Universe was supposed to include famous creatures from the studio’s titles, including Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, and more. Eventually, The Mummy‘s poor performance killed all Dark Universe plans.

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Will Dracula Untold Ever Get a Sequel?

Dracula Untold starred Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson, and Charles Dance, with Gary Shore at the helm and a script by Morbius and Madame Web‘s screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The film’s ending set up a potential sequel, but will there ever be one?

Despite the fact that Dracula Untold was successful at the box office, a sequel may never happen. Despite its newfound popularity in late June 2024, the film, which initially premiered a decade ago, the studio was focused on its future horror universe. Dracula Untold was initially meant to be a part of the failed Dark Universe, and since all plans for future films were officially canceled in 2019, there is no current plan for a sequel.

Dracula Untold is streaming on Netflix.

Source: Netflix, The Numbers