Even though Luke Evans was supposed to continue a new vampire franchise, Dracula Untold 2 might never exist because the Dark Universe collapsed. Dracula Untold began as a project called Dracula: Year Zero, which chronicled the monster’s beginnings.
Sam Worthington (Avatar) was supposed to play the lead and Alex Proyas was supposed to direct, however Universal scrapped the project due to financial concerns (via IndieWire).
Gary Shore took over as director once it was retooled, and Evans agreed to play Dracula. Even though there were numerous doubts regarding how the film would establish the intended Dark Universe, Dracula Untold 2 has not been announced nearly ten years later.
Universal revealed plans for a Dark Universe, a movie universe including iconic creatures like the Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster. In order to make Dracula Untold fit into this new universe, the producers made the decision to restructure the film.
Charles Dance’s Master Vampire, who was being positioned as a linking character similar to Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, appeared in new scenes. This role was originally played by Charlie Cox (Daredevil), but when it was decided to make the character much older, his scenes were removed (via GameRant). Since then, there haven’t been many concrete indications of a Dracula Untold sequel, beyond unverified internet speculations.
Will There Ever Be a Dracula Untold 2?
The Mummy, the first film in the Dark Universe, delivered a catastrophic blow to expectations for Dracula Untold 2, but the project was lost in the mix of Universal’s constantly shifting plans.
Although there was a clear setup for a sequel at the end of the first film, Dracula Untold 2 appears highly unlikely given its lackluster reception and its denied link to the now-defunct Dark Universe.
Although Alissa Phillips, the producer of Dracula Untold, expressed their desire for a follow-up in which Evans reprises the role (via HeyUGuys), there hasn’t been any news since 2014.
With Universal’s announcement in 2021 that Eternals director Chloé Zhao would be directing a Western sci-fi adaptation of Dracula, things started to look much worse for Dracula Untold 2.
The cinematic Dracula market is somewhat saturated because, in addition to 2023’s Renfield, filmmaker Robert Eggers is working on a remake of Nosferatu, which stars Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Bill Skarsgård and may touch on many of the same plot elements.
Dracula Untold Was Replaced by The Mummy as the “First” Dark Universe Movie
When Alex Kurtzman joined the cast to helm Tom Cruise in The Mummy, it was decided to disregard Dracula Untold and make The Mummy the beginning of the newly called Dark Universe (via Collider). Dracula Untold’s position as the beginning of the Dark Universe always felt shaky.
This would have allowed the filmmakers to reimagine Dracula, but plans for the Dark Universe were immediately jeopardized by The Mummy’s largely unfavorable reviews and lackluster movie office performance.
A Bride of Frankenstein film starring Angelina Jolie and Javier Bardem was put on hold (via Variety) before Cruise went on to break box office records with Top Gun: Maverick. It appears that the project has since been quietly abandoned.
The Second Attempt to Restart the Dark Universe Was the Invisible Man
In 2020, Blumhouse released a low-budget reworking of Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man, which was well received by critics and made money.
Whannell’s picture was a return to the character’s horror roots, as one of the main criticisms leveled at The Mummy and the Dark Universe was that it took character-driven horror stories and turned them into ostentatious action films.
Elisabeth Moss played a lady who was tortured by her allegedly deceased ex-boyfriend, a scientist who had found a technique to become invisible, in Whannell’s Invisible Man.
Dracula Untold Wasn’t That Awful
Even though a sequel to Dracula Untold is unlikely, the film itself isn’t as awful as its reputation implies. It serves as a grounded approach to a Dracula origin narrative and should be viewed as a historical fantasy epic rather than the unsuccessful launchpad to the Dark Universe.
Despite its flaws, Dracula Untold had some really good action scenes. Furthermore, the sets, costumes, and cinematography are all works of art in and of themselves. It offers a completely new perspective on Dracula’s beginnings as he battles to save his wife, family, and nation.
Despite its failure as the basis for a Dark Universe series, Dracula Untold was a fresh interpretation of the traditional story, and for that, it deserves praise. It’s also important to remember that Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula, is still somewhat of a folk figure in Romania.
Dracula Untold gives the monster that everyone has come to know a fascinating past while paying close attention to Dracula before he became a vampire. Therefore, the first Dracula Untold movie isn’t a poor one at all, even though a sequel isn’t planned.
Even though Luke Evans’ Dracula adventure is over, people are still fascinated by Dracula Untold’s legacy. Is a sequel in the works? The future is uncertain due to Universal’s shifting gears. Are you interested in learning more about this and other movie updates? For the most recent movie news and analysis, visit our website!
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