Tom Cruise’s ‘The Mummy’ Goes from Box Office Bomb to Streaming Sensation

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Back in the day, Universal was preparing to create a cinematic universe similar to Marvel’s Avengers, but instead of superheroes, they planned to feature their classic movie monsters. The studio began producing movies as part of what they called the “Dark Universe,” with Dracula Untold (2014) starring Luke Evans as the initial film and Tom Cruise’s The Mummy being positioned as the lead character akin to Iron Man in this universe. A magazine cover showcased an elite cast set to headline films like Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man. However, when The Mummy was released in June 2017, it flopped spectacularly, causing the Dark Universe project to be put on hold. Fast forward to now, and surprisingly, The Mummy has become a streaming success, ranking at number six on Hulu’s Top 10 chart.

Before the release of The Mummy, having Cruise, Russell Crowe, and Sofia Boutella in a remake of a classic film that catapulted Brendan Frasier’s career had the promise of a blockbuster success. As is customary with Cruise, he would be performing his own stunts for director Alex Kurtzman, who is primarily recognized for his work as a producer on Star Trek and Alias. The script was penned by some highly regarded writers, including frequent collaborator of Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie (the last four Mission: Impossible films, including The Final Reckoning) and David Koepp (Jurassic Park).

The movie received poor reviews from critics and audiences alike, scoring only 15% and 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some labeling it as one of Cruise’s worst films. In North America, the $125 million production had a disappointing opening of just $31.6 million, eventually taking in a mere $80 million. This was one of Cruise’s poorest major film box office performances. However, it managed to rake in an impressive $329 million on the international market, resulting in a total worldwide box office earnings of $409 million. Unfortunately, this didn’t save the Dark Universe, as it effectively ended (at least for now).

Is the Dark Universe Coming Back?

The initial lineup for the Dark Universe, featuring The Mummy with Cruise, Crowe, and Boutella; Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man, Angelina Jolie as The Bride of Frankenstein alongside Javier Bardem as the monster; Channing Tatum in a new Van Helsing film directed by Stephen Sommers (similar to 1999’s The Mummy); a sequel to Dracula Untold, Crowe in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and other movies including Creature From the Black Lagoon, The Wolf Man with The Rock or Ryan Gosling, Phantom of the Opera, and more, was enticing. However, after the failure of The Mummy, Cruise prudently focused on Mission: Impossible sequels and Top Gun: Maverick instead.

To clarify, it’s not accurate to say that the Dark Universe has ceased to exist. In fact, there have been intriguing cinematic interpretations of it recently. For instance, Elizabeth Moss starred in “The Invisible Man,” and Leigh Whannell directed both “Wolf Man” films. Additionally, notable movies like “Nosferatu,” “Lisa Frankenstein,” and “Abigail” have been released. So, one could argue that the Dark Universe has a kind of ongoing presence in film.

Yet, the branding is being employed for Universal Studios Orlando’s upcoming theme park, Epic Universe, scheduled to debut in May 2025. This new addition will incorporate the timeless Universal Monsters in a separate zone known as the Dark Universe. Could it lead to high-budget films? Only time can provide an answer.

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2025-02-08 02:02