Epic Universal Podcast

The Van Helsing That Never Was: Inside Universal’s Abandoned Dark Universe (Ep. 77)

Listen Later

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey trace the ambitious — and ultimately ill-fated — vision for Universal’s Dark Universe, from the scrapped sequel to The Mummy to Tom Cruise’s push to reinvent himself as the studio’s modern Van Helsing.

NEWS

  • Universal courts talent and headlines by hiring Mark Platt and director Lorene Scafaria for a Sabrina Carpenter–led Alice in Wonderland musical.
  • Comcast explores a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs advising.
  • Competing interest from Netflix and Apple raises the stakes ahead of WBD’s planned corporate split.
  • Peacock sets a new premiere date for The Epic Ride documentary, now featuring rare dragon-drone testing footage from Epic Universe.
  • A closer look at how the industry shake-ups could affect theme park rights, licensing, and future Universal IP development.

    • FEATURE

    • The original plan for a direct sequel to 2017’s The Mummy — and how the story would have expanded Dr. Jekyll’s organization and the gods-and-monsters mythology.
    • Why Tom Cruise’s version of Nick Morton was conceived as the entry point to a larger shared universe… and how internal plans positioned him as the modern Van Helsing, monster hunter and connective tissue between films.
    • How Cruise’s hands-on creative control — the same instinct that later led Top Gun: Maverick to a $1.4B box office — clashed with Universal’s rollout of the Dark Universe brand.
    • A breakdown of what actually killed the Dark Universe: mismatched expectations, a premature cinematic universe announcement, and a marketing campaign Cruise felt undermined the film he delivered.
    • Why Epic Universe’s Dark Universe land succeeds where the films didn’t — channeling classic-monster storytelling without the burden of a forced franchise blueprint.

      • HOSTS

      Jim Hill — X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | Website: jimhillmedia.com
      Eric Hersey — X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | Website: erichersey.com

      PATREON

      Love the show? Support more insider stories, deep dives, and history of themed entertainment at:
      https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/

      FOLLOW US

      Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

      YouTube: @jimhillmedia
      TikTok: @jimhillmedia

      PRODUCTION

      Edited by Dave Grey

      Produced by Eric Hersey — Strong Minded Agency

      SPONSOR

      Unlocked Magic — Save up to 12% on Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World tickets, including discounts on after-hours events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights. Start planning at UnlockedMagic.com.

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      Epic Universal PodcastBy Jim Hill Media Podcast Network
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4
      • 4.4

      4.4

      78 ratings

      More shows like Epic Universal Podcast

      View all
      WDW Radio: Your Guide to the Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise and More Disney Magic! by Lou Mongello - Disney Expert

      WDW Radio: Your Guide to the Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise and More Disney Magic!

      3,184 Listeners

      DIS Unlimited by The DIS

      DIS Unlimited

      2,553 Listeners

      Be Our Guest WDW Podcast by beourguestpodcast.com

      Be Our Guest WDW Podcast

      1,768 Listeners

      WDW Prep To Go - a Disney World planning podcast by Shannon Albert

      WDW Prep To Go - a Disney World planning podcast

      1,912 Listeners

      Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast by Lee Mallaby

      Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast

      397 Listeners

      Unlocking The Magic: Talking all things Disney Parks, Universal and Cruising by Konstantina Irving

      Unlocking The Magic: Talking all things Disney Parks, Universal and Cruising

      2,173 Listeners

      The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network by Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

      The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

      1,382 Listeners

      Rope Drop Radio: A Disney Travel Podcast by Rope Drop Entertainment

      Rope Drop Radio: A Disney Travel Podcast

      767 Listeners

      Addicted to the Mouse: Disney Podcast | Disney World, Universal, & Cruise Vacation Planning by Dan and Leslie Lowry

      Addicted to the Mouse: Disney Podcast | Disney World, Universal, & Cruise Vacation Planning

      981 Listeners

      Main Street Magic - A Walt Disney World Podcast by Main Street Magic Podcast

      Main Street Magic - A Walt Disney World Podcast

      701 Listeners

      Marvel Us Disney by Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

      Marvel Us Disney

      88 Listeners

      Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor by Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

      Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor

      81 Listeners

      The Disney Dish with Jim Hill by Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

      The Disney Dish with Jim Hill

      1,046 Listeners

      Looking at Lucasfilm with Brian Gaughan by Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

      Looking at Lucasfilm with Brian Gaughan

      64 Listeners

      Podcast: The Ride by Forever Dog

      Podcast: The Ride

      1,765 Listeners

      ParkStop Podcast by Alicia Stella

      ParkStop Podcast

      229 Listeners

      The DVC Show by The DVC Show

      The DVC Show

      464 Listeners

      For Your Amusement: A Theme Park Podcast by PodcastOne

      For Your Amusement: A Theme Park Podcast

      801 Listeners