The Dark Universe Theme Park Land Is Everything The Canceled Horror Franchise Should've Been

(This post contains details about the ride queue for Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment at the Epic Universe theme park. It does not contain spoilers from the ride itself.)

General audiences have forgotten about the 2017 reboot of "The Mummy" starring Tom Cruise, but many movie fans will remember it forever. Not because it's secretly good (it's not), but because it was the one and only entry in Universal Pictures' Dark Universe, a plan to reintroduce the company's classic monster characters (Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, etc.) to a new audience via a Marvel-flavored series of interconnected horror films. They announced an entire slate, assembled a bunch of movie stars for an infamous group photo, and then watched as "The Mummy" flopped. The Dark Universe was quietly abandoned. Those who remember it, often with a head shake or a chuckle, are those who use it as a perfect example of a cart being put before a horse.

So those same movie fans can be forgiven for scoffing when it was revealed that Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort's brand new theme park, would have a land called Dark Universe. Specifically, this land would attempt exactly what the failed film franchise failed to pull off — make a collection of bona fide horror icons relevant and exciting for a modern audience.

Having now experienced Dark Universe during a media day preview for Epic Universe (my thoughts can be found right over here), I can say this much: The land itself is triumph. And while it succeeds entirely on its own merits as a standalone experience catering to casual visitors and classic horror buffs alike, I'm left with one major reaction as a I reflect on my experiences in the beautifully crafted and brilliantly executed village of Darkmoor: This should've been the Dark Universe movie.

When you leave Epic Universe's central hub and enter the portal to Dark Universe, you're greeted with fog, gravestones, and a European village square torn from another age. It's as immersive and impressive as anything you've ever seen in a theme park. Strange characters wander the streets (if you find the Invisible Man, say hi and get ready for his sharp tongue to tear you a new one), and every shop and restaurant is gloomy and often sinister. The land's biggest restaurant is not-so-secretly run by vampires, their gruesome and triumphant spoils lining the walls. Humans can find refuge in the Burning Blade tavern, where local monster hunters swap stories at the bar alongside visiting patrons. And in a lovely touch, every villager (i.e., Universal team member, ride operator, gift shop cashier, etc.) told me "good luck" instead of "have a nice day."

The result is a place that feels ready-made for literal exploration from you, the theme park enthusiast, but also primed for all kinds of stories to spring from this heart of giddy darkness. A number of small touches make it clear that Darkmoor is set in modern day, but its aesthetic is a community trapped in the past, cursed to live among nightmares, and having made peace with the fact that every day is going to come with the possibility of death and dismemberment. If there's one element of this Dark Universe that I hope survives deep into Epic Universe's run as an operating theme park, it's the team members' commitment to the bit — the droll sense of dark humor embodied by so many people I interacted with sold me on this world just as much as Universal creative's stunning designs.

The details further set the stage: The classic Universal monster movies (starring the likes of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi) happened, but they happened ages ago, and Darkmoor has spent years dealing with repercussions. This is just life for the folks who live here. There were monsters then, and there are monsters now, and what are we supposed to do about it other than run our shops and hope for the best? Even before you step on a ride, Darkmoor feels like the perfect canvas for a proper Dark Universe movie.

Beyond the Darkmoor village square lies the Frankenstein estate, a towering castle manor that would look like a preserved relic from a previous century if not for the swirling electricity that tends to spiral up its tallest tower. This is the location of Dark Universe's marquee attraction: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, a high-tech dark ride that ranks among the best in the world. It uses the same technology that Universal first introduced with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey back in 2010, but it's now simultaneously smoother and wilder — the ride system is built to ensure harrowing close encounters with the many animatronic creatures that lurk within the building itself (enthusiasts will love the focus on practical robot effects, but the high-tech screens are also pulling their weight).

The premise is indelible. Victoria Frankenstein, great granddaughter of Victor Frankenstein, has returned to her family home to finish her family's work. But she doesn't stop at just assembling a new creature out of stitched-together body parts. In clever "found footage"-style moments showcased throughout the ride queue, we learn that she has captured the classic Universal monsters during a worldwide hunt, and has imprisoned them in the catacombs beneath our feet. And in a series of impeccably executed pre-shows, we learn that Victoria has finally apprehended her greatest quarry yet: the legendary vampire Dracula. But the immortal Count vows to escape, juuuust as we're about to begin our tour of the catacomb prison. In true theme park fashion, things don't go according to plan.

I certainly won't spoil what happens next, but the pure cinema of this set-up is delightful. Here we are, in a gothic castle commanded by a mad scientist and filled with the monsters who hate her (and by extension, her guests, meaning you). It's a tinderbox, one that certainly feels explosive as you wind your way through the atmospheric queue line and ignites shortly after you're strapped into the ride vehicle. It's a finely balanced blend of horror and action that the ill-fated "Mummy" reboot couldn't capture, and the perfect way to introduce new folks to these characters while honoring what longtime horror dorks like me love about them.

It's the deliberate messiness of Monsters Unchained that appeals to people like me, who rewatch the classic black and white Universal monster movies every year. The creatures that inhabit the ride are undeniably dangerous and frightening, and most of them clearly mean you harm. But at the same time ... can you blame them? They're only in this castle because they were brought here against their will, imprisoned by a megalomanic on a power trip. Yes, they're scary, but they're scary because they're angry, and rightfully so. As you find yourself trapped in the battle between this horde of monsters and Victoria Frankenstein, you're forced to reckon with the sadness of the predicament. If the Wolf Man tears your head off, can you really blame him?

The best Universal monster movies acknowledge that the creatures are, despite outward appearances, as human as the rest of us (and as sad as the rest of us). Monsters Unchained cannot dwell on this during the action-packed events of the ride itself, but it lands with enough force to make you think about it after the fact. "Wait, who's the real monster here?" you wonder as you exit through the gift shop.

But even casual folks will be drawn to these takes on the monsters. Victoria Frankenstein's newly created creature is oddly sweet and even heroic. Dracula is a terrifying fount of supernatural evil. They feel simultaneously classic and modern, their updated designs remaining true to their iconic looks while feeling refreshed for a new age. There's a vein of comic book energy running through these new monsters that allows them to have the right amount of action movie energy to power a thrilling theme park ride without losing sight of their stature as horror characters first. It's a tricky balance, and the ride nails it.

More than anything, Monsters Unchained feels like a modern reinvention of the "monster rally" films from Universal canon, the Avengers-style crossover movies that allowed the various characters to meet up, team up, and usually battle to the death. This could've (and probably should've) been the premise for a film franchise.

Sorry, Tom Cruise. The real star of the Dark Universe is Victoria Frankenstein, who very much earns her surname. She's brilliant, egotistical, cruel, passionate, and entirely unable to admit her faults even as her reach exceeds her grasp. We get to know her through the ride queue, eventually meeting her face-to-face via an animatronic character in a staggering pre-show scene. This is a character built to command the room and silence a theme park crowd. One gets the impression that she will never stop, never compromise, and really doesn't care that much if all of the guests in her castle get wiped out because she tried to capture one monster too many. In true Universal monsters fashion, she's the real villain of the attraction.

In short: I love her.

I also love Igor, who is no longer a hunchbacked assistant in charge of menial lab tasks. Re-envisioned as Victoria's right hand man, a slimy engineer and tech genius, he's tasked with the typical theme park spiel explaining ride safety while also having a key role to play in the ongoing storyline. His goofy sense of humor is balanced by his inherent menace and while he's certainly drawing on Universal horror's rich tradition of "eccentric sidekick to the mad scientist," he feels wholly new. We get to spend a lot of time with Igor, and frankly, I wish we had even more.

These new (and new-ish) characters radiate a confidence. Universal creative makes a bet that we'll like Victoria and Igor as much as we like the new Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc., and they pull it off. I don't remember who Tom Cruise plays in "The Mummy" (actually, I do, it's Nick Morton, sorry), but I'll never forget the time I spent getting to know Victoria Frankenstein and her crew. This is the kind of character you build a franchise around.

It's easy to imagine Monsters Unchained, the village of Darkmoor, and this whole new Dark Universe providing the DNA for a film. Victoria Frankenstein herself feels ready-made for an Emily Blunt or Hayley Atwell type, and the new monster designs feel ripe to make the leap to the big screen. If enough Victoria merchandise sells at the gift shop, I wouldn't be surprised if Universal execs start having some quiet conversations about the next step.

At the same time, I think this new Dark Universe deserves to exist as a theme park land, and only a theme park land, for at least a little while. Universal's theme park creatives have succeeded so profoundly where the film division failed that they've earned a victory lap. This deserves to be its own thing, its own accomplishment, without the specter of instant corporate synergy threatening to water it down. Darkmoor and the Frankenstein estate are so convincing as locations to explore in-person that I'm not sure I want them flattened out for the big screen just yet. Like the best immersive theme park experiences, they feel like real places, and all the more special since they originated in the parks and not in a movie. Let the new Dark Universe breath.

But when Universal inevitably decides to bring the monsters back to the big screen once again, they have a new guiding light.

I spoke more about Dark Universe and the entirety of Universal's new Epic Universe theme park on today's episode of the /Film Daily podcast:

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Epic Universe opens to the public on May 22, 2025.