Tags: universal

Over at the Classic Horror Film Board (no relation to Classic-Horror.com), Jim Clatterbaugh reports that he spoke with a representative over at Universal, who stated that the studio had no plans to release classic horror DVDs this year (excepting the upcoming Special Edition of The Mummy). Apparently, it's past the time to begin planning such a release, as they are already working on their 2009 schedule.(read more...)

Karl Freund's 1932 classic The Mummy, featuring Boris Karloff and Zita Johann, will be released in a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD set on July 8th, 2008, as part of the Universal Legacy Series. The set comes out just a month before the theatrical release of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (a sequel to Stephen Sommers' 1999 Mummy remake). According to DVDTimes.co.uk, Freund's original will be presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio with the soundtrack in mono. No word yet on whether these will under go any further restoration/remastering like the recent 75th Anniversary editions of Dracula and Frankenstein. (read more...)

Entertainment Weekly has posted an interview with makeup effects wizard Rick Baker on their website, where they discuss the ins and outs of making Benicio del Toro into a werewolf for Universal's remake of their 1941 classic The Wolf Man. Accompanying the interview are two sweet pictures of del Toro in makeup. I have to say, at least they have the look down -- there's a clear lineage from the old school look, but it's been updated to utilize modern sensibilities and techniques.

Click the picture below to open a larger version in a new window.

Joe Johnston (Jumanji, Jurassic Park III) has replaced Mark Romanek on Universal's remake of the 1941 horror flick The Wolf Man. Johnston was selected from a shortlist of directors that included Brett Ratner (Red Dragon), James Mangold (Identity), Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters) and Frank Darabont (The Mist). The Wolf Man, which is budgeted at $85 million with an additional $15 million from tax breaks for shooting in the UK, will begin filming in March.

Additional material for this story from The Hollywood Reporter.

Universal's remake of The Wolf Man is currently sans a director, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mark Romanek has left the production due to disputes over the final cost of the film. Although the film is budgeted at a not-unimpressive $100 million, Romanek was requesting more money. Since Universal is aiming for an audience-limiting R-rating for the film, his requests were denied. The studio is currently seeking a new director, but due to the Writer's Strike, anybody coming on to the production will be unable to do any rewrites to the script. They will have to work with the screenplay developed by Romanek and Sleepy Hollow scribe Andrew Kevin Walker as-is.

Stars Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, as well as makeup artist Rick Baker, are still attached to the film. The Wolf Man follows a man (Del Toro) who returns home only to be bitten by a werewolf.

Alex Proyas (I, Robot and Dark City) will direct Dracula Year Zero for Universal, reports Variety.com. The movie will be about Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure that served as an inspiration for Bram Stoker when he wrote Dracula in the late 1800s. Proyas was reportedly attracted to the screenplay, written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, saying that it plays off the horror and sympathy you have for Vlad, a man who "sells his soul to the Devil to save his kingdom and family."

Regarding the film, screenwriter Sharpless said, "One of the cool things about this is that we're doing it at Universal. This is the home of monster movies."

DVD Drive-In reports that Universal Home Video will be releasing two five-movie box sets as Best Buy exclusives sometime before Halloween. The sets will retail for about $20 each.

The first set, a "Horror Collection" will contain several sought after titles, including The Black Cat (1941), Man-Made Monster (1941), Horror Island (1941), Night Monster (1942), and Captive Wild Woman (1943).

The second set will be skewed towards science fiction and will include Dr. Cyclops (1940), Cult of the Cobra (1955), The Deadly Mantis (1957), The Land Unknown (1957), and The Leech Woman (1960).

Variety.com reports that Universal and Imagine Entertainment have hired David S. Goyer (Blade: Trinity, The Invisible) to write and direct a new adaptation/sequel to H.G. Wells' classic novel "The Invisible Man." The film would follow the nephew of the original Invisible Man as he uses his uncle's invisibility formula to aid British intelligence during WWII (thus giving the plot some resemblance to 1942's Invisible Agent). Regarding the project, Goyer said, "I've always been a fan of the original H.G. Wells book as well as the Universal film and felt the property was ripe for reimagining." Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind) will produce the film. Universal previously produced a string of Invisible Man movies in the 1930s and 1940s, starting with James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933).

Yes, the Haunted Newsreel is back for a one-shot look at the news and highlights of San Diego Comic-Con 2006. This week, we'll be looking at Skinwalkers, Grind House, The Reaping, Pan's Labyrinth, The Wicker Man, Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror, and, oh yes, Snakes on a Plane.

The Con:

The 2006 San Diego Comic-Con was held from July 20th to July 23rd at the San Diego Convention Center in sunny Southern California. Each year, tens of thousands attend, and 2006 was no exception. The Fire Marshal actually shut down onsite registration on Saturday because there were simply too many people in the building (online registration had been disabled the previous night).(read more...)

It was written awhile ago that George Romero wanted to film reshoots that he considered extremely vital for his newest film, Land of the Dead. Well, it has just been announced that Romero has been granted access to reshoot the scenes, and indeed will begin filming them few very soon. Universal, the company responsible for releasing Land, has said that they are extremely pleased with how the film is looking so far, and have decided to grant Romero his reshoot wish in an effort to make the film look "even better".