Maybe the whole "cinematic universe" thing should be left to Marvel and Warner Bros.? Other attempts to build them haven't fared so well. Earlier today we learned that Akiva Goldsman has left Paramount's Transformers franchise after his writers room came up with the disappointing Transformers: The Last Knight. And now comes word that Alex Kurtzman, who directed Tom Cruise in The Mummy, may be done with the Dark Universe that Universal was hoping to launch.
At the very least Kurtzman doesn't sound like he'll be sticking around. In fact, he sounds like one foot is already out of the door while chatting with IGN...
“You know the truth is, I don’t know. I really don’t know. I haven’t really decided. Is the honest answer. I have to stay interested in it. I have to feel like my passion is there for it. I think … if your passion isn’t there you shouldn’t be doing it.”
Damn, dude, just go ahead and leave. It's possible the decision isn't entirely in Kurtzman's hands. Universal may have soured on him after The Mummy netted only $79M domestically and $400M worldwide, a mediocre start to their ambitious Dark Universe centered on the classic movie monsters. There's always the chance latter movies could prove more successful, like an Angelina Jolie-led Bride of Frankenstein, but it's tough when so much was invested in The Mummy as the foundation.
