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Dan Stevens is set to share the screen with Melissa Barrera in a new Universal Classic Monsters movie from Scream 6 directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. He's not the only one to have recently joined the cast, either; according to Deadline, Matilda breakout Alisha Weir is also now on board.
The filmmakers' fellow Radio Silence producer Chad Villella is also linked to the project, while The Hole in the Ground scribe Stephen Shields is said to have written the script for the upcoming flick. Revisions were said to have been made by Guy Bisick, who previously collaborated with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett on Ready or Not, Scream, and Scream 6. William Sherak, Paul Neinstein and James Vanderbilt at Project X Entertainment are also producing.
For now, details remain under wraps, but it was previously suggested that the film was called 'Dracula's Daughter' at one point, and was set to follow a group of serial kidnappers who get more than they bargained for when they inadvertently abduct the bloodsucking offspring of the titular vampire. Whether or not that's still the case, we'll have to wait and see, but it certainly sounds in-keeping with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett's female-led, darkly comedic horror outings of late – and could explain why a youngster like Weir has been cast.
In recent years, Universal has had varying success in its attempt to reboot its Classic Monsters franchise. The Mummy, which saw Tom Cruise go toe to toe with the eponymous creature, received scathing reviews upon its release in 2017, though it still made a respectable $410 million at the international box office. On the flip side, Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, which reframed the narrative to center on Elisabeth Moss's domestic abuse survivor, wowed critics, earning 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Opposite its small budget of $7 million, the movie made less than The Mummy, pulling in around $144.5 million. Renfield, which sees Nicolas Cage play Dracula, released on April 14 and has made $24.3 million so far.
Last we heard, Universal also had a new Wolfman movie in the works, with Ryan Gosling geared up to play the eponymous character. Though it's been a long while since we've had any sort of update on that.
While we wait for more info on the new Universal Monsters film, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies coming our way in 2023 and beyond.
