The big screen return of the Universal Monsters continues to pick up speed today as Deadline reports that Johnny Depp has signed on to headline the studio’s remake of The Invisible Man. He’ll play Dr. Jack Griffin (or some variation thereof), a scientist who turns himself invisible, losing his sanity in the process.
Claude Rains famously played The Invisible Man in Universal’s 1933 feature film, in turn based on the 1897 novel by H.G. Wells. Although Rains’ Griffin did not survive the first film, the series nevertheless became a franchise at the studio. The Invisible Man Returns followed in 1940 with The Invisible Woman arriving later that same year. After that came Invisible Agent in 1942 and The Invisible Man’s Revenge in 1944. Versions of The Invisible Man would also appear in the studio’s Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in 1948. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man in 1951.
The new take on The Invisible Man has not, at the moment, named a writer or director, although both Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan are attached to produce. The plan is for The Invisible Man to be part of a shared monster universe that will launch with Kurtzman’s The Mummy. Set to hit theaters June 9, 2017, The Mummy boasts a screenplay by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) and stars Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella as the title monster.
Fargo executive producer Noah Hawley is also said to be writing another one of the films in the series, with Prisoners scribe Aaron Guzikowski penning a reboot of The Wolfman. A release date of March 30, 2018 has been earmarked for a Universal Monsters film, but whether or not it will be The Invisible Man remains, appropriately, to be seen.
