Moviegoers may not remember, but back in February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic took over the globe, Leigh Whannell‘s “The Invisible Man” raked at the box office. The horror remake was a mega-hit for Blumhouse and Universal, making over 20x its budget at the box office before movie theaters shuttered their doors for months just a few weeks later. So that begs the question: why haven’t Whannell and star Elisabeth Moss made a sequel? After all, $144 million off a $7 million budget is a huge win for a studio whose previous efforts to reboot the classic Universal Monsters ended in disaster.
READ MORE: ‘The Veil’ Review: Obsessive Elisabeth Moss Spy Drama Gets Buried Under Melodrama
Moss had an answer to that question on the latest episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. And outside of the obvious reason (the COVID-19 pandemic changed the industry forever and for always), Moss clarified that despite her and Whannell being busy, yes, they’re still planning on an “Invisible Man” sequel. “We are closer than we’ve ever been to cracking it, and I feel very good about it, and we are very much intent on continuing that story,” said the actress. It’s worth noting that Whannell is currently working on “Wolf Man” for Blumhouse/Universal, another Universal Monsters remake. Does that mean Moss’ character from “Invisible Man” will show up in that film?
“Ugh, I wish!” said Moss, “I would love that, I wish.” But the actress did hint that a crossover between the two films (and possibly other Universal Monster remakes) is the plan going forward. “I think that’s the idea of Universal in the future, if “Wolf Man” goes well and all of that, is to kind of revive that universe,” she continued. “But, no, unfortunately, I have not been asked to be in “Wolf Man.” I would love to: they’re shooting in New Zealand [where Moss shot “Top Of The Lake” with Jane Campion].”
But is reviving the Dark Universe franchise that started so disastrously in 2017 with “The Mummy” a good idea for Universal? So long as they don’t follow that model, sure. Whannell’s “Invisible Man” was a low-budget, intimate affair that oozed atmosphere and some juicy subtexts about gaslighting and domestic abuse. That’s a far cry from the horror-tinged “Mission: Impossible“-esque romp that was Alex Kurtzman‘s bomb with Tom Cruise. One imagines Whannell will keep “Wolf Man” in a similar stylistic vein as his 2020 film, and if he does, then Universal may have a more palatable way to retrofit their most long-standing properties for a new moviegoing era.
As for Moss, she praised “Wolf Man” stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, but confirmed again that, “no, I won’t be in this one, but if we can get this sequel happening, then maybe we can get a universe started.” Besides, Moss is busy right now promoting her new crime series “The Veil” and her upcoming film “Shell,” which reunites her with Max Minghella, who directs that thriller. But who knows? If “Wolf Man” does well when it hits theaters next January, there could be an “Invisible Man” sequel in 2026; and beyond that, further Universal Monster remakes by Whannell. And that’d be quite the turnaround for Universal.
“The Veil” premieres on FX on Hulu on April 30. Check out the entire chat with Elisabeth Moss on “Happy Sad Confused” below.