As previously reported, Universal is working on a remake of The Invisible Man that won’t be a part of a shared Dark Universe. As reported by Variety, this will be “a fresh strategy for the Universal monsters properties, bringing creative directors with distinctive visions to the classic characters.” The Invisible Man has Leigh Whannell directing and will be produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions. Whannell has experience with horror films as he wrote for the Insidious and Saw franchises and directed Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015). Blum produced this year’s Glass and Happy Death Day 2.
President of Universal’s production Peter Crane had this to say about the shift away from an interconnected monster universe: “We are excited to take a more individualized approach for their return to screen, shepherded by creators who have stories they are passionate to tell with them.”
A script by Ed Soloman was developed while the movie was planned as part of the Dark Universe, but now it appears that Whannell has written the script for the reboot.
Jonny Depp was originally attached to star in the film in 2016, but that is no longer the case. So, who will take on the title role?
According to one rumor, the studio had narrowed the choice down to either Armie Hammer or Alexander Skarsgard.
Elisabeth Moss is in talks for the female lead. Or is she? Now the star is teasing that she might have the lead role, making the movie The Invisible Woman. There was a previous 1940 gender-swapped version, but that was more comedy than horror. Discussing the project in an interview with Buzzfeed Moss had this to say: “I would say that I can’t talk about it. I can’t really talk about it, but I would say that it’s, I can’t say anything about it. I would say I don’t think I would be replacing Johnny Depp necessarily. I can say that. But I think it’s an incredible story that maybe needs to to be retold, but maybe with a woman. I’m not saying I’m doing it. I’m just saying that theoretically that would be a great idea.”
Which doesn’t really say much of anything, but which has been taken to be her being coy about being the lead.
Production on the film should begin in May, so casting decisions will need to be finalized soon. Jason Blum is quoted as hoping to have the movie out later this year.
The Invisible Man character comes from a novel by H. G. Wells, which was first adapted to film in 1933 with Claude Rains as the title character. In addition to a sequel and an eventual showdown with Abbott & Costello, the idea of a man being invisible has appeared in other films (Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Hollow Man (200) among others) and several TV series, one of which starred David McCallum (1975), and the most recent of which ran from 2000-2002.
So maybe we will see (or won’t see) what this fresh take on the classic character will be like by the end of this year.
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