Everything We Know About Radio Silence's Untitled Universal Monster Movie
Back in April, we learned the horror directing team behind the last two "Scream" films and the splendid "Most Dangerous Game" riff "Ready or Not" known as Radio Silence had signed on to make a Universal Monster movie. Not a lower-case "monster" movie, but a Classic Monster movie presumably based on one of the studio's beloved beasts à la Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and so on.
For a trio of genre fanatics like Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella, this is surely precious cargo. Since the 1930s, these characters have been the gold standard of American horror. So when you get the opportunity to play in this enchanted graveyard, you don't want to tarnish the brand by crapping out a "Van Helsing," "Dracula Untold" or, perhaps most ghastly, 2017's dreadful reboot of "The Mummy."
Though the studio has yet to announce which character the boys are taking on, but there are some breadcrumbs strewn about that seem to be leading to one title in particular. If this is indeed the project, it's a ballsy choice. It's also got a very devoted, fiercely protective following that will raise holy hell if they sense a scintilla of disrespect or carelessness in the making of the movie? What is this mystery movie? First, let's take a look at the cast.
Who is in this mystery movie's cast?
It was previously announced that this unnamed film will feature an impressive ensemble cast that includes Melissa Barrera, Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, Angus Cloud, and Will Catlett. Barrera has been on the verge of a breakout since her impressive work on Starz' "Vida" and in Jon M. Chu's "In the Heights," while Weir recently earned raves for her portrayal of the title character in "Matilda: The Musical." So that's two actors with a musical theater background. Barrera is also one of the new final girls of the "Scream" franchise, so we know she has the horror chops. Stevens starred as the Beast in Bill Condon's "Beauty and the Beast," and should sing in every movie, but he's also a phenomenal villain in "The Guest." Cloud had a song on the "Euphoria" season 2 soundtrack, and his role as "Fezco" on the HBO series has made him a household name.
According to Deadline, Giancarlo Esposito was recently added to the ensemble, and he was in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along." The other actors don't have any major musical credits, but when the leads are best known for their beltin' abilities, well, could this be a Universal Monster Musical?
Which brings us back to the big question? What the heck is Radio Silence remaking?
What is this mystery horror movie about?
Two months ago, The Hollywood Reporter noted that this project was titled "Dracula's Daughter" before Radio Silence hopped aboard. That would be a choice. /Film's BJ Colangelo justifiably expressed concern over a modernized version of Lambert Hillyer's hugely influential, and quite gay, 1936 film. Is Universal ready to go all the way there in 2023 with a queer horror musical when corporations are buckling under pressure from anti-LGBTQ bigots in the midst of Pride Month? If they're not (and I certainly have my doubts), they should probably look to another character — which it's possible they've done given this project's current lack of a title.
If, however, they are turning "Dracula's Daughter" into a musical, Universal is doing an excellent job of keeping the songwriting team under wraps. All we know about the script is that Stephen Shields ("The Hole in the Ground") wrote the initial draft, which has been revised by Guy Busick (who worked on Radio Silence's "Scream" movies and "Ready or Not"). This does not scream show tunes.
Given that they're this far along with the casting, it's likely that I'm all wet with my musical speculation. But since we know almost nothing about the film aside from who's making it and who's starring in it, why not entertain a wild theory? If I'm right, this could be a masterstroke or an outright disaster. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.