Universal Delaying Its Latest ‘Doom’ Film To Make Its Version of Hell More Visceral

You may have forgotten that Universal Studios is hard at work on a new movie based on Doom, even though its last go-around featuring Karl Urban and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wasn't as well-received as it was hoping. But we got an interesting little reminder today, as it appears the studio is pushing off its release so it can make its version of Hell look more, well, Hell-ish.

Per this report from Dread Central, the studio has been working on that reboot for some time, aiming at a direct-to-DVD release under the direction of Tony Giglio and featuring Amy Manson of Once Upon a Time fame starring in the main role.

But it's hit a slight snag, as the team wants to make its version of Hell look better, rather than taking a "campy" approach. In an attempt to match the visceral nature of the 2016 game reboot (as well as the forthcoming Doom Eternal, which is sure to rock a few worlds upon its release), a source close to the production explained that the project has delayed a slight bit, allowing the team to "use a broader VFX brush to really make Hell awesome."

As a result, they are also "enhancing the location and doing some pick-up photography that supports the original vision of the scene."

The film is expected to arrive on the home video front around fall 2019, which could possibly be around the same time that Doom Eternal could arrive, though a release date hasn't been given for that project just yet.

The movie is under production at Universal 1440 Entertainment, who previously worked on films such as Cult of Chucky, which has found a sizable audience in the home video market.

That said, you probably shouldn't be expecting the Barons of Hell or other elaborate demons to appear. Giglio already noted that the creature effects will be more on the practical side, due to budgetary reasons. But at least it's taking place in actual Hell this time, rather than the Mars location that the 2005 film used.

Can the new Doom film fare better than the first one? We've got our fingers crossed. We'll let you know as soon as more release information becomes available.

What do you think about the idea of a new Doom film? Would you rather play Eternal instead? Let me know on Twitter at @TheDCD!