Dark Army Director Gives Update on Project, Admits It Might Be “Too Expensive”

Back in 2019, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call and Bridesmaids director Paul Feig was announced to be developing the movie Dark Army, which was set to unfold in the world of the Universal Monsters, yet fans have only gotten a handful of updates on the project, with Feig recently expressing his passion for the film while also admitting the studio thinks it might be too expensive to pull off. While this trepidation from the studio hints at just how ambitious the upcoming project it, this also serves as a relatively disappointing update, as it casts some doubt on when, or if, the project will still be moving forward.

“I love that project so much. I think the studio thinks it’s a little too expensive, perhaps,” Feig shared with Collider about Dark Army. “God as my witness, I’m gonna make that movie. I’m so obsessed with making that movie. One of the many reasons why I was drawn to doing this current Netflix [movie] is that there’s a lot of stuff I can work out in it, as far as effects and all that, that I can bring to Dark Army. I love it. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. It’s one of my favorite lead characters I’ve ever come up with. So, fingers crossed that we will make it someday.”

While details about the project have been kept under wraps, the project has previously been described as unfolding in the iconic world of Universal Monsters, yet that it would be a direct update of any specific figure. Additionally, the project is said to embrace the tradition of early team-ups in that world, finding a blend of not only horror, but also plenty of campy humor.

“Tonally I’m being very true to the traditional monster movie genre,” Feig previously explained of the project with Collider. “Not ‘horror movie,’ ‘monster movie.’ I love those movies of the ’30s, the James Whale movies, [and] Bride of Frankenstein, I still think is one of the greatest films of all time. So I want that tone because those movies were very fun. They treated them seriously, but you also know they were also having a lot of fun with them, so there are a lot of extreme characters in them and funny side characters. That’s what I want, I never wanted to make a horror movie. I want to make a true monster movie.”

Despite Feig’s track record, it’s understandable to see why a studio might be nervous about the endeavor. His Ghostbusters film earned relatively positive critical reactions, yet it didn’t make a major dent at the box office. The film did go on to earn $229.1 million worldwide, but on a reported budget of nearly $150 million, its total earnings seemed not to be quite what was expected of a revival of the iconic property.

Stay tuned for details on Dark Army.

Are you hoping the film moves forward? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!