Dracula, The Mummy, and More Universal Monster Films Debuting on YouTube for Free This Month

The Universal Monsters are some of the most iconic figures in cinematic history, as they have been revived and reimagined over the decades by a number of different creatives, with some of the defining horror films in the series set to launch on YouTube for free on the platform's Fear: The Home of Horror channel, per NME. Starting on January 15th, fans will be able to stream films like Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, and more for a week following their debut, with each of those films also being made available to purchase digitally for a discounted price. Check out the schedule of YouTube debuts below.

January 15th (8 p.m. GMT)

• Dracula (1931)
• The Mummy (1932)

January 16th (8 p.m. GMT)

• Frankenstein (1931)
• Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

January 17th (8 p.m. GMT)

• The Invisible Man (1933)
• The Wolf Man (1941)
• Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Despite many of these characters being dormant for the past decade, 2020 hinted at a major return for some of the most beloved figures.

Starting in 2017, the Universal Monsters were slated for a major return, as Universal Pictures announced that the Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy would be the first entry of its "Dark Universe" of shared cinematic reboots, with the studio confirming future films would star Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, and Javier Bardem. When that film was a critical disappointment, it stagnated progress on other reboots, with the planned Bride of Frankenstein being delayed indefinitely and seemingly scrapped.

Last year, however, there was a big gamble on the part of the studio with The Invisible Man, which ultimately paid off. Filmmaker Leigh Whannell reimagined the premise of the character for a more contemporary approach to the material, which was both a financial and commercial success. That success resulted in development moving forward on other Universal Monsters reboots.

The first project to gain traction was a new take on Dracula, coming from Jennifer's Body and The Invitation director Karyn Kusama. Reports of that film resulted in rumblings that Bride of Frankenstein was revived, though without formerly attached director Bill Condon. The next project to gain momentum was a new take on The Wolf Man, which was first announced as starring Ryan Gosling, before it subsequently added Leigh Whannell as the director.

Check out the Universal Monsters films on YouTube's Fear: The Home of Horror channel starting on January 15th. Stay tuned for details on future Universal Monsters reboots.

Will you be checking out the films? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!