Patrick Jackson is featured on my site today to talk about the immersive world-building of Universal Studios. Take it away, Patrick!

Can Universal Still Build A Monster Universe?

For those interested in expanded worlds and connected universes in fiction, Universal’s Dark Universe has been something to keep an eye on the last few years. The idea was for the studio to use its valuable monster properties to establish a darker version of the Marvel or DC superhero universes (especially after the recent success of Black Panther, and the upcoming Avengers:Infinity War movie). But after The Mummy failed as the first planned installment, the Monsterverse is in peril. Top producers have abandoned the project, and at this point it’s uncertain whether or not the so-called “Dark Universe” will ever come to fruition.

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Marvel’s Black Panther has smashed box office takings and changed the face of superhero movies forever. But what of the film itself? D.M. Cain explores whether the movie is worth all the hype.

Wakanda (the brand new location in Black Panther) is a beautiful and vibrant example of exquisite world-building. It looks incredible – as a stunning fantasy landscape, a technological wonder, but also as a country buzzing with tradition and culture. The costumes, weapons, architecture and even the people’s gestures (the crossing of the arms, the dancing before the duels, etc) all contribute to a stunning world more developed than anything we have seen in the Marvel universe to date. Continue reading →

Category: Superheroes