If you go to Epic Universe’s Dark Universe, you get hints of a narrative that’s so mysterious you’ll need to hold coming again to be taught extra. In Darkmoor Village, the place monsters and people co-exist—barely—the connection between the villagers, the mad scientist in her fortress along with her monsters, and the vampires under is a really fragile menagerie of the macabre.
When io9 visited Darkmoor throughout Epic Universe’s opening week, we couldn’t assist however surprise if the dense canon launched would provide some perception into Common’s deserted Darkish Universe movie franchise. It seems that some components within the points of interest, particulars within the land choices, and immersive interactions echo what was as soon as presupposed to herald an Avengers-like meeting of the Common Monsters on the large display screen.
Landmarks
If you enter Darkmoor, you go by a large crypt the place you hear Victoria Frankenstein’s assistant Ygor shuffling about with the land’s model of Frankenstein’s Monster searching for victims to make use of in her experiments. There’s squelching noises and creepy creature screeches, and it’s so cool to get the sense of story as quickly as you stroll in.
We previously covered how once you meet Frankenstein’s Monster together with the Bride, she’s not his Bride however his buddy. The Monster we’re extra acquainted with is displayed in a glass resting place inside Frankenstein Manor. Nevertheless, earlier than you get that deep into the land, you first come throughout the village sq. which encompasses a nicely that at night time glows blood crimson. The familiars within the land shared that it’s there as a monument to the dominance the vampires have on the village, and is the place blood sacrifices are made to the vampire hive under within the catacombs—darkish unipart of a pact to maintain a stability struck between the dwelling and the lifeless.
Within the trip Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, you see that the unique Dr. Frankenstein performed an enormous position within the cautious and delicate cessation of carnage, and it’s one thing his granddaughter fights to take care of. We additionally be taught that Victoria Frankenstein has assembled monsters beneath her “management;” the final remaining one she’s making an attempt to dominate is Dracula, however he’s enjoying very laborious to get.
When the Darkish Universe movies had been nonetheless in play, Alex Kurtzman, the director of the one entry that truly made it to theaters—2017’s The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise—talked in regards to the framework that was to have anchored the deliberate sequence. In his movie, Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll headed up a company dedicated to protecting tabs on supernatural dangerous guys.
“We wished to know that monsters existed for millennia. And we knew that because the story advanced there was going to be a company that was possibly cataloging them, following them, amassing them,” Kurtzman defined at a December 2016 press occasion io9 reported on at the time. “That will decide the nice ones from the dangerous ones. That was type of the keeper of that secret historical past.”
That concept carries over into the theme park, albeit very minimally. Dr. Jekyll at present solely has a quick interactive second at his apothecary window, the place you may hear him let you know to find extra monsters on the Burning Blade Tavern—and to inform the bartender Dr. Jekyll despatched you. We didn’t get to do that as alcohol was not offered to press however it ends in you being supplied a alternative between two photographs: a Jekyll or Hyde one. You possibly can guess that in Darkmoor, Jekyll may aspect with Victoria’s initiative, whereas Hyde is unquestionably with the monsters.
The comic-themed merch
Within the panels of comics adorning Epic Universe merch (we’re ready for actual points!) and within the Monsters Unchained trip queue, we see Victoria entrance and middle doing simply what was envisioned for the films: cataloging, following, and amassing. So it feels just like the idea for the theme park canon retained that by line. There are undoubtedly some monsters who’re extra heroic than others aligning themselves with the aspect that can have the bottom physique depend.
But, it nonetheless mirrors the Darkish Universe’s cinematic plans. In 2016, The Mummy director Kurtzman seemed to the Darkish Universe future at that very same press occasion. “To me, the enjoyable of the promise of bringing them collectively is that they’re in all probability going to fuck one another up fairly badly,” he said then. “It’s not going to be a reasonably room with these guys in it. And that’s much more thrilling than people who find themselves going to behave nobly and predictably. It simply makes it a extra fascinating expertise, and a extra fascinating prospect.” And that’s just about what occurs on the trip between Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and Dracula and his Brides (whereas the Phantom of the Opera performs candy tunes on his organ).
Different items of merchandise that can get you different glimpses of the lore are the designs within the Darkish Universe assortment that depict the blueprints of Frankenstein Manor. Additionally, for those who get remodeled right into a monster on the park’s Darkmoor Monster Make-up Expertise, then run into Ygor, you’re recruited much more relentlessly than the typical human to volunteer for the Frankenstein Experiment. Ygor is by far one of the vital fascinating walk-around characters created and actually drives the lore in his interactions.
Restaurant lore
When requested back in 2016 how the Darkish Universe monsters would find yourself teaming up, Kurtzman mentioned concepts round that had been nonetheless being formulated. However most necessary, he mentioned, was the query “Why would you carry them collectively? There must be some form of unifying motive for those who’re going to do this.”
Dracula. Dracula is the drama. And I ponder if he was meant to be the large dangerous within the movie universe simply as a lot as he’s the large dangerous within the theme park canon. If you go into the Das Stakehaus restaurant, you see the previous vampire leaders of Darkmoor staked and on show atop the bar. Why? Effectively, Dracula felt their bending the knee to the Frankenstein household to attempt to co-exist to additional the scientists’ agendas was an affront to their variety. (Actually, the familiars have all of the tea, it’s fabulous.) So the battle is there—Dracula desires to take management again of the village for a feast, as an alternative of letting Victoria Frankenstein proceed her experiments.
Clearly, it’s an ongoing battle. Just like the familiars on the restaurant, the interactive characters on the Burning Blade Tavern have much more to share. The monster hunters that dangle on the market movement to the monster heads on show behind the bar, together with one other “creature” from the Darkmoor swamplands, and watch out getting in there in monster make-up.
We additionally acquired hunter data as to why Dracula is barefoot with the ugliest toenails on the trip (a element that’s going viral). Their model of why—and we aren’t certain in the event that they had been joking—is that allegedly it was accomplished as a solution to disgrace Dracula when he was captured, by taking his footwear off when he was chained. And actually, that’s so foul I’d be so mad about it too.
It’s rumored that the tales they inform of monsters they’re on the hunt for (and that we’ve got but to satisfy) are Easter eggs for future Darkish Universe expansions and we hope it’s true. And it actually ties within the monsters that had been all floated for the cinematic universe, which included the Invisible Man (who’s a roaming character on the park), Dracula, Jekyll/Hyde, the Wolfman, the Creature From the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Bride. We’d like to see a ship trip that includes the Creature some day.
Darkish Universe is now open at Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida.
Need extra io9 information? Try when to anticipate the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the things you should find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.
