EXCLUSIVE: What’s new on the slab in the lab where monster movies incubate at Universal Pictures? The studio has just made a deal to develop Dark Army, a monster movie that Paul Feig will write and direct based on an original idea by the director of Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat, Ghostbusters and A Simple Favor. Feig and Laura Fischer will produce through his Universal-based Feigco Productions.

After The Mummy underwhelmed, the studio veered from the original ideal of an interconnected universe of star-driven films, and instead is favoring films driven by filmmaker passion that has connective tissue to Uni’s Classic Monsters legacy. That is what is being done with Blumhouse and Leigh Whannell’s upcoming Invisible Man film starring Elisabeth Moss and it is also driving Feig’s project.

No one was willing to be specific on how Feig’s film will tie into the Monster universe. I’m told the project will include characters from Universal’s classic monster library and original characters created by Feig.

Feig’s next film, the Emilia Clarke-Henry Golding-starrer Last Christmas, will be released by Universal on November 8, 2019. He last directed A Simple Favor and has upcoming as producer Love Life for HBO Max starring Anna Kendrick, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist for Lionsgate TV and NBC. He’s producing the film When Michael Met Carrie…and Other People for Universal and the Stella Meghie-directed romantic comedy American Princess starring Issa Rae for 20th Century Fox

Feig is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.