Here’s the trouble with Hollywood’s franchise machine, in a nutshell: Studios are so dependent on big-budget adaptations that they will greenlight several years’ worth of movies before a series’ first installment has even hit theaters.

This weekend, “The Mummy” inaugurates Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe, a streak of films centered on famous monsters that first appeared onscreen in the 1920s and ‘30s. But the studio didn’t even wait for the Tom Cruise spectacle to find success before moving forward with its Dark Universe initiative.

Gunning for a Marvel-esque connected universe, Universal had already announced “Bride of Frankenstein” (starring Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s monster) and “The Invisible Man” (starring Johnny Depp as Dr. Griffin). “The Mummy” director Alex Kurtzman has said a “Van Helsing” script is in the works from Jon Spaihts (”Passengers”) and Eric Heisserer (”Arrival”). Kurtzman also revealed last year that the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Wolf Man could be incorporated, as well. Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll will link these films.

In a new interview with Fandom, Kurtzman casually added a few additional titles to the Dark Universe queue: “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Especially notable: “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” had not yet been mentioned among chatter about the Dark Universe’s development. Meanwhile, “Dracula Untold,” the 2014 fantasy starring Luke Evans, was originally intended to kick off the Dark Universe, but Universal has since sidelined that film as a standalone, opting to launch the sequence with “The Mummy” instead.

(Photo: Universal Pictures)

The specifics almost don’t matter. It’s long been suggested that Universal would crank out mythology-expanding spinoffs as this updated franchise continues, and continue it will. (HuffPost asked Universal reps to clarify the studio’s plans, but we didn’t not receive an immediate reply.)

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Here’s the rub: Universal has no idea how “The Mummy” will perform, yet it’s already staking hundreds of millions of dollars on a franchise that will stretch well into the 2020s. (The next installment, “Bride of Frankenstein,” is slated for 2019.) In other words, there is no verifiable proof that audiences are interested in these monster flicks, beyond the blanket notion that the characters are already household names. To boot, early box-office tracking for “The Mummy” has been tame. Costing a reported $135 million, the movie is forecasted to lose the No. 1 slot to “Wonder Woman” after earning a lukewarm $35 million domestically this weekend. Like many contemporary franchises with established marketability, that puts the onus on foreign grosses, making patrons in these movies’ home country an afterthought. Even if “The Mummy” were to bomb outright with American audiences, the Dark Universe will continue, with a little Parisian pizzazz tossed in, thanks to “Phantom” and “Hunchback.”

Of course, we should all hope these movies are excellent and worthy of sequels. Most of the originals are classics, and there is ample creature fear to be had in rejiggering the stories with modern filmmaking tactics. But it would be nice to confirm their profitability and quality before we reach the point of no return. How many original stories died so this endless derby of reboots and spinoffs could live? Despite Universal finding wild domestic success with “Get Out” earlier this year, the company (like most Hollywood studios) remains knee-jerkingly reliant on pre-established properties that draw international masses, even though many sequels’ American grosses don’t match their predecessors’ success (“Fifty Shades Darker,” “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” “Independence Day: Resurgence,” “X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” “Zoolander 2,” the list goes on).

Alas, this is the Hollywood culture that’s taken hold. In the major-studio world, quantity tops quality at every turn. At least we can see some more gravity-defying Tom Cruise stunts along the way?

If you’d like to know more about the inevitable Dark Universe, here’s Universal’s overarching plot description:

At its organizing principle, Dark Universe films are connected by a mysterious multi-national organization known as Prodigium. Led by the enigmatic and brilliant Dr. Henry Jekyll, Prodigium’s mission is to track, study and—when necessary—destroy evil embodied in the form of monsters in our world. Working outside the aegis of any government, and with practices concealed by millennia of secrecy, Prodigium protects the public from knowledge of the evil that exists just beyond the thin membrane of civilized society…and will go to any length to contain it.

―――

UPDATE: In case anyone needs further evidence of this slippery development slope, the “Mummy” embargo lifted this afternoon and early reviews are not positive. But here’s to a dozen more like it, right?

(Photo: HPMG)

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"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" (May 5)

Directed by James Gunn • Written by James Gunn



Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone and Karen Gillan



What to expect: There's no way the third-highest-grossing movie of 2014 wouldn't get a sequel. In the scope of the Marvel universe, "Guardians of the Galaxy" was so fresh and different that it's impossible to recapture the same glory. "Vol. 2" does its best, blending the witty irreverence that pleased fans with surprisingly moving sentiments about friendship and bravery.



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"Snatched" (May 12)

Directed by Jonathan Levine • Written by Katie Dippold



Starring Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Christopher Meloni, Wanda Sykes, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz and Randal Park



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"Alien: Covenant" (May 19)

Directed by Ridley Scott • Written by Dante Harper and John Logan



Starring Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, Billy Crudup, Carmen Ejogo, Danny McBride and Demián Bichir



What to expect: The 2012 prequel "Prometheus" marked Ridley Scott's return to the "Alien" franchise, 33 years after he made the near-perfect original. "Alien: Covenant" picks up 10 years after the events of "Prometheus," with a colony ship headed to a remote planet where a life-threatening lone inhabitant is found.



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"Wonder Woman" (June 2)

Directed by Patty Jenkins • Written by Allan Heinberg, Jason Fuchs and Zack Snyder



Starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, David Thewlis and Danny Huston



What to expect: With "Wonder Woman," a female director finally gets to spearhead a superhero flick. Like many men who've helmed blockbusters in the past decade, Patty Jenkins hails from the indie world -- her signature credits are "Monster" and two episodes of the AMC series "The Killing." She steeled herself for a big task, as a big-screen "Wonder Woman" has been in development since 1986. With Israeli star Gal Gadot in the title role on a mission to stop World War I, we have high hopes.



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"Dean" (June 2)

Directed by Demetri Martin • Written by Demetri Martin



Starring Demetri Martin, Gillian Jacobs, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Reid Scott and Peter Scalari



What to expect: This charming dramedy about an under-employed illustrator rebounding from his mother's death and the sale of his childhood home makes for a nice directorial inauguration for Demetri Martin. It's a fortuitous summer jaunt, both wistful and lively.



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"It Comes at Night" (June 9)

Directed by Trey Edward Shults • Written by Trey Edward Shults



Starring Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Riley Keough and Kelvin Harrison Jr.



What to expect: "Krisha," one of 2016's best movies, introduced Trey Edward Shults, who was immediately inducted into the cannon of promising young indie auteurs. That movie borrowed elements of the psychological-thriller genre, but "It Comes at Night" is a full-on horrorfest, chronicling two families whose mutual paranoia builds amid a civilization-threatening epidemic.



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"Beatriz at Dinner" (June 9)

Directed by Miguel Arteta • Written by Mike White



Starring Salma Hayek, Connie Britton, Chloë Sevigny, John Lithgow, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker and John Early



What to expect: It's time for Salma Hayek to have a moment. "Beatriz at Dinner" gives her one. Hayek plays a California-based holistic healer who apprehensively dines at her wealthy clients' home after her car breaks down. Beatriz's composure crumbles as her companions' subtle hostility toward immigrants emerges. Miguel Arteta and the exceedingly gifted Mike White are frequent collaborators -- their highlights include "The Good Girl" and the impeccable HBO series "Enlightened."



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"All Eyez on Me" (June 16)

Directed by Benny Boom • Written by Jeremy Halt, Eddie Gonzalez and Steven Bagatourian



Starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., Kat Graham, Dominic L. Sanata, Danai Gurira, Jamal Woolard and Lauren Cohan



What to expect: In 2015, "Straight Outta Compton" turned N.W.A.'s origin story into a box-office smash. "All Eyez on Me" will attempt to do the same with Tupac Shakur, chronicling his rise to fame, rivalry with Notorious B.I.G. and brutal death at the age of 25.



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"Rough Night" (June 16)

Directed by Lucia Aniello • Written by Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs



Starring Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Zoë Kravitz, Ilana Glazer, Jillian Bell, Demi Moore, Ty Burrell and Colton Haynes



What to expect: If Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs' "Broad City" work offers any indication, "Rough Night" is everything we want in a summer comedy. It's "Bachelorette" with a murderous twist: Five college besties reunite for a weekend in Miami, where they accidentally kill a male stripper while partying. In the infamous words of no one in particular, what's a girl to do? We'll find out.



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"The Beguiled" (June 23)

Directed by Sofia Coppola • Written by Sofia Coppola



Starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Oona Laurence



What to expect: Every Sofia Coppola movie is an event, but seeing her make a Southern Gothic horror deserves a phenomenon. "The Beguiled" reimagines the 1971 Clint Eastwood drama about a Civil War invalid camping out at a rural all-girls' boarding school. Things get twisted enough for this lone gentlemen to cry out, "What have you done to me, you vengeful bitches?" Hell yes.



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"The Big Sick" (June 23)

Directed by Michael Showalter • Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani



Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano and Aidy Bryant



What to expect: Kumail Nanjiani's life story serves as ideal fodder for this delightful, bittersweet movie about a Pakistani-American comedian dating a white woman against his Muslim family's wishes. It has an Apatowian bent to it, given it was produced by Judd Apatow. The real star: Holly Hunter, whose name deserves to resurface in next year's Oscar race.



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"Baby Driver" (June 28)

Directed by Edgar Wright • Written by Edgar Wright



Starring Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Eiza González, Sky Ferreira, Jon Bernthal and Flea



What to expect: The first "Baby Driver" reviews out of South by Southwest called the movie "thrilling" and "wildly successful." Essentially a two-hour music video, this crime caper with rom-com undertones stars Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver attempting to abandon his heist habits. Key word: "attempting."



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"The House" (June 30)

Directed by Andrew J. Cohen • Written by Andrew J. Cohen



Starring Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, Jason Mantzoukas, Allison Tolman, Michaela Watkins, Sam Richardson, Rob Huebel and Andrea Savage



What to expect: The writer of "Neighbors" makes his directorial debut with this rowdy comedy about a suburban couple who start a basement casino to fund their daughter's college tuition. Aside from her "Anchorman 2" cameo, Amy Poehler hasn't appeared on the big screen with Will Ferrell, her former "SNL" colleague, since "Blades of Glory" in 2007.



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"A Ghost Story" (July 7)

Directed by David Lowery • Written by David Lowery



Starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck



What to expect: There's no use likening "A Ghost Story" to any precursors -- it's truly one of a kind. Nearly wordless but relentlessly captivating, this meditative drama explores grief and the passage of time through the eyes of a newly widowed Texan whose late husband returns to haunt the home they shared. It sounds like the premise of a horror movie, but this Sundance standout is far more intriguing.



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"Dunkirk" (July 21)

Directed by Christopher Nolan • Written by Christopher Nolan



Starring Tom Hardy, Fionn Whitehead, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Styles and James D'Arcy



What to expect: For "Dunkirk," Christopher Nolan reportedly inked the heftiest director salary in more than a decade. The World War II survival epic incorporated inventive shooting strategies using IMAX cameras, practical effects and hordes of extras, which sounds as Nolanian as they come.



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"Patti Cake$" (July 7)

Directed by Jeremy Gasper • Written by Jeremy Gasper



Starring Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie and Cathy Moriarty



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"Girls Trip" (July 21)

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee • Written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver



Starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, Larenz Tate and Mike Colter



What to expect: One month after "Rough Night," another ladies' outing arrives in the form of "Girls Trip." But instead of a deadly bachelorette weekend in Miami, these friends are heading to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival and some perilous French Quarter zip-lining.



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"Atomic Blonde" (July 28)

Directed by David Leitch • Written by Kurt Johnstad



Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Toby Jones, Sofia Boutella and Bill Skarsgård



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"An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" (July 28)

Directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk



Starring Al Gore and footage of Donald Trump denying scientific evidence



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"The Dark Tower" (Aug. 4)

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel • Written by Nikolaj Arcel, Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner and Anders Thomas Jensen



Starring Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Jackie Earle Haley and Katheryn Winnick



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"Fun Mom Dinner" (Aug. 4)

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Starring Toni Collette, Katie Aselton, Bridget Everett, Molly Shannon, Adam Scott, Paul Rust, Ron Huebel, Adam Levine and Paul Rudd



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"Detroit" (Aug. 4)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow • Written by Mark Boal



Starring John Boyega, John Krasinski, Anthony Mackie, Samira Wiley, Will Poulter, Jason Mitchell, Kaitlyn Dever and Jack Reynor



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"Ingrid Goes West" (Aug. 11)

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Starring Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen and Pom Klementieff



What to expect: A buzzy title at this year's Sundance, "Ingrid Goes West" is a fable for the Instagram age. Aubrey Plaza plays an unstable loner who moves from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles in hopes of befriending the social-media celebrity with whom she's obsessed. This low-budget dark comedy satirizes instant gratification and bad decisions.



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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.