Title: Johnny Depp To Resurrect The Invisible Man When Universal first released The Invisible Man back in 1933, the material was actually somewhat fresh. It was based on a sci-fi/horror novel by H.G. Wells that had been published in 1897, meaning it was really among the first mainstream book-to-screen adaptations of old Hollywood. The film, which you can actually find in its entirety online, was a success, viewed both as an artful interpretation of Wells's work and as a strong standalone movie. It also fit in with Universal's broader tendency to produce monster films—and that's why it's become particularly relevant again today.

The story of The Invisible Man has, for a lot of people in younger generations, fallen by the wayside. It doesn't seem to have the same staying power of other Universal monster tales like Frankenstein or Dracula. With that being said, it hasn't evaporated completely from pop culture. A game based on the 1933 film can be found in a batch of online slot reels, many of which use cinematic material for backdrops. Replacing ordinary slot machine symbols with objects and characters typical of the tale, the game actually does a nice job of sparking one's intrigue in the story. On a more basic level, The Invisible Man occasionally pops up on school reading curriculums also. However, it's by no means a mainstay in this regard.

But even if these appear to be the last shreds of the story's modern relevance, it still belongs to Universal's monster lore, and that means it's in line for a cinematic reboot. In case you haven't heard yet, Universal is working on a monster universe that will be presented in a similar manner to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (though probably not as vast). The universe kicks off with 2017's remake of The Mummy (starring Tom Cruise this time), which probably won't be very relevant for horror fans. But The Invisible Man is already slated for a future release, and it could bring a serious creep factor to this multi-film monster project if done properly .

Adding (we hope) to the creep factor will be Johnny Depp, who's been cast in the lead role. He has become better known of late for pure eccentricity, which he displayed in films like the Pirates Of The Caribbean series and the Alice In Wonderland films. However, he's actually got some experience flirting with horror as well. His work in Secret Window went largely unnoticed (and deserved a bit of attention), and he was almost comically spooky in the utterly absurd Transcendence.

Right now, it's very hard to say how this film will turn out or even what genre it will fall into. But of the planned Universal monster movies, The Invisible Man is among the likelier ones to land under the umbrella of horror. And if Depp is at his best and the script stays true to the work of Wells, with a few modern embellishments, this could become a major release for spook junkies to look forward to.