Sorry, Johnny Depp fans, but it’s official. For real, this time. Depp will not be portraying the lead in “The Invisible Man.” Despite the high-profile announcement a few years back, the Dark Universe is dead and Blumhouse is taking “The Invisible Man” and doing its own spin. And according to Deadline, the production company has found its lead.
Blumhouse has reportedly signed Oliver Jackson-Cohen to star as the title character in the reimagining of “The Invisible Man.” We don’t know the exact nature of the plot, but if you’ve seen the various versions of the character, you have a good idea of what to expect. He joins the already-revealed cast of Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Harriet Dyer, and Storm Reid in the horror remake/reimagining.
Before landing this role, Jackson-Cohen is probably best known for his recent role on the Netflix hit horror series “The Haunting of Hill House.” Prior to that, his work has mainly been in TV with roles on NBC series “Emerald City” and the short-lived “Dracula.” Clearly, “The Invisible Man” will be his most recognizable role yet. (Oh, the puns!)
It’s believed that “The Invisible Man” is a sort of test run for Universal and Blumhouse in regards to the classic Monsters. Jason Blum has publicly said that he’d love to do his own version of the failed Dark Universe. So, without announcing plans to do that, he’s likely seeing how things go with “The Invisible Man” and if it’s possible for a shared universe in the future.
Obviously, with the track record that Blumhouse has with taking low-budget horror films and turning huge profits, it would seem as if this relationship with the Universal Monsters franchise might just last for a while to come. And if that’s the case, Oliver Jackson-Cohen might have just landed the role of a lifetime.
