The concept of a linked cinematic universe may be the hottest concept in Hollywood right now, but for many years, linkage cinema has existed almost exclusively in the horror world. Marvel has proven that a series of characters can coexist in the same world. However, it was the early linkage horror films that really paved the way for these types of film and television.
From the Universal Monster series to the ghosts in the "Conjuring" series, the melee between the linked universe and iconic characters is the 'familiar way' for producers to create horrors. Not all attempts were successful, but even if they failed, it provided enough entertainment material to solve many of the horror geek's hypothetical battle scenarios. In many cases, these films do repeat the classics of their respective film series, making it possible to create more cross-cosmic interactions.
Universal Monster Series
Universal Monsters created a landmark series of films, not only in horror, but across Hollywood films, as these creepy characters laid the groundwork for linkage blockbusters decades before Avengers brought the concept into the modern era. In the 1930s and early 1940s, Universal was already enjoying the success of their monster movies. In 1943, the company had their two film characters fight a big fight in Frankenstein vs. Werewolf. Both 1944's Frankenstein's House and 1945's Drekula's House were added together, though both films were disappointingly missing the time when the three monsters would appear on screen together.
Ironically, it is the parody of "Two Fools vs. Frankenstein" that allows the big three to interact with each other, thus achieving the most authoritative linkage set. This marks the end of Universal's first adventure into the linked universe, but the legacy of the monster will continue for years to come. However, this impressive cultural status is not enough to save Universal's dark universe, where a revamp of classic monsters will emerge. When The Mummy was released in 2017, both the box office and critics reacted badly to the film, and the plan ultimately failed.
Alien vs Predator
The linkage between these two terrifying sci-fi names began with a Dark Horse comics series miniseries that aired between 1989 and 1990. In 1992, screenwriter Peter Briggs wrote an adaptation of the screenplay based on the series, but as more and more comics and video games unfolded around the story, the project went through years of development dilemmas. In Predator 2, the wall of the trophy room even has the skull of a xenomorph. Alien vs Predator finally came out in 2004, although the script was completely different from 1992. The film was directed by Paul M. W· Directed by S. Anderson, it tells the story of ancient humans who worshiped carnivores and sacrificed their bodies to breed aliens for their gods to hunt. When a team of explorers inadvertently awakens the Xenomorph hive in the ruins of the pyramid, a group of Predators appears.
Critics have criticized alien vs Predator for its stupidity and PG-13 rating, but the film made enough money to make a sequel. Alien vs Predator is more of a key bomb, though it eschews the deep mythological tales of both series and instead tells the exploitative, killing-style film of a hybrid creature terrorizing a small town. This time, the film suffered an economic crisis, and plans for a third film were quickly halted. Shane Black's Predator (2018) subtly showcases spears made from alien eggs from the first Great War movies, but there has been no discussion of the continuation of this universe in recent years.
Freddie vs Jason
Like Alien vs Predator, the linkage film of Freddy vs Jason was planned more than a decade before the film's release. In the finale of "Friday 13th 9", Freddy's hand suddenly reached out from the ground and pulled Jason's mask down, which made fans excited. However, audiences will have to wait another decade to see this highly anticipated linkage film. This long and arduous journey was due to the fact that two different studios— New Line and Paramount — owned the rights to Ghost Street and Friday 13, respectively. As early as 1987, the two film companies began planning to shoot linkage films, but could not agree on a script.
When New Line finally acquired the rights to Friday 13, producer Sean M. S. Cunningham still found it difficult to find the right story because he considered more than a dozen scripts. In the final episode of Freddy vs. Jason, Freddy appears as Jason's mother and tries to convince the machete-wielding threat to kill. The rekindled fear gives Freddie regains strength, but he must fight Jason to protect his victims. Although fans have responded well to the story, there are no plans to continue filming at this time. However, there is a proposed ending in which the two killers meet in hell.
Full Moon Film Company
Full Moon Film Company was founded by B-movie enthusiast Charles Band, best known for creating the cult horror "Magic Puppet" series. Since the release of the first Magic Puppet movie in 1989, Charles Band has curated an impressive series of bad B-movies, and his characters have appeared in each other's films more than once. Devil Toy Showdown is the studio's first attempt to link the construction of a universe, revealing Charles Band's obsession with killer dolls. Technically, this film is not the work of the Full Moon Film Company.
Charles Bande's 2006 horror film Evil Happens brings together several characters from previous Full Moon films, such as the Blood Doll, the Traverser in Invasion of the Otherworld, and the Death Mutant. In 2013's Death Mutants vs Demon Smokers, Death Mutants reappear and battle the Demon Smokers. The monsters of full moon films may not be as revered as the universal idols, but despite this, Charles Bender is the mastermind of a bad movie universe.
Giant Crocodile Battle Python
The SyFy Channel is known for its seemingly countless films that have mutated megafauna kill each other. Sharks vs. Squid Lady, for example, and Octopus Shark vs. Whale Wolf, but Crocodile Wars Python is unique in SyFy's lineup because it combines two monsters from different series. The film was released in 2015, followed by the previous film, Prehistoric Crocodile: The Final Chapter, about a giant crocodile and a wild python. The film was a masterpiece of the python until news said it would restart in 2020, but Prehistoric Crocodile: Legacy tells the origin story of the 2018 crocodile.
Sadako vs. GaCos
In 2016, J-horror (a Japanese horror studio) also had its own crossover fight, a collision of ghost titans, Sadako vs. Gacos, which started out as an April Fool's Joke. Eventually, it turned into a real movie, bringing together Sadako and Ga-Coconut, two horror masters. The film may be better known for its marketing than its true story, which tells the story of a group of dispensable victims who try to get two ghosts to kill each other in a battle to lift their respective curses. Japanese social media touted the film and launched a voting campaign on Twitter, inviting fans to vote for their favorite characters, which also included campaign videos of the candidates. Sadako and Gacos also appeared at the opening ceremony of a baseball game, and even on Hello Kitty's merchandise, but the linkage itself seems to be complete.
The Conjuring Universe
By far the most successful of all the modern linked horror series is the Conjuring movie series. It revolves around the couple of Ed and Rowling Warren, a famous paranormal investigative couple who help those who find themselves intimidated by evil entities. At the Real Museum of Ed and Rowling Warren in Connecticut, they collect a large collection of paranormal objects that have also become fodder for many spin-off films that tell the backstory of the couple's encounters with the supernatural. These include the Annabelle series, The Nun, The Curse of the Weeping Woman, and Hunchback Man, which is in production.
These low-budget films helped Warner Bros. make huge profits with its lucrative brand profits. Considering that The Conjuring remains the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, the series doesn't seem to be over yet. The Conjuring 3 will be released in September 2020, and a sequel to The Nun is currently in production. In Annabelle 3: Homecoming, this evil doll unleashes more souls, which opens the door to the possibility of creating more spin-offs in this linked universe.