Universal Monsters

This article needs better sources. Please help improve this article by adding more reliable sources to verify the information. Unsourced or badly sourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Universal Monsters" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Universal Classic Monsters
Official franchise logo
Original work	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913)
Owner	Universal Pictures
Years	1913–present[1][2]
Print publications
Novel(s)	See details
Comics	See details
Films and television
Film(s)	See details
Short film(s)	See details
Television series	See details
Miscellaneous
Theme park attraction(s)	See details

The Universal Monsters (also known as Universal Classic Monsters and Universal Studios Monsters) media franchise includes characters based on a series of horror films produced by Universal Pictures and released between 1913–1956.

While the early installments were initially created as stand-alone films based on published novels, their financial and critical success resulted in various cross-over releases. Following the positive response to various viewings of these movies via television redistribution which began airing in the 1950s, the studio began developing the characters for other media. In the 1990s, it became priority for Universal to promote their catalogue with official packaging that presented the movies with the official franchise title. Through a number of VHS editions, their popularity continued into contemporary entertainment. This included additional development through modern-filmmaking adaptations such as Stephen Sommers' The Mummy (1999) and Van Helsing (2004).

Modern analyses describes the titular characters as "pop culture icons".^[3]