New details have emerged about Universal's plans to reboot its classic monsters, starting with The Mummy. The most exciting aspect may be the studio's desire not to rush things.

First announced in June 2014, writer-producers Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, Star Trek) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious) were placed in charge of the studio's plans for an "interconnected slate" of modern monster movies. Kurtzman and Morgan were to enlist creative talent and integrate any existing projects currently under development into a cohesive strategy. At that time, the reboot of The Mummy was scheduled for release on April 22, 2016. Shortly thereafter, Kurtzman entered final negotiations to direct The Mummy.

Kurtzman and Morgan went to work. A few months later, we heard that The Mummy had been bumped to June 24, 2016, and that another "epic action-adventure" in the monster series had been added to the release calendar for April 27, 2017. The so-called "writers' room" had been assembled by that point, including Ed Solomon (Men in Black), Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners) and Noah Hawley (TV's Fargo).

The monsters for the new shared universe had also been identified: The Mummy, the Wolfman, Frankensten's monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Invisible Man, as well as monster hunter Van Helsing (which we trust will be better received than the odd 2004 version with Hugh Jackman as the character; pictured below). Earlier we heard that 2014's Dracula Untold would be integrated into the series at some point as well, though the character might undergo further changes to fit in.

Months passed, and then came word that The Mummy's release had been bumped further to March 24, 2017, with the second in the series pushed back to March 30, 2018. Some began to wonder if the monsters would still be horror movies, based on the description of one of them as an "epic action-adventure," prompting writer-producer Kurtzman to clarify: "It's more about how you blend the different elements and stay true to each one, but there will definitely be horror in the monster movies."

The latest news is confirmation that Universal plans to release one new monster movie every year, per Variety, with The Mummy now set to begin filming early next year. The delays have been because "the characters will interact with each other across movies,” according to Donna Langley, Universal Pictures chair. “We’re incubating it at the moment, and we’re taking the time to get it right.” That includes reconsidering details such as the bolts in the Frankenstein monster's neck, and also rethinking themes that sound very contemporary.

Morgan, who has also scripted the Fast & Furious movies to new heights of popularity, in part because of their focus on an extended family, says that the new monster movies will be "exploring issues of family identity and questions of, 'Where do I belong in the world?'" He added: "There’s a darkness inside everybody. And everyone wants to be able to turn a curse into empowerment. The monsters have been in the shadows, and now it’s time to bring them out into the light.”

Ten writers are working on the various projects, and each has been assigned their very own monster to oversee. Jon Spaihts, who worked on The Mummy, and Eric Heissering have been just been hired to write a new version of Van Helsing, according to Variety, though we're still waiting to hear about other specific assignments for members of the writer's room. After The Mummy comes out in 2017, we should have a much better idea of how the classic monsters will look and act in Universal's exciting new shared universe.