| Universal Classic Monsters | |
|---|---|
 Official franchise logo | |
| Original work | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) |
| Owner | Universal Pictures |
| Related franchise(s) | |
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".[1]