Updated: April 21, 2026

Universal's early horror films were adaptations of work from familiar authors and texts to give their films a prestige appeal. These included Dracula ( 1931 ), whose success led to the production of other works such as Frankenstein ( 1931 ).Frankenstein's ending was changed by studio head Carl Laemmle Jr., who wanted Universal to be able deploy key characters from the film into subsequent Universal productions. Following the release of other Universal films such as The Mummy ( 1932 ), The Invisible Man ( 1933 ) and Bride of Frankenstein ( 1935 ), there was a dry spell of horror films. Universal only returned to the style following a successful theatrical re-release of Dracula and Frankenstein. The renewed interest in horror films led to new works, starting with Son of Frankenstein ( 1939 ).

Universal would only introduce a few new monsters in the 1940s, with the most famous being Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf Man in The Wolf Man ( 1941 ). The decade had Universal's horror output include many remakes and sequels, with films often directly reusing old sets, footage, and narratives to replicate moments in their earlier horror productions.