In February, NECA announced its Ultimate Frankenstein’s Monster action figure to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the 1931 Universal classic “Frankenstein.” At the time, NECA alluded that more Universal Monsters figures might be in the works, and today they made the news official, announcing three more figures to be released in 2021 based on the classic Universal Monsters films.
Working closely with Universal Brand Development, LUGOSI LLC, and Chaney Entertainment, the figures will capture the horror world’s most iconic figures in NECA’s long-running Ultimate format. The first release in the series will be the previously announced Frankenstein’s Monster (arriving in July). The sculpt captures Boris Karloff’s poignant portrayal of the misunderstood monster in authentic black-and-white. A color version of the figure will follow.
Subsequent figures set for 2021 will include Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man from “The Wolf Man” (1941), Boris Karloff as the titular figure in “The Mummy” (1932), and Bela Lugosi as the legendary Count in “Dracula” (1931).
“We are proud to be working with NECA to include Bela Lugosi as Dracula as an Ultimate figure,” said Lynne Lugosi Sparks, CEO of LUGOSI LLC. “NECA’s attention to detail is amazing and we are happy to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Bela Lugosi’s iconic screen performance as Dracula with this figure.”
NECA’s Ultimate format is a favorite among collectors for its complete portrayal of a character with a wide array of alternate heads, hands, and accessories so that many iconic moments from the movie can be recreated. The 5th-panel packaging also allows collectors to remove and replace without damaging the packaging.
“As a lifelong fan of Universal Monsters, this is a dream come true,” said Randy Falk, NECA VP & senior director of product development. “I’ve been collecting Universal Monsters toys since I was a kid. This line aims to create something hyper-realistic and ultra-detailed for people like me who grew up watching these amazing movies and have always longed for definitive versions.”
