It has been more than a decade since the last “Van Helsing” movie was released. Though the film received mostly negative review, it grossed over USD300 million worldwide and became one of the biggest blockbusters released in 2004.
With Universal Pictures planning to launch a new Monsters Cinematic Universe, Variety reported that the studio has hired “Prometheus” writer Jon Sphaits and “The Thing” remake scribe Eric Heisserer to co-write the “Van Helsing” reboot.
Abraham Van Helsing is a fictional character from Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel, “Dracula”. Over the past century, the character has been reimagined through many adaptations as a vampire slayer and the archenemy of Count Dracula.
As for the 2004 film adaptation, Hugh Jackman‘s Van Helsing is depicted as a monster hunter who doesn’t only hunt Dracula, but also Frankenstein and the Wolf Man. It was also recently announced that Syfy will be developing a TV series with a gender-swapped vampire hunter known as “Vanessa Helsing”.
Back in 2012, Tom Cruise was originally attached to headline the planned “Van Helsing” reboot that will be written by “Star Trek” and “Transformers” screenwriting duo Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
However, Orci and Cruise later left the project while Kurtzman remains aborad as a producer. He will produce it alongside “Fast & Furious 7” writer Chris Morgan, who is in charge of the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe.
Plot details regarding the “Van Helsing” reboot are unknown at the time, so it’s unclear whether the film will take place in the present day. Sphaits, who recently penned Universal’s “The Mummy” reboot, has signed on to co-write it with Heisserer.
“The Mummy” reboot is being helmed by Kurtzman and set to kick off the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe on 24th March 2017.
There’s also another Universal monster movie scheduled for release on 30th March 2018, but we’re not sure if the “Van Helsing” reboot will take the date.
Spaihts’ recent credits include Marvel‘s “Doctor Strange” and sci-fi drama “Passengers”. As for Heisserer, he previously penned the “The Thing” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” reboots.
Source: Variety.
