James Wan producing Van Helsing Reboot

[Pennywise]

Universal, James Wan Prep New ‘Van Helsing’ Pic; ‘Overlord’s Julius Avery Directs – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: After relaunching its Monster movie library with the hit The Invisible Man, Universal Pictures is continuing to build up its development slate and has its sights on one of its more iconic non-monster characters. Sources tell Deadline, Universal Pictures is developing an original horror/thriller inspired by Universal’s classic monster legacy set in the world of Van Helsingwith Julius Avery directing and James Wanproducing through his Atomic Monster banner. Wan will Produce with Michael Clear. The company’s Judson Scott will serve as Executive Producer.

The logline for the script is being kept under wraps but the film is set in the world of the famous monster hunter. How Van Helsing will be used in this film is unknown but the character, who first appeared in Bram Stroker’s novel Dracula, has had his run over the years with Universal trying to a launch a franchise in 2004 with Hugh Jackman playing the title role. The film underwhelmed at the box office and never launched the franchise the studio wanted but Universal always viewed it as a top priority in its monster movie library.

Avery is also rewriting the script with Eric Pearson writing the original script.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

So long as this time around they remember it's a horror film. I'm not interested in Van Helsing as an action franchise.

 

[Pennywise]

So long as this time around they remember it's a horror film. I'm not interested in Van Helsing as an action franchise.

Yeah, that movie sucked!

 

[Doctor Jones]

After that silly one off Invisible Man film, looks like they're finally getting back to basics with a proper Hugh Jackman sequel -- wait, WHAT?

****ing nonsense.

NONSENSE.

There is only one Van Helsing.

 

[Fincher]

So long as this time around they remember it's a horror film. I'm not interested in Van Helsing as an action franchise.

I'd just be happy for it to be good (not that I have anything riding on a Van Helsing movie).

 

[Pennywise]

****ing Nonsense.

NONSENSE.

There is only one Van Helsing.

If this isn't my long awaited sequel I'll riot.

Good luck with that!

 

[Doctor Jones]

Good luck with that!

 

[Pennywise]

I wonder if this is set in modern day or they’ll go the traditional route.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Just give it some atmosphere. We don't need a generic looking Van Helsing film. Though James Wan is pretty great visually, he's only producing.

 

[Pennywise]

I’m wondering what are the chances of this being connected to Kusama’s Dracula film or will this be standalone?

 

[Da-Scribe]

I wonder if this is set in modern day or they’ll go the traditional route.

Feel like a modernized version could work well given the current state of things.

Van Helsing as an infectious disease expert working on a task force charged with investigating and neutralizing a mysterious virus that carries deadly symptoms. All while the government tries to keep it buried.

Spitballing, but a better writer than myself can definitely draw parallels to the real world without it coming off as opportunistic imo.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

I'd love a Van Helsing movie that has the same tone and atmosphere of something like Tim Burton's Sleep Hollow or even The Wolfman remake from 2010 which had its problems, but at least they got the look and tone of that movie right. I never hated the original Van Helsing film with Hugh Jackman, but it definitely needs to feel like more of a horror film than what we got before which was just too action/adventure heavy like The Mummy.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I'd love a Van Helsing movie that has the same tone and atmosphere of something like Tim Burton's Sleep Hollow or even The Wolfman remake from 2010 which had its problems, but at least they got the look and tone of that movie right. I never hated the original Van Helsing film with Hugh Jackman, but it definitely needs to feel like more of a horror film than what we got before which was just too action/adventure heavy like The Mummy.

Love Sleepy Hollow, and The Wolfman is a great looking film. I'd definitely be up for something along those lines

And I don't want some teen heartthrob as Van Helsing, ripped as ****, removing his shirt every chance he gets! They need a good combination of intellect (he was a freakin' professor, after all) and athleticism. I actually think Peter Cushing pulled off both aspects very well.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I'm all for the idea of trying Van Helsing again as it's a great character to explore and you can do a lot of good stuff with the classic monsters if you just take it seriously, and of course have the talent for it. I can even be fine with it if it is an action film, but if so it should not be action spectacle, it should be much more horror focused and grounded (as grounded as monsters get).

Just make a modern film with the classic monster feel and I'm all in.

 

[Sawyer]

After that silly one off Invisible Man film, looks like they're finally getting back to basics with a proper Hugh Jackman sequel -- wait, WHAT?

****ing nonsense.

NONSENSE.

There is only one Van Helsing.

Go home, you’re drunk.

 

[Alien Anal]

How I would do the blumhouse monster universe.


Dracula is set in the 80s, he is a rich business man that lives at the top of his black high tower in the middle of New York. A kind of American Psycho feel. No one cares about Dracula's antics as they are too busy doing coke and making money. At the beginning have a montage of New York getting built around this black castle. At the end have a certain someone from the invisible man go for a job there.


Wolf man is a large bearded hairy angry man from Alaska that raises wolves illiegaly at his property out in the sticks, he uses the wolves to hunt down people at night that he doesn't like and then cooks them up and eats them. Make it a Christmas set movie for fun.


Jekyll and Hyde is a man with a drinking problem and anger issues who smashes everyone and anyone when drunk...could use some more work..i dunno.


Frankenstein's monster is a man that was brutally murdered after a drug deal gone wrong..or so they think. The drug they are dealing is sort of life elixir that Dracular has been formulating.

After his funeral a week later his wife digs up his corpse and attempts to reanimate him. She is successful but he is now pretty brain dead and left with the memories of his killers so he goes after them all the while freaking out the town because he is meant to be dead. Basically Robocop/zombie thing but whatever.

And as for Van Helsing he would be the cop investigating all these weird crimes, but start him off in the early 80s so he is more aged and distinguished by 2020

 

[Pennywise]

I really liked Overlord, so I’m looking forward to this.

I’d imagine this won’t be as action packed, though I could be wrong.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I really liked Overlord, so I’m looking forward to this.

Great movie!

 

[Pennywise]

He’s also directing that Superhero Drama Samaritan with Stallone, also looking forward to that next year.

 

[Silvermoth]

Cool! I wonder who will play the lead this time?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I could see Michael Fassbender as a young(er) Van Helsing.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Cool! I wonder who will play the lead this time?

An older Hugh Jackman.

Go home, you’re drunk.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

I'm absolutely down for this.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

Overlord was awesome so I’m looking forward to this. Just hope it’s not a generic CGI infested action disaster like the Hugh Jackman film

Hell, they should bring back Hugh Jackman as an older and more beaten down Van Helsing

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I actually liked the Hugh Jackman movie back in the day, but I am down for another take.

Overlord was awesome as both an action and horror movie, so Avery has me on board for this.