Professor Abraham Van Helsing–once described by Dracula himself as a wise man “for someone who has not lived even a single lifetime”–is about to get yet another life on the big screen.
Dracula’s arch-enemy will return In a new film, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with James Wan (Conjuring, Saw, Aquaman) producing under his Atomic Monster Productions banner along with Universal Pictures.
Julius Avery (Overlord)–on board as director–will rewrite the original script by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow). Rounding out the behind-the-scenes talent is Atomic Monster’s Judson Scott serving as executive producer.
There is no word at this early stage about casting choices, production schedules or a tentative release date.
The Abraham Van Helsing character, of course, goes all the way back to Bram Stoker’s iconic 1897 novel Dracula. It is unclear as of this writing if this new film will draw heavily on Stoker’s story or if it will take liberties with the character.
The last time the good professor’s name was attached to a movie was the ambitious–but poorly received–2004 Van Helsing starring Aussie superstar Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. That film–written and directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy)–was very loosely based on Stoker’s character. Jackman played Gabriel Van Helsing, a monster hunter who battled with the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Wolfman and even Edward Hyde.
One of the more faithful cinematic portrayals of Van Helsing was Laurence Olivier’s performance in John Badham’s 1979 Dracula, a film that starred Frank Langella as a very mysterious, charismatic Count Dracula. This take on the Dracula legend earned the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film.
So, with a lot of questions still to be answered on this new Van Helsing film, keep reading Horror News Network for all the updates.
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