Writers Hired For Van Helsing Reboot

Eleven years on from the less-than stellar Hugh Jackman movie, Universal are preparing a revival of ‘Van Helsing’ - and they’ve got duo of screenwriters on the case.

Variety reports that the studio have hired Jon Spaihts (’Prometheus,’ ‘Doctor Strange’) and Eric Heisserer (’Final Destination 5,′ the remakes of ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘The Thing’) to draft a new take on Bram Stoker’s iconic monster hunter and arch-nemesis of Dracula.

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The new film is intended as part of Universal’s new monster movie crossover universe, ostensibly launched by last year’s ‘Dracula Untold’ but set to really begin with the 2017 reboot of ‘The Mummy’ (also written by Spaihts).

2004′s ‘Van Helsing’ was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, following his earlier success with ‘The Mummy’ and ‘The Mummy Returns,’ and cast Jackman as a younger, more gung-ho incarnation of the character than previously seen from the likes of Peter Cushing, Laurence Olivier and Anthony Hopkins.

Kate Beckinsale co-starred as a gypsy warrior woman, who joined Van Helsing in his battle against Richard Roxborough’s Dracula, with The Wolf Man and the Frankenstein monster also showing up.

Originally intended to launch a franchise, the film only proved a moderate success, earning $300 million at the global box office off a $160 million budget, and garnering mostly negative reviews.

Virtually nothing is known about this reboot in terms of plot, although it seems feasible that it may be set in the present day given it will in some way offshoot from the new take on ‘The Mummy,’ which is confirmed to have a contemporary setting.

No release, director or casting announcements have been made either, although we do know ‘Van Helsing’ will be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan. New takes on other clasic Universal monster properties are also expected in the years ahead.

This news comes hot on the heels of Universal’s announcement of a ‘Van Helsing’ TV series based around a female descendant of the monster hunter, although it is not known if this is intended to connect in any way to the new movie.

Picture Credit: Universal