Van Helsing
 

Has anyone else heard about this project starring Hugh Jackman? It is set for release by Universal in May 2004 and will be directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy/Mummy Returns; Deep Rising; Jungle Book; Adventures of Huck Finn). Jackman will star as the famed vampire hunter as he battles Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman.

here's the link:
http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=mo...y&pageid=22999

I like Jackman a lot and I think that he could do a great job, but its from the director of the Mummy. Sounds like another popcorn PG-13 action flick, but who knows - it could be good. This is the first I heard of it. Just wondering if anyone else has and what their thoughts are on it.

Im sure it will be a popcorn flick but the redesigns for some of the characters, especially Frankenstein's monster and the werewolf look awesome so Im definately down next summer, and Jackman and Kate Beckinsale should be great in it.

harosa - where did you see the re-designs for some of the characters?

I like Kate Beckinsale - good eye candy.

In terms of popcorn movies with mondless, check your brain at the door plots, you can't beat Stephen Sommers. My anticipation for this flick has grown now that I know he is at the helm.

Is he a great director? Hell no. Is he good for this project? Hell yeah!

If I were to make a movie, this is the type of movie I would make.

The only movies coming out in the next year & a half I am looking forward to more than Van Helsing are Matrix LOTR & Kill bill. Aside from those 3 Van Helsing is THE movie I need to see.

http://www.vanhelsing.net for the redesigns, especially Dracula and here: http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/im...on/Van_Helsing for still pics.

:thumbsup:

Thanks for the links harosa!

I cannot wait for this movie. :)


*edit...

It's just too bad they didn't make 3 movies for Van Helsing to take each "monster" on one at a time. :(

Saw mention of this in another thread a couple of weeks ago and this became one of the "must sees" in the coming schedule. Sommers is always good for giving an entertaining flick.

Big fan of the old fashioned Universal monsters, so I'm VERY curious about this one! But have to wait until May 2004 :(

Are they saving the Creature from the Black Lagoon for the sequel? :D

harosa - thanks for the links. I am getting more interested in this by the minute. It makes me want to go dust off my old copy of The Monster Squad. :D

The only design I don't really care for is that of Van Helsing himself. Looks a little too reminiscent of Brotherhood of the Wolf IMO.
Aside from that, I really think this movie can do well as long as it doesn't take itself too seriously. After visiting the site, I was halfway expecting to see Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy pop up after the "They've finally met their match" tag. In all honesty, this plot sounds like something they would do on Buffy.

I've been tracking this project since it was announced. I really enjoyed the Mummy movies because they were big dumb fun and I think VAN HELSING is going to kick some serious ass.. I can not wait for it to hit theatres, it is pretty much the event movie of next summer as far as I'm concerned... can't wait...

MATT

I hope to God Dracula doesn't look like that for the whole show.

... unless it's the basis for a hilarious subpolt, where Frankenstein can't tell the difference between him and the wolf man. "What... Wolf... Drac... FRANKENSTEIN ANGRY! FRANKENSTEIN SMAAAASH!"

After looking up the cast, I'm so very intrigued. Richard Roxburgh plays Dracula, and what an icy, ciy villain he can be.

But here's something I'm curious about. The wolf man is played by... Will Kemp.

Will "Scruffy guy in the Gap Jeans ads" Kemp. "For Every Generation".

I personally can't wait for this movie. I'm a big fan of Sommers. I think Deep Rising and The Mummy are two very entertaining B movies. They're stupid, they're fun, and they move very well. Granted The Mummy Returns I didn't care for, but I feel Sommers knows how to make these fun popcorn movies. He's got the right sense of humor and a good visual sense. And I've got nothing against a big dumb blockbuster as long as they're entertaining, which most are not. So to see something like this, which will be a mega budget special effects extravaganza with a vampire hunter motif going on. Great. Bring it on, could be quite the piece of entertaining fluff that I can watch over and over. This material could go over very well in the tongue in cheek style of Sommers, or even if he went a more serious route it could work quite well. I just hope he doesn't fall into the trap of Mummy Returns and make a plotless 2 hour chase. But if he's got a decent story as the clothesline than this could work wel.

This movie looks great! Im a big Vampire buff and i am really looking foward to what kind of new spin they give on the classic Van Helsing character. Its interesting to see Hugh Jackman play this cool new, renegade looking Helsing when i love the Anthony Hopkins portrayal so much. Count me in!!!

P.S. The Wolfman kicks a$$!

For what its worth, I thought Mummy Returns better than the first one. It was a different flick altogether in that it focused less on the horror aspect and more on the adventure aspect, which I liked. The chase plot made it move more swiftly IMO.

Hugh Jackman in costume for Van Helsing

http://comingsoon.net/nextraimages/vanhelsing-first.jpg

No one had posted this yet so I figured I would get the discussion started up again.

He looks badass, and I cannot wait until this one comes out. Coming soon also has some set pics that look very cool/creepy.

Hopefully this one won't disappoint.

PS Jackman is a stud.

I like The Mummy so this looks interesting. Will this one also be PG13?

Looks cool. :thumbsup:

This looks interesting.

He's looking fat.

Those pics are awesome! I cannot wait for this movie!

He looks more like Trigun w/ a hat to me.

Weird. Kate Beckinsale is also in the film "Underworld" coming out this fall. Both films have a similar theme/look/vibe (yum - love her outfit!). :D

What role does she play in Van Helsing? In Underworld, she plays a vampire "Juliet" hunting down werewolves - one of whom happens to be her "Romeo."

Mix Romeo Must Die, Matrix/Equilibrium, and any number of vampire/werewolf movies and this is what you get:

http://www.paranormalplace.com/under.html

Sorry to hijack the thread - just noticed the similarity based on what I heard about both films.

Please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI, please no CGI.