Van Helsing, legendary doctor, monster hunter and Count Dracula’s worst nightmare, will soon become one of the cornerstones of Universal’s shared monsters universe, and it appears the studio’s fantasy vehicle is looking to a certain Road Warrior for inspiration.
Unlike The Mummy and Frankenstein – the latter of which is reportedly courting Javier Bardem for the titular, monstrous role – Van Helsing is incubating in the very early stages of development, but that hasn’t stopped writing duo Eric Heisserer and Jon Spaihts from fleshing out ideas for Universal’s new take on cinema’s decorated demon killer.
Primed for his first screen appearance since 2004’s box office flop – Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale led the charge against the undead in that instance – Heisserer told HitFix that Van Helsing‘s demeanour will be more in line with the roguish, lone-wolf archetype made famous by Mad Max, rather than Jackman’s dashing hero.
When quizzed about the character traits of Universal’s spin on the good doctor, Heisserer stated that, “I can only say that early on, our inspiration for [Van Helsing’s] behavior and his mannerisms was all in Mad Max.”
Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is that it appears the studio will take strides to ensure its interconnected movies are relatively diverse in both tone and aesthetic.
“One may be a little bit more comedic, action-adventure-y, one can be very much a traditional horror piece. And then we’ll see what happens as the projects evolve and we all get a chance to convene and talk, and make sure the movies feel like they’re all in the same world.”
No word yet on a release date for Van Helsing, though we do know Universal has staked out a number of release dates through 2019. Alex Kurtzman, meanwhile, will resurrect The Mummy in June of next year.