Everyone is into revival these days. Now, to catch up with the craze, Universal Studios will be revamping its classic war against fiends and witches. For the coming years, movie likes of Bride of Frankenstein and Dracula will be in production. Alex Kurtzman's Tom Cruise-fronted The Mummy will outset the updates in June, followed by the Johnny Depp-starring Invisible Man and the yet-to-be-cast Wolfman, both scheduled for 2018. Also on is the fearless name of Van Helsing, which was a big screen hit in 2004 with Hugh Jackman in the lead.
Triggered By Popular Demand In Genre
Release dates are yet to confirm, but facts have been trickling slowly. With the recent thriller films, it took inspiration from Mad Max: Fury Road, and is being written by Passengers' Jon Spaihts and Oscar-nominated Arrival transcriber Eric Heisserer. As for the script, Heisserer has teased it will be a somewhat more restrained adaption of Stephen Sommers' version. He's said in the past that he's grown disillusioned with the idea that "only super people can solve the world's problems," and though Van Helsing will include supernatural characters, it won't be a superhero movie.
In a recent interview with Collider, Heisserer revealed it even may end up veering a little more horror than action-adventure. As he told the outlet:
"I don't know what it's going to look like at the end of the process, so I'm going to withhold on commenting on really where it lands. I can say that my intent stepping in was to make it as scary as possible, partly because I know how to do that, and because when you're the only human surrounded by a bunch of supernatural creatures, that's got to be absolutely unnerving."
A Promising Movie With A Promising Skilled Director
Though finalization of the product will largely depend on directors point of view, Heisserer certainly has the proper background to write a terrifying cinematic experience. Among his previous recognitions are remakes of "A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)," sci-fi horror flick "The Thing (2011)," and last year's horror "Lights Out," which was critically praised for its chilling, fright-filled story.
But still, it will be tricky to navigate. Sommers' take was criticized for being too over-the-top and heavy on special effects, and horror films don't always have the best standing when it comes to subtle storytelling. Nevertheless, Heisserer has proven that he can knock down critics, and a newly scary principle may just be the kickstart for Van Helsing to make it a genuine hit.
