Famed monster hunter Van Helsing is ready to slay the small screen. And this Van Helsing is gonna be a gal! (No, it’s not Kate Becksinsale, I’m just using a picture of her in VAN HELSING. Roll with it.)
Syfy has acquired Van Helsing, a 13-episode sci-fi series from Nomadic Pictures (Fargo, Hell On Wheels). The show begins production in January 2016 in Vancouver, BC for a fall 2016 premiere.
Van Helsing centers on…
Vanessa Helsing, the daughter of famous vampire hunter and Dracula nemesis Abraham Van Helsing. She is resurrected five years in the future to find out that vampires have taken over the world and that she possesses unique power over them. She is humanity’s last hope to lead an offensive to take back what has been lost.
The most intriguing news here is that the showrunner of Van Helsing will be playwright/director Neil LaBute, the man behind such notorious titles as IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS and… THE WICKER MAN remake. Some of LaBute’s work has a reputation for having a misogynistic bent, so it’ll be compelling to find out what a female-led horror fantasy show run by him will look like.
“Van Helsing represents a new mythology in sci-fi by challenging traditional vampire rules,” said Chad Oakes, Co-Chairman of Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures. “The series is unique in exploring a world completely dominated by vampires, while the human characters have to learn the importance of working together to ensure their survival.”
Nic Cage and LaBute contemplating The Wicker Man