New VAN HELSING will feature a Van HERsing as lead

You know I never really knew much about the story of Van Helsing until the 2004 film that featured a rather less ripped Hugh Jackman and Kate Bekinsale. The movie did pretty well for its time so what better way to celebrate that some 11 years later than by making Van Helsing a woman. Um, What? Yup, jumping on the female-led remake idea recently popularized by Ghostbusters and the recently announced Oceans’ Eleven reboot is another original show on  SyFy – a channel that recently cancelled Defiance, much to my chagrin.

NBC Universal is looking at creating a new show based on the ‘pain in Dracula’s side’ Professor Abraham van Helsing, a character first seen in the 1897 classic novel Dracula. According to The Hollywood Reporter Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men) will act as showrunner for the new show that now has a female version of Helsing called Vanessa Helsing, the latest in a lineage of warriors who stand as humanity’s last hope against vampires. Vanessa is reportedly resurrected (though how she became to be incapacitated? dead? is uncertain) five years in the future, to find that her family has lost their ages-old battle and that vampires have now taken over the world.

To be honest I am nearly out of my love of vampires and seeing as how Syfy recently dropped Dominion perhaps I am not alone – But I am wrong according to LaBute, who himself is very excited at the project:

“I am extremely excited to be working with Syfy and Nomadic Pictures to create a unique, character-driven action series that will move the traditional vampire tropes into bold and unexpected new territories. This is a wonderful chance for us to forge great stories and unforgettable characters and throw them into a world where the stakes – both dramatic and personal – are tremendously high.”

Well he seems happy. And he isn’t the only one. Co-Chairman of Nomadic Pictures Chad Oakes went on to say:

“Van Helsing represents a new mythology in sci-fi by challenging traditional vampire rules. 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. Mike and I are thrilled to team up once again with the talented Neil LaBute to deliver an amazing series.”

Okay, so it sounds like maybe they have something new enough (womminz!) to grab the attention of a few. What do you think, are you interested in another vampire show?

Last Updated: November 3, 2015