Even as Dracula continues to be an immortal – pun alert – character, Bram Stoker’s vampire hunter Van Helsing is right there alongside him, locked in eternal combat and endlessly re-invented. The character is getting another twist as US TV network SyFy has Neil LaBute working up a female take on the Van Helsing story.
His version is going to focus on Vanessa Helsing (not so original with their names, those Van Helsings, eh?), daughter of original fang-fighter Abraham. Resurrected five years in the future from now, she awakens to learn that the world has been taken over by vampires, and is basically humanity’s last best hope for victory via slaying as many undead creeps as she can. Fortunately, it appears she has an advantage, possessing some unusual power over them.
LaBute is not the first person you might imagine to be tackling the re-invention of a classic horror trope, and when it comes to the vampire mythos, he’s probably not the fifth or sixth, either. But he has form when it comes to creating new spins on classic terror, what with his version of The Wicker Man. Despite that, someone is letting him try this.
“Van Helsing represents a new mythology in sci-fi by challenging traditional vampire rules,” Chad Oakes, head of production company 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.” The aim is to start shooting in Vancouver this coming January for a late 2016 arrival on screens. Grab your garlic and your crucifix!