A new Van Helsing movie is in the works at Universal Pictures, and there would be no one better than Hugh Jackman to play the legendary monster hunter. At the start of the month, it was announced that James Wan is producing a Van Helsing reboot as part of a joint-production between Universal Pictures and Atomic Monster Productions. Julius Avery (Overlord) is also attached to direct the movie along with adding rewrites to an “original screenplay” by Eric Pearson (Black Widow).
Because the Van Helsing reboot is in the very early stages of its development, there’s no information about who might be playing the titular monster hunter. Similarly, storyline details have yet to be revealed, though it seems unlikely that the movie will have any plot connections to Universal’s 2004 Van Helsing movie starring Jackman. The words “original screenplay” also seem to suggest that we’ll be looking at a new take on the character’s story as opposed to revisiting the prior film.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t touch on the critical reception of the previous Van Helsing. When it was released, the movie left a lot to be desired with most critics of the time as it was met with a barrage of negative reviews. Like many critically-panned movies, however, Van Helsing was still able to develop a bit of a cult following and is not without its fans. It was also a hit at the box office, drawing big money even in the midst of complaints from critics.
In any case, it seems improbable that the new Van Helsing will have any relation to the Jackman film. Still, whether the new Van Helsing acknowledges the previous movie or not, Jackman would be the perfect casting choice. Although the movie was bashed, most everyone should be able to agree that Jackman in the lead role was perhaps its brightest spot. And because the 52-year-old is still looking as amazing as ever, there’d be no issues in accepting him as an older Van Helsing in the reboot movie.
Not everyone knows that Jackman did reprise the role for the animated prequel Van Helsing: The London Assignment, although it was in voice only. He’d go on to become synonymous with Wolverine after playing the X-Men superhero in several Marvel movies, finally wrapping up his time in the role in 2017’s Logan. For many fans of Jackman, however, his brief time spent playing Van Helsing serves as another one of his most memorable roles, and it’s high time he returned to the part. Even with an all-new storyline, casting Jackman to play Van Helsing once again would also add a hearty dash of nostalgia for longtime fans of the actor.
For now, all we can do is wait and see who Universal picks to play Van Helsing in the upcoming reboot, but one thing’s for sure — there won’t be a single name that would get me more excited than Hugh Jackman.
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