Van Helsing was a big disappointment for Universal. Bringing together the likes of Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein's Monster, it should have been The Avengers of monster movies, but suffered an absolute mauling at the hands of the critics. Any ideas of a potential franchise were swiftly dead in the water.
However, Universal have now attached electrodes to Van Helsing 's ruined corpse and are ready to flip the switch, with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci currently developing the script for an upcoming reboot.
Now, whilst that might not necessarily sound like a recipe for success, consider this: Tom Cruise is reportedly on board to produce the film, and apparently, he's agreed to star in it as well.
Whether or not you're a fan of Cruise's screen presence, this does at least suggest that Universal are planning to do things properly this time around. Cruise generally runs a tight ship when he's on production duties, so hopefully there will be none of the half-assedness that plagued the original.
The team-up with Kurtzman and Roberto represents part of the first-look deal agreed between Universal and the screenwriters, with the pair also set to breathe new life into The Mummy . Prepare to hide behind your sofas… monsters are on the rise once more.
