Scott W. Davis
09-16-2003, 11:55 PM
The horror adventure is really gaining steam. From the first two BLADE films, to THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, to UNDERWORLD, to HELLBOY, people are garnishing their modern-day serials with a bit of spookiness. Stephen Sommers has already shown this to be his specialty. After all, DEEP RISING, THE MUMMY and THE MUMMY RETURNS all had their eye on adventure as much as, and possibly more than horror. Next year comes Sommers' biggest project yet, VAN HELSING, starring Hugh Jackman as a young version of the original vampire slayer.
Universal has such high hopes for the film, that not only have they chosen it to kick off their summer movie season, they're already expanding it to the small screen with the help of NBC.
TRANSYLVANIA is not a spin-off of VAN HELSING. But reports it will be "set in the same universe as the film." And "universe" may be as close as it gets. It's about a boy from Texas who becomes sheriff of a town with all sorts of craziness going on. He mediates between two warring families "that possess monsterous genes." (My old journalism teacher would kill be for all the orphan quotes in this piece.) Although it sounds like the setting is Transylvania, TX, t film will be shot in Prague. The reason why the series won't be a direct spin-off? Because Universal has plans for a VAN HELSING film franchise, if it pays off as big as they're expecting.
Sommers will executive produce the series with Bob Ducsay and write the pilot. Whether he will write or possibly direct any more episodes remains to be seen. TRANSYLVANIA is expected to be up and running by fall 2004. VAN HELSING opens on May 7th.
--------
[I 30h resevil_08 I]Sink your teeth into the big world of VAN HELSING and the small world of TRANSYLVANIA in our !
Universal has such high hopes for the film, that not only have they chosen it to kick off their summer movie season, they're already expanding it to the small screen with the help of NBC.
TRANSYLVANIA is not a spin-off of VAN HELSING. But reports it will be "set in the same universe as the film." And "universe" may be as close as it gets. It's about a boy from Texas who becomes sheriff of a town with all sorts of craziness going on. He mediates between two warring families "that possess monsterous genes." (My old journalism teacher would kill be for all the orphan quotes in this piece.) Although it sounds like the setting is Transylvania, TX, t film will be shot in Prague. The reason why the series won't be a direct spin-off? Because Universal has plans for a VAN HELSING film franchise, if it pays off as big as they're expecting.
Sommers will executive produce the series with Bob Ducsay and write the pilot. Whether he will write or possibly direct any more episodes remains to be seen. TRANSYLVANIA is expected to be up and running by fall 2004. VAN HELSING opens on May 7th.
--------
[I 30h resevil_08 I]Sink your teeth into the big world of VAN HELSING and the small world of TRANSYLVANIA in our !