EXCLUSIVE: After relaunching the monster movie library with the hit The Invisible Man, Universal Pictures is expanding its development plan and has one of its more iconic non-monster characters in its sights. Sources say ., Universal Pictures is developing an original horror / thriller inspired by Universal’s classic monster legacy in the world of Van Helsing. Julius Avery will direct and James Wan will produce his Atomic Monster banner. Wan will be producing with Michael Clear. The company’s Judson Scott will serve as executive producer.
The logline for the script is kept under wraps, but the film takes place in the world of the famous monster hunter. How Van Helsing is used in this film is unknown, but the character who first appeared in Bram Stroker’s novel Dracula has attempted a franchise with Universal over the years, with Hugh Jackman playing the title role. The film was under-challenged at the box office and never launched the franchise the studio wanted, but Universal always considered it a top priority in their monster movie library.
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Avery is also rewriting the script, while Eric Pearson is writing the original script.
Universal continues to strive to develop compelling, filmmaker-powered projects based on characters from the studio’s vast monster legacy. Instead of advancing the original notion of an interconnected universe, the studio stopped and was re-evaluated. It was recalled that passion and relevance led to the persistence of these characters across generations – as recently happened with Blumhouse and Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man, which grossed more than $ 130 million worldwide.
What makes Avery’s attitude very intriguing is that the studio has stated that they are open to all attitudes when it comes to their monsters, including whether the film gets an R rating, which the studio has tried to avoid for years would have. After the success of Invisible Man, which was rated R, that option is on the table and given Avery’s track record, including his critically acclaimed Overlord of Paramount and Bad Robot, a much darker take on the character is a possibility.
Atomic Monster’s upcoming plan includes Aquaman 2, Malignant, Somebody In Your House, Mortal Kombat, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. On TV, MacGyver, Swamp Thing, Archive 81, and I Know What You Did Last Summer are on the schedule the company.
Overlord helped put Avery on the map with many studios, bringing him the MGM thriller Samaritan with Sylvester Stallone wrapping production.
Pearson wrote the upcoming Marvel image Black Widow.
Wan is represented by CAA, Stacey Testro International and Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light LLP.
Avery is represented as director of CAA. He is also represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Gang, Tire, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.
Pearson is represented by ICM Partners and attorney David Colden.
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