This summer, the monster cinematic universe will be kicked off with the 'The Mummy' reboot starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella. The monster cinematic universe is looking to create a number of standalone films for monsters, then create an Avengers-like film where the monster hunters come together and fight off monsters.
Along with The Mummy's reboot, we are getting a reboot of Van Helsing – remember that 2004 film with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale? Yeah, that Van Helsing. Luckily, the reboot is less of a reboot and more of a reimagining.
Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer teamed up with Passengers scribe Jon Spaihts to get the script for Van Helsing done – even though there's no director attached to the project yet. Heisserer sat down with Collider to talk about how the script:
“Well I guess the biggest thing that’s already been said is it’s contemporary, it’s a modern-day reimagining… I can talk about my emotional state of what I’ve been passionate about or sometimes frustrated by are the number of films where we find an extraordinary character with superhuman abilities that becomes a hero to solve a problem that a normal person cannot solve. And I was eager to try and buck that trend and showcase someone who had no extraordinary powers, just resourcefulness and will and kind of a stubbornness who’s able to tackle some of these bigger problems. Because I don’t like the idea that we’re infusing our public and our pop culture with the idea that only super people can solve the world’s problems. I like the idea of the everyday hero stepping up to the plate and getting things fixed."
As for whether or not the film will be classified as a horror or now, Heisserer revealed that he wrote it as though it was a horror, but wasn't sure if it would end up a horror.
“I don’t know what it’s going to look like at the end of the process, so I’m gonna withhold on commenting on really where it lands. I can say that my intent stepping in was to make it as scary as possible, partly because I know how to do that, and also because when you’re the only human surrounded by a bunch of supernatural creatures, that’s gotta be absolutely unnerving.”
Van Helsing does not have a prospected release date. The Mummy is set to release June 9, 2017. The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein are also in development.
