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Universal Building It’s Van Helsing Reboot Around Channing Tatum


It looks like Universal's struggling Dark Universe is hoping to reel in 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike star Channing Tatum for its upcoming Van Helsing reboot.

The Dark Universe started off with a sad spurt after Tom Cruise's The Mummy suffered heavy criticism and poor box office results earlier this year and now Universal is planning a Van Helsing movie with Tatum as its lead star. It seems like the studio is hoping a little more star power can help turn the tide around, and according to The Hollywood Reporter the studio is working on a script built especially for Tatum.

Arrival's Eric Heisserer and Passengers John Spaihts are in charge of the reboot's script, and in an interview with Collider earlier this year Heisserer teased their take on Universal's Van Helsing movie.

"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."

"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."

It's good to hear that Heisserer's trying to steer clear of Universal's last Van Helsing movie – though the film starring Hugh Jackman as the iconic monster hunter did well during its opening weekend, the movie didn't fare so well with critics who bashed the movie for its hollowness and its reliance on special effects.

Having a protagonist that's purely human is also a refreshing twist to the Van Helsing story and we're excited to see how far Heisserer and Spaihts can take the reboot.

There's no word on when the Van Helsing movie is scheduled for release, but we'll update everyone as soon as the premiere date's out.

Read: First Trailer For Pacific Rim: Uprising Revealed at SDCC 2017

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