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‘Van Helsing’ Screenwriter Talks the Tone of the New Film

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Van Helsing (2004)

The Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe (UMCU) is one of the most exciting upcoming ventures I’ve heard of in a while. Say whatever you want but the chance to see the classic monsters, such as Dracula, The Mummy and the like, is incredibly exciting for me. These are the monsters that many of us cut our teeth on, the ones that inspired countless horror films that we know and love. It’s also a chance to introduce these characters to a new generation, one that may not have taken the time to go back and visit the foundation upon which our genre is built. Even if the movies aren’t good, we can still take solace knowing that it spurred interest in the originals. However, let’s keep a positive mindset, shall we?

Screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Doctor Strange) recently spoke with Collider about the upcoming reboot of Van Helsing, which he says doesn’t owe anything to the 2004 pile of garbage. Instead, they are taking more inspiration from Bram Stoker’s novel while still bringing the concept into modern times.

It’s a new creation, so it doesn’t owe much of a debt to prior films, but it is still a very romantic departure from the character as incepted in Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, where it was a Dutch doctor who figures out a very surprising answer to an odd medical question. This is a monster hunter with encyclopedic knowledge, but it’s set in the present day and it’s just filled with good stuff I’m not allowed to talk about. But I’m very excited about this new incarnation of Van Helsing, and I hope that as the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe begins to take flight, we’ll see him cropping up in other stories, as well.

That last line is very exciting, as it reinforces the idea that there will be crossovers between the films in the UMCU. Maybe we’ll eventually get an Avengers style film where multiple monsters come together while multiple monster hunters also join forces? One can only hope!

The studio is launching its monsters universe, a series of interconnected monster films based on its vault of classic movies, with The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. Directed by Alex Kurtzman, it is set to hit theaters June 9, 2017. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein are among the classic creatures that will be included in the new universe, overseen by Kurtzman (Star Trek) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious).

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Don Mancini in the “Early Stages” of Working On a New “Chucky” Movie!

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Chucky death

Everyone’s favorite killer doll is headed back to the small screen with “Chucky” Season 3: Part 2 on April 10, but are any further movies being planned at this time?

Created by Don Mancini, the “Chucky” television series remarkably plays around with existing elements from all previous films without disregarding ANYTHING from the past. From the original Child’s Play to sequels including Child’s Play 2, Bride of Chucky and even Seed of Chucky, it’s all one cohesive timeline that Mancini remains deeply committed to.

Of course, the most recent film in the Child’s Play franchise was the 2019 remake, to date the only movie in the saga that’s NOT part of Mancini’s vision. Is Mancini’s original incarnation going to spend his final days on TV, while another Chucky will be featured in the movies? It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves for the last few years, and we may now have an answer.

Speaking with the Scream Dreams Podcast this week, Mancini revealed that he’s in the early stages of development on a potential new installment in the original Chucky film franchise!

new Chucky movie

CHUCKY — “Jennifer’s Body” Episode 303 — Pictured in this screengrab: Chucky — (Photo by: SYFY)

“Like anyone in this business, I want to do more things. At this point though if it’s only Chucky I’m totally cool with that,” Mancini explains. “I have other things I want to do. I’m working on a new pilot. I’m also, actually, in the early stages of working on a new Chucky movie.”

Mancini adds, “At this point, my goal is just to keep working.”

Outside of the aforementioned Child’s Play remake, there are to date seven installments in the franchise, with Cult of Chucky (2017) being the original franchise’s most recent film.

For now, Chucky remains a small screen icon. Don’t miss the premiere of Season 3: Part 2 on both USA and SYFY on April 10, with new episodes hitting Peacock the day after they air.

You can watch Don Mancini’s full chat with Scream Dreams below.

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