Next fall, Syfy will be bringing a new take on the Van Helsing story to the small screen. The series adaptation brings the famous name, but focuses in on a female heir to Professor Abraham Van Helsing’s bloodline, who was the famous vampire hunter originally introduced in the 1897 horror novel Dracula. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 13-episode sci-fi show resurrects the female protagonist, Vanessa Helsing, five years in the future to find a world where vampires have taken over the world — and she’s the last hope.
“Van Helsing represents a new mythology in sci-fi by challenging traditional vampire rules,” said Nomadic Pictures’ Chad Oakes in a statement. “The series is unique in exploring a world completely dominated by vampires, while the human characters have to learn the importance of working together to ensure their survival.”
Variations of Van Helsing, including the 2004 Hugh Jackman film of the same name, have persisted in many vampire and Dracula-related films and TV shows over the years. Regardless, showrunner and writer Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, The Wicker Man) is taking a new stab (pun intended) at the vampire hunter theology.
“I am extremely excited to be working with Syfy and Nomadic Pictures to create a unique, character-driven action series that will move the traditional vampire tropes into bold and unexpected new territories” said LaBute in a statement. “This is a wonderful chance for us to forge great stories and unforgettable characters and throw them into a world where the stakes – both dramatic and personal – are tremendously high.”
LaBute will executive produce with Simon Barry, Evan Tyler, Dave Brown, Daniel March, and Nomadic Pictures’ Oakes and Mike Frislev (who previously worked on FX’s Fargo). The series will begin production in January 2016 in Vancouver, BC.
Van Helsing will join other scripted and reality sci-fi programs like Lost Girl, Bitten, Ghost Hunters, and Paranormal Witness on the channel.
