Universal continues to dig through its vault of movies to find titles to reboot/re-imagine/remake. The latest project comes in the form of Tom Cruise as Van Helsing.
Yes, the 2004 film that starred Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale is getting the re-imagining treatment from Transformers writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Kurtzman and Orci are also writing the script for another recently announced Universal reboot, The Mummy. They're also the co-writers for the upcoming Star Trek sequel and have also penned scripts for Mission: Impossible III, Cowboys & Aliens and a number of TV series including Fringe, Hawaii Five-O and Alias.
"Alex and Roberto are extraordinarily talented writers and producers who know the value of a great story in building successful tentpole films," Universal chairman Adam Fogelson said in a statement.
Sony recently announced that the writers would also take a pass at The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Cruise will star in the titular role played by Hugh Jackman in the '04 version. No word on what this re-imagined film will be about.
For now, are you interested in seeing what the writing duo can cook up and do you buy Cruise as Van Helsing?
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Tags: Tom Cruise
jewl5 said...
Is it really that hard for them to find new scripts and new stories? I find it hard to beleive that with the plethora of amazing independent films being made that good scripts are so hard to come by that big studioes have to keep revamping old material. It's insulting to the movie going populace. These kind of stunts are why it's a hard sell for me to spend $10 at least on a ticket these days. I'm dissapointed in the big studioes.
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brazen85 said...
They don't have to just do one or the other either. Some of the reboots and remakes did turn out great and some not so much. I mean look at what Nolan has done with the new Batman movies. So there's always going to be the bad that comes with the good. But isn't there room for the remakes and completely new projects? Look at a movie like John Carter, it's a new, exciting, and big movie production that I really enjoyed all the way through. But if they would have put half as much dedication and commitment in to advertising it as they did to make it then maybe it wouldn't be touted as such a failure.
I agree, it's all about balance and right now the balance is skewed toward remakes and reboots. Yes, Nolan's Batman is bad a** and I love them dearly. But at the same time this "Amazing Spiderman" movie looks like it's going to be amazingly OK at best. I just wish that movies like The Perfect Family, Mother's Day, A Little Bit of Heaven and documentaries didn't have to have Limited beside their names. They should get full releases, and I would love to see more like them instead of mindless garbage like Borat.
Yeah there were a few I wanted to see that were limited like Shame and The Flowers of War.
Hugh Jackman does make a better Van Helsing as far as the character is concerned, but looking back I think the movie he was in was a bit of a joke. I would have liked it better if it had been a darker movie, which hopefully this new one will be.
"A bit of a joke" and "I would have liked it better if it had been a darker movie"? What are you looking for? Something along the lines of The Machinist and American Psycho? The Van Helsing movie dealt with very dark and difficult themes, what defines a monster, family, how we deal with death, and when do you cross the line to no longer being human. Seriously, what were you looking for?
I'm talking about the tone and feel of the movie itself, not the story. I wish it had been closer to a horror movie with elements of action mixed in. I'm not talking about taking the original cast, which was great in my opinion, and making it darker and grittier than what it was.
I didn't mean to leave "not" in that last sentence.
Thanks for correcting yourself. :-) But you really think Tom Cruise can do that? Can take this role and make it darker and grittier, more of a horror film? Let's face it, even his Lestat wasn't that creepy. I just don't see him as a horror actor, I can't take him seriously enough.
Well like I said I liked Hugh Jackman as Van Helsing and I think he could easily pull it off if it was darker and grittier. Do I think that Cruise can pull it off? My honest and first reaction is to say no. But I will say that if he is passionate enough about this to produce the film himself and to do something out of his comfort zone to challenge himself, then I applaud him for that. It's one of those instances where he will have to surprise all of us. I don't see him as Van Helsing but I'll reserve full judgement until I hear more about it and see a preview.
ItsGwen said...
Hugh Jackman IS Van Helsing. I always wished there would have been a sequel as there are many dangerous fictional characters for him to deal with....sadly, none came. No to Tom and Yes to Hugh.
Dan_Siskel _Ebert said...
After Tom Cruise's ignorant comments about those with the disease called Depression/BiPolar, I have no interest in watching his movies ever again. As well all have noticed, his movies since he made the comment on the Today show have all flopped. He is no longer the superstar he once was. He needs to hang up his hat. Hugh Jackman did a wonderful job as Van Helsing, If a sequel were to be produced, it should be done so with him starring in it.
Actually Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol did really well in theaters. I don't see him as Van Helsing.
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