Universal Reportedly Courting Channing Tatum For VAN HELSING; Angelina Jolie Eyed For BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
Since Tom Cruise opted for The Mummy, it appears as though Universal has chosen to go in a very different direction with their Van Helsing star as they've possibly set their sights on Channing Tatum!
It's no secret that Tom Cruise (American Made) was initially Universal's top choice to headline their upcoming Van Helsing reboot, but due to an inability to crack the script on time, they instead partnered with Cruise on The Mummy while Van Helsing went back to the drawing board. However, after being fast tracked, The Mummy ended up not faring too well with critics this past June, but due to Cruise's star power, the studio was still able to rake in over $390.2 million worldwide on a $125 million budget (without P&A), which while not ideal, isn't awful either and now, it sounds like the disappointing performance has given Universal new perspective on their burgeoning Dark Universe.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is, as expected, still moving forward with their rebooted Dark Universe but will do so at a much slower pace in order to allow more time for script development. Russell Crowe (The Nice Guys) is also expected to play a key role in the franchise's buildup and will reprise his role as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in future installments, essentially serving as the connecting tissue between different monster movies.
The report then adds that Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans), who recently inherited scripting duties from the writing team of Eric Heisserer (Arrival) and Jon Spaihts (Doctor Strange) is just about done polishing the script and that Universal may be eyeing Channing Tatum (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) to take on the lead role as a modern day Abraham Van Helsing (or a descendant).
Also, after months of rumors, it appears as though Universal is finally gearing up to make a formal offer to Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) for their next Dark Universe adventure, Bride of Frankenstein, which is being helmed by Academy Award-winner Bill Condon (Beauty and the Beast) and would pair her with fellow Academy Award-winner Javier Bardem (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales). It's also being reported by the fansite Universal Monsters Universe that another Academy Award-winner, Charlize Theron (Atomic Blonde), may also be in the running for the highly-coveted role. The monster feature is due out in theaters Valentine's Day 2019.
Johnny Depp is slated to star in The Invisible Man and while unconfirmed, Cruise is also likely to return at some point or another to continue the adventures of Nick Morton, who last we saw had become one with the living embodiment of evil, death, destruction, chaos, and storms.
So, what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!
DISCLAIMER:
This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. As a user-generated content platform, Comic Book Movie and Best Little Sites LLC is protected under the DMCA...
[MORE]
DISCLAIMER:
This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. As a user-generated content platform, Comic Book Movie and Best Little Sites LLC is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions. Comic Book Movie will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please
contact us for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. You may learn more about our copyright and trademark policies
HERE.
[LESS]
Following the success of The Invisible Man, Universal Pictures is now moving forward with a new take on Van Helsing from producer James Wan (Aquaman) and director Julius Avery (Overlord). Check it out...
In a fun development, Game of Thrones alums Peter Dinklage and Jason Momoa are set to reunite for Good Bad & Undead, a new action/adventure vampire thriller that will see Dinklage play Van Helsing!
Tonight on Van Helsing: The past has a way of catching up to you … and then killing people you care about. Inspired by the Zenescope comic book. Latest promo from SyFy's hit show is past the jump.
Tonight on Van Helsing: Vanessa, trapped in an abandoned slaughterhouse, wrestles between the light and dark sides of her own self. Inspired by the Zenescope comic book. Promo past the jump...
Tonight on Van Helsing: Doc and Jolene clash with Denver authorities over the repellent and Flesh chooses to face his past and Axel. Inspired by the Zenescope comic book. Promo past the jump...