CON: Van Helsing

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Strike Back below!
by: JoBlo Jul. 30, 2003

VAN HELSING PANEL:

Participants:
Director Stephen Sommers
Hugh Jackman
Kate Beckinsale
Kevin O’Connor
Richard Roxburgh
Will Kemp
Shuler Hensley
Elena Anaya
Silvia Colloca
Josie Maran

This film stars:
 Hugh Jackman
Kate Beckinsale
Kevin O’Connor
Richard Roxburgh
Will Kemp

Release date:
May 7, 2004

WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO SAY?

The VAN HELSING panel was the last one of the biggest day at the Con, and despite it being the last one on the block, it certainly didn’t hold back with a huge panel at the front of the crowd, one of the most pumped-up directors that I’ve ever seen in Stephen Sommers (a very energized man) and easily one of the most charming, funny, good-looking and accommodating actors working in movies today: Hugh Jackman. I swear this guy had the audience in the palm of his hands, but it wasn’t just because he played the ultimate Wolverine in the comic book X-MEN movies, but also because he simply came off like a very genuine, appreciative and self-deprecating guy, who just happens to be one of the bigger names out there nowadays.

Only three words resounded in my mind as I watched this man work his magic on-stage: one class act. Having said that, about 85% of the questions to the panel were directed at him, with a number of those being X-MEN related as well (what do you expect…it’s a comic book convention!) We were also shown about 2-3 minutes from the film, most of which were just scenes slapped together with a high-tempo tune (no dialogue) and it all looked pretty sweet to me. Somewhat reminiscent of BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. The clip was highly stylized, featured a number of monsters and lavish affairs, as well as shots of Van Helsing kickin’ ass and monsters scooting about. It was dark as well. Looked like a “good time” at the movies, to be honest with you. Here are a few other bits that I got out of this panel:

  • The basic idea of the film is that Dracula wants to propagate his own kind (through his three wives) and Jackman and Beckinsale are out to stop him.

  • Actor Kevin O’Connor, a staple Sommers player who most will remember as the wise-cracking Beni from the MUMMY movies, will be playing the character of Igor in this film.

  • Jackman was asked why he took the role in this film, to which he replied: “The script was incredible, the movie is amazing and it was just a great honor to be a part of it. I think it’s really going to be awesome. We even felt that as we made it.”

  • Will Jackman (Wolverine) return for X-MEN 3? “I haven’t actually been asked yet, but if they did ask me, I would find it very hard to pass up.”

  • Actor Will Kemp, who plays the character of the Wolfman in this film was classically trained in ballet. He’s also quite the looker and got a few hoots and hollers from the ladies in the house.

  • Sommers was asked about the possibility of a MUMMY 3, which he sharply side-stepped by saying that he “hadn’t had the time to think about” just yet, especially since they were all still so busy with this film. He said that Brendan Fraser kept calling him to do one, but that he hadn’t had time to think it through just yet.

  • When asked about more info on VAN HELSING, Sommers said that it was basically about “the right hand of the devil taking on the left hand of God”, and that it wasn’t a movie about Van Helsing killing the three big, bad monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein’s Monster) Jackman added that it also had quite a bit of romance, even while his character also sported obvious elements of Wolverine (action-oriented).

  • Of course, you had to expect some fanboy to get up and ask this (no, it wasn’t me), but Jackman was asked who he thought would win in a fight: Wolverine or Van Helsing? As diplomatically as can be, Jackman said: “Well, in a best of three…with the first two matches going to each character….uuuuuuh, uuuuuuhm…” The crowd laughed and applauded at this point. Saving him from having to answer the question directly. He then said the was already signed on for “two Van Helsings” and that his contract for the X-MEN was over, soooooo…”Van Helsing!!” The audience laughed.

  • Sommers was asked about what possible “dream projects” he had, to which he replied “I’m doing my dream projects right now”. He also said that he never thought, in a million years, that as a big fan of genre films, growing up in a small town in Minnesota, that he would ever be in this position, but that he’s elated to be privileged as such.

  • Jackman was asked if he played any video games and said “No.” He said that being married with a child of his own, really took all the time and energy away from him, and that he had actually stopped playing them at the time of “Galaga” and “Space Invaders” (both of which received hoots from the audience). He then added that he had played one round of the Wolverine video game and that he had gotten “his ass kicked. Even by Cyclops!!” This got a positively rowdy response from the audience.

  • Jackman was asked whether or not he would ever consider doing a musical (he will soon be appearing on Broadway—first time that he’s been on stage in 5 years) and said that he would be happy to do one, but that he feared that with the success of films like MOULIN ROUGE and CHICAGO, the next year would see an over-abundance of crappy musicals, all of which would eventually spoil the musical genre for another 30 years.

  • At this point in the panel, things got a little goofy as Jackman was asked to hum a few tunes and despite seemingly wanting to do so, he tried to work a duo out with the actor who plays Frankenstein’s monster in the film (Shuler Hensley). Unfortunately, either that actor didn’t seem to pick up on what Jackman was saying or he didn’t want to join in the medley, but Jackman went ahead anyway, with a very cool rendition of “Summer Nights” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, on which he sang both parts. Needless to say, the crowd ate it up and a standing ovation quickly ensued. A crowd pleaser indeed.

  • Jackman also stopped the panel at some point to specifically thank everyone in the audience, the comic book lovers, the genre lovers, for supporting films like X-MEN and this film and really wanted everyone to know how much he appreciated their support.

  • Jackman said that the “only thing better than making this movie will probably be watching it.”

  • So are there more than 3 monsters in the movie? Sommers said “yes, there is at least a 4th monster, and maybe even a 5th or 6th.”

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Source: JoBlo.com