#SDCC16: Van Helsing Pilot to Debut Early on Syfy; Poster Art, New Image, and More Details Revealed!
Debi Moore
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The “Van Helsing” trailer debuted yesterday at the San Diego Comic-Con, and while we wait for it arrive online, here are a few pertinent details to be aware of along with a still from the show and a couple of posters.
First of all, if you’re excited to see the show, you won’t have to wait for its premiere date of September 23rd because Syfy will air a preview of the “Van Helsing” pilot, commercial-free, on July 31 at 10 pm, following the premiere of Sharknado: The 4 Awakens.
Per THR, some of the footage shown included a pack of vampires learning all about Vanessa Helsing’s “special powers” when one of them tries to feed on her while she’s sleeping… and ends up vomiting up her blood in disgust. Vanessa wakes up and takes them out one-by-one, slashing throats and beating one vamp to a bloody pulp.
Vanessa has the ability to bring vampires back from the undead by sinking her own teeth into them, “a real innovation in the genre.” “True Blood’s” Kelly Overton, who stars as the female “Van Helsing,” adds that there are “tons of twists and surprises in store,” hinting at fresh revelations about the Van Helsing lineage and “what makes her who she is.”
Executive producer Simon Barry promises the new show will explore “the viral nature of vampirism and the scientific basis on which vampirism could work.”
A few more tidbits: These vampires are not immortal and do age, and when they’re turned human by Vanessa, they retain memories from when they were vampires. The result is a series that borrows from classic vampire stories while blazing its own path; as Barry puts it, “We stole all the best parts [of the genre], and we left out all the stuff we didn’t like.”
Joining Overton in the cast are Jonathan Scarfe (“Hell on Wheels”), Christopher Heyerdahl (“True Blood,” “Hell on Wheels”), Paul Johansson (“Mad Men”), David Cubitt (“Ray Donovan”), and Tim Guinee (“Homeland”). The showrunner is Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, The Wicker Man (2006)), who also serves as one of the show’s exec producers/writers. Set to direct various episodes are Michael Nankin (“Hell on Wheels:), Jason Priestley (“Haven”), David Frazee (“Orphan Black”), Simon Barry (“Continuum”), and Amanda Tapping (“The Magicians”).
Synopsis:
“Van Helsing” is a total re-imagination of a timeless brand, set in a world dominated and controlled by vampires. Vanessa Helsing is the last hope for survival, as she unknowingly awakens to discover she has a unique blood composition that makes her not only immune to vampires, but with the ability to turn a vampire human. With this secret weapon, Vanessa becomes a prime target for the vampires, while trying to save humanity.
Categorized:News
