https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VstQeNsBOEQ

Eternal Hunt: Hugh Jackman Unsheathes the Crossbow in ‘Van Helsing 2’ for 2025

Los Angeles, Oct. 13, 2025 – Two decades after staking his claim as cinema’s ultimate monster slayer, Hugh Jackman is resurrecting Gabriel Van Helsing for Van Helsing 2, Universal’s long-gestating sequel to the 2004 gothic smash that grossed over $300 million worldwide. Directed by Julius Avery (Overlord) and produced by horror maestro James Wan, the film is eyeing a Halloween 2025 release, blending practical creature effects with modern VFX to unleash a new wave of supernatural terror.

In the original, Jackman’s Vatican-sanctioned hunter tangled with Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and Mr. Hyde in a steampunk frenzy that critics called “visually audacious” despite mixed reviews. Now, Van Helsing 2 picks up in a steampunk-tinged present, where an aging Gabriel – haunted by immortality’s curse – faces a resurrected league of ancient evils led by a vampiric queen (rumored for Anya Taylor-Joy). As apocalyptic omens plague Europe, Van Helsing allies with a tech-savvy descendant (Ana de Armas) to wield holy relics against biotech horrors, from cyber-werewolves to plague-spreading ghouls. “It’s not just monsters; it’s the monster within,” Jackman teased at Comic-Con, nodding to his Wolverine grit infused with paternal angst.

The cast bites deep: Kate Beckinsale returns as a spectral Anna Valerious, while Idris Elba joins as a rogue alchemist with shadowy motives. Scripted by Eric Heisserer (Arrival), it honors the original’s bombastic action – think crossbow duels atop crumbling cathedrals – while delving into themes of legacy and loss amid Universal’s MonsterVerse revival. Early set leaks from Budapest show gargantuan practical puppets that echo Wan’s Aquaman spectacle.

With the 2004 film’s cult status surging on streaming (up 40% in 2025 views), buzz positions Van Helsing 2 as the year’s dark horse blockbuster. As Jackman quips in the teaser: “Evil never dies – it evolves.” Sharpen your stakes; the hunt recommences this fall.