Channing Tatum Up To Star In Van Helsing

Universal's Dark Universe got off to a rather rough start, but it seems the studio is banking on star power to save it, including that of actor Channing Tatum.

The Mummy failed to get the franchise off on the best foot, and the studio feels that Tom Cruis was the reason it didn't suffer more at the box office. Because of that, they are targeting big stars for future films, and according to THR that includes Channing Tatum for their upcoming Van Helsing.

Right now the studio is preparing the script for the project with Tatum in mind, but nothing official has been announced. The script is being written by Eric Heisserer (Arrival) and Jon Spaihts (Passengers), and they previously revealed that horror is their main focus.

"I don't know what it's going to look like at the end of the process, so I'm gonna withhold on commenting on really where it lands. I can say that my intent stepping in was to make it as scary as possible, partly because I know how to do that, and also because when you're the only human surrounded by a bunch of supernatural creatures, that's gotta be absolutely unnerving."

As for comparisons to the last time Van Helsing hit the big screen, the projects will be worlds apart.

"Well I guess the biggest thing that's already been said is it's contemporary, it's a modern-day reimagining… I can talk about my emotional state of what I've been passionate about or sometimes frustrated by are the number of films where we find an extraordinary character with superhuman abilities that becomes a hero to solve a problem that a normal person cannot solve," said Heisserer. "And I was eager to try and buck that trend and showcase someone who had no extraordinary powers, just resourcefulness, and will and kind of a stubbornness who's able to tackle some of these bigger problems. Because I don't like the idea that we're infusing our public and our pop culture with the idea that only super people can solve the world's problems. I like the idea of the everyday hero stepping up to the plate and getting things fixed."

You can find the synopsis for The Mummy below.

From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

Tom Cruise is joined by a cast including Annabelle Wallis (upcoming King Arthur, television's Peaky Blinders), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World), Courtney B. Vance (TV's American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson), Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond ), and Oscar® winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator).

The creative team on this action-adventure event is led by director/producer Alex Kurtzman and producer Chris Morgan, who have been instrumental in growing some of the most successful franchises of the past several years—with Kurtzman writing or producing entries in the Transformers, Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible series, and Morgan being the narrative engineer of the Fast & Furious saga as it has experienced explosive growth from its third chapter on. Sean Daniel, who produced the most recent Mummy trilogy, produces alongside Kurtzman and Morgan.

The Mummy is in theaters now.

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