Vivendi Universal Games made the announcement today its plans to release a third-person action game staring the one and only Van Helsing, Bram Stoker's fabled monster hunter. The game, which is set to coincide with the release of the Hollywood movie of the same name (starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale) in the spring of 2004, is set in a distant Eastern European during the 19th century. In this Transylvanian environment, players will be cast into the role of Van Helsing, on a mission to rid the land of notorious evils such as Dracula, Wolf Man and the Frankenstein Monster.



"The 'Van Helsing' game puts a fresh, exciting and contemporary twist on some of the most legendary characters to ever appear in print or film," said says Luc Vanhal, President and Chief Operating Officer, North America, Vivendi Universal Games. "Paralleling and expanding on the epic events of the film, the game offers players a cinematic action experience packed with nightmarish creatures, furious combat and daring escapes."



"'Van Helsing' builds on the legacy of Universal's monster franchise, while bringing a new, dark hero simultaneously to movie and video game screens," said Bill Kispert, vice president, Interactive, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group. "The haunting world created by the filmmakers, and the interpretation of these legendary characters as we have never seen them before, offers a fantastic jumping off point to develop an emotional and atmospheric action game experience."



"Van Helsing" the movie is due out in theatres on May 7, 2004, so you can expect the game to hit stores around the same time. We'll be sure to keep you updated as the game's development progresses.