Syfy's "Van Helsing" is a new take on the vampire hunter mythology. For the first time, the series will feature a female gunslinger named Vanessa Helsing (Kelly Overton), who takes on bloodsucking supernaturals. The show is set to debut on the cable network on Sept. 23, but a special pilot episode preview will air on Syfy this Sunday, July 31.
What can viewers expect from TV's "Van Helsing"? Aside from changing the main character to a woman, how different will the show be from original incarnations of the character?
'Van Helsing' Plot Details
The cast of "Van Helsing" gave fans a dose of what the show is about in the recent Comic Con event in San Diego. Kelly Overton and her co-stars Jonathan Scarfe (Axel) and Christopher Heyerdahl (Sam) were at the panel along with the show's executive producers to introduce the series.
As with the original story, "Van Helsing" features a kickass heroine that battles the vampires that have taken over the world. The character, Vanessa, also possesses the ability to "cure" vampires and make them human again by biting them.
Producers said that the choice to make Van Helsing a woman this time around was made since the early stages of the series' development, per The Hollywood Reporter. Van's ancestry belongs to the original purveyors of the myth of Dracula. They decided to update the story for the TV series.
Enter The World Of SyFy's New Series Van Helsing https://t.co/PXZYGXRQ08#horror #VanHelsing pic.twitter.com/IFfs6Go4F2
— HorrorFuel.com (@ZADF_ORG) July 26, 2016
'Van Helsing' Kelly Overton's Inspiration
Kelly Overton, who used to be part of the vampire series "True Blood" on HBO, said that working on the set has been a great experience. "I have a lot of fun working in horror because there's so much action and intensity to it," she said per Dread Central.
She also said she draws inspiration in playing badass characters from Ellen Ripley on the "Aliens" series (played by Sigourney Weaver). The actress had a lot of training in sports even before she got into acting, thus it was easier for her to get physical for her roles. Check out the first teaser to "Van Helsing" in the video below.
