A 'Hellsing' Live-Action Movie Is Officially In The Works

Hellsing is ready to come to life yet again! Derek Kolstad, the screenwriter responsible for the John Wick series, is working with Amazon Studios to adapt the hit horror manga, Hellsing. The manga was previously turned into the anime series’ Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate that first came out in 2001. The upcoming live-action film will be produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger of Automatik, Mike Callaghan and Reuben Liber of Ranger 7 Films, Jason Lust of Soluble Fish Productions, and Kolstad. “Derek is an exceptional writer and we are so excited to partner with him on what he does very best – building rich mythology filled with iconic characters,” said Kavanaugh-Jones. “I’m truly excited to work with this stellar team together with Amazon to realize a post-modern reinterpretation of the Dracula character that flips him on his head in an inventive and compelling way,” Lust said.

Kolstad helped create the John Wick series and wrote all three movies. He was also quick to get on board this project. He shared his love for the manga, and how he's been a fan of Hellsing for years. “Ever since my brother introduced me to the Hellsing manga and anime some years ago, I’ve been obsessed with adapting it,” Kolstad said, according to Deadline. “And when Mike Callaghan and his team managed to secure the rights to then partner us up with Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Amazon, I mean... damn, dude, this is a dream.”

The manga was written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano back in 1997. What is it about? Hellsing reimagines Dracula as an agent named Alucard who works for The Hellsing Organization, which aims to protect all of England from supernatural threats. A female ex-police officer named Seras Victoria is its newest recruit and things get wild for Alucard and his team. The horror series which came out decades ago is now considered as a classic of the genre.

“I’ve always loved the vampire genre, especially when a creator is able to put their own unique spin on it, so when Derek introduced me to Alucard and the Hellsing Organization, I knew we had something special in that tradition,” Mike Callaghan, one of the film's producers, said, assuring fans in his own statement that he takes Hellsing seriously. “Kouta Hirano’s gonzo reimagining of the Dracula-Van Helsing mythology is an exhilarating, quirky mashup of action and horror that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. We are incredibly excited to partner with Brian and Fred at Automatik and that Amazon is on board to help us bring the wit and madness of Hellsing to life on screen.”