Hugh Jackman Talks 'Van Helsing' Role

'This is kind of the younger and more adventurous swashbuckling version of Van Helsing,' explains Jackman, 'who is, for want of a better word, a mercenary for the Catholic Church who is out there killing or dealing with possessed souls of all different shapes and sizes. Right at the beginning of the movie you meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which introduces my character. So he's out there dealing with these rogue demons that have taken over bodies. And as it turns out, Dracula, whose existence has been known to the Church in Transylvania, is kind of starting to get out of control, and so they send Van Helsing, on a big mission to find him. Anna, Kate Beckinsale's character, is the youngest and final member of the family whose job it is to try and track Dracula for 400 years.

'So that's how we meet up and Frankenstein becomes involved because… ooh, I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you that,' says Jackman, conscious of confidentiality agreements. 'This is the first time I've been asked about the plot. I'll get a lot slicker by the time I finish, I'll have a straight answer! Anyway, we all kind of meet up in this mish-mash of monsters and real people in Transylvania, and it's really amazing. Stephen has really done a great job. The way he's cast it is very interesting too...It's not like we're a star-studded cast, and I think that helps you get into the characters and get involved in the world. And it's cheaper,' he laughs. 'They couldn't afford Mel Gibson!'