History Trivia / VanHelsing

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/KateBeckinsale's character hunts [[Film/{{Underworld}} vampires]]. This was originally what was preventing her from being cast; as she had just done ''Underworld'', Stephen Sommers feared she wouldn't want to do another vampire film. However her agent convinced him to send her the script - and she immediately signed on.
** Creator/HughJackman [[Film/X2XMenUnited plays the role]] of a grim loner with no memory of who he was, while facing an enemy who knows him and his forgotten past and taunts him for it. He also [[spoiler:turns into a [[{{Wolverine}} werewolf]].]] More superficially he also bares his claws in a very similar way to Wolverine.
** Silvia Collocca (Verona) has often been compared to fellow Italian actress Monica Bellucci. It can't be a coincidence that Collocca is playing the same character Bellucci played in ''Film/BramStokersDracula''.
** A Director Allusion for Stephen Sommers. Van Helsing was supposed to be fully nude after [[spoiler: Anna's death]] and they filmed it as such. However a CGI loincloth was digitally added in post production. Sommers had previously done something similar in ''Film/TheMummy1999'' where he used CGI to cover up Rachel Weisz's nudity during her WetSariScene.
** Kevin J. O'Connor [[Film/TheMummy1999 plays another]] TheRenfield character by serving a horror movie villain out of greed.

* HilariousOuttakes: Ones that {{lampshade| hanging}} almost every single facet of the film.

* SpiritualAdaptation: This movie is very, ''very'' ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''. Namely when Dracula turns into a bat-demon (cue "Dance of Illusion").

** Creator/KateBeckinsale's character hunts [[Film/{{Underworld}} vampires]]. This was originally what was preventing her from being cast; as she had just done ''Underworld'', Steven Sommers feared she wouldn't want to do another vampire film. However her agent convinced him to send her the script - and she immediately signed on.

* ProductionPosse: Kevin J O'Connor, who frequently collaborates with Stephen Sommers, appears here as Igor. The role was written for him.

** Also, the storyboard from that seen refer to Anna as "Mina", implying she was originally meant to be [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Mina Harker]].

** Kate Beckinsale's character hunts [[Film/{{Underworld}} vampires]]. This was originally what was preventing her from being cast; as she had just done ''Underworld'', Steven Sommers feared she wouldn't want to do another vampire film. However her agent convinced him to send her the script - and she immediately signed on.
** Hugh Jackman [[Film/X2XMenUnited plays the role]] of a grim loner with no memory of who he was, while facing an enemy who knows him and his forgotten past and taunts him for it. He also [[spoiler:turns into a [[{{Wolverine}} werewolf]].]] More superficially he also bares his claws in a very similar way to Wolverine.

** Kate Beckinsale likewise immediately signed on after seeing the script, despite the director worrying she wouldn't want to do it after having just done ''{{Film/Underworld}}''.

* CreatorBacklash: A minor example. Kate Beckinsale hated the corset she had to wear as Anna, saying she wanted to burn it all by the time filming was over.
* DeletedScene: Aleera originally featured in the masquerade ball. Elena Anaya spent quite some time rehearsing the complicated dance routines - only for all her scenes to be cut. A photo exists of her in a sparkly red gown licking Anna's neck.

* FakeBrit: Australian Hugh Jackman uses a British accent for Van Helsing, as does New Zealander David Wenham for Carl.
* FakeNationality: British Kate Beckinsale and Richard Roxburgh play Romanians. The Brides' nationalities are never stated, and it's possible Aleera and Verona could be Spanish and Italian respectively like their actresses. However Marishka has an ambiguously Eastern European name and accent, and played by American Josie Maran.

** Michael Bay was attached to direct, but opted to make ''Film/TheIsland'' instead.

** The Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon was originally going to be the one guarding [[spoiler: the werewolf cure]] in Dracula's castle.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Series/NewTricks Brian "Memory" Lane]] is the cardinal who gives Van Helsing his missions.
** [[Film/{{Underworld}} Selene]] has become a vampire hunter.
** [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Faramir]] is Friar Carl
** [[Film/MissionImpossibleII Hugh Stamp]] is Dracula!
** Even as Igor, [[Film/TheMummy1999 Beni]] still finds it hard to believe that [[LaserGuidedKarma he'll get his]].
** Aleera might be recognisable as the girl from Justin Timberlake's video for "Sexy Back".

** Hugh Jackman [[Film/X2XMenUnited plays the role]] of a grim loner with no memory of who he was, while facing an enemy who knows him and his forgotten past and taunts him for it. He also [[spoiler:turns into a [[{{Wolverine}} werewolf]].]]

* AwesomeDearBoy: Josie Maran (Marishka) said as much about playing a vampire who can fly. It seems to be the case with the other actresses playing the Brides too.

* RomanceOnTheSet: [[http://coolspotters.com/files/photos/835257/richard-roxburgh-and-silvia-colloca-gallery.jpg?1357420838 Silvia Colloca and Richard Roxburgh]] [[http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/01/07/i-met-dracula-and-fell-love-silvia-collocas-journey-australia fell in love and got married]] the same year the movie came out - HilariousInHindsight when you realize Dracula actually married one of his brides (Verona)!

* SpiritualLicensee: This movie is very, ''very'' ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''. Namely when Dracula turns into a bat-demon (cue "Dance of Illusion").

** A Director Allusion for Stephen Sommers. Van Helsing was supposed to be fully nude after [[spoiler: Anna's death]] and they filmed it as such. However a CGI loincloth was digitally added in post production. Sommers had previously done something similar in ''Film/TheMummy'' where he used CGI to cover up Rachel Weisz's nudity during her WetSariScene.

** Kate Beckinsale's character hunts [[Film/{{Underworld}} vampires]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon was originally going to be the one guarding [[spoiler: the werewolf cure]] in Dracula's castle.

** [[Film/MissionImpossible Hugh Stamp]] is Dracula!

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Film/TheCreatureFromTheBlackLagoon was originally going to be the one guarding [[spoiler: the werewolf cure]] in Dracula's castle.

** Hugh Jackman [[Film/X2XMenUnited plays the role]] of grim loner with no memory of who he was, while facing an enemy who knows him and his forgotten past and taunts him for it. He also [[spoiler:turns into a [[{{Wolverine}} werewolf]].]]

** Hugh Jackman [[Film/X2XMenUnited plays the role]] of grim loner with no memory of who he was, faces an enemy who knows him and his forgotten past and taunts him for it, and [[Film/XMenTheLastStand clutches the dead body of his love, killed by his own hands, while howling uncontrollably]]. He also [[spoiler:turns into a [[{{Wolverine}} werewolf]].]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[NewTricks Brian 'Memory' Lane]] is the cardinal who gives Van Helsing his missions.

** [[Film/{{TheLordOfTheRings}} Faramir]] is Friar Carl
** [[MissionImpossible Hugh Stamp]] is Dracula!

* TropeNamer:DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs was named after Igor's line.

* ShoutOut:
** The Ballroom scene owns dibs to ''Film/TheFearlessVampireKillers''.
** Anna paraphrases a line from ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.
** The film is basically ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}: The Movie''. Van Helsing himself feels like a CaptainErsatz of various Belmonts (with some Cornell from ''{{Castlevania 64}}'' as he transforms into a werewolf), the Valerious line of monster hunters could very well be named Belmont, there's a boss fight with a werewolf and a more challenging one with some female vampires, there are some platform sections with falling bridges and chain swinging, the castle design is similar, and as is already mentioned in the main page, Dracula has a bat-like second form.

* StillbornFranchise: There were plans to launch a spinoff TV series, ''Transylvania'', but they were scrapped in light of the lower-than-expected box office and mostly bad reviews.

** Anna sprouting a line from ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.

* TropeNamer:DoUntoOthersBeforeTheyDoUntoUs was named after Igors line.

* HilariousOuttakes: Seen [[http://youtu.be/HMvSQGx7evU here.]] And ones that {{lampshade| hanging}} almost every single facet of the film.

** Anna sprouting a line from ''TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.
** The film is basically ''{{Castlevania}}: The Movie''. Van Helsing himself feels like a CaptainErsatz of various Belmonts (with some Cornell from ''{{Castlevania 64}}'' as he transforms into a werewolf), the Valerious line of monster hunters could very well be named Belmont, there's a boss fight with a werewolf and a more challenging one with some female vampires, there are some platform sections with falling bridges and chain swinging, the castle design is similar, and as is already mentioned in the main page, Dracula has a bat-like second form.

** [[{{Underworld}} Selene]] has become a vampire hunter.

** The Ballroom scene owns dibs to ''TheFearlessVampireKillers''.