News: Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula opens

Posted at 2:21 PM EDT (1821 GMT)

Jun. 4th, 2004 -- "Van Helsing" writer / director, Stephen Sommers, joined by co-stars Josie Maran and Elena Anaya, who portray Dracula's Brides, flipped an out-sized switch sending a massive jolt of electricity coursing through The Frankenstein Monster and bringing him to life in a shower of crackling sparks to inaugurateUniversal Studios Hollywood's new thrilling attraction, "Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula."

Mirroring the thrilling suspense of Stephen Sommers' blockbuster, "Van
Helsing:  Fortress Dracula" transports guests to 19th century Transylvania and a world inhabited by the characters that plague man's deepest nightmares:  Dracula, The Frankenstein Monster and The Wolf Man, the time-honored pantheon of classic Universal monsters who have been re-imagined by Stephen Sommers' as cutting edge creatures.

Guests walking through "Van Helsing:  Fortress Dracula" will pass through a shadowy portal and into Castle Dracula where they'll join legendary monster hunter Professor Van Helsing and Princess Anna Valerious on their crusade to rid the world of fiendish creatures engaged in a never-ending war upon the human race.

Within a structure incorporating the film's original Gothic façade, "Van
Helsing:  Fortress Dracula" allows guests a close-up view of the movie's
original costumes, sets, special effects, make-up prosthetics and
monsters.  Scores of spine-tingling special effects as well as hundreds of artifacts, original props and set pieces, created for the movie, can also be experienced throughout the attraction.

Universal Pictures' "Van Helsing" is directed and written by Stephen
Sommers.  The film is produced by Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay,
executive produced by Sam Mercer and stars Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Weham, Will Kemp and Kevin J. O'Connor.

Innovative filmmaker Stephen Sommers-who so imaginatively re-envisioned Universal's classic Mummy character in the worldwide blockbusters "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns"-now breathes new life into the most time-honored pantheon of classic Universal monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, by re-imagining them as cutting edge creatures and setting them in a stunning new world of fantastical reality for his tale of ultimate evil against a lone force of good:  "Van Helsing."

Hugh Jackman stars as the legendary monster hunter Van Helsing, born in the pages of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," who, on order of a secret society, travels to Transylvania to bring down the lethally seductive,
enigmatically powerful Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) and joins forces with the fearless Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), out to rid her family of a generations-old curse.

Featuring such unique and groundbreaking attractions as "Revenge of the Mummy-The Ride" opening June 25, "Shrek 4-D," "Terminator 2: 3D," "Jurassic Park-The Ride" and the world-renowned behind-the-scenes "Studio Tour," Universal Studios Hollywood has matured into a full day, movie-based theme park.

Universal Studios Hollywood (www.universalstudioshollywood.com) is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of Universal Studios
(www.universalstudios.com),  Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal.

NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment
companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing

Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and
world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General
Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.