Summary

• The Last Voyage of the Demeter writer reveals that there was originally a Van Helsing cameo planned for the movie's alternate ending.
• Van Helsing's inclusion could have set up a potential sequel and a dramatic rematch between Clemens and Dracula, deviating further from the source material.
• However, the decision not to include Van Helsing was likely a wise one, as it would have risked making the film too convoluted and potentially alienating audiences.

With the movie's ending already leaving on a cliffhanger, The Last Voyage of the Demeter writer Bragi F. Schut reveals it nearly featured a Van Helsing cameo. The 2023 horror-thriller served as an adaptation of "The Captain's Log" chapter from Bram Stoker's Dracula, revolving around the crew of the titular merchant ship as they unknowingly transport the iconic vampire from Transylvania to England. After languishing in development hell for almost 20 years, the movie finally hit theaters in mid 2023, garnering mixed reviews from critics and grossing just shy of half of its $45 million production budget.

During a recent interview with creating The Last Voyage of the Demeter. When asked about any major changes from his original script for the Dracula adaptation to the final cut, the writer noted that while nothing was "wildly different", there was at one point an alternate ending in mind which would've seen Corey Hawkins' Clemens meeting Van Helsing. Check out what Schut shared below:

We went through a lot of different approaches to the story, but nothing that was wildly different than the movie that we ended up with. We actually had one ending for quite a while. The scene in the tavern was Clemens [Corey Hawkins] being approached by a strange, shadowy dude, who starts talking to him, seems to have some knowledge of the experiences that he went through, and introduces himself as Van Helsing. Then we kind of left it there.

How Van Helsing's Cameo Would've Changed Demeter

A major character in Stoker's gothic horror novel, Van Helsing has been a key player in a majority of Dracula adaptations throughout the years. Some of these depictions have included more direct translations of the source character, including Edward Van Sloan in the Bela Lugosi-led 1931 movie and Peter Cushing in the Hammer adaptations of the book, while others have taken looser approaches, namely the Hugh Jackman-led Van Helsing. The Helsing character has also been explored through descendants of the original vampire hunter, including the self-named SYFY show centered on his great-great-great-granddaughter.

Helsing's inclusion in The Last Voyage of the Demeter could've proven an interesting path forward for a sequel should the movie have proven successful. The ending as it stands already sets up a dramatic rematch between Clemens and Dracula as he looks to get revenge for the deaths of those aboard the titular merchant ship, which itself would require a further diversion from the source material than it already took with his survival. Director André Øvredal further acknowledged this would need to be the plan for a Last Voyage of the Demeter 2, while also remaining open to returning:

Our title, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, obviously kind of ends it, but the whole idea was to be as truthful to the original source material as possible and still create our own story. But if you wanted to do a sequel, you would actually have to do a revisionist tale, because what happens at the end of the movie does not entirely match up with the book. So you’d have to go a completely different route, and that would be intriguing. So, if you were making a sequel, you would probably want to follow the basic trajectory of the book, while adding in some new elements.

At the same time, should The Last Voyage of the Demeter have featured a Helsing appearance, it would've risked making the film too much of a convoluted mix of adapting Stoker's novel and forging its own path. That being said, with 2023 proving to be a surprisingly underwhelming year for Dracula adaptations, as the more humorous twist on the property that was Nicolas Cage's Renfield similarly saw mixed reviews and was a box office flop, making it just as possible that a further adherence to including such characters as Helsing could've better sold audiences on giving the movie a watch.

Source: SYFY Wire