Universal's $160 million-blockbuster Van Helsing jolted the summer movie season into gear with an estimated $54 million debut, averaging a hearty $15,165 per venue.  Van Helsing scored the second biggest debut of 2004 (trailing only Mel Gibson's Passion), in spite of a nearly unanimous drubbing from the critics and a strong negative industry buzz, which was also apparent in early reviews on fan sites such as Ain't it Cool News. 

Universal's $40 million marketing campaign, which included numerous TV spots during sporting events, was effective in reaching the picture's target audience.  According to research released by Universal, the audience for director Stephen Summer's computer effects-laden adventure/horror film was 58% male, with nearly half under 25. 

Although the film's average grade from more than 7,000 viewers responding on Yahoo Movies was only a 'B,' Universal's research indicates that viewers 16 and under rated the film high in the ninetieth percentile. 

Van Helsing's opening landed just about in the middle of the spread between two other summer season-opening horror spectaculars directed by Stephen Summers, The Mummy ($43 million) and The Mummy Returns ($68.1 million) and its $54 million performance qualifies it for the kind of hyperbolic 'title' only a Hollywood press agent could love--highest grossing non sequel, non-comic book-based summer season-opener. 

It may be difficult for Van Helsing to make back its entire $160 million cost at the domestic box office, but the film should end up profitable thanks to the foreign market and DVD sales. 

As is more an more common in this age of international film piracy, Van Helsing opened simultaneously in 41 other markets across the world and earned an estimated $53 million outside the U.S. 

Barring an unlikely collapse during the next few weeks, a Van Helsing sequel appears inevitable and NBC will most likely proceed with its Van Helsing-based TV series (see 'NBC Plans Horror Series for Fall'). 

Retailers have a range of Van Helsing-related merchandise including a comic book prequel from Dark Horse, trading cards from Comic Images, action figures and playsets from Jakks' Pacific, and a number of books including Van Helsing: The Making of the Thrilling Monster Movie from Newmarket Press, which unfortunately was not available when the film debuted.