Sideshow Toys, creators of an extremely successful line of collectible figures for the Lord Of The Rings movies, has acquired the license to create 12' figures, 1/4 scale busts, 1/6 scale statues and framed collectibles based on Van Helsing, writer-director Stephen Sommers new take on the classic Universal monsters.  This license is a natural for Sideshow, which has already produced a series of critically acclaimed figures of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, and other vintage Universal horror stars.

Sideshow plans on creating 12' figures of Van Helsing, Anna, and Dracula, which will have a retail price of $40-$45.  The Frankenstein Monster, The Wolf Man and the trio of Dracula's vampire brides will all be produced as 1/4 scale polystone busts, while Dracula, in his monstrous form, will be available in a 1/6 scale figure in a limited, numbered edition.  Sideshow will also produce framed collectibles featuring both Van Helsing and Dracula.  These will be professionally framed and sold in extremely limited editions with price tags of $400 or more.  Jakk's Pacific has already announced an extensive series of moderately priced Van Helsing toys (see 'Jakk's Pacific Has A 'Stake' In Van Helsing').

Meanwhile Universal and NBC have announced a commitment to develop a new series, Transylvania, created by Stephen Sommers and inspired by the world he has created for Van Helsing.  NBC has ordered a pilot episode, which if approved could mean that the Transylvania series would be on the air in the fall of 2004.  Sommers' big budget Van Helsing film debuts on May 7, 2004.