'Van Helsing' makes a killing at the B.O.; Monahan in talks to adapt Rudin's film.

Universal's Van Helsing staked out a prominent place at the box office this weekend as the high-profile monster mash debuted with a worldwide gross of $104.7 million. The Stephen Sommers-directed horror-actioner scared up a domestic gross of $51.7 million to easily claim the top spot, while the international cume rose to $55.3 million from 41 countries and more than 5,000 screens, marking an international best for UIP and Universal.

The North American debut for the Hugh Jackman-starrer was the fourth-highest opening ever for the first weekend in May, which in the past