Per The Hollywood Reporter, True Blood‘s Kelly Overton has been cast as Vanessa Helsing, the lead role in Syfy‘s upcoming Van Helsing TV series. True Blood veteran Christopher Heyerdahl plays Sam in the new drama thriller, a survivor of the “vampire Rising.” The first season of Van Helsing consists of 13 one-hour episodes.

The Van Helsing cast also includes Mad Men‘s Paul Johansson as the vampire Dimitri. Ray Donovan‘s David Cubitt is set to play another Rising survivor, John. The Good Wife‘s Tim Guinee is vampire-soldier, Ted. According to THR, the series has brought on a handful of directors for the first season, including Michael Nankin, Jason Priestley, David Frazee, Simon Barry, and Amanda Tapping. Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev executive produce.

Here is how rights holder Dynamic Television describes the reimagined Van Helsing:

Season one will follow Van Helsing as she leads the Resistance across the Wasteland, in the former America, in search of the hole in the sky in Colorado.

First, they will have to find the scientist Klaus, who is the key to the mission, as it’s his device and knowhow which can harness the sun’s power.

With Klaus, they will head to Colorado and hope the rumors are true, that the sun is as strong as a vampire’s bite. They will come across human fortresses and vampire strongholds- some friendly, most not. They will help those humans when they can, and they will kill whatever gets in their way. It will be violent and vicious, but Van Helsing is a warrior who is up to the task.

What they will learn is that time is not on their side, as Balthazar thirsts for Van’s blood. If he can slay the great vampire hunter no one in the land can possibly doubt his power. Balthazar will not be stopped by Dominic and will seize control of his domain if that’s what it takes. But Dominic’s massive human population feeds an impressive army, which is always prepared for a fight and happens to be directly in Van’s path to Colorado. Dominic is obsessed with Van for entirely different reasons, if she is the crown jewel of the human race she belongs in his collection of the finest humans left on Earth. His ego and lifestyle might make him naïve to Balthazar’s cunning ways, but Dominic has more resources than any other Superior leader and not even Balthazar can defeat Dominic’s army.

Luther has been hiding in the darkness for three years. When all seems lost for our heroes, he will emerge. In Van Helsing he sees a new possibility for his vision of coexistence. But the war has already escalated and a whole lot of fighting must happen first. Vanessa Helsing will lead the team to Colorado, they will be the first people to see the uninterrupted pure sun, the original source of life on Earth. The victory was brutal and costly, but now their real task can begin – rebuilding and planning an offensive to take back their land. Unfortunately, not all is as it seems, and not everyone on the team should have been trusted.

Do you like the sound of the Van Helsing TV show? What do you think of the cast, so far? Do you like the idea of a female in the traditionally male lead role? Tell us.