by Graeme Stirling
I, Frankenstein hits cinemas 29th of January. Graeme gives us a quick overview of previous and future incarnations.
Few characters have made more appearances in film – or in any other media, for that matter – than the monstrous green gentleman from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. From non-canonical sequels to traditional remakes and from comic books to comedy musicals, he makes Sherlock Holmes look lazy.
I, Frankenstein hits cinemas 29th of January. Graeme gives us a quick overview of previous and future incarnations.
Few characters have made more appearances in film – or in any other media, for that matter – than the monstrous green gentleman from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. From non-canonical sequels to traditional remakes and from comic books to comedy musicals, he makes Sherlock Holmes look lazy.
The announcement of a 2015 remake, then, comes as no surprise. The film is scheduled to be released a full 105 years after the very first adaptation and a century after the second – no surviving copies of which are said to exist – with the most renowned to date being Boris Karloff’s outings from back in the 1930s. Whilst it’s unlikely that this latest effort will earn anywhere near this kind of cult status, it ought to be a fun watch. The Doctor and Monster relationship has been tackled by many directors including Kenneth Branagh (an excellent version that sees Robert De Niro strangely as the monster,) Danny Boyle for stage, Mel Brooks humorous Young Frankenstein and Tim Burton bringing the tale to life with the underrated Frankenweenie.
At the helm for 2015 version is Scottish director Paul McGuigan, who brought us the – come to think of it – cult classic Lucky Number Slevin. Lately, he’s directed a few episodes of the BBC’s immensely popular Sherlock series
At the helm for 2015 version is Scottish director Paul McGuigan, who brought us the – come to think of it – cult classic Lucky Number Slevin. Lately, he’s directed a few episodes of the BBC’s immensely popular Sherlock series
Perhaps he’s caught the revamp bug. The film industry is, of course, always happy to oblige, as is the illustrious monster with more screen credits than Dracula himself. This time round, Viktor von Frankenstein will be played by another Scot, the baby-faced James McAvoy, and aided by Harry Potter as Igor. Two Sherlocks, Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch, appeared as both the good doctor and the bolt-necked hero in a 2011 theatre production. This year (next week to be precise), before McGuigan and friends can come close to finishing their project, will see Bill Nighy in I, Frankenstein, the big screen take on one of the countless graphic novels to feature this horror icon.
How it will look is anyone’s guess. By now we’re long past the stage where filmmakers need to tread carefully around volatile fans and precious source material. More than a century after the first book-to-screen shift, Frankenstein is as open-source as it gets. Indeed, it seems the real trick that McGuigan and any other pretenders need to pull off is simply being noticed. It’ll have to big, bright and brilliantly entertaining, and with any luck we’re in for a no-pressure, guilt-free treat.
Check out the new trailer for I, Frankenstein out next Wednesday
How it will look is anyone’s guess. By now we’re long past the stage where filmmakers need to tread carefully around volatile fans and precious source material. More than a century after the first book-to-screen shift, Frankenstein is as open-source as it gets. Indeed, it seems the real trick that McGuigan and any other pretenders need to pull off is simply being noticed. It’ll have to big, bright and brilliantly entertaining, and with any luck we’re in for a no-pressure, guilt-free treat.
Check out the new trailer for I, Frankenstein out next Wednesday
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