NBC is following in FX’s footsteps and exploring the horror genre, with a script order for Frankenstein.
The script, described as a modern-day take on the legend of Frankenstein, will be penned by House executive producers Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner for Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun.
The script order follows FX’s series order for Glee duo Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s “psycho-sexual” horror drama American Horror Story, which FX topper John Landgraf referred to as a “breakthrough commercial piece of television that’s going to be imitated widely if people find it.”
Universal Studios owns the intellectual property rights to Frankenstein, as well as such other classic characters as Dracula, the Wolfman and the Mummy.
The legend of Frankenstein was first told via Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. The first film project, directed by J. Searle Dawley, came in 1910, with reboots including Universal’s 1931 Boris Karloff starrer. Universal was behind a series of films featuring the classic characters from 1942-48. The character was famously spoofed via Mel Brooks’ 1974 spoof Young Frankenstein.
The story was adapted for TV in 1973 with Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazin, James Mason and Jane Seymour. Other takes have included the TNT telefilm in 1993 with Patrick Bergin and Randy Quaid.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
NBC Orders Script for 'Frankenstein' Reboot
10 Aug 2011
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Well, the show that apparently started a horror trend was not American Horror Story but The Walking Dead. I mean a few good horror shows would be great but all this seems to be getting a bit too much for my taste.
ReplyDeleteAnd to be honest, I can't imagine a good horror show on a network; this genre needs to be on cable.
Have to agree with you, although True Blood and Vampire diaries do have their horror elements too... In my mind they're more hybrids or horror-light and The Walking Dead is more pure old-fashioned horror.
ReplyDeleteDepends how they go about and the cast. It's a great story, but if they make it too much about the monster it really would limit the series. Now if they make it about Frankenstein, his experiments or how his society feels about science..... that could make for a more interesting series in my mind.
ReplyDeleteIf it's just about the monster I hope it's more of a mini-series.
Any idea if they intend this as a movie, mini-series, series, or backdoor series?
ReplyDeleteHi Baff,
ReplyDeleteAt the moment it's not clear from what I can tell. I'll try to find out.
As far as I can tell it's supposed to be a series script.
ReplyDeleteAh cool, thanks mate.
ReplyDeleteThx
ReplyDeleteAlso Being Human (both of them) and Bedlam have a bit of horror to them. Grimm, The Fades and The River may also verge on horror. Horror series have certainly gone from nearly non-existant to almost common in a very short period of time.
ReplyDeleteI won't dispute the fact that there are shows with some kind of horror elements in them. But now in the wake of The Walking Dead there are more and more "thoroughbred" horror projects in development.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather TV went for original stories, but still I guess we'll see what they do with it.
ReplyDeletemodern-day take on the story? teen Frankenstein and his monster, both in love with some high school cheerleader...
ReplyDeleteIf they wanna do it, the story should be in the times that the book told about. I hate all, movies or series, modern-day takes on some classic stories.
another reboot? :( it should be interesting though
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great idea but instead use Dean Kootz's Frankenstein. Loved the whole concept of his books.
ReplyDeleteSomething good could come out of the idea, but NBC isn't exactly the network I have in mind to do something like this.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that we have been getting a bigger selection of shows like these over the last couple of years. Just the same as that there's a lot more horror, sci-fi and fantasy being written. It used to be that there'd be maybe that one cult show if you were lucky, and now that are so many variants that it hardly matters what level of horror you enjoy, there's something for everyone. Just as I no longer have to go to specialty bookstores to get a good selection of books on the topic. :)
ReplyDeleteHe's going to be enrolled in the local high school. His peers won't accept him because of his appearance/personality/origin/whatever but then he'll join the Glee club and find his place.
ReplyDeleteWhile it's grown into something else in the last 2 years, please don't be forgetting Supernatural. It's not terrifying but it was originally designed to be scary and dark and it's a show about hunting monsters.
ReplyDeletePlease just no. Just no. lol
ReplyDeleteAnother supernatural/genre show idea. Another reboot. Sometimes reading these makes me tired. Where's the new?
ReplyDeleteNBC owns Syfy, so it is possible it will air there instead.
ReplyDeleteDidn't leave it out on purpose, I simply don't watch the show and didn't think of it in this context.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm surprised The CW hasn't tried something like this. I have been expecting them to make the Frankenstein monster into a hot young guy and add a forbidden love aspect. Boom. Hit show.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Most "horror" related shows were simply vampire dramas or some such thing. Zombies and power ratings on cable got the ball rolling.
ReplyDeleteOk, if it focus in Frankenstein more than in the monster I'm in. Or maybe better if it focuses on both and their relationship, with the moral dilemma of mimicking life in the backdrop and "what a meassure is a non human" thrown in.
ReplyDeleteDean Kootz's version of Frankenstein is the best ever. Now that would be a show I would watch.
ReplyDelete