The collective unconscious must be particularly concentrated in Hollywood, because when someone thinks they have a good idea, everyone else gets it as well.
Joining the plethora of fairy tales, vampires and zombie movies in the works is a whole bunch based on Mary Shelley’s classic (and conveniently public domain) story FRANKENSTEIN.
The latest projects getting zapped into life include THIS DARK ENDEAVOR, Summit’s adaptation of an upcoming book by Kenneth Oppel. In this variation, Victor’s twin brother Konrad becomes gravely ill. Victor discovers a secret library of alchemy and ancient remedy books, and sets out to find the ingredients for the Elixir of Life that will save Konrad.
THIS DARK ENDEAVOR will be directed by Matt Reeves, who is clearly sticking with monsters — he also directed CLOVERFIELD and LET ME IN, and is working on adapting the vampire book THE PASSAGE and the sci-fi story 8 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING (the basis for THEY LIVE).
Meanwhile, Sam Raimi’s production company Ghost House is adapting Peter Ackroyd’s novel THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, a “re-imagining” of Victor’s student years, friendship with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, experimentation with reainimating the dead, and dangerous encounters with a group of “resurrectionists”.
Aside from Danny Boyle’s recent stage production (briefly broadcast in US theaters), other versions of Shelley’s macabre tale in the works include Sony’s contemporary update, Guillermo del Toro’s straight period telling, an adaptation of author Dean Koontz’s modern “Frankenstein” novels (spun after a TV miniseries treatment), Stuart Beattie’s live-action version of the monster noir comic I, FRANKENSTEIN, an adaptation of Steve Niles’ modern Frankenstein comic WAKE THE DEAD, and BRUCE VS. FRANKENSTEIN, Bruce Campbell’s intended sequel to MY NAME IS BRUCE.
And now that I posted this picture, probably a superhero version of the Creature will be coming as well…
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