Between Universal’s planned resurrections of its most iconic monsters and the considerable success of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, it’s a great time for classic monsters. Now, it appears that Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the latest genre property to head back into development, with word that ITV is plotting an ambitious, 10-part Jekyll & Hyde series.
The adaptation hails from Charlie Higson, the British author behind the bestselling Young Bond series and the teen-targeted, post-apocalyptic Enemy series. Higson will both write and exec-produce. Unlike previous takes on the classic novel, Jekyll & Hyde is set in 1930s London at a time of Hollywood glamour, aerodynamic cars and monster movies.
It centers on Robert Jekyll, the grandson of the original doctor, who is described as “young, attractive and troubled.” Apparently, some unfortunate family genes have been passed down. After becoming a doctor, Robert sets out to discover his real identity, his true family history and the extent of his ‘curse’ which is being controlled with medication by a mysterious Dr. Vishal Najaran. One actor will play Jekyll and his alter-ego Hyde, into whom he transforms in times of stress or when he or those around him are threatened.
CGI will play into Jekyll & Hyde in a huge way, both during the initial transformations into Jekyll and what Deadline describes as “subsequent superhero sequences.” The good/bad doctor isn’t the only fantastical creature running around 1930s London – all manner of monsters, zombies, werewolves, vampires, ghosts and general freaks of nature will factor into the story.
So far, Jekyll & Hyde sounds pretty promising. ITV is definitely betting on the series in a big way – unlike most British series, this one will film first in Sri Lanka before moving back to the U.K. To help them realize theirs and Higson’s vision, ITV has booked Colin Teague (The White Queen), a remarkably talented helmer, to direct.
Tell us, are you looking forward to seeing what ITV has come up with here? Sound off below!
