We’ve been hearing about the possibilities for a new and as yet untitled Frankenstein film for awhile now. With Daniel Radcliffe signed on to play Igor, director Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin) at the helm, and an October 2014 release date in place, it looks like the movie is coming closer to fruition. Now the question becomes: who’s going to play the good doctor?
It appears that Frankenstein has narrowed it down to two semi-recognizable faces: Jack Huston, of Boardwalk Empire, and Toby Kebbell, best known for Prince of Persia and The East. Both actors are being flown to London to read for the part of Victor von Frankenstein, the titular man who tried to play God and wound up with a very angry monster on his hands.
It does not seem clear how this Frankenstein film will differ from the divers other films of the same, or similar, title over the years. With the biggest name star in what is usually a minor role – that’s Radcliffe as the Doctor’s assistant Igor – this could mean a big shift in the story. Merely the presence of Igor means that this will not be a faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein novel, which does not even contain a comparable character. The novel dwells more on the relationship between the Doctor and his creation, and that creation’s philosophical identity crisis, than the usual lurching creature we know from the Boris Karloff years.
Nor should this upcoming Frankenstein be confused with I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart as the monster who battles otherworld demons and gargoyles, which comes out in 2014 as well. That film is a whole other crypt of corpses, I promise you.
With Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell in the running to play Victor, though, we can likely expect more solid information on the Max Landis-scripted Frankenstein project before long. The project is likely to finish casting and start filming soon and once we have more updates, we’ll be sure to let you know.
