Just yesterday, we reported that Universal had enlisted the help of producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan to revitalize its classic movie monsters, and now it appears that the studio already has a director in mind for what’s sure to be one of its first stabs at bringing those cinema icons back to the big screen. Speaking on the set of his film Crimson Peak, set up at Legendary Pictures through Universal (the same deal his Pacific Rim 2 is getting), Guillermo del Toro revealed that he’s been approached by Universal’s Donna Langley a number of times about getting an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein off the ground.
Del Toro’s comments suggest that he’s very, very interested in taking on Frankenstein, though even a filmmaker of his stature is understandably daunted by the task. When asked by Collider if, due to his set-up at Legendary and Universal, Frankenstein would be next up after Pacific Rim 2, del Toro said:
“I would love to. I mean, look, I would love to do Frankenstein and Bride, or Frankenstein for sure, but it really, Frankenstein has been—I’ve been really, really, afraid. Donna [Langley] has approached me a few times to start it now and I’m always like, you know, it’s like the dream project so I’m a little, I’m a chicken shit, you know? When I do it, I need to do it. Like, if I do Frankenstein, I literally would stop everything, and I’m going to a sabbatical of three years, just to write that. It’s not something that’s gonna just flow, like second nature. It’s my favorite book in history. [Laughs]”
When Collider asked, for clarification’s sake, if that meant he was open to both Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, the director replied, “Yeah, I would like to.” Hopefully del Toro will work up the nerve to take one or both projects on – he certainly seems like a great choice to deliver a worthy Frankenstein adaptation. The filmmaker also offered his thoughts on Universal’s plans for their monster movie universe as a whole, noting:
“I think that it’s a great universe to develop. I personally think that they should all be period movies. I would love to see Creature from the Black Lagoon in Victorian England with the Victorian exploration, with a balloon and steam riverboats. I would love to see The Hunchback, Phantom, you know?”
Now that del Toro has a seemingly solid relationship with Legendary and, by extension, Universal, chances seem high that he’ll end up working on one of the studio’s new monster movies. Though superhero movies have been dominating at the box office, I think it’s high time for another genre to take over – so why not classic movie monsters? I’d love to see a del Toro-directed Frankenstein happen, both because it would be completely awesome and because of all the doors it would open for future projects with other talented directors.
As always, we’ll keep you posted as more on this story develops.