Del Toro To Resurrect Frankenstein?

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=21720

Source: MTV

We at Empire love us some Guillermo Del Toro. As a director, he spent the nineties being interesting and creative, but a bit scrappy, and has grown into one of cinema's most visionary directors. So, the news that he is planning a take on the story of Frankenstein stirs in us a reaction that can only be described as 'WEEEEEEEE!'

Del Toro told MTV that he's planning "the definitive take" on Mary Shelley's monster. But. But, he says he doesn't want to film a literal telling of the novel, telling the site, "The only way to do the Shelley novel is to actually do a four-hour miniseries,” he said. “But I think there permutations in which you can tell the myth in a different way.”

The director is apparently still in the very very early stages of development, working on sketches and such. He doesn't even say for sure whether he's actually been given the job of making a new Frankenstein or if he's just doing it for his own amusement.

Things are looking good for the renaissance of old school monsters. Mark Romanek's take on The Wolf Man has been delayed but looks good from early images of Benicio Del Toro. This could be spectacular. Now, if someone could make a good new take on Dracula to erase the memories of Francis Ford Coppola's effort and be a bit less camp than the Hammer version, then we'll be golden. If David Fincher or Alfonso Cuaron could make it, that'd be marvellous.

P.S. Please make The Hobbit first, Mr Del Toro.
Olly Richards

 

[Figs]

I don't like the fact that he states he doesn't want to film a literal telling of the novel. So this is just going to be another Director's version that botches up Shelley's book?

 

[Agentsands77]

I'd love to see a Del Toro FRANKENSTEIN. But I also want Del Toro's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS.

I don't really want him to touch franchise films, like THE HOBBIT or HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (though I imagine he'd do great work on both of them). I don't want to see him continue other peoples work, I want to see him turn in stuff that's really his.

 

[Agentsands77]

I don't like the fact that he states he doesn't want to film a literal telling of the novel. So this is just going to be another Director's version that botches up Shelley's book?

A literal telling of the novel wouldn't work, as he correctly states. You have to find other ways of translating this tale to film. Anyhoo, I'm far more interested in Del Toro's take on the Frankenstein myth than a literal take on Shelley's rather dull novel.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

If anybody can do this, it's Del Toro and besides this movie can't be any worse the crapfest that was Kenneth Branagh's Frankenstein.

 

[thejon93]

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=21720

Source: MTV

We at Empire love us some Guillermo Del Toro. As a director, he spent the nineties being interesting and creative, but a bit scrappy, and has grown into one of cinema's most visionary directors. So, the news that he is planning a take on the story of Frankenstein stirs in us a reaction that can only be described as 'WEEEEEEEE!'

Del Toro told MTV that he's planning "the definitive take" on Mary Shelley's monster. But. But, he says he doesn't want to film a literal telling of the novel, telling the site, "The only way to do the Shelley novel is to actually do a four-hour miniseries,” he said. “But I think there permutations in which you can tell the myth in a different way.”

The director is apparently still in the very very early stages of development, working on sketches and such. He doesn't even say for sure whether he's actually been given the job of making a new Frankenstein or if he's just doing it for his own amusement.

Things are looking good for the renaissance of old school monsters. Mark Romanek's take on The Wolf Man has been delayed but looks good from early images of Benicio Del Toro. This could be spectacular. Now, if someone could make a good new take on Dracula to erase the memories of Francis Ford Coppola's effort and be a bit less camp than the Hammer version, then we'll be golden. If David Fincher or Alfonso Cuaron could make it, that'd be marvellous.

P.S. Please make The Hobbit first, Mr Del Toro.
Olly Richards

Whoa... this would be awesome if Del Toro did this. He is such a visual director that I think he would make a masterpiece out of this mythical monster once again.

 

[The Joker_1000]

Thank God! I'm glad that we may be getting a Franenstein remake that has potential to be good. We haven't had a good Frankenstein movie since the original movies in the 1930's. I hope we get something close to the original but with new tweaks to the character. Del Toro also needs to get somebody big & hulking for the role of Frankenstein.

 

[Figs]

A literal telling of the novel wouldn't work, as he correctly states. You have to find other ways of translating this tale to film. Anyhoo, I'm far more interested in Del Toro's take on the Frankenstein myth than a literal take on Shelley's rather dull novel.

I guess I'm confused about the fact that you have any interest in this project when you refer to the source material as dull. Seriously, there have been so many films made of Frankenstein why make another, especially if there not going to do the book justice for the umpteenth time.

On another note, I never got what all the Kenneth Branagh's Frankensteins hate was about. That film was 100x better than 99% of the others(minus the original with Karlof).

 

[L0ngsh0t]

Screw the Hobbit while being the best of the LOTR's it still suffers from the drawn out descriptive paragraphing that makes all LOTR books subpar anyways

this is fantastic, the best director in hollywood to remake a classic, phuckin b.a.

 

[chaseter]

Movie +, mini-series -

 

[Darkly Dexter]

wow How many movies is Guillermo Del Toro doing in the near future?

 

[War Party]

Interview. Video at the bottom:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/01/03/guillermo-del-toro-chats-frankenstein-and-the-hobbit/

 

[Agentsands77]

I guess I'm confused about the fact that you have any interest in this project when you refer to the source material as dull.

Because Frankenstein isn't just Mary Shelly. The story is something much larger than the source material now, just as James Bond is something much bigger and different than Fleming's novels, or Sweeney Todd is a far different figure than he was when he first appeared in a penny dreadful.

The core story of FRANKENSTEIN is very powerful, and full of thematic richness. I love those themes. I don't particularly love Shelley's novel, but I do love James Whale's 1931 film.

Seriously, there have been so many films made of Frankenstein why make another, especially if there not going to do the book justice for the umpteenth time.

Why make another? Because Del Toro might be able to bring something new (and worthwhile) to it. Since very few of the takes have been good, there's room to get one that's actually great, which Del Toro's take might be. I think there's actually some great ways in which FRANKENSTEIN could speak to the contemporary world.

And I don't see how Guillermo Del Toro would necessarily fail to do the book justice, especially since I think Whale's FRANKENSTEIN did it perfectly. It took Shelley's book and successfully reinvented it into an iconic, wonderful film. Del Toro might be able to do the same thing. Even if it's far from great, it'll still undoubtedly be a fascinating film.

On another note, I never got what all the Kenneth Branagh's Frankensteins hate was about. That film was 100x better than 99% of the others(minus the original with Karlof).

Branagh's taste for the overdone got the best of him on that film, and it produced a mess. Aping Coppola's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style from BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA was a big mistake, especially since he didn't even do it as well.

 

[The Joker_1000]

Screw the Hobbit while being the best of the LOTR's it still suffers from the drawn out descriptive paragraphing that makes all LOTR books subpar anyways

this is fantastic, the best director in hollywood to remake a classic, phuckin b.a.

I can't wait to get more news on this movie, I've been waiting for this remake for a long ass time.

 

[DorkyFresh]

i like Del Toro, but i don't want him for Frankenstein. Frankenstein is one of the few monsters that could actually be interpreted in a realistic manner and Guilermo shines when he's doing fantasy. i'd rather see Alfonso Cuaron tackle the malformed monster.

 

[The Joker_1000]

Well, this story is fantasy so he'll be okay doing this movie.

 

[DorkyFresh]

it's not fantasy in the sense that Blade 2, Hellboy or Pan's Labyrinth are fantasy though. Frankenstein, while being impossible, isn't something that isn't believable like the rest of Del Toro's movies are. however, Cuaron made Children of Men which is a believable fantasy...that's why i think Cuaron would be better suited for the job than Del Toro.

still, anything Del Toro does is awesome so if he makes Frankenstein then you can bet my butt will be there in the theaters.

 

[Mister Sinister]

So how long after we get our first look until someone comes up with "IT'S ALIVE!"?

 

[Lord Blackbolt]

wow How many movies is Guillermo Del Toro doing in the near future?

I know it seems like once a week he's confirmed for some new movie

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I'd love to see a Del Toro FRANKENSTEIN. But I also want Del Toro's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS.

This.

 

[protocida]

The only movie Guilherme is REALLY going to make before ''Frankenstein'' is ''In the montains of Madness''. The other two, He is only producting.

 

[Flexo]

The only movie Guilherme is REALLY going to make before ''Frankenstein'' is ''In the montains of Madness''. The other two, He is only producting.

This is false.

GdT has stated multiple times that he'd love to do Mountains, but no one is too interested in it. So, for the moment, AtMoM is just a wet dream.

It's more likely we'll see 3993 or Tarzan before this.

 

[Jochimus]

Meh, I'm not interested. I'd have rather seen him tackle CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.

 

[The Joker_1000]

it's not fantasy in the sense that Blade 2, Hellboy or Pan's Labyrinth are fantasy though. Frankenstein, while being impossible, isn't something that isn't believable like the rest of Del Toro's movies are. however, Cuaron made Children of Men which is a believable fantasy...that's why i think Cuaron would be better suited for the job than Del Toro.

still, anything Del Toro does is awesome so if he makes Frankenstein then you can bet my butt will be there in the theaters.

Yeah, I've been waiting on a good remake. I watched the original & then a lot of movies that either featured Frankenstein or was a "remake' & mostly all of them were horrible. I did like Shuler Hensely's performance in Van Helsing though, that is my favorite Frankenstein's monster performance to date. Boris Karloff, believe it or not, is my second favorite.

 

[Warhammer]

Guillermo Del Toro will make this amazing if he has the chance. I'm all for it.