Given that I make my living by writing primarily about horror movies, it’s probably no surprise that my favorite Mel Brooks comedy is Young Frankenstein (even though the one I saw the most when I was growing up was Spaceballs). So, I was very intrigued when it was announced a couple of months ago that FX had officially given a pilot order to Very Young Frankenstein, a series based on the Brooks classic. The cast includes Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), Dolly Wells (Inside Man), Spencer House (Tell Me Lies), and Nikki Crawford (Cruel Intentions), with Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights) as the President of the United States – and during a quick chat with Deadline, Nanjiani said that the pilot was “a really fun shoot.”
Creative Team
Very Young Frankenstein has the blessing of Mel Brooks and comes from some of the team behind FX’s What We Do In the Shadows. Brooks executive produces alongside Stefani Robinson, who serves as writer and showrunner, Taika Waititi, who has directed the pilot, and Garrett Basch. Brooks’ producing partner Kevin Salter is also on board as an executive producer, as is original Young Frankenstein producer Michael Gruskoff.
Young Frankenstein History
Directed by Brooks from a script he wrote with Gene Wilder, Young Frankenstein follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein—who insists it’s pronounced “Fronk-en-steen”—as he journeys to Transylvania after inheriting his grandfather’s castle. Once there, he finds himself drawn into his infamous ancestor Victor Frankenstein’s experiments, ultimately attempting to reanimate the dead alongside Igor (sorry, Eye-gore). Gene Wilder stars as Dr. Frankenstein, with Peter Boyle as the Monster, Marty Feldman as Igor, Teri Garr as Inga, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher, and more. The late Gene Hackman made a memorable appearance as the blind hermit. Brooks and Wilder obviously knew the Frankenstein films that were released in the Universal monsters heyday quite well, as Young Frankenstein plays much like it could be an official follow-up to those films, even though it was released by 20th Century Fox and happens to be hilariously funny. It shows a lot of respect to the classic Frankenstein films, while mining a lot of comedy out of the scenarios those films presented.
I can’t say I expect Very Young Frankenstein to be able to strike that same balance, but I hope it will turn out to be entertaining.
Really Fun
Kumail Nanjiani told Deadline, “I think we’re still waiting to hear if it’s going to series. Shooting that was really fun. I’ve been friends with Zach for a very long time. I’ve been friends with Taika for a very long time. I’d never worked really with either of them. Well, I’d done a commercial with Taika, but I’d never worked with Zach. I opened for him on the road years and years ago. I love the original movie. I’m a fan of those guys. It was a really fun shoot.“
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