The modern re-working of Jekyll was a hit over on the Beeb and so ITV1 have gone all creative with some classic literature and whipped up a new take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The 90 minute one-off special comes courtesy of Bodies creator, Jed Mercurio who assumes both writing and directing responsibilities, and sees Helen McCrory (The Queen, Charles II: The Power and the Passion) take the lead as Victoria Frankenstein – ooh controversial. To add contemporary relevance, this skirted Dr. Frankenstein is busy working on stem-cell research before she starts bringing the dead to life and playing God.
Mercurio has a wealth of Frankenstein material at his disposal to inform his version, with the various adaptations of the novel part of cinematic history: “The novel is obviously the starting point for the story, but also the images that people conjure up all come from those first two movies of the 30s, Frankenstein and The Bride Of Frankenstein.” Mercurio not only has the memory of previous interpretations to contend with, but a duty to handle the scientific elements with respect: “I think people look at science now with the feeling that the story is possible, and therefore it throws up ethical questions which are worth considering.”
The screenwriter/ director continues: “By putting it in a modern context, it’s demonstrating that Frankenstein has endured as a story because it still has some kind of relevance. When it was first written, the idea of creating life was something that was magical, it was the age of alchemy, of people trying to turn led into gold. And obviously it was complete fantasy. “
“But what we now have is a world in which the first steps to create a brand new species have been taken. The story of Frankenstein gets closer to reality than it ever was when it was first written.”
Fleshing out the supporting cast are the dependable Neil Pearson and Rome’s James Purefoy and Lindsay Duncan. Tune in tomorrow night to see if ITV’s experiment is a spooky success or a rubbish re-hash.
[via the Yorkshire Post]