Frankenstein is a tale that never really seems to go out of style since it’s about more than just the monster aspect of the movie, it has a lot to do with humanity and how we view one another as well. At this point though Mike Sprague of MovieWeb and many others are trying to speculate just how likely it is that we’ll see the Dark Universe that was progressing with Tom Cruise’s version of The Mummy might be progressing, if it is at all. One can’t help but think that it might be since The Invisible Man is coming to theaters eventually, and there’s even a Renfield standalone movie on the way it sounds like. If you don’t know who Renfield is then you need to brush up on your Dracula lore a bit. It would seem that some could possibly state with some accuracy that this cinematic universe is being picked up again and if so long as it’s given a decent representation it might actually work this time. There are plenty of monsters left to introduce, the Phantom of the Opera being one and the Creature from the Black Lagoon being another, but at this point we’ll see how Frankenstein goes if it actually is in the works.
That’s the tough thing about Hollywood rumor, it could be a cruel attempt at teasing or it could be just that, rumors that aren’t bound to go anywhere. In any case it’s kind of a load since honestly it seems to be fun for people to get worked up now and again trying to anticipate what the studios are doing and thinking that they’re onto something that people might not want to them to know about. In truth there are times when the rumor is left as a bit of bait to see how people will react to a small tidbit of information, and at times it leads to nothing but a dead end since it wasn’t meant to be followed so long anyway. But there does seem to be some strength behind this rumor thus far and it would be great to see another Frankenstein movie come out, this one hopefully more faithful to the original story with its own update or twist that needs to be added. To be honest it’s a better idea to update things as can be done in this era since old period pieces are still great when they’re done well and have a director that pays attention to the source material. But stories such as Frankenstein being brought into the current era are a challenge, but when accomplished they turn out to be quite interesting. One movie that had potential but was somehow bogged down by various factors was I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart. The story was decent, the overall theme wasn’t horrible, but the execution was kind of meh.
Frankenstein’s monster, it’s funny people still have to reminded of that, is an icon in the horror industry since the creature wasn’t wholly evil to begin with and is a product of a vain and narcissistic mind that thought he could defy nature and do something that no one had ever thought of. In Mary Shelly’s original version the perversion of the flesh was something that appalled a great many people since it was something that was insanely taboo to rob a grave, and in fact still is. But the idea of playing God for even a single life is abhorrent to so many people then and now that the audacity of the creature to exist, despite not being his fault, is something that no one has been able to get by since being composed of different body parts and an abnormal brain have made the creature dangerous and unfit to remain in society, therefore the pitchforks and torches became yet another iconic part of the Frankenstein legend. Humanity is not ready to handle the different, the grotesque, and the unnatural is what the story seems to indicate, but throughout the years it would seem that things might have changed a bit, and there are plenty of ways to take on a project like Frankenstein yet again, as has been seen. Brad Miska from Bloody Disgusting has more to say on this matter.
In pop culture the monster has been seen as everything from vindictive to cheerful and friendly depending on the movie or show, but perhaps James Wan can bring another vision to the big screen and give us something that’s either more traditional or something that’s a blend of traditional and modern when it comes to the monster. Imagine if the creature had been living among humanity for so long as the story has gone in several movies, but has found a way to be accepted? That might be something interesting to ponder. Hopefully Wan can come up with something we haven’t seen too much of in the past.
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