NBC Gives Life to 'Frankenstein' Reboot

NBC is following in FX’s footsteps and exploring the horror genre, with a script order for Frankenstein.

The script, described as a modern-day take on the legend of Frankenstein, will be penned by House executive producers Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner for Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun.

The script order follows FX’s series order for Glee duo Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s “psycho-sexual” horror drama American Horror Story, which FX topper John Landgraf referred to as a “breakthrough commercial piece of television that’s going to be imitated widely if people find it.”

Universal Studios owns the intellectual property rights to Frankenstein, as well as such other classic characters as Dracula, the Wolfman and the Mummy.

The legend of Frankenstein was first told via Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. The first film project, directed by J. Searle Dawley, came in 1910, with reboots including Universal’s 1931 Boris Karloff starrer. Universal was behind a series of films featuring the classic characters from 1942-48. The character was famously spoofed via Mel Brooks’ 1974 spoof Young Frankenstein.

The story was adapted for TV in 1973 with Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazin, James Mason and Jane Seymour. Other takes have included the TNT telefilm in 1993 with Patrick Bergin and Randy Quaid.

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