I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart as the titular monster, has its first trailer. Unlike the more traditional adaptation starring James McAvoy, I Frankenstein re-imagines Frankenstein as one of many humanoid monsters locked in struggle against an army of griffins. If this premise sounds familiar, you will be unsurprised to learn that this movie comes from the producers of the Underworld series.
Rather than a straight adaptation of Mary Shelley’s book, I, Frankenstein is based on an unpublished graphic novel of the same name which was inspired by the original story. The graphic novel’s writer, Kevin Grevioux, wrote the screenplay. Grevioux also co-wrote Underworld and appeared in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.
If all of the connections to Underworld are not enough of a tip-off, this movie would appear to have little to do with Shelley’s story or even its themes. The trailer sets up Eckhart’s Frankenstein as yet another rough man with dark past. He is very good at fighting griffins but is not very happy about that. Only when he meets the “one,” the one beautiful woman who can reach him, does he find something worth fighting for and decide to look out for everyday humans. The story may bear a superficial resemblance to the original in that both feature a not-quite-man trying to find his place in the world, but those looking for a thought-provoking film of the book should probably hold out for the James McAvoy movie. Fans of supernatural monster fights on the other hand will find plenty to like.
I, Frankenstein will be distributed by Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment. It is scheduled for release on January 24, 2014.
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