Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Saw) is in final negotiations to join FX’s upcoming pilot Very Young Frankenstein, which, to our understanding, has already received a pilot order. According to Deadline, Elwes is set to portray the president of the United States in the upcoming comedy series.
Deadline reports Very Young Frankenstein is a fresh reimagining inspired by Mel Brooks’ iconic 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein. Brooks (Blazing Saddles), who co-wrote and directed the original film, is on board as an executive producer for the FX project. The new series is being developed by the creative team behind the hit vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, bringing together a powerhouse of comedic talent.
According to Deadline, Stefani Robinson will be writing the pilot as well as serving as showrunner. Robinson is known for her work on Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows. The pilot will be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), who also joins as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Garrett Basch (Life Itself, Klara and The Sun), Kevin Salter (Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, The Land of Sometimes), who is a longtime producing partner of Brooks—and Michael Gruskoff, who produced the original Young Frankenstein.
Deadline notes that the original Young Frankenstein was a genre-defining horror-comedy that parodied the classic monster movies of the early 20th century. It starred Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, The Woman in Red) as Frederick Frankenstein, the American grandson of the infamous scientist Victor Frankenstein. Notably, Wilder’s character insisted on pronouncing his last name “Fronkensteen” to distance himself from his grandfather’s controversial legacy and ethically questionable experiments.
As reported by Deadline, the new series is being produced by 20th Television and aims to capture the spirit of the original while introducing it to a new generation of viewers. With a cast led by Cary Elwes and creative direction from some of comedy’s top talents, Very Young Frankenstein is shaping up to be one of FX’s most anticipated comedy pilots.