Directing news double feature: Sherlock director for Untitled Max Landis Frankenstein project and David Slade’s next flick

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

First up we have the untitled Frankenstein project from screenwriter Max Landis (CHRONICLE), once set to be directed by Shawn Levy (REAL STEEL) but now looking to Paul McGuigan (PUSH, LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN) to take the reins. 

McGuigan has done some stellar work in the last few years directing four of the six “Sherlock” episodes, and I imagine he’d bring a very fascinating blend of solid character work, suspense, and plot momentum to Landis’ redo of Mary Shelley’s classic monster story.  Twentieth Century Fox and Davis Entertainment, who also co-produced the super (hehe) successful CHRONICLE together, are the ones guiding the project to fruition. 

“Observers have described Davis’ ‘Frankenstein’ as a revisionist, sci-fi take on Mary Shelley’s 19th century novel. Landis’ version is said to focus on themes of friendship and redemption.”

Meanwhile on the David Slade front, the man has at last managed to sign on to a feature film project (he recently had to drop out of DAREDEVIL contention because of commitments to “Hannibal”) in the form of… MATCHED, a Disney adaptation of a young adult sci-fi romance series. 

The first book in a trilogy, here’s the plot of MATCHED as per the author’s website: “In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices, but she begins to question just how perfect her world really is when she notices things are not what they seem. As Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility, she is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.”  The other two books in the series are CROSSED and REACHED, and are all about the ongoing adventures of characters Cassia, Xander, and Ky.

The adaptation was done by Michelle and Kieran Mulroney (SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS).  Ironically, it was actually Slade’s work on the third Twilight movie that got him the gig.

And in other news, I found this today – Frankenstein’s monster done up to look like The Joker.  What.