‘Very Young Frankenstein’ Pilot Gets FX Series Order – Exclusive
EXCLUSIVE: FX has picked up to series its last outstanding pilot, Very Young Frankenstein, a comedy based on Mel Brooks’ 1974 cult classic 20th Century Studios film Young Frankenstein.
The series for FX and Hulu comes from the What We Do In the Shadows trio of Stefani Robinson, Taika Waititi and Garrett Basch, who executive produce with Brooks. Zach Galifianakis, Dolly Wells and Spencer House star in the pilot, written by Robinson and directed by Waititi, whose cast also includes Nikki Crawford, Kumail Nanjiani and Cary Elwes.
“Very Young Frankenstein blends inspiration from the fan-favorite movie with the inventive, irreverent spirit that has defined FX comedies over the years, making this a completely original take on the classic story,” said Nick Grad, President, FX Entertainment. “In the hands of FX veterans Stefani, Taika and Garrett, alongside the iconic Mel Brooks, we know that fans will have as much fun watching this series as we’re having making it.”
Robinson, Waititi, Brooks and Basch executive produce alongside Michael Gruskoff and Kevin Salter. The series is produced by 20th Television.
Clockwise Top L-R: Zach Galifianakis, Dolly Wells, Spencer House, Nikki Crawford, Kumail Nanjiani & Cary Elwes
Getty/Courtesy/Disney/Sekou Luke/Brian Bowen Smith/Courtesy
Very Young Frankenstein joins three other pilots ordered by FX over the past year that also have been picked up to series, a Snowfall spinoff starring original cast members Gail Bean and Isaiah John; Seven Sisters, a family drama starring Elizabeth Olsen, Cristin Milioti and J. Smith-Cameron; and Disinherited from Better Call Saul co-creator Peter Gould, starring Victoria Pedretti and Kiera Allen. Two pilots from the batch, Untitled Witness Protection and Movers, did not go forward.
This marks the sixth series at FX for Basch, including three current ones, Very Young Frankenstein, Seven Sisters and The Lowdown.
Directed by Brooks, who co-wrote the script with Gene Wilder, Young Frankenstein, a parody of Universal monster movies of the ’30s and ’40s that stars Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, who is embarrassed by his family’s macabre legacy and hopes to distance himself from it. The movie also stars Peter Boyle as the Monster, Marty Feldman as Igor, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher, Madeline Kahn as Frederick’s fiancée, Teri Garr as Inga as well as Brooks as the voice of Victor Frankenstein.
