'Victor Frankenstein': Trailer offers glimpse of newest take on classic creature

'Frankenstein' stars James McAvoy as Victor Frankenstein and Daniel Radcliffe as his assistant, Igor. The movie's set to be released this November.

A trailer has arrived for the upcoming film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel “Frankenstein.”

The new film version stars James McAvoy of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” as Victor Frankenstein and “A Young Doctor’s Notebook” actor Daniel Radcliffe as his assistant Igor. “Downton Abbey” actress Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott of “Sherlock,” and “Sherlock” co-creator Mark Gatiss co-star. 

In terms of the classic version of the story, the version that most likely sticks in the minds of most moviegoers is the 1931 film version starring Boris Karloff. However, probably even more familiar to many would be director Mel Brooks’ 1974 parody “Young Frankenstein,” which stars Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, and Teri Garr.

The story of “Frankenstein” was recently (loosely) adapted for the screen with the 2014 film “I, Frankenstein,” which stars Aaron Eckhart as the creature, but the movie was not well-received by critics and did not do well at the box office.

What has made studio 20th Century Fox want to tackle the tale of Frankenstein again?

Most likely the success of “Sherlock Holmes,” the 2009 adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous mysteries. The movie stars Robert Downey Jr. as the title sleuth and Jude Law as his sidekick, John Watson, and while the film kept the main parts of the story intact, the film also included many action scenes. (It was directed by Guy Ritchie of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Revolver.”) The movie became the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year and spawned a sequel, 2011’s “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.”

Judging from the trailer, which mostly focuses on dramatic reanimation scenes, a few explosions (which also featured in “Holmes”), and some moments of comedy (which also popped up in “Holmes,” with Downey constantly wisecracking), it seems as if “Frankenstein” is going for the same feel. We’ll see if it can draw in a similar audience when “Frankenstein” hits theaters this November.