FX has confirmed a pilot order for Very Young Frankenstein, a new comedy show that will attempt to cash in on the legacy of Mel Brooks’ 1974 classic film Young Frankenstein. THR’s announcement confirmed a TV series has been has been given a pilot order and Zach Galifianakis in a leading role. Although the network is keeping details secret, speculation is that he may take on the part of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, originally brought to life by Gene Wilder in what many believe is one of the greatest comedies ever made.
Alongside Galifianakis, the cast features Dolly Wells, Spencer House, Nikki Crawford, Kumail Nanjiani, and Cary Elwes, who is collaborating with Brooks for the first time in three decades. Brooks is attached as an executive producer, joined by longtime partners Kevin Salter and Michael Gruskoff. This echoes their earlier work on Robin Hood: Men in Tights, another parody that found its place in the Brooks catalog during the 1990s.
The project also involves alumni from FX’s vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. Stefani Robinson is serving as writer and showrunner, while Taika Waititi is directing, with Garrett Basch also involved as a producer. If FX approves a full season, the series will stream on Hulu—a half-century after Wilder’s masterpiece elevated comedy-horror as art rather than cheap entertainment.
Waititi is a darling of modern Hollywood these days, but the idea that anyone thinks he ought to reshape Young Frankenstein is a grotesque insult to the legacy of Gene Wilder. Brooks may have his name on the project, but the truth is that Young Frankenstein belonged to Wilder in spirit, tone, and delivery. His improvisations, his frantic genius, and his ability to balance comedy with heart cannot be replaced by any modern “reimagining.” Any attempt otherwise verges on betrayal.
This is a guaranteed disaster.
Brooks, who recently oversaw History of the World, Part II on Hulu (which was terrible), and continues to be involved with Spaceballs 2 (another disaster incoming), seems determined to destroy the best of his catalog before he taps out without any consideration for how much he is damaging his own reputation. No sequel or spinoff can ever compare to the brilliance of Young Frankenstein. Instead, attaching it to new Hollywood names will only dilute it, and take something that stood as untouchable and making it mundane.
Film Rankings: The Movies of Mel Brooks
Young Frankenstein set a standard that no revival gimmick can capture. The news that FX has put its trust in Waititi and designated this as the next great “revival” is not clever innovation. It’s just another sign of reckless disregard for one of the last remaining timeless masterpieces of cinema.
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