Very Young Frankenstein is officially alive at FX. The network has ordered a comedy series inspired by Mel Brooks’ beloved 1974 classic Young Frankenstein, with Zach Galifianakis leading the cast and Taika Waititi among the key creative names.
The series will be produced for FX and Hulu, with Zach Galifianakis, Dolly Wells and Spencer House starring. The pilot also featured Nikki Crawford, Kumail Nanjiani and Cary Elwes, giving the project a stacked comedy ensemble before the lightning has even struck.
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Deadline broke the news, reporting that Very Young Frankenstein comes from What We Do in the Shadows veterans Taika Waititi, Stefani Robinson, and Garrett Basch, who executive produce alongside Brooks. Robinson wrote the pilot, Waititi directed it, and the series is being produced by 20th Television.
Very Young Frankenstein Brings Mel Brooks’ Classic Back to Life
While plot details are still being kept under wraps, the title strongly suggests a story set before the events of Young Frankenstein, Brooks’ Oscar-nominated black-and-white parody of classic Universal monster movies from the 1930s and ’40s. The original film followed Gene Wilder’s Frederick Frankenstein, a doctor eager to escape his family’s ghoulish reputation before being dragged right back into it.
FX Entertainment president Nick Grad said in a statement: “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. 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.”
A Strong Comedy Team Behind FX’s New Young Frankenstein Series
Robinson, Waititi and Basch all helped shape FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, a series that managed to spin a cult film into its own sharp, weird, long-running comedy universe. That does not guarantee the same lightning-in-a-bottle result here, of course, but it is not a bad group to have handling a new take on one of Brooks’ most quoted films.
Brooks remains involved as an executive producer, joined by Robinson, Waititi, Basch, Michael Gruskoff and Kevin Salter. For Basch, Very Young Frankenstein marks another FX project on a growing list that also includes the upcoming Seven Sisters and The Lowdown.
The Legacy of Young Frankenstein
Released in 1974, Young Frankenstein was directed by Brooks and co-written by Brooks and Wilder. The film starred Wilder as Frederick Frankenstein, Peter Boyle as the Monster, Marty Feldman as Igor, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher, Madeline Kahn as Frederick’s fiancée Elizabeth, Teri Garr as Inga, and Brooks himself as the voice of Victor Frankenstein.
The film has remained one of Brooks’ most enduring comedies, balancing monster-movie affection with full-blown absurdity. What appears to be a prequel-style series could either be a risky bit of grave-robbing or a very funny way to dig back into that world. With Galifianakis starring, Waititi involved, and Brooks still part of the experiment, this one has some promising mad-scientist energy going in.
Here’s a look back at the trailer for the ’74 classic:
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