It's… alive! The first trailer for VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is here!

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus” is undoubtedly one of my top 10 favourite novels of all time. Not only is it an incredible Gothic parable of ambition, redemption and just plain ol’ humanity, but it is considered by some to be the first true science fiction novel. So of course Hollywood turned it into a lumbering monster story.

To be fair though, despite their deviation from Shelley’s original text (and even one that tried to stick close to it, thanks to Kenneth Branagh’s efforts), there have been some really decent Frankenstein flicks. And now we may have another one joining those non-beholden ranks in the form of Victor Frankenstein.

Written by Max Landis (Chronicle) and directed by Paul McGuigan (Push, Lucky Number Slevin) what sets Victor Frankenstein apart from all the previous films is that its unprecedentent focus is on the seemingly bromantic relationship between the titular Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Igor (who never actually appeared in Shelley’s work). The dynamic duo are brought to life here by the potent pairing of James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe (sans hunchback luckily), and going from the first trailer they appear to be putting a really cool spin on things as they get up to all kinds of crazy mad scientist stuff together.

We may have ditched the heavy drama of Shelley’s work, but this certainly looks like a good balance of gothic horror and popcorn fun. Check it out below.

(As a bonus, you will also get to see what McAvoy’s bald Charles Xavier look for X-Men: Apocalypse as he introduces the trailer)

James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.

And for all you completionists like me, here’s the much more sombre and darker UK version of the trailer, which puts a much more dramatic spin on things and also gives a few more glimpses of the story.

Victor Frankenstein also stars Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott and Freddie Fox. It is scheduled for release on November 25, 2015.

Last Updated: August 19, 2015